Grape Juice (By the Border, #1) ✓

9

It was too early to crush his spirit, so I accepted the water bottle that Novah offered.

In reality, I was too tired to engage in any form of banter.

"Good morning!" The greeting followed, so something was out of order today, but he didn't seem to notice. "Ang aga mo laging pumasok, ah. That's impressive."

I wanted to disagree, but he wouldn't understand. Not everyone had a voice in their head that constantly made their life a hundred times harder by giving them multiple ultimatums before the sun even showed up. Aabutin kami ng isang buong araw bago niya pa iyon maintindihan. "Oo, lagi," ang maikli kong tugon. It was enough to satisfy him.

"Oh, and here's your pen," he added, placing the cheap ink vessel on my table. "Nalakimutan kong ibigay sayo noong nandoon tayo sa hideout spot ko. Sorry po."

"'Po'?"

Lumawak ang ngiti niya. "Mas matanda ka raw sa 'kin sabi ni Kenzie."

"Ilang buwan lang naman."

"Mas matanda ka pa rin, Ate."

Hindi ko napigilang irapan siya. "Magtigil." I took out his pen from my pocket and placed it beside mine. "Nakalimutan ko rin 'tong ibalik. Consider us even."

If there was one thing I learned about Novah, he liked paying people back, be it in any shape or form. Kahit gaano pa kagulo ang dahilan niya, wala siyang pakialam doon. He'd always return the favor. I liked to think I did a good job calling it even before he could think of a way to pay me back for the delayed return or some other obscure shit.

It led the damn bottle to take up space in my already cluttered mind. "Itong tubig...para 'to sa ininom mo sa bahay kahapon." It wasn't a question. I figured he was that easy to read. Novah didn't look offended by the accusation, if I could call it that, because in hindsight, paying someone back for letting you drink their water was crazy. Iyon ang naisip ko, pero malamang ay hindi kami parehas ng opinyon ni Novah. Ayaw kong gawin itong big deal.

"Yeah," he said, smiling sheepishly.

"You had one glass."

"Pero nakiinom pa rin ako."

My gaze went to Novah, then to the bottle again. Sighing, I shifted in my seat to face him better. "Sige, salamat. Mauna ka na."

"Ha? Pero—"

"Thank you for the water," I cut off, trying my best not to wince. Gratitude sounded too foreign, coming from me. Ilang segundo ko itong pinagsisihang sabihin.

Pero marahil ay nagustuhan ito ni Novah. Maybe a little too much, as well. Something changed, like a switch was flipped and all of a sudden he was smiling a little brighter now. "Okay," masaya niyang tugon. "I'll see you later, then."

Nakanakaw pa siya ng tingin bago siya makaabot sa pintuan kung saan niya nakabanggaan ang kapatid niya. Saglit silang nag-usap doon at tahimik ko silang pinanood. Mukhang dumaan pa si Kenzie sa gym at nag-basketball imbes na dumiretso rito, dahil buhat niya ang malaki niyang bag na kadalasan ay nasa gym lamang.

Instead of greeting me with excitement, however, Kenzie looked different as she searched for me. When our eyes met, it was filled with something I hadn't seen much from her.

Puno ito ng pag-aalala.

Her conversation with Novah ended and he disappeared into the room next to us. Hindi na nagsayang pa ng oras si Kenzie at tumakbo papunta sa akin. Our classmates' snide remarks were the least of her concern, though she did not forget to flip them off with passion as she reached me.

"Gosh, Wesley. Akala ko ang OA lang ni Novah," she whisper-shouted, grabbing my face and tilting it from side to side. "Mukhang may sakit ka nga. What the heck? Anong nangyari? At bakit pumasok ka pa? Baka mag-collapse ka!" sunod-sunod niyang sabi.