Straight as Guitar Strings

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟲 [𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵]

I TOOK off my shoes and socks, nudged the open door shut, and slid my feet across the cold tiles. When I reached the sofa, I plopped down onto its soft surface. I was home after a lonely bus ride.

I texted Bob to tell him I'd passed my audition for the university band. Not even a second passed before he replied with a congratulatory message, saying how proud he was of me, how he knew I'd pass, and how much he loved me. I read his message, feeling nothing.

Why am I like this?

"Thanks," I replied. I almost sent the "TYSM" I had typed out. He responded quickly, apologizing for being busy with his studies and editing the upcoming edition of the university's official newspaper and magazine. He was part of the Libertad Journalism and Publication Team. I didn't know his exact position there. Had he told me? Maybe. I just didn't pay attention, I guess.

Liam, you're becoming toxic.

I put my phone on silent mode, and still not satisfied, I enabled "do not disturb." I didn't want to talk to anyone. I played with my pets instead. Sarsi, my dog, missed me terribly and overreacted, as usual. Smeagol, my cat, remained his typical nonchalant self, indifferent to my coming and going.

The next day flew by, and soon I was back in the classroom. Leo sat next to me, and we paid no mind to our classmates who always gossiped about us, assuming we were a couple.

We were particularly enthusiastic that day, not leaving any room for bad moods. We listened intently to our professors, took thorough notes, and stayed focused.

We closed our notebooks simultaneously, declaring, "Done!" We even argued about who finished first. He flicked my nose, accusing me of lying because it had turned red. Of course, it was red-he flicked it!

He still hadn't told me what happened with Colleen yesterday. He promised he'd explain at lunchtime. Speaking of lunch, we were getting impatient waiting for it. Thankfully, class ended soon enough. We exchanged glances, raised our eyebrows, grinned widely, and our eyes sparkled with excitement. We had one thing on our minds-food!

After slinging our bags over our shoulders, we dashed to the bike rental station. As I handed my payment to the university guard, Leo quickly hopped on his chosen bike and sped off, leaving me behind. What a cheat! I hurriedly grabbed the nearest bike and pedaled as hard as I could to catch up with him.

"You thought you could get away!" I shouted at him, matching his pace.

"Please, I just slowed down out of pity for you!" he boasted, teasing me about my short legs getting tired.

We reached the edge of the university and parked our bikes, locking them up before walking away. As the breeze tousled his hair, I caught a whiff of his perfume, the one I'd come to love over the past few weeks. Addicted to it...? I guess I am.

When we climbed up and down the overpass, we passed by the lady selling buko juice and turon.. I forgot her name again, Barbara? Debra? Debbie? Whatever. Leo greeted her again, asking how her sales were going. I simply nodded at her. Leo, of course, seemed to make friends with everyone he met.

"Why don't you run for governor? It seems like you know everyone!" I commented, noting a habit of his I'd long observed.

"Governor? How about starting as SK Chairman?" He laughed at my suggestion, realizing I had a point. "You sound jealous whenever I talk to someone else!"

"Jealous of what? Are you crazy? Maybe you're just hungry," I retorted, walking ahead and pushing open the door of the 7-11 once we reached this store. Finally, the cool air conditioning greeted us.

We settled into our usual spot, luckily finding the table empty. We laid out our food, opened our lunch boxes, and said a quick prayer.

"What do we have here?" I asked, though I already recognized the scent of his dish. "Uh, pork sinigang?"

"Yup, let me just ask the guy at the counter to microwave it for us. You stay here." I chuckled as I watched him walk over to the guy on duty, bothering him just to heat up his dish. It was clear how easily Leo made friends and got along with everyone.

I waited for only two or three minutes before he returned with our heated meal. The pork sinigang was delicious, perfectly satisfying my craving for something sour. It was heaven with the hot soup, rice, pork, and vegetables.

"Did you get full?" he asked as we walked back to our rented bikes.

I told him I was completely satisfied, and that his cooking was exactly what I craved today.

"Well, make sure you cook something good tomorrow. I have high expectations!" he teased, making it sound like a challenge as he unlocked his bike, just like I was doing with mine.

He reminded me not to tell anyone what he had shared with me earlier. He had confided that Colleen's father was rushed to the emergency room and was in critical condition, being monitored closely. Her father had a heart condition that had flared up again yesterday. I promised to keep it to myself.

"So, where's Colleen now?" I asked him. He was preparing to get on his bike but paused, setting it back on the stand.

"She's at home. She skipped class because she couldn't handle it today," he replied, and I could feel his mood dip. I regretted asking; he looked even more worried.

I was already on my bike, ready to pedal when Randy, Leo's friend from the indigenous and folk organization who had lent us a guitar, suddenly appeared.

"Dude! Can I borrow your bike? I'm going to be late..." Randy panted, sweat streaming down his face from the heat.

Leo didn't hesitate. "Sure, man! No problem!" He handed over his bike, and Randy quickly hopped on and pedaled away, disappearing from our sight in no time.

"What are you going to ride now, Mr. Helpful Governor?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You," he said. "I'm riding with you."

"You mean, you're going to ride me? R-Ride with me...? On the bike, I mean."

"Where else? You idiot," he muttered as he climbed onto the metal frame of my bike. Now he was perched in front of me, gripping the handlebars and waiting for me to pedal us forward.

His fragrance... damn.

When we got to the classroom, Leo and I were too excited to sit through class. We peeked through the windows and the door. Miss Donna was teaching, and as usual, it was incredibly boring.

Just as we were about to doze off, there was a knock on the door. This was what we had been waiting for! Come on, baby! Let's go!

The adviser of the university's band walked in. I recognized him. "Good afternoon, ma'am!"

"Oh, Sir... hello, what's the matter?" Miss Donna replied, still as gentle and soft-spoken as ever.

"I'd like to excuse Leo Quintero and Liam Ramirez, ma'am. We have band rehearsals. By the way, they are the new members of the Libertadlibs, the official band of our university." He asked for applause from our classmates, who, despite their fake smiles and jealous eyes, reluctantly clapped.

Leo and I exchanged glances and grinned as Miss Donna called us and excused us from her class.

Today is going to be awesome! I can't wait to see what our university's band studio looks like. This is so exciting!