Facing Crossroads

XIX - Just Friends

                                                            Shane

“Shane Javier,” I said the moment I reached the Greenland Heights entrance gate.

After a week of reviewing for exams and polishing some projects, Drama Soc team decided to call it a week and we headed straight to Greenland Heights, where our family rest house was located. It was an exclusive village and nobody could enter the place without having a property inside or an ID, unless you were a VIP. Which we are.

The security guard looked at me with a bored expression. “May I have an ID, please?”

Huh, I had never been asked to present an ID before.

“Sure,” I said and reached out to my wallet and pulled out my driver’s license. “Here.” I slightly scrolled down the window of the car and handed him my ID card. My mother was more than thrilled when I told her I would be going out with my friends in Drama Society and let me borrowed her van.

Theo sat beside me on the passenger seat while the rest was enjoying the road trip at the back. I could sense he was watching me carefully.

“I mean the membership ID, ma’am.” The security guard returned it to me. He was thin and tall with thick lips and boring eyes. He seemed not enjoying his job.

I shrugged my shoulder, taking back my ID. “I don’t have it with me.”

He sighed, no indication that he would let us in. “You don’t have sticker, you don’t have ID. I can’t let you in.”

That made me raised an eyebrow. “You’re shitting me, right?” I asked incredulously. Shifting on my seat and squaring my shoulder, I scrolled the window all the way down. “I own a property here, sir.”

He threw me a look, doubting me.

“What the hell,” I mumbled.

Just then, Theo tapped my shoulder softly, trying to calm me. “Relax, Shay.”

“How can I relax if he wouldn’t let us in?!”

He bit back his smile and instead of responding to me, he addressed the security guard, leaning closer to me to call him. “Sir, do you have a database or something right there so that you can check she’s a member here?” he asked, pointing at me.

The guard started to shake his head.

“Call Mr. Alfonzo, will you?” I snapped and honked, looking away from him.

It was nearing dark and my exams earlier today already drained my happy energy and patience. Some of the members started to murmur, asking what the problem was. From the rearview mirror, I could see the worry in their eyes.

The guard walked out and peeked inside the small guard house, asking if they could call Mr. Alfonzo, another VIP, and my father’s best friend.

Another voice rang out. “Sorry, we only follow protocol ma’am- “

As soon as the other guard approached, my chest swelled with hope.

“Ms. Shane Javier?” he called out, eyes wide. He hurried toward the van, throwing the thin guard a disappointed look.

“I should have known you’re here, Arthur!” I greeted.

Arthur, the head security, pushed the red button to lift the rod to let us in.

“I am so sorry, Ms. Shane for the delay. Welcome back and have a nice stay.”

“Thank you,” I answered. “You’re friend needed a little briefing, Art.”

“I’ll take care of him, Ms. Shane.”

“That car is with us too,” I said, motioning to the red SUV behind us. With that, I drove past the gate, grateful to see Arthur.

Theo cleared out his throat. “They’re not going to fire him, are they?”

Glancing at him, I saw the genuine concern in his eyes. “No, Theo. Of course not.”

Kevin and Rosie squealed in excitement, and so were the others, as we neared our house.

****

Meryll and Kevin ran and jumped straight into the massive swimming pool.

Our rest house was a three-storey house built on the mountain with an overlooking sight of the city. The massive pool was on the third floor, giving much more extraordinary view.

“This is amazing!” Meryll said with a grin, her eyes twinkling.

Jellaine shook her head, scanning the place. “I didn’t know you’re this rich, Shane.”

I wanted to correct her, to say that all this was my father’s property but knowing it would be passed down to me in no time, I just gave her a smile.

Like the leader she was, she immediately divided the group to do specific chores. I toured them around the house first, showing them the living room where we could watch movies, rooms were all in the second floor, as well as the dining area. But there was a long table with twenty seats on the third floor and a small kitchen as well.

As we all settled our things, Jellaine, Rosie and Theo started to cook for dinner, while the others arranged the tables with napkins and plates.

Kevin helped me arranged the mono blocks at the side of the pool, trying to make myself busy to divert my attention from watching Theo. I had no idea why but after we had our little talk over the phone a week ago, I felt a pull toward him, like a magnet constantly sucking me in. Sometimes I would realize I was watching him for too long when he wasn’t aware and my eyes scanned the hallway at school hoping to bump into him.

It was pathetic, actually, but I couldn’t admit that I started to develop a crush on him.

“Hey, Shane,” Kevin snapped his fingers. “Are you listening?”

I blinked and turned to him. Clearly, I wasn’t listening. “Sorry?”

He smiled, like toothpaste commercial kind of smile. But his didn’t look genuine like the way Theo smiled with his eyes.

“I said I think I like you,” he said with his doe eyes.

My heart drummed for a second before his phrase registered to my head. “You what?”

“I like you,” he repeated.

I stared at him, seeking for the barest hint of lie. But he looked serious. “You do know the stage play’s over now and I’m not playing Wendy anymore.”

He chuckled, eyes focused on mine. “See. That’s what I like about you. You’re strong and cool and beautiful. Since you walked that day in the auditorium wearing your usual pensive face, I instantly had a crush. And you know, like I said, between the rehearsals and all that, I just feel the need to be closer to you.”

My cheeks felt warm and all of a sudden, I wished he didn’t say all that. Kevin was a good-looking guy, fit and smart, but he didn’t know what he was getting himself into.

“I am not strong and cool and beautiful, Kevin,” I replied, looking away.

From where we stood, I saw Theo smiling as he talked with Jellaine, his posture so relax I could tell he felt at home in our kitchen. His arm looked good, a hint of muscle, but not bulky.

“I just wanted you to know that I like you, that’s all.” He shrugged his shoulder. “I mean, I’m not gonna push you to like me back. We can still be friends, right?”

He sounded hopeful, far from Rocky’s overflowing confidence. But unlike my ex, Kevin was a decent guy, far from being a grade A asshole.

“Of course.”

I let out a sigh of relief, knowing it was clear to him that that was all we could be. Just friends.

Looking back at the glass window of the kitchen, I saw Theo looking at us, face unreadable.

Just then, my inner voice asked me, how far Theo and I could go with our friendship. From being just friends with other guys, I hated myself for entertaining the possibility of Theo liking me as well.

Because to be honest, that kinda f*****g scares me.