Chapter 4

Look, it was the blue sky that would make my day happy. I was laying on the grass while Aya was putting the sandwiches to a plate. She poured out the two cans of pineapple juice and she laid beside me.

"It was great here," I said with a smile. From that moment, I reminisced how I met Nick.

We were five years old when he started teasing me. He was always making fun of me that was why I cried many times. He would hurt me physically but he would regret after all when I cried out loud. He looked like a bully but he never let others bully me. He once saved me from bullies out there.

I was bullied by three boys. They wanted my money but I had nothing at all. I was pushed to the ground and he came with the policeman patrolling his car.

"Are you hurt?" he asked. I cried out loud and then, he put out the band aid from his pouch. He sanitized my wound with alcohol that made me hurt. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Just let me try again."

I looked at him amused. He looked like a grown man. He blew my wounded knee and he put the band aid on it. He smiled at me and patted my head once.

"Are you okay?" he questioned and I nodded. "I'll walk you home."

"That sounds cute." She giggled and I tucked my hair to my ear.

"It's cute but I never have feelings for him," I uttered without hesitation. I clearly stated it because I didn't want her to judge me.

We were in our third grade when he was teasing me again. I was pissed by him and I pushed him hard to the ground. Our classmates were laughing at him and I felt dizzy.

Everything went black.

That day, he tried to carry me but he did not have too much strength. Our adviser carried me to the clinic and he insisted to stay with me until I got well.

"But he was acting cool behind your back." She laughed.

He was the worst boy I ever met. He was making fun of me. He was scaring me every halloween. He would make some scary costumes to wear that would make me scream at the corridor.

"Please, don't be too noisy next time.", our adviser said to me. He smiled secretly and he looked serious when our teacher gazed at him. "And you, stop teasing or making fun of her."

"Yes, Sir!", he shouted and made a salute position. Our adviser laughed and made us a handshake.

I looked away at him as we shook our hands.

"He was really naughty." She tickled my side and I laughed.

I sat beside her and I stretched my arms. "Well, he was not changing at all. He was still like the old him today."

"I think that he's not. He's getting matured, I mean, we're getting matured. You know, feelings will be changed too, not yet but soon." She was serious at that moment and I think that she was right.

"May be. It will take a lot of time before you realize everything." I smiled at the sky. I breathed deeply and decided to eat the sandwich.

"Have you ever ate with him?" I shook my head when she asked me.

"That lunch was the first." I answered and I bit the sandwich.

"I mean, you two, alone."

I remembered the time when I was hungry. He was giving me the half of his lunch.

"Let's eat." He was smiling. We were in our second grade at that time.

I started to eat the chicken curry that made me full. It became one of my favorite foods.

"Wait, why are you saying the good things he did?" She was curiously asking me and I realized that she was right again. Why?

"Okay, let me tell you this." I whispered. It made me somehow realize things that I ignore for a long time.

We were fourth grade when our adviser asked us to perform a dance. His body could not move easily. His built looked like a bamboo when he danced.

"Be good at dancing. You're embarrassing me." I whispered at his ears while our dance teacher was teaching us the basics of a ballroom dance.

"I'm not good at dancing." He bit his lips while I was taking the lead.

"Watch and learn.", I said with a smirk. He was holding my hand and when I turned, I accidentally slipped on the floor.

My butt was hurt and he helped me to stand up. His face turned dark and he started not to smile while we were dancing.

She gasped and her eyes were bit circled. "He's scary."

"Yes, he was scary at that time and that day, he was making fun of me. I think that he was annoyed when someone reprimands him." I sighed softly.

We got up and started to soak our feet at the river.

"What if he likes you?" Her question made me stunned. "The way he looks at you made me wonder if he likes you or not.

"I laughed a little and looked at her face. "It's impossible. How will he like me? I came from a simple family and he's rich. We're not on the same level."

"You know... the status is not important when you're loving someone.", she honestly said while looking at her reflection on the water.

"It's really impossible. I never met his family but I felt uncomfortable with him being rich.", I said with a calm voice and I started looking at my reflection too.

"Look at your reflection on the water. You can tell what you want on it and you'll see the truth.", she said with a soft voice. "Your reflection will never lie.

"It hit me in my heart. She was right. I could see my imperfections while I see everything at Nick's life opposite to mine.

I wonder why I was born with a simple life. My mother lived from a far away land. We had a vacation there once when I was ten year old kid. She used to weave blankets with old ethnic designs and her siblings were making baskets made up of coconut leaves.

My father's background was a puzzle to me. He never mentioned where he came from or where he used to live with his parents. All I know that he was the second in his family.

"Why are you sad?" She looked at me and I shook my head.

"I wonder what my family is doing now. I miss them." I smiled bitterly.

It was three weeks ago since they were not giving me allowance that was why I applied for a job as a tutor on weekends. It could not sustain all my needs but I have to work.

I started being exhausted when I got the job. I felt sleepy at our class but I read the topics in advance.

"Do you have a sibling?", she asked me.

"Yes. His name was Ricu. I wonder what he was doing too."

"I think that he's cute." She wiggled.

"Yes, you're right. He's cute. His eyes were small and his laughter will make you laugh too." I smiled widely.

"I wish I could have a little brother.", she pouted and her tone changed to a high pitch, "I don't want a big sister. She will just ruin my day." She looked pissed.

"May be, we should visit my litte brother. I guess you'll love him because he's sweet." I grinned.

"Can I go to your house?" She looked at me with a suprised look.

"Yes. Any time. Just to visit my brother." I was happy to make friends with her because she also wanted to meet my family.

We used to live from a small apartment and we were actually a happy family. My little brother was on his fifth grade now.

"Let's play." She touched my arm and she ran away. I chased her and she accidentally slipped at the river. We were laughing and she was surprised behind me. I was pushed to the river before I saw his face.

My foot was having its cramps. I was panicking to move. I saw Aya beside me and she was helping me. I thought that I was drowning but another person helped me.

He carried me to the grass and I almost choked myself because of fear.

"I'm sorry," Nick was sincere with his face. "Are you okay?"

I wiped my face and I sat. "I'm okay." I frowned and stood up.

"We didn't mean to push him." Gray looked worried as I was checking my wet clothes. I looked at them and rolled my eyes.

"C'mon, Aya. Let's go home." I was really pissed at their presence especially for Nick. Aya helped me to fix the blanket and put the plates in a basket.

We were walking at the bridge and a car stopped beside us.

"Hop in," Gray offered with a smile. Aya looked at his face and she was amused. I looked back at him and stuck out my tongue. I grabbed her wrist and walked away.

The two cars followed us while we were ignoring them.

"Hainz, let's hop in. I think that they will stop following us if we do", she said shyly and even her cheeks were a bit red.

"Okay, fine. For you." I rolled my eyes and stopped walking.