The Worth of Taking a Risk

Way Back Getting Closer With You

CATALINA’S POINT OF VIEW

”Okay, thank you second group for that wonderful and clear presentation.” Our teacher in entrepreneurship told us after we presented our business plan in front of the class. After fixing our things, we gave warm hugs to each other because our effort didn’t go to waste.

“WAAAAH! Good job guys! I told you we can do it!” Gus said while hugging us. Since he is the leader of our group I know that the pressure on him was immense! That’s why he reacts like that when we received good feedback from our teacher.

“I never thought we will be this successful!” I said

“I told you, you can do it and now you are the one that leads us to this success!” Barbara said but I just shrugged my head at her. 

“No, it is all because of us! Our effort didn’t go to nothing!” I said then we hugged each other again. After that, we spend our free time bonding. We raided all the cafeterias in our school, from the freshmen cafeteria up to the senior cafeteria. We took pictures everywhere, for the memoir of our high school days. 

“Ah, I’m so tired!” Gus said as we sit on the gymnasium bleacher. I looked at them while they are teasing each other and smiled because I am so lucky that I found them and became their friends. 

“Oh, by the way, Cat, you know Liam right?” Luna said while laughing. 

“Of course, he’s our classmate since last year. What’s with him?” I asked 

“Oh, his squad are inviting us to his house later, for some boodle fight, can you come?” She asked that made Gus and Barbara looked at me while waiting for my answer. I never thought that they closed with that squad.

“Wait, I never thought you are closed with them,” I said and with that, they started looking away from me. I smell something fishy.

“Oh, yes they also like to be close with you but Liam is quite shy towards you, so whenever we want to call you to tag along Liam is stopping us,” Luna said and it seems that she is telling the truth. Besides, I am also busy with student council duty so I didn’t have time with them. 

“Wait, I will just ask my father if I can just commute,” I said then get my phone from my pocket. After sending my message to my father, I looked back at them and saw that they are still pestering each other. 

“Hey Cat,” Gus called me, so I looked at him and saw that he is pointing at something secretly, the moment I looked at where he’s pointing I saw that it is not something but more on to someone. 

“Who’s that?” I asked while looking at the good looking guy. I stare at him intensely because he seems familiar to me. 

“Oh! It’s Stetson the two-time MVP player for two consecutive years!” I said but it seems that I said it loudly that made Stetson looked at me. Geez! That’s awkward! I immediately looked away at him and it seems that they started walking again.

“HAHAHAHA! What’s with that Cat! That was so embarrassing and so funny at the same time!” Luna said while they are laughing so hard! 

“I’m sorry, geez! That was truly embarrassing!” I said then laughed with them.

“Oh, you like Stetson right?” Gus asked which made me blushed. Well, I have a little crush on him because of the news I heard about him. Besides, he is so famous in the whole school because of his achievement in volleyball. This year, Stetson is one of the most awaited players for the incoming intramurals.

“By the way, when will you have a love life Cat?” Luna asked suddenly that made Barbara gaze at her as if she is telling Luna to stop talking.

“What a question all of a sudden. Besides, it is only not me that didn’t have a love life.“ I said that made everyone quiet. Wait, they are hiding something from me.

“Ahm, Cat you knew that Luna has a boyfriend right?” Gus said so I just nod at him.

“Ah, well Barbar----“ Luna didn’t finish her sentence when Barbara interrupted her.

“Paul is courting me, and I am thinking of accepting him as my partner,” Barbara said that surprised me. I am happy for her genuinely, but I am more annoyed right now because she didn’t even bother to tell me about that. 

“You guys knew this?” I asked Luna and Gus and they both nod at me. I let out a heavy sigh because I feel that I was about to cry. This is the very first time they kept a secret from me. It’s not that I have a crush on Paul, it’s just that I am also her best friend she also should have told me about it, yes I am busy lately but their stories will never be a bother for me if that’s her reason. Call me a shallow person, but I truly value my friends and I love them like my sisters and brothers!

“You have a suitor and you didn’t even bother to tell me?” I said using my low voice. I know that if I speak another word, I might burst out crying. I was so hurt right now, because she is my best friend and she didn’t even tell me that, and yet she told me about this to Gus and Luna. I felt so left out at this moment. The issue about them being closed with Liam’s squad I let that passed, but they have another secret? I won’t let it pass anymore. I immediately stand up from the bleacher and started running away from them. That is so unfair! I didn’t notice that I am crying already, so I wiped my tears using my handkerchief, but while I am wiping my tears I bumped into someone so I immediately apologized to that person after wiping my tears. 

“I’m sorry,” I said continuously while wiping my nose. Geez! I looked dumb right now, I swear.

“Catalina?” The voice of this person sounds familiar to me so I raised my head to see that guy. I was so embarrassed when I saw the face of the guy I bumped into.

“Oh, it’s you. Sorry Liam I didn’t mean to do it.” I said while holding back the tears I am keeping inside, I can’t break down in front of him. He is just staring at my face, so I touched it because I was so curious if there’s any dirt on my face. 

“It’s fine, I’m not hurt how about you?” He asked but his focus is still on my face. 

“Oh, I’m also fine,” I said then looked down because everything is so awkward right now. This is the very first time he ever talked to me since last year. He is my classmate since last year, and he didn’t talk to me once, and this is the first time that’s why it was so awkward.

“But you didn’t look fine for me.” He said while looking at me intensely. He suddenly grabbed my hands and started pulling me somewhere. I should be resisting right now, but it’s weird because I feel calm and warm right now. What’s with this feeling? After a few minutes of pulling and walking, we reached the senior’s cafeteria. He told me to sit on the chair beside the window and told me to wait for him. I just obliged on what he said and while waiting for him, I am looking at the window. 

“Here,” He said while handing over a cup of ice cream. I immediately accepted it and thanked him for that. He also handed to me a spoon for ice cream. Okay? What’s with this?

“Ahm, thank you. How much is this?” I asked while getting my wallet from my skirt’s pocket.

“It’s my treat.” He said then smiled. I also smiled at him but I know that it’s an awkward one because I feel so awkward right now!

“So, what’s wrong? You’re crying earlier right?” He said. Oh, that’s the reason why he brought me here and bought me ice cream. Maybe he has this thought in my mind that I was rejected by my crush or broke up with my boyfriend because they said that ice cream is a good treatment for broken hearts.

“Ah, it’s nothing,” I said then eat the ice cream he bought for me.

“Hmmm, it doesn’t seem nothing to me. Come on, spill out the beans I won’t judge.” He said

“Ahm, well it was about my best friend,” I said then started to tell him everything. After telling him my problem, the weight in my heart somehow lightens.

“Oh, that’s the reason. Well, you are not a shallow person Cat.” He said that made me looked at him. 

“Sorry, if I call you Cat hehe I know that we are not that close and yet I called you on your nickna----“ I interrupted him because he seems so anxious about it.

“It’s fine. Besides, aren’t we close enough already? I told you about my problems so we are not strangers anymore.” I said then smiled at him.

“Okay, so continuing what I am about to say earlier. You are not shallow, you just value your friends so much that you get hurt like that because they kept a secret from you not only one but two secrets.” He said that made me agree with him.

“But, you know running away from your problem is also not the solution it will only worsen the situation. The simple misunderstanding between you and your best friends might worsen if you will not talk about it immediately. So my advice for you is that, go back to them and talk it over.” He said that made everything clear for me. He’s right, I shouldn’t run away from them. I should've listened to them. 

“Thank you Liam for helping me clear my mind and also for comforting me,” I said then stand up from my seat. I will talk to them about this issue, I know that they didn’t intend to keep it a secret from me. I should have listened to their reason first. 

“You’re welcome. Go fix that issue between you and your best friends. We are graduating students, and this will be the last year that we will be all together because I am sure that in our college we will be separated and our time for each other will not be the same as this.” He said then salute at me while I am waving goodbye at him. I immediately run towards our classroom after I leave the cafeteria. I know that they are waiting for me there. As I reached our classroom, I am right they are waiting for me in our row because they kept on looking outside.

“She’s here,” Luna said to Gus and Barbara. They immediately run towards me and gave me a tight hug. 

“I think we should head outside,” I said and they all nod at me. I don’t want to cause a drama series here inside our classroom.

“We’re sorry Cat. We didn’t mean to keep it from you,” Luna said the moment we went outside the room. I looked at her and saw that she is already crying. Ah! She truly is a cry baby!

“It’s fine, besides it is also my fault because I am very busy lately and I am losing my time with you,” I said then they hugged me so tight.

“No, it’s not your fault it’s ours. I know that even though you are so busy you still find time for us.” Gus said 

“I’m so sorry, it was my own decision to hide it from you,” Barbara said while crying. I just hugged them back and didn’t speak. After that, we unclasped the hug and I started telling them my feelings. 

“You know guys what you’ve done hurts me so bad.” I started

“I never thought that you can keep a secret from me, not only one secret but two secrets.” I paused and looked at them. 

“You all know that even though I was so busy with my work as a student council president, I will always have my time for you,” I said

“I hope that this will be the first and very last that you will keep something from me,” I said and they all nod at me. After that, we head back inside and laugh again as if we didn’t have a misunderstanding earlier. I looked at the door when I saw that someone enters it, I saw that it was Liam and he was looking at me while smiling. I also smiled at him and mouthed thank you, he just nods at me then started walking again to their row. That was the start of our friendship, and as days passed we are getting closer and closer.