CONFUSING COUPLE

We finish loading the clothes I have bought for the girls in Deep's car. They are a lot, and Deep chipped in too, despite my refusal. We get in, and he drives us on the way to where the girls are staying. Just thinking, I should get myself a Lamborghini too. Just kidding! It doesn't have to be a Lamborghini, but a nice car, so that I can stop troubling this handsome guy so much. He is attracting a lot of attention, which just gives me weird goosebumps. Aside from that, we are good in general. We are back to our crazy, sweet, and free. We are the ones who drive while dancing and singing in the car, laughing and joking about anything and everything in general. This is good, and this is us.

We get to the house and park the car. After getting out, we extend our greetings to Paul, Ajay, and Sheryl. I was running late, so I told the psychiatrists to proceed without me. I asked Mayleen to talk to them on my behalf, and I have no doubt she did it just fine. She perhaps doesn't think she needs counseling; that is why she is out here with these other boys. As long as she is fine, I have no complaints whatsoever.

"Hey! I divided them into five groups. All of them agreed to go through therapy, except your sister." Mayleen explains.

Ooh, that ont! Of course. Who else would deem what I was doing wrong except her? Grace is becoming too much, but just as I promised, I won't bother her. I will not force her into something she doesn't want unless I realize she needs it. I hope she is fine, though.

"How is she?" I ask.

"I don't know my friend. She is not talking to anyone, so it's difficult to say how she is and how she is embracing this change. She spends the whole day in her room and only comes down to get food or something to drink." Sheryl says.

That doesn't sound good at all. I hope she is not falling into depression or something serious. What will I do with her? I didn’t want to be affected by her moods, but I could not help it.

"Do you want me to talk to your sister?" Deep offers, but what possibly can he tell my sister? He is a total stranger—a male stranger, for that matter. I can't risk my sister yelling at him the way she does with me. Or, better yet, insult him. That will be so embarrassing.

"Thank you, Deep. But I don't think that is a good idea. She has become so erratic. She might end up disrespecting you." I say.

"That is fine with me, as long as she gets help. It is not normal for her to behave that way. Maybe she needs just a stranger. They say that there are things that can be shared only with a stranger, and maybe she is going through one of those things." Deep insists.

"Maybe you should let Deep try. He might win her with his charm." Mayleen or Sheryl says, and I throw her a deadly glare. "Sorry, my friend. I am just kidding. I know this guy has eyes for no one but you. I am still recovering from deafness because of how he yelled at me that day you left. I didn't know you two were that serious. And..."

"Sheryl." Deep cuts her off, but she fires back right after.

"What? It's the truth. You even made me cry with your outburst yelling and scolding." She says.

"Come on! I wasn't that harsh." Deep tries to defend himself, but Paul comes to his girlfriend's rescue.

"Sorry man! But you were, and I wanted to punch your face for making her cry. But then I imagined myself in your shoes, and I felt pity for you. This guy went insane for you, Gia, in case he hasn't told you."

I see.

I turn to look at Deep, but he is avoiding my eyes. Is he really trying to be shy right now? That's new. I didn't know he went berserk when I left. I didn't know he blamed Sheryl for my decision to leave. I knew he was worried, but this much? Ooh, my! I am getting goosebumps.

"I think I should go see your sister now. Let's see if I can be of any help." Deep says, changing the topic.

"You two should run for the hero and heroine award of the year. Oh, and the dumbest couple of the year too."

What? "Dumbest couple?" We both snap at Mayleen. Where is she getting all these crazy ideas from lately? Well, I guess it's the trend, since Deep is no different either. They should be like Ajay. He hasn't spoken a word after greetings. But, wait, when did we become a couple? And a dumb one, for that matter?

"Yes. You are so into each other, but you both don't realize it, or you don't want to accept it." She yells, leaving us swimming in utter shock. We what? I look at Deep, the confusion in his eyes matching mine. This girl is really crazy! I think she needs the therapy. I wait for Deep to say something, but just like me, what can he say?

"How about you two, huh? Are we expecting a wedding soon? I am itching to stand on stage again, you know? And what better comeback can there be than being the guest artist at my best friend's wedding? So?" I charge for these two.

Lull! Pure screaming lull!

Whoa! A bomb just exploded! The mood turns foul all of a sudden. Sheryl's face becomes pale while Paul looks down. I think I went way overboard with my big mouth. Are they having problems, or am I getting paranoid?

"I think... I will see you to Grace’s room." I say, casting a glance at Sheryl, who is avoiding my eyes now. She seems troubled. Did they fight? But why? They were talking just fine a minute ago. I pull Deep towards the door. "Do they have a problem?" I ask when we are away from them, keeping my voice as low as possible.

"I have no idea. I haven't spoken to Paul since we left." He whispers back. "But I know they will fix whatever problem they are having. Paul loves her so much." He assures.

I have no doubt about Paul. I have no doubt about their love, either, because I know Mayleen loves him as much. But the hell she went through over the years is tormenting her. She told me once that she didn't deserve Paul. She must have been feeling the same thing up until now. I wish she realized what a gentleman Paul is. It wasn't easy for him to wait for her all that long, even without any hope of her coming back to him, but he did. The guy sacrificed a lot.

Deep opens the door slowly and we walk in. The girls are paying attention just perfectly, and that relieves me. We smile at them as we walk upstairs, stopping at Grace’s door. I don't want her to see me. I don't want her to think or feel like I am pushing it too much, like I am imposing on her. "Listen, the moment you feel like her anger is stirring up, please get out there, okay? Don't wait for her to insult you, please. I cannot bear her being disrespectful to you." I say to Deep. I don't like this, and I don't know why. I hope it's just my paranoia.

"Okay," Deep says.

"I will be outside." I say this and turn back while Deep walks in. The last thing I hear is the sound of the door shutting. I cross my fingers and say a short prayer before walking out.