Practice Love
The Practice

#Practice 030
It is absolutely normal to grow green. 

Mark stiffened. It was almost as if she was going to say something bad, the smile on his face wavered as his shoulders unwarily tensed up. What is this something that she was going to talk about? Did she really have to talk about it now? What did her brother tell her? Did he ask her to leave this house? Is she going to move out of the house to live with her brother? Is she leaving him?

He mentally punched himself for that. Who is he kidding? They're not even together and that's all he can think of? He his lips nervously as his eyes landed on her fiddling fingers that nervously clicked before her abdomen. 

She took a deep breath, and his breathing stopped. No. He nibbled his bottom lip. He was anxious, afraid of the words that will eventually come out from her cherry lips. Will he be able to handle it? He wondered, his heart nervously pounded, slamming tightly on his rib as his fingers curled into a tight fist, holding back the anxiety that was slowly eating him up.

"Mark, I..." Stop her. Instinctively, his hand reacted to his wish and hovered over her lips, pressed firmly, but gently as he tried his best to put on his usual smile on his face. "Let's save that for later and go get some groceries done. My mom gave me a list this morning." He said and removed his hand. He took a step back and turned around, quickly entering the room whilst Mia stood there, dumbfounded. 

Mark sprinted up the stairs and entered his room, slamming the door close and leaned his back against the door and ran his fingers through his red head. His free hand reached for his thumping chest, and he thought, relieved that he can finally breathe.

He was afraid, scared sick that she would say something that he didn't want to hear. 

The thought of her leaving scared him. It rendered him speechless, condemned him to an endless pain. 

He breathed a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, swallowing the fear that hitched on his throat. Lee Mia was different from anyone else he had in his life, and the fact that he had a crush on this friend was starting to get the best of him. Everything she does, everything she sees, and everything she says affects him. Unlike anyone else, whatever Mia says controls. One word, and it'll drive his sanity to the edge. 

Crush? He tilted his head and pushed himself off the door. He approached his study table and grabbed his wallet, tugging it into his pocket before he walks out of his room. He had his usual smile wore on his face when he steps down the stairs, although he was already shaking inside. Mia was there, sitting on the couch with her arms crossed. The look on her face suggested that she definitely wasn't satisfied with how he reacted just now. 

Correction, she was pissed to the core that he just walk out on her like that. 

Mia turned to him, her expression cold. But Mark couldn't do anything about it. "Let's go?" He asked, and Mia nodded. She didn't want to talk, not when she just got cut off by him like that. He just left without giving her the chance to speak at all! She scowled and got up from the couch, tailing after him as they leave the house to head over to the nearby supermarket to buy the things. 

They entered the small building, and Mark handed her the grocery list. His hand reached for the grocery basket as they walk down the rows of shelves to look for the things that were listed in the tiny piece of paper in her hands. "Did mom mention If there is any specific brand of soy sauce that she wanted?" He picked up a random bottle of soy sauce and looked up.

Mia responded with a short nod, deadpanned, and Mark pressed his lips. She's sulking. He gulped and picked up the brand of bottle that was mentioned on the list and placed it in the basket. Immediately, he sprinted to catch up with Mia who was already at the other side of the shelves.

Mia groaned and nibbled her bottom lip. Sure, she was annoyed, pissed that he totally cut her off from what she was about to say. But a part of her felt relieve that he didn't seem like he was particularly interested in what she has to say. She wasn't prepared. It was just a spur the moment where she felt like she needed to explain herself to him.

Junhong and his ty suggestions. Mia made a mental note to strangle her brother the next time she sees him before she turns back to him. Oddly, the look on his face made it seem as if she was the bad guy instead, when in fact, she had every right to be mad at him. He did, after all, indirectly ignored whatever she has to say.

Pressing her lips thinly, she switched her attention back to the list in her hands. Was she going to ignore him for the day? She wasn't even sure if she can stay mad for a good minute. A gentle smile was all it takes for her stern, blazing heat to drop to a gentle bliss. Mia shook her head and went to get the next item that was listed in the paper. 

Cheesecake. Her brows creased slightly before she heads over to the small cake display section and bent her back down to take a good look at the cakes. Which cheesecake though? She pursed her lips and turned around to find Mark, but he was nowhere to be found. Eh? She blinked her eyes, and nibbled her l