07

Weeks passed, I was busy with exams, the presentation rather the mock presentation and other things. I was often called by my parents, asking me when I'll visit again. They said they wanted to decorate the tree with me. I said that I'll be there in Mid-November. It's the first week of November anyway.

I only have some things left to do. The mock presentation was approved and the prof told us we shouldn't change anything but we should fix some things.

Our last week of classes during December, we'll have our finals. That'll probably be in the second week of December. Oh god, I'm not ready to stay up late for a week again. But I'll still make time to go home for a day. I'll sleepover over the weekend.

We'll actually receive the exams we took like on the 2nd week of October. I'm not smart, just an average gal trying to survive college life. The univ was also designed with Christmas lights and trees.

I only have classes until afternoon so I can go anywhere after that. I'm thinking about going to a park or something. I was first thinking about going to a library but I won't be doing anywhere there. I won't buy a book and don't read it. Wouldn't want to waste my money.

•

After classes, I continued my plan to come to a park. I was only there to see the sun set but it's too early for that so I stopped by at a café and stayed there. I opened my bag and took out my book.

I was supposed to start reading when someone sat in front of me. I slowly raised my head to see who it was and I was right.

"Darwin! You scared the shit out of me!" We laughed.

"Sorry, sorry. I secretly followed you. I don't have classes today but was out then I saw you and I didn't notice that I was already following you." He shrugged. He was nicely dressed, guess he was out in the mall. He was wearing a black turtleneck and khaki trousers.

"It's okay. Anyway, wanna hang out? I'm bored today. Let's watch the sun set later." I looked outside and it was packed with people. It was still sunny.

"Alright. I don't have anything good to do today anyway." He gave me a big thumbs up and smiled. "I'll order. Want to have lunch?"

I nodded as an answer. "I'll have the Spanish sardines pasta." He nodded and left to order. What a nice dude. He always orders for us or for me.

I set down the book on the table and looked outside the window. The middle part of the wall wasn't tinted so I still see something from outside.

I saw kids playing with each other and laughing. They looked so cute on their small clothes, hands, and feet. I'm not particularly fond of kids. I just like looking at how small they are.

After some time, two kids were fighting some other kid. He was protecting the girl who was now crying. I guess the other kid fought with her. How cute. Makes me remember Diesel when we were kids. The moms of the kids came to the rescue, though. Yey everything's solved now.

When we were in elementary, I protected Diesel from some bully who thought he was so cool. He told Diesel that he shouldn't be hanging out with me, that he should hang out with girls because he was so loud. I mean, that's just how he is. It's not Diesel if it isn't loud. I told him to not listen to that brat. Not that he actually listens to anyone, you know.

"You good? You're thinking so deeply." I was startled when I heard Darwin. "Oops, sorry for surprising you." He laughed.

"Nah. I just remembered him when we were kids 'cause I saw some kids fighting." I chuckled and kept my book in my bag without reading a single page.

"Him as in your EX boyfriend?" He emphasized that "Ex" part.

I chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, him. Diesel."

"Diesel? Cool name!" His eyebrows raised and eyes widened. Shocked as if it's the first time he hears someone with a name like that.

"Yeah, he often gets that." I smiled and leaned back on my chair. My back was aching again. I really have a bad lower back.

"You're really old, Tib.". He teased me when he noticed the face I made when I leaned back.

"Yeah, true. My back is killing me. I feel like an old man." I grimaced and yawned.

"Oh, here's the food. You should really do some stretches for your back." He stood up to get our food from the pick up counter when the buzzer lit up.

"He's really too kind." I shook my head. He didn't even let me stand up to go and get our food.

As usual, he was very talkative and we talked about a lot of things. I didn't actually mind staying at the café because I have my laptop. I spent some time studying and was glad because Darwin gave me time to have the peace I need for studying. He also did some stuff while I was doing mine.

•

"The sun's setting soon. Wanna go out?" I was packing up. I saw the color of the sky change already. The leaves from the trees were being swept by the harsh wind outside. Slowly, the park became less packed.

"Yeeeep! Let's go. It's windy outside, yey!" He giggled and brightly smiled while patiently waiting for me to stand up. I move really slow, to be honest.

"Sorry. I move like a sloth." I chuckled and hung one of the straps of my backpack on my shoulder.

"It's cool! I kinda noticed that." He laughed and punched my arm.

We leaned on the railings while looking at the sun slowly going down. Satisfying.

"I really find this satisfying. It's one of my favorite sceneries to look at." He looked at me when I said that.

"Something about the sky calms you down, huh?" He smiled and that made me smile also because he noticed that.

"Yeah. I was always an admirer of it."

•

And just like that, it's already time to go to my parents. I was on my way to my parents' house.

"Mom, Dad, I'm home!" I removed my shoes on the entrance inside and went to the kitchen where my parents are.

"Hey, honey!" Mom shouted while she was busy cooking. Dad was cutting some ingredients to help mom.

"Hey, son! Go put your stuff in your room. We're okay here. Wash up and change. You must be tired from exams. Look at you! You don't look like your handsome dad anymore." He cockily said and laughed.

"Stop that! Omygod. That's so cringy." I made a disgusted face and mom was just laughing at our bickering.

I went to my room. It was just like how I left it. Everything. I put my bag down on the bed and got some clothes.

I went out of my room and asked mom for a towel.

"It's in your cabinet, hon!" she shouted.

"Alright, thanks!" I was about to go back in my room when I remembered something that I forgot to bring. "Ah, mom, do you have an extra toothbrush?"

"Yep, in your cabinet as well!"

"Thank you!" I shouted back and entered my room again to get all of those things and went to the bathroom to wash up.

By the time I finished washing up and dressing up, dinner was already ready. As soon as I came out of my room, the smell of the food entered my nostrils.

"Let's eat. We can start decorating the tree after!" She was so excited by the thought of decorating the tree. She always loved Christmas and doing these things, decorating, organizing events.

•

I washed the dishes while my parents were bringing out the decorations that we'll need for decorating.

"Mom, isn't that a little too.. gold?" I asked her when I noticed that everything in the box was mostly gold.

"What? What are you saying? This is perfect!" She giggled from excitement.

I looked at that and he just shook his head telling me that I can't do anything about it. No one wins against mom.

I was smiling while shaking my head while finishing up the dishes. "I'll be there in a while."

"It reminds me of when you were little. You would put any kind of ball on a random part of the tree and look so proud." Mom laughed while reminiscing and fixing the tree.

•

"Goodnight, both of you!" They ruffled my hair. "We finished earlier. The tree looks nice, mom."

"Yeah! Because of me!" Dad bragged again. Seriously, I don't know why my dad's like this.

"Alright, whatever!" Mom pushed him inside their room and waved to me.

I was inside my room, laying on my bed because of my aching back. I thought about what Darwin said and actually did some stretching. I was groaning the whole time I was stretching. Hope my parents didn't hear that and get the wrong idea.

After that stretching featuring the disturbing noises I made, I sat down on my swivel chair which I used when I studied on my study table.

I looked at the sky from my window and the moon was bright today. A lot of stars were also scattered which made it look magical.

"Why are you crying? Diesel, are you okay? Hey?" I was rubbing his back. He suddenly attacked me with a hug when I woke up. We're in the hospital because of my Hemolytic Anemia. It's just mild though. I was having a high fever last night so I was rushed here.

"You scared me! I was so worried about you. Your back always hurts, you're always so pale, and you often get dizzy. And now you're in the hospital." He didn't want to let go of me.

It's the first time I'm seeing him cry. I never saw him cry once even if something so painful happened. He told me he's unable to cry but seeing him right now.. "I'm okay, promise. It's just anemia, I can get cured, don't worry."

He punched my chest while still crying. "I still hate you." He sniffled and continued to hug me. "You seriously need to take care of yourself."

I giggled and rubbed his back. "Well, too bad, I love you." I didn't plan on confessing to him right now but it felt like the right time to get it out of my chest. Since we were 15, I already have feelings for him. And now that we're 17, I thought that maybe this is the right time to tell him how I feel.

He stopped sniffling and wiped his tears. "W-what?" He looked so shocked but he still hadn't let go of me so I couldn't hide my blushing face. I just looked away because I can't say it again. It's embarrassing!

"Never mind!"

He poked my face. "I love you, too, you know."

I was frozen. I was trying to process what he said and when it finally sinked in me, my eyes widened. "What?! Tell me that again!" I held both of his shoulders.

He looked away because he was also blushing. "Nothing!"

"Come on! Say it again!"

He shook his head vigorously. "Nope!"

I held his face and faced it. "I heard that so you won't have the right to reject what I'm about to do." I leaned my face closer to his and I saw him close his eyes. I chuckled and kissed his whole face.

"Ehh?! That's it?!" He pulled away and looked at me disappointedly.

"What did you expect I was gonna do, Diesel?" I teased him and smirked.

His whole face turned red. "Nothing! Nope. Nothing, really."

"Kidding. I love you." I felt so free and happy now that I can say that to him.

"I-" He cleared his throat. "I love you, too." Shy Diesel is so cute. I can't.

I slowly leaned to him and as my lips touched his, my heart felt all ticklish and I felt so euphoric. I never felt this happy ever in my life.

That day, under the night sky, we confessed our long kept feelings to each other. Turns out I liked him first.