JanTom: Complete Opposites

Chapter Sixty-Three : I'm Sorry

Chapter Sixty-Three : I'm Sorry

  “Yo.”

        “Oh. You’re still here,” I nonchalantly answered, then inserted my foot through the insides of my shoes and tapped it lightly with my heel to make it fit well.

    “What a lacklustre reply, Janna,” Oskar mockingly frowned whilst he leaned his torso on the pillar with his bag slung lazily around his shoulder. His hair was still slightly damp and a drip of water trickled through his bangs. “—it’s already cold out here.”

    I don’t reply, instead I closed the door behind me, eyeing Oskar as he acts like a five year old touching things with his bare fingers, heavily invested with every sight he could land on. My eyes ravel to Tom who was just below the stairs, bag slung to his chest whilst he also stared at the flowers on our front porch. He seemed to be deep in thought judging by the glazed expression on his eyes and lips tightly shut.

   I’m surprised that the two of them are here. If anything, they’d rather be stuck on an island with a starving then to be with each other for a minute. Maybe things changed; maybe they’re friends now. I shake my head, realizing I was wasting time just spacing out too. The three of us were spacing out, alright. We had our own dilemmas, but this wasn’t the time to think about it.

      “Hey guys, let’s go,” I called out to the boys.

Oskar glances at me, then smiles. He pushes himself off the wall by his foot. “Alright. Hey Tom, stop spacing out.”

  Tom flinches, snapping out of his reverie, then he looks at Oskar without even glancing a spare at me. “Sorry. Yeah, let’s go.”

  

  “It’s really nice to walk with friends to school,” Oskar broke the silence, grinning ear to ear as we were on our way to school.

    “I didn’t really have any friends so it’s nice to try this for once,” he continued, not minding the silence that brought upon next. I didn’t really know how or what to respond, so did Tom---at least I thought so. He is still angry at me I bet. I’m wary that he hasn’t lashed out at me or reprimanded me again like my mother for the second time since last night. Maybe he’s waiting for the right time to say it, or maybe he’s let it gone bygones. I sigh, feeling my head start to ache with all these thoughts.

     Tom replied, rather off. “Well, that’s nice. It makes the trip to school fun when you’re with someone.”

    I decided to kept mum, observing how the two interacted with each other all the while a slight smile was smeared on my lips. I couldn’t sense any sarcasm or hostility behind those words, rather they are really getting along. 

      “Christmas is around the corner. Hm, what should I wish to Santa? Maybe a functional family?” Oskar darkly joked, keeping his tone lightly though it was more serious than that. “—you guys planning to go somewhere for Christmas?”

     Tom pondered, thinking hard about it while his finger was propped under his chin. “I dunno. I think we’ll either have our cousins at home or we’d go to the next town.”

   “And you, Janna?” Oskar turns to look at me, eager to hear my answer. In a sense I’m grateful Oskar is here. He’s literally the one doing all the talking and trying to keep this trip from getting more awkward. 

   “My cousins are coming over,” I replied. “—they’ll be staying starting the second week of December.”

“Oh, your house will surely be lively,” he chuckled. “—is your family big?”

 “Well, yeah. Since I’m half Filipino, Filipinos really cherish their families and are mostly big extended ones,” I nod to myself. “—not to mention how tight knitted we are.”

  “I’m jealous for you guys,” Oskar pouted, heaving a sigh. “—my cousins? Literally are estranged to them. As we grew older, we realized that we were different and didn’t align exactly as how we were years ago.”

      “You planning anything for Christmas, Oskar?” Tom inquired. “—got a girl to go on a date for Christmas eve with?”

   Oskar bursts in loud fits of chuckle. I snort, eyeing them in amusement. People literally say he’s unapproachable and always spaced out at class, so how could he have a girlfriend, right? Or maybe he has one. Maybe….Jackie? Hmm. Reminds me, she was really acting off when I mentioned Oskar last time. Are they dating? It’s not really my business, so I didn’t ask.

      “Nah. I think I’d just have a gig on Christmas eve,” he casually shrugs, lifting both of his arms and places it behind his head. “---my family’s a wrecking ball, I tell you. I’d rather be out somewhere than sit with them like civilized people for a split second.”

   “Sounds harsh,” Tom scrunched his nose. “—hope things get better for you man.”

  “Hopefully,” he answered with a glazed out look in his eyes.

    “Oh yeah, I forgot,” Oskar changed the subject, his eyes twinkling as he muttered. “—when are your parents coming home, though?”

    “They’re coming back tomorrow,” I responded, crossing my arms. “---I’d expect a souvenir from my own mother. She wouldn’t have told me she left if I didn’t caught her early morning.”

“Where’d they go anyway?”

“Who knows,” I glanced at the skies with my neck craned. “—they’re probably relieving their youth. I don’t blame them though.”

“Me too,” Tom piped in. “---I hope they had the best fun they had in a while. Parents deserve some fun time without having to worry about anything.”