First Love

Chapter 09

Chapter 09

I bought some snacks at Seven Eleven since that was the original plan before proceeding to the gazebo where we always meet accidentally. I arrived earlier than our agreed time, which I purposely do because it's really a long time since I've been alone in this place.

I closed my eyes and decided to meditate while I'm waiting for him. It's really good for my mental health. It's the one of the things I do to escape my anxiety, pressure and all of that stuff before. It really helps a lot. And the perfect place to do that is here, because the sound of the dancing trees really sets the vibes and is very calming.

I am a dendrophilia and I have known that since I was young.

I opened my eyes when I got satisfied. I looked beside me and I literally jumped at my seat when I saw Andrei staring at me. I fixed my hair and gulped.

He smiled. "Hi,"

"Hi, did you wait long?"

He shook my head and continued staring at me like I'm the only one he's only seeing and I unconsciously... stared at his deep but playful eyes too...

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked as if I just whispered that in the air because of how low my voice is.

"You should always do that..."

"The what?"

"Meditating..."

I gulped. "Why?" I stared at him like how he stared at me. He looks like he's hesitating to say the reason and it took him a lot of courage to say it.

"You look like a peaceful angel when you're doing that..."

I bit my lower lip when it looked like he woke up in something after he said that, realizing what he said got into his system and his ears turned red, almost like tomatoes and averted his gaze.

I pouted, trying to suppress my smile.

He's not the first who said that to me. A lot of boys my age always send me a letter by sliding it in my locker at school and they always said I looked like an angel from above and some other cringy stuff. I know they only do that to impress me or something but why do I fucking smiled when Andrei is the one who said that.

He doesn't even like me.

Damn, this is not good.

I really want to blame Mom and Mizuki for making me think like this. This is not me! I feel like I've been possessed by someone!

"Oh... thank you," I just responded.

"Your welcome?" he licked his lower lip. I chortled. I grabbed one of the many junk foods I bought and offered him some of it.

He chuckled. "Hindi ako... kumakain ng chichirya,"

What?! I felt like I said that out loud instead of just thinking of it because he laughed and nodded. "Oh God, you're missing your life," I said, pitying him.

"I tried it once but I didn't like it,"

"I mean, it's fine. I respect that, but why? like I cannot finish the day without even eating things like this and here you are..."

"I don't know... siguro dahil maalat?" he laughed. "Opposite attracts, though." I looked at him and caught him staring at the city in front of us. He just whispered that so I pretended I didn't hear it.

God! Because I don't know how to respond to that.

The conversation continued after that. We talk about a lot of Medical stuff and to be honest I kinda love it because of his stories. I opened up to him that Med school doesn't really interest me and he said that it's alright because I still have time to decide but because of his stories about Doctors. My curiosity is eating me.

Maybe I want to be a Doctor after all.

Maybe it's destiny.

Oh fuck, just kidding.

Destiny is just bullshit.

I don't believe in that.

We became close friends after that. Months had passed and it all became fine. We always watch Grey's Anatomy when we have time or break from our studies and sometimes we will hangout in the gazebo and Drei being his funny self, always telling me some corny stories of his and I always laughed or sometimes he will help me in my studies since he's a STEM student too before.

It's kinda fun.

I feel like I finally have someone besides Mizuki. Speaking of Mizuki... I can smell something fishy every time she's telling me stories about this Mia girl. Yeah... she still has a problem in this Mia from the other section. The one she's ranting in the pool before.

"She's really annoying!" I bit my lip to suppress my thoughts about this. I don't want to pressure her. I know she will be honest with me when she's ready. "How come she has a crush on James! Like... she's not her type of guy and they are enemies in school and... and they are not bagay! James will only hurt her because I know that James likes Alena!"

James is Mizuki's crush, but it looks like she's hurting even more in the fact that Mia likes James.

Oh Mizuki, my jealous best friend.

I looked at the time.

"Oh sorry babe... I have to go..." once I said that her face lit up and gave me this teasing look. I told her earlier that me and Andrei will meet after lunch to study at the gazebo. "Oh, shut up, Mizuki."

"What, why? You confessed to me last night that you have a crush on him!"

Fuck. It's just a happy crush! No more than that! I will keep my word! "You threaten me!" I shouted.

"Do you think I will do that to you, Lucuesta?"

"Well, I don't know what your capable of,"

We were having a truth or dare in the video call last night and she threatened me to confess if I have a crush on Andrei or else she will burn my favorite book that she borrowed last time we met!

How brutal!

"Bitch, I know how you love your books, more than you love me! So I will never burn your book!" she pouted.

"That's not true," I denied.

"Oh," she grinned. "You love me more than your book?"

"It's not true that you will never burn my book," I cleared and laughed my ass off.

"What a nerd!"

"How dare you say that when you also love your manga books more than me!"

She laughed.

Bumaba ako pagkatapos masiyahan sa ayos ko. Naabutan ko sila Dad and Mom sa labas ng garden, sipping on their own coffee. My relationship with my parents got better in a few weeks. Dad always asked me if I wanted to meet my Mother and I always said no. Mom was fine with the fact that I will meet my Mother but... I'm not fine with that.

That was the last thing I wanted to do in this life.

I forgave her and that's it, period.

"Mom... Dad..." I called.

"Hmm?" Dad.

"I gotta go now,"

"Okay, take care and my reminders... "

I closed my eyes and nodded. Mom interrupted. "Simon, chill. I trust Andrei, he's a good guy," she winked at me and I smiled. Andrei and I see each other often. That's why he and my Mom have become close, it's fun though. Especially since Drei wants to be a Doctor and maybe that's why Mom likes him more.

I mean, again. There's no malice.

We're just friends.