Thomas

I did everything to have him myself, I won't let anyone to ruin it even if it cost everything.

—————

The long weekend ended. It took me almost five hours to reach my home. my neighbor asked me about my whereabouts but I don't know what to answer. I keep coming back to what happened in my grandmother's house and it bothers me--the guy from that place, his word.

You never changed Vienne.

I met him before that’s for sure. Something from that sentence tell me that it is a lot deeper than what I know. Today is Monday so school should be my priority for now. After doing my everyday routine, I walk my way to the school. Many of my classmates look at me like I’m an outcast. I mean this is nothing new because I’m used to be treated like this for how many years but their stares today are different. I was just away for one week and their eyes are bothering me.

Did something happen? Again?

The campus feels gloomy today; an indication that something definitely happened. I ignore those things and head straight to the room. Inside the classroom are the doubtful pairs of eyes each those are pierce in me the moment I step in the classroom.

I decided to ignore them again like I usually do. Their eyes are telling something—but I don’t want to think of it now. I already know what could it be.

They’re accusing me of something I never did, again.

Morning lesson ended so quickly and I headed out straight to the cafeteria. The whole place is so noisy and its nothing new.

The moment I showed up change it though.

The lively place suddenly became quiet as if it was struck by a lightning. I never knew that they are this worst when seeing me and it makes me irritated.

I’m not even a criminal but I got treated like one, where’s the fairness in here?

I pretended like it was nothing and just walk my way to the counter and ordered something to eat. Lunch time ended so fast. I walk upstairs when suddenly a booming sound covered my sense of hearing. It’s very painful up to the head and I can’t do anything but to stop walking. The sound got worst and it hurts even more.

Then all of a sudden, the strength of my knees is gone. I close my eyes so hard that it almost bleeds to suppress the pain but it didn’t help. I can feel myself loosing my sanity and everything immediately faded.

I’m enjoying the sun today, it is the month of June and it feels like I’ll get tanned for this year’s summer. A lot of teenagers in our neighborhood are outside splashing water to each other. Then I remember it is 24th of June and everyone is celebrating the Basaan Festival—it is a festival that literally means dousing of water to anyone who will pass by you, a feast of St. John the Baptist. With full of energy, I hurriedly step outside the house and join my cousins playing in the yard.

“Vienne here!” my cousin Amethyst waved at me while smiling. I run to her direction in a hurry and shoot my water gun to her. She did the same and we both laugh very loud. I look around to see the others when my eyes caught a certain person walking in the middle of those teenagers playing like it was nothing.

He’s a tall guy wearing black pants partnered with white - plain t - shirt. He’s hand were inside his pocket and he’s walking while his head and eyes glued to the road. I continued eyeing him until he passed by our yard. “you like him?” Amethyst said. I can’t answer her and she started laughing.” Yeah, you do.” She walks a bit forward moving one step away from me. “His name's Thomas Brandt, a campus heartthrob, you’ll meet him next week.” Amethyst leave me alone and I just stared on the direction he walks through.

I came from manila since my family is living there. Something happened and I was asked to move to my grandparent’s home without explanation. Next week I will start my day as a student in the same school where my cousin is attending. I was informed that it will be hard and lonesome but I should reach out to them to prevent that.

But none of their prediction happened.

My first day wasn’t boring and I got treated very well. Everyone is nice to me and I can really feel their warm welcome and I’m so happy about that. When I transferred to their school many of them wanted to be my friend and so I did. They help me and got lots of friends.

I know that this will be another happy memory in my life. As days passed, I gained even more friends asking me to come with them to hung out and brought me to many gatherings and eventually I became famous and top of the class. I’m literally living my life here, a very good one. Some run to me to ask for help for their acads and I gladly accept that.

I never knew that staying here would be this wonderful and I really love this. My relatives congratulated me for my performance here and they said that I should keep it up. Of course, I will! For the past days, I continued to be the person everyone loved and adore.

But for the days I’ve been going to school, I felt that something is missing. I can’t figure it out though. I don’t know what is making me feel incomplete from the moment I become a student but I know there is. I woke up every day feeling like that.

What did I miss?

Until one day, I woke up and stare at the wall for a moment. A guy showed up in my dreams. As if sending me the answer to my problem for the past days, I think I figure it out now—what was I missing,

Him. He's not around, Thomas.