The Promise We Couldn't Keep

11

TPWCK:
11

…………

IT had been days since the day on the roof. The team went back to our hometown having bagged the second overall highest wins. The volleyball boys placed second; it was a close game, and Fernando had showcased his capabilities as the team captain.

Rinia’d polished our Chapter 3 while Fernando and I were away for the athletic meet, so it was time the three of us worked on the 4th chapter of our research. We’d decided to meet at a small café that was just a 15-minute walk from the school to Rinia’s home to plan for our next step. We would most likely be discussing who was going to bring what, and what we would be expecting from one another when we conducted our experiment. We’d agreed to not meet at Rinia’s house this time, which was really just me putting a foot down because, in truth, I found it awkward to imagine going back there when the last time I was there was last year. Before everything between us went to hell.

I doubted I’d ever be ready for the nostalgia that’d punch me in the guts should I step foot in their house that homed too many great memories of our friendship.

The crisp wind blew the plain gray shirt I was wearing, and I mentally cursed at myself for forgoing wearing a sweater, thinking it was inappropriate for a noon meeting, when it was the end of November. The rain that pushed our morning meeting to this noon had just let up, and the world was silent. I looked around, searching in myself the will to enjoy the peace that followed after every downpour, but my thoughts were everywhere and nowhere at once, the anxiety eating me up from the inside out.

Fernando had disappeared from my life after the little conversation we had on the rooftop. I didn’t bother reaching out to him because he was probably isolating himself, mustering up the courage to come out to his parents, too big a thing in his life yet he decided to face it alone. He was going to show up in the meeting today; he replied in our research group chat he was bringing in “some news” with him, and my stomach figured it was enough reason to function abnormally.

It didn’t take a genius to make an informed guess of what the news was about.

An angry shout nearby took me out of my head. “Come on, Rinia. It’s not like I’m asking you for something difficult,” said the familiar grating voice.

Rinia was standing under the shade of an Indian almond on the opposite side of the road from across the café, her arms crossed against her chest, while she faced a lean man who stood a head taller than her. She was wearing a white crop top shirt paired with a checkered skirt, and I mentally groaned. This was her dress code for when she was feeling passionate and insufferable.

“What part of my uninterest in dating you do you not understand, Lorrieles?”

I could feel Rinia’s irritation even from the distance. That was not something I’d ever want to be directed at me. For all her grace and beauty, Rinia could smash a man twice her size to the ground without breaking a sweat should she deem it necessary. I would know because I was once at the receiving end of her black belt skills when I’d thought I could one-up her.

“Just give me a chance, Rinia,” Lorrieles said exasperatedly as he raised his hands in the air before stepping forward and grabbing her arm.

She squatted his hands away and stepped back. “I said no. Why can’t you take no for an answer? How can you be this dumb?”

A few incoherent whispers took my attention away from the two, and I watched as more people congregated by the street to watch the exchange. The majority of the growing audience was our age, but there were quite many unfamiliar faces in the crowd. There were only a few onlookers who went to the same school as us.