Metanoia: A Change of Heart

Chapter XXXX ~ Thonia

"Thones."

I woke up from my sleep and felt Asaila shaking my shoulder. I'd fallen asleep beside her inside a classroom. Once my eyes cleared, I saw light peaking from the curtained windows.

"Let's prepare for the event today!" She smiled while folding her sleeping bag.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked, still no plan to sit or stand.

"We'll help people and..." she maliciously smiled and shrugged. "And help them. I guess it will be fun."

"You're hiding something." I told her.

She shook her and threw a white face towel at me. "Come on, stand! Joshua is waiting outside." She glanced at the door so did I to see if Joshua was really there, but only our roommates were shuffling out the door trying to line up to use the school's shower room first. "Ha, you're so in love with him, don't you?"

I yawned and sat on my sleeping bag. "Yes, I am, Asaila." I admitted. "Now it's gonna be your turn to tell your love story."

Asaila finally finished folding her sleeping bag and stuffed it inside a bag. She helped me with mine. "I haven't even brushed my teeth. Later, I will."

"I don't care, tell now." I insisted because it made me curious. Last night, I was too tired and dizzy after dinner that I forgot to force her to tell me about why she was so happy lately. "You don't need to have a good or fresh breath just to tell your story."

"It's a big deal for me! From now on I have to stay my fresh breath... just in case." She smiled maliciously again.

I raised my brow. "And why?"

She shook her head and sat beside me with crossed legs. "Fine! I'll start. First of all, I know that my heart still suffered from severe trauma from the-name-that-cannot-be-said. I know that and there still the pain." She pounded her chest using her fist. "But, I feel that my broken heart found its repair."

"Who?" I interrupted because she won't go straight forward.

"Rhed. Rhedriel Beltran." She said without hesitation.

"The leader of the Dance Troupe?" I asked, surprised, so that's the reason why she was with him often.

She shushed and looked at our other roommates but nodded and continued her story. "We were the ones in-charged for the signature attendance yesterday at the ferry. We got there earlier than you, guys. We waited for your bus to come but it took time so I waited inside the convenient store with him and a couple other students who had their own business." She could not keep her smile and hardly slapped my arm because of joy. "We talked and talked until we got tired waiting then we were directed to enter the ferry already. Once inside, he brought out a book—remember the first edition of Anne Frank's diary I was looking for? He was the one who borrowed it! To my surprise I snatched it from his hands because I couldn't believe he truly knew it."

"That's how you fell in love with him?" I asked because it was kinda fast and I was afraid my friend would be hurt again. Well, look who's talking; I, myself, also fell in love with Joshua all of a sudden, out of the blue.

She shook her head. "I fell in love with him during the dance number in school, and then I got to talk to him, know him more. The History book was just a sign, I guess, that we were meant to be." She swoon at her thoughts and held both of my arms. "I swore to your boyfriend before that I would definitely marry the next guy who knew Anne Frank and read about her diary."

"To my boyfriend, huh?"

"Yes, to Joshua." She was going crazy again because she frowned. "But I'm afraid because just like what I've said, my wounds are still fresh and I don't want him to think I only want him because of the book or as a rebound."