Oh gosh, the reviews are over 20! /jumps I know I'm making this a big deal, but who doesn't? :3 Still, thank you for waiting and patiently giving reviews. For those who just read this, thanks for all who story alert/fave and etc. You know the rest~
Kring!
Putting the pillow over my ears, I groan softly at the alarm clock. I didn't want to spoil my morning with a waking call that tells me to rise and shine rather than escape from problems. Unable to not think about it, I faced the white ceiling after I shut the clock.
School is such a pain.
If it is for Ever, I wouldn't mind sitting all day long and listen to the same, tiring lessons that I already took like several decades ago. But now, I feel extremely bored and as a sloth I am, ditching school even just once or twice, is fine. I think Ever wouldn't mind if we start ditching. In that way, we can have more time to share with each other and always be together.
Why not? I smirked at my bright idea.
I sat on the soft bed, fixing the fluffy pillows as I put them beside each other against the wall. I stood up and went to the bathroom as the blanket's neat with my telekenesis or moving things through mind.
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Ican still feel the wonderful feeling the weekend gave me. Believe me, after a warm shower, the chill from the pool finally leaves me relaxed. Even so, I saw Ever out of her hoodies lately and that's a good thing.
Reaching over the cupboard, I took a glass and pour down the red elixir. I drank it, replenishing me with energy and strength for a new day.
Some things can be bothered the other time.
Okay, so I really need to make up for it. The statement I repeat inside my head as I wait for Ever. Leaning against my car, I glance around the place, re-planning what I just planned earlier. The moment I heard wheels approaching, I smile at the driver in her vehicle incoming their drive.
"How was school?" I asked as I come around to open the door. But she shrugs and reaches for her books. I follow her to the front door, hoping to apologize but I realized that – "Ah, so you're still angry."
"I'm not angry." Ever mutters without looking at me, opening the front door of the house with force and tosses her backpack onto the floor. I see that she's not angry.
I sighed lightly, saying, "Well, that's a relief because I've made reservations for two and if you're not angry, then I assume you'll be joining me."
With the selected words, she finally looks at me while her eyes graze over my dark jeans, boots, and soft black sweater that can only be cashmere, wondering what I could possibly be up to now. You don't know when I'm being random.
"Trust me you don't really need those defences." I remove her sunglasses and ear buds and set them on the entryway table. I lowered her hood, tucking my arm through hers and lead her out the front door and over to my car.
"Where are we going?" Ever asks, settling onto the passenger seat, eager to whatever I say. She suddenly composed herself, realizing she's being obvious. "I mean, what about my homework? I have a ton of catching up to do."
There are different schedules for time. Now is when we both enjoy our lives and be care-free once in a while. "Relax, you can do it later, I promise." I swear as I climbed in after her.
"How much later?" Ever peers at me. How nice that she gets used to me bit by bit. I smiled, starting the car without even turning the key.
I gaze over to Cinderella.
"Before the stroke of midnight, I promise. Now buckle in, we're going for a ride."
Without another second wasted, we were there, faster than lightning. I leave the car with the valet, seemingly we just consumed a few minutes that passed by.
"Where are we?" Ever asks, gazing at the green buildings and the sign marked EAST ENTRANCE. "East entrance to what?"
I guess Ever doesn't go to places like this… a place where I used to go to always until now; a place where a friend is here and where I go when I'm free.
"Well, this should explain it." I laugh as I pulled her toward me and showed her as four shiny sweaty Thoroughbreds trot by with their grooms, followed by a jockey in a pink-and-green jacket, thin white pants, and muddy black boots.
Ever gapes as she doesn't expects the least place besides from Disneyland. Expect the unexpected with me. "The racetrack?"
"Not just any racetrack, it's Santa Anita." I nod, answering her with the best answer. "One of the nicer ones. Now come on, we've got a three-fifteen reservation at the Front Runner."
"The what?" Ever asks, standing firm on her ground. I laugh as I tried to persuade her. "Relax, it's just a restaurant. Now, come on, I don't want to miss post."
"Um, isn't this illegal?" Ever says, knowing that she sounds like the worst kind of goody-good, but I don't think so. In fact, I'm the brat who likes to ditch and play all day.
I smiled at her, purposely diverting my reply. "Eating is illegal?"
Ever shakes her head. "Betting, gambling, whatever, you know."
It's amusing that she thinks simple like that. How I often wish that I'm onto fantasy rather than reality. Seriously, it kind of disappoints that you know all the world's deepest and darkest secrets about the truth of life.
"It's horse racing, Ever, not cockfighting." I laugh, shaking my head. I squeezed her hand and lead her to the elevator bank. I just don't want to miss the race without her watching it, at least.
"But don't you have to be twenty-one?"
"Eighteen." I mumbled, going inside and pressing five. "Exactly. I'm sixteen and a half."
Going too realistic; I think it's best to preserve being simple-minded as well as being open-minded, too. But, this is a world of games. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. That's why rules are created to avoid mistakes. But too much obedience can kill.
I shook my head and leans close to Ever. "Rules should always be bent, if not broken. It's the only way to have any fun."
"Now come." I said, leading her down a hall and into a large room decorated in varying shades of green, stopping before the front podium and greeting the maitre d', a friend.
"Mr. Auguste, so wonderful to see you! Your table is ready; follow me."
I nodded and take her hand, leading her through a room full of people, not an empty seat in the house. I can't help but smile as I see her, her eyes glancing at the whole place she'd never been before.
A place where I should've taken her a long time ago but, sadly I didn't got the chance to do so.
We eventually stopped at my favourite table just across from the finish line, with a beautiful view of the track and the green hills beyond.
"Tony will be right over to take your orders. Should I bring you champagne?" He spilled it. That I'm kind of drink this high-class wine. If Ever knows about this, I'm pretty sure that she'll start to know who I really am and all the things about me, but it's not to that time yet.
I glance at Ever and shake my head. I swear I can feel my face flush lightly as I said, "Not today."
"Very well then, five minutes 'til post." Then he sped away.
Ever raises her brows as she whispered. "Champagne?" Told you so. I just shrugged and unfold the racing program. "What do you think about Spanish Fly?" I suddenly said and give a topic, looking at her.
"The horse, not the aphrodisiac." I smiled. But she seems to be too busy to gaze around the place.
Santa Anita is a race track dedicated to a wonderful lady, Ms. Anita Cota. I can still clearly remember how this place is built by a dear friend…
I shook my head and briefly glanced at Ever before making a series of notes with my pen. "So, what do you say? You wanna bet?"
"I wouldn't even know where to begin." She shakes her head.
As a nerd for horses I am, I gave her advices. "Well, I could give you the whole lowdown on odds, percentages, stats, and who sired who. But since we're short on time, why don't you just look this over, and tell me what you feel, which names you're drawn to. It's always worked for me." I smiled in mischief.
Of course it always worked out for me. I can use Premonition or 'future sight' that refers to perception that involves the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics and/or nature. Same way as Ever can do.
I toss her the racing form as she looks it over, obviously that she easily knew the order of the horses to win. "How about Spanish Fly to win, Acapulco Lucy second, and –"
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"Well, now I get why you're not all that into school. I guess it can't really compete, can it?" Ever laughs, feeling high with all the profit she had with her physic gift – proving that it's not really bad once you get used to it. But all is up to her choice.
I lead her into the gift shop, saying with confident, "Come on, I want to buy you something to celebrate my big win."
"No, you don't have to." Ever starts but I squeezed her hand as my lips on her ear, making her feel alarmed with a deep tone of voice that I used. "I insist. Besides, I think I can afford it. But there's one condition."
Ever looks at me in a serious way.
"Absolutely no sweatshirts or hoodies." I laugh, lightening the mood. "But anything else, just say the word."
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After joking around and insisting on a jockey cap, a model horse, and a huge bronze horseshoe to hang on my bedroom wall, we settle on a silver horse-bit bracelet instead.
Honestly, I could just buy her diamond ones instead but she made sure that the crystal bits were really just crystal, not diamonds, because that would be too much, for her in spite of how much money I won and I have.
"This way, no matter what happens, you'll never forget this day." I proclaimed rather than said, closing the clasp on her wrist as we wait for the valet to bring us the car.
I really hoped that this day won't end. But, this is how things are planned to be – beginning and end, start and finish; birth and death. Ordinary people die and wither, inevitable to avoid death. And when that day comes, at least, I wish to be never forgotten through this simple and memorable bracelet by the one who stole my heart, the only reason I live for and if I had a red tulip every time I think of Ever, I'd be picking tulips for a lifetime.
"How could I possibly forget?" Ever asks the painful question as she gazes over her wrist and into my eyes.
Shrugging lifelessly, I did as I climbed in beside her. I cursed my eyes, betraying me as they show only loneliness when this is such a memorable and joyous day, made to be reminisce.
The ride home is quicker than the one to the race track and hopefully, we're exactly on time.
"Would you look at that?" I said, motioning to the clock on my dash. "Well before midnight, just like I promised." I leaned for a good night kiss and I am surprised as she kisses me back with so much enthusiasm, she practically drills me onto her seat.
"Can I come in?" I whispered, tempting her with lips as they make their way down her ear, her neck, and all along her collarbone.
She surprised the both of us as she pushed me away and shook her head. She seems to be resistant to fall for me and get her that easily.
"I'll see you at school."
The worst word in her sentence rings in my ears.
She climbed out from the car before I get to change her mind. "You remember, Bay View? That high school you used to attend?"
I avert my gaze and sigh.
"Don't tell me you're ditching again?"
"School is so dreadfully boring. I don't know how you do it." I admitted, smiling a sly grin.
"You don't know how I do it?" Ever shakes her head and glances toward the house, where we both see her Aunt Sabine peeking through the blinds and pulling away.
The guidance counsellor tossed me some encouraging advices to keep studying in high school. "Well, I guess I do it the same way you used to do it. You know, you get up, get dressed and just go. And sometimes, if you pay attention, you actually learn a thing or two while you're there."
I know it's a lie. She really didn't learn a thing because it's hard to actually learn anything when you just sort of know everything instead. In my case, I already finished and mastered every subject you can think of like, ages ago that I really don't bother anymore.
"There's got to be a better way." I groaned, my eyes wide, pleading with her blue ones.
"Well, just for the record, truancy and dropping out? Not a better way. Not if you want to go to college and make something of your life."
Another lie; because I just have everything and anything you could dream. I know every detail and story about the world's reality. I've lived long for her. And she is the one who needs to 'make something of her life.'
I just laugh. "Fine. We'll play it your way. For now, see you tomorrow, Ever."
And I can see that she barely made it through the front door when I already driven away.