Chapter 32 - XXXI (1/2)
True to what Laia told Brie, her mother was indeed waiting outside the university gates.
Upon seeing the two girls make their way towards her, she waves at them enthusiastically. ”Come here, my actresses!”
Laia cringes at what her mother called her. Brie, however, grins even wider and ran towards the older woman with her arms spread wide.
”Auntie!”
The older woman was quick to accept the hug. When Brie pulls away, the older woman showed her a thumbs up. ”You were amazing, dear!”
Brie smiles and was unable to hide the flushing of her cheeks. ”Thank you, auntie,”
”Your parents weren't able to come?” Laia's mother even scanned their surroundings for a while as if it would make Brie's parents appear out of thin air. ”That's a shame. Were they busy again?”
”They're still overseas,” Brie replies curtly, obviously not wanting the topic to continue. ”It's fine. I'm used to it.”
Laia sighs and pats her friend on the shoulder. Brie grins at the short-haired girl, but Laia knew her long enough to know when her smiles were fake and when they were genuine.
The smile currently on her friend's face at the moment was definitely fake.
Nevertheless, Laia knew better than to reveal that out loud, especially with how her friend's mood was already bad.
Realizing that what she said made it awkward, the older woman gently pats Brie's cheek. ”Well, don't you look hungry? How about we eat at this new restaurant that opened near my workplace? My treat!”
Brie looks at Laia with worry in her eyes which Laia shared. However, before any of the girls are able to convey their thoughts, the older woman had already walked away, expecting them to follow.
Layla was supposed to call a cab but both Brie and Laia insisted that they could just walk to the restaurant. Laia knew that her mother's workplace wasn't very far from the university, so it would make sense that the restaurant wasn't that far either.
Brie didn't mind as well and was even enthusiastic to start walking instead of calling a cab or driving her car as she usually did.
”... where's your car, anyway?” Laia asks her friend as they walked.
The long-haired girl shrugs. ”I left it at the university.”
Laia's eyes widened. ”What?!”
”Why?” Brie had the audacity to look at Laia without a shred of concern on her features. ”It's not like anyone would steal it,”
Laia pulls back Brie to make the girl face her. ”Are you crazy?!”
”Why are you two fighting?” The oldest of the three girls stopped in her steps and turned to them, worried.
Brie tries to grin at her but Laia's frown made her grin turn into a pout. ”Auntie, Laia's overreacting at something!”
”I'm overreacting?!” Laia couldn't help but utter harshly.
Layla worriedly looked back and forth at her daughter and her daughter's friend. She didn't know what to do or what to say to ease the tension between the two without having to side with just one of them.
Nevertheless, the older woman tried her best and stepped in between the two girls. ”You two, stop quarreling!”
”But--”
”She--”
Layla waved both her hands frantically in the air which caused both the younger girls to step back. ”Stop this nonsense, girls! Gosh,”
Brie was the first to raise her hands in the air to intend the end of their fight. ”I'll get my car after we eat dinner.”
Laia nods.
The three continued their walk and after a few minutes of silence, Layla excitedly exclaims. ”We're here!”
Brie quickly makes her way to the restaurant, Laia close behind her. Layla didn't waste time and immediately urged the younger girls to choose a table for them.
”Here!” The long-haired girl stops in front of a table with four seats. ”I mean, it's not like they have a table with only three chairs right?”
Laia points at a nearby table with three seats, however, it was occupied. ”There is,”
Brie pulls Laia towards one of the chairs and makes her sit down as she sheepishly grins at those who were seated at the other table.
”Laia, don't do that!” She hisses through her clenched teeth.
”Why? I was just clarifying that there is indeed a table with only three chairs.”
”Ugh,” Brie sat down on the chair beside Laia with more force than she intended. ”Here you go again with that sort of logic!”
Laia was about to retort something back when the waitress arrived with menus, handing each of the three customers one.
Flipping through the pages of the menu, the short-haired girl scanned for the dish with the cheapest price.
”Aha,” Laia whispers as quietly as she could when she spotted a cheap but delicious-looking meal. ”Mom, I want this one,”
Her mother moves closer to her daughter to see what she was pointing at the menu. Nodding her head, she takes note of it.
Brie points at the same dish as Laia did, but Laia wasn't surprised at that. Her friend did know their circumstances.
”Okay, I'll get the same dish as these kids want,” Layla handed back the menus to the waitress. ”How many minutes before our meals would be served? We're a bit hungry already, you see.”
”Twenty minutes, ma'am.” The waitress replies.
”Alright, maybe we can order some appetizers--”
”Mom, we're okay,” Laia puts her hand on her mother's lap with a reassuring smile. She turns to Brie. ”Right?”
Brie nods. ”Yes, auntie. We're not that hungry yet.”