Falling For Storm
Chapter 11

Amara

The days have been a blur, and tomorrow is another Saturday. I was supposed to be resting or doing something else aside from studying, but our project was due on Monday, and really, I didn’t have enough time these past few days to get a head start. So now I needed to cram for two days in order to finish painting a certain landscape that was supposed to be meaningful or a dream destination. So far, this has been the only project that I am excited about. I really love to paint, and since I’ve been here, I’ve never had the time to do so. It was either solving math problems, researching stuff, or writing lots and lots of class reports. I was not complaining or anything; it was just that I prefer art to studying. I was good at both, but sometimes I was a bit lazy to do the latter.

I had thought about Googling something from Greece, Rome, or Japan since those were my top three dream destinations, but I was thinking that it wouldn’t have a personal touch, and I was all about personal touches. Besides, I needed to get out and have a change of scenery. I have been stuck in buildings and all sorts of rooms most of the time, so painting outdoors would be wonderful. I’ve thought about this long and hard—well, within an hour, actually—and the best choice would be where Storm took me on our first date. It was his special place; it was breathtaking, and it was very memorable because he shared it with me, and that was where I had my first kiss with the first guy I liked and the first guy I went out on a date with.

I didn’t exactly know how to get there or how to ask Storm if it was okay for me to immortalize his secret lake through a painting that was going to be graded, but I still had to ask for directions and permission. I didn’t want to impose or just go there without his knowledge because it meant something to him, so it was only proper to call and let him know. Also, I just really wanted to hear his voice again, though it was such a clingy and cheesy thing to do, because we literally hung up just about an hour or two ago.

Storm: Amara?

Me: Hey! What are you doing?

Storm: I’m on my way home from the bar, and you?

Me: I’m just sitting around...

Storm: What’s wrong?

Me: Nothing’s wrong.

I giggled at his assumption that there was something wrong, and that was the only reason why I called again.

Storm: Okay, good, so what’s up?

Me: I called again because I forgot to ask you something; it’s about our project.

Storm: Uh-huh...

Me: We need to paint a certain landscape, and it’s supposed to mean something or somewhere we really want to go. I can’t fly to another country during the weekend, and I don’t want to look for something on Google, so I was wondering if maybe tomorrow I can go to where you took me on our first date?

I waited for his response, hoping that he wouldn’t mind. I mean, what if he said no? If that becomes the case, then I have to replace somewhere else to go really quickly!

Storm: Okay, so what time are you supposed to go there?

Me: Morning around eight-ish? I don’t know how to get there, so if it’s okay with you, can you send me the directions? But if it’s not okay, then I’ll just look for another place.

Storm: Alright, I can do something better. Why don’t I pick you up at seven so we can have breakfast together, and then I’ll drive you there myself?

Me: You don’t have to do that! It’s not that I don’t appreciate or want it, but you really don’t have to.

Storm: Why not? Are you saying you don’t want me to be there?

Me: No! That’s not it. It’s just that I know you have a lot of things to do. After all, you’re running a business. Besides, you might want to do something more exciting than watch me wipe and dab brushes on a canvas.

He chuckled at that, which made me chuckle too.

Storm: We haven’t seen each other in days, and I’m also free, so.

Me: Are you sure? It’s probably going to take the whole day.

Storm: All the better! I want to spend the entire day with you, even if it means that I have to watch all the wiping and dabbing of brushes.

Me: Okay! If you’re really, really sure, that’ll be awesome.

Storm: I’m really, really sure. So listen, I’ll see you tomorrow, but right now I have to go, okay? Good night, Amara!

Me: Okay. See you tomorrow, and goodnight!

I kept wondering what was up with Storm these past few days after hanging up. We’d text or call each other almost every night, but at those times, he always seemed to be in a hurry and sometimes a bit distracted too. I wonder if his business and other obligations had anything to do with it. I also noticed that Dakota gets in late and leaves early, which was weird because she is the kind of girl who needs a minimum of 8 hours of sleep; otherwise, she gets angsty. Like next-level angsty. I’ve seen it four times already, and let me tell you, she was scarier than any other woman in her PMS, so if you’re smart, you need to steer clear of her way.

By nine in the evening, I was dressed for bed and already lying down. I was surprised when the door to our room opened and Dakota stepped in.

“What the hell? You scared me! What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be home?” I asked.

She dragged herself to her bed and flopped on her stomach.

“Tomorrow, I need to sleep,” was the answer she managed to give.

She looked so tired and beaten that I felt sorry for her.

“Do you want me to get you something?”

She shook her head in response and mumbled something I couldn’t understand before instantly falling asleep. My poor friend-slash-roommate must really be so exhausted that she didn’t even bother changing clothes or removing her shoes, so I stood up to do just that before pulling the covers up to her chin. Whatever she and her brother were up to, I just hope that it was nothing serious. They were distracted and obviously didn’t get enough sleep. It was as if they’d been working overtime or on something huge. Seeing how exhausted they sometimes got, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. I really wanted to know what was going on so that I could somehow offer some help. But every time I asked, both would just tell me that it was nothing. But I could sense that it wasn’t just nothing. I truly wanted to know, so I had made up my mind to keep asking until they caved. Hopefully, when I ask again tomorrow, Storm can tell me what was really going on.