Chapter 13
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"Hey Cass. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," saying that while laughing.
"How could you be sorry? You intentionally moved so the light would blind me!"
"No no no really. I'm sorry." He rubbed my back soothingly. Seriously? Who gave this guy permission? I straightened my back and opened my eyes slowly. Thankfully, it's not that painful anymore. I glared at him.
"Sorry? Yeah yeah whatever. It's okay now. Be thankful my eyes are sun-screened."
"Okay okay. I'll treat you to dinner later. Is that good?"
Dinner! The bells are ringing. One thing that could definitely make me say yes is food, food, food. My lips curved up. "You got yourself a deal boy. Very good! Now let's go in."
We emerged in a room full of noisy- oh wow. They are just sitting there. So behaved kids. Are they afraid of me?
"Hey kids! Why are you so stiff there?"
"Uhm, to make a good impression?" Lukas said without looking at me.
I chuckled. "Okay so let's ask our new playmate if he likes you all right now." I nudged Ash forward.
He smiled at sheepishly and then, "Hi buddies. I'm Ash, your new teacher and playmate."
They all looked at me. Gia asked me, nearly crying, "Not pretty like you? Nooo! You should be pretty."
I looked at Ash. He looked like he's swallowed a lemon. Oh boy, what to do.
I sat at one of the mats. "Kids, come here." They crowded me at the floor. I gestured to Ash to stay put and never to interfere.
"What's up with the pretty thing you're talking about?"
"We want someone pretty like you and Miss Ria," Gia said.
"And that Ash thing is not so close to pretty!" Rowan added.
Ash thing? Oh poor Ash, reduced to a thing. "Okay, first, how do you say someone looks pretty?"
"Like you! With long hair, cute eyes, cute everything!" Elain said.
"But don't you find Adam handsome?" Now that I think about it, he is indeed handsome. With his brown, military-cut hair, green eyes that changes intensity when hit by light, his nose as perfect as Ethan's, and a full, sensuous lips. He's got that air of non-chalance, and of light and all things bright.
"What is handsome?" Gia asked.
"That's the term we use for boys who are good-looking. If girls, like me and Miss Ria, are pretty. Then boys, like Rowan, Gary and Ash, are handsome."
"So it's like another version of pretty?" Gia clarified.
"Yeah. In a way."
"But, is he good like you? "
"I believe he is. Just give him a chance. Okay kids?"
"We'll try Miss Cass. " Rose chided.
"Good. Now off you go. Greet him. Go introduce yourselves."
They spent the whole day getting to know each other. The kids asked Ash about his life, from where he lives to having a dog or if he's having a baby. I was watching them at the sidelines, butting in when the kids asked me to or when necessary. All in all, we ended good since the kids had let Ash teach them during the afternoon.
When the last of the kids has been fetched by their parents, Ash let out a long sigh.
"Whew! What a day! But that was fun."
"You enjoyed that?"
"Yeah. I grew up in an orphanage so I naturally enjoy the company of too many children." He looked far into the distance, maybe reminiscing his past. I wonder what it felt like, growing up, no parents but with a lot of friends and playmate. "Oi, Ethan!"
Ethan? I traced his line of sight. And there I saw Ethan, looking at the both of us.
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"Hey Cass. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," saying that while laughing.
"How could you be sorry? You intentionally moved so the light would blind me!"
"No no no really. I'm sorry." He rubbed my back soothingly. Seriously? Who gave this guy permission? I straightened my back and opened my eyes slowly. Thankfully, it's not that painful anymore. I glared at him.
"Sorry? Yeah yeah whatever. It's okay now. Be thankful my eyes are sun-screened."
"Okay okay. I'll treat you to dinner later. Is that good?"
Dinner! The bells are ringing. One thing that could definitely make me say yes is food, food, food. My lips curved up. "You got yourself a deal boy. Very good! Now let's go in."
We emerged in a room full of noisy- oh wow. They are just sitting there. So behaved kids. Are they afraid of me?
"Hey kids! Why are you so stiff there?"
"Uhm, to make a good impression?" Lukas said without looking at me.
I chuckled. "Okay so let's ask our new playmate if he likes you all right now." I nudged Ash forward.
He smiled at sheepishly and then, "Hi buddies. I'm Ash, your new teacher and playmate."
They all looked at me. Gia asked me, nearly crying, "Not pretty like you? Nooo! You should be pretty."
I looked at Ash. He looked like he's swallowed a lemon. Oh boy, what to do.
I sat at one of the mats. "Kids, come here." They crowded me at the floor. I gestured to Ash to stay put and never to interfere.
"What's up with the pretty thing you're talking about?"
"We want someone pretty like you and Miss Ria," Gia said.
"And that Ash thing is not so close to pretty!" Rowan added.
Ash thing? Oh poor Ash, reduced to a thing. "Okay, first, how do you say someone looks pretty?"
"Like you! With long hair, cute eyes, cute everything!" Elain said.
"But don't you find Adam handsome?" Now that I think about it, he is indeed handsome. With his brown, military-cut hair, green eyes that changes intensity when hit by light, his nose as perfect as Ethan's, and a full, sensuous lips. He's got that air of non-chalance, and of light and all things bright.
"What is handsome?" Gia asked.
"That's the term we use for boys who are good-looking. If girls, like me and Miss Ria, are pretty. Then boys, like Rowan, Gary and Ash, are handsome."
"So it's like another version of pretty?" Gia clarified.
"Yeah. In a way."
"But, is he good like you? "
"I believe he is. Just give him a chance. Okay kids?"
"We'll try Miss Cass. " Rose chided.
"Good. Now off you go. Greet him. Go introduce yourselves."
They spent the whole day getting to know each other. The kids asked Ash about his life, from where he lives to having a dog or if he's having a baby. I was watching them at the sidelines, butting in when the kids asked me to or when necessary. All in all, we ended good since the kids had let Ash teach them during the afternoon.
When the last of the kids has been fetched by their parents, Ash let out a long sigh.
"Whew! What a day! But that was fun."
"You enjoyed that?"
"Yeah. I grew up in an orphanage so I naturally enjoy the company of too many children." He looked far into the distance, maybe reminiscing his past. I wonder what it felt like, growing up, no parents but with a lot of friends and playmate. "Oi, Ethan!"
Ethan? I traced his line of sight. And there I saw Ethan, looking at the both of us.
"Hey Cass. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," saying that while laughing."How could you be sorry? You intentionally moved so the light would blind me!""No no no really. I'm sorry." He rubbed my back soothingly. Seriously? Who gave this guy permission? I straightened my back and opened my eyes slowly. Thankfully, it's not that painful anymore. I glared at him."Sorry? Yeah yeah whatever. It's okay now. Be thankful my eyes are sun-screened.""Okay okay. I'll treat you to dinner later. Is that good?"Dinner! The bells are ringing. One thing that could definitely make me say yes is food, food, food. My lips curved up. "You got yourself a deal boy. Very good! Now let's go in."We emerged in a room full of noisy- oh wow. They are just sitting there. So behaved kids. Are they afraid of me?"Hey kids! Why are you so stiff there?""Uhm, to make a good impression?" Lukas said without looking at me.I chuckled. "Okay so let's ask our new playmate if he likes you all right now." I nudged Ash forward.He smiled at sheepishly and then, "Hi buddies. I'm Ash, your new teacher and playmate."They all looked at me. Gia asked me, nearly crying, "Not pretty like you? Nooo! You should be pretty."I looked at Ash. He looked like he's swallowed a lemon. Oh boy, what to do.I sat at one of the mats. "Kids, come here." They crowded me at the floor. I gestured to Ash to stay put and never to interfere."What's up with the pretty thing you're talking about?""We want someone pretty like you and Miss Ria," Gia said."And that Ash thing is not so close to pretty!" Rowan added.Ash thing? Oh poor Ash, reduced to a thing. "Okay, first, how do you say someone looks pretty?""Like you! With long hair, cute eyes, cute everything!" Elain said."But don't you find Adam handsome?" Now that I think about it, he is indeed handsome. With his brown, military-cut hair, green eyes that changes intensity when hit by light, his nose as perfect as Ethan's, and a full, sensuous lips. He's got that air of non-chalance, and of light and all things bright."What is handsome?" Gia asked."That's the term we use for boys who are good-looking. If girls, like me and Miss Ria, are pretty. Then boys, like Rowan, Gary and Ash, are handsome.""So it's like another version of pretty?" Gia clarified."Yeah. In a way.""But, is he good like you? ""I believe he is. Just give him a chance. Okay kids?""We'll try Miss Cass. " Rose chided."Good. Now off you go. Greet him. Go introduce yourselves."They spent the whole day getting to know each other. The kids asked Ash about his life, from where he lives to having a dog or if he's having a baby. I was watching them at the sidelines, butting in when the kids asked me to or when necessary. All in all, we ended good since the kids had let Ash teach them during the afternoon.When the last of the kids has been fetched by their parents, Ash let out a long sigh."Whew! What a day! But that was fun.""You enjoyed that?""Yeah. I grew up in an orphanage so I naturally enjoy the company of too many children." He looked far into the distance, maybe reminiscing his past. I wonder what it felt like, growing up, no parents but with a lot of friends and playmate. "Oi, Ethan!"Ethan? I traced his line of sight. And there I saw Ethan, looking at the both of us.
