In Love With Them

The evening came visiting again as always on the fifth day of the week of the sixth month, Stephanie arrived home, heaving a deep sigh as she closed the door slowly behind her.

"I'm home!" She cried out, Stephanie does that when she doesn't find her parents in the living room sitting together. So she says she's home so they could know.

"Honey" Sarah whispered as she rushed out of the kitchen when Stephanie placed her bag on the couch which had a table in front of it having four couch surrounding it and the television.

She turned to her Mom who was standing a little far from the kitchen entrance. She heard her Mom earlier and went to greet her by hugging her.

It was a big relief to see her daughter come back from school safe and sound.

"Where's Dad?" Stephanie asked looking around when she pulled out of her mom's embrace before returning her gaze back to her.

"He's out for a meeting. He'd be back soon" Sarah replied. She had a blue apron on which made Stephanie knew her Mom was cooking, she had knew earlier anyway since she came out of the kitchen and she could also perceive the aroma of the food she was cooking. She couldn't wait to have dinner.

"Ohh okay"

Sarah turned around to go back to the kitchen.

"I'd be right back" she told Stephanie and entered the kitchen while Stephanie went to sit on the couch where her bag was. She played a music on her phone piercing the earphone in to her ear and closed her eyes. She was really tired from the grading of homework for junior classes.

Stephanie was a third year student in highschool and soon she'd be graduating. The thought of graduating made her to feel she couldn't wait.

Just then, Sarah walked out without the apron. She stood a bit far from the couch watching her daughter. She had so many thought and she could view that her daughter was exhausted with the way she sat down. Sitting not only on her buttocks but also with part of her back.

"How was school today?" Sarah asked as she walked to sit next to Stephanie on the chair arm. Stephanie couldn't hear what her Mom was saying so she pulled the earphone out.

"Huh?" she asked her eyebrows lifted.

"I mean you look tired"

"Yes, I'm tired. I was given so many books to grade my eyelashes itself are tired." She exaggerated making her Mom feel pity for her. Sarah caressed her daughter's hair. A long swept dark hair just like hers.

"And I'm hungry" she added.

"Go up and freshen up now. So you could eat. Hmn" Sarah spoke.

Stephanie face lit up, her lips slowly curving into a sweet excited smile. She stood up immediately grabbing her bag and jerked off to her room.

Sarah walked into her daughter's room attempting to wake her up from sleep. She does that every morning except Saturdays and Sundays. Sarah loved doing that and it wasn't a stress to her. She walked to the window and moved the curtains letting the sun that just rose streaming to Stephanie's face. She slept on the left side of the bed laying on her side.

The sunlight streaming on her face, she wrinkled her face turning to the other side.

"Stephanie, it's dawn. Wake up you have to go to school" Sarah said when she noticed Stephanie wasn't ready to get up.

She turned back to her Mom, her eyes now opened. Sarah saw that her goal to wake up her daughter had been accomplished, she walked up to her sitting on her soft bed. Everything covering the bed was blue and white. Stephanie loved all colors, so she had no favorite.

Seeing her Mom coming forward, she sat up.

"Good morning Mom" she greeted intone. Sarah smiled.

"Morning. Hope you slept well" she replied but Stephanie didn't reply.

Sitting beside her, she curved her right leg on the bed while the other still on the ground while Stephanie crossed hers. She had a sad look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked tucking the hair in front of Stephanie's eyes in her ear.

She turned to face her Mom, she had a request but the doubt that her parents would agreed to it was written on her face. Even when she knew the answer, she wanted to ask. Who knows they might actually have a different response to it. She needed to ask.

"Mom..... Can I go.... Go to.." she sighed out in frustration. What if their response would be No?

Well she had to prepare for that, she shouldn't get her hopes up.

"I mean, I was invited to attend my friend's birthday party which is this weekend. Tomorrow" she let it out. "Can I go?" She asked. Looking away and without looking at her Mom and the silence she knew the answer.

"Stephanie, you can't. You cannot leave this house except to go to school. It's for your protection" Sarah replied, the same thing she says all the time Stephanie asked and when she protest, she gets grounded, and grounded from what? She doesn't go out so she was always grounded only that they seized her cellphone for as long as she was grounded and couldn't watch TV.

"But what protection? I don't get why you and Dad are so overprotective. Why?" She asked frowning. "I'm seventeen already and I can take care of myself. I'm not a baby anymore"

Sarah stood up. "You wouldn't understand. Now get dressed for school. You are going to be late and I'd come pick you up today" she said and left the room before Stephanie could throw another question at her.

She stared at the door as if her Mom was still there. Displeased, She wondered what it would be like to be in a party even when her parents had threw many for her, only her friends were invited which wasn't so much like a party. She racked her hands through her hair before heading to the bathroom.

Arriving at school that morning, she sat on her seat which was the front seat. A class having the seat arranged in four row and six column supposing the students in that class twenty four but two chairs were empty because students who sat there dropped out of school.

Stephanie was known as teacher's favourite because she helps them in grading students homework and tests and she also get along with teachers well. Teachers invited her to so many occasions but she's not allowed to go out for things like that. Some teachers even tried to talk to her parents but they told them that she's their daughter, they will train her the way they want.

Everyone ran to their seat but Stephanie and two other students didn't they were already seated. They all greeted Miss Claire as she walked in with a boy, she asked how they were doing and sat down introducing the tall handsome boy standing close to her.

"Introduce yourself dear" she told Ryan and brought out book she was going to use for lesson.

"Hello everyone, I'm Ryan, I got transferred here but decided to resume today(Friday) so I'd get along with you all and so on Monday i wouldn't be new anymore" he paused and smiled at a girl sitting at the back while Stephanie was staring at him ever since he walked in thinking he was a smart guy to resume on a Friday. His point was actually intriguing, she thought.

"It'd be nice if we could all get along so well. I'm so happy to meet you all." He finished and bowed. Everyone smiles at him finding him to be fun but he still was smiling at Janet who didn't care who he was. He heard his name from his left and turned his gaze to a beautiful short girl pointing her hand to the seat by her left

"Thanks" he said flashing a cute smile at her, making her to blush as he walked to his seat which was behind Stephanie's seat. He tapped her by her shoulder and she turned as he had expected.

"Hey" he waved even when they were so close, he just felt he should.

"Hi Ryan, I'm Stephanie"

"Nice to meet you, well I'm expecting you to be my closet friend 'cause You're my closet seat mate." He smiled, lifting his right brows making her blush.

"I think so"

"Yeah, you're cute, a cute girl for a cute boy" he smiled showing Stephanie his cute face.

"That's....nice" she said with a blushing smile.

"Friends?" he asked stretching out his hand for a shake.

"Friends" she replied still smiling and they shook hands.

"Okay then, we'll have lunch together?"

" Sure, that would be great" she replied and turned back to face her front.

The bell rung and the teacher left the class with the books in her left hand. Stephanie packed her books in her bag and was about to leave the class but stopped when she heard her name, she turned around to see who it was.

"Thought we agreed to have lunch together" Ryan said not looking cute to her because he frowned but frowning was just an exaggeration

"You don't look cute when you're upset."

"Hmmmm" he lifted his right brow again making him look like he was thinking of something.

"I'm sorry, I totally forgot. The maths equation was... I'm kinda used to eating alone" she paused changing the expression on her face. What's the use of lying anyway. She thought.

"Let's go then" she said grabbing his right hand and dragged him out if the classroom when she didn't get a reply and didn't want him to ask why she ate alone.

On the rectangular shaped table, somewhere in the midst of other table were seated Ryan and Stephanie sitting in opposite direction.

Ryan used his hand to pick up the sandwich and into his mouth, chewing it so fast like he hasn't eaten for a while, Stephanie watched him for a while before she attempted to eat hers but as she picked up her sandwich, she saw the chair by her right moved, she looks up and watched Janet as she sits.

"May I join you guys?" She asked placing her tray on the table.

" Yeah, sure" Ryan replied before Stephanie could.

"Thanks" she paused not planning to eat yet "well, I'm celebrating my eighteenth birthday tomorrow and I'm inviting you" she said as she watched Ryan eat and turned to Stephanie " I think I've told you about my birthday, right?"she asked Stephanie

" Yes but I won't be present there. I'm sorry"

"Why?"

" My parents didn't grant me the permission to attend your party, I'm sorry Janet"

"Ohh, it's okay" she said and turned to Ryan " will you be attending my party?"

" Umm. I don't think so. So sorry Janet" he paused chewing the bread in his mouth and swallowed it " I have plans tomorrow" he said but Janet didn't say anything, she just took her food and stuffed it in her mouth. After a while they all heard the bell and headed back to their various classes.

The first day of school was fun but not totally fun. With Stephanie around he enjoyed that day.

Ryan had made so many friends than he had expected but Stephanie was the closest of all his friends. He walked out of the class heading home since school had closed, he had searched everywhere for Stephanie but she was nowhere to be found in school so he decided to leave but walking out of the school premises he spotted Stephanie resting on a black car with her phone in her hand.

"Stephanie!" He called out to her as he walked closer, she turned to see Ryan approaching her.

"Hey, Ryan" she paused and stopped what she was doing on her cellphone. " I saw you hanging out with Janet and the others, so I didn't bother to tell you I was leaving, I'm sorry for that." Stephanie explained and apologized before Ryan could complain.

"Ohhh, but you should have told me anyways but it's okay" he paused and look around. "Are you waiting for someone?" He asked as he slowly brought his gaze back to her.

"My mom, she came to pick me up today" she replied and then unlocked her phone.

"Okay. Hand me your phone then." he asked and she did without hesitating. She watched him as he typed his phone number, saved it and handed the phone back to her. "I've saved my number, call me when you miss me" he teasingly smirked at her and she grinned. "I have to go now, it looks like it about to rain" He said waiting for Stephanie to say something but she didn't

"Okay then, see you on Monday" he said, leaving Stephanie waving at him and he replied with a sweet smile as he walked away waving back at her.

Sarah walked out of the principal's office dropping her phone in her red expensive looking hand bag. She came to donate to the school to grant some students scholarship and to make some changes in the school and not only in school does she donate, also at the orphanage. She knew why she does that but Stephanie wasn't aware only her husband.

She walked out of the school to see Stephanie talking to a boy and waiting for their conversation to be over before she approached her daughter.

"Who was that?" She asked as she press a button on the car remote unlocking the car.

"He's a new student, he just got transferred today" she replied to her mom who was about to enter the car and followed her mom in. Stephanie really loves telling her Mom about things that goes on in school since she only had her Mom.

Sarah didn't reply, she started the engine and drove out of the school.

School has resumed and every student was seated in class as the mathematics teacher goes over the topic taken last week. Ryan had been shooting pleasant glances Janet's way, he had gotten her phone number from Stephanie when she called him last Saturday which was Janet's birthday, he called to wish her a happy birthday and apologise for not being able to make it to her party but it seems like she didn't care if he was present or not.

"Ryan" Miss Betty called bringing him back to class as she explained the topic taken that day. He turned and face the board, then he turned his neck left and right because it ache from turning to look at Janet here and there, he loved it when she smile, His crush. But when he gaze landed on Phil who was staring at Stephanie the whole time. The way he looked at her, like he was lost. She was concentrating on what the teacher was explaining and didn't know who was staring and who was not.

He definitely likes Stephanie he thought to himself and turned back to Janet only to find her staring at Phil. "Does she likes him? " He asked himself but Stephanie heard him and turned to him. "Did you say something?" She asked waiting for his reply.

"No" he said waving his left hand, he didn't know he said that out.

When he noticed that everyday, he was sure that Phil likes Stephanie. Phil was the baddest guy in class, he's always alone, he eats alone, he does almost everything alone and also good at bullying student but still girls crush on him. He was so handsome, his eyes were brown his eyebrows arched so perfectly, his eyelashes to long for a boy what many girls wanted, most of all his dimples when he smiles but not a cute smile, an evil smile when he bullies students and his hair dark.

Ryan was sad to see Janet having a huge crush on him, she tries to get close to him but he keeps pushing her away. Ryan could explain how she had been trying 'cause it was like he was her monitoring spirit, he knows her every move. He once tried his guts and confessed to her his feeling by texting her and her replied made his heart hurt. She wasn't even hiding it that she liked Phil and was positive he would be hers but Ryan wouldn't give up yet. She might actually fall for him too. He thought.

Several weeks had passed, Ryan was still trying to get his crush to date him. He had impressed her in so many ways with the help of Stephanie who hates it when he comes to her for idea, she bursted out in anger saying Janet will never fall for him and Ryan defended his feelings saying he would keep trying. "If you don't want to help me, then fine. She would be mine soon" he shouted at her leaving her broken. Stephanie has been crushing on him ever since he had resumed but he had never looked at her not even once.

Class was over and everyone went out for lunch, Stephanie was sitting alone because she had a fight with her best friend. It was alright eating alone until Phil came to sit down next to her, she stood up to avoid another headache but he stopped her by grabbing her wrist before she could leave the table, he held her wrist so tight and dragged her down to her seat. " Who do you think you are to leave me here eating alone?"

"You eat alone all the time so it's not something new" she said making him angry, he held her wrist tighter than he was before.

"Let go, you're hurting me" she said in pain as she struggles to pull her hand out of his strong grip but the more she struggles to pull out the more his grip became stronger. She had been avoiding this jerk for a long time now and here he was making her wrist pass through pain.

"Stop, it hurts" she continues to pull out but it was useless, he was stronger than her.

She almost burst into tears when he let go, she rubbed her hand with the other, stood up, took the glass of water and turned it over on his head, letting water flow down his face.