15 Being Nerie (1)

Trying to avoid another trouble, Thea (Nerie) tried her best to be in a deep sleep before Tim found her way to her bed and took off before Tim woke up.

She came out when the sun's barely shinning. It's five in the morning, and the sky is gloomy with few drizzle. It didn't bother her. What's in her mind is that she's wearing the same outfit as she had yesterday, without any idea what will come next. All she had is a few thousand in Nerie's pocket that she can slowly spend on food and new clothes. Maybe she could find a job, should she go to school or not? Should she stay as a stowaway Nerie or go home to Nerie's family?

Thea being Nerie, is confused and still thinking hard, focusing on her possible plans while traipsing along the sidewalk. Soon after, the clouds getting heavier, and it started to downpour. She's about to run her way to the nearby waiting shed, exactly when some foolhardy driver of the Yellow Chevrolet Camaro dashes his way over the puddle and splashes the muddy liquid all around Thea(Nerie).

She winced and followed the car with her glare. It stopped a few meters away before she had recognized it. "Oh, crap! it is York."

He came out of the car running towards her with his umbrella. "Nerie, where are you going?"

"Uhm, I was just about to ... Uhm." She stutter, not knowing what actually to say.

With his pitiful look. "You're drenched; why don't you get inside the car first."

York looks at Thea(Nerie) before he started the engine. "Shall I send you back to the boarding house?"

"It's no use. I don't have clothes in there, and it will annoy Tim if she'll finds me with you."

"Okay? But it seems that you're not prepared to go back to your home yet." With little brainwork, York's eyes glisten after some light bulb moment. "Okay, I'll bring you to my pad, but before that, let's drop by the department store first so that I can grab you some changing clothes."

The smell of York's perfume welcomes Thea(Nerie) as she enters York's bachelor pad. It is a scent of a seductive fusion of aromatic green and citrus blended with enticing basil and cardamom, fixed with cedarwood, patchouli, and musk. Perfecting the sensual masculine warmth of the entire room. The familiar scent that she had been used to recognize even her dream.

"So here's my place; help yourself around. Over the left hallway, there's a room on the right you can use to change your clothes and use the washroom inside the room. It's the left door beside the wardrobe. I'll be just in the kitchen, and I'll prepare some food since you look hungry." He pointed the direction with his finger before he heads to the kitchen.

She sauntered to where York pointed. Finding two hallways, she stops and mutters. "Right hallway, no left hallway then-- no, no, it's the right hallway, then the left room. Ugh, I forgot, it's right room-- no, no, no.. ugh.. whatever.." To stop confusing herself more, she went straight to the nearest room she found.

The room is spacious and bright with plain blue and white curtain in his vast glass window. The scent of York is still present and even more noticeable in this room. "Did he sprayed his perfume in every room?" She mutters with a smile.

She opens the first door she saw and found out that it was a wardrobe. She proceeds to the second door and gets in, after discerning that it's the washroom. She undresses and turns on the shower without trying to lock the door or pulling close the curtain.

York takes off his apron after he's done preparing the sandwich. She is supposed to make a drink, but he thinks he needs to ask Nerie first. He covered the food and went to his room when he felt his urinary bladder is about to burst, and he needs to pee.

Straight to his room, then to his comfort room. He got startled by air splitting shrill before she takes notice of Nerie's naked body in front of him. Her hands attempting to cover her brimming blossom and her private part partly.

Feeling bashful himself, he walks out abruptly and murmurs, "Sorry, why are you here in my room? You're supposed to use the other room."

Thea(Nerie) walked out of the washroom with her eyes on the floor. " I got confused with your direction, I'm sorry, I supposed to know that this is your, I- I just got confused on the direction."

"Maybe, it's my fault; I didn't make it clear. By the way, I prepared a sandwich, it's on the table, help yourself and oh! I didn't make a drink, and I don't know what you want. If it's okay, can you do it yourself?"

"Yes, of course, you've done so much, thank you."

York's gaze followed her going out of his room, with slight wrinkles in his head.

On his way to join Nerie at the table, York stops dead in his tracks upon seeing the drink mix at his table. The cocoa powder, coffee, milk, and ginger powder. These are the things they bought before camping. These are Thea's request.

With confusion and curiosity, he asked. " What did you drink?"

Thea(Nerie) smiled brightly and said, "This? it's my kind of drink, a mix of coffee, milk, cocoa powder, and a bit of ginger powder." She sniffs the aroma of her mixed beverage and continues. "I really loved the fusion of creamy, bitter-sweet, and the tangy taste in it." before she takes a sip.

York got more confused. The contrast between the Nerie that he used to know. The tactless Nerie, who's mincing as she walks. Who's keeps on battling her lashes and flirting around him. But this Nerie is so formal and so simple that she didn't wear make-up after she cleaned herself up and for sure got all her feminine stuff inside her bag.

****

Thea(Nerie) is hesitant to approach, finding Mercy with customers in line to serve. She waited for the perfect moment, and she starts to advance upon seeing some opening.

"Hello, may I have your order please?" Mercy greeted her with her usual friendly smile.

Thea(Nerie) smiled in return. "Hi! Mercy, can I talk to you for a moment."

"Hi, you know me? I'm not sure if we've met, but I apologize if I can't talk to you at these moments. You see, I'm pretty busy since I'm alone, you know my partner Thea, just resigned. And I don't even know it. I'm surprised; still, I'm happy about her finding a rich boy. Awe! She's so lucky...But anyway, if it's fine with you to wait later until I'm out?" She beams, signing a thumbs up to assent if she's fine with it.

Thea(Nerie) replied with a thumbs-up after a nod.

*****

Throughout the time they are having a meal inside the fast-food, Thea, as Nerie, is still a bit hesitant if she should tell Mercy everything if she could believe in her. But the thought, there's no else in this world that can understand and believe what she's about to spill, except maybe her mother, who's not here.

Right after a deep sigh, she began to talk. " You have mentioned Thea resigned?"

"Yes, you know her?" talking, with a mouth full of burger.

"She's my classmate." And nodded, but suddenly stopped, she changed her mind. "Actually, I am she."

Mercy burst the food out of her mouth, choked hearing Thea(Nerie), and busted out laughing. "O-M-G, are you here to prank on me? Who's with you? Is it Thea? Where is she?" Looking around, still laughing.

"Mercy, I'm serious; I don't know how to explain because I myself don't understand it either. But it's true."

"Oh, common, don't you dare give me that look." She paused to breathe and think before she continues. "If your Thea, then tells me anything that only the two of us knows." Staring straight into Thea's eyes as if looking for something from inside.

Without hesitation and with full knowledge, she answered. "You got a crush on your boyfriend's cousin and best friend. That you keep sabotaging his relationship with whoever he was linked with, and you don't want to break up with your boyfriend because you're scared that you won't see his cousin anymore."

Mercy covered her agape mouth with her palm, with eyes wide open. "O_M_G, you are Thea!"

Thea nodded and beamed in relief.

"But wait, how come--? And who is ---? Then why--? Ugh, I'm so confused," She closed her eyes, disconcerted. Slapping her face moderately, back and forth, several times. To waken herself. "I'm not dreaming, am I?"

Thea nodded again. "It may be frustrating, but your not. Mercy, something strange happened to me these past days. The Thea you meet, the one who resigns, is not me, and she's my duplicate or doppelganger."

"Sh*t!" and "OMG" Is all Mercy can repeatedly say, listening more to Thea's story.