Being Poor is Not Easy

CHAPTER 3: THE LETTER ON THE STAGE

The days continued to pass, and nothing seemed to change.

Lester remained the bridge between Rico and Baby Ruth, whom everyone affectionately called "Bebe." Whenever Rico wanted to send a message, Lester was there to help. Whenever Rico wanted to know something about her, Lester would find a way.

But unknown to Rico, Lester's feelings for Bebe had continued to grow.

He tried his best to ignore them.

After all, Rico was his friend.

One morning, Rico approached Lester looking more nervous than ever.

"Lester, can you help me one more time?" he asked.

"With what?" Lester replied.

Rico pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket.

"A letter."

Lester looked at it.

"Can you give this to Bebe for me?"

"What does it say?"

Rico smiled shyly.

"I just want to ask if we can talk after class on the school stage."

Lester felt something tighten inside his chest, but he nodded.

"Okay."

That afternoon, he handed the letter to Bebe.

She accepted it politely and quietly read its contents.

After a moment, she looked at Lester and simply said, "Tell him I'll be there."

When classes ended, Rico waited anxiously on the school stage.

Lester stayed nearby, watching from a distance.

The sun was beginning to set, painting the school grounds with golden light.

Soon, Bebe arrived.

Rico stood up immediately.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Rico gathered all the courage he had been carrying for months.

He confessed his feelings.

He told Bebe how much he admired her and how long he had wanted to get to know her better.

When he finished speaking, silence filled the air.

Bebe lowered her eyes before finally answering.

"Rico, thank you."

Rico smiled slightly, hoping for a good answer.

But the words that followed broke that hope.

"I'm sorry."

The smile slowly disappeared from his face.

"I don't think I can give you the answer you're hoping for."

Rico looked down.

Bebe took a deep breath.

"It's not because you're a bad person. You're kind, and I appreciate everything."

She paused.

"But I'm not ready to be in a relationship."

The words felt heavier than Rico expected.

He nodded slowly.

"So... that's a no?"

Bebe gently nodded.

"I'm sorry."

For a few moments, neither of them spoke.

The evening breeze moved quietly across the empty stage.

Rico forced a small smile.

"It's okay."

But Lester could see from afar that it wasn't.

After Bebe left, Rico sat alone on the stage steps.

Lester walked toward him and sat beside him.

Neither of them spoke immediately.

Finally, Rico laughed softly.

"I guess I never had a chance."

Lester didn't know what to say.

Part of him felt sorry for his friend.

Another part of him felt guilty because deep inside, his feelings for Bebe still remained.

As the sky slowly darkened, the two friends sat there in silence.

One was nursing a broken heart.

The other was hiding a secret.

And neither of them knew that this was not yet the end of the story between them and Bebe.

In fact, it was only the beginning of a much more complicated chapter in their lives.