"Surprise," Dominique reluctantly greeted Kim when she finally arrived. An hour has already passed since Ty dropped her off at the VetMed dorm and she had been waiting for Kim since then. Thinking that Kim wouldn't go home anytime soon, she decided to go home instead. She was already on her way down the steps and out of the receiving area of the residence hall when Kim appeared.
"Surprise indeed," Kim responded albeit confused. "I did not receive a text message from you saying that you're coming. Have you been waiting so long?"
"I've been here for an hour. I'm about to leave thinking that you're going to be late in coming home. I didn't want to eat dinner alone so here I am trying to entice you to have dinner with me."
"Okay. Just let me go to my room and leave my things," referring to the heavy books the other girl is holding.
Dominique nodded and returned to her seat at the receiving area to wait for Kim.
The VetMed dorm is a co-ed dormitory and the evidence can be seen at the receiving area where the TV is. Several male students in their comfortable clothes are watching a basketball game on TV. Several of the guys there knew her by sight since she's been a constant visitor since her freshman year. Some of them nodded at her in greeting and she smiled in return.
Kim reappeared a few minutes later. They both agreed to eat at the Grove and started walking in companionable silence. After a while, Kim started the conversation by asking about her day.
Reminded of her eventful day, she sighed. "I came from the infirmary before going to your dorm. An acquaintance dragged me there, despite my insistence that I am okay, and I had my blood checked for dengue."
"Woah! Do you have fever? Did you nosebleed?"
"Don't be paranoid," she scolded her. "Didn't you hear it when I said that I am okay? It was just a misunderstanding."
"If that's the case, dragging you to the infirmary is a gross overreaction."
"Exactly," she agreed. At last, someone has stated the obvious. Being friends with Kim is a really good decision on her part. "And the bloodletting I had made me extremely hungry."
"By the way, who brought you to the infirmary?," Kim asked curiously.
"Oh, just someone I met recently. Nobody you know and nobody important," she replied cautiously, making sure not to have eye contact with the other girl. Or else, Kim would certainly know that she's keeping something. And that something is making her uneasy and feeling a bit guilty.
She and Kim have been friends for so long that they really don't keep secrets from each other. Or so she likes to think. But now, she's having doubts. She's keeping a huge secret from her closest friend. It would not be so much of a stretch if Kim is also keeping one. She dearly wishes that Kim really have some big, fat secret that she's not telling so that they would be even.
When she thought of this whole sex education thing with Ty, it did not occur to her how it would feel keeping it as a secret. It was not in the plan for anybody to know about it. She did not expect this clandestine affair to be difficult to maintain. It did not look like that on paper. Sheesh. It seems that she have bitten more than she can chew but unfortunately she can't spit it out now. She just has to bear it 'til the end.
There is so much to think about the whole thing that would make her go insane. Maybe Ty was right. She should stop minding things so much and just let go.
Que sera sera, Dominique. Que sera sera.
With that thought, she stopped thinking about Ty and his unpredictable personality, his relationship with Sylvia and what would it mean to their arrangement, and the whole arrangement itself. If Ty does not call or text her on Friday regarding the next lesson, it would actually relieve her. Too much have happened, too soon. She needs a breather.
