Chapter 2: Watter Bottle

I MET HIM AGAIN

By:Jeaneisgracious

Our day continued in junior high school.

Sometimes I just want to go on vacation right away because I always see Primo.

It seems like every day my admiration for him grows.

I also often meet Primo in the corridor so sometimes I look away when I meet him.

I feel heat on my cheeks and it feels like there is something in my stomach that I don't understand.

It's my first time to experience this feeling.

Sometimes I forget what Ara told me about men.

What does it feel like to be in love?

Do your cheeks turn red like a tomato?

Or does your heart beat faster every time you see your crush?

Today I'm walking in the hallway of our building to refill water, I'm not with Maya because she's busy writing notes for the two of us so I'll be the only one going down.

While walking, I caught sight of Primo going up the stairs, I immediately got nervous so I bent down.

But I still didn't survive.

He held my head and ruffled my hair.

"Hey Lei, your hair is so soft today." he says.

this fool was still stupid.

"good thing I saw you....hm where are you going?" he asked smiling.

"a-ah..." I looked away because I felt myself blushing.

"i-i'm just going to refill my water bottle." i stuttered.

I was about to go down but he stopped me.

He blocked my path with his hand so I looked at him.

He looked at the students passing by the stairs, they couldn't look directly at Primo either.

I can't stare or even look at him so I look away whenever I speak.

He suddenly put his arm on my shoulder and we went down the stairs together.

He's been like this since we bumped into each other at the coffee shop, I feel like we're really close! Annoying!

With every person we passed, there were no women who didn't whisper to us.

annoying! He immediately became a campus crush, even Maya has a crush on him.

I haven't even told Maya that I have a crush on Primo, how?

Well, he also has a crush on Primo.

I know they won't fight me because they know my brother is Justine Dela Fuentes, the flame of the School of Global.

Yes, that's really the name of our school.

I don't know why it seems weird.

When we got to the refilling station, I immediately poured my water there.

"Hey, it's very hot. Can I have a drink, because I didn't get my water bottle in the room." Primo said while fanning his clothes.

My eyes widened at his question.

"yuck! No way! it's not my fault that you left your water bottle." I said flatly.

But he didn't listen to me, he still grabbed the water bottle from my hand that I was about to close.

He immediately gulped down the water in my water bottle, I saw how his Adams apple moved.

The whole time he was drinking, I just looked at him as if I was even more thirsty than him.

I swallowed and looked away, annoying!

what am I thinking?

He put down my water bottle and handed it to me.

What the heck!?

"put it on again, hurry.....we might be late for class." he said with a smile as if nothing had happened.

seriously?! he said that like nothing happened?!

"Hey! What did you do!? Maybe you drank my water because you wanted to taste my saliva, right!?" I shouted angrily.

Ops, I slipped in what I said.

I spoke so loudly, even our schoolmates looked, I even saw some whispering and laughing.

And the group of mean girls opposite their classroom door looked at me as if they hated me.

I avoided looking at them then turned back to the ugly man in front of me.

"w-what?" he asked in disbelief.

It's like he's saying I'm wrong in what I thought?!

I didn't answer his question, I just put my water bottle in the water dispenser again.

I want to pour this water on him because I'm so annoyed with him!

I was surprised when I felt him bring his face closer to my ear.

The air coming from his mouth felt like an electric connection to my whole body.

"so....what if I do?" he whispered, he walked away then I heard him laughing softly.

He left me there dumbfounded, he didn't even call me or wait for me.

The thickness of his face! Did he think I would like him?! No fucking way!

Is it true that you don't like him, Lei?

liar!

I immediately covered my water bottle and chased after him on foot, I almost had half a run just to catch up with him.

But not to keep up with him, but to bump him and be ahead of him in the classroom.

I even saw him surprised that I bumped him.

I want to laugh but I have to show that I'm angry, it's good for him!

I saw him looking at me from the corner of my eyes.

"oh Lei, why is your face red? Did something happen?" Maya asked me openly.

I sat down and straightened my messy hair.

At the same time, I saw Primo pass right in front of us because Maya and I were sitting in front of the door.

"I-I'm fine." I nodded my head, I was still panting from running, as if San Pedro was going to pick me up in a few moments.

I saw Primo come in next, I didn't show my nervousness but I just sat there and pretended to take something from my bag even though the truth was that I scraped my entire bag.

I stared at my water bottle where Primo drank.

Shit, is it true?

this is the first time someone drank from my water bottle, and it's really a boy?!

Maya grabbed my water bottle from me so I was surprised by what she did.

This girl is really, arghh!

"can i have a drink, you're terrible. You took water, but you didn't tell me." she was about to open it but I immediately grabbed it.

I saw the disappointment on her face.

"w-wait!"

She was even surprised when I stopped her from opening it.

This is the first time I took my water from her.

"oh wait, d-don't drink today. I have a cough Maya, I put some medicine in it." then i fake a cough.

"Really? Okay then." she only said.

I put my water bottle in my bag when our teacher arrived.

Our boring teacher is always the last to teach before going home, it's like he makes you sleep during his lectures.

he's worse because he gives us a quiz everyday, as if he teaches us every day.

I rolled my eyes as I thought about it.

"Ms. Dela Fuentes, if you don't like my subject feel free to leave." I was surprised when Mr. Alonzo called my last name.

Oh no! I didn't notice that he saw me rolled my eyes.

I looked at my classmates who were now also looking at me.

Even Primo was looking at me in shock.

I sat up and opened the book we were reading.

"i-I'm sorry sir." I said then pretending to read a page in a book.

Gosh, that's embarrassing.

Sir Alonzo continued teaching until our bell rang, signaling to go home.

I quickly stood up and put my notebooks in my bag.

I was about to go out the door when Maya called me.

"Lei, I thought we were going together?" I saw the disappointment on her face.

By the way, I forgot because Justine told me to hurry down.

I went back inside and waited for her.

"Do you know Lei, I feel that Primo likes me." he said excitedly.

I swallowed and asked a question.

"why?"

Even though I'm not interested I still want to know the reason.

Maya and I were the only two left in the classroom, it's a good thing that ugly Primo got ahead of us!

"hmm, because he always looks at me." she said with a smile and put her backpack on her back.

I just nodded and said nothing after that.

What would I say?

I will be surprised because my best friend likes the person I like?

I felt a pain in my chest as I thought.

This is the time when I will be hurt because of love.

When we went down the stairs, we immediately saw Justine's car parked outside the gate.

"Hey, how come we can't go together. It doesn't matter, I'll just take a taxi because my dad and my mom aren't at home. Bye Lei!" then she half ran out of the gate and preceded me.

Every time she actually sees Justine, she suddenly rushes.

I'd rather believe that he likes my brother than Primo, tss.

I saw Justine standing at the door of his car, Lance and Lucas were arguing, what else is new with these twins?

"Why did it take you so long again?" Justine said then got into the car.

The twins looked at us.

I just shrugged my shoulders, what's wrong with him?

I got into the car and sat down.

"Hey Lei, I heard that the transferee is your new best friend,"Lance mocked me.

I rolled my eyes at him but he didn't budge, so I got even more annoyed.

I saw Justine turn to look at us using the front mirror of the car.

I just ignored it and turned my gaze to the car window.

Annoying!

When we arrived at the house, Ara immediately greeted us with a smile.

Justine parked the car and got out.

He just walked straight.

Why is he always so mad at me?!

Ara greeted us when we entered the gat.

She came home so early today, she even came home earlier than us.

"why did it take so long for you to come home.....mom has been waiting for you for a while now." my sister said worriedly.

Justine stopped walking and spoke with his back to us.

"Ask your good sister, not me." he said angrily.

I was surprised by what he suddenly said.

My tears felt like they were forming and my chest was tight, I shouldn't cry just because of him!

What is his problem with me?!

Because of what happened I got in late, the twins even tapped me on the shoulder.

My sister just smiled at me as she asked me to enter the house.

I entered our door with irritation, argh!

Why does he always see me!?

I sat at the table with a frown.

Mom noticed that so she scolded me.

"oh Saudade, why is your face like that? Aren't you ashamed of eating and you look like you're in a bad mood to eat." mom looked at me angrily.

They all looked at me except Justine.

This man's face is really thick.

"s-sorry, ma."

"let's eat." said mom before praying.

We finished eating so I'm lying on my bed now, wish I could stay in my room for the rest of my life.

Or maybe I'll just leave here so I won't see my stupid brother anymore.

I suddenly remembered what happened earlier at school.

I rolled over in my bed because I felt tickling all over my body.

Is this really how it feels to have a crush?

I got up from the bed because I was so annoyed with myself and I rested in our yard.

Let me take a breath, I want to think about what I really feel is different about myself.

After I went out the door to our yard, I saw my older brother Justine sitting on a chair and looking up at the sky.

As if he was deep in thought, his two arms were folded across his chest.

I was about to leave when he spoke.

"sit down, I know you are very angry with me." he said softly.

How did he know that I was right behind him?

I didn't move for a few seconds until I thought of going to where he was sitting.

It's good that he knows I hate him.

"the sky is beautiful, isn't it?" Brother Justine said smiling while looking at me.

I just rolled my eyes then sat on the chair and leaned back.

Sometimes I don't understand his behavior, tss.

That's why I went out because I want to breathe easy but I'll die before him.

"I know you really hate me so much Sau, for being such a heartless brother." he started, but he was still looking at the sky.

I didn't pay attention to what he said, I had no idea what he was talking about.

I'm still looking at the sky.

"I'm just doing what dad told me, that he should be the one doing it." he said sadly.

When he said that, I just looked at him, he was just smiling.

Suddenly my chest ached and my eyes seemed to be tormented by what he said.

I remember the time when my dad had to go for work abroad, dad said he would come back soon.

Justine waited for him because dad said until he hasn't returned, Justine will be the father to all of us first.

Kuya Justine was 10 years old at that time, and I'm 5 years old at that time.

My brother waited for him, I also waited for dad.

but years passed and papa still didn't come home.

Sometimes I think he has forgotten us.

"I'm sorry if I'm being too much to you, Sau. I just need to do what papa said to me. To watch over you because you're our youngest. But it turns out that you will be angry with me because of what I'm doing." I saw how tears fell from his eyes as he looked up at the sky.

I swallowed of what he said, I didn't know what to say.

I don't know if I should apologize to him or cry in front of him so that he feels that I want to apologize to him.

"sometimes I think it's hard to be the first born. Everything needs to be your responsibility." he looked at me with tears in his eyes.

It breaks my heart seeing how my brother suffered, that I thought it was natural for him to behave like that.

But I was wrong.

I was wrong again.

I'm more disgusted with myself now. I couldn't look at him because of the guilt.

But why should I feel guilty if I'm not doing anything wrong?

Now I proved that I am too spoiled brat.

That I don't think about other people's feelings.

Even though my brother has many friends in our school and even though he is the center of attention, he feels like he is carrying the world.....the world of our family.

My brother stood up and adjusted his clothes before speaking.

"Go to sleep, we have to go to school early tomorrow." he said before turning away.

I even heard him sniffing.

I couldn't stop myself and I suddenly stood up and spoke.

"Justine, I'm sorry." I just said the same thing before entering while running.

I don't know what to feel anymore, now I know that I should be more angry with myself.

I was thrilled just now, but now I want to cry.

I lay down on the bed and took a deep breath.

Is that why my brother wants to keep me away from Primo because he wants to protect me? Protect where?