Chapter 5

                                    

                                          
After I made sure mom was alright, I took my bags and left for university. I was supposed to leave after two more days, but considering everything that happened the past few days, I wanted to leave. It would be better for everyone if I left sooner, especially me. 
I lugged my bags out the elevator and dragged everything to my apartment. I entered the pin and opened the door, only to be pleasantly surprised by the sight of the apartment. 
The curtains were draped open, and the sun filtered through the room. The light wood table in the living room was wiped clean without a single speck of dust, and the gray couches had pillows neatly aligned. The carpet had vacuum lines too, indicating how it was probably vacuumed not too long ago. What a homely atmosphere. Now this is what you called home. I love you Lyra for keeping the place so clean!
I quickly went to my room and unpacked my luggage. Feeling hungry, I went to the kitchen looking for a snack. Scavenging through the pantry, I opened it, closed it, and opened it again hoping for something tasty to magically appear in front of me. It didn't work. Sighing, I headed toward the fridge. Maybe there's some leftover cake or something?
I was about to open the fridge but that's when I saw a note on the fridge door. Looking at the magnet that was used to hold the note to the door, I burst into laughter. You know those photo booths that you find at random spots in a mall? Lyra and I loved those things, and every-time we went to the mall when we were younger we would always, without fail, make sure to stop by a photo booth. 
When we first packed our stuff up to move into the apartment, we took a few of our favorite photos and turned them into magnets. On the magnet that was holding the note up was Lyra and I making the most obnoxious face we could. Thinking of Lyra, what was she doing right now? She still didn't answer my text. 
Here was one thing about Lyra. She didn't answer texts much. She also didn't really have her phone on her often. Instead, she preferred to leave notes behind instead of sending a text message or two. Why she was so old-schooled, I will never know. I read the note:
Hey Ayla!  I didn't stay at the new years party and left early because something happened. I left some chicken soup and a sandwich for you in the fridge, make sure to eat it for lunch. I had to go to the university to drop by an assignment and I'll be back sometime in the afternoon. We can catch up when I'm back. 
I wondered what happened at the party. Lyra was a polite person, and especially considering how the party was being hosted by her family, something bad definitely probably happened for her to leave early. I decided to make her some blueberry muffins so she could eat and tell me what happened calmly. Lyra was a blueberry person, if they even existed. Our fridge was always stocked full with blueberries. She would probably eat more than a pint a day if she could!
***
The kitchen was soon filled with the pleasant scent of blueberry muffins baking in the oven, and the warm smell drifted throughout the entire apartment. This was what welcomed Lyra when she got back at 3pm. Tears slowly sprang in her eyes. Harshly wiping them away, she looked around for me, only to see me lounging at the balcony, trying to take care of the money plant.
I, at this moment, just finished having a 'talk' with the plants. They looked sad, and whenever they looked sad, Lyra always talked to them, telling me that talking to plants helped their livelihood. Seeing as it made Lyra happy, it eventually turned into a habit for me to talk to the plants when Lyra wasn't here.
Alya. I think it's time you make another friend. Or maybe adopt a dog. You're so desperate you're literally talking to plants. Shut up, self!
I walked back inside the room, only to be encased in a tight bear hug. Not even a bear hug, Lyra had her legs wrapped around my waist and arms holding my neck in a tight grip.