19
"What do you mean?" Michelle blinked as she walked into the office, unable to believe her ears as she walked into the office the following morning.
"You heard me. The landlord said you can't get an extension."
She'd gotten a call from her agent early that morning only to be greeted with news she hadn't seen coming. She had to move out.
"But why all of a sudden? I should have been notified at least three months in advance then."
The older woman sighed at the other end. "Whatever. I relayed the message."
"Excuse me... Ma'am... Ma'am." She was saying when she hanged up. "What the heck...Darn it."
Tahti coughed as she tiredly walked up to her locker to fetch some textbooks for her assignments. Her cough seemed to have worsened overnight and her body had started to boil up.
"Tahti."
A smile crossed her lips on turning to see an approaching April, in a Lady Gaga's costume and Jennie in a simple floral gown.
"Hey, Tahti." Jennie smiled, with a wave.
"Hey, you look really good in that." She said as April raised her hand to her chest to take a bow like those people from the royal families.
"Thank you, my lady. Are you not coming to our booth?"
"I'm not. How are the preparations going?"
"I'm sure it's going great. They have Demir, after all." Jennie answered and her expression turned heavy as lead. She had thought she could act like nothing had happened even if his name was mentioned but she guessed she couldn't and it wasn't like she could stop anyone from talking about him either.
"My friend said they are coming. There might not be seats."
April scoffed. "You? You have friends?"
"Of course, I do." Jennie replied as they headed for Prof Lee's office.
"So what will you do? Can you find a house within a month?" Andre asked, with a sigh after she'd narrated her ordeal to him.
"If I can't, I'll have to find a small studio or something like that. Or a housemate."
"What about all your stuffs?"
"I guess I'll have to use a storage service." She replied and ran her fingers through her hair, making a mess out of it. "Darn it, what do I do?
The rent is expensive around here...It'll be impossible to find another place with cheap rent. I'm totally screwed."
Andre sighed as he reached to pat her shoulders. "Hey calm down. How much was the rent for starters?"
The door opened before she could reply and they turned to see Jennie, April and Tahti walk in and Michelle hurriedly composed herself, like nothing had happened.
"Hello."
"Hello."
"Hi. Can we have more butane?...And where can we get more folding chairs?" April asked as she walked up to Andre as Tahti walked over to sign in for class.
"In the clubroom."
"I see."
"What happened to your hair?" Jennie asked and Michelle quickly raised her hands to smoothen it.
She cleared her throat. "Tell Sol not to come to the booth.She will run into Professor Lee..." Tahti's eyes widened on realization of what she was about to say. "...and trust me, she will get nagged to death."
"Nagged to death? Why would she get nagged?" Jennie asked and Tahti spun to cross her arms over each other, trying to tell Michelle not to talk, but it was a pointless gesture as Michelle wasn't even looking her way.
"Don't you know?The exchange program. It's really exhausting for me too, you know." She replied and April looked down to scroll through her phone as Andre walked over to the cabinet.
"She'll get a full scholarship.So, what's holding her back?...Some people are dying to leave the country."
Tahti turned to Jennie who looked confused and dropped her hands with a disgruntled sigh.
"It's not an easy decision to make though." Andre replied as he returned to hand two bottles of butane to April. "Here you go."
"Thanks."
"Exchange program?" Jennie asked and April, on hearing the confusion in her voice turned to her with an arched brow.
"What? You didn't know?" She asked.
"No."
"How could you not know? You're Sol's best friend." Michelle asked.
The girls walked out of the office a couple of minutes later and April was headed for the clubroom when Tahti realized Jennie wasn't following her but gazing into space.
"Jennie." She called and April turned to her.
"Hey, aren't you coming?"
"You should go ahead first. I have something to do." She replied and ran off before they could protest.
"Hey, what about me?" April blinked.
"You should go first. I'll talk to her."
Jennie was mopping from the news on the stairs, her arms pillowed on her knees and her head resting on them when she found her.
"Jennie." She called and Jennie raised her head.
"Tahti..." Her voice faded as Tahti sat next to her.
"What are you doing here?"
"Nothing."
"Aren't you going to the flea market?" She asked and Jennie turned to smirk at her.
"Are you going to see Dennis?"
"What?"
"I heard something's going on between you and him."
She didn't have to think far. There was only one person who could go around broadcasting who was going out with who in the department. Who else did it have to be other than her annoying bestie?
"You heard from April, right?" She asked and Jennie chuckled.
"I'm glad."
"Why?"
"I don't know him well, but he's way better than Demir." She sighed and Tahti turned to her. "Last time when the Professor Lee called you and Sol it wasn't because of the assignment ideas but because of the exchange program, is that right?"
"Well...yes."She replied, not seeing the need to lie to her any longer.
"I see."
"But April didn't hear from Sol. Sol was probably thinking of telling you first...and I only heard when I met the professor with her." She said, trying to console her but Jennie didn't seem to buy it.
"I don't know...I bet she didn't tell me because I'd feel upset...Did I tell you before? I started art because of Sol."
"Really?" She was surprised. "I didn't know."
"She wanted to study art since she was in elementary school, and I worked so hard to join her...I thought I'd be able to keep up with her if I did my best. But I guess there are things you can never do...I can barely get my assignments done.I don't even know if I can graduate...I'm so jealous of her...That kind of presence only comes naturally, am I right?"
"Some people are gifted like that." She said and Jennie veered to take her hand in both of hers, with her spirit lifted and looking better than before.
"Let's go to the flea market."
"Alright."
Everywhere was lightened up with flags of different countries flying up in the air, that night. The aroma of delicious food filled the air and more students kept tropping in, not only to have a bite, but to have glimpses of handsome guys in the Sculpture department.
"Is everything okay?" April kept asking as she went round.
"Yes."
"Alright." She said and she was about to climb the stairs, heading towards where Derek was seated beside the professor when she heard a scowl behind her.
She turned to see Mason and a friend of his walking in and she grimaced, pissed on sighting him.
"Why is he here?"
"I know, right? He's not even here to help." Herley replied and she turned to give him a high-five.
"He's not even paying."
"He's just here to watch us." Jasmine bit out. April hissed and walked to sit beside Derek where he was seated next to Prof. Lee, who seemed to be looking at someone.
On following her eyes, she sighed her dismay when she discovered it was Demir.
"Here you go." Demir said as he handed a plate of food to one of the girls, who couldn't keep her eyes off him.
"Can I have your number?" A girl asked and to their surprise, Demir bowed slightly as he pressed his hands together, with his fingers pointing upwards.
"Sorry."
April couldn't hold back her laughter. "What was that? Namaste?"
"I think I should use this gesture too"
"Where would you use that?" She asked and gave Derek a nudge.
"Hey, they're leaving." She heard someone say from the foot of the stairs and she turned to see Mason and his friend leaving.
"What a relief."
"Why is he leaving?" Derek asked.
"Hey, they're gone. Go and serve the food." Someone screamed.
"Gosh, it's a festival but they're not selling drinks, Professor." April whined and Prof. Lee smiled, her eyes still fixed on Demir. "This is unbelievable."
"This place is so nice." She heard someone say and she turned to look towards Demir who was still serving.
"You're so handsome."
"Thank you." Demir replied in the distance and she scoffed as more girls started to crowd him. She couldn't blame them though. He was so goodlooking that he could attract tons of girls from afar, including her herself, but she knew better than to get involved with him.
"You must be tired."
"Can I have your number?"
"Sorry."
"They're all smiling from ear to ear." She muttered and Prof. Lee turned to them.
"Are you two dating?
"What? No." She blurted.
"Why are you overreacting? Kids like you always end up dating." The professor said and she turned to look at Derek who tried to mimic Demir's namaste greeting.
She turned to the professor with a groan. She and Derek? There was no chance in hell that they would ever be together.
"Professor, that's never going to happen. Trust me."
"Watch what you say. It could really happen." Professor Lee replied.
"No way." She said and turned in time to sight an approaching Ramiel. "Hey Ramiel, come over here."
"By the way, that student over there is Demir Wilson, right?" Prof. Lee asked and April turned to follow her eyes before confirming.
"Yes."
"I remember him since he's very competent..." She paused for a minute before she made to rise. "I should get going. Have fun."
The students nearby rose and gathered to say farewell. "Yes."
"Don't cause any trouble."
"Okay." Derek replied.
"Ramiel will show you out." April suggested and Ramiel picked up her bag.
"I'll escort you."
"Okay. I have some work to finish up so I'll get going."
"Bye." Derek said and April plodded to the chair with a sigh, once Prof had taken her leave.
"Gosh I'm exhausted. I thought she'd leave three hours ago...So she remembers him because of his competency?" She was saying as she took out a small packet of beer. "I bet she remembers him because he's so handsome."
Derek snatched it from her before she could pop in a straw. "Hey where did you steal this?
We can't sell alcohol here."
"I bought it at a store, before coming here." She replied before grabbing it from him."Can't I even do that?"
He sighed as she popped in the straw. "You're going to drink at the after party. Can't you hold yourself back?"
"Seriously, you nag more than my mom.*
"If you get drunk today, I'm really going to abandon you on the streets." He said.
"That looks delicious." Jennie said, pointing at the barbecue ahead as they arrived the flea market.
"Hey Jennie, over here." Someone called and Tahti turned to see Jennie run towards her friends who were seated under a canopy.
"Hey, you got really good seats." One of them said and Jennie turned to her.
"Why don't you join us? I'll introduce you to them."
"No,I'm okay. Have fun." She replied.
"Then call me if you get bored."
"Okay." She replied and turned to the girls. "Have fun."
"Okay." They smiled and she turned to head for the Sculpture department's booth.
