The List "HEY, bro! I'm sorry, okay? Please, just. . . just don't tell Dad about this. I'm going to change, I'll be a good student-- man. I promised!" He sarcastically chuckled before he fixed his eyeglasses that he's wearing. After all, between us two, he's the intelligent one, and the successor of our family, while me? Nothing, I'm just handsome. That's all. To be honest, I could really change myself, but I just don't want to, I mean— not today. I still want to live my life with freedom. I'm very different from them. I came from a very conservative family. My Dad is very strict and he doesn't know what I was doing for the past years that I've been living. He's always busy with his company though. While my Mom has always been my savior. She always gets called at the guidance office ever since high school and she never tells about it. Mom would just talk to me and preach words of wisdom but in a nice way, maybe that's why I am not altering my behavior. And right now, they still ha
Win-win HAVE someone ever thought of just disappearing from everyone? It was like my whole world turned upside down because of this mess. I wasn't expecting my brother's appeal! I just cannot believe what happened earlier at school. It's totally a mess. . . "These are all good for two months. The first one on your list is; I want you to take public transportation instead of your car when going to the university or when only necessarily leaving the house." "What?!" I lashed out. My knees are already getting weak from the first one. I looked at him to check if he was really serious, but seeing his cold face made me hopeless. My hand still trembles while typing it. "Second, no alcohols, no bars, and nightclubs alone and with friends unless you're with us, Mom and Dad," he continued All I could do was let out a long and resounding breath. I don't wanna talk. It might change his mind to let my mess pass and forgive me. "Third, I want you to look for a job where you can earn money by
Bus FeeTHIS is the first day of accomplishing my list. I was done preparing for school while Ivan already gave me a heads up about working in his café as a waiter and a barista. I deeply sighed. The more I think about it, the more my stress hormones pick up. Nevertheless, I am still waiting for Lea's call even though her brother threatened me to stay away from her. I won't do it. What is he? My father? Why should I obey him?"I'm leaving now. You could just walk to the city or grab a taxi, whatever you want to. After all, the bus and train station's not that far." Ivan's eyebrows rose as he was waiting for me to respond. Walk? I don't walk to school!"Yeah, I-I will," I unsurely said and let out a lopsided smile. He gave me a doubtful look for a few seconds that's why I avoided his gaze. It seems like he doesn't trust me that much about taking public transportation, huh? What does he think of me? I'm not going to use my car! I don't even have my key on me!"Just make sure, Iris. Y
Regular customerTHE cold breeze blew my hair, making it messy as I realized what my thoughts were earlier. I am still stuck on my feet while I stare at his back for a long time, trying to erase what my mind desires. Suddenly, my eyes widened when he turned to me, his eyes were still cold and it was as if he was going to kill me, giving me a don't-mess-with-my-sister-look. I don't know why I turned around having my chest heavily pounding.He's gonna give me a heart attack at a young age. Does he think he can control his sister? He can't just stop her from flirting with me. That's for sure. His kiss is just on my list, but it doesn't mean that I'll do everything he wanted, including about Lea. The time passes quickly after my heated conversation with Leon. The classes had started earlier and I really did my best to cope up with my professors even though it bores me as hell since it was one of my to do list as well. When it was lunch time, my friends and I stayed at our usual spot. For
LatteLOOKS can be really deceiving. My hands tightened, holding the tray with his latte coffee. My eyes were fixed on him when a girl approached her. He is now wearing eyeglasses whilst busy typing something on his laptop. He was like a programmed robot that automatically smiled at the girl. Goodness. I wanna tell the girl to be careful because he's not the way she thinks he is. And the only thing that I could describe him now is he looks so kind. . . when he's definitely nothing but a wild, mad lion inside. "Hey, Iris. Do you need a hand? You know what to do, right?" Maria then suddenly appeared in front of me. I was stunned for a moment before I answered, "I got it." She smiled. "That's nice to hear. Okay, let's get back to work." I nodded and sighed when she left. I slowly walked towards him, the girl who approached her is sitting beside him, they're both looking at his laptop. Leon was pointing out on the screen when I reached his table. He didn't even dare to look and conti
Kiss me"NO! I don't know the way to the subway! I only know how to take buses!" I exclaimed through the phone.I'm going insane. I don't have the faintest idea how to go home at this time. I am the only one here in the waiting shed. I really look like an idiot right now, there are no cabs or buses which I don't know if some are still providing late night service on specific routes such as near our neighborhood in Seattle. Most are private vehicles passing by and I cannot just block their way to ask them to bring me home. "You're being absurd. You're a lost cause, why don't you ask strangers how to get to the subway? Don't you have a phone? Why don't you search it up? You're being so difficult. Learn to be independent, Iris. Don't call your friends to save your ass right there. I'm hanging up." And without any hesitations, the line went dead after everything that Ivan said that clearly cannot be helped. I did what he suggested and searched it on the maps, but I also have a bad sense
RumorIT'S BEEN DAYS since I started doing my list. I tried to keep it cool and finally I mastered commuting through buses, cabs, and the subway. Though it gives me a headache sometimes, it's pretty manageable unlike the first time. I never got to meet Leon again after what happened in the subway. He's not going in the café as well which I don't think is a good idea now because I am starting to make a move about the last one on my list. I wanna take revenge on him, he's not playing it fair that's why I resumed flirting with Lea. I was really expecting that he would kiss me that night, he never asked about it, so I thought he was cool. Plus, it doesn't mean anything, it's just a kiss, a condition that he has to make if he wants me to stay away from his sister. But what did he do? He just ruined everything, even my dignity has already crumbled. Because of what happened, I told Ivan about it and all I got from him was nothing, but his typical challenging words."What are you trying to
Friends?"DAD'S COMING home." I froze at the sound of Ivan's voice. I am currently at the personnel room in the cafe because as usual, I need to do my job. I was already here after my class ended at an earlier time, at half past three. I was like meditating, staring at the ceiling for some reason and I am not in my true self after my conversation with Lea. However, my mind became alive just by hearing the word 'Dad'. I turned to see Ivan who was leaning at the door while his hands were crossed over his chest, a cunning look came into his eyes. "Quite fast. It has only been a week since he left for Europe, right?" His right eyebrow rose. "Why do you act like you don't want Dad to go home?" The room was filled with my nervous laughter. "Of course not, I-I was just wondering why he was coming home immediately. Chill, dude. You always think the worst of me." I shook my head. "Well. . . yeah, it was sudden. There has been an urgent conference in Seattle tomorrow, so he needs to go ho