Marked

Sunset’s Arrived

If it’s still in your mind, it is worth the risk.

What risk would Paulo Coelho be taking?

I suddenly wondered what it felt like to be a renowned author like him, to develop plots after plots. Ensure that everything tinkled well with the readers with the right emotions and the right environment that goes with it. It must be frustrating to come up with ideas, bring them to words, and make sure the audience can imagine your visions.

I sighed and realized I was only making things hard for my poor brain. I am no writer. I lacked every creative aspect necessary for it so, the likes of those shouldn’t even bother me.

“You really got nothing better to do, Nami,” I told myself like the crazy person I was. “Nothing.”

It was almost winter season, and if I was normal, I would be out shopping for new clothes to showcase in a runway of rusty worn-out lockers. The students think they attend school to battle their outfits like it was a fashion show every Friday. Who even has the time to think of clothes to wear in going to school? Do they not know that those things only happen in the movies? Sometimes they make me think they are only doing it to put themselves in their own films out of desperation for fame and power.

Crap.

Overthinking things - again.

I took a deep breath, stood from the block where I sat, and leaned over the railing to let the cold breeze brush through my face. And my hair. It felt like I was shooting a commercial for a lousy brand of shampoo because of how nasty mine looked.

The view of the school from the rooftop never disappointed me–the beautiful sky, the feeling of the wind under your skin… You would think that school was not stressful from up here. It indeed was deceiving from this angle.

I looked down and saw a few students walking different paths–some with their friends, some with their lovers, some were alone like how I was alone right now. My eyes darted back to the couple feeling too comfortable on the park bench. My insides clenched in discomfort. I felt every food I ate slowly working back up to my throat. This was a scene that makes my eyes and heads sore.

When the two kissed, I became stiff. And my disgusted face stiffened along with it. I didn’t understand why my eyes were glued to this pathetic view. It was addictive in a bad-kind way, like smelling your own nails.

“Look who decided to not show up for class.”

I gulped.

“You really think you can ditch the class and get away with it just like that?”

I didn’t want to turn because I knew I would only see the most terrifying face of fury from the one person who irritates me, but I love at the same time.

“Hey! Are you ignoring me?!”

“Anders!” Grinning, I turned around to face my best friend, who already had her arms crossed at me, brows arched up as if I did something wrong… again. But I have been well-behaved if I say so myself. “I’m surprised to see you here. Don’t you have—”

“Don’t even dare talk back at me, Namiyama!”

I froze.

The sound of her calling me that nickname makes my entire body shake. I hated that nickname, but I enjoyed making fun of the person who coined that nickname so, I wasn’t sure what to feel, exactly.

“You aren’t allowed to stare at me, Namiyama.” She disturbingly moved her head like those figurines with giant faces that bounced off its body with a spring attached.

After a long, intense exchange of discomforting glares, we both burst into laughter, collapsing down the nearby block that I was sure wasn’t made for sitting.

“Admit it,” She nudged my arms as we both tried to calm ourselves. “That impersonation…”

I bobbed my head in agreement without having to hear the rest of what she had to say. “Yeah, it was a pretty good impression, I give you that.”

“Pretty good?” She eyed me in disbelief. “It was amazing! What are you talking about?!” She bumped her shoulders with mine.

Chuckling, I leaned back so I can recover from all the carbon dioxide I omitted from laughing too much. It was amazingly, disturbingly accurate.

“What are you doing here, anyway?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged, admittedly. “Waiting for your Samantha impression, I guess.” I let out a less crazy laugh this time. I was still too lightheaded from all the laughs we had three seconds ago.

“We’re already seniors, and this is the one time you decide to mess up your clean records?”

Interesting take on wanting to rest. Well, I guess I cut my classes, which made sense. “I didn’t feel like we were going to discuss anything necessary today.”

She looked up, digging into her memories kind of, then pouted. “You’re right. The class was boring. I’m so mad you didn’t pull me here with you.” She frowned, sulking like a kid who couldn’t get what she wanted. “I wasn’t lying about turning you in for this, though.”

My mouth gaped open. “You wouldn’t dare.”

She flipped her hair to the back with a grin. “Try me.”

“You get lesser chances of dating Seth if you dispose of me like that.” I threatened, and it obviously worked. I can work my way out with Sophee for as long as I bring up Seth.

“Fine.” She puckered her lips. “I don’t even blame you. The view here is amazing. I never understood why you liked spending time here, but now that I’m here…”

I smiled and watched her stare from afar. The sun was setting after all so, the view was better than ever. What better time to smile? “I wouldn’t come here for peace of mind if I were to look at a dump of garbage now, wouldn’t I?”

She snorted out loud. “Imagine waking up to a beautiful sunrise next to Seth?”

I sneered, surprised by her sudden outburst of thoughts that I wasn’t interested in. She glared at me, pouting, but I wasn’t trying to insult her. I just found it hilarious that she was having thoughts about waking up next to a man who doesn’t even care about her–know her even. I shook my head as if to tell I wasn’t offending her and said, “I’m sure you’re the happiest if that happens.”

She laughed along with me.

I guess she can realize her pathetic imaginations herself.

Sophee Anders.

My best friend.

We were not childhood friends, but we were close friends–best friends. If we were childhood friends, we’d probably have a more dysfunctional-problematic relationship than we already have.

I remember when Sophee felt the most vulnerable. It was probably the most pathetic days of our lives together, but probably the most precious ones. Just the thought of how things were back in middle school is horrendously mortifying–oh god.

“Hey! Are you listening to me?”

My attention retorted back to reality as soon as Sophee started snapping her fingers across my face. She stared at me with so much concern, like aliens have abducted me, and they took me away from Earth for a few seconds. “Huh?”

She gave me a disapproving glare. “I’ve been talking here, and you weren’t listening to a word I was saying?”

I blinked my eyes innocently as if I would get away with it. I was too lost in my thoughts. I couldn’t even hear Sophee and the things she apparently just talked about. “You were talking about something… makeup…” I said, trying to sound convincing and confident about my answer. But the way she crossed her arms told me I didn’t do and I thought I did.

“Your lies,” she poked over my chest and leaned closer with her displeased expression. “—are the worse.”

You can say that again.

She reached for my wrist and pulled me up as she stood. “C’mon, it’s getting late and, your teammates are already waiting for you in the studio.” She said like a mom. “Last period was over thirty minutes ago. What for are you the captain if you slack off?”

I chuckled.

She really sounded like any other mom I’ve watched. It was funny.

“That’s a big betrayal right there, my friend.” She pushed me by the shoulder so, I took the liberty to walk with her like the good friend I am.

“Betrayal? That’s a big word,”

“I don’t know. I just like to use the word because it’s trending right now so,”

I laughed.

What a simpleton.

“What about you? Aren’t you going to your club today?” I asked, both of us heading downstairs to exit the rooftop and she clung to my arms the way she always did.

“I am.” She answered briefly. “I’m just sending you off to make sure you do your responsibilities as the captain.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re sounding like my dad, and it’s creeping me out.”

“True.” She frowned. “Even I’m creeped out.” She gagged on her own words, but she shook it off fast. “Anyway, what are you doing this weekend?”

This weekend?

“And please don’t tell me you’re doing homework because I’m throwing you out the window right there,” She pointed at the vast window we were about to pass by. “Right now.” She flashed me a sarcastic smile. “What’s it going to be?”

“Homework.”

She immediately rolled her eyes the second she heard home. “You’re worse than my parents blocking all my credit cards whenever I go impromptu shopping.”

I slipped my hands back inside the pockets of my coat. “I don’t really know. Maybe I’ll just watch movies and eat until I pass out.”

I felt her squeeze my forearm, causing me to clench away from her a little in shock. “That’s a great idea!” She exclaimed. “If I’m planning to become Humpty Dumpty by the end of the year.”

“Why not? I bet you’d still look good as—”

“Nami,” She cut me. “I love you, but please shut your mouth if you have nothing better to say about my dietary plans for the rest of my life because you know how terrible I feel about gaining weight.”

“Now, see…” I glanced over in her direction to give her a proper oration this time. “That’s a problem. You need help, Phee.”

She pouted, jumping as we walked together, sulkily. “I hate you for always being right about things.”

Strangely, we hate each other in so many aspects, but we still love each other and care for each other dearly. It’s pretty funny thinking about it. Meeting Sophee might have cost me the toughest-times in my life, but it never was a mistake.