The cafeteria looked as crowded as usual during lunchtime today. I scanned the room, looking for Will. After class ended, I hurried to the cafeteria alone because Leona had to chase down her professor for guidance on her project. She had to skip lunch, or she would be late finishing her project again, just like her previous one.
After making sure Will wasn't in the cafeteria yet, I sat down at the nearest empty table. I took a bite of the cafeteria food, whose taste I knew by heart and which was always delicious, when suddenly someone sat down beside me.
“Can I try some too?” Will asked, leaning toward my food.
“Why did you take so long?” I complained, feeding him a spoonful of my food.
“You know Professor Liam always gets so enthusiastic while teaching that he doesn't realize class is already over. This is good. I'll go buy some food first.” He said this as he walked away, leaving me alone.
I checked my phone and saw a message from Dad.
Make sure you come home before dark. We'll have dinner together, love.
That short message made me choke up. The food that had tasted so appetizing suddenly became bland, and I stopped eating. The last time we'd had dinner together was the day Dad introduced me to Gabriella, Will's mother.
That dinner had truly been an unforgettable surprise. That's when I saw Will sitting with my father, and Dad introduced him to me as my older stepbrother.
All I could do was stare at him blankly, hiding my shock by pretending to smile and be happy about the news that we'd soon become family. Will seemed to be doing the same. It looked like the news was new to him too. Every now and then, he glanced at his mother in shock. Perhaps my father and his mother had thought it was happy news that should be kept secret until everyone had gathered before being announced.
They had no idea that Will's heart and mine had been cut open, shattered, and ruined when we heard the news. Neither of us could say what was really going on because that same night, they told us the wedding would be held in a week.
I closed my eyes until Will, carrying food and a bottle of mineral water, sat down across from me.
“What's wrong? Are you feeling dizzy?” he asked, placing a hand on my forehead.
“I am okay, Will,” I said, brushing his hand away.
He looked startled by my response and stared at me seriously as he asked again.
“Tell me, Che. What's wrong?”
Before I could answer Will, a flirtatious voice called out to him from a distance.
“Hi, Will,” she said cheerfully. “How are you?” Sasya asked as she sat down beside Will. Her two friends, Cindy and Lucia, merely giggled as they stood beside Sasya, glancing at me with disgust. Every now and then, I heard the two of them snicker.
“Hi, Sya. I'm fine. Thanks,” Will said briefly, moving away from Sasya.
Ignoring Will, Sasya looked at me and said,
“Congratulations, Will. I never expected the two of you to become family. The three of us used to be as close as siblings, and now the two of you are actually becoming family.” Her tone was mocking.
“I hope you two become siblings who get along. And Will, don't forget that if you need a date, I'm still available. Okay?” she said, gently stroking Will's cheek.
“We're still friends, right?” Sasya said as she stood up and walked away, leaving Will and me alone.