A Childhood Relationship Chapter I: THE BEGINNING AND DISTANCE

Chapter 3

CHAPTER III: SUDDEN PREDICAMENT

Whatever happened between the two of them, even though I was able to avoid something more serious from happening, teachers are bound to notice it. Thus, it wouldn't all be that surprising if the two of them will not go to school the next day. The following day, the two of them did not go to class as I had suspected early on. I've always been a diligent student and am aware of the rules stated in the handbook. I already expected something like this would really happen before I found out that the two of them will be suspended for a week for having a brawl at school. However, at this point, I realized how lenient adults can be, since it was explicitly stated in the handbook that students involved in brawls are supposed to be suspended for exactly two weeks. Nevertheless, their parents may have played a part in the modification of the suspension duration for their studies to not be hampered. Then again, I've been thinking too much about things I'm not supposed to involve myself with, wasting my time just like what my ex-boyfriend once told me.

Class ended for the day so I waved goodbye to my friends to walk back to my place, alone. It's hard to believe that a few days ago, I was always walking with my boyfriend towards my house before we separate at the intersection. Now, the road which seemed so short feels so long, the same way I felt when I left the hotel. I can't believe how lonely I felt when we broke up, now it's hard to be alone. Then, as I arrived home, my mother asked me to bring food to his house since his parents would be late again as usual due to their work. As I was walking, I remembered how I needed to apologize to him for my meddling with his own fight. A few steps later, I entered their yard and unlocked the door using the duplicate keys my family kept. It was the same routine, so I just left the food at their dining table. I called out to him regarding the food as usual, yet I didn't hear any response. Seeming that he wasn't currently at his house, I decided to leave at that moment in order to not waste time. I was already in front of the door when someone grabbed my arm and slammed me towards the wall in that instant.

I screamed and panicked from terror as I thought I was either going to be kidnapped or be killed on the spot by a burglar. I was about to cry in distress until I opened my eyes and saw him. He then covered my mouth with his own hand. He had a troubled look on his face which was probably caused by my thoughtless screaming in terror. As I managed to calm down, he removed the palm of his hand from my mouth so I was able to relax. But, for some reason, he was wearing only a towel on his waist and he was still pretty much wet. Apparently, he just came out from the shower judging by his looks. Eventually, I remembered the day at the hotel with his get-up and so I felt nervous and told him to stop holding me with his other arm until I fell down on the floor with some tears welling up in my eyes. He knelt as he became worried about me. So, he asked me if I still hate him for what he said to me the day before I was dumped by my boyfriend. I told him how I do not but I didn't feel comfortable seeing him like that with only a towel on his waist. Also, I told him how I was the one who needed to apologize for allowing him to receive a painful blow on the face.

Suddenly, he hugged me tightly and I felt the water touching me, especially the ones dripping from his hair. I was surprised and didn't know what to do so I asked him why he was hugging me, since I have no idea what his intentions are. After all, he can either be worried for what happened to me or sorry for what he told me a few days ago. There, he told me that he wouldn't let any bastard to make me cry anymore and that starting today, he'll no longer hold back. With just those simple words which I couldn't comprehend completely, my heart pounded and tears finally fell down from my eyes as I cried when I remembered the days I spent with my ex-boyfriend who broke my heart. My memories with him flashed back one after another and I remembered all our days of being happy together. For some time, I was just there crying by his shoulder before I finally stopped. He did not move and was still in the same position, hugging me. There, I noticed that I could feel his body heat as the water mixed with his own sweat.

Afterwards, he loosened his arms, looked at me in the eyes for a few seconds, and then he kissed me in that exact moment. I was still in a trance from all that crying before I realized what he was doing to me so I immediately slapped him as hard as I could and apologized at the exact same time. I never would have thought that he would do something like that even though I know he had always been with girls. Then, it came to me, he was trying to take advantage of my vulnerability in order to kiss me just like that. I realized that I never should have cried in front of him, let alone trust him. Even though we grew up together, he is still a boy with his own s****l desires. It was surprising enough for me to stand up and head towards the door before he apologized to me and told me how he just acted unconsciously. I never knew the real reason for his actions that day, but I decided one thing, that I'll finally move on and think of the future ahead of me. Also, I convinced myself that kisses are just merely lips touching and that there is nothing more to it at all, ironically, he helped me realize this. Through this, I was able to stop thinking about all that had happened in the past regarding my ex-boyfriend. No matter what happens, there are close to seven billion people in this planet, so I can still find someone who will love me.

As I reached my home, my mother asked me if I was able to deliver his favorite food, I nodded before going inside my room. If I think about it, we are just running in circles. He told me something he shouldn't have; I was the root cause for him to be punched; and then he suddenly kissed me without my consent. We even had a hard time apologizing to each other. Still, he sincerely apologized at the time so I think I can forgive him for being tempted. Well, the only thing in my mind now is that everything will be awkward between us the following week when he gets back to school. After all, no matter how much I sugar-coat it, he still kissed me. Yet, I cannot forget the mint taste from his lips and the menthol smell altogether. I thought about how his smell changed from when we were still young kids who doesn't know much about the world around us. In a way, we are still naive at that time. However, I cannot reject the fact that I'm still naive unto this day and the problem here is that I don't know that I am.

Finally, a week passed and he was already back at school. The moment I entered the classroom, he was enthusiastically talking with his friends. They are teasing him about how he was punched without a fight and that it must have hurt his pride as a boy. Yet, I couldn't look directly at him, especially whenever I remember the kiss we shared that day even though I decided that I will no longer let something like it bother me. I always thought that it was next to impossible that he would do something like that. In the past I was always the one who would boss him around, but now I seemed to have lost that authority. I even lost to him with regards to our height as he is definitely taller than me now.

As usual, we didn't talk for the following weeks, but even more so was that I no longer bow back to him whenever we see each other at the neighborhood. I then remembered what he said to me that day, about how he wouldn't let anyone to make me cry. With this, I was confused of what his intentions are and if he was my friend or my enemy. He avoided me all these years, it's not right for him to imply to me that he'll protect me. It seemed unnatural and forced that it only aggravated my negative thoughts about him. This confusion is even supplanted by him kissing me and the fact that he apologized afterwards. Whatever his intentions are regarding me, I don't know anything about that. I'm also convinced that I'll never know anything about it no matter how long the time would come to pass.

On the other hand, I saw my ex-boyfriend having fun with his new girlfriend. Even worse was that they're flaunting their relationship as they are being surrounded by their friends. I guess birds of the same feather really flock together as they are all bad-mannered people. They shamed and ruined my name, I just hope that they did not also spread it outside their classroom. The good thing was that I'm with my own time-tested friends who continues to support me in my endeavor. Right now, I could even just laugh at the fact that he became my boyfriend, and my first at that. One of my friends who is adept with gossips even told me how they went to a hotel even though they've only just been dating for a week. It was exactly a week after he dumped me and also a week after I rejected him from taking my first time, it was hilarious. There, I thought to myself how boys only wanted our bodies and that it was also the same for him. It's like they're vicious animals in sheep's clothing. I was really glad that I am strong-willed enough to resist something that I would regret for a long time. I just hope that they'll last for a long time as a couple, after all, he easily replaced me for her. She is gorgeous and full of pheromones as what my male friends are saying, but they are chuckling her being a boyfriend thief. After all, it is true that she accepted the feelings of a person who had just broken off with his girlfriend.

More days passed before my friends noticed something, and that it was how he would always look at me at the classroom and for some reason he would look away whenever I would look at the back where he is seated. I thought they were just seeing things and so I paid no mind to it since they're just delving too much about something trivial. After all, the reason for him not wanting to look straight into my eyes was that he was ashamed of what he has done to me and that he thinks I am still mad at him. Never had I been so wrong until I went to his house again, but at a different time which is earlier than usual which will open my eyes to something really disturbing.

I was about to unlock the door to his house when I realized it was already open so it made no sound whatsoever. I carefully walked inside as I was carrying a heavy pot with lots of soup. I placed the food on their dining table and was about to call out to him despite my not wanting to see him when I heard him talking alone. Upon closer inspection, I heard him calling on my name repeatedly while he sounded like he was in pain. I realized that he may be in trouble or was sick so I headed upstairs slowly and was about to enter his room since the door is also open when I saw something unexpected. It was far from his being in trouble or sick contrary to what I previously thought.

Inside, he was covered in sweat on his bed with his uniform still on while calling out my name, repeatedly. Aside from that, he was stroking his thing even though I didn't actually see it since it was covered by his uniform so I only assumed he was doing just that. Yet, I couldn't move at my position as I felt paralyzed from the shock, I couldn't believe what I was seeing as I never imagined him or anyone doing something like that and while calling my name at that. Even more so was that I never thought I would see something like that happening first-hand. He kept on stroking his thing to the point that I forgot how many minutes had passed as I was standing by the door, looking at him.

Suddenly, he moaned loudly at a rapid pace while his stroke immediately became fast. A few seconds later, white milk-like fluid squirted out and I wondered if it was urine and if he peed despite his age. Whatever it was, it did mess up the floor and he subsequently stopped as if he was really exhausted from what he had just done even though he was just moving his hand. I was about to leave and walk towards the hallway as I managed to gain composure when he called my name and said that he loves me. The only thing I thought in my mind at the time is that he was a twisted person and that I must not associate myself with him anymore. With that, I slowly went outside and then locked the door. However, I forgot that the door locking mechanism was already old and so it would make a loud sound and that he would hear it especially now that he stopped what he was doing. Another addition was that I forgot that the door wasn't actually locked in the first place. All I did after locking the door was run back to my home, while he on the other hand realized that I went to his house earlier than expected and so became worried about my catching him on the act.

The following day, I tried to act normal around him and as much as possible I didn't want to look at him. Whenever I see him, I could remember what he was doing that night and it would send chills down my spine. I asked my friends regarding what I saw and asked them if it was urine. In order to make myself feel better, I even asked them if perhaps it was pus and that he was really in pain. They laughed at me and told me it was neither and males squirt that white milk-like fluid when they have intercourse or when playing with themselves using their own hands. The latter was exactly what he was just doing that night so I got even more conflicted with the sudden realization. Even more so was when he was calling out to my name while he was doing something really perverted. It seemed to me like he wanted to do me and so I got even more afraid of going near him.

A few days later, he suddenly asked me to come with him to talk with our teacher. I wondered what it was about, but I decided to go. As we were walking, he talked to me regarding some usual things and his eyes were looking directly at me. This happened at a secluded hallway inside the school as I was walking with him. Then, apparently, he noticed that I was averting his gaze and so he asked me the reason why. I don't know what to say as I was being pushed in the corner so I told him that it was because he kissed me and that I hated him ever since. Obviously, I lied because that kiss of his no longer bothers me. There, he apologized with a calm and sincere look on his face.

However, even though he was acting this way, I cannot relieve myself of the sight of what I saw that night, especially when he is really close to me now. With that, I brisk walk away from him that I dropped everything that I was carrying. There, I noticed that he may have actually discovered that I saw him that night so I confessed to him about what I saw. For some reason, he blushed and muttered regarding how I really saw him that night. There, I realized that he was unsure whether I was there or not and that I was actually the one who revealed it to him. He told me that it was only natural for me to avoid him especially after seeing his real and dirty self.

Eventually, he grabbed my arm and told me not to avoid him. However, it wasn't a simple thing to do, so I apologized to him before finally walking away. I rejected him since I was too scared to come any closer to him. Thus, the normal days passed yet for some reason whenever I would look back, he would be there starring at me as if waiting for me to talk to him.

Finally, I asked my friends regarding my current situation. There, I told them what exactly happened that night in great detail and there they exclaimed to me how it was love. Then, they seconded that perhaps it could also be lust. I thought to myself how the second one is highly possible, but I thought otherwise since he has the charisma and looks to play with any kind of girl around him. Afterwards, they asked me why I was still single even after breaking up with my boyfriend a few months ago. I merely smiled as I know I'm not yet ready to fall in love and confess with another guy; Especially when I think about how the false rumor about me may become known to them, so I'm cautious to fall in love. Although, it is true that I do admire someone from another class.

Author's Note: The mind of the protagonist is a little bit confused, notwithstanding the fact that her ex-boyfriend did something horrible. Then again, a relationship with her childhood friend is still far from her thoughts.