Water and Fire (BL)

Chapter 4: Lowly Station in Life

Chapter 4: Lowly Station in Life

It was the weekend, and Eric just stayed at home to slack off. He stayed on his couch thinking about his school and the people in school.

It's a good thing that he became friends with Charlie. At least he's not alone in the classroom or in the cafeteria. What bothers him, though, is that David Zhou guy and his bully friends.

Because these past few days, it seemed like those bullies took a a liking in Charlie, and started bullying him even more.

Poor Charlie.

The last time, this David put his foot out on the stairs, causing Charlie to trip on the stairs. It gave Charlie a bruise on the face. Did Charlie say anything about that? Nothing. He said it's just normal for guys to get bruises and stuff. Eric was clenching his fist then. He needed to do something.

And yesterday while in the classroom, David and Jarwin and the others wrote something offensive at the back of Charlie's uniform with a permanent marker. "I shit my pants," it said. At the end of the classes, while Charlie and Eric were walking along the hallway, people around them burst out laughing.

This David has to be stopped.

"Hey, are you listening to me?"

Eric's mind snapped back to reality upon hearing his mother's words.

Eric's mother, Marilyn Mendoza, is a fair, young lady with her hair always tucked in a neat ponytail. She looked so young that one would think that she was Eric's older sister. But if one were to look closely at her face, creases and wrinkles of worry and hardships could be visibly seen.

"I'm saying we should sell some of our appliances," his mother said. "There's a junk shop at the corner of the street, maybe you'd want to carry them and have them weighed. They're just dead weight lying around here." She pointed at an old radio lying on the floor. "Like that old radio. It's broken anyway. Besides, we have no room in this house. Not that we have enough space in this house to begin with..." She trailed off sullenly, and stuffed her mouth with street-bought bread.

"Are you kidding me? That radio's an heirloom of Lolo Pablo. We can't just throw it away like that. Besides, it just needs a little tuning here and there."

"I'm not saying we should throw it away. I'm saying we sell it in the junk shop. Another man's junk is another man's treasure, right?"

"I say no."

"You stubborn brat. How's school anyway, huh? Stealing everyone's spotlight with your good looks? It's fortunate you got your looks from your mother, and not that good-for-nothing jerk..." She trailed off, brows creased, and slammed her fist on the cheap table.

Eric had no father ever since he was in gradeschool. He faintly remembered his father, a stout, balding, alcoholic who always nagged with his mother. He sighed. It's a good thing his mother broke up with him. Not that they're married anyway.

"School's fine. The teachers are okay. Friends are okay. The track that I took seemed like a good track. Maybe it would help me think what course to take in college."

"Hmph, if I were you, I'd use my good looks to get my way. Maybe audition to star searches or commercial castings or something like that."

"Ma!" Eric sat up on the decrepit couch. "Education's important. Good looks will fade, but the knowledge I would gain will never fade, and my finishing senior high and getting to college will be our ticket to a better life."

Marilyn looked sullen and stared at the void. If only you knew how hard it is to slave away to give you allowance and to let us survive in this world, she thought. But she nodded to what her son said. "I know, I know. Don't waste that opportunity. We're still fortunate that the school's government-funded, that the only things we need to worry about are your allowance and other school expenses."