A Lover of Rain

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER TWELVE:

My birthday felt like a dream that even though three days had passed, it felt like my mind was still living in it. The kiss Julian gave me on my birthday had been tattooed inside my head and every time I close my eyes, I see it happening over and over again. I haven't seen him for three days because he's busy with his classes and we have different schedules, but he'd never forget to video call me when he had the chance and we'd be study buddies on call. We'll stay quiet and do our own thing, yet it was comfortable.

Every time my mind would melt down, I'd look at him and it would calm me. Having Julian in your life feels like looking at a sunset; it's calming and peaceful. Something I never thought I needed until he came into my life.

I packed my camera and printed out the script that I made for my group members in our Advertising Principles and Practices class. We were asked to create a thirty second commercial for milk, and we'd film it today. While packing, I felt my phone vibrating in my pants's back pocket. It was a notification from my online bank. I grabbed a chair to sit down as I looked at the thirty-thousand pesos my mother sent in my bank account. I bit my lip while debating in my head if I should call her or not, and this part of me that wanted to hear her voice won. I dialed her number, biting my fingernails from the anxiety as I listened to it ring. And like always, I was sent to voicemail.

"Mom?" I let out a quiet sigh as my head slowly dropped, "Thank you for the money, as always. I just... did you remember that my birthday was last Saturday? I was waiting for you to call and greet me, but you didn't. So, uhm, no... I'm not being ungrateful for the money. I just want to remind you that you missed my birthday, again. And if you want to greet me, even if it's late, I'd still appreciate it."

"I love you, Mom." I said before ending the call. A few tears dropped from my eyes which I hated. I was supposed to be okay since this was the reality I kept living in from the moment my mom left me with my grandmother, yet every time I'd think about how I wasn't the kind of daughter who'd get surprises from her parents during her birthdays it only breaks my heart even more.

It took me almost fifteen minutes to recover before I left the house to go to school like nothing happened. My first class starts at 10:30AM, but I went to school at 8 o' clock so we could start filming for our commercial. I was waiting for my group mates while feeling down from what happened with my mom when I saw Eric, still half-awake, walking slowly across the field. He's wearing a beige cardigan and black glasses, hands in his pocket. He didn't notice I was standing close to him until I extended my arm to block him. His eyes widened before a smile started appearing on his face. "Good morning." He said in a sleepy tone. Surprising a sleepy Eric put a smile on my face and made me forget how upset I felt with my mother.

"What are you doing here so early?" I asked before I started walking with him.

"I have to do my report in the library, I watched Endgame last night and couldn't sleep afterwards." Eric answered, his shoulder touched mine as he's walking in a zigzag and it looked like he'd drop to the ground any moment to go back to sleep.

I looked behind to quickly look for any of my group mates, but they weren't there yet. So I grabbed Eric to go to the cafeteria where there's a coffee stand; it's quite expensive but it has enough caffeine to wake your senses. While we we're waiting for our iced caramel macchiato, I noticed Sera eating her breakfast at one of the tables while reading her notes. She was so focused to even notice Markie with Clyde at the entrance of the cafeteria, bickering like little chickens. Even if I couldn't hear what they were saying, watching Markie hit Clyde on his arms as she pointed at Sera was enough for me to understand what's going on.

"What's happening with the siblings?" Eric asked, his voice still raspy.

"Clyde ghosted Sera for their date last Saturday and asked Charlie to go on the date instead." I looked at Eric, his eyes squinting as his elbows rested on the little table from the coffee stand. "I'll tell you later."