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014

Author: C.L.Lisianto
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

" Are you really all right? " Loretta asks me as soon as we enter the room.

She quickly puts together a new look for me from the clothes in her small closet.

" This will look wonderful on you, better than the other one, put it on!

I agree with her, after all I don't have much choice or head to choose a new combination. If I took too much time to think about the episode I might not even want to return to the party.

" Tell me. What was that all about? " Loretta asks after a while watching me get dressed.

" An incident. No big deal. That's what everyone saw. " I try to cover it up.

I touch up my lipstick and take one last look in the mirror before I leave. But Loretta is still sitting on the bed, her gaze inquisitive. Since when had she become my mother?

" What?

" Aria, you have to be more careful.

" Why are you saying this?

" I don't need to state the obvious. I think you already know how much trouble you're in if you keep this up.

Oh, come on... Moral lessons at this hour? Bes
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  • At Break Time   016

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  • At Break Time   017

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  • At Break Time   018

    Before she could answer, a movie flashed through my mind about the moment Peter and I first met. " Peter? Like Peter Parker?I had thought he was cute the first day, but so much had happened since then. At least now, I no longer saw myself in this position of being Peter's candidate for a boyfriend. I saw him more as a friend, almost a brother..." Do you really want to know? It happened. And it was a lot, baby! " Loretta finally confessed, snapping me out of my reverie. She was clearly excited about the news, to the point of infecting me with her happiness." Oh, tell me about it. How did it go? I want details! " Oh, sordid details, please don't! " she says, finishing her lipstick. Only she herself would not neglect her lipstick to go to class, so early in the morning. ". No, I won't. Tell me! You know all about me and my fumbles..." Wait, fumbles? I wouldn't put it that way... " Adventures? " I say, smiling, naughty. " All right, I'll tell you... but... " she says, in a whisp

  • At Break Time   019

    The class went about as close to normal as you could consider normal, if you consider that I was in a notorious anxiety crisis the whole time. Every time Stephen looked in my direction, I tried to disguise my discomfort. I looked away, poked Loretta, contracted my leg muscles involuntarily in the motion of closing them. My mind wandered to places far away from verbs, pronouns, nouns.I think that if I had a surprise test today, I would get a zero. I don't think so, I'm sure." Hey, wake up. Class is over. " Now Loretta was nudging me, hurrying us to go. I looked one last time in Stephen's direction, I wanted to make sure I wasn't going crazy, or that there really was a different atmosphere in this class. No other way. When I did, he looked back at me at the same moment and then turned away, trying to disguise it by coughing, as if he were scraping his throat. " See you next week, guys. " He concluded.Next week? That long?" I don't know what you're getting at, Aria. Are you going t

  • At Break Time   020

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  • At Break Time   021

    " So you can start, I'm all ears. I love hearing about your adventures. “ Mellanie sits on the bed, excited.I make an expression as if to say “Really? We haven't even brushed our teeth yet." But Loretta is happy to see you and her tongue itches to update you." Speaking of adventures, you're looking at a much more daring girl than me and you combined. In a week, she surpassed us. - Loretta says, provocatively, totally ignoring my presence.Mellanie opens her mouth in a big O in mock puzzlement, and then they both burst out laughing."Be more specific Lori, what do you mean by that?I roll my eyes and before they continue this game of talking about it in front of me, as if I were invisible, I join the conversation too." You mean I'm a free woman and a kisser, that's it! I don't see a crime in that, do you? - I question, directing the question to Mellanie." Of course not, but what you are not telling me, are the details that matter most! - She insists.I look at Loretta as if asking

  • At Break Time   022

    "Shall we go to the library?” Peter approaches me in the hallway at the end of one of the classes."Ahn... Okay, it could be.” I answer, looking around, a little confused."I need to talk to you, alone. - He says, in a firm and convincing voice. I don't remember seeing him so serious."Fine. Is there a problem, Peter?" It's not really a problem... It's nothing serious. But I wanted to talk soon, and alone. - He reinforces.Loretta and Mellanie are on another floor of the building, in an extra class and in a different grade than us freshmen, so it wasn't difficult to follow Peter to the library without them, considering that the last few days we've only been hanging out together.Luckily, the space was practically empty. The huge library was perhaps the quietest and most private place on the entire campus. At this time, close to lunchtime, it was even emptier, with a maximum of four students, reading or studying." Here we are. You can talk - I ask, smiling lightly and gently." I don

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  • At Break Time   077

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  • At Break Time   074

    I get up scared, I almost lose time. Ironic how much my last readings spoke to the situation I was currently going through.A question mark insists on pondering in my mind. But after Loretta broke into a fit of laughter after my last comparison, I never brought up the subject again.It won't be now that I'll be back. I felt compelled to go ahead with my plan above all else. I do one last check of my outfit and make the last adjustments to my makeup. It is at the same time light and seductive.I grab my bag and walk discreetly to the teacher council room. It's three minutes to five o'clock, Max will be waiting for me by now. Fortunately in the conversation I had with Stephen in that same room, Max was busy, in another class, and they didn't bump into each other.Perfect.I'm in front of the luxury wooden door. I look around, assess whether there might be someone lurking in the hallway.Anything.Perfect.I give three soft taps on the door and push it open without waiting for an answer.

  • At Break Time   073

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  • At Break Time   072

    “I also thank you for being honest with me, Professor."“And you said you had a proposal. I'm curious."“I know you're…” I smile slyly.“Okay, I'm listening."“First, I'd like to know how much you're willing to invest, not financially of course, in this pseudo relationship of ours.""After everything I just said, do you have any doubts that I would invest big? Max smiles."“High really high?”“What are you up to, Aria Thomas?” he inquired, completely anxious." I wanted to know if you would really do anything for me… including… trying a threesome."“And do you have any friends who would be up for it?” Or would it be a call girl?“No, you don't understand. I didn't say it would be with one more woman."Max briefly widens his eyes. Clearly, he hadn't expected this one."Well, I confess that it's something I've never done."“Everything has its first time."" I agree, but… it's audacious of you."“I'm proposing this to you because I figured you were an open-minded guy."“I'm open-minded.

  • At Break Time   071

    When class ends and all the students leave the room, including Loretta who runs to the next auditorium, I remain seated to talk to Max.I see he sent a message on his cell phone."Wait for me here or in the council room, please."Geez, he really doesn't want to let me get away.But before I even got the message, I was already determined not to go out to have this conversation with him. A conversation I rehearsed several times, in my dreams, in the shower, in different places, even when awake. A proposal whose content even scares me, due to such audacity.But now I won't go back on it. I need to try. It's stronger than me."Hey professor." I start with my sly voice, which I know always drives you crazy.Max finishes gathering his stuff on the table on the small dais and looks at me over his glasses.“Hi, Aria. How are you?" He asks, seemingly unconcerned that we're alone.“Now I think I'm calmer. Some things are back to normal apparently"."And truth." He pauses. “Well, most things at

  • At Break Time   070

    I arrive late at the auditorium, but miraculously arrive before the professor. Looks like he had to sign the end of his suspension at the rectory first before he came to teach.Unlike before, I wave to Loretta in the distance and take a seat in one of the last rows, blending in and practically disappearing behind the heads of the taller crowd.There are two reasons for this: I really want to hide from Max's gaze during class. And I arrived late, which makes the first option even more viable, as the first few rows of seats are almost all occupied.Before class starts, I text Stephen. As strange as that sounds, it's part of the plan. My strange plan, to be exact. I think of a phishing-style message, to hook him without him noticing.“I miss you and your class. I wanted to see you today, is there any way?”That's pretty straightforward.The students chat excitedly about the latest events of the week as they wait for Max to arrive. Two minutes later, my phone flashes the new message notif

  • At Break Time   069

    Like after a long bad dream, after facing several days in the dark, Monday arrives again, with new air, a new glow. Classes resumed, the case was covered in the local press and the movement of students walking all over the campus returned with a vengeance.Peter is still in recovery. His lungs were badly affected by the water he ended up breathing in."Are you going to make it in time for the first period?" Loretta asks, finishing touching up her lipstick.I still need to brush my hair, which, now waist-length, keeps getting knotted.“I just need to stop by the closet in the main hall to get some books. But I'll meet you in the auditorium.“Okay, don't be too late. She winks mischievously.She knows I'm in an internal battle looking forward to seeing Max again after a week of not making contact. After all.It takes me a few minutes to find the key to the little padlock that opens my hall closet. I know it's in some bag, but it's that old story, which one? I turn everything over, find

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