Crazy but Sweet, Sweet but Crazy

6: paint, coffee and sugar

"Dad?"

"Hey honey, how are you doing?" Dad was nearly shouting over the phone. In the backdrop was a crush of noise.

Fascinating how the human senses worked. After I'd seen the photo, I could clearly make out the noises. The sound of laughter, shouts, voices, accusations, screams of joy. All from a casino.

Dad, what are you doing? I swallowed the words down my throat. "I'm good," I muttered.

French had ended, fortunately, without much event.

Seated in an incredibly awkward position between Elliot and Ester, I'd fixated my attention on writing down whatever the teacher said- important or not- on my notebook, determined not to give time for Elliot to talk to me.

At this rate, I was going to score an A+ for French, that was for sure.

After French, Elliot, Bianca, Noah, Ester and I had somehow naturally ended up at a same round table in the cafeteria. Immediately I bought my lunch, my phone had rung- just like Elliot damn Lockwood had predicted.

"That's- that's great, honey. I just thought I'll check in. Sorry it's noisy- I'm outside, meeting some clients. It's been a while since we saw each other."

What a timing. I couldn't help but check- just like Elliot had predicted, shares of the long, plunged-down Horan Holdings had risen.

Of course, it wouldn't be a sustainable increase. But it stemmed from a hopeful possibility- that Horan Holdings was no longer shunned by Lockwood Co., one of the most influential companies in the country.

It also indicated possibilities- that competent people wouldn't suddenly be pulled away from Horan Holdings to Lockwood Co. by an invisible hand, that any project or partnership Horan Holdings tried to embark on, wouldn't be mysteriously dissolved.

"I'm good," I repeated, foolishly like a parrot.

Silence- rather, the background voices of the casino- followed.

"Mum's coming tomorrow," I added, wetting my lips.

"That's great," he responded.

He was doing a shouting match with the people in the background I couldn't read the emotion in his voice.

Our conversation very much resembled something like conversations in Basic English Conversations textbook.

Jack: How are you doing?

Jill: I'm fine, thank you. And you?

Jack: I'm doing great, thanks!

A conversation between two people who'd just met. Who had nothing to say to each other.

"Honey, I... I saw the news. First boyfriend, right? Congratulations."

I glanced at Elliot, who was laughing, talking about something with everyone else at the table.

He had the talent of making the scene around him look like a stock photo, like a photoshoot. Picture perfect, curated, always surrounded by people who were smiling, chuckling to something he said.

"Thanks." I swallowed, my grip tightening on my phone. "Oh, I gotta go for class-"

"Yeah, of course. Love you, Clare."

"Love you too, dad."

Then, unable to bear the growing voices and laughter in the backdrop, I hung up, not waiting for him to, and walked over to my seat next to Elliot's.

"So how did you guys meet?" Noah asked, almost as soon as I'd taken my seat.

He grinned at me, opening his can of Coke. "Must've been a busy first day. Getting used to a new school and getting on the tabloids. Horan Holdings shares shot up within minutes of the tabloid release. Elli simply refused to talk about it until you came."