Chapter 5

"I knew it! It's The Ghost Room," shouted Rico. He ran towards the room and sat on the bed. "If this is gonna be your room, Sasha, I'm sure it will be the funnest room ever. You gotta see my room, too when you visit. I have a huge poster of a creeper on the wall."

Sasha rolled her eyes. Boys! All they think about are these games like they are part of their lives forever.

"Come to think of it, who is in the right mind wanted to put a huge poster of a creeper in their room? Those bulging weird eyes felt like it was following you around the whole time. Ugh! It just gives me the creeps. I'd probably have nightmares all night," she answered crossing her arms.

"Hey! What's wrong having a creeper in my room? What are you going to put here then? Don't tell me you're going to paint the walls pink and put those LOL surprise dolls poster on the wall. Yuck!" and he stick his tongue out, placing his finger in front of it as if pointing to his opened mouth. He rolled his eyes in disgust.

Sasha narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well, this is my room and I can do whatever I want with it."

"Sure, sure. Whatever. So, am I still okay in your room then?"

Sasha raised an eyebrow.

"Only if you're okay with a princess castle on the wall."

He frowned. "You're putting a princess castle on the wall? Are you serious?"

Sasha tried not to laugh as she saw how Rico looked worried. But she couldn't help it and she started laughing.

"Sasha!"

She held her belly laughing so loud that annoyed Rico more. After a few seconds, she stopped and heaved deep breaths.

"You could've seen your face. You looked so funny."

Rico frowned at her. "That's not a good joke."

"Well, it is if I'm the one doing it."

"Ugh! I hate you."

Frances laughed. Robbie and Alex came in next, wondering what the commotion was about.

"I can hear laughter a few seconds ago. I guess, you kids are having fun," Robbie commented.

"These two kids are just teasing each other, and it was the most adoring thing ever. You should've seen them awhile ago," Frances told them.

Alex smiled. She remembered how she and Robbie would almost kill each other, arguing about who is the best in everything. But they always had different likes. She liked to play sports while he was into chemistry and mixing colors. Even in high school, he would get awards and get recognized in school for his science projects. His first scientific project was making a lipstick out of organic materials in which most girls loved while the boys hated him which scarred him for life.

Robbie was surely a genius when it comes to science, mixing colors and palettes. Creating a new kind of lipstick rare and unique for every woman was his forte and making a brand for himself was one of the greatest achievements she will always be proud of him even as a friend.

"So Sasha, aside from pink do you have another color in mind?" asked Frances as they sat down on the bed. Her samples were in a binder and laid down on her lap. The children squeezed her like a sandwich as they both looked over.

"How about that one?" Rico implied. "That looks awesome."

Sasha frowned. "Are you kidding, Rico? A Mario themed room? No!"

Now it's Rico's turn to laugh. "Gotcha!"

Sasha narrowed her eyes at him.

"Stop teasing! This is serious."

"You did it awhile ago."

"Even if I did, you still couldn't do it to me."

"You're not the government. You don't make the rules around here."

"Not if you're in my room. My room, my rules."

"Fine! I'm getting out of your room," and he stood up. "I don't want to play with you anymore, Sasha. You're too bossy."

She just rolled her eyes. Rico grinned as he took a pillow and throw it at her face. Her eyes crossed as she quickly stood up and took the other pillow.

"Pillow fight!" Both kids shouted as they kept hitting each other with the pillows. Feathers came flying all over them and they laughed.

Frances stood up and walked over to Robbie.

"I think we'll do this another time. Let the kids have fun today. I'll leave some samples for all of you to look at."

"Thanks, Frances. You can leave, Rico, here. I'll let Felipe drive him back to his house tonight."

"Okay. Rico!" she called and Rico walked towards her. His face was all sweaty and full of feathers. He blew one feather from his face.

"Is it okay if I leave you here for now?"

"Sure. I still wanted to play with Sasha."

"Very well then. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Thanks, Aunt Frances. I'll see you," and he gave a peck on her cheek. "Bye."

Frances waved goodbye and gave a kiss on both Alex and Robbie on their cheeks.

"Wait! Do you do tiktoks?" she asked.

"Yeah. Do you?"

"Duh! Will I ask you if I didn't? I'm one of the best tiktokers you know?"

"Yeah, right. Okay then how about we do one by the swimming pool?"

Sasha's eyes lit up upon hearing the word "pool."

"Oh my gosh! We have a swimming pool?"

"You haven't seen the pool yet?"

"No."

"Let's go there then. I'll show you."

"Can we swim?"

"I didn't have my trunks, though."

"You can swim in your underwear," she joked.

"Are you kidding? I'm not swimming in my underwear," he said laughing. "Will you swim in yours then?"

"Eww, no!"

"I don't even know why you even think of that."

"I really want to swim though."

"We'll go shopping later for more clothes, Sasha. For now, just play with Rico," said Robbie.

"Shopping! Wow! Thanks, Dad," and she ran over to Robbie. She gave him a hug.

Robbie was astounded and hugged her back. He had waited for this moment for so long and yet Sasha pulled away quickly when he still wanted to cherish it much longer.

"She has clothes," stated Alex as soon as Sasha was out of earshot. "She doesn't need more."

"Alex, am I not allowed to spoil my only daughter?" replied Robbie.

"Spoiling her too much would make her a brat. She was used to being content of what I can give her. Giving her more will just result for her begging for more. Sooner or later she'll be asking for your credit cards."

"Wow! You think too much."

"What? I just wanted her to feel satisfied of what she has."

"And what's wrong with showering her with something more when I can give it to her, too."

"You're making me feel less."

Robbie sighed. "That's not what I'm trying to do."

"Like earlier, you're still trying to boss me around."

Robbie glared at her and his hands went on his waist.

"Are you guys arguing again?" Sasha asked sadly. She never wanted to see them fight most especially if it's about her. Somehow she suddenly felt it was a bad idea for her to ask her mom to come here.

"No, honey. We're just talking." She lied again..

Sasha sighed. "I can hear you from across the room."

Alex didn't know what to say.

"I-I'm sorry, honey. Ummm... why don't you go outside with Rico while your dad and I talk?"

"Okay. C'mon, Rico," and they both walked outside towards the stairs.

Robbie closed the door behind him as soon as both kids were gone.

"We have to stop arguing, Alex," he told her. "I don't like Sasha to feel like it's all her fault why we can't agree."

"It's not. It's yours," she answered. Her eyes piercing through him.

"You're blaming me now?"

"Well if you haven't started the argument in the first place then we will not come to this point."

"I am not trying to argue with you, Alex. But you always make a point for us to argue and I am losing my mind here."

"Because you want to do it your way."

"And you are just a stubborn b-ch!"

Alex gasped and wanted to say something but she closed her mouth again. She sighed.

"Lie down," he ordered.

"What?! You're out of your freakin' mind."

"Alex, trust me, okay? We used to do this when we were kids, remember?"

"What? Lie down and breathe slowly?"

He nodded. "Now, lie down on the bed."

She looked at him and sighed. She hadn't done this for a long time. Every time she's panicking or feeling tensed and stressed, she would walk outside to the park with Sasha in the jogger stroller. She would walk so much to the point that Sasha had developed a habit of sleeping in the stroller for naps. The first few years were tough but now she couldn't believe how she ever did that.

Now, lying down here with just Robbie beside her on the bed just felt strange since she hadn't had anybody for years.. She didn't know why her body tensed up even more as his arm brushed against hers while they lay on the small bed.

This was supposed to help them be calm but instead her mind focused on his breathing. The smell of him... everything about him. She didn't dare look at him for fear he might see how she's reacting to this weird feeling he was giving her. For some reason, desire lurked within her and her hearbeat went faster, like several horses running inside her.

"Close your eyes, Alex," he ordered.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and closed her eyes.

"Ready? Inhale one deep breath," he said and he heaved a breath, then he blow it out. "Exhale."

Alex did the same.

Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale...

Alex found herself in a dream. A dream that seemed too real for her and yet, she knew it's not.

She kept heaving deep breaths and soon she dozed off. What she didn't realize is that the dream really happened in real life... because Robbie had brushed his lips on hers too quickly for her to even notice at all..