Chapter 9

As the car pulled into the driveway, I let out a sigh of relief. Home sweet home, at last. It had been three long months since I'd last been here, and the feeling of familiarity mixed with strangeness was overwhelming.

As I stepped out of the car, my eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the familiar sights and sounds of my childhood home. The smell of fresh-cut grass, the sound of birds chirping, and the sight of my mother's flower garden all combined to create a sense of comfort and belonging.

But as I made my way inside, I couldn't shake the feeling of sadness that crept over me. I hadn't been able to say goodbye to Trez, the one person who had made this term bearable. And now, I was afraid I wouldn't see him until we went back to school. And now; I was afraid I wouldn't see Trez until we went back to school. But I guess we will talk, I said to myself, trying to shake off the unease that had settled over me. I remembered I had Trez's number on my phone, and I made a mental note to text him later.

But first things first, I needed food. I glanced at the clock and realized that it was already past lunchtime. My parents were still at work, so I was home alone. I made my way to the kitchen, scanning the fridge for ingredients.

I found some eggs, bread, and cheese, and decided to make a quick omelet. As I cooked, the smells of sizzling butter and melting cheese filled the air, making my mouth water. I took my time, savoring the simple pleasure of cooking for myself.

Finally, my omelet was ready. I sat down at the table and took a bite, relishing the delicious flavors. Eating alone was not ideal, but it was still comforting to be home and to have a hot meal after a long day of traveling.

As I ate, my mind wandered back to Trez. I wondered what he was doing at that moment - was he out with friends, or at home with his family? I couldn't shake the thought from my mind, so I decided to send him a text.

"Heyyy beshfrannn," I typed out, the excitement evident in my message.

To my surprise, he responded almost immediately. "Hiiii," he wrote back.

"How is youu?" I asked, eagerly awaiting his response.

"I'm good, reached home yet?" he asked.

"Yeahhh," I replied. "When?"

"Right now," I typed, feeling a sense of relief wash over me.

"Farther than I expected," he texted, and I remembered what had caused me to arrive home a bit later than usual. My dad had forgotten to come pick me up, and I had been left standing outside for almost two hours before he finally arrived.

"My dad came a bit late," I wrote, not wanting to dwell on the details of my sad story.

"Ooh I get it," he replied. "You're hungry, I presume?"

"Yeah, but I'm eating," I said, a smile creeping across my face as I typed out my response.

"Okay, enjoy your meal," he replied, his message accompanied by a smiling emoji.

"Thanks," I wrote back, feeling grateful for his thoughtfulness.

"Anytime, my..." he started to write, and I couldn't help but feel curious about the word he wanted to use.

"Your?" I asked, eagerly awaiting his response.

"Bestfrienddd," he wrote, his message punctuated by a cute, smirking emoji.

I couldn't help but grin as I read his words, feeling a sense of warmth and happiness wash over me.

"Babyyy," I sent back with a laughing emoji, "By the way I have a small stomachache," I added with a sad emoji.

Trez responded quickly, sending me a voice note teasingly asking what I could have possibly eaten in less than an hour that would make me sick. As I listened to his voice, I couldn't help but remember how much I enjoyed hearing him speak.

"Awwwn the voice," I replied, feeling a smile spread across my face. "I haven't even eaten a lot of things."

He sent another voice note, trying to deny the quality of his voice. "My voice isn't that good," he said, before adding, "Why didn't you eat a lot while I know you're hungry?" I could hear him munching on something behind the phone, and I couldn't help but chuckle at his teasing tone.Trez always knew how to make me smile, even when I was feeling down.

"I kinda miss you a little bit," I admitted, trying not to make it sound like too much.

"Me more," he replied with a heart emoji, and I felt a warmth spread through my chest.

"So, what are you doing?" I asked, wanting to hear more about his day.

"I am on a walk with my mom, and she is basically hearing everything I'm saying," he replied, and I smiled at the thought of their close relationship.

"Awwwn, give her a kiss for me," I replied, feeling happy for him.

"First, give it to me and I'll give it to her," he said with a smirking emoji. I couldn't help but laugh at his playful response, closing my eyes and making a small kiss sound in the voice note.

As I listened back to my silly message, I couldn't help but laugh at myself. Tess what are you becoming?