Yannah | Zombie Apocalypse Story

Chapter Sixteen

—but he fell harder

Jeramel's Point of View

Grade 4

"Bagay ko ba tong lip gloss ko?" Yannah asked her friend. I was quietly sitting in the corner, secretly watching her. I used to be annoyed whenever she came close to me. Her voice and her vibes were so irritating. But as time went by, I got used to her presence. Tuwing hindi ko siya kasama, it felt like something was missing. Yannah was literally my best friend ever since kindergarten.

She was smiling while talking with her friend. I couldn't stop glancing at her because she looked pretty with her lip gloss. I think it was her first time wearing make-up, which is why she was very curious about how she looked. 

For me, she still looks the same. With or without makeup, she is still pretty and cute. 

My eyes widen a bit when I realize what I have just thought. Why am I complimenting her? Did I just call her pretty and cute?

Dude... Don't tell me that I like her!?

Nope. Malabo. Yannah is my friend. And friends shall not turn into lovers because it will complicate things. I've watched a lot of movies that taught me that liking your best friends will end your friendship. So that's a big no-no.

"Hey!" 

Nagulat ako dahil sa nasa harap ko na si Yannah. Her forehead creased when she saw my shocked expression.

"Oh, did I startle you? I'm sorry," she says as she sits down on the seat beside me. I did not respond because my heart beat was fast. Why am I so nervous?

"Ay, you're busy," she continued while peeping at my paper. "Baka madistorbo kita."

I wanted to tell her that she was not disturbing me, but before my mouth could even open, she had already left. Napasimangot ako. I was about to draw, para ma-flex ko sana ang sketching skill ko sa kanya. Sayang.

Grade 5

"Let's go home together," Yannah said while wiping our classroom's window. 

I nodded my head. "Okay."

I saw her bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling. "Wait for me, malapit na kaming matapos," she said and happily wiped the windows. I just nodded my head and then leaned on the wall beside our classroom's door.

Maya-maya ay may tumigil sa aking harapan.

"Jeramel, can I talk with you?" Our advisor, Miss Bentley asked. My eyebrows furrowed, but I nodded my head and followed her to her office. 

"Did I fail a subject?" I nervously asked. Kase why would she talk with me? I was low-key panicking with the thought that I might disappoint my father if I failed one subject.

"No," she laughs. 

That gave me some relief. "Uhm, are you close with Sandra?" she continued to ask.

I squinted my eyes. "Uh..." I lick my lower lip while thinking. "Uhm, no. I only interact with her in school, but I don't talk to her when we're outside."

"Is that so?"

I nodded my head. 

"You know, Sandra suffered from a traumatizing event. And now she's having a hard time going to school because she's scared."

Traumatizing event? Is that the reason why she missed one month of our class? I was wondering what happened to her. I thought she had already dropped out of school because she was sick or something.

"And for her to feel safe and have the motivation to go to school, she needs a friend to hang out with her. I asked her who was the closest classmate to her. And guess who she picked?"

I licked my lower lip again. "I don't know," I shrugged. I don't pay any attention to Sandra which is why I don't know the people she was close with.

"You. She said you are the one who is the most close to her," Miss Bentley said, smiling at me.

Uh... I don't know how to react. But how come? I barely have any interaction with her... But I remember that she was the one who would always talk to me first. 

"So can you help us? Basta stay with Sandra and samahan mo siya sa school days. She needs a friend to lean on as of now."

I was about to shake my head because it might turn awkward between the two of us. At first, I didn't like that idea. I felt like I would carry a responsibility with me. Add to that the fact that I am not that close with Sandra. But when I found out that she had been sexually assaulted by her stepfather, I felt pity and sad. That's why I started to be friends with her. 

Her step father, was jailed but got out with one million in bail. Every time I am with her, I notice she will zone out during discussions or get teary eyes. She was also scared to interact with older guys.

To be honest, I felt privileged because I was born a boy. I know men get assaulted and molested too, but girls had it worse. I remember, when we were just in the second grade, Yannah and I were walking along the sidewalk when grown men catcalled her. Keep in mind that they are grown men, and Yannah and I were like 8 years old at the time.

Grade 6

I don't know if Yannah noticed the way I glance and stare in her direction. She looked so good with her new hair cut, which is a wolf cut. It suited her so well.

Yannah became an introvert. She was only loud when she was with me. But she would completely change into this snobby and cold Yannah when I was not with her. 

She's just sitting there, looking out the window. But she looked so ethereal. The sunlight touched her skin, making it glow. What I liked the most about her were her eyes. She's got light brown eyes. I used to think that she was wearing contact lenses, but I found out that it was really her eye color. 

"Hey, are you listening?" Sandra asks as she snaps her fingers.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah," I answer at iniwasan ko na ang pagtingin kay Yannah.

"So I was telling you awhile ago that I would not transfer school. Dito pa rin ako magha-highschool."

Tumango lang ako so at least I won't seem uninterested. Everything she wanted to talk about were her problems, which is okay, but I just don't like the fact that she would vent everything to me. Minsan ay nakakasawa na. But I stayed silent, because I realized that maybe that was her coping mechanism for the sexual assault she experienced at a very young age. 

Pero minsan napapaisip nalang ako kase  I have my own problems too.  Dad cheated, mom was suffering, and they are planning for an annulment. Sarili ko ngang problema hindi ko maharap, paano pa kaya problema ng iba.

I sighed and continued to finish my drawing for our MAPEH class.