The Only Reason

03: Solid as Diamond

He looked at the shelves and shook his head. "This is the last jar so... no." he pulled the jar and because he's obviously stronger than me, he got it effortlessly. He then smirked. "I don't do chivalry, Misss. That's been dead." He added before turning his back again and walking away.

"What the hell?" I muttered. My mouth hangs open as I watch that guy walks away. I couldn't believe what I just heard.

He is a freaking jerk!

I felt my whole body heat up with irritation. I gripped the handle of my cart trying to stop myself from following him and do something hilarious and embarrassing. I took three deep sighs to calm my nerves and shake away the irritation; reminding myself that there are still lots of jerks and assholes out to lose my temper for one.

Resigning, I turned at the shelves of variety of sandwich spreads and took the jar of flavored mayonnaise before pushing my cart at the counter's to wait for my mother there. I know she's not yet done with her tasks and since I still don't have a new simcard to text her and this store is too big to search for her, I decided and better wait for her there instead.

It took me five minutes of waiting and I'm already frowning when my Mom finally came at the counter's lane. She's pushing a cart full of raw goods such as vegetables, meats, fruits, and other ingredients she'll be using in her cooking.

"How long have you been here?" she asks.

"Five minutes," I answered pouting. I pushed my cart after her at the line. "Can I get an ice cream?" I asked. She nodded and I immediately left my cart next to her and went at the dairy section of the store.

I took three gallons of different flavors and went back at the counters'.

"I took three," I told her showing her the items, smiling.

Mama eyed me but I just smiled at her still and she just sighed and nodded.

"Don't cry to me just because you don't want to drink a medicine for cough," she said as we pay the ice cream as an addition of what we bought.

"I won't, I promise," I raised my right hand. Mama shook her head.

"That's the same thing you said the last time, Ariessa." I pouted and didn't answer.

I don't have a strong tolerance with anything cold, either foods or weather. I easily catch a cold and cough. And being sick is my most miserable state because drinking medicines are my worst enemy.

From the grocery store we went next at the salon. I tried to convince her that I don't need a haircut and I'm perfectly fine with my look. But nothing happened, Mama was so firm with the idea and I had no choice but to obey.

I was frowning in the whole salon treatment. The stylist cuts my hair from my waist to my elbow; she also made some trimming with my bangs making it a side bangs from full. I did not complain until Mama asks the stylist to color my hair. I almost jerk from my seat but Mama glared at me, leaving me no choice but let them do whatever they want with my hair. Oh, my poor hair.

"I love how it turned out, you look better," Mama commented. I pouted.

My black hair is now dyed with ash brown and indeed, I look better but I still feel uncomfortable. I mean, I've sported that look for years and having a sudden change made me uneasy. It feels like my soul was transferred into another body whose way different than mine, that there's a portion of me that is missing. It's a simple transformation but it feels so drastic.

I shook my head mentally. I'm thinking exaggeratedly again.

"I look different," I said. Mama hummed. "It feels different, too," I added.

"You're just not used, Ariessa," she said. I sigh and pushed my glasses up but Mama snatched it.

"Ma!" I complained.

"Stop wearing fake eyeglasses," she said. "It might cause you an eye failure," she added with authority. Now, I'm totally changed.

"Whoa! Who's this chic, Ma?" Arvin blurted as I entered our house. I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up, shithead," I groan. He laughs.

"God. You look different," he said as he puts his arm on my shoulder.

I shrugged it off. "Thanks to you," I said sarcastically before climbing up the stairs. He laughs again but I didn't bother to shut him up again and just headed straight to my room.

I snatched my laptop on my study table before diving on my bed. I logged in to f*******: and scanned my friends list searching for Andrue's name. I immediately clicked on the video call's icon.

"He's a jerk, Dreu, if only you were there," I sighed in the front of my laptop screen. I told him what happened at the grocery store earlier and on how I ended on getting a jar of mayonnaise instead of cheese spread.

"I will punch him if I was there and you will be crying like a baby for sure," he said teasing.

I pouted.

Well, he was right. If he was there and witnessed how rude that guy on me, he will punch him for sure and I'll be crying for him to stop like what happened before, when he punched my bullies back when we were in grade 7.

The guy snatched the book I was reading and passed it to his friend then passed it to another one to another one while I was chasing it. I was already crying but they did not stop, they were even laughing seeing how weak I was to get back my book. Then Andreu came, he snatched the book from my bullies and gave it back to me and after that he gave each my bullies a punch on the face and did not stop not until a teacher came and told him to. He was brought at the disciplinary office and was punished of two weeks suspension plus community service, while my bullies were forced to transfer into another school.

That day I realized how lucky I am for having him and how unfortunate he was for having me. I mean, I was nothing but a trouble keeping him to enjoy his life, his high school life so, I decided to stay away, distance myself to him to not cause him any trouble anymore. I tried. But Andreu got mad when he learned about my reason and made me promise to not do it again. I nodded as my response while crying. He hugged me and whispered that he won't let me got hurt and bullied again; he swore that he will always at my side no matter what. He did. He never leaves me until I was the one who leave him.

Leaving him was hard. It was like leaving a part of me that I will miss everyday but I had no choice but to leave. I am still dependent on my parents and as long as I'm under their roof and using their money, I don't have a choice but obey them—not that I'm complaining but it just that, it was really hard to decide for your own when there's your parents' opinions that matters more than yours.

"I don't think so," I replied. "That guy has a good built and his biceps were firmer than yours. He will just fall down when you punch him while you'll be knocked off when he punches you back," I added. I lie on my bed then put my laptop at my stomach and adjusted its screen down.

"And you had a time to check him out when he's bullying you," he commented. He even shook his head.

I laugh. "What? I did not, stupid! It's just that when you saw him it was the first thing you will notice on him since he's just wearing a sleeveless shirt," I explained.

"Whatever you say, Ariessa Jullianne," he just said. I laughed harder.

"Aww. My James Andreu is jelly-jelly," I teased. It was his turn to laugh.

"I'm not jelly-jelly," he said, quoting the words and imitating me.

My laugher was continuous to the point that I snored.

"Yuck," he commented. I rolled my eyes.

"Says from the one who's snorting during sleep," I said, grinning.

"That's normal with men," he answered.

I shook my head. "It was not. Mrs. Santos taught us that in Biology, dude." I said.

-ed. "Right, Miss brainy," he then said.

I laughed again.

I will crave for this kind of conversation with Andreu every day. That even though it was senseless, I will always look for it, I would always ask for this than nothing. Andreu's my soul mate and wherever I am in or vice versa we are solid as diamond; best of friends 'til forever.

"I like your hair," he suddenly commented. I thought he won't notice. I smiled.

"I feel uncomfortable, though," I said honestly. His brows crossed.

"Why? It suits you," he said. I shrugged.

"I don’t know," I said. "Maybe because this is the first time I dyed my hair plus this," I blew my bangs. He laughs.

"You'll get used to that soon besides, it was a good idea that you had your hair cut; it clearly emphasizes your features now," he said. "I can now see your brows and that cute dimple on your right cheek," he added. He even touched his phone's screen as if he's touching me. He really has a fetish with my dimple.

I laugh, showing off my dimple. I only have one and it was on my right cheek unlike with my brothers; pairs of dimples in their both cheeks and lashes that always and naturally on fleek unlike mine, unfair.

"Papa will enroll Arvin and I to school tomorrow," I said after regaining myself from laugher. He sighs to redeem his self too.

"I hope you'll be fine at your new school," he said in low but serious tone. "Please be fine, Aries. I'm not there to protect you," he added.

"You're worrying too much, Dreu," I commented. "I'll be fine," I said shrugging.

Even though I, myself is not sure with what I said. But I won't tell him that, I don't want to cause him any trouble. We are now miles and miles away to each other, lives in different country and continent and I, causing him any problem with this distance between us is not right. I don't want to be a burden to him anymore.