THE UNTAMED LUNA

MY DISCOMFORT: THE WEIRD GUYS

The twins Joel and Jade, pick up on my discomfort and suggest that we should take our lunch outside. I jump at the offer. We sit at a picnic table under a tree, for our lunch break. I can't stop myself from speaking. "Guys, I have something to tell you"

Joel nods at me.

"What is it?" Jade asks.

"Yesterday, when I came home, it seemed someone was following me. I don't know who it was , but I have a strong feeling I'm being watched."

It's hard to tell them the truth because they might think I'm crazy. I don't have any friends in the village yet, except for my parents' coworkers. While, here in school I have these two friends.

"Let's come over to your house more often when we have no classes" Joel suggested. "That way you can avoid that creepy guy, whoever he is."

"Thank you, guys," I said. I feel like I have two big brothers ready to look out for me and keep me safe. I smiled, feeling comfortable in their company.

"Are you happy even without having a brother or sister?" Joel asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. My parents can act more like kids than me sometimes anyway."

The twins were so entertaining, telling me stories and making me laugh the whole time. Different girls approached them throughout class, shamelessly asking about their summer break. The twins barely gave them a moment. They were nice about it though, not snarky. It was a good distraction for me from the scary incident at home. After a bit, they looked at me and asked a question about my life.

"Oh! Having you guys as brothers would be so cool!" I said.

Joel gave a silly answer: "Well, I didn't think of it that way."

I smiled at them simply.

"No, I'm just kidding!" Joel exclaimed with a chuckle. "Don't mind me, I know you aren't fond of that." The twins shared a laugh together.

I am genuinely pleased that they have shown a genuine interest in me, which has finally resulted in me having a friend. It is reassuring to know that neither of them has engaged in any flirtatious or inappropriate behavior, as this makes me feel more at ease. Perhaps we can develop a strong friendship. They have also shared some personal details about themselves and their families, which is nice. Both of them are incredibly attractive, and I hadn't realized that I was in the presence of such perfection since the last time I saw Mr. Albanzo.

Now that I’m no longer standing in front of Mr. Albanzo, I begin to understand why the girls are drawn to him. He’s tall, around six feet or more, with a lean yet defined build that contrasts with the bulkier frames of Jade and Joel. Still, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll keep comparing everyone to him; it feels like I’m slowly losing my sanity because of it. Jade, lively and outgoing, is the type who thrives in sports, while Joel, gentler in demeanor, has a deep appreciation for music and art. Both share a fondness for working out at the gym on weekends, which seems to bond them with the rest of their group, an effortlessly confident mix of football players and cheerleaders. During lunch, they invite me to join them and even offer me food, but as the guys’ attention lingers on me and the girls’ judgmental stares grow heavier, I realize how uncomfortable this new social world can be..

At a later time, two younger boys approached us. As they reached the table, their eyes kept darting toward me... curious, almost wary. The first thing I noticed in their gaze was something strange, something not quite human. A faint animal scent clung to them, musky, wild, unsettling. Yet, they were clearly human, standing right in front of me. Maybe I was just overthinking. Maybe they’d just come from a sweaty game.

Jade coughed, snapping the tension. “This is our new friend. Just call her AbbyJezz. She just moved here from Surigao.”

I smiled politely, extending my hand. The first boy hesitated before shaking it, his palm was warm, like almost hot. The second’s grip lingered longer than necessary, and he gave me a half-smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“You smell… different,” the first one murmured softly, almost too low to hear.

“What?” I asked, forcing a laugh. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“Nothing,” he said quickly, glancing at his friend. The two exchanged a look, a silent conversation I couldn’t decipher.

Jade narrowed her eyes at them. “Don’t be weird, guys.”

They chuckled, too quickly. “We were just welcoming her, that’s all,” the second one said.

Then, without another word, they turned and left, their steps strangely synchronized, almost soundless.

I stared after them.

“That’s weird,” I whispered.

Jade leaned closer. “You felt it too, didn’t you?”

His voice was low, uneasy.

I didn’t answer. I just kept watching their silhouettes fade into the distance, and the faint scent of the wild still lingered in the air.

"They are close family friends." Joel tells me. Then we turned back to our seats.

The twins ask a lot of questions about my family, and about the place of name surigao, where we live before. It would seem intrusive and personal. But they ask so kindly that I don't mind. They answered all my questions as well. After that, we both go to our classes for the rest of the day.

"Do you have a car? We can give you a ride home." Joel offers, after our class in the afternoon.

"My mom will pick me up" I said

"Alright, maybe next time just tell me" Jade asks.

"Sure!" I said. We both agree, and they keep talking with me, until I see my mom. They walked with me right up to the car.

"Hello, Mrs. Solidad, I'm Jade, and this is my brother Joel. We offered to drive Abby Jezz home tomorrow if you don't mind." Jade said. How do they know that Mom's first name is Solidad? asking myself.

"Hi! You two seem like a nice idea, boy!" Mom says this and shows them a simple smile as she raises her right hand.

"We can give you our phone numbers if that would make you feel more comfortable." Jade offers. My mom smiles and hands him a pen and paper while sitting inside the car.

"Nice to meet you boys. Thank you for the offer. My eyes will be on you! Make sure that she will be safe." My mom added but, it was obvious from her smile that she was deceiving them. She probably saw that this guy was trustworthy, and that's what we call a "first impression."

"But it is until Abby Jezz gets her own car, okay? So, we are now headed home. See you around, guys." Mom says, then the two offer goodbyes, and we head home.

"They are so cute. Your own personal bodyguards?" Mom exclaimed. I laughed at her.

"They are, but I think I will keep them as friends. I'm afraid I will have too much competition." I tell her with humor in my voice.

"Oh, come on, you are totally gorgeous, sweetie." Mom added.

"Okay, Mom, whatever you say." I tell her about the rest of my day while leaving out the part about my exquisite English teacher, his eyes, and his dimples. I even told her that I have a school crush now, and he is my English teacher. Mom just smiled, as she never minded it. I'm now in bed and can't fall asleep to save my life. I can't stop thinking about Mr. Albanzo.

I feel like I lost something when I walked away from his classroom today. I have an emptiness in my heart. This is the strangest thing ever. I have never felt this way in my life. I tell Tagi about him, though. She definitely asked for a picture of him. I sent her the one picture that I got. I sat there and took a photo using my phone during the class.

"Oh! Is that your crush? He is a really hot guy. You are so blessed to have him." Tagi replied to our short conversation in a chat room app.

"No, Besh, but there is something about him. You know, I have a different feeling when I see him in front of me. I feel like I'm floating every time I hear his voice.

"Do you think I'm in love?" I asked

"No! You're not; you just have seen something from him that inspires you. That's what teachers are really doing about educational and emotional things for their students. Don't think too much!" Tagi replied in a text message. Tagi is so kind and smart. She also tells me about her whole day at school. I was trying to continue our chat because I remembered what happened last night.

"Besh, do you believe in a story like wild animals?" I asked her.

"Since when did you become interested in fantasy stories? oh! You have a bad dream?" Tagi wanted to confirm.

"Actually, no, I mean I saw a wild animal. This is the first time ever that I saw a big animal that attacked me last night." I explained

"What kind of animal was it?" she asked and frowned.

"It's a wolf."

"A wolf. really...? Did you really see it?" Tagi asked.

"Yeah, but I hope it's gone now or left somewhere," I told her.

"Okay, be careful next time. But if you meet this strange dog again, Please call me okay." She said. It seems that she is interested in my wolf story.