My Ex-Boyfriend From Kindergarten

Chapter 34: Red

This is yet to be edited.

Nairobi, Cairo, Sunny, and I took our seats in the balcony as day two of our group review started. Not one of us had even flipped to the right page on our English textbooks when Mrs. Ocampo came in with a tray. It was carrying four plates of frozen mud pie and four glasses of milk, one still standing out with a familiar pink swirly straw. As if routine, Cairo passed on the glasses of milk while Sunny passed on the plates.

“Looks delicious, Mrs. Ocampo,” Nai commented just before she dug in her plate.

“Why, thank you, Nairobi,” Mrs. Ocampo answered with a smile.

“Tastes absolutely heavenly,” Nai quickly said after getting her first taste.

“There's more in the kitchen. If anyone wants seconds, I'll be inside,” Mrs. Ocampo told us. I saw Nai's eyes glitter with happiness.

“I wish we were neighbors,” Nai said to Cai before another spoonful disappeared into her mouth. Cai simply chuckled in response.

We reviewed English first. It was definitely easier to review than Biology or Algebra. We didn't need to memorize scientific terms or mathematical equations. But we did have to memorize a few names, the authors whose works we read. We finished reviewing English in record time, half an hour. History, on the other hand, was a whole different story. We needed to memorize names, dates, and places.

“Guys, I'd love to stick around,” Nairobi spoke up as she seemed to read something off her phone. “But my mom says she's on her way over here, apparently we're having dinner with my stepdad's family.” She started packing up her things.

“Is Mr. Tomas picking you up again?” Sunny asked me as he started collecting his things.

“I don't think so, he hasn't sent me any messages telling me he will,” I answered. I actually wanted to stay a little longer, just long enough for us to cover chapter 3 because it was the chapter that I really couldn't understand. However, I didn't want to bother them. Out of us four, I was the one doing the least work for the upcoming play. So I just packed up my stuff.

“I'll walk you home,” Sunny smiled at me as he stood up. I smiled back and nodded.

“I'll walk you guys to the lobby, but I have to get something first,” Cairo said as he stood up from his seat. “Would you wait for me?” he asked us, I think. It was kind of confusing since for the first few seconds, he was looking directly at me. But after he finished the question, he looked at Nairobi and Sunny, too. All the same, I nodded. So did Nai and Sunny.

Nairobi, Sunny, and I made our way to the living room as we waited for Cai. We sat on the comfortable couch, with me in the middle again. Nairobi and I got hypnotized by the swinging sticks kinetic energy sculpture once again while Sunny remained immune.

“How... could it... keep moving?” I asked in a monotone voice, courtesy of the hypnosis.

“Do you really wanna know?” Sunny asked, his voice dripping with amusement.

“Shhh, look,” Nairobi said in a voice that was as monotone as mine was, her finger pointing at the sculpture, “It's like... the two sticks are dancing... a dance composed of complex lifts and stuff...”

“I wish I could dance like that,” I said.

“We could try,” Sunny said quietly. And I was torn away from the trance as I turned to him. He was smiling at me. And I felt myself slipping into another trance.

“Guys,” I heard a familiar name call out from behind us. We all turned to see Cairo carrying three food containers. One blue, one yellow, and one red. Guess who was the one who got off the couch first.