TBBM XLVI. Sparks

"Okay. Let's just delete this now and move on," Red sighed.

"Nooo!" I tried to stop him. "Don't delete it! It's my memory of you."

"Done," he said, without blinking as he looked at me.

I received my phone back, flustered. I checked my gallery for the file but it was gone. He really erased the file. It would have been my only recorded memory of him, this far, at least.

"I asked you not to delete it," I murmured, fighting off tears.

"It's out of focus. It's out of frame. You won't enjoy watching it, anyway."

"Hey. Hey. Jopet," Nina intervened. "I'll send you the video I took. Sounds good?"

"Nins," Red shook his head. "Don't send it to her. She didn't take the video right, so, let her be without it---"

"Red, that's too much," Nina declined.

+++

He drove us quietly back to school. Other than the fact that it was already rush hour, the school event drew allot of participation from the local government and media causing for the road traffic to be even more hectic.

We hadn't talked until we reached the school grounds.

"Hicks," he called my name after he parked.

I ignored him and unfastened my seatbelt instead. He grabbed me in the arm.

"Don't look for it. It's not something good for the memory."

I pulled my hand away and continued unfastening my seatbelt.

"Hickey..." he exhaled.

"Let's not talk for a while," I said, without looking.

"My back hurts," he complained. "I think I've a burn."

"They won't close the infirmary until after the event. You should check in," I answered coldly.

"You won't take care of me?" he blurted, surprised.

"I'm leaving now."

I reached the assembly at Gate 3. The line was indeed long as students holding LED sticks coloured green and white lined up to the open field.

The Human Star Formation was an annual event to show solidarity of the students, staff and educators in the campus. A drone shot will be taken of all of us while representatives from Guiness observed the headcount. Major media outlets covered the event like they always did.

I saw Roma, Betty and the rest. I ran towards them. Our college was assigned to the colour green so we had to wear the green collegiate shirt. We were to hold the green LED sticks, too.

"Jopet," Betty handed me my green shirt. "Here's yours. Sorry, we only have large sizes left."

"Large?" I asked in denial. It'd be too big for me.

"I'm sorry," Betty pouted.

"No," I assured her as I wore the shirt on top of my clothes. "I'm good. See?"

My phone rang soon after. It was James. We hadn't had time to really hang lately. He was busy with their thesis.

"Jim-jim," I answered.

"Jap," he breathed. "Are you here?"

"At school?"

"Yeah. At school."

"I am," I confirmed. "You?"

"Here, too. Do you have plans after this?"

"Not sure. Why?"

"Nothing," he cleared his throat. "I just want to see my bestfriend."

"You can drop by at my house anytime, you know?" I felt my intestines coiling in excitement. I missed him.

"I know," he smiled from the other side.

"Jim, what colour is your Star shirt? Mine's green but it's too big. Ran out of sizes."

"I can give you mine. But it's medium and white---"

"Oh! No! Your college secretary might get mad at you."

"Yes. She's fidgety," he chuckled.

"Talk later?" I said and hung up.

I joined Roma on the front of the line. Officers usually led the line but since the President was nowhere to be found, she led the class, instead. Roma wore that inquisitive look with joy; the type of joy that I lacked at the very moment.

"How was your date with Red, Sister?" she beamed. "Oh, you should be in front of me."

"I swear it's so not a date," I corrected her as I assumed the first on the line. "I just watched him race."

To that note, the PAC Girls started to come closer to us, making faces, whispering to each other.

I wondered what I'd do to make them like me. It was exhausting to have to constantly deal with their hate on me.

"Oh, my God!" Roma looked like she'd faint while embracing her camera. "That's exciting. He must have looked cool in racing uniform."

"Yeah. But let's not talk about him," I frowned. "Hey, can you help me fold this shirt at the back? It's too big."

I saw Red came as Roma was helping me with my shirt. He had to be the first person on our line so he approached us. I asked Roma to switch places so I won't have to be next to him.

"Looks like the date went bad," she whispered to me.

"Don't even talk to me about him," I murmured.

"Wear this instead," Red offered his Star shirt. "Take that off. It's too big for you."

"Roma," I ignored Red. "Can we just tie it at the bottom?"

Red scratched the back of his head, annoyed.

"Come here," he took the bottom of the shirt from Roma's hands, stood at my back and tied it on my front, just under the navel. People would mistake him for embracing me at that rate so I tried to break free. But he was always stronger.

"Noooo," Angie gave a faint cry.

Cliffy and Mar went on to tease us.

The girls from other classes were staring too. I was running out of breath, drowning in the sudden attention. I thought that it would be far better to be eaten alive by the ground than have to deal with everyone's questioning stares.

Dub dub. Dub dub.

Dub dub. Dub dub.

Doesn't your pulse race when you're with him?

Doesn't your pulse race when you're with him?

Doesn't your pulse race when you're with him?

I kept hearing Nina's question in my head. I shook it off.

The announcer declared the start of the march-in. All students went back to their lines and began to enter the open field. James' college was the first to enter while our college was in the middle. The field was marked with designated codes per college to facilitate ease of movement.

"Hicks," Red turned around after we have settled. "Can you give me my wallet?"

"Roms, can you tell Mr. President that I don't have his wallet?" I requested.

"She said that she doesn't have it," Roma relayed.

"Hicks, look at your main compartment. I put it there before the race earlier. You know, I can't take that with me to---"

"Roms," I fumed as I opened my bag. It was there. He didn't even tell me he placed it in my bag. "Please give this to Mr. President."

She gave it to him. I felt bad for Roma having to be our bridge but I didn't want to talk to Red.

"Thank you, Hicks," Red turned around as he got his wallet but faced us again in a split second.

I could hear the PAC Girls' disapproval.

"Hicks," he called on me again.

"Roms," I tapped on Roma again. "Can you ask him not to bother me, please?"

Roma relayed my message.

"Hicks, I'm not bothering you. I just need my ID."

"Roms, can you ask him where in my bag did he put it?"

Roma went on and asked.

"Hicks," Red called on me again. He was so annoying. He kept saying that nickname when everybody could hear. "It's in the front pocket."

I looked for it. It wasn't there.

"Front pocket, Hicks."

"Roms, can you tell him that it's not here?"

She told him.

"May I see your bag? It's there," he called over.

"Roms, please pass this on to him."

"Oh," he looked at me, grinning mischievously. "I remembered it's in my wallet. Let me carry your bag for you."

Roma looked away, trying not to laugh. My classmates' teasing had become louder.

I clenched my fist in distress. This guy would cause my eventual death. His actions were beyond reasonably bearable. If only the class wasn't there, I would've walked away. I wished James was there.

As everybody settled in place, they started off the countdown. Shortly as we hit the end, all the lights died. The sky shone beautifully as we sang our hymn with our hands waving the LED sticks. Drones hovered above us, as helicopters from media stations took cover of the event. It was a beautiful evening. Hearing everyone chant to their hearts felt energising and uplifting at the same time.

I took a short video and sent it to Nina and Seb saying, "It's more fun in Green."

I was sure Seb would grow raucous about it.

At the end of the spectacle, fireworks were lit and it burnt gloriously in the atmosphere forming the message of our 100th year as an institution. Everyone including me took photos. But I knew Roma should have been taking photos of everybody since the start. Her mother liked to be informed of the highlights of her university life. She always brought her camera with her.

The band started playing after the fireworks. I was among the boring ones who didn't like noise that much and left. But then, I realised that Red had my bag with him so I waited for him at the parking.

He showed up not too long after. He walked slowly towards me and his car, kicking on the ground as he did.

"That was quite a show," he smiled, trying to peer at my face. "Come on! It's not a good time to be fighting like this."

"Please hand me back my bag, Sir," I laid my palms out in the air.

"Nope," he teased even more. "Not giving this to you until you talk to me."

"I don't want to talk to you," I tried to grab my bag from him. "Just give that to me, please."

"So, you're really not going to talk to me?" he exhaled loudly. "How can you be messaging Seb and Nins and not me? I am here---in front of you."

"They're my friends," I countered.

"They're MY friends," he emphasized. He walked closer and closer to me until my back pinned against his car door. His arms were on either sides of my face as he leaned over. "You can be really feisty when you're upset, Miss."

"Give me my bag, already---"

"You are so stubborn," he swallowed a lump, his eyes were on me almost like burning in passion. "I deleted it intentionally. It was your first time watching me. I was humiliated that you saw me fail. I didn't even want you to keep a record of it. You always thought I was cool. Failing miserably like that wasn't cool. Think about my pride, Hickey. I brought you there. I didn't even win for you."

"W-win for me?" I stuttered.

I had never seen Red explain himself like that. He was calm but also burning; it was as if he didn't really want to explain himself but he was left with no choice because I was being difficult. It didn't cross my mind that as a guy, he had his ego and every time I resisted him like that, I was making it very hard for him. I wanted him to explain it to me like that.. But I guessed guys weren't really into explaining much.

"If you're still mad at me, for I am a jerk, just punch me, hit me, do whatever you like. Just don't ignore me like that, it's exasperating. Can you do that?"

Dub dub. Dub dub.

Dub dub. Dub dub.

I couldn't control my heart. It drummed heavily in my chest. I thought it malfunctioned---his proximity caused it to malfunction.

"Hicks," his tone was becoming weaker and gentler. "Talk to me."

"I'm not really mad anymore," I whispered back. "Now that you explained it to me."

"Really? Are we good?" his tone picked up a bit. "Ouch!"

"What? What happened?" I inspected his face. He was so handsome up close.

"My blister hurts from leaning over to you for long," he groaned.

"Were you really wounded?"

"Yeah," he was making baby faces. "I told you so. You just ignored me. It's okay. If it gets infected and I get hospitalised, you'll take care of me."

"You're such a baby," I tittered. "I thought you were just making stories to make me talk to you. You're like a baby."

"Okay, since you called me a baby, I won't ever get this treated and then I'll just get paralyzed and bed-ridden---"

"I'll treat your wound," the words slipped out of my mouth. "My mother's got a medicine kit back home."

His face brightened up. His eyes lit up with sparks.