Curving His Straight Line

Chapter 6: Cotton Candy Sweet

We were all at Betty’s house watching a horror film together.

It was titled “The Fire”.

It was then Betty’s mother came in and brought us some desserts.

“Thank you, Mrs. Langria!” Gary exclaimed, well, talk about food.

“Of course, and please come here again after your graduation, we have a small celebration.”

“We will.” Celine responded.

“Can’t believe we’re going to graduate in a week, then we will all be in high school.” Pears said.

“Let’s enroll at the same time so we can all be classmates.” Pears suggested.

“What do you think, DJ?” Betty asked.

“I… I think it will be so fun.” I answered.

“But before that, what are you guys doing this summer?” Celine asked us.

“Nothing special, uhm we should still play and eat a lot.” An exciting idea proposed by Gary.

“We wouldn’t be complete though.” Betty sighed.

“What do you mean?” Pears asked her.

Betty looked at Celine and said, “Celine and her family always take a vacation during summers at her grandparents.” Considering Betty and Celine have been friends since the first grade, I think this is true.

“Don’t worry guys, I’ll be home by the school year.” Celine told us.

A sadness was evident in Pear’s face, well, he like her, and he still wasn’t able to tell her after months of knowing and hanging out with each other.

Yeah, it’s been months since I asked my mother if we could send Pears back to his aunt, little did I know, the reason behind his moving in with us was much deeper.

I still remember that day…

When I asked my mother, “Can we send Pears back to his house now?” I was just pissed at him for bringing Celine in my room, I guess, our room.

“Wha… why little DJ? Is there something wrong between you?” my mother asked me.

“I… no, I… it’s just, I don’t know.” I went totally blank for that.

“Come here.” My mother commanded me to sit beside her on her bed.

“I don’t know if you can understand this now but we need to take care of Pears.” She told me.

“Maybe he and Drake are cool now?” I responded.

“Little DJ, it’s not about Drake anymore. I’m telling you this but you need to keep it only between us, alright?” I nodded at her.

“I wasn’t able to get in that work I was applying for, and haven’t you found it weird that we are surviving for months now while I was unemployed?” I was just looking at her as she speaks,

“That day I was at their residence, I was borrowing some money from Gina because we are in desperate need of cash, that’s when Drake and Pears had a fight and, well, we decided to have a deal, Gina will pay us as long as we take care of her nephew.”

I was shocked that I just stared at her.

“Don’t think that he’s only here because of the money, it’s a win-win situation because you two are friends, and we could use the cash, and Gina wants to protect her son Drake, I think?” My mother explained further.

“Ma, Drake is the problem, not Pears.” I defended Pears, I don’t know why but I just did.

“Well, of course, you and Pears get along well, that is why I’m sure, whether you two are just having a misunderstanding right now, you two will be able to fix it. Alright, little DJ? We can’t bring him back to Gina, at least not until I find a stable job for us.” I just nodded as she hugged me, that’s when I knew I had to endure my suffering for a while.

This actually explained why our refrigerator was always full when Pears came.

Before I leave my mother’s room, I asked her…

“Does Pears know?”

“No, and he can’t know, at his age, he might not be able to fully understand the situation and instill resentment to his family for a long time.” Well, at least he accepted that his aunt will always choose Drake over him.

“Okay ma.”

“And oh, we’ll eat soon, tell your sister and Pears to come down.” Yeah, because my sister Chloe is always locked up in her room.

“Got it.” I answered my mother as I left her room and proceed to mine to look at Pears.

And he was there smiling at me, and I realized no matter how much it pains me to see him with Celine, at the end of the day, he’s my friend.

I spent the following days in the same routine, trying my best to be okay, our group was solidified with Gary, Celine, and Betty. We always find time to hang out with each other and I just try to look at the silver lining of the situation, that I have four great friends who will always have my back.

My mother said she would find a job but she didn’t and I just respected that, so Pears was still living with us.

Days turned into months and it was cotton candy sweet for me, the sweetness it brings when Pears and I are finally alone but just like how quick the sweetness melts when we are with them.

And I just learned to live like that. Sleeping in the same bed, bathing together sometimes, playing video games, and laughing and just being happy but behind all these were some stupid feelings.

School days were chill, sometimes we would see Drake, and he would just look at us, just like that. After school hours we either go to the park or my house, or Gary’s, or Betty’s but we have never been to Celine’s because she said it’s too far.

Duke and Mrs. Xavier also visited Pears seldomly at our house and often brought gifts for Pears.

That and that and we are here now, just a few days and it was time for summer vacation, then for high school.

When we got home from Betty’s house, we were surprised when Mrs. Xavier was at our house talking to my mother.

“Oh, they are finally here.” My mother said.

Pears quickly embraced his Aunt, without knowing his aunt Gina is technically paying my mother to keep him away from her son. There were times I wanted to tell Pears the real reason why he is living with us, but for the sake of his innocence along with my mother’s wishes, I kept it from him.

Although we kind of talked about having no lies from each other, I just had to, and I hoped he will never find out until my family is stable and Pears and Drake are cool, then he could go back at peace and everything will be just fine.

“Where did you two went?” Mrs. Xavier asked.

“From our friend Betty.” Pears replied.

“Oh, I came here because it’s your elementary graduation and wanted to ask you what you want.” Mrs. Xavier told Pears, at least, she still wanted to give him a graduation gift.

I know everybody and everyone was cool when Pears moved in with us but now that I know the real reason, it’s just I think they are being unfair to Pears, even though he is having fun with us.

“Uhm, maybe just a dinner at your house, I kind of miss it too, and maybe Dion can come too.” Mrs. Xavier and my mother were shocked upon hearing Pear’s request. He still loves his family.

“But if Drake is not cool with it, I could just have anything really.” Pears added.

“Ah, no, it’s just a dinner, I’ll make it work. DJ’s mother, Teresita can come too.” The look of Mrs. Xavier’s to my mother says she really wanted it to happen.

“Really? Thank you, Aunt Gina!” Pears was so elated.

Pears and I went upstairs to my room as Mrs. Xavier and my mother were still talking, is she talking Pears back? Now, that I think of it, I don’t want Pears to leave.

Because of the thought running along in my mind, I decided to ask him the question…

“Hey.”

“Hmm?”

“What if they ask you to live back with them, will you?” I bravely popped the question.

“Do you want me to?” He bounced the question back.

“Uhm, it’s not my decision to make.” I responded.

“Yeah, but what if it was?” He was persistent.

“Never mind.” I was about to leave the room to take a pee when he held my hands.

“Hey, answer me first.” He looked at me in the eyes.

“I don’t want you to leave.” There I said it as I feel my face slightly heating up.

“Then I will never leave you, that’s a promise.” He smiled at me and let go of his grab.

Hearing him said those words made me happy, and yes, I still like him, seemed like this won’t go away anytime soon.

After going to the bathroom, I went downstairs to grab some snacks when my mother called me.

“Little DJ, before you go back to your room, I want to ask you something.”

“What is it ma?”

“It’s been hard for me to find a stable work that’s why we weren’t able to send off Pears back.” She explained.

“Ma, I’m totally fine with Pears here, last time was just as you said, a little misunderstanding.” I told my mother.

“I’m glad but you are almost high school now, maybe you need some privacy in your room and your sister Chloe is finally graduating college, she can help our family now.” No, don’t please.

“What are you saying ma?”  

“Gina and I have decided it’s time for Pears to live back with them, she thinks Drake is cool now too, so instead of congratulations dinner party, she wants to throw him a welcome back party instead.”

I just felt my heart drop.