TBBM LIV. Wish

"Did you just open it now?" I asked Roma, with my mouth watering. "Such a waste of goodies."

"I told you I'll share it with you so---"

"You're a good friend," I couldn't resist it. I took a bite. "Whoa! It's awfully good!"

"I knew you'd fall for it," Roma cackled. "You hate the giver but not what's given."

"There is no way I can hate this ice cream---"

"If you swallow that..." at some point, some delights needed to end. Poor me, it had to end too soon before I could even get enough of it. Red approached us from our back. "You'll be my slave until we graduate."

I slowly spat the ice cream off to the grass, whispering goodbyes to that small piece of heaven.

Dear Saint,

I will really not talk to Red, ever, again. Why does he always make fun of me? Why does he always annoy me? Why does he always make me do things for him? And lately, he's been interrupting my time with James allot. Why is that? Can you just make him go away, please? Can you just make him be fond of someone else? Like, I realised, Angie must be trying to earn his attention. They should make a good pair. I mean, just make him stop already, please.

+++

The day after, Mr. Vizca called for me to the Reform Office. I thought that it was just one of those times when he wanted to check on me. We've been having these types of connect sessions once or twice per term. It was the school's initiative to have life coaching and developmental sessions with select students every now and then.

"Good mor---" I happily opened the door.

"Good morning, Hicks!" Red greeted me back, to my surprise. He was seated there outside of the consultation room.

I sighed and sat down inches away from him.

"How's the ice cream taste?" he asked lowly.

"You made me spit it---"

"I did? I don't think so," he smiled, pleasured. His eyes formed exquisite wrinkles at the edges, He looked perfect when he smiled like that. "I only said you'd be my slave till we graduate."

"That's just the same," I was trying to be mad at him but I found myself fighting off a smile, instead. I couldn't get mad at him----or was it just his smile? "Who wants to be a slave?"

"But I want you to be my slave," he suddenly turned to face me.

Dub dub. Dub dub.

Dub dub. Dub dub.

Why? Why doesn't my heart cooperate? I couldn't stand his stare. It made me so nervous. I stood up, shaking the feeling off. I was supposed to be mad at him.

"I miss you, Hickey," he uttered slowly.

Dub dub. Dub dub.

Dub dub. Dub dub.

He missed me? Did he just say that he missed me? I never heard him say something sweet like that. How should I respond?

"Good day, Kids," just in the nick of time, Mr. Vizca opened the door to the Consultation Room. "Get in. Get in."

"Mr. Vizca, why am I and him here together?" I asked as I sat down.

"Well..." Mr. Vizca scratched his temples. "Let's say that I made the wrong gamble."

"Gamble?"

"He said that if I upped my grades, he'll grant me anything I wanted," Red beamed. He really did ace the midterms. He was on top of the rankings. "I asked to join your sessions."

"No way!" I blurted out. "You can't make him listen in, Mr. Vizca! This goes without my approval."

"Come on. I'm your friend," Mr. Vizca tapped me on the shoulder. "I can't break my word. Besides, he said that you're close."

"Close?" I faced Red.

He just nodded. Hands up in the air.

"Anyway, we don't have much time," Mr. Vizca changed the topic. "I actually just want to know how you are. Have you been having issues lately---"

"Him!" I pointed a finger straight to Red's face.

"Really?" Mr. Vizca's eyes rounded. "I've been hearing that you two are inseparable. I even heard you two are dating. Why's he your problem now?"

"Because," I glanced at him. The way he looked surprised was funny. "He's not really my type. But he takes me with him when he's bored and makes me do things for him and---"

"How can you be so ungrateful in front of Mr. Vizca," he boasted. "I buy you food. I give you a ride. I help you with anything---"

"You bully me, too---"

"No! That's not really bullying. I just---"

"What!? What do you call the constant teasing, and bothering and---"

"I like it when you're annoyed!" he concluded, unapologetically. "I told you not to get mad when it's me."

"Mm-Hmmm," Mr. Vizca giggled. "Miss Magat, I don't think I'll count this as Mr. McIntyre bullying you. Even more, I think you are very fond of each other. I just witnessed it."

I closed my eyes in defeat.

"Well, it seems things are going well your way. Before Mr. McIntyre arrived here in our school, I've never seen you that frisky."

"Feisty," Red corrected him.

"He provokes me so well," I murmured. "I'm really a nice girl, you know."

"I wanted to give you an update about Project Jopet," Mr. Vizca pulled my folder from under his table to the top and placed his hands on it. "Some generous alumni took interest in your journey and would like to help you---"

"Don't!" I sat on his table, blocking Red from hearing more about it. My heart raced. It was such a good news. But I felt like it was too personal for someone like Red to know. "You have to talk to me about this in private, Mr. Vizca."

"Carry on, Mr. Vizca," Red's curiosity was successfully piqued.

"Step out of the room, please," I tried to be really convincing. But Red took none of it. "Please."

"Carry on, please," he stood beside the table.

"Red," I begged him. "You should let me keep some things secret---"

"I don't have very many secrets and you know it all," he put my hands down. "You trust me, don't you?"

"No," I whispered.

"You don't trust me?"

"I mean... yeah, but..."

"Go ahead, Mr. Vizca," he flashed that winsome smile. He was definitely persistent.

"We keep records of every student's unique stories. When we meet with our students and they tell us what they aspire to be, or what wish they treasure to themselves, we take note of it," Mr. Vizca explained. "I first came across with Miss Magat three years ago---back then, she definitely looked nothing like this she is now. She wore an arm cast and almost broken eye glasses. She was very young, naive, scared but intelligent at the same time. I hadn't gotten anything really out of her in our first few counselling sessions. It's hard to get her buy-in---"

"Yeah. That sounds like her," Red agreed, looking at me.

"Eventually, I got her to talk and out of all the issues she had, there was one thing she wanted the most..." Mr. Vizca paused a little.

"I'm getting it removed," I gripped Red's arm and leaned my head in it.

"What? The hickey?" Red clarified. "You can get it laser removed nowadays."

"You see," my back was turned on Mr. Vizca but I could imagine how difficult it was for him to explain it to a guy. "We always said that. We always said that she wanted to get her birthmark removed. But it's just an alias. It's a magical sheath that covered the deepest wish of her heart."

"I don't believe I follow," Red dug even deeper. "What is it that Hickey wants?"

"It's tricky and there could be complications," I spoke under the cover of my hair. "I'm getting a Gender Confirmation Surgery."

"What?" Red's face turned into a jungle.