101 Reasons (A HUNDRED AND ONE REASONS NOW AVAILABLE IN BOOKSTORES)

Reason Number 21

Never judge a person by his/her appearance

You don't have the slightest idea

what they've been through

-Bianca S.

First week of school went well, Lee and I all have the same classes, probably one of the many requests my Mom asked since you know what. We see Aya only during lunchtime; she has advanced subjects in everything.

"Why would you take advanced calculus?" I asked incredulously one lunchtime when I saw her schedule. "Because I like Math." She answered as she grabbed a mouthful of pasta. "I don't know why we're even best friends. Stop eating! You'll choke to death." She did choked Lee immediately, tapped her back which makes things worse. He tapped harder and then the next thing we all know is we're laughing like old times. Like yesterday is just a dream and it took so long for me to wake up from it.

I sat by the park bench near our subdivision, I told Mom I need to exercise. I made sure that James is busy doing his rock moves again, he's back to the James I once knew, only he is oddly different. I do the one thing I missed the most, watching people. Before, I used to criticize their fashion sense now I try to imagine what kind of life they're living in just like Star girl does. I saw a woman dressed in a smart navy blue suit, one bag on her hand a mobile phone on another. Her hair disheveled, her eye glasses almost dropping at the bridge of her nose, her eyes looks like she's a hundred years old when in fact I bet she's still young.

Workaholic, I concluded. But why? Probably her family owes a lot, her father a gambler, her mother a mere housewife, she's the eldest and she tries her hardest to raise her family's status from dust to significant. Or maybe she's really rich, she inherited her father's company and all the pressure is right on her shoulders. She has no time for herself.

"I told you we have to meet the quota Rafael or would you want to lose your job?" She snapped as she turned off her phone. She looked at me when she passed, probably noticed that I'm gaping at her. She glared. She must've been rich and poor Rafael is her assistant who is madly in love with her. Second victim, an old man walking alone with only a cane to support him walk.

Children running past him, bumping him from time to time and then muttering their apologies, he just smiles at them and continue on walking. I noticed the fine lines in his face, his hair already white, he is limping hence the cane. I wonder what he's been through, he had lived a long life and now he's alone walking, his hands shaking with every move, once in a while he pauses to take a breath. Her wife's probably dead because of old age; he was a soldier hence he's limping. His grandsons and granddaughters, sons and daughters are probably all too busy to care.

I was about to stand up and help him wherever he is going when a young man, probably my age rushed towards him. In his hands he is holding two greasy hotdogs and two cans of Dr. Pepper.

They sat at the bench nearby; I inched closer so I can hear them talk. "Don't tell Nana I allowed you to eat that." The guy said. His grandfather laughe. "I won't tell on you. It's been decades since I tasted these." He took a bite from his sandwich and closed his eyes for a moment probably tasting it really well. I imagined a whole decade without cholesterol and fats, I can't.