The Sun, The Moon, and Their Stars

28 : Question

February 2005

Kimberly

"I hate Physics!" Lawrence exclaims while I open the book that I borrowed from the library to help us answer the workbook questions.

I find the page we need for the lesson and place the book on the corner of my desk, so he can see the text as well.

We're in my classroom once again, and it's another working lunch break for us. He's sitting on Erick's chair. Some of my classmates are here as well, busy with assignments too.

"Yeah, but I hate Chemistry more," I tell him while I open my notebook.

"What did Chemistry ever do to you?" he asks without shifting his eyes from the book.

"One word," I say, pointing my pen up. "Stoichiometry."

We start answering the first question.

I wait for him to finish his answer before we move on to the next page of the reference book.

"I also hate Thursday," I say. "And I can't wait for tomorrow."

"What's with Friday?" he asks while turning the page.

"The end of the week?"

Lawrence studies my face and arches an eyebrow. He can read through me because I never hated Thursdays before. I only hate it now. And that's because Benjie hasn't been around since Tuesday. They left that day for the Metro, to compete for the national-level Math Quiz Bee yesterday. Miss Valero is already here this morning, but he hasn't shown up yet.

I roll my eyes at my best friend. "Even The Cure said, 'Thursday, I don't care about you.'"

"Hey, friend!"

That familiar voice comes from out of nowhere and almost makes me jump. Lawrence is taken by surprise as well. I swear all the other people in the room turn their heads in our direction. Maybe even one of Jupiter's moons turns to us too.

He seems extra cheerful today. He's also relaxed and refreshed. "Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt," Benjie says, placing his bag on the chair in front of mine. He opens it and takes something out. "Just want to give you this." And he hands me a book.

I receive the paperback, but I already know what it is before I do.

"This is the one I was looking for."

"Told you I'd help you find it," he says with his boyish smile.

I inspect the cover and the first few pages. "Where'd you get this?" I ask.

"From a bookstore, KP."

I disregard the mockery in his voice and take in the fact that he remembers. And I know so well how a brand-new book looks and smells like, and how much it must have cost.

I meet his gaze this time. "This is brand new," I say. "How much is this? I'll pay you back."

He waves his hand in front of his face, a mannerism that reminds me of his mom. "Nonsense," he says. "You don't pay back a gift."

I stare down at the book again, then up at him. I smile. "Thanks," I say.

He smiles back, lifts his bag from the chair, and steps to the side toward his own. "You can go back now reciting Friday, I'm in Love." Then he goes out of the room.

I turn to my side and put the book inside my bag in between my notebooks. Then I return my focus on the Physics assignment. But Lawrence places his notebook on top of mine and shows me something he wrote on a page: