[01]: the request

________________________ 01 the request "Just say the words and I will come running, no matter the bumpy roads, I will be rushing." ________________________ Aurora Crover sat on the same long, black, L-shaped couch that has always been in her childhood home as she crossed her legs and released a sigh. She fixed her stare on her mother and her mother's husband, Graham Thusht, who were sitting on the other end of the couch, a pleading look gracing on Carol Thusht's—before Crover—face. "Is it really necessary for me to be there?" Aurora asked, huffing like a little child upon recognizing the look plastered on her mother's face. "Dad could just hire a person there to look over Sally's bakery. It's summer anyway; I'm pretty sure a lot of people would take that job since they're only going to be gone for the summer." "I know. That's what I told him. But honey, you know how your father is. He's ridiculously persistent and he kept on complaining about how you never visit him." Carol told her, rolling her eyes which is something that Aurora already knows the meaning of. She wasn't exactly there when her mother conversed with her father but she already knew the story pretty well—Carol won't shut up about it. She remembered her mother's story about how Carol tried her very best to reason with him on how Aurora told her mother multiple times that she doesn't want anything that has to do with her stepmother, but Frank Crover was never one to listen to reasons. Aurora recalled how her mother told her about how Frank kept telling her that unless Carol manages to convince Aurora to visit him and watch over his wife's bakery, he would continue pestering her. When Carol asked why he didn't just call their daughter instead, he told her in a sheepish voice that she would end the call the moment he starts talking about all of those. Aurora is pretty sure that Carol had a good laugh after that. Aurora looked at Graham, who gave her an encouraging grin, before she looked back at her mother while releasing an exasperated sigh. "Who would want to visit him anyway?" She mumbled under her breath. However, Carol and Graham heard her words, making the latter to chuckle in his place and the former to reprimand her daughter for saying such words. "It's true anyway." Aurora argued. "Why would I want to visit him and his...concubine?" "Aurora! I told you never to speak such ill words towards your stepmother." Carol said, glaring at her daughter in the process. Aurora, as obedient as she is when it comes to her mother, chose this exact moment to be completely defiant. "Are you kidding me with that? That woman became dad's other woman, mom! Do you really expect me to accept her as my stepmother?" "No, but I at least expect you to be civil. I did it, so can you." Her mother replied. "I'm not you." Aurora deadpanned. When she saw the look on her mother's face, she rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll go and heed dad's request." Carol clasped her hands together, delight clearly seen on her face. "That's great! Give your dad a call now. I'm sure he'll appreciate it." "Are you seriously willing to let me go there?" Aurora asked a grinning Graham, who had become close to her heart when she saw how much he made her mom happy. "If it were up to me, I would let you decide on your own. But since I have no say in this, I say just do what your mother told you to do." He replied, making Aurora release another huff. "Alright. I'll make the damned call." She said, standing up from her place and went outside the house, ignoring the grin that is plastered on both Carol and Graham's faces. As she dialed the number she still memorized by heart, she pressed the phone against her ear, waiting for her father to accept the call from the other line. "Hello princess." greeted Frank, the happiness in his voice clearly palpable. The tone of voice she heard from her father brought a smile to her face. Despite the fact that this all began because of her father's infidelity, she knows that she still loves Frank from the bottom of the heart—that love just doesn't extend to the woman he is married to right now. Frank knows that. Even Frank and Sally's six year old son knows that his half-sister isn't particularly fond of his mother. "Hi dad. I just wanted to ask when you're going to need me at the bakery?" She asked, waving to Mrs. Getry, the neighbor she and her family has had for nearly twelve years, who waved back with the same enthusiasm. "So you finally decided." Frank replied. "That's great! Sally and I are leaving next Monday, so if you could come here, say, Friday, that would be great." "Friday's fine." She said, taking a seat on the stairs. "You'll be back by the end of the summer, right?" "We are." She released a silent sigh. This is going to be an extremely boring summer, she thought. "Oh by the way, Aurora, can we leave Theo in your care? We can't exactly bring him with us since it's a honeymoon and there's no one else nearby that we can trust him with." "Oh that's fine. I enjoy taking care of Theo anyway." She told him, her thoughts instantly drifting to her younger brother, the last time she saw him in person being two years ago. "But can you remind me why you and Sally are having a honeymoon again?" "Because the first one wasn't that much of a honeymoon." came Frank's instant reply. "I won't even ask." Aurora said. "But does that honeymoon really have to last for the whole summer? Isn't that longer than usual?" "Sally wanted it to be longer." "Oh God." She mumbled. "Okay, I won't ask any further. I'm not even sure I want to know." Frank let out a chuckle. "Anyway, how are you, dad?" At the Crover's residence, Frank gave his son, Theo, a pat on the head for the incredible drawing he was able to make. Clutching the phone tightly on his hand, he told her daughter, "I'm alright. What about you? You're in your third year of college, right?" "Yes I am." His daughter replied. "And I'm quite glad you managed to talk me into taking Architecture because I'm enjoying it a lot." Frank released a chuckle. "I'm glad. You should show me some of your works when you get here." "We'll see." Theo, who is staring at his father talking through the phone with a smile on his face, crawled up on the couch to take a seat beside him, tugging on his shirt right after. Frank looked at him. "Daddy, is that Aury?" The innocent looking boy asked as he looked at his father with those big and doe-like eyes. "Why, it is. Do you want to talk to her?" The nod Theo did was immediate. "Yes please." With a chuckle, Frank gave Theo the phone, the latter pressing it against his ears. "Hi Aury! I miss you!" He exclaimed, grinning in the process. "I miss you too, bud. Are you taking good care of yourself?" She asked, to which he replied with an answer that satisfied his sister. All his life, Theo has always looked up at his sister and considered her a role model. He wants to be exactly like her when he grows up and would make it his life-long goal to ensure that that dream would be reached. Just as cunning and impish as his older sister, he makes it a point to do anything to make sure that all of his sister's attention would be solely on him whenever she visits. He would cry, complain, all the things a person would usually do to get another person's attention. Aurora knows what her brother is doing, of course—that's what she used to do when her mother and father recently divorced. "Are you going to take care of me when mommy and daddy are away?" He asked, his cute little hands still holding on to the drawing he showed his father not too long ago. "Indeed I am. We're going to have lots of fun." The cheer her brother made was enough to make Aurora smile in her place. She played with the laces on her shoes as she thought about all the things she should get ready for her and her brother to enjoy. "Can we play hide and seek?" He asked, awaiting for his sister's answer to his question. "Sure, bud. Anything you want." Aurora replied with the smile on her face still intact. She has spent the last six years of her life trying to get her brother's affection—not that she didn't get it the first time Theo laid his eyes on her—and she has always reminded herself that she won't waste those years now by doing something stupid that would make Theo hate her. He's the one person in her life that she makes sure would get the best of her, no matter what happens—that's how much she adores her little brother. In the background, she could hear Sally's voice saying, "Is that Aurora you're talking to, sweetie?" "Yes, mommy." Theo chirped. Aurora stayed quiet, listening intently on the ongoing conversation between mother and son. Even from miles away, she could clearly hear the delight lacing in her stepmother's voice as she said, "Can I talk to her?" Her eyes widened considerably as she started panicking on the steps of her childhood home's porch. "Theo, tell your mom that I can't talk to her because I'm busy." "Hmm? Okay." He answered. "Mommy, Aury said she doesn't want to talk to you." Oh good God, she thought. "What? No! Don't tell her that!" She said, making her brother giggle on the other line. "Mommy, Aury said I shouldn't have told you that." She heard Theo tell her stepmother. "So she wants to talk to me?" came Sally's hopeful voice. "No, she still doesn't." Theo replied. Aurora released a sigh, thinking the whole time that although she loves her brother dearly, there are still times when she wants to hurt her brother for saying things that she didn't even say. There was a commotion from the other line, making Aurora think that maybe Theo got into trouble because of her, but the next thing she knew is hearing her stepmother say, "Hi Aurora. How are you?" Aurora stiffened. "Um, I'm fine. Thanks for asking." An awkward silence enveloped them then. Sally cleared her throat. "Well, I just wanted to say thank you for looking after my bakery while we're away." "It's fine, I guess." She replied, grimacing when she imagined what her stepmother's expression might be. "Anyway, I have to go. Tell Theo I'll see him on Friday." "Oh, okay." Sally told her. "I'll send him your regards." "Thanks. Bye." Aurora immediately ended the call after that, releasing a sigh right after. As she looked up at the sky, she said, "Theo, you troublemaker." — • — • — The next day, Aurora and her three best friends, Alicia Fraser, Dexter Sholp, and Kent Jacoby, met up at their favorite cafe for breakfast. As soon as the four of them ordered their usual food, Alicia, Dexter and Kent immediately turned their attention to Aurora, who sat quietly in her place with her cheek resting against her palm as she looked at the people passing by the street, who can be clearly seen from the transparent wall. Alicia mimicked Aurora's action, except that she kept her attention on her best friend and not on the passerby. Dexter and Kent chuckled as they looked at what Alicia was doing, the latter giving them a wink before turning her attention back to their distracted friend. "So," Alicia started. "did you accept your dad's request?" With a sigh, Aurora lazily dragged her gaze from the window down to her friend, settling her gaze on her with an unfathomable look plastered on her face. "It's not like I had much of a choice. Dad kept on pestering mom about the whole thing and I took pity on her so I ended up agreeing to it—impulsively." She replied. "That and because your dad entrusted Theo to you." Dexter added, the grin on his face never faltering. "How do you even know about that?" Aurora asked, now lifting her cheek from her palm and focusing her attention to Dexter, who sat across her. "Because your little brother called me last night and asked whether you liked cookie dough better than chocolate mint." He replied with a chuckle. "Honestly, that kid is too cute." "I know!" Alicia gushed. "The first time I laid my eyes on him, I fell in love instantly. His cuteness was just too much to bear." "But I'm cuter though, right?" Kent asked her, emitting a chuckle from Aurora and Dexter, and a scoff from Alicia. "Definitely not. Theo's cuteness can't even be measured." came Alicia's immediate reply. Kent rolled his eyes at his best friend's retort. Aurora knows that despite Kent's reaction, the guy is actually quite fond of her little brother. She remembered the day her friends first saw Theo and how he was so quick to agree to Alicia's statement when he laid his eyes on the blue-eyed, pale-skinned, immaculate little boy blinking his doe-like eyes up at him and giving him a smile during their first meeting. "I can accept that because Theo is an exception to anything." The instant those words escaped Kent's lips, Alicia wriggled her eyebrows at him, no doubt teasing him for his hidden affection for the little boy. A gracious smile slipped on Aurora's lips. "You guys are spoiling him way too much." "Why wouldn't we? He's a complete cutie." Alicia replied, eyes twinkling in delight. "The sister's a cutie too." Aurora said cheekily, instantly making everyone dining in the same table as her turn quiet, all except for Dexter. "I think you're a cutie." Dexter told her, giving her a wink right after. As Aurora laughed at Dexter's comment, Alicia and Kent exchanged knowing looks before the former made gagging noises. Dexter glared at her, thinking that Alicia is insufferable as always. "You know," Alicia started. "Dex, we all know that you like Aurora and are currently in the process of trying to woo her, but please keep your flirting to a minimum when Kent and I are around." "It makes me want to throw up my food." Kent added, ignoring the glare Dexter is throwing his way. Just when the latter was about to form a retort, their food arrived, instantly making everyone wait excitedly as they all thought about how good their food is going to taste. Before the waiter could even put all of their food on the table, Kent immediately snatched his plate and started eating, astonishing not only his friends, but also the server. The three friends smiled sheepishly at their server, apologizing for their friend's barbaric manners, making the server laugh as he walked away from the group. Dexter eyed the guy beside him in disgust. "No wonder you want to throw up. You always eat like a caveman." Kent looked at Dexter, mouth still chewing his ordered bacon and egg sandwich, before chuckling and saying—with his mouth still full—"No, the sight of you flirting with my best friend—" "Don't you mean our?" Alicia interrupted. The look Kent gave Alicia was extremely short before he returned his gaze back to Dexter and said, "My bad, our best friend is just a revolting sight." "I didn't hear you say one bit about Alexander flirting with Aurora being a revolting sight." Dexter retorted, missing the warning look that both Alicia and Kent are giving him in an attempt to make him stop talking. Aurora nearly choked on her food. With wide eyes, she drank her glass of water in one go, leaving her three friends to stare at her in astonishment. As she coughed with Alicia rubbing her back soothingly, she turned her attention to Dexter with a deadly look on her face. "Alexander is off limits." He scratched the back of his head as he looked at Aurora with a sheepish yet apologetic smile. "Sorry, it completely slipped off my mind." Kent sighed beside him. "You're so stupid, Dex." "Stop it." Aurora chastised, now recovering from her coughing fit. "If he says it slipped his mind, then it slipped his mind. Just leave him be and let's pretend this part of our conversation regarding Alexander never happened." All Alicia, Dexter and Kent could do was share looks and nod their heads. Aurora released a breath before continuing to eat her food as she tried to forget all the memories that resurfaced the moment Dexter mentioned Alexander's name. She thinks she's not ready to face those memories yet, nor will she ever be ready. But one thing she is ready for is to bury those memories deep, deep, deep down in her brain and heart and make sure it never reaches shore again. Alicia cleared her throat. "So, I heard there's a new Italian restaurant downtown. Do you guys want to try it out?" Aurora knew exactly what they were doing. She even knew how Kent and Dexter immediately caught on to Alicia's attempt of trying to make the atmosphere less tense, so the two instantly held on to the topic that their best friend just offered. "What's the harm in trying? My parents went there last night, and I heard that their food was worth every penny." Dexter said, earning a nod of encouragement from Alicia, who transferred her gaze to Kent. Knowing the look she is sending him, he released a silent sigh before swallowing the food he just recently chewed and saying, "It is. I was with Raine the other day and she mentioned that place when I said that we should probably hang out more often." The Italian restaurant they were talking about was instantly thrown out the window the moment Kent mentioned who he was spending time with. Aurora looked up at her friend, the surprise plastered in her face mimicking the one that can be seen on Alicia's face while Dexter, who looked at the guy beside him with an unfathomable expression, slowly etched a smile on his face. Upon noticing the looks he has been given, Kent raised an eyebrow at the three of them before asking, "Why are you all looking at me like that?" "You were with Raine? As in Raine Pofor?" Alicia asked, unable to keep the astonishment from her voice. "Indeed I was." Kent replied. "So what if I was with her?" Dexter released a laugh before patting Kent on the back. "I am insanely proud of you, you know that?" Alicia and Aurora rolled their eyes at Dexter's praise. "Raine is the campus beauty. How did you manage that?" Aurora asked, lifting her iced tea from the table and bringing the straw towards her lips to take a sip. He sent her a smirk. "Wasn't so hard to do. Have you seen my face? I'm ridiculously good looking. Add that to my undeniable charm and pleasing personality, you have your answer to your question." "Well she has horrible taste with guys if she chose you." Alicia said, emitting a sneer from the guy in question. She merely ignored it and eyed the mess Kent made when he ate a while ago. "Not to mention you have disgusting table manners." "You're just being bitter because someone actually took interest in me—and the campus beauty no less. What about you? Has any guy taken an interest in you?" came Kent's retaliation. Usually, Alicia would have s*****d or pinched Kent by now because of his crude comments. However, today was not like any other day. Not only was Kent taken by surprise by Alicia's lack of violent actions, but also Aurora and Dexter, the three of them not used to seeing their friend acting prim and proper for once—the exact thing they were expecting from a beautiful and extremely girly Alicia Fraser; not the complete opposite. As they continued to wait for Alicia's violent blows, Alicia merely smirked in her place as she took a sip from her drink. "What are you smirking for?" Dexter finally asked when he couldn't take the suspense any longer. "Oh nothing." Alicia replied. "Nothing at all." Aurora narrowed her eyes at her best friend. "I don't believe you. There's definitely something. Is there something you're not telling us?" Alicia gazed at her three friends with an impish look twinkling in her eyes as she shrugged both of her shoulders. "Who knows? Maybe there is, maybe there's not." She said, chuckling when she saw the expressions plastered on her friends' faces. Dexter groaned. "Aly, come on. It wouldn't hurt to tell your friends about one of your secrets, now would it?" "It won't, but where's the excitement in that?" Aurora looked at Alicia with a blank stare upon hearing the latter's reply. "There's a guy, isn't there?" Kent asked. When Alicia only gave him a smirk, he let out a loud laugh. "So there is a guy. I wonder who would be stupid enough to go out with you." Alicia gave him a sneer. "I could say the same thing to you." Aurora, sensing another bout of argument between the two, looked at them back and forth before sighing in her place and saying, "Alright, that's enough. The both of you are wonderful people. Your partners would be lucky to have you. Stop saying otherwise, or I will make sure all your ill words will come to life." "What are you going to do? Tell on us?" Kent mumbled. Unfortunately for him, Aurora heard what he said. Giving the former a glare, she said, "Try me, Jacoby. I can make your life a living hell if you piss me off." If it were other people Aurora was talking to, they would have already either cowered in fear or fought back and said something just as menacing. But in this case, that's not what happened at all. The outcome is much different when you say that to the person who knows you like the back of your hand. And so, in reply to Aurora's words, Kent chortled. "See? That's why we're friends and not enemies nor acquaintances. You can actually keep up with my antics and blunt words and still manage to keep me in line." "And this is the part where you stop patronizing me." came Aurora's immediate reply. Kent looked at the grinning Alicia and the chuckling Dexter. "See? She just proved my point." He told them, not bothering to notice that neither of the two are paying him any attention. After all, he’s already used to this kind of treatment, since that's what he usually gets when he starts to chatter a lot. "Just eat your food, Kent." Aurora said, the mirth lacing in her tone of voice being extremely hard to miss. "Yes, mother." Kent replied, smirking while doing so. If Aurora is being honest, at this moment right now, no matter what her friends do, she’s just glad that she’s got them with her.