aturday, 25th of January

12:26 PM.

I sigh and let my head fall back on the pillow. I have been dreading this day since a week and now that it's here, I feel nothing. I feel blank. I'm supposed to go visit her grave today with mum, but she told me that I can go alone if I want to have some alone time with Ana.

I want to stay in bed all day, but I know that I'll have to get up sooner or later. Definitely later. I gaze at the dark red ceiling with the glow in the dark sun sticker on it and just...well, stare.

To get up or not to get up.

To get up then.

I push myself up and swing my legs off of the bed with the blanket draped around my shoulders, then I drag myself to the bathroom, not even bothering to do my bed; I will get back in it later. After I'm done with my morning routine, minus the shower; I didn't really feel like it, I head downstairs and walk to the kitchen, the only sound that could be heard is the sound of my flip-flops that are hitting against the ceramic floor.

Nobody is home. Mum is at work since it helps her with taking her mind off of the whole Ana thing. Josh spends the morning with his college friends, while Cole spends it with his girlfriend. Cameron is with his best friend and Liam is with Sade. Lastly, dad drowns himself in work more and doesn't even bother to come home. The last time I saw him was in two days, then he pretty much never came home after that. Mum called him and he said that he'll come home tomorrow.

I trudge around the kitchen, getting ingredients and utensils. After a lot of mixing, pouring and focusing, I'm finally done with my bowl of cereal and milk. I could turn this into a proper breakfast Filipino cuisine style, but I don't really feel like doing so. I walk to the couch and place the bowl on the coffee table, then I plop down on the couch.

I search for something to watch on TV until I find a How I Met Your Mother re-run and it's the first season too, which means I'll be binge watching the show for the next seven hours or so, not that I mind. I grab my bowl and start stuffing my face with Lucky Charms and milk.

One hour later.

"No, Ted! You belong with Tracy, not with Robin for God's sake!" I shout at the television screen.

Half an hour later.

"That's a plot twist," I mutter, watching the characters upside down and feeling the blood already rushing in my head.

"Okay, ow ow ow." I flip myself quickly before I faint and lay down on the couch.

Another half an hour later.

"This is starting to get boring," I sigh.

Almost as if an angel heard me complaining, the doorbell rings and I rush to open with the door with the blanket on my shoulders. I open the wooden door and the slightly chilly weather of January hits me in the face.

"We're here!" Sophie throws her hands in the air and Riley smiles widely, doing jazz hands while Colette stands there with her arms crossed and shoots me a smile and a wave.

"What are you guys doing here?" I frown.

Sophie pushes past me and walks inside and so does the other two, as Sophie speaks up, "we're here to cheer you up!"

"Cheer me up?" I close the door and turn towards them.

"Exactly. We're going to do everything to get your mind off of anything and we're going to have so much fun!" Riley says, grabbing the remote and turning the TV off.

"I was watching that," I mumble.

"There's no television today. We're going out." Sophie grins. "Go get dressed and hurry up; the guys are waiting."

"The guys?" I sputter out.

"Yup," Riley answers, throwing herself on the couch.

"Zach, Alex and Luke are coming with us," Colette explains, adjusting herself on the arm of the leather couch.

"Um...why?"

"Why not?" Riley points out with a grin on her face.

"Because I asked why...?" I furrow my eyebrows in confusion.

"We decided to invite them along, so we could all hang out with each other. Also, Alex was the one who came up with that idea because he noticed how you've been feeling down lately and we agreed on taking you out," Sophie tells me.

He's such a nice guy. I wonder why did I ever stop having a crush on him.

Right. I might have a crush on his idiot of a friend.

"Okay then," I reply.

"Go get dressed. Zach will be here in ten minutes," Colette says, looking down at her phone.

"You took his phone number?" I ask.

"No, I took his social security number. What do you think, bright spark?"

"That you took his phone number?" I say in a 'duh' tone.

"Just go," Lottie sighs.

| | | |

"So, um...where are we going again?" I ask, clearing my throat in the middle and cringing about how awkward I sounded.

Zach turns to face me from the middle seat of Alex's Jeep and grins. "We are going to the mall."

"You're meaning to tell me that you got me out of my house for a mall trip?"

Sophie turns her head from the passenger's seat. "It's going to be fun, Lyn. We can go shopping and we can...do other stuff that I can't remember right now."

"Yeah and besides, it's better than staying at home and doing nothing," Riley says from the right side of the middle seat.

"I was watching How I Met Your Mother, that is not nothing. Tracy and Ted's relationship is important," I respond, feeling offended for the show characters.

"Tracy and Ted are going to get married in the end, Anna," Colette rolls her eyes.

"Don't spoil it!" I quickly cover my ears.

"It's called 'how I met your mother', clodpole, it's already spoiled," she retorts.

"Still, don't spoil it."

"We're just going to hang out at the mall for awhile then we can go somewhere else if you want," Alex suggests, looking at me through the rear view mirror.

"I guess that is alright," I mumble and turn my head to the side, staring out of the window.

I turn my head to the left and notice Luke holding his phone while tapping at it. I scoot closer to him and poke his side. "Hi, idiot."

He looks up from his phone and grins at me. "Hey, Cherries."

"Who are you texting?" I ask.

"Jennie. She was just wondering if we could hang out later," he replies.

"You guys are hanging out now too?"

"Not really. It's the first time actually," he says.

"Oh," I smile.

I really want to ask him when and if they are going to hang out again, but I decide on keeping my mouth shut and not sounding too desperate.

"It's only tomorrow though, in case you were wondering," Luke tells me.

"Why would you think so?" I ask, chuckling nervously.

"You do the whole pursed lip thing when you're curious," he gestures to my mouth with his finger.

"I do?" I touch my lips with the tip of my fingers and Luke nods in response.

"I wasn't really wondering. I was a bit curious, but not really that curious and I don't mind; I mean-it's your life and it's normal, I guess," I blabber out.

"Uh-huh," Luke moves his head up and down slowly in a nod while smirking at me.

"What?" I huff in annoyance.

"Nothing," he answers. "Do you still like Alex?"

"I'm sorry?" I ask in shock. The guy is sitting right in the front. He could of heard us, but luckily he is too busy focusing on the road and the sound of the air hitting against the car is blocking anything in earshot.

"Do you still like Alex?" He repeats, only slowly this time as if he's talking to a kid.

"I heard you the first time, idiot. I was just a bit shocked by the question," I mumble the second sentence. "Well I guess I don't like him like I used to do in the beginning. Sure, I like him as a friend and he really is a very good friend, but the 'more than friends' feelings kinda disappeared."

"Is that because of someone else?" He questions.

Yeah, kinda sorta maybe you.

"No, not really," I lie, shaking my head.

"Okay."

That's it?

"Why are you asking?" I become curious of the sudden question.

"I just wanted to know, that's all," he shrugs.

"Alright," I respond.

He just wanted to know. Don't get excited over nothing, Anna...

Why did I even get excited?

Ugh. I don't like Luke. I don't like Luke. I. Don't. Like. Luke. Easy.

Not.

"You okay?" Luke asks with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just with the whole Anastasia thing and today being her memorial day, I thought you would be upset," he says, leaning his head back on the seat and tilting his head to look at me.

My fingers go the bracelet on my wrist and I fumble with it. "I guess it's upsetting and I kind of feel like crap, but maybe this mall trip could make me feel better before I go visit her."

"Are you going alone?" I nod in response.

"You want me to give you a ride later maybe?" He offers.

"I don't know, Luke. I don't want you to waste your time on me or anything and I have to go to the florist's shop before heading there," I hesitate.

"It's fine. You're not wasting my time; I don't mind giving you a ride and we can stop at the florist's shop first," he says.

"If it's alright with you, I guess it's okay," I tell him, giving him a small smile.

"We're here, bitches," Sophie announces, putting her sunglasses on.

"Sophie, why are you wearing your sunglasses? You do realize it's five degrees outside and the possibility of getting any sun is zero percent, right?" Colette asks her.

"Let me be dramatic in my own way," Sophie holds her hand up. "Not everybody is a professional Shakespeare."

"I'm sorry; I have a feeling that I'm being personally attacked but I'm not fully sure, so am I being personally attacked or not?" Colette arches one of her amber eyebrows up.

"She's calling you a drama queen, Colette. Don't take it personal," Riley says.

"Will you please just get out of the car?" I tell them.

"You're kicking me out?" Sophie raises her sunglasses up and stares at me as if I had just told her that it rains diamonds on Saturn.

"Okay, calm down, guys," Alex says.

"We are calm," Riley looks at him weirdly.

"That happens all the time," Sophie explains.

"O-kay," Zach comments looking at us as if we're not mentally okay, then he gets out of the car.

The rest of us pile out of the car too and we head to the entrance of the mall.

"So," Alex turns to us and clasps his hands together. "What are we going to do first?"

"We can go around and make use of free food samples, so we won't have to buy lunch," Zach says, grinning and Colette literally facepalms.

"Next suggestion," Alex looks at the rest of us.

"There is an ice skating rink here. Maybe we could go there?" Riley gives a suggestion and my blood runs cold.

I can't skate. I can't even last two seconds on ice before falling on my butt. There will be a huge chance that it will result to a numb, frozen rear end and a tailbone replacement surgery, maybe with a few bruises as a cherry on the top.

"That sounds like a great idea," Alex nods in approval. "What do you think, guys?"

"Yeah, I'm out," Luke, Sophie and I say.

"That actually is a great idea," Colette shrugs.

"I just need a few things first, like a pair of knee pads, a helmet, a protective bodysuit, a pillow for my ass," Zach lists. "And I should be good," he grins.

| | | |

"At least a pillow for my ass?" Zach asks, clutching on the railing of the rink.

"I don't think that comes with the package," Sophie says, clutching on the railing as well.

"Why the hell did I agree on this?" Luke mumbles from beside me.

"Come on, guys. You're not going to stay pressed up against the railing for the next forty five minutes," Riley says, standing in front of us with her hands on her hips.

Show off.

"Actually, I think that's what I'm going to do," I tell her. My legs start to slide down and I quickly grasp the metal railing to pull myself against it.

"You'll be fine," Colette says. "Just move your feet to the right, then to the left. Right then left."

Riley grabs my hands and Colette grabs Sophie's then Riley starts guiding me around the rink.

"Right and left," Riley says.

"If I break something, it will be your fault," I tell her.

"Alex, get the fuck away from me or I'll end up with a busted hip," Zach warns Alex. At least someone gets me here.

"How about you actually try moving first, you dumbass?" Alex crosses his arms.

"Come on, clodpole," Colette grabs Zach's hands pulling him off of the railing and drags him behind her.

Sophie clasps her hand on my arm and I hold her arm to keep myself balanced. "I'm so going to break a leg," Sophie states.

"Me too," I agree with her. Sophie holds her palm up for a high five and I slap it with mine, but we both wobble and we squeal, clutching on each other for dear life.

"Are you going to keep hugging each other in the middle of the rink or are you going to move your butts?" Riley asks, gliding in front of us.

Sophie and I move our feet a bit with our hands connected together. We slowly start to skate, however the universe seems to be having a disliking towards me right now and we both slide down on the frozen ground.

I groan at the aching feeling in my back and Sophie swears from beside me.

"Flipping ow," I rub the back of my head.

Riley's face appears in my vision. "I said move your butts, not bruise your butts."

"Oh I'm sorry, Riley. I didn't hear you the first time and I totally meant to fall down to get a frozen ass," Sophie says sarcastically.

The rest appear too. "You guys okay?" Alex asks in concern.

"No," I grimace.

"Yes, we're totally peachy," Sophie gives out a wide, faux smile.

Luke reaches out and holds my hands, pulling me up, while Riley helps Sophie up. I keep one hand on Luke's arm and brush the snow off of my back with my other hand.

"I'm not getting out of this without a bruise, am I?" I ask Luke, sighing.

"The only thing that's holding me up right now is you," he admits.

"Wow, I don't feel used at all," I smile sardonically.

Luke chuckles. "Shall we do this?" He holds out his other hand.

I place my hand in his and smile. "We shall."

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