Blue

So you came

It is mid-April and the last leaf of autumn trees already fell. The wind is chilly and is giving an eerie, bone-hardening feel where in one swift of unexpected motion, cracking bones will be heard.

That is when I met her.

She's sitting alone on a stump, making invisible o's in the air with her toes. At a glance,you'll label her as a divine creature. Her shoulder-length, wavy, hair that's been blown by the wind, flowing skirt, baggy sweatshirt, slip-in shoes, and her tote bag...they are blue. Her items' colors varies only in one thing—shade.

"Hi. You alone?," she asked when I am finally a meter away from her stump.

"Probably?," I answered half ask, unsure on how I'm going to retaliate. My hands are shaking and I gritted my teeth to prevent more shakes from my body.

"Probably?" Her eyes glistened when she let out a chuckle after bouncing back my answer and then as if she's wiping some tears she looked at me and smiled, a kind of smile that will melt all the iciness in me. "I'm Ao. You can call me A-O as in eiy-ou. So, you alone?"

I am about to answer her question when Cathy called reminding me that she's waiting for me at the school gate.

"Sorry, I need to go."

"It's fine," she said with a grin. "Pick her up now, then come to me when you're alone."

That last remark sent back the melted chills on my spine.

I dashed out of her zone and walked straight to the station, bought a ticket to Livingstown, straight to where Cathy is and bore my eyes on every rooftop.

Cathy is my girlfriend since high school. My parents know about her and vice versa.

She's the kind of a girl who'll push away things that concerns love and loves her books more than me. A total nerd, but no. She's gorgeous in her own way, sultry and sexy on her presentations, well read and someone you can be proud of. When we go to our separate ways in college, her pursuing medicine and me in business administration, this set-up of accompanying to and fro in school started. Well...it is her father's wish but since he can't attend such a chaperone role, I am appointed in his place.

"You should have said 'No,' Papa will understand if you told him about your part-time job." Cathy is so smart and that is the best and worst thing about her. She always have this 'I am right, listen to me' attitude that is sometimes off the hook.

"Look, Catherine. I am here. There's nothing to worry about."

She sighed and continued her walk. We are not that strangers anymore for me to take a second look and know something is bothering her.

I rested my arm on her shoulder and pulled her closer to me as we walk. No words are said.

"I am afraid. What if you met someone more beautiful than me?"

"Then I'll fork out my eye," I said grinning at the new jealous Cathy beside me.

"An eye?"

"Yes. Just a reminder. The other one is for my redemption. For me to still see my lovely Cathy."

"What a silver-tongued person you are." She giggled. Ghad.

I want to take as many videos as I can taken from different angles when she's like this. Giggling and getting jealous over something that is not even existing.

"You alone? Come to me..."

Out of nowhere, I heard Ao's voice, I haven't even noticed that I am spacing out from my conversation with Cathy.

She's looking intently at me, her eyes are questioning and her forehead is creased as if something is puzzling her.

"I hope your eye don't get forked. But you kept repeating 'Blue' for unknown reason. And you're describing blue as if it's a person."

That's what she only said before hopping inside the bus that will take her straight to their block.

"So you came?"

Only a minute after the bus Cathy rode departed, a familiar voice spoke behind me.

There, standing on her blue slip-in sandals and licking a blue lollipop, the bluenette Ao smiles widely.

"Yo!"

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