Me & You

Chapter 4: Welcome Home

Jane bolted into the door, and closed it shut right behind her. The sound of the door slamming echoed throughout the house.

"Jane is that you?"

"Yes, hi Mama."

"What is wrong with you? Why did you shut the door like that?"

"Mama guess what!"

"What is it Apo?"

"I got a job!"

"A job? Apo, you don't need a job. I can get you anything you need. Your Papa and I have more than enough money to take care of you."

"I know. But this is just to pass some time. I'm only taking a few classes, because I'm almost done with school."

"Okay, just don't let your grades fail. Your Papa is home now from the hospital, he's resting in the bedroom."

"Okay, thanks!"

    Jane has been worried about her Papa all day. He's been in the hospital ever since she arrived in the Philippines. Today was the first day that she hasn't been by his side.

Jane cracked opened the bedroom door and took a peek inside, and she saw her poor Papa lying on the bed. There was less color in his skin, and his body that used to show unbeatable strength has been weakened by fatigue. Trying to hold back her tears, Jane walked into the room.

"Hi Papa!"

    Regardless of his weakened state, a huge smile overcame his face when Jane walked into the room.

"Anak! How was school today?"

    This was the highlight of his day. Listening to Jane talk about her day, her goals, her dreams, anything and everything. Sometimes she would read him articles from the newspapers, or excerpts from whatever book she's currently reading.

"So you got a job? Congratulations Anak."

"Thank you Papa."

"What about this Xander? Do you like him?"

"Papa... Stop that, we're just classmates."

"I just want to know if I'll have great grandchildren before I die."

"Papa, don't say things like that."

"Sorry Anak, it was only a joke. You know... You get more beautiful everyday. You look just like your mom."

"And your mom looks like me," Mama says as she walks through the door, "Sorry Mahal, but Apo... There is someone here to see you."

    Jane ran downstairs expecting it to be Nat. She forgot to let Nat know that she was leaving ahead. Jane was scared that Nat was going to be upset with her. With a lump in her throat, she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey Nat, I'm so sorry..."

    To Jane's surprise, it wasn't Nat. It was someone else.

"Xander? What are you doing here? How did you know where I lived?"

"Well after you left me alone in the park, I went back to get my bike. On my home, I saw you running. I was wondering if you were okay, so I followed you."

"So you're a stalker?"

"Look I was just trying to see if you were okay. My little attempt at trying to be nice, like you asked me to be."

"Okay, I'm sorry. But it's good you're here. I have an idea for our project."

"What is it?"

"We build walls."

"What?"

"Walls, we build walls. Are you really that slow?"

"I heard you, but how does that prove that we trust each other?"

"We each build a wall, a straight wall about the length of four or five Jenga tiles. Every time we grow trust for each other, we glue another piece onto the wall. But we do it individually and reveal how big our walls are to each other for the first time at our presentation. Then we'll see how much we trust one another, and we have to believe that we are growing to trust each other. Make sense?"

"Sure, that sounds okay."

"'Sure that sounds okay?' You got a better idea?"

"No, we'll go with yours."

"Okay then. So in that case, are you busy tomorrow?"

"Nope."

"Let's hang out all day tomorrow. To try and get to know each other."

"Sure, what time?"

"Ummm... Seven?"

"Seven?! Are we going to school? Why so early?"

"One whole day together right? Why Xander? Is the princess afraid she won't get her beauty sleep?"

"Hey, I'm not a princess okay? Fine, seven it is. Where are we going?"

"Anywhere."

"'Anywhere?' You're one weird girl, you know that? Okay, I'll be here at seven to pick you up."

    When Xander looked at Jane, she felt something weird. The way he looked at her made her feel as if he could really see her. For one moment, the look in his eyes made her feel as if she wasn't invisible. Xander got up to leave, and Jane walked him to the door. Jane woke up from her daze with a loud shriek coming from afar.

"Bestie!"

"Nat, hey sorry about earlier."

"Don't worry about it Bestie. I'm so sad that we didn't get to be partners. But your partner is so cute! I heard he's from somewhere exotic, like Austria."

"He's actually from Australia."

"Even better! I have to go help with dinner. Let's hang out soon okay?"

"Sure Nat. I'll see you at school."

    Jane could not get Xander's eyes out of her mind.