His Memories of Her

11th

Thankfully that my hard work of walking as slow as I could ended up just as planned. On the exact time I have arrived in front of Irene’s house and by the time I arrived in front of their door, it swung open letting out Irene followed by a tall man whose build is pretty big enough to make me gulp down my little saliva just because I have met his eyes which looking at me, piercing through my soul.

“Oh, there you are! I heard Mich is sick.” Irene said towards me. That took me a moment before I could finally turn away from her brother’s gaze and switch to hers.

“Yeah, no wonder he did not show up to my doorstep for the last two days. “I said trying to sound jokingly.

“Right?” she said to me when she finally reaches her stop in front of me. “I will be going now. You can go back to your books.” She added looking back to her brother.

I gulp down my saliva real hard and took a deep breath before I said “Good morning sir.” And almost cracked up because of the nervousness.

“Call me when you get home later.” He said towards Irene which I thought he chose to ignore me until he nods towards me and waited for us to start walking towards the school and only then we both heard their door opened once again and closed lightly letting us know that he has gone inside.

“I am so sorry. I know how intimidating he could be.” Irene suddenly said.

I look at her straightening myself up and said “It is fine, Michael did say that this could happen.” I said smiling awkwardly to her.

She looks at me for a minute before she started giggling and a thought came into me “Here we go again.” As I could feel my heart beating crazily looking at her giggling face.

“Sorry, it is just that you are obviously intimidated by him. I guess I could make him happy telling him that he could be a good prosecutor since he got you scared who is kind enough not to hit even an insect.” She said in between her giggles.

“He is a prosecutor?” I exclaimed suddenly felt scared for my life way more than I did before I left my house the only place, I feel safe right now.

“Still studying to be one.” She said.

The rest of the walk was just filled of her telling me stories about his brother which we laugh about while making me understood something about him. He is just a normal person, it is just that he loves his only family, her sister too much that he makes himself intimidating in all the guys who approaches her which is considerably right action to do as I have felt the same way since the very first day, I met his sister. And also feeling like I should pay some respect to him, to visit him and make an impression before I tell Irene all the changes, new things that have been going on in me since she showed up.

“You ready?” I said after waiting for her in front of her room, she is one year below me which I did not really notice the first time I found out. The way her characteristics are, her actions, way of speaking and even thinking seems way even more above me, both in age and year.

Irene looked at me surprise as I do feel the same way as well as I just suddenly popped out of nowhere without even asking her first if I could, I do not even know if I am being a bother right now to her or to everyone around her as I feel the tingling gazes of everyone who stood around us or even the ones that are passing by us.

“Why are you here?” she said as low as she could while looking around while my gaze focuses on her and no one, or nothing else.

“I am so sorry, am I a bother?” I said apologetically. Being a bother is the last thing I want to be towards her.

“Not really, but I feel like by tomorrow my haters would grow more now that you showed up in here.” She said as we started walking out, I guess.

“Haters?” I said in wonder of what she is talking about right now.

Irene looked at me, or more like glare at me for something I do not even want to know.

“Are you really just not aware or you are just being densely stupid right now?” Irene said giggling suddenly that shocked me.

“I might be all of the above.” I said in joking tone.

“Mr. MVP of basketball team, the most famous human in our school, do you even know that half of the girl’s population in our school belongs to your so-called fan club?” Irene said to me, throwing only a glance in that long sentence she just said.

I look at her with a question in my head and a statement been wanting to say and right now I feel like it should be let out. Everything should be said out loud right now. And with the feeling that need, the urge to say it all out loud, I could not help that my hands are starting to sweat and my legs’ feelings is starting to fade, like I am limping out of the school vicinity and only a few blocks away from her house but my throat just feel like blocked, being choked by the words that are indecisive if they should come out or should just stay where they are.

“Ire!” a man’s big voice is what woken me up from my nervous state and dazing while dragging myself as I follow Irene who is walking, have not said any word for a good amount of time already.

Irene turned her head, I followed her gaze and sees that her brother in his car, who seems to be waiting for her. It is the first time he showed up at this time while we walk home so it both surprised me and scared me. Surprised by him suddenly appearing and scared of the reason of this sudden appearance of him thinking that maybe he felt I would do something he would not like.

“I think I need to go.” Irene said, but only in her low voice sounding like she is forcing herself.

“You are right, he is waiting. Go ahead.” I said with a solemn smile on my face. Since it is not like I could tell her that she does not have to go home with her brother, or reasoned with her brother that walking a few blocks more will not change anything since I slightly feel guilty about what her brother’s intuition is telling him might be true.

“I will just see you tomorrow then?” Irene said finally looking at me that made me suddenly turned my gaze from the grass to her face who is smiling a little bit different than earlier.

“Of course. You go now.” I said smiling at her, trying my best to make a good, better one despite feeling stinging gaze from his brother to me.

“Say hi to Mich and see you tomorrow.” She said before finally taking her steps towards her brother’s car to where she climbed up after greeting her brother and they started to zoom off like they are running away from me.

I kept my gaze until they appear as small as an ant as their car went to their parking lot and I could even get a sight of Irene climbing down of the car and walks towards their doorstep after giving me one look back.

“Hey!” Michael said in so much livelier voice than he had this morning as soon as I answered his call letting the opportunity to watch Irene entering their doorstep to slip.

“What is wrong with you?” I said a little bit pissed off of him.

“Is it your first day of period?” Michael said in joking tone which I did not find funny.

“Just tell me what you want.” I simply said and continue walking to my way back home.

“Hmmmm… judging from your mood, nothing good happened instead something worse did.” Michael said.

Sometimes he makes me wonder, wonder on how he could be dense towards those worthy girls who likes and loves him genuinely and to how sharp his instincts towards other’s business just like now. I never found the answer to that wonder of mine and so another time of wondering came and I could not help but to only sigh to it.

“I will meet you at seven tonight. Play with me or be dead.” I said. I could hear him about to complain and give me his reasoning so I decided to hung up the call before he could even start his first word.

“What really did happen?” Michael said as soon he drop his phone and towel on one of the benches in this public basketball court in our place.

“I am scared of her brother.” I said throwing the ball to him as hard as I could.

“Well, I am for as long as I have seen him.” He said started dribbling and means the game has already started.

“Well, it is not the same case. I am afraid because I felt guilty.” I said as I dribble the ball as it came into my hand.

I have dribbled enough, even made a basket and still did not hear anything from the only person I am talking to and thought that he just went to check his phone or grab a gulp of water until I heard another voice said “Guilty of what?” that I suddenly turned my head giving myself a neck pain.

“Sorry.” Michael mouthed behind the owner of the voice.

“Irene! Wa… Why are you here?” I said nervous by what she just asked.

“Can I not be here?” she said coming closer to me as I stayed standing and just focusing on her actions. Seeing her smiling.

It gave me a shock when she comes close enough to make me feel her breath and lean down suddenly making me hold my breath. I held my breath until I hear the ball bouncing, she is dribbling it. I am a bit lost but still I am wondering why she is here, or is she even allowed to be out at this time, given by her brother’s protectiveness over her.

I look around nervously when a thought suddenly came into my mind. “He is not around, is he?” and only let out a sigh of relief when I see no one around.

“Wait! No one?” I said. Exclaiming noticing that something is not right. When I said no one is around, I meant no one aside from me and Irene who is happily dribbling the ball to the other end of this whole court. And notice that even Michael is gone. The i***t is gone.

“What is wrong with you?” Irene said walking towards me.

“Nothing.” I simply said and look at her. “Why are you here at this time?” I added quickly.

She looked at me in wonder before she said “Why can I not go out of the house at this time? And do not hope that I will be going home any time soon since I still have my question in the air waiting for your answer for it to fade away.” She said before making a basket that surprisingly went in even how weird her posture is.

“It is not like you could not, I guess it is just so unexpected.” I said.

“Unexpected? Why is that?” she said after picking up the ball.

“Well, your brother.” I blurted out without really thinking first.