The Travel Buddy

Chapter 5 - Peace

I sipped my milk in a box while waiting inside the car. Yaya Doris is still at the Business Office paying for my tuition in full while Mom is inside the school director's office, probably marketing for the bank or talking about Dad's business. Our grades are not our parent's primary concern. Kyle and I get by. My brother maintains his high ratings while I maintain my achiever status. It wasn't hard for them to give or reward us with what we want because all they have been asking in return are good grades.

It's scorching hot outside so I opted to stay inside the car. I'm a transferee in this school now where Kyle and Enzo will be finishing their senior high. And I guess they have finished enrolling already. I came from an exclusive school for girls on my primary education, except for my first grade where I joined the two boys from their previous school.

I haven't seen much of Enzo right after our trip to Gensan, or at least I've tried not to see him.  It had been two weeks already since we came back home.  I have confined myself inside my room for most part of the day, and this time, I have began locking my door.  I would usually ask Yaya Doris to bring my dinner inside my room when I know Enzo is around, or I'd eat my dinner earlier than everyone else.  Mom and Dad seemed to have bought my excuse of splurging myself on reading books and doing movie marathons before school opens.  I have forced myself to watch a TV series that airs exactly during dinner time.  And whenever I ran out of excuses, I eat my dinner like a greased lightning. Their every attempt on having a conversation gets a laconic reply from me. Andy only comes on weekends because she is taking up advance classes for the rest of the summer, so there's no reason for me to open my room or go out of it.

One more week before the school year starts. I was reading a book when I jolted on my phone's ringing. I already knew who's calling because I have assigned a special ringtone for that number. It was Enzo. I'm torn between answering and ignoring. But I chose the latter. And after the ringing has stopped, I received a text message. Again, it was a special alert tone.

Enzo: Bee, Are you avoiding me?

I didn't have much choice whether I should reply or not, because I don't have the reason not to talk to him nor see him. Maybe I was just assuming things. I knew that few days after we got back home, he tried to see me. I'm still thinking of what to reply when I decided to go out of my room to get some snacks. I was about to step unto the staircase when I heard voices downstairs.

"Puberty, bro," I heard Kyle said. "That's what you call puberty."

"We've been through puberty too, Kyle" he reasoned, "but did that stop us from mingling with others? It did not!"

"Oh, you know, girls. They're fickle-minded. Sometimes they don't even understand themselves."

"Are you trying to compare her with Kendra?"

"Bro, they are all the same!"

"Well, not her..."

I forced myself into going downstairs. My avoidance is getting pretty obvious, and there's no reason for me to do so at all. Thank God, Kyle sees it as part of puberty. Sometimes, I have to thank him for being too obtuse to take the hint of what I think is going on between me and Enzo. Something's been changing lately.

"Hi!" Their heads turned in a snap. I headed straight to Enzo and threw my arms around his neck. I hope he won't be able to figure out my pretensions that I'm feeling something different. "Hey, I missed you!"

"H-hey, Bee..." He looked astounded. Nevertheless he wrapped his arms around my waist to support me. I must have thrown myself forcefully at him.