15. Funds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15.   FUNDS

 

     WE JUST FINISHED THE REHEARSAL FOR THE CONCERT NEXT WEEK. For just a week, a lot of unbelievable things happened. For instance, Shane and Chace became really close, like they know each other for years already. On Chace’s first day off, he and Shane watched a baseball game together. He even let Chace watch our rehearsals, �"though Adam completely and disgustedly disagreed, he has no powers to do anything, since he also brings Arianna. Speaking of her, she also got a new job in the spices, on the same track as Chace. But today, the restaurant is fully loaded that Chace�"and Arianna�" didn’t have time to come by.

     “Hey, where do you want to have lunch? My treat,” I said, brushing my curls gently.

     “The spices of course; Chace will lend me this book that he said is really interesting. Even for him,”

     I looked at him.

     “It’s interesting, if you want, you can borrow it from me,”

     “Yah sure”

     “Oh yah, let’s try the lobsters,”

 

 

♦128♦

     “What’s with that?” I asked, since I kinda remembered not having lobsters on the menu before.

     “That’s a new recipe.”

     Kyla walked in, Monica in her arms, and said, “C’mon, I’m hungry already; I already called Martin for our usual orders,”

      “Hey, I want to try the lobsters,” Shane added.

     “Fine,”

 

 

     Nate drove us to the spices, where Adam and Arianna are already eating. I guess her shift is already over. I’m not sure if it’s just me, or she’d been a little quiet ever since she started working in this restaurant, though I can see that Adam never noticed it.

     We sat on our usual table�"second to the farthest�"as Riley and Chace place our orders lightly. Chace was doing great on being a waiter, and as far as I know, he never messed up yet, not even once.

     “Good afternoon, ma’am, sir,” Chace greeted.

     “C’mon, join us,” I offered.

     “I can’t. I have some work to do,”

     “Right,”

     “And here’s the book,” he handed it to Shane.

     “Thanks,” Shane said.

     “Read it. It’s fantastic, when you start it, it’s like you don’t want t put it down,”

     “Really, well, I can start it maybe tomorrow,”

     “Great, then tell me what you think about it,”

     “Sure,”

     He went back to the kitchen swiftly.

     I took a peek on what’s the title of the book. Promise in the moonlight. “So, what’s the story of that?”

     “Forbidden love, as usual; the girl is a vampire, the boy is a werewolf. They fell in love, not knowing each other’s secrets. But their parents do, and will do anything to keep them away from each other. It was written by his uncle,”

 

 

♦129♦

     “Really,”

    After having lunch, Shane and I headed to the grocery store. We just need to buy the ingredients for the cupcakes. I promised my mom to perform to help raise funds for her charity. I’ll perform tomorrow then sell the cupcakes. It’s a good thing that Shane and Nate agreed on helping me sell them, since, three celebrities are better than one, right?

     We headed to their house as soon as we left the store. Ashley agreed on making the cupcakes to their house, while she’s helping on making the cookies on ours. The charity was in province near here. They actually found a shortcut, we just need to walk a few miles in the forest and then we’re already there.

     We started making cupcakes as soon as we reached their kitchen. The ingredients run out and Shane had to come back to the store. I decided to stay and clean up a little.

     “Hey it smells good in here,” Adam said, taking a cupcake.

     “Hey, that’s a dollar,” I muttered.

     “A dollar for a cupcake? Who the heck would buy this?”

     “That’s usually two for a dollar, but since you’re a celebrity, that doubles the price.”

     “Wow, I’m special,”

     “As if... put that down before you put some dirt on it,”

     “Fine. Hey, do me a favor,” he said. I knew it; he would never bother me without anything to ask.

     “Depends on the favor,”

     “Make me a poem,”

     “I only compose songs, not poem,”

     “You’re lying. You told me before that you also write poems,”

     “That’s before, and this is now. What for anyway?”

     “Arianna’s birthday is near...”

     “Just bring her to Macau or something,”

     “I want to give her something special... comes from the heart,”

     “From the heart?” I chuckled, “Wait, who’s her boyfriend here? Me or you?”

 

 

♦130♦

     “Just do it,”

     “If you want it form the heart, then do it yourself,”

     “Just pretend to be me,”

     “Sorry, I can’t pretend to be dumb,”

     “Hey, I graduated with this stupidity already,”

     “Just write your own poem,”

     “You won’t write for me? Fine, I’m easy to talk to... I’ll just take this whole box.” He took the all-ready cupcakes.

     “Hey, put that back!”

     “Just do me a poem first,”

     “No way, I have too many things to do...”

     “I’ll perform for the charity tomorrow... just write a poem,”

     I was silent for a moment. Of course, if we all perform, more people would watch, and we’ll make a larger fund. “Fine,”

     “Great,” he started walking out of the room.

     “Wait!”

     “What?”

     I flickered to the box that he is still holding.

     “Just make another one,”

     “Like that’s that easy,” I ran and blocked him from going out. I took the box and quickly placed it on top of the counter.

     “Just one piece,”

     “Just one dollar,”

     “Hey, I’ll perform tomorrow...”

     “And I’m going to make the poem,”

     “Just one.” He took a cupcake swiftly that I didn’t even notice it coming.

     “Stop being childish!”

     He ran out as he accidentally elbowed the bowl of flour that fell on the floor that made him slipped.

     “Great, you just wasted two cupcakes,”

     “You don’t even try to help me or something?” he tried to stand up.

     “Not really,”

 

 

♦131♦

     “That’s it,” he stood up and took a cupcake and quickly took a bite on it,”

     “That’s three dollars all in all,”

     “Hey, you owe me... look at my shirt, and I’m wearing black!”

     “Well, that won’t happen if you didn’t stupidly ran and hit the flour,”

     “That wouldn’t happen if you gave me a cupcake,”

     “Fine... and here, to add some more fun,” I pressed the plastic ice bag filled with chocolate frosting.

     He swiftly moved away. “Miss me, miss me, now you gotta kiss me,”

     “As if!” I tried again, and this time I pressed it too hard that it went straight to his hair and shirt. “Oops,” I bit my lip.  Now I’m guessing that he’s mad at me for ruining his hair.

     “You didn’t...” he took the icing from his hair. I ran around the kitchen as he tried to catch me. I almost tripped until he caught me on the waist, the same time Shane came in.

     “Am I gone that long?” Shane muttered.

     “Um, I’m just gonna wash up, leave you two for now...” Adam took his hands and went out.

     “Um, let’s get back to work. We need to finish this before five pm.” I said, taking the bags from his hands.

     “Really,” he followed me.

     “Please don’t tell me that I’m thinking what you’re thinking,” I mumbled. I know that we can actually have a conversation with such words.

     “Of course not. But I know what you’re thinking.”

 

 

     We finished just in time. I decided to change to my blue jeans and white tank top. Kyla didn’t come with us, since she needs to take care of Monica.

     We walked through the forest as the sun started to set slowly; it changes from yellow to pink.

 

 

♦132♦

I paused for a second as the shoelace of one of my sneakers suddenly untied itself. I really hate wearing sneakers�"except when we were rehearsing the dance steps months before�" but I can’t risk wearing boots or stilettos here. I tied my shoelace then took my bottled water and gulped on it.

     I thought my mom said that it’s not that far? I feel like I already walked a hundred miles and my feet hurts already. I suddenly went back to my consciousness when I realized that they’re already yards away. Now I can only see Adam’s back. I can’t believe it took me that long.

     I ran toward them as fast as I can, since I don’t have a copy of the map. I can’t believe how fast they can walk. I just hope that I can catch up to them until...

     “Whoa!” I said as I fell to my feet. I flickered to my right hand that is bleeding. I hope I can still strum tomorrow. I took the first aid kit from my bag and tried to stop my hand from bleeding. It’s a great thing I decided to bring an extra one, since my senses told me that this could happen.

     “And I thought I was the clumsy one,” Adam muttered.

     “What are you doing here?”

     “Well, I heard someone screeched, and I kinda notice that the annoying and iritating big mouth was gone, so I’m guessing that that was you,”

     “Where are they?”

     “Headed to the campsite, what do you want them to do, wait for you while carrying some heavy supplies?”

     “Right,” I stood up.

     “You’re really slow,” he led me the way.

     I feel a little out of balance, though I tried not to show it.

     “What’s up with you?” he turn around when he noticed how unbalance my strolling is.

     “Um, nothing... continue walking.” I said. The last thing I wanted is for him to notice anything from me.

     “Climb to my back,” he crouched.

 

 

♦133♦

     “No need, I can walk by myself.”

     “Stop your pride,”

     “It’s not pride, like I said; I can walk by myself,” I waited for him to stand up.

     “Do you think I really want to carry you? Shane’s going to kill me when he finds out that I let you walk with a broken foot.”

     “I’m perfectly fine...” I tried to walk again when he didn’t stand up but suddenly, he caught my hand and pulled me to his back. “Hey!”

     “Shut up. Hold on tight, but don’t kill me,”

     “I will not kill you if you’ll just put me down,”

     “Good, I can still live long enough... so, where are we turning, left or right?”

     “You don’t have a map?”

     “Am I going to ask if I have a map?”

     “I don’t know the way,” I murmured.

     “What!” he almost dropped me.

     “I told you to put me down,” I paused for a second, to see if he’s going to put me down then continued when it’s a negative. “Can’t you see your footprints?”

     “Yah sure, footprints in an overly covered leaves kind of forest,” he sighed, “Pick, right, left or straight.”

     “Put me down first, I’ll call Shane,”

     He finally let me down.

     I took my phone and was about to dial Shane’s number when I saw that there’s no signal in this place. “Great! Just great! There’s no signal!”

     “What the hell?”

     I looked to my phone again. C’mon, just one signal, please.

     He took a black blanket from his bag and sat on it. “Well, with this stupid luck, we have no choice but to wait for them to realize that we’re gone.”

     “No way,”

     “Don’t worry. Shane must have realized that already, since he can’t hear your big mouth.”

 

 

♦134♦

     “Fine,” I crouched on the tree across him. “What time is it anyway?” I gazed to the dull dark sky.

     He flickered to his watch. “Seven pm,”

     “Hey, you know how to do the smoke thing? You know, the signal for SOS,”

     “No, like what you said, I’m stupid.”

     I looked to my phone again.

     “I’ll take a nap first. Just wake me up when the others are here,”

     “Fine,”

     “Oh yah, if all of a sudden, your stupid pride suddenly vanish and you want to have a nap without bugs, there’s still some space here,” he tapped his hand beside him.

     “Um, thanks but no thanks,”

     “Fine, suit yourself,” he covered his whole face with a handkerchief.

     I glanced to my phone once more to see that there’s still no signal.

     I closed my eyes for a second then opened it again when I felt something crawling to my arm, and I’m not sure if I want to look at it. I closed my eyes again then tried to wipe it off. It worked. I don’t feel it anymore. Then all of a sudden, I felt something crawling on my legs. Please be a leaf, please be a leaf, and then be blow by the wind again. I open my right eye then...

     “Snake!” I screamed as I jumped up and almost fall out of balance.

     “What?” Adam asked, taking the handkerchief of his face.

     “There’s a snake!”

     “Can’t I sleep for once, without you bugging me?” he stood up and took a stick, and without any hesitance, killed the snake. “There, can I go back to sleep now?”

     “Um, sure...” I said, still standing. I calmed myself, making my heart beat on its normal pace again.

     “Here, put this on... so that you can stop bugging me.” he took off his jacket and threw it to me.

 

 

♦135♦

     As much as I want to refuse it, I can’t. First of all, since I stupidly am wearing a tank top, the breeze is getting colder by the second and I’m freezing. And second, I don’t want to risk my arms from the insects around. “Thanks,”

     “You still want to sleep there with the dead snake?”

     “Um, I’m fine...” I lied.

     “Sure. Have it your way.”

     I sighed, and then swallowed hard. “Um, do you have an extra blanket?”

     “Nope...”

     I took two deep breaths. “Fine, move a little,”

     “There,” he moved to the end of the cloth.

     I sat beside him, though as far as the blanket can. This is kinda awkward but I have no choice.

     I decided to sleep too, since I have nothing to do. No signal, no guitar, no anything.

 

 

     I woke up as the sun shone brightly in the sky. I blinked twice to find Adam’s head on my shoulder and my head on his. I wonder what time it is.

     “Alyson!” I heard Shane and Nate shouted.

     “Adam, wake up...” I shook him a little.

     “Hmm... what’s up?” Adam murmured, opening his eyes.

     “Alyson!” Shane repeated, running toward us.

     “Hey!” I stood up, and hugged him tightly.

     “Ouch!” Adam shrieked as his head bumped slightly on the tree.

     “Oh, I’m sorry,”

     “It’s okay, I know you mean it...” he shook his head then stood up behind us.

     “C’mon, it’s already six in the morning. The show starts in three hours,” Nate said. I’m not sure if he’s excited or nervous or simply both.

 

 

♦136♦

 

     We went to the campsite and had breakfast. And as usual, we had pancakes. I think that’s already our national breakfast ever since.

     I fixed myself quickly then helped on setting the foods needed for the funds.

 

 

     It’s not that hard to raise funds, it was honestly enjoying. Though, I need to admit that it was exhausting. You can see that all of us are breaking a sweat. It’s a great thing we all performed and sold the cupcakes and cookies. I guess today’s one of Nate’s wishes, that the unknown reunite.

     And the truth is, I kinda missed the moment. But still, I have no plans on reuniting with the band. This event is just an exception, and I know that both Adam and I know that we’re still not fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

♦137♦