THE LAST REBORN LUNA

005: MY DISCOMFORT

The twins pick up on my discomfort and suggest we eat outside. I jumped at the offer. We sit at a picnic table under a tree. During lunch, I couldn't stop myself from speaking.

"Guys, I have something to tell you," I said. Joel nods at me.

"What is it?" Jade asks.

"Yesterday, when I came home, it seemed someone was following me. I don't know who, but I have a strong feeling I'm being watched."

It's hard to tell them the truth because they might think I'm crazy. We don't have any friends in the village yet, except for my parents' coworkers. I'm here at school with only you two.

"Let's come over to your house more often when we're not in school," Joel suggested.

"That way you can avoid that creepy guy, whoever he is."

"Thank you, guys," I said. I feel like I have two big brothers ready to look out for me and keep me safe. I smiled, feeling comfortable in their company.

"Are you happy even without having a brother or sister?" Joel asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," I replied. "My parents can act more like kids than me sometimes anyway."

The twins were so entertaining, telling me stories and making me laugh the whole time. Different girls approached them throughout class, shamelessly asking about their summer break. The twins barely gave them a moment. They were nice about it though, not snarky. It was a good distraction for me from the scary incident at home. After a bit, they looked at me and asked a question about my life.

"Oh! Having you guys as brothers would be so cool!" I said. Joel gave a silly answer: "Well, I didn't think of it that way." I smiled at them simply.

"No, I'm just kidding!" Joel exclaimed with a chuckle. "Don't mind me, I know you aren't fond of that." The twins shared a laugh together.

I am genuinely pleased that they have shown a genuine interest in me, which has finally resulted in me having a friend. It is reassuring to know that neither of them has engaged in any flirtatious or inappropriate behavior, as this makes me feel more at ease. Perhaps we can develop a strong friendship. They have also shared some personal details about themselves and their families, which is nice. Both of them are incredibly attractive, and I hadn't realized that I was in the presence of such perfection since the last time I saw Mr. Albanzo. However, now that I am no longer in front of Mr. Albanzo, I can understand why the girls try to flirt with them. They are quite tall, possibly six feet or even taller, and have a more muscular build compared to Mr. Albanzo's leaner and more toned physique. Will I constantly compare others to him going forward? I feel like I'm losing my sanity each day because of him. I observe that Jade is the extroverted individual who enjoys sports, while Joel appears to be more sensitive, with a passion for music and art. Interestingly, both of them share a common interest in working out at the gym on weekends.

The individuals present are incredibly skilled and captivating. During our lunch break, they kindly offered me food. They are seated at a table surrounded by a group of individuals who resemble football players and cheerleaders. The guys pay excessive attention to me, while the girls give me disapproving looks. I am not fond of this situation.

At a later time, two younger boys approached us. As they reach the table, their eyes widen, and they gaze at me. Jade coughs, and they quickly regain their composure.

"This is our new friend. Just call her AbbyJezz. She just moved here from Surigao." Jade said he was trying to introduce me to them. I shake hands with the two boys, and they introduce themselves, and soon they leave.

"They are close family friends." Joel tells me. The two guys ask a lot of questions about my family, my parents, and what they do for a living. Where I have lived before this. It would seem intrusive and personal. But they ask so kindly that I don't mind. They answered all my questions as well. They both showed me to my classes for the rest of the day. They were outside my last class when I exited.

"Do you have a car? We can give you a ride home." Joel offers.

"My mom is picking me up. But she won't be able to come, maybe tomorrow, because she'll be at work." I said "But how about then?" Jade asks.

"Sure!" I say. We both agree, and they will stand with me until I see my mom. They walked with me right up to the car.

"Hello, Mrs. Solidad, I'm Jade, and this is my brother Joel. We offered to drive Abby Jezz home tomorrow if you don't mind." Jade said. How do they know that Mom's first name is Solidad? asking myself.

"Hi! You two seem like a nice idea, boy!" Mom says this and shows them a simple smile as she raises her right hand.

"We can give you our phone numbers if that would make you feel more comfortable." Jade offers. My mom smiles and hands him a pen and paper that is sitting there in the car.

"Nice to meet you boys. Thank you for the offer. My eyes will be on you! Make sure that she will be safe." My mom added but, it was obvious from her smile that she was deceiving them. She probably saw that this guy was trustworthy, and that's what we call a "first impression."

"But it is until Abby Jezz gets her own car, okay? So, we are now headed home. See you around, guys." Mom says, then the two offer goodbyes, and we head home.

"They are so cute. Your own personal bodyguards?" Mom exclaimed. I laughed at her.

"They are, but I think I will keep them as friends. I'm afraid I will have too much competition." I told her with humor in my voice.

"Oh, come on, you are totally gorgeous, sweetie." Mom added.

"Okay, Mom, whatever you say." I tell her about the rest of my day while leaving out the part about my exquisite English teacher, his eyes, and his dimples. I even told her that I have a school crush now, and he is my English teacher. Mom just smiled, as she never minded it. I'm now in bed and can't fall asleep to save my life. I can't stop thinking about Mr. Albanzo.

I feel like I lost something when I walked away from his classroom today. I have an emptiness in my heart. This is the strangest thing ever. I have never felt this way in my life. I tell Tagi about him, though. She definitely asked for a picture of him. I sent her the one picture that I got. I sat there and took a photo using my phone during the class.

"Oh! Is that your crush? He is a really hot guy. You are so blessed to have him." Tagi replied to our short conversation in a chat room app.

"No, Besh, but there is something about him. You know, I have a different feeling when I see him in front of me. I feel like I'm floating every time I hear his voice.

"Do you think I'm in love?" I asked.

"No! You're not; you just have seen something from him that inspires you. That's what teachers are really doing about educational and emotional things for their students. Don't think too much!" Tagi replied in a text message. Tagi is so kind and smart. She also tells me about her whole day at school. I was trying to continue our chat because I remembered what happened last night.

"Besh, do you believe in a story like wild animals?" I asked her.

"Since when did you become interested in fantasy stories? Oh!" "You had a bad dream?" Tagi wanted to confirm.

"Actually, no, I mean I saw a wild animal. This is the first time ever that I saw a big animal that attacked me last night." I explained.

"What kind of animal was it?" she asked and frowned.

"It's a wolf."

"A wolf. really...? Did you really see it?" Tagi asked.

"Yeah, but I hope it's gone now or left somewhere," I told her.

"Okay, be careful next time. But if you meet this strange dog again, please call me okay." Tagi asked. It seems that she is interested in my story.