You're Always In My Heart

Chapter 22

“DJ..” Kath muttered as they walked along the shore.

“Yeah?” he replied.

“You know, I’m really sorry.”

“For what?”

“Quen has been really rude to you. I mean—“

“It’s okay,” he forced a smile.

“I don’t think I would want to get used to this,” she frowned.

“I deserve it, Kath.”

“No, you don’t!” she retorted. “If I can forgive you then how hard would it be for him to do the same? I really don’t understand him,” she heaved a sigh as she stopped her tracks to face the sea.

DJ stared at her blankly and it took him a lengthy minute before he could say something.

“You have to understand him, Kath.”

Kath turned to him and smiled, “Were we always like this? You know the three of us whenever we hang out together. Quen-- throwing tantrums and you-- trying to understand him and stuff.”

“It’s usually the other way around. Wait- you remember that we used to hang out a lot. Us—three?” he raised his brow.

“Yeah. Sort of,” she smiled. “But you know my memory comes on and off like a bad network signal.”

They shared a good a laugh before turning silent for a while. DJ offered Kath to sit by the shore if ever she’s getting tired but she refused politely. They talked about a lot of things especially about highschool and some bits of college life that Kath has come to remember.

DJ and Kath- they were highchool sweethearts. Kath could remember the first time they met. It was when Quen joined the basketball team and she had to keep him company during practices so that they could go home together. They lived practically next to each other. She actually hated waiting on the bench and being trapped inside the gym which always reeked of men’s sweat. It made her sick. Quen almost always had to bribe her withfree dinner to get her to wait for him during late afternoon practices.Apparently, DJ, who was a transferee then, joined the team and befriended Quen. Kath had a crush on him which prompted her to go to gym every afternoon and wait for Quen even without the bribes. The three of them just got closer day by day which even resulted to bearing of feelings. It was during the prom when they started to become a couple.

“Remember during our prom? I had to rip a small part of my dress because I kept stepping on it. It was so funny!” Kath was giggling as she reminisced.

“I remember that, too! And when Quen won as Prom King, he choked over his coke because he was surprised,” he laughed.