Ehaan visited her. He brought her pink roses. She can now stand so she put it in the bedside table. They went towards the balcony. The air touched them. She stared, her eyes were distantly looking far. Putting her hands on the wooden barricade. She heaved a sigh. She turned to face Ehaan whose looking at him in a calm demeanor.
"Your mother and my father had the talk.” Ehaan started to talk. His father told him what happened to her.“And I went here.” He tipped his chin downwards and stared at her. “To check on you.”
She smiled. Mouthed him a thank you without using her voice. Ehaan smiled back in return.
"Everything's weird these days. Strange. Yet wounding.” She meant it not only in a physical way. Her eyes were very distantly checking the area again. She began shaking her head. “It's really weird—to feel this way.”
"It was both physical and emotional for you, huh?” Ehaan smiled for a bit. There's no pity in his eyes only look of sympathy. And gentlenes in his gaze.
She lowered and scrunched her back before leaning on the terrain. “I missed the days when things arent as complicated like this. Is this what life is, Ehaan?” She stared at him.
Ehaan mimicked her gesture. "You mean complicated?” He shook his head." Life isn't always easy. But there's always a way out.” His gaze reach towards the farthest end of the area. His looking far away too.
Azaiah nodded her head. “You're right.” She closed her eyes to inhale the breeze.
"You're leaving?” Ehaan questioned.
“Yes. I'm leaving for college.” She thought about this. There's no need to sit around and contemplate. She needs to do this. “I need do this.”
Ehaan nodded. "You're right.” This place couldn't cater the skillset you need to attain for your chosen course.”
Azaiah nodded. "Besides this is no longer tolerable. I need a fresh start.” She's been thinking about wanting that fresh start to start something new.
Ehaan's eyes lightened with something bright that flashed his eyes. "You mean you wanted to follow the bliss?”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “And to see if the grass is greener on the other side. She added that to his statement.
“And what if it isn't?” He's into this questioning to see whether Azaiah is going to go with the decision with the determination.
" I'll go and search until I'll find the place that I'm looking for.” She replied. She's been looking for that place. But she still feels wary. It's a paradox, a complexity. But she's beginning to feel the familiar feeling all over her that she began to feel accustomed by feeling two opposite feelings.
Ehaan had the look of agreeing to her statement. “You really thought this through huh? I never knew you were that serious until now.”
Azaiah straightened her back.
"I've been planning this for months now. I don't see the need to stay here.” She doesn't see the purpose of trying to cling unto something that now it's too evident that the foundations were being knocked out by the truths.
“He left.” Ehaan shared.
“Without even saying goodbye.”
They were talking about Alcuin. He's the one who left and they never heard a single thing about his departure. He didn't even left a word for them before he leave.
Azaiah felt upset about it. But then she remembered the thing between them. Her eyes softened. "I'll hope he'll find his heart's desires and have them in his hands.”
Ehaan shook his head. "You were one of his desires. Sadly he wasn't able to have you.”
“What can I do? I admired Alcuin and the qualities he's made of. But I cannot go against my heart.” She cannot go against it. Her heart's beating can't be given to him. What it felt towards Alcuin couldn't even be changed. It just stays that way. She swallowed the lump on her throat when another individual entered her mind.
“Because the heart wants what it wants?” Ehaan mumbles. Eyes had some twinkle of mischievousess.
She arched another brow at him. “Did you just quote me the lyrics from Selena's song?” She remembered that it's from one of her songs— “The heart wants what it wants.”
Ehaan shrugged his shoulders but his concealing himself from trying to laugh. This was his first time saying that joke.
Azaiah smiled at him. She straightend her chin to have better access in trying to look at her friend's face.
“You've been trying putting too much effort in trying to be here for me. But I wanted to ask, how are you really?” She questioned him. It's been a while since she brought this up with him. "You've distance yourself from—her.”
Ehaan made a small smile. "I'm fine.” He stared back at her."Don't worry about me.”
Her eyes lingered at him. “Are you hiding something?”
“It's not that bad, Azaiah. I'll survive.”
“You're always been the one whose always put together. You never even lose your cool under pressure. You were always that someone who's really that you know... Awesome at handling life at the ropes. A great captain of your ship and is great in looking after his crewmembers.”
Ehaan smiled. "I love the metaphors.”
“I can make use of other figurative devices.” She gave a sheepish smile at him.
Ehaan tilted his head in amusement. He then smiled wider." The ship that can weather storms. Is made of resiliency, Azaiah.”
She nodded her head.
“And you Azaiah, you were always great at getting back on your own two feet after going through some terrible currents.”
It was her time to smile wider after hearing Ehaan's word this time.
“I like the metaphors.” She copied what he commented. And they both give out a chuckle at what she said.
———
Galen and Cloud were having a conversation about Azaiah. Thea's been silent while the two were talking about her. She's feeling hesitant whether to say something or not. And she's even more guilty about what she did to her friend.
"How is she?” She butted in, asking about her.
Martin repositioned himself on his chair. He straightened his back changing his mind on wanting to lean his body weight on the entire back of the chair. He shifted his legs and stared at Thea.
“I thought you don't care about her.” He told him. He saw how she reacted at what he said. He then started laughing at in front of her face.
She made a face. While Martin was still laughing at her. But then expression turned sad. It became mellow.
"She's going to leave.” She was talking about what she heard. “She's really leaving.”
Galen was silent. Cloud's eyes went towards Thea right after he heard her. Calli had just arrived. She was looking at all of them.
“When will she leave?” Galen asked. He was having a hard time to utter his words. “Does anyone of you know?” His eyes went to his friends. His gaze looked like it's been wanting an answer.
Cloud shook his head. "I don't know.” He looked down. “I don't know about it.” His shoulders slumped and he began heaving sighs of sadness.
Calli's finger is throwing nudges on Martin's arms. Their eyes met and both began looking at their friends whose sitting and sulking at the corner.