Lesson 4 – Habits, Tastes, and Routines

Strolling on a peaceful and vibrant avenue, Shirley beamed, her brown hair glowing, and her skin shining like sugarcanes on a summer evening. She was eager to meet with Jacob, whom she began seeing for almost 3 months now. It was typical of her to go to meet with him after school at the park that was 5 blocks away from their high school. She swung her arms and stretched them, turning her head to–
From her peripheral vision, she spotted a man wearing a familiar vest with “V” indentation in the middle. She turned her head slightly then snapped to its original position: it was her father. Crap, she thought, but of course, all those times she returned home late: her father was bound to get suspicious. Now what then? She now entered Arlington Rd., and though she knew her father was behind, she can sense that glare as though she were Colin Farrel from that movie Phone Booth. Cautiously and discreetly, she looked both ways and dashed on the other of Arlington into an alley. There was no way he can pursue all that much. Cutting to a corner, she leaned against the wall, her back pressed against the prickly concrete, and she peered over the wall. It was him! And he was coming this way now. Enough sulking: she had to lose him. With sudden determination, she sprinted, wiggled through a slit through a wooden fence, and circumvented back onto Arlington.
Her temples trickled with sweat, her face warm, and her legs aching, she was fatigued. In spite of that, she stood and went into some random direction. Secured and certain of her situation, she looked back, her father nowhere in sight, a relief. She was not risking it today. She had to think of a good cover. First things first, she pulled out her phone and messaged Jacob about canceling her meeting with him. Her message sent, she thought, he better understand and can wait for tomorrow. But how is she going to explain her weird behavior when she has to return? To her surprise, she saw that she was in front of a library. Why not, she thought, I could use some free air conditioning. Inspecting the area one more time, she entered the building, sighing with comfort as the mellow and soothing air extinguished her stress.