Bestfriend With Benefits

"Tiere... I am so sorry for what happened yesterday. Please forgive me"

"Hoi, it's ok. Keep the sorry for yourself" she replied with a naughty wink sticker in the chat room. A huge weight has been lifted off my chest, Tiere does understand me. Sometimes I feel grateful having her by my side. But something feels fishy, I mean I saw her pouted on me last night.

I inhale the morning breeze from the balcony, looking up to the blue sky where the clouds are moving slowly like floating cotton candies. The entire situation is absurd, but I've been enjoying my life with gratitude as well since I meet Tiere, everything seems different, from how Caroline treats me nowadays, or how I and Tiere getting along together –being too close which makes my heart confused sometimes.. Ryan, what is actually are you thinking about? I was utterly speechless when I saw Tiere's expression last night.

drrrtt drrttt

I turned my body, going back to my room where my phone was left alone on the bedside table.

"MOM?" My eyes popped up wide. I'm about to call my mom tonight, to make sure she forgives me, at least.. My hand starts shaking, I feel like facing the death fear of the final results of my semester exam. I closed my eyes, praying to god so at least my mom won't kill me from the phone, my ears got them ready, I put the phone on my ear and say, "Mom?"

"Ryan.." she sounds strict, I am startled. My heart almost explode, blood runs through my veins. "Mom... I am sorry.. I did lie to you and I.."

"Ryan.. it's okay. Dad explained everything to me" she cut me off. I was so relieved when I heard that. Means, she forgives me, right?

"Oh...okay.."

"Just, don't be so stupid, Ryan" she added, strictly again.

"Yes mom, okay.."

"Good night Ryan"

"Good night mom"

I clicked my phone off and threw myself on the mattress.

GOD, THANKS GOD. YOU JUST SAVED MY LIFE!

"I have to tell Tiere about it" I mumbled, grabbing my phone and soon looking for Tiere's contact.

I text her..

"Tiere, are you home today?"

"Absolutely yes, why?"

"can I come over?"

"Sure"

"wanna eat something good?" she asked again.

"Nope, I'm looking forward for your best cooking skill"

"shut up.. stop insulting me" she replied with deflated cat sticker.

"HAHAHA! Gotta take a bath"

"go ahead"

I put my phone on the bed and heading to the closet, to find something at least good looking to wear. Again, I don't know why I want to look gorgeous in front of Tiere. That kind of thoughts just came out from nowhere inside my head. Hard to believe..

***

Tiere jumps to my body when I appear in front of her apartment, or sometimes a kiss on the cheek which makes me kind of... fluttering..  her hands linger around my body and I feel butterflies, she's so warming to me. She turns me speechless cause I forget everything I plan to do whenever I see her, it's pretty amusing, right?

"You know, Ryan" she said as I sat down on her bed, waiting for her to serve me the lunch. I lifted my head looking at her standing in front of me.

"There's nothing special about my cooking" she shrugged, "but at least I tried" she muttered under her breath.

"I'm gonna love it, Tiere.. don't worry"

She rolled her eyes and moaned, "Let see. You will insult me again and again" she took something out from her mini fridge, It's a bowl of pinky pannacotta with cream and a tiny strawberry above. It's cute, honestly.

I nod my head making a sarcastic look, like judging before holding the bowl from her hand. "is that shaving cream?" I tried to joke.

She clicked her tongue, "Fine, gonna eat it myself" she took the spoon and about to stab it on the beautiful pannacotta. I stopped her, holding her wrist before she did. I gave her a delightful chuckle, cause I can't hold the laughter against her. "Stop teasing me!" she moaned, making a pouting lips which makes me want to pinch them once. I did. "Stop" she rolled her eyes, "take it, or leave it. Gonna cook an instant noodle for you. Cause I spend too much time for this shit" she added with an exasperation grunt.

"okay..okayy" I nod and took the bowl, still smiling at her. I grabbed the spoon from her hand and then she turned her body away. "Just be patient okay" she said before leaving the room. "Okay" I spoke with a mouthful of pannacotta, it's actually so delicious. Where does she learn this?

About 8 minutes later, Tiere came with a cup of instant noodle. "Be careful, it's hot!". I nod my head and say "Thanks" then she sat beside me on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry.. if I never give you a good food like other girls usually do" she added. I narrowed my eyes, looking at her suspiciously. "Did you poison me or something?"

She clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes and say "Come on.. I'm being serious right now"

"Okay..okayy" I said with a giggle. "Honestly, it's ...delicious". I hand over the empty bowl. I tilted my head, a glance to her blushing face, she threw it away again, she took the bowl quickly without looking at me.

"Thanks" she said. When I finish eating my instant noodle, Tiere went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, as I walked around her room observing her stuffs. She has a lot of dictionaries, from Japan –Indonesia, Korea –Indonesia, English –Indonesia. Then I dragged something unique from her bookshelves, I never got the time to look after her stuffs, maybe this is the first time. Then the unique maroon velvet cover book dragged to the desk. German Speaking?

Tiere came out, she has finished her dishes.

"Hey" she said, "Huh, trying to look over my private stuffs?" she put her arms on her chest leaning on the wall, eyes gazing straight to me. Without answering her, I hold the book, saying "Do you speak German too?"

Tiere loves to learn languages. She is well speaking in Chinese, Japanese, and English, with a little Korean. She nods her head, "Yes" then she threw her body on the bed, stretching her hands up. I'm too curious so I flip the cover book, pages by pages cause I have never read or learn German ever. English and Mandarin are enough for me.

I coincidentally found a note in random page, saying:

WHAT THE FUCK, TIERE MEANS ANIMAL?

The word "Tiere" on the book was circled in red and an angry emoji was drawn. I giggled. So Tiere means animal in German? That's too cruel. I want to laugh out loud but I afraid she notices it.

Tiere then suddenly grabbed the book away as I start snorting a laugh. "Stop it!" she gave me a death glare, "You read my notes! I don't even remember I wrote this" she added. Can't hold any laughter so I laugh really hard until I got sore in my stomach.

"Heh you know, mom told me my name was actually Tiara, but she changed it into Tiere. So people won't got the same name as mine, ended up means animal" she is trying to defend herself but ended up pouting, "my mom told me Tiere (or Tièrè) is a village and seat of the commune of Diouradougou Kafo in the Cercle of Koutiala in the Sikasso Region of southern Mali" she added with a shrug. "But still. Tiere means animal" I still laughing but then she continues "Can I change my name? To anything else? Is that going to be expensive?"

I give her a shrug, holding her shoulders and caught her eyes, "It's okay, you have a beautiful name" but can't hold a snort, "even though it means animal". She slapped my shoulder hard, saying "you better shut up" then she threw her body on the mattress.

I arrange the book back to the shelf, sit down on the edge of the bed, looking at her. "So.. wanna go out for something to eat maybe?". I've dressed up, it must be a waste if we stay at home. She shook her head, "No, Ryan. Let's talk about your girl" she rose from the bed and sit down straight in crossed leg. I don't feel like talking about this. "So..." Tiere slapped her laps and start mumbling, like thinking before she starts making a move. "What are you going to buy?" she lifted an eyebrow.

"me?" I asked, confusedly. "I mean... I never bought her anything during my previous confession" I admitted, looking damn pathetic. She puts her finger on her chin, eyes rolling up means she is thinking. "How about rose?" she quirked her eyebrow. "Ah..." I think.

"I mean, my ex boyfriend sent me roses during his confession. It's a good start I guess.." she said with a shrug, then she clicked her finger, "You know? There's a meaning of each number of roses you give by the way"

"A meaning?" I still don't get it.

Tiere stood up, come back to the bed with her phone in her hand, she start typing something.

"Nah" she lend me her phone.

The Meaning of Each Number of Roses:

1.   One rose: Love at first sight, or years later "you are still the one."

2.   Two roses: Mutual love and affection . . . so you may owe him two roses!

3.   Three roses: The traditional three-month anniversary gift also simply means "I love you."

4.   Six roses: Infatuation, or "I want to be yours."

5.   Nine roses: A big jump up from six, nine roses symbolizes eternal love or "I want to be with you forever."

6.   10 roses: A perfect 10 means "You are perfection."

7.   12 roses: A dozen is like picking the best heart from a Sweetheart candy box; it means "be mine."

8.   13 roses: Thirteen may be a baker's dozen, but not so in love. Its meaning is actually disputed: Teleflora says it means you'll be friends forever, but several other sources, like Love Letter Box, say it means you have a secret admirer.

I am too lazy to read but trying to proceed the numbers written on the screen, at least I got what it means. "I just knew it works like this" I added, to make her sure I read all of them.

"hah! You are damn lucky to have me, dude" she added, grabbing her phone back from my hand. "So... which one will you choose?" she asked.

I give a long mumble... "3 roses?". Tiere staring at me, I guess she is waiting for me to explain, "I mean.. I do love her.. since grade school but it wasn't a first sight or something.. so 'I LOVE YOU' is enough".

Flashing back to the moment I start having a crush on Caroline in 3rd grade class. It was a beautiful morning, the sun beams my eyes, the weather is friendly and refreshing. I was so sleepy that time, I almost close my eyes every 10 seconds, regret that I quietly spend the night playing computer game without my mom knowing it. So, when my eyes closed once for few seconds, I hit my leg on the table and it hurts so bad. Caroline approached me, gave me meds and took care of my bruise. She was sweet and very humble, I remember the first words she said "Are you okay?" and since then I fall in love with her.

"So..what are you waiting for? You can start thinking what to say and what to do during the confession". I always wanted to be with Caroline all the time, when we went to the same university I thought we were destined to be with each other. I used to be so excited when it comes to a confession to Caroline even though the results were always so heart breaking.

Today, right now, I don't feel like I want to discuss anything about it, I don't want to talk about Caroline. I came here to have fun with the girl beside me, Tiere. Am I really fall in love with Tiere?