Grape Juice (By the Border, #1) ✓

3

Hindi ko agad na naproseso ang nangyari nang ilang segundo.

I was already behind Novah who pulled me away from the moving train just mere moments ago. "Careful," he said. My hair, unruly from all the running, blocked my view of his concern. Hindi nakatulong na isinumpa ako ng maitim at makapal na buhok. I always chopped it off, refusing to let the length go past my shoulder.

I stared at the passengers' backs facing the train's sealed windows until they were gone. I would've been there with them had I not hesitated when Novah called my name.

Novah, not Jean. I heard Novah's voice instead of the one inside my head, at sapat na iyon para makabalik ako sa realidad.

Then something heavy weighed in on me, and I was familiar with the feeling, but did nothing to embrace it. I barely moved my head to the right when I saw them—the students staring at us, students I didn't know the names of. They were glaring at me, to be exact. I'd hate it too if my trip back home was delayed because someone blocked the train's entrance, except I was already doing a great job at the self-hatred part.

The stares did nothing but cause me discomfort. Naglakad ako patungo sa pinakamalapit na bench at umupo roon. Ginaya ako ni Novah at pumuwesto sa tabi ko. Wala akong ideya kung nakita niya ang schoolmates namin o hindi, pero hindi niya pinansin ang mga ito. Instead, his attention was on the floor, near the spot where we both stood earlier.

"Dapat naglagay sila ng marker doon," he spoke after a minute of silence. "Maybe paint it yellow so it's easy to notice. Masyadong mapahamak naman kasi. Why isn't the government doing anything about this?"

I didn't know how to formulate a decent answer at the moment, so I settled with a simple nod. A part of me wanted to say that he shouldn't concern himself with Arden's poor governance. Tutal hindi naman siya taga rito. Baka bumalik din siya sa siyudad nila matapos niyang g-um-raduate.

It was no myth that standing painfully close to the edge of station 19's elevated platform was plain suicide, and while it could be tempting at times, there was no way I'd allow myself to face death like that.

That would have to happen at the right moment, and I would be in full control of it.

"Wesley." Nilingon ko si Novah nang muli siyang magsalita. "Do you wanna wait for Kenzie or head to our house now?"

Mabagal akong umiling. How long had it been since the train left this station? "Trenta minutos lang bago bumalik 'yong tren. Dalawang oras ang practice ng kapatid mo. Baka may kumaladkad pa sa 'kin doon sa riles kapag nagtagal tayo rito."

Novah nodded, ignoring my concerning—and irrelevant—last few words. "Kung wala pa siya rito in half an hour, mauna na tayo." Then he paused. "Anyway, I meant to ask..." His hands flexed over his lap. "You're not bothered by the sudden...company, right?"

I might have been staring at him like he just cracked a bad joke, because Novah's lips strethced into a nervous smile, and he was struggling to hide it. "Hindi naman."

"Okay." His smile was more relaxed now. "Okay. That's good."

No small talk ensued after that, thank gods. Tahimik kaming naghintay ni Novah. When I turned to look at him minutes later, his eyes were closed, head leaning back and resting on the wall with a random advertisement pasted on it. Natakpan ng buhok ni Novah ang malaking SALE poster na nakapaskil doon. His chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm.

HIndi ko na siya kailangang gisingin nang dumating ang tren. Novah jolted from his comfortable position when the sound coming from the railway kept increasing until it was loud enough that I felt the floor vibrate. When inside, I slid my metro card in the machine's slot and waited until it was released. Nang tumunog ang machine, tuluyan akong pumasok at naghanap ng bakanteng puwesto. Hindi ko na hinintay si Novah, ngunit nakahanap na ako ng mauupuan namin at hindi pa rin siya nakasusunod sa akin. Just when I thought he pulled a prank and left me on my own, I found him standing there, looking like a lost puppy again.