That morning, Silvia woke up with mixed feelings. The events of the previous night still lingered in her mind, particularly her father's anger. He had been absolutely certain that she was the cause of all the problems. The accusation that she had poisoned Waksi still hung in the air, and she felt trapped in a lie she couldn't fix.
She was also starving. All night, her father had locked her in her room without food or drink, and she had barely slept due to her rumbling stomach. Thankfully, it was Saturday, and there were no classes. She planned to spend the entire day in her room.
But when she opened the front door, something caught her off guard. Waksi, who had been unconscious the night before, was suddenly standing by her fence with his bright yellow car parked on the side of the road. She blinked a few times, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"Silvia, don't tell me you just woke up?" Waksi said, his hands in his pockets.
"Waksi? How can you be here? I thought you were sick," Silvia said calmly, hiding her nervousness behind the door.
"I was. And guess who caused it?" Waksi replied.
"Please, you have to believe me," Silvia pleaded. "I had no idea you were allergic to peanuts. Even if I had known, I would never have given you that drink. It was Jessey's gift. She set me up! She wanted to poison you because she was jealous of us dating."
Waksi's eyes softened slightly. "I know."
"You do?" Silvia asked, surprised.
"I was suspicious from the start when you offered me that drink, especially after everything that happened. You obviously don't like me, and I don't like you. Plus, I saw Jessey give you that drink yesterday."
"Really? Then why did you still drink it?" Silvia asked.
"Because I was thirsty. I had been pulling grass all day in front of the campus gate. I didn't expect there to be peanuts in it."
"I see. Gladly your father came to pick you up later."
Waksi raised an eyebrow. "Do you know who contacted my father yesterday?"
Silvia shook her head.
"It was Jessey," he said. "That's why I'm sure she's the one who caused me to get poisoned."
"That girl! She literally tried to make me look bad in front of your father. Well, at least you're better now. But why did you come here? We have no class today. And honestly, I don't think I want to go to college with you anymore, not after what happened." Silvia exclaimed.
"I don't want to see you either. But my father insisted I go on a date with you today. He said, 'only right for a couple to go on a date on the weekend.' So here I am, seeing you still in your pajamas at eight a.m." Said Waksi.
"I don't know about that. How do I know you won't leave me in the middle of the road again like yesterday?" Asked Silvia with fear.
"Don't worry, you can trust me this time." Waksi pulled out a pendant from around his neck. It was a bright yellow necklace with a blue gemstone in the center.
"What's that?" Silvia asked.
"It's a necklace from my father. There's a small camera inside the gemstone. He installed it to keep an eye on me, so I do my duty as your boyfriend properly. When he found out I dropped you off in the middle of the road yesterday, he was furious with me. That's why he forgave you, even though you tried to poison me."
"I didn't try to poison you," Silvia muttered softly to herself.
"Anyway, are you going to stand there in your pajamas with frizzy hair all day?" Waksi asked, slightly amused.
Silvia sighed heavily. "Fine. Give me a second."
Thirty minutes later, they were in the car. Silvia hoped she had dressed decently enough, considering how rushed she had been. Her stomach still rumbled, reminding her of how hungry she was. She hadn't had breakfast yet.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To the amusement park," Waksi answered, avoiding eye contact.
An amusement park? Silvia couldn't believe it. After everything that had happened, after she became the main suspect, Waksi was asking her out? She never would have expected this from him.
Waksi barely acknowledged her as his girlfriend, but now they were on a date. Silvia couldn't shake the feeling that he was just going through the motions because his father had told him to. She hoped he wouldn't leave her hanging alone on Ferris Wheels or something, like he had done the day before.
When they arrived, Waksi said, "Let's just get it over with," and grabbed her hand. His grip was loose, and he led her toward the Ferris wheel, but there was a cold distance between them. It felt as though she wasn't really with him, just someone he had to be with because of an obligation.
They sat on a bench near the Ferris wheel, and Silvia's stomach growled loudly. She hadn't eaten since the night before, when her father had locked her in her room. She glanced at Waksi, half-expecting him to notice, but he was staring at the ground, lost in his thoughts. She felt like an inconvenience.
"Silvia," Waksi said finally, his voice still cold but with a hint of amusement. "Are you hungry? Your stomach's been talking since we arrived."
Silvia's cheeks burned. "I'm fine," she said quickly, trying to cover up her embarrassment. "I didn't eat last night."
Waksi shrugged. "Yeah, I noticed. I saw you eyeing that hot dog stand since we rode this wheel."
"Really? Sorry, I didn't mean to."
Waksi sighed heavily and pulled her hand toward the hot dog stand. The smell of sizzling sausages hit her like a wave, and her stomach growled again. Waksi noticed but didn't offer to get her anything. He simply smirked.
"If you're that hungry, just take it. No one's stopping you." He said indifferently.
Silvia felt humiliated but also relieved. Maybe he didn't care enough to stop her. "Okay. Maybe just one. A small one."
Waksi handed her three large hot dogs without saying a word. Silvia was confused. She had only wanted a small one, but he gave her three, making her feel even more humiliated. As if that wasn't enough, Waksi took her to a chip stand and bought five packets of chips. Silvia struggled to carry everything, but Waksi bought two large bottles of grape juice. He was going to give it to Silvia, but considering how full she was, Waksi decided to carry it himself.
They sat back down on the bench, and Silvia couldn't carry all the food any longer. The silence between them felt suffocating. Waksi hadn't said a word since they sat down. It was as if he wasn't really there.
"How long are you going to keep your stomach rumbling like that, Silvia?" Waksi said after a long silence, his voice soft but distant. "Just eat. Your stomach's starting to irritate me."
"Sorry," Silvia said quietly. "I haven't eaten anything since last night. My father locked me in my room all night without food or drink. I'm really starving now."
Silvia chewed a single chip but felt the sting of his words. He wasn't concerned; he was just acknowledging something he couldn't ignore.
Waksi giggled and smiled judgmentally. "What's so funny?" Silvia asked, narrowing her eyes. "Are you enjoying my misery?"
"A little bit," he said with a smirk. "You're starving, but you act like you don't need all that food. That's what makes me laugh."
"I just don't want to be seen as greedy," Silvia pouted.
"Greedy or not, I don't care. Just shut your stomach up whatever it takes."
Silvia nodded, but she couldn't help feeling like there was a wall between them—something Waksi wasn't willing to let go of. "Yeah, I get it."
As she took a bite of the hot dog, the silence between them stretched on. Waksi wasn't there because he cared about her. He was there because his father had made him.
Then, the sound of high heels tapping against the pavement broke the silence. Silvia's eyes widened when she saw who it was. I was Jessey.