Up To Hourglass To Decide

Chapter 36

"can I draw you after we had meal? You can just pose like how you want" Cody said while took a bite on his chocolate bread.

"me?" I asked back while wiping my mouth after slurping on my spaghetti.

"you didn't forget right?" Cody asking me while wondering if I still remember that I promised him on let him draw me.

"no, of course I didn't" I replied him with my lips curved into a small smile.

"can I join too?" Vincenzo volunteered himself on becoming Cody's model on his paint.

"no" Cody shook his head, "you can't and don't ruin the mood later" Cody added a jokes after that.

"you can't find this look anywhere on the street" Vincenzo said while staring at him with his eyes getting rounder and bigger. "you will get to paid in the future if you want me to pose for your paint in 5 years from now, if you draw me now, probably in 10 years you will be rich" Vincenzo assured him that he's a good investment on his paint.

"why should I draw you? I'm sick enough by looking at your face" Cody scoffed and making me and Vincenzo laugh.

For a moment I feel somehow happy, happy enough to forget that I'm a mental illness fighter. Somehow I just wish that I live here, thinking about how will I deal with the media if I back to my real world, can I just make a wish that if I ever die here, please don't send me back to the real world that I lived, just let me die there too, so I will stop struggling on fighting there.

"what are you thinking at?" Vincenzo nudged my arm and it making me woke from my deep thoughts.

"nothing" I shook my head while giving him a smile.

"you're weird today?" Vincenzo look at me first and turn his gaze to Cody and then back to stare at me again.

"she's always this quiet and calm, you only know her for a short time, of course she will be still awkward for both of you" Cody take a sip on his morning tea while saying that.

"whatever, anyway let me stay here for a while" Vincenzo make up his own orders.
Cody sighed while putting down the cup, and sighed one more time, this time he shook his head.

"just go back to study will you, I know you're not a drop out college student, you're just taking a break" Cody said after hearing him want to live in Cody's house.

"can I still study? I don't think so" Vincenzo folded his hands and gazed on the table while saying that.

"do you enjoy when you're studying?" I asked Vincenzo out of curiosity, judging from his looks now. He's desperate on going back to college.

"of course, I am" Vincenzo forced himself on being strong even the truth is telling him that he can't open a book from now on because of his traumatic experience. It will disappear soon, but it takes too much time for that, he needs time.

"then how about you? From the way you talk, you must get a proper education" Vincenzo turned his gaze towards me and asked that.
"me? I did go to school" I said while blinking my eyes twice.

"then why did you end up in here?" Vincenzo asked me again with his hands grabbing some bread on the table.

"everyone accused me on doing the things that I never done before" I said while looking down, too afraid that they will be asked more, because I don't know how to say to them that I'm from future.

"so?" Vincenzo want know more, plus Cody's face is steady enough to hear my story more.
"they don't want me to go back there, since they said that I'm the cause of someone's death, but the truth is not, I didn't even know the girl, they just" I started to teared up as I remember that.

"they just making me look like the murderer there, to cover up for someone"

"that's kind of sad" Cody said and Vincenzo slapped his head.

"no that's not sad, you're tough, and strong" Vincenzo comforted me with his kind words.

"I have to be strong, strongest amongst half of the people out there" I said with myself forcing my lips to smile.

"you don't have to smile all the time, and you don't have to pretend that you're strong. Emotion are made to show, if you're sad then cry, if you're happy then laugh, if you're angry then let it out, don't hide it well" Vincenzo's giving me an advice, from his point of view.

"are you afraid to show up? Because the way they treated you?" Cody asked me while resting his head on his hands.

I nodded my head and looked down to the floor, I just opened myself in front of them whom I barely know, but I believe they won't make fun of me.

"why should you? You don't do anything wrong, why afraid to show up" Vincenzo moved his chair to sit closer to me, and continued "if you don't do anything wrong, then don't be afraid, other people will not believe on you for sure" he lifted my chin up and said, "but you need to believe in yourself, be brave" and he let go of my chin.

"you're not thinking about ended up your life, right?" Cody asked while moved his chair to sit closer to me just like Vincenzo.

I hesitated on answering his questions, but ended up saying without lying, "I have before"
"the day I saved you from the beach?" Cody asked me while lifting up his head that rested on his hands earlier.

I nodded my head slowly, but Vincenzo slapped my head slightly after looking at me answering with a nod.

"you're just as same as other people. Stupid" Vincenzo scoffed while rolling his eyes.

I glared at him and he stick out his tongue to make fun of me, but after hearing his words and stupid just suits me well, why should I worried and stressed about the things that I can't control about? I'm not the one who killed her, the girl from competition.

"how about you draw me now?" I smiled to lifted up the mood.

"great idea, let's move to the room then" Vincenzo said while ruled how to went inside Cody's study.

"wait for me, hey" Cody went to put the plates to the sink and will wash it anytime he wants to.