FLASHBACK

She fished for her phone inside her designer bag and stared at the message that she just got. Her lips formed a curve as she read it. The sender of the message is someone that took her heart away and after a long time of friendship, finally, this guy asked her out… or at least that’s what she thought. She’s sitting comfortably inside a café right now, waiting for that person. He said he has something to confess. Perhaps is he going to confess to her?

She glanced outside and she found herself staring at a young couple sharing a milkshake. She smiled at what she saw. “Someday, we will do that too”, she whispered to herself, imagining that the couple was her and that person. She looked at her wristwatch and realized that any minute now, the guy will arrive, so she grabbed her mirror and looked at her beautiful self.

“Today, you will make him yours”, she said to herself.

“Hello. You’re early today, huh?” she heard him. She swiftly took away the mirror and turned to the man in front of her. “P’Van, what took you so long?” the girl asked, looking directly at the guy called Van. The man scratched the back of his head and said, “Well, traffic, of course”. Although there is nothing funny about it, the girl laughed.

“So, what do you want to tell me, P’?” the girl asked straightforwardly. The guy was caught offguard and started to feel something hot in his face. Looking at the blushing man, the girl thought to herself, “He’s going to confess to you girl”.

She waited for the man to speak up and it took the man some time to uttter, “I realized that I like someone”. The girl could not contain her happiness. “Just tell me that you like me already” she thought. The girl simply held the man’s arm and smiled, in which the guy returned the favor. “Tell me” the girl said, almost a whisper. It was clearly an attempt to seduce the man.

“I like Pie Mindara Manaying” the man said finally. The girl’s world suddenly collapsed. Hearing that name from the person she loves made her furious. She clenched her hands, thinking that he was a fool for liking that girl. The girl tried to keep her cool.

“What do you like about her?” the girl asked, keeping her composture.

The guy smiled for ear to ear, as if he won the lottery. He cupped his hands to his chin and his elbow lying on the table. “Well, she’s smart, she’s sassy, she’s chic and no word could ever describe how gorgeous her face is” he said, daydreaming about the girl crowned as the University Princess.

The girl could not take it anymore. “P’, I’m just going to the restroom” the girl said as she excused her self. The girl ran to the ladies’ restroom and stared furiously in the mirror. She remembers the University Princess. The girl was the talk of men when the University Princess wasn’t in college yet, but then she was replaced cruelly. In truth, the girl was supposed to be crowned as the University Princess but when the hazelnut-eyed girl came, it all changed. She clenched her fist tighter. Van liking the Princess clearly put the girl in the Princess’ shadow. She heard a knock on the door.

“Yam, are you okay?”

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“Earlier in the game, what do you intend to do?” she asked, her gaze still meeting with mine. Pie, if I told you that I’m Kim, would you still love me?

“This” I whispered as I tilted my head and planted my lips to her cheeks. And just like that, all of our memories together came back to me. The first time I set my eyes on her… The first time I talked to her… The day we became friends… The day we become lovers… I miss all of that and if I were to turn back time, I would gladly repeat the day I’ve met her over and over again.

The kiss lasted for a while. I can’t stop myself. I’ve been longing for Pie for so many years and I want to fill all those years that I left her. I want to love her again. I want to set this right. But if I did and she learned the truth, will she be able to fight for us?

I pulled away softly. Just like I said, the last thing I want her to feel is to be uncomfortable. Silly Tina, you kissed her, of course she will feel uncomfortable.

I looked away immediately. I can’t bring myself to look at her. It’s just that…. I can’t keep my emotions anymore. This is dangerous.

“I-I’m sorry, Pie” I said, scratching the back of my head. I could feel my heart beating so fast.

She’s been quiet for some time. The silence is killing me…

“Pie?” I checked on her as I slowly turned my head to look at her. I could feel my face heat up when I saw her biting her nails while furrowing her eyebrows. I don’t know what she’s thinking but she looks so cute right now.

BANG! The door suddenly opened.

I quickly turned my attention to the door. I could see a silhouette of a muscular man.

Is that…. Zee?

Pie quickly stood up, picked her phone, and without saying anything, she walked out of the cellar. What’s with her?

I grabbed the wine that we found and I was about to ran after Pie when Zee grabbed my wrist.

“Dude, I’m sorry” Zee asked, with a sad look in his face. I thought he was going to ask what happened. Why is he saying sorry instead?

“Why?” I asked while furrowing my eyebrows. Something’s wrong here.

Zee closed his eyes and said, “The gang and I thought that something’s up with you and Pie so we decided to lock you both in the cellar to patch things up but I see that it didn’t work, maybe?”.

So that’s the reason of his weird smile when he got out of the car?

I sighed. I think it’s better if I let Pie go for now. I got to maintain my composture. Having Pie around me is so dangerous. I was in the verge of telling her everything earlier. Kim, be strong. Keep yourself together.

I tapped Zee’s shoulder and went to my bedroom.

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I went to school earlier today, when Zee was still asleep. I’m sure he’ll ask me a couple of questions when he sees me. I really want to hide right now. I don’t want anyone to see me at all, it’s a good thing I bought my denim jacket with me. Pie’s scent gives me some courage.

I was about to go up to the rooftop when I accidentally bumped someone’s shoulder. The girl almost fell but it’s a good thing that I caught her back. She was listening to music before I bumped to her but when she fell, the earphone was removed from her phone, causing the music to play out load while I was holding her. This looks like a scene from a movie and it’s awkward. What made it more awkward is the song. The song was Thinking Out Loud.

I quickly helped the lady to stand up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—“ I said but I was interupted when she waved her hand and said, “It’s okay. I wasn’t looking so it’s my fault too”. I stared at the girl. She’s pretty and her figure is petite. She’s very tall too. She immediately turned off the music.

“Anyway, I’m Yam. Nice to meet you” she said as she lifted her hand for a hand shake. I smiled. She looks friendly. I lifted my hands too and said, “I’m Tina. Nice to meet you”.

Yam opened her eyes widely and lifted her other hand as if she remembered something.

“Ah! Tina Jittaleela?” she said.

“Yeah. That’s me. Why?” I said, not following why she repeated my name.

“I always hear your name!” she explained.

I furrowed my eyebrows and said, “Huh?”.

We realized that we’re still holding each other’s hand so we quickly pulled away.

“What huh? Don’t tell me that you don’t know that almost all the girls here are into you?” she said, furrowing her eyebrows.

What is she saying?

“Uhhhhhh… Nope” I said, in which she laughed at.

“Well, now you know” she said, she walked towards me and knocked my head.

“So that’s why if you want to date a girl, do it secretly. You don’t want a mob of girls hurting your girl, right?” she continued as she tapped my shoulders.

She started walking away from me

“Goodbye now, Tina. We’ll meet again” she said, waving her hands at me as she was walking. I waved my hand back. She’s weird.

I continued walking to the rooftop. I’m bored, I still have an hour before the start of our class. I wonder if Zee’s my classmate today. I know that it’s my fault that I kissed Pie in the cheeks but I’m still mad at him for locking us in the cellar. It’s so embarrasing and at this point, I don’t know how to face Pie anymore.

I opened the door leading the rooftop. The sunlight immediately illuminates my face. The skies are full of clouds today and I could feel the breeze hugging my body. You could see the whole university from here but something else caught my eyes and my attention, not to mention my heartbeat. I saw her, her elbows lying in the railing. Her hands holding a cylindrical object. Is that a cigarette? She smokes? Her hair dancing with the wind. Even though she’s wearing a Ray-Ban Sunglasses, I could see that her hazelnut eyes are lost. I gulped to what I saw. She is an epitome of beauty and I willingly submit my whole self to her.

I felt my face heat up. Why am I happy seeing the last person I want to see right now?