No Scrubs

Sunny flipped pages after pages of CDs arranged inside a leather album. The drive from the hill to their destination will take about 30 minutes. And 30 minutes for teenagers like them felt like forever.

Rookie exhaled at the slow pace of his friend. "Sunny, at the rate that you are going, I am pretty sure that by the time we get home, you haven't picked a CD yet."

Rookie glanced at the album and took a random CD out, "Aunt Mari, can you play this for me please?" he said in a charming low voice.

The old lady in the passenger seat nodded and took the CD from Rookie.

In a few seconds, the song's intro music could be heard.

Oooh... woooah…

"A scrub is a guy that thinks he's fly

And is also known as a buster

Always talkin' about what he wants

And just sits on his broke a$$."

Rookie started singing.

"So, no," Sunny continued, she looked fierce and ready to claw her friend.

I don't want your number

(no)

I don't want to give you mine and

(no)

I don't want to meet you nowhere

(no)

I don't want none of your time and

(no) [1]

The two friends sang in perfect harmony, a complete copycat of the girl group named TLC. They infected the rest in the van that Macaw started to join them only to be silenced by Giant's sweaty palm.

"Please leave the singing to them," he pleaded with furrowed eyebrows and matching crocodile tears. Annoyed by the beast's violation of personal space, Macaw bit his hand and sent him a "serves you right" tongue out when Giant started shaking his hands to relieve it from pain temporarily.

The concert continued until they reached the gates of a military base. The EP [2] stationed at the gates stood ramrod straight and gave a salute to the driver of the white van before pulling the lever to release the military-grade clearance bar.

On normal circumstances, the EP would usually extend his hand - a warning for the oncoming car to slow down and roll down the driver's window.

But the van this late afternoon was bearing a special blue plate that could only belong to a high ranking government official.

The van continued to traverse the dimly lit streets of the military base before it arrived at another gated entry.

"We can take our bikes from here, Sunny," Giant said as he slung his backpack over his shoulders.

"Are you sure? I don't mind driving you up to your houses."

"You need to prepare for your trip tomorrow, Sun. Don't worry about us. We got our bikes." Macaw patted her head then gave her friend a cheek kiss.

The car stopped before the gates, and the driver helped the three friends get their bikes.

"Thank you, Uncle Tawi! Goodnight, Aunt Mari!" they said in chorus.

One by one, the three friends beeped their IDs on the scanner.

"See you tomorrow," Rookie briefly said. He checked his watch first then shook his head. He gave his friends a nod and rode his bike away - straight down the street.

Macaw and Giant pushed their bikes on the side of the road as they walked. Macaw was about to put on her earphones when Giant abruptly stopped with his steps.

He grabbed Macaw's hand, the earphones dangled in the chilly twilight air.

"Is your mom still giving you a hard time?"

"Nope."

"You know I'm always here to listen, right?" His voice was quiet and gentle, as if coaxing a little child.

He twisted his Macaw's tiny wrist and rubbed the little scar tissue hiding under the leather strap of her Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch.

She gave him a faint smile before pulling her hand away.

She patted his cheek and looked straight into his eyes.

The wind was rustling the bare branches of the trees.

"I know I always have you, Grant."

Edited by Swaning