It's 6pm. Dinner starts at 7.30pm.

I sat down after briefing the waiters and those helping out about their roles throughout the night.

Finally some time to myself.

I sat at the balcony and stared at the sun.

The day was about to end. The sun painting the sky shades of pink, red and yellow.

A small breeze blew past.

>7 years old.

“Melly!! you're so slow!!” he laughed as he beat me for the hundredth time in running.

“Not fair! You're a boy obviously you'll be faster!!” I whined. “Let's go again!”

“Ready, set, go!!” we shouted at the same time and dashed across the field. And this beautiful piece of rock decided to be in the middle of the direction I was running in.

I tripped and fell.

“Uwaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!” I cried.

“Wah!! I'm so sorry!!!!” Peniel panicked as he ran to me. “Your knees are bleeding!!”

“i knowwww!!!!” I cried. The next moment, I felt myself being pulled up and leaned onto something. “What are you doing?!”

“Carrying you! Let's go get help!” he said. “I'm strong okay? Besides, I'm your best friend. Of course I'll help you!”

“Really?”

“Yeah! I'll protect you until the day I die!”

> 15 years old. First day of school.

“Geez.. why am I in the same class as you again?!” I complained on the first day of school.

“Because we're destined to be together.” he smirked and swung an arm around me.

“ew.”

That's what I said, but I meant otherwise. Of course I'd be happy to be in the same class as the person I've grown to love all these years.

I realized it last year.. when he left for three weeks with his parents overseas for something urgent. I couldn't live without him. He was everywhere in my mind.

Isn't he tired? He had been running around in my mind for three weeks...

but I just shrugged it off as just missing him because he's my best friend and because we grew up together.

When he came back, I realized.. I was happy not because I finally had that dumb face guy to bully.. I was happy because he was back. Because I wanted him to hug me again. To mess up my hair every time he ruffled it. To steal my lunch during break. To keep asking me how to do math even when it annoys me so much I want to punch him. And everything.. just... as long as it's with him.

“I'm claiming this seat. right. here.” he announced and pulled the chair next to mine. “to annoy you till death do us apart.” he grinned.

Does he even realize everything that he's actually saying..

> 15 years old. Somewhere in the middle of the year.

“Melly.”

“Hm?”

“Do you think we'll be together until we grow freaking old?”

“Uhh.. depends what you mean by 'together'..”

“Hey let's do this.”

“What're you planning now, Peniel..”

“We set a date, and every year, we'll meet at the restaurant we always go to celebrate our birthday, and from there on, have lunch and then plan what to do for the whole day. Every year. We won't remind each other, and no matter rain or shine, we'll be there. Promise?” he stuck his pinky finger out.

“Hahh.. are you serious?” I laughed at his childishness.

“I am! Hey, do you not trust your best friend?”

“best friend..” I mumbled. He was looking at me with such eager eyes. “Fine..”

“Alright! You better not forget, September 24^th. At noon every year.” he grinned.

“Why that day?”

“Because your birthday is on June 14^th, mine is on March 10^th. Add them together and you'll get that date.” he stretched his hands above his head, showing how much of a genius he was. “It's the date Peniel and Melody becomes Penlody!”

“Penlo-what..” I started laughing. “What in the world does that supposed to mean?!”

“Peniel+Melody=Penlody!” he explained and laughed along.

“Idiot.”

“Who? You? Yeah idiot.” he stuck his tongue out.

> 16 years old.

“Oh my gosh oh my gosh Melly!!”

“What now..”

“Debbie Debbie!” he exclaimed.

“What about her?”

“I think I like her.”

“...”

“What's wrong with you?” he waved his hand in front of me. “Earth to Melody!”

“-huh?”

“Debbie Kim. New girl. I think I like her.”

“Oh.. really?”

“Think you can make friends with her for me?”

And I hated myself for agreeing to that.

> 16 years old. September 24^th.

“Gahhh!!!” Peniel ran into the shop.

“There you are.”

“Sorry I'm late!!”

“Yeah by like two hours. Gosh where were you?”

“Sorry! I took Debbie out this morning and forgot about time!”

…

“Oh.. it's.. okay I guess.” I mustered a smile. “What now.. are you guys together already?”

Why did I have to ask that?

He pinked. I swore, I just saw him blush.

“N-no.. not yet.”

Not yet.

“But I promise I promise!! I'll never in my whole life be late again on the 24^th of September!!”

> 17 years old. September 24^th.

He never turned up.

'never in my whole life be late'

Sure. He did promise that. He's not late.

He just never came.

Of course he won't turn up. 'Girlfriend' is always more important than 'best friend'. What was I thinking, things like meeting up on a specific date every year is just empty promises. It'll obviously not be kept as time passes by.. besides, look. We've only met up like this twice..

Why did I keep my mouth shut all these while? Because I thought I'll be contented with our relationship as best friends. I thought I'll be fine if he came to me one day and said that he has a girlfriend. I thought I won't fall in love with him.

I thought.

So why am I still keeping quiet about it when I found out he likes someone else and when I found out that I liked him first?

Because I don't want our friendship to get awkward. Again, I thought we won't grow distant even after he gets a girlfriend.

He just had to get one on the 24^th of September.

“Melody?” a voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned around.

“Oh, Rome.” I smiled as he took a seat next to me. Rome is our close friend from college. 'Our' as in Peniel, Debbie and I.

“Looking at the sunset?”

I turned to look at the sun. The last rays of the day peeping through the far away mountains and the sky was loosing it's colour already.

“Yeah.. I guess.” I muttered under my breath. If only feelings could go away so easily like how the sun sets.

“It's gonna be time so you should get in soon.” he said and stood up. “Don't catch a cold out here. The wind's been blowing a lot today.”

“Okay. I'll be there in five.”

Rome patted my shoulders before he went back in, leaving his blazer on the bench for me.

I took it and looked as the sun completely disappeared behind the mountains, the last lights of the day completely gone and darkness engulfed the scenery.

“They're here!” I heard someone from inside say.

I turned to see the black shiny car decorated with ribbons and two teddy bears sitting in front of the car.

They both came down. Peniel was smiling his idiotic smile at her. That smile he always smiled at me. Only me. But now, obviously, his priorities are different already.

I'll just disappear like how the sun disappeared behind the mountains. Those feelings.. should be put in the past already. Our friendship, how close we used to be, should be in the past already.

Past is past. Maybe.. it's time to move on..

END.

Check out Author's note on the next chapter.>>>>

[20.11.2014 | 0000]