She's Older Than Me

Chapter 12: Changes

Breakfast.

At the dining table, Justin tapped his fork on his plate while looking at his dad, who was drinking milk from a mug. Then, he looked at Ashley, who was busy chewing her food, and he looked back at the scrambled egg sitting idly on his plate. How can he explain it to his dad?

“Uhm… Dad?” he asked.

Mr. Valdez and Ashley looked at him, eyes questioning. Justin fidgeted in his seat while his father was asking his son what was wrong.

“Dad… my voice…” Justin started, his voice squeaking.

Mr. Valdez mused as he grabbed his mug for another sip. Justin looked at his dad helplessly, trying to find answers to his problems. And finally, Mr. Valdez put down the mug on the table and looked at his son.

“Are you worried that your voice suddenly changed?” he asked, and Justin nodded sadly. “Well, Son, that is perfectly normal.”

“But Dad, how can it be normal? My friends will laugh at me!” the young lad began to protest.

“Justin, I had that problem too when I was your age, and I was trying not to talk so my friends will not laugh at me. Turns out, it’s all normal,” Mr. Valdez explained to his son. “Soon, your squeaky voice will disappear, and soon, your voice will deepen, just like mine.”

Justin turned to Ashley.

“Ate Ashley, please tell me Dad is only joking,” he begged.

Ashley forced herself to swallow the food she was chewing, and began to retort.

“You think your Dad had a deep voice when he was small?” she explained. “You are already a teenager, so your voice will change too.”

“Don’t worry too much, Justin,” Mr. Valdez reassured his son. “That is your transition from being a child to being an adult. Take your time to grow up, and embrace the changes. Your changing voice will be one of those.”

“Dad,” Justin groaned, while Ashley and Mr. Valdez just mused at the young lad.

****

“What’s the matter, Jake?” Jonathan asked his neighbor on their way to their carpool, for they ride to school together.

“Can’t you see?” Jake asked, flinging his hand above his head. “I have become a giant overnight!”

Jonathan indeed noticed it. A few weeks ago, he was taller than Jake. And now, Jake’s taller than him! No wonder the campy guy was slouching.

“Don’t worry about that,” Jonathan comforted his friend. “That was also my problem last summer, remember? And you will really grow tall because all your ancestors were tall! Even your Mom and Dad are tall!”

“But I hate being tall… I mean, girls will definitely make fun of me… I am not confident being tall,” Jake complained.

“Oh well, all I can say is that you’ll get used to it,” Jonathan said dryly.

****

When they reached the classroom, they noticed Justin whispering to Johnson and Joel, and it was when they realized that Justin’s voice changed.

Johnson also shared about the facial hair that he had, and so worried was he that he did some research. He shared that most guys have it at the later part of their adolescence, around seventeen years of age, while there are those that have it as early as fourteen.

“But I am not fourteen, I am only thirteen!” he groaned. “Kuya had it when he was sixteen. Darn…”

“Kuya Joseph had his when he was eleven,” Joel shared nonchalantly.