Chapter 54: A place to spend the night

"So this is what it looks like, finally," Alyssa cooed as they made their way into Charles's apartment, releasing a long breath..
After the little ranting Jessie did, Luciana noticed Jessie's discomfort and decided that they should leave the place. Luciana also had gotten tired of the place and was beginning to feel a lot of uneasiness. Her head pains, the nauseous feeling, the same set of weaknesses, all of it came running back at her. She had some tablets with her, but she felt so restricted at the bar, so she requested they head home.
The guys excluding Charles insisted that they spent some more time together, so after making so much deliberation, they finally agreed they were going to pass the night together. Now the next problem they had to handle was the issue of the house they were going to pass the night at.
Raymond lived in an area where the littlest noise by any house got reported. And the end, if any house was reported, they get to pay a large fine, and they are served a warning notice. And by noise, it was not necessary chatters from conversations but anything that the next neighbor found discomforting. They could not predict if they were going to generate so much noise that could be reported, but still, no one knew how everything was going to turn out, besides it was night, and noise could spread so far at night.
Carl's house was not a close one to where they were, so he went off the list. The girl's house was not a good idea also, as all three of them stayed at their Parent's place and weren't like Hazel, and some of the other big girls at school with their houses and cars away from their Parents own.
They were left with just one option, Charles. Charles's place was a perfect one as it was close by and well spaced also. Even though it was a one-bedroom apartment, it provided enough luxury to house all of them making it a better option.
They left the bar immediately after Charles's card was returned, and Jessie gaze continuously was on the waiter, acting so close to Charles and playing with him so noisily. Each of the guys drove their partners as they made their way out from the bar to Charles's place.
"Ohh..., yeah," Carl stated, "I'm sure Jessie must have seen a lot of it, am I right, Jessie?" Carl turned to her, raising his brow in inquiry as a wide smile appeared on his face. Jessie only rolled her eyes and fixed her gaze on her phone.
"You must be crazy," Charles jabbed at him with a throw pillow he picked from the couch.
"What?" Carl queried jokingly, "I heard you find it hard to stay away from her that you just look for excuses to pass the night with her."
Charles shook his head in disappointment at Carl and muttered, "I thought I could handle it, but your case is severe," at Carl who only chuckled loudly in response.
The night was calm, with the soft chirping from birds cooing out melodious notes, adding to the tempo that had been set in already. Alyssa had made a call to her mom to ask for permission about coming back late, which she was granted as she lied that she was staying at the family home of the Ranez. While Jessie and Luciana did not have to call as they were aware Mrs. Ranez was on night duties and was not going to notice their absence.
"I'm so tired, can I get water please?" Luciana requested, staring at Charles yearningly.
"Kitchen, "Charles replied bluntly, trying to connect his phone to the sound system that was at his place.
"Let me show you," Jessie said as she stood up to her feet, with Luciana following also.
"You know the place quite well, is this where you have been spending most of your nights?" Alyssa joked, trying to get at Jessie.
"Alyssa," Jessie and Luciana yelled almost at the same time, then shook their heads and left. Alyssa fell back to the couch, laughing hysterically as she thought of how much trouble she had caused that day. It was a long time since she had experienced that kind of drama as she did not have that kind of close friends before that time.
The relationship between them felt almost natural, and as if they were related from birth. Realistically, it did not happen that way, as they did not have any special connections before Chelan college. Chelan was like the meeting point for every one of them, asides from Jessie and Luciana. Before the freshman party, the only relationship that existed quite well was the one between the guys as they weren't freshmen and the ones that existed individually between the guys and the girls.
To Jessie, the freshman party only made things get better as it strengthened the already blooming relationship between her and Charles.
"Here it is, Luci...," Jessie voiced out, passing a glass of water to Luciana.
"Thank you," Luciana said as she gulped down the contents.
"Are you sure you are fine?" Jessie questioned with her brows wrinkled, staring straight at Luciana, "any feelings of discomfort?" She added.
"Well, how do you know? You are right. I feel so tired and uncomfortable. This whole thing angers me. I want to scream and pour out my frustrations. Imagine, I can't even comfortably spend a night out with my friends. Is this not so much?" Luciana jabbered out in frustration, about to raise her voice till Jessie held her back.
"Don't dear, " she said, trying to calm Alyssa down, "everything will be fine. I know," Jessie consoled.
Luciana had gone through long rounds of her counselor telling her it was going to be fine, up until a point that she did not argue about it again. Even as she felt Jessie was raising her hopes unnecessarily, she didn't dispute it and for once decided to concur, "I hope so," Luciana managed to say.
"Well, for now, you should just take your drugs," Jessie advised, and Luciana smiled and reached out for the tablets she had tucked into her jacket pockets as she made her way to the kitchen.
She finished taking the tablets and then smiled as she stared at Jessie, "what if anything happens to me?"
"Stop it, Luci," Jessie said pleadingly, "nothing is going to happen to you." Jessie did not understand how Luciana leisurely talked about the possibility of anything that could happen to her. It had not occurred to her, that a day may feel that way soon, and just thinking about it was terrible.
"No, she was going to keep on believing," she mumbled to herself, then she raised her head to see Luciana who just stared at her expressionlessly.
"Most of the time, I want to believe you are right, but I found it hard to," Luciana started, then giggled lightly with her facial expression screaming sadness, "Miss. Selene told me she was going to call Mom and inform her."
"Then what did you tell her, did you allow her to?" Jessie inquired with utmost concern on her face.
"No, what will it help?" Luciana blurted out.
"She deserves to know, Luci, She does," Jessie tried convincing her, "besides, she is quite knowledgeable in the health field, she may be of great help, who knows?" Jessie shrugged.
"Well, she failed to notice," Luciana stated unwaveringly.
"You should not say that, you know it's work that is keeping her away," Jessie countered, taking soft and slow steps to where Luciana was.
"Work! Jessie, how often do you see mom in a week, just tell me, or did work stop her from checking on her husband. How did she not notice that he is cheating on her?"Luciana yelled out and burst into sobs. Thank goodness for the music that was increased to a high level in the sitting room as her noise may have probably pierced into the ears of people.
Jessie who was so close to Luciana, and about to hold her into a warm hug got startled at Luciana's outburst and her face fell on hearing the last words from Luciana.
Even though Mr. Ranez was not her biological father, she could still feel the pain that Luciana was feeling. With what she had experienced living with the Gibsons before she was sent away, it was hard handling issues that could stir up divorce in the family. She knew how she always felt bad whenever her parents, the Gibsons were involved in an argument and it was not a good feeling.
"How did you find out about this, Luci?" Jessie stuttered.
"That's not the issue now. What I'm saying is that there is no point in informing her. Maybe if the sickness decides to take me away, and they separate, it will be good for their lives. They will be able to start their new lives on clean ground and not have to think about me. Don't you think so, Luci?" Luciana inquired, talking like she was making so much sense to herself.
"Stop it," Jessie yelled out, "enough with these your thoughts," Jessie cautioned. Luciana tried to talk again, and Jessie raised her lips to Luciana's mouth, not paying attention to whatever she wanted to say.
"Nothing is going to happen to you, everything is going to be resolved as I told you, I believe so," Jessie encouraged and Luciana only kept an expressionless face.
"Mmhmm...," Luciana hummed and was interrupted by Alyssa just as she was about to say something.
"You guys took long, I got scared worrying about you," Alyssa stated, smiling at them. She took a quick look at the girl's face and the expression she saw was not encouraging. She noticed how they quickly tried to wear a happy smile which was not encouraging at all.
"What is it?" Alyssa asked no one in particular, expecting a reply from any of them, "is anything the problem?" She repeated, as her face randomly searched for answers from the girl's faces.
"Ermm..., " Jessie stammered, then giggled lightly, "it's nothing, Luciana is just scared that we have to be passing the night here. You know, the guys, and she worries a lot," Jessie continued, trying to explain her point which still did not sound convincing enough to her.
After taking a few minutes of processing everything in her head, Alyssa gave a faint smile, then said, "I really don't know what the problem is, even as I know there is one. It's fine if you don't want to tell me, and the last thing I will do is try to force you. But a piece of gentle advice, you have to leave at this moment and be happy, we have no idea what tomorrow holds. It may turn out good, and then we begin to wonder why we allowed the fear to eat into us. Just be happy, dear," Alyssa said as she made her way to Luciana and wiped off the stray tears that had fallen.
From her observation, it was certain that Luciana was the one in pain, so she was just going to let her take her time and not rush it.
"Thank you," Luciana muttered as Alyssa wiped her tears.
"It's fine dear," Alyssa comforted, "now let us go and party, then live in the moment," Alyssa said and they all cheered, with Luciana taking light chuckles.