Silhouettes of You

When we encounter an apple, various thoughts may cross our minds. We might contemplate the apple's lusciousness and the pleasure it can bring to our taste buds. Alternatively, we might consider it from a different perspective. Personally, I tend to associate apples with people, and there's one in particular that I am quite fond of—almost to the point of love. I must admit, I may be a bit hopeless when it comes to this individual, but that doesn't bother me. Well, at least not today. As I celebrate my seventeenth birthday, I find myself becoming more open and candid with this person. The usual morning routine is accompanied by my mother's persistent wake-up calls. Today is no exception. She bangs on my door, urging me to rise and shine. I'm still reluctant to get out of bed and start my daily rituals. I crave a few more minutes to gather my energy, but I know my mother won't cease her efforts until I comply. "Cha! Wake up!" my mom exclaims. "Yes, Mom!" I responded, my voice betraying my grogginess. "Don't make me come in again. Go take a bath, or you'll be late! It's your first day, and you stayed up late last night! What kind of student does that? Get up! Oh, my goodness! What has happened to this generation?" my mother scolds, as she often does. I find these situations quite stressful, but there's no use dwelling on them. I should simply get up and get ready. "Yes, mom!" I assured her, trying to bring an end to the conversation. Sometimes, agreeing with someone, even if it goes against your own thoughts, can save you from unnecessary hassle. That's a lesson I've learned from the memes I come across on f*******:. Quite amusing, really. I gather my belongings, grateful that I had prepared everything the night before. However, my late-night indulgence in anime has left me feeling sleep-deprived. I'm blaming the captivating storylines and the anticipation of what will happen next. It's as if my mind has become consumed by these thoughts. Regardless, I must resist the temptation to watch more episodes. I realize that it's already late at night. Oh, my goodness! As I glance at the wall clock, it strikes me that it's already 7:30 am. The clock shares the space with childhood pictures, a display of my mom's sentimental side. Looking back at those snapshots, I realize how tiny and innocent I appeared. One of my friends once remarked that I resemble my mom, while my mom insists that I take after my dad, whom I never had the chance to meet—our encounters are limited to photographs. I remain ignorant of the true story behind my mom and dad's relationship; it has always been a taboo topic in our household. Nevertheless, my mom has been my sole caregiver, and despite my dad's absence, I've had the privilege of having a stepdad who I refuse to label as such. He has been the best father figure one could ask for, supporting us for the past twelve years. "Cha, eat now," my dad calls out. I refer to him as Dad, as he has been there for us throughout the years. "Cha, why do you look so stressed on your first day? You should have slept early. I heard you giggling last night," my mom remarks. "Hey babe, she was just enjoying her last day, knowing that she'd be busy from now on. She's basically a senior high school student," my dad defends. "That's precisely the problem, Cha! She's always given special treatment because you always take her side. How will she learn her lessons if you keep favoring her?" my mom argues. This morning exchange has become a customary scene in my everyday life. My mom nags and my dad soothes her temper. Yet, in the end, my mom always emerges as the victor. I can't quite explain it, but despite their contrasting personalities, their love for each other persists. "I'm not taking sides, she's growing into a young lady," my dad asserts, his voice calm and composed. He avoids raising his voice higher than my mom's, knowing it could escalate into a disaster. If you know, you know. By 7:40 am, I finished my breakfast hastily, eager not to be late. But alas, it seems I'm already running behind schedule. What a way to start the first day of senior high school! "Mom, Dad, I have to go now," I announced hurriedly. "Okay, honey. Take care. Here's your allowance," my dad says, slipping some extra money into my hand. "Hep, before you react, it's your first day! I want you to have a good start as a senior high school student," he adds. That's why I consider him sweet and understanding. My mom is truly fortunate. Initially, I wasn't keen on the idea of my mom remarrying—I cried and cried. Even at the age of five, I vividly remember the feeling of wanting to hold onto something that was slipping away. Yet, I'm still content with just my mom. Along the way, we formed a modern family, with my mom finding a new husband and me gaining a stepdad. I don't have any siblings yet, although I suspect my mom might be pregnant. But I still need concrete evidence to confirm it. "Thank you, Dad! Love yah," I express my gratitude. I walked for a few minutes to catch the bus, joining the throng of students. It's a rush hour of sorts. As I tread along, the reality of being a senior high school student sinks in. I'm no longer just a high school student. I need to present myself in a poised and proper manner, but deep down, I know it's challenging to switch to a different persona from my junior year. "Hey, Cha!" someone calls out to me. It's been a while since someone called my name. I turn around and spot my childhood friend. She waves at me with a smile, gradually approaching. It's been quite some time. "Hey, Nami," I greet her. It's been a while since we last saw each other, as she spent the entire vacation in her hometown. "When did you come back?" I inquired, attempting to strike up a conversation. I feel a sense of awkwardness, especially when reconnecting with someone after a long absence. "Why the formality? Ha-ha-ha! I've been here since last week. I didn't come to your house because there's so much catching up to do with Naiah! Have you met her?" Naomi asks, her speech quick and jittery, indicating nervousness. I had lost touch with my childhood friend and bestie because Naiah and I developed a crush on the same person. It created a divide between us, but I didn't really mind. I knew Naiah well enough to know that she could be a bit spoiled. "I haven't seen her in a while either," I replied to Nami. As we continued walking, we tried to catch up on everything that had happened in our lives, sharing stories and exchanging updates. By 7:50 am, we arrived at the bus stop. We joined the crowd of students, workers, and civilians waiting for the bus. It seemed like chaos was about to ensue. When the bus finally arrived, some people stood up and waved to attract its attention. The bus pulled up right in front of us. Unfortunately, there were no available seats, so we would have to stand and wait for our chance to sit. "You can take this seat, ma'am," I thought I was the one offering the seat, but when I turned around, I saw it was a grandmother. It's heartwarming to witness the kindness of strangers, I thought to myself. "Raoul!" I exclaimed, a little too loudly. What the heck?! It's my childhood crush. I never imagined I would see him on this bus. Is this real life? "Hi, do I know you?" he asked politely. I couldn't speak. I wasn't prepared for this encounter. It wasn't what I expected. "Um, I saw your ID," I stammered. Calm down, Cha. You're being too obvious. I felt Nami observing me. I knew I was being too obvious. Oh my goodness. Who wouldn't be nervous around their crush? It's only natural, right? So, this is how it's going to be. I guess it's acceptable? I think. "Uh, okay," he replied, looking at me strangely. Oh my god, I'm sorry, Hack. This is not how I envisioned our first interaction ever! After attempting to talk to him, I lost the courage to continue the conversation. This was not how I expected our first conversation to go. This is bad. Maybe he'll see me as just another fan. No, no! I don't want that! If he sees me as a fan, then I'll be a forever fan. "Nooo!" I exclaimed loudly, feeling completely out of character. I couldn't believe what was happening. Frustrated, I slapped my own face, attempting to snap myself out of this strange state. But something caught my attention. I could feel someone's gaze upon me. One... two... three... four... ten pairs of eyes were looking at me. It was surreal. And there, amidst the onlookers, stood my crush, witnessing my bizarre behavior. Oh my gosh! He would forever label me as a fan now. Tears welled up in my eyes. "I'm sorry," I apologized to the people on the bus, bowing my head in embarrassment. As I lifted my head, I realized I had bumped into him. I had collided with his precious chest. Who would have expected him to have such a muscular physique? My gosh! "I'm sorry," I stammered, my face turning red. I decided to keep my head lowered until I reached school. I didn't want to see if he acknowledged my apology or not. This was just too embarrassing. "Hey, are you okay?" Nami asked, concerned. "Yeah, maybe I'm just nervous since it's the first day and I'm running late," I replied, hoping she would buy my excuse. Knowing her, she would tease me endlessly about my infatuation with this man. My gosh! "Okay, but you're being pretty obvious," she smirked, almost enjoying my predicament. I didn't want to add any more fuel to the fire. I needed a break. "PSHHHHHH," the bus suddenly screeched to a halt. Was this for real? "Hey, watch it, driver!" "What are you doing, sir? We're going to be late!" "Be careful, sir!" The passengers reprimanded the driver. It seemed a situation had occurred that required an abrupt stop. Apologetically, the driver explained that a dog had passed by, and he had to brake to avoid hitting it. It was clear that stopping the bus had been the right thing to do. The dog's owner apologized to everyone on the bus, acknowledging that her negligence could have led to a tragic incident. Once the situation was resolved, the driver resumed the journey, and people started getting off the bus. Our school was just a short distance away. I remained seated on the bus, and so did he. Ugh, I couldn't believe I was still in this awkward situation. I avoided making eye contact with him. It was too humiliating. After a few more minutes of enduring the uncomfortable silence, the driver finally stopped. "Come on, let's go! We're going to be late!" I exclaimed, trying to lighten the mood. "We're already late, Nami!" "I guess we are," she replied, jokingly. As I approached the bus door, he was standing there, waiting for me. What? Why? "Hey, babe, we're running late! Let's go!" he said. "Yes, babe, we better hurry!" I responded, my heart fluttering. This was too good to be true. "Babe, let's have lunch together later. Wait for me!" he added. I smiled uncontrollably. "Heyyyyy! Are you okay? You're smiling! Are you so happy that you're running late?" someone interrupted me. Huh? Oh my gosh, I realized in a split second that it had all been a daydream. "Oh, no! Let's go, Nami!" I quickly replied, trying to shake off the embarrassment. As I turned, I felt someone's gaze on me. This time, when I caught him looking at me, his eyes quickly averted. - GREEN LIGHT - Students started crossing the pedestrian lane, so Nami and I hurried to the entrance of the school. At the entrance, as usual, the guards inspected our bags and checked our IDs. Since it was the first day, they made exceptions for those without uniforms. The entrance was divided into separate lanes for boys and girls. The school took security seriously due to previous incidents. So, even at the entrance, there were thorough inspections to prevent anyone from bringing prohibited items. Violations could result in detention or even expulsion, depending on the severity. Looking back, it has been quite a while since I have been here. Now, I am in my senior year. Time really flew by, huh? "Bye, Cha!" Nami waved goodbye to me. I smiled at her and replied, "Bye-bye! See you later!" Hmm, I lost sight of Raoul. I didn't see where he had gone. That was okay, though. I had already endured enough embarrassing moments with him. As I made my way towards Room #217, the chatter of teachers introducing themselves emanated from each classroom. I could already anticipate that they were going through the usual routine of self-introductions. And, of course, I was running late. Approaching the classroom door, I noticed Raoul standing there. It was quite a surprise to see him, and I couldn't believe we were classmates. This was embarrassing. The teacher stepped out of the classroom and looked at us. She directed her question to Raoul, "Are you from this section?" He nodded in response. Then, she shifted her gaze towards me. I had a feeling she caught me observing her earlier. "And are you from this section as well?" she inquired. I nodded in confirmation. "Why are you two late?" she asked, her sternness evident. I recognized her as a strict teacher, though her name escaped me. "Traffic," we both answered simultaneously. Raoul gave me a look of annoyance and disbelief. I wondered why he was so shocked. "Alright, I'll forgive you this time, but be punctual in the future," she warned, and with that, she allowed us to enter the classroom. Once inside, the teacher introduced us to the rest of the class. She turned her attention to the students, addressing them, "Class, this is your new classmate." The students glanced at us, and the giggling began. They found Raoul amusing for some reason. If I were in a feisty mood, I would have silenced them so they couldn't continue their giggling. Our teacher, Ma'am Annah, instructed us to introduce ourselves to the class. Raoul took the lead and began his introduction. "Hi, I'm Raoul Vander Sy. I'm half Chinese and a member of the basketball varsity," he stated confidently. The giggling only intensified, with some girls openly admitting their crushes on him. They clapped and hollered, their reactions far too excessive for a simple introduction. "Quiet down, class," Ma'am Annah commanded, and then turned her attention to me. "Now, miss, can you introduce yourself to the class?" she asked. "Um, hi. I'm Cha Bella Vista. I'm 17 years old and I live in 2000-B Block 6 Street Northwill. I enjoy reading manga and other things. I think that's about it. Nice to meet you all," I stuttered nervously. Awkward silence hung in the air. I cringed internally at my lackluster introduction. Suddenly, I heard applause from the back row. A student wearing a hoodie and headphones caught my eye. It was none other than Vincente Ross, the basketball player and Raoul's rival. What was he doing here? "No need to clap, Mr. Ross," Ma'am Annah said, with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Please take a seat now," she instructed. As I scanned the room for an available seat, I realized that my only option was a vacant seat next to Vincente Ross. What a way to start the day. "Hey, Miss Bella Chao," he teased, his words dripping with sarcasm. I mentally retorted, not knowing who he thought he was. To my surprise, Raoul chose the seat beside me. And so, I found myself stuck between these two handsome guys. Oh my goodness.