C6 CHAPTER 06

Marco and Dwayne's car ride to their local café was quiet. Dwayne was remarkably quiet while driving, when usually he was the first to speak in such a situation. The radio wasn't turned on so the silence was more perplexing.

Marco hesitated to speak. He thought that maybe Dwayne just has a lot on his mind at the moment, asking about it wouldn't help with the situation. But the itch of asking overpowered him so he cleared his throat first before he speaks. "Are you okay, man?"

Dwayne lifted up his brow and breathed it deeply. This is not a new issue for him and his Mom, and his friends know it too so there's no need to hide what's wrong with him anymore. Dwayne shakes his head, "It's the same issue with Mom again. It's just tiring," Marco dropped his phone and listened to his friend's story.

Dwayne told him about the issue, even about the slight talk back to he did to his Mother. Signaling the car for a right turn, they were looking for a parking spot when they entered the vicinity. Apparently, the back of the café branch they went to was a big event's place so many people were in and out of the place. It was a good thing that they still manage to find a parking space.

On the other hand, Akira and Jayden finished two Movies. Jayden is now browsing videos on YouTube while Akira is playing her friend's hair, putting hair ties and clips.

"Ow! Careful with the hair!" Jayden whines.

Akira lightly tapped Jayden's hand away as he tries to remove the hair tie. "No, no, you just-- 'Do not touch it Jayden Kade!'

"Kira promise, it's tied too tight!" Akira pays him no mind, and she continued to do so. She added this one piece of hair clip for it to be cute. "I swear, Kira i'm about to go bald!" OA.

Akira laughed at the thought of Jayden being bald. Half of the 2nd movie when Akira decided to play with Jayden's grown-out hair. Fetching her Sanrios and cute hair clips in her room and Jayden didn't have any choice but to sit on the floor with his back facing Akira.

The 2nd movie they watched was over but she's not done with her friend's hair yet.

While scrolling on YouTube the slumping Jayden, is suddenly craving for Frappuccino so he turned to look at Akira all of a sudden. "We're not done-"

"Starbucks!" And his eyes seemed to sparkle as he said.

Akira felt the same craving as her friend. "Aye yo, that sounds nice!" She stands up to change her clothes. "Don't take your hair ties off, it's suits you!"

His eyes grew big when he saw how many hair clips he had on his head. He definitely looks like a hair clip with a little bit of Jayden. "No way, Kira!"

Nevertheless, Jayden managed to take a few pictures with the ton of hair clips he has on. Posting it on social media in attempt in exposing the person who did it. He somehow referred to it as a masterpiece made made by a child.

"I can see your tweets!" Jayden hears Akira yell from her room, laughing at her.

It didn't took long before Akira came down, not before kissing her cat who's playing the ball with the bell in her cat tower. She's wearing a white Tee with a written 'Nowhere' in colorful letters tucking it in in her black shorts, pairing it with some Birkenstock slippers- her usual-lazy-day-slipper. Jayden even teases her at how long she took even if she just took a few seconds to change her clothes. Akira lightly slaps his arms as a response.

Both Dwayne and Marco are currently enjoying their orders. They were seated inside the sofa part of the coffee shop, followed by their other friends to join them, except for Ian, who is just on his way home from Manila. Dwayne felt his phone vibrating. Looking at the caller ID to see his older sister calling, excusing himself to Marco.

He went out, taking the route to the side exit leading to the veranda-like set up of the café where chairs and tables were also placed in the open air, the tables are covered with umbrellas to cover the slight heat every afternoon before the sun starts to set. This place is a convenient place for those who like fresh air while sipping some coffee, and for customers that puff e-cigarettes. No one was there so he immediately answered the call.

Caila: Dwayne, where are you?

"Hi, Cai. I'm at Starbucks with Marco. I brought the Civic with me, why?"

Caila: I just got home and you're not here.

"Yeah, Marco invited me to grab coffee. Do you want anything?"

Caila: A Latte would be nice. Did you and mom fought again?

Dwayne heaved a deep sigh on the other line. "Yes, Cai. She's being too pushy about dating her Amiga's daughter,"

Caila: Try and bear with it a little more, Dwayne. I'll try to talk things out with her about it, I'll see what I can do about it, yeah?

"Thanks, Cai"

If Dwayne were to be asked if aside from his family and friends what else he's thankful for? It would be his first born sister. Nevertheless, even if their hobbies are like the others, the two of them often agree on everything. Caila is five years older than him, although there was another sister born who followed his older sister Caila before Dwayne.

They kept the call going, his sister asking a few about other things like his school and how is everything going. His older sister Caila is working at the sister company their father is working for, so she was often busy working her days off.

In the middle of his call with his sister, Dwayne went to check whether Andrei and Charlse had arrived, but it seemed like a different person got his attention. And that person is falling in line to order and is with a guy.

Through the window, you can clearly see the customers who enter from where he's standing. Dwayne looked at Akira while the phone was still in his ear. "Yes, Ate," He replies to what the his sister asks him. It is no longer possible to hide the slight smile plastered on his face at the fact that he saw Akira. But the question of who the man is with it cannot be avoided. It's the first time he saw the guy, he's not familiar with him.

Caila:...okay, Dwayne? Don't forget my latté. Bye.

"Bye,"

As soon as he put the phone back into his pocket, he went back inside, the smell of sweet grounded beans immediately reaches his nostrils. Eyes trailing where Akira is. Their gaze never met so basically, he was not aware of Dwayne's presence.

Like nothing happened, Dwayne scoots back to his spot with Marco. Occasionally, he watches her from afar, having light conversations with Marco about the coffee taste. Every time Akira and the guy's gaze meet, it was always followed by sweet laughters and occasional smiles from Akira.

I wonder who he is in her life? I love how you look so pretty when you smile.

"Heeeeeyyy, Hello~?" Dwayne was pulled back to reality when he noticed Marco's hand waving in front of him. "Do you hear me?"

"Hmm?" Raising a brow, still obviously out of it. Marco followed Dwayne's gaze as to where he was looking at that seems to interest him more instead to what he was saying?

"Who are you even looking at?" Marco chuckles. "I was saying that Charlse messaged me saying that they had a flat tire on the way here so they had to stop by at the vulcanizing shop," Even showing his phone to his friend showing the conversation he had with the others.

Dwayne just nodded and his eyes went back to look for Akira again. She was sitting on one of the chairs inside the café near the window. A smile was seen on her lips again as she's continuing on a conversation with the person she's with. They seem really comfortable with each other, to the point Dwayne often wonders what he is in her life?

Until now, the latter is still not aware of his presence. Which is better. Marco was caught surprised when Dwayne suddenly stood up from his seat. "Come on, Marco"

"What? Wait why?" He hurried to take the drink, while Dwayne was trying to catch up with someone, seeming if he doesn't he will lose sight of that person.

"Tell Charlse to meet us at the other branch of this café," As he was about to step inside the car, Marco came in the way to stop Dwayne.

"Hep! Why? We're perfectly fine in here, we even have comfortable seats, what's wrong with you?" Pointing at the spot where they sat.

Dwayne couldn't admit that he cannot stand seeing Akira with another. That's the real reason why he chose to leave the place. You might wonder why he was acting this way when she has only known her for a while. School hasn't even lasted for two weeks.

Even if he didn't admit it, there was something about Akira that instantly got him. The feeling that he would want to keep her. Now seeing her with someone Dwayne was surely clueless about made things hard for him to even see her out with another.

So, he came up with an alibi. "My...my high school bullies were inside, I really don't want to see them, nor catch their attention. Bad bad memories they bring," That wasn't the reason at all. Facepalm out of disappointment.

Marco almost spit his coffee. "What? Is that it? BAHAHA" His friend laughs. "Do you want to get back at them now? I can join you with!" He laughs.

"I don't want to get into fights, dude!" Marco seems to be stubborn as he was now holding the glass door of the coffee shop. "I swear to God, Marco you're walking your way home," Dwayne walked into the driver's seat in attempt to leave his friend because of his stubbornness.

From where they were seated, Akira can clearly see the outside of the coffee shop. She and Jayden has a hobby of always sitting by the window every time they eat outside even then. However, a familiar figure outside the Café caught her gaze, wondering why it ran all of a sudden. When a gut feeling told her that she had seen the man before, but where? She didn't get to see the face of the guy, which leaves her wondering more.

"Hmm? Is there something wrong?" Jayden asked her a question.

Akira shifts to look at him. "Ah? Nothing, I just thought I saw someone"

But the car was out of the parking space's sight when she realized who it might be. What a shame that she didn't saw it to even confirm her gut feeling. Or there is a tendency that he is not exactly who Akira thinks she saw.

Oh well.