Chapter Twenty Four

3rd Person POV

×× backstory ××

It's summer of 2002 and everybody's enjoying their time.

Dancing along with the song, "What Time Is It?" by: Highschool Musical, at the summer camp they felt they belong.

Two lone souls met that one fateful summer under a tree, beside the flowing river, the peaceful place where everybody could see.

"Hey! What are you doing there?" the boy with a red cap called out the girl who was playing with the running water.

The boy caught her attention and it made the girl looked over her shoulder towards the boy's direction.

"I'm trying to catch a fish!" the innocent girl responded, flashing a smile at the young boy who called.

"How can you catch a fish in a running water?" the boy asked as he walk closer to her.

"I'll wait for a fish and catch it using my two hands," the girl answered.

"What year are you?" he asked.

"I'm 3rd year highschool," she answered and stopped trying to catch a fish and is now standing still at the running river. "Why?"

"You don't look and think like a highschool student at all," the boy in cap responded and snickers. It made the girl frown but the boy ignored her. "I'm Nicholas. And you are?"

The girl began walking closer 'til she got out of the water with her feet and the tip of her long skirt wet. "It's Beauty," she said and smiled.

Nicholas looked from head to her toe and commented, "Who jumps in a running water wearing a long skirt?"

"Me?" Beauty answered.

They both laughed and went back at the summer camp.

"Which cabin are you staying?" Nicholas asked.

"It's a secret," Beauty responded. "Isn't that a bit personal to ask? I don't even know you."

"Well, let's be friends so we could get to know each other really well," Nicholas suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Beauty responded.

And that's how the two met during the summer of 2002.

×× flashback to be continued ××

***

I had a dream that felt like real.

In my dream, it is summer and then I saw a river with two teens talking and laughing like they were having a good time.

In my dream, I'm only watching the two of them as they talk, laugh until they walked away going to who knows where. I wish I could see where they are going but then darkness enveloped the area, swallowing everything including the boy and the girl in my dream.

Then I found myself in a different scenario that also felt real. In that dream, it wasn't summer. I watched the snow as they fell and I saw a house made of bricks.

My eyes caught a few teens having fun inside the house while the blizzard is becoming much strong. It made me wonder why did my dream showed me all of those scenes and what's weird is it felt real.

Then I woke up from my dream at the voice of NJ

"Hey, sleepy head! Wake up! You don't want to be late!" he said and saw him grinning at me. Normally, I would have kicked him already but then, I remembered his confession which gave me a feeling of awkwardness. I calmly wore my eyeglass which made my sight clearer.

When he received no violent reaction at all, he gave me a confused look and said, "Earth to Beauty? Are you there? Hello?"

"I'm awake," I said, not looking at him directly. "I just need time to process everything inside my head before I jump out from my bed."

And my statement made him even more confused based on the way he look at me. "Are you okay? What are you saying?" he asked then place his hand on my forehead as if he's checking my temperature. "Do you have a fever?" Then to my surprise, he pressed his forehead against mine, making us even closer. I swear, I could feel my face warm by his unneccesary gesture.

Using both of my hands, I pushed him away as hard as I could and yelled, "S-SHUT UP! GO AWAY!"

He stumbled back but was able to regain his composure. "Whoa, chill, alright? It's only me!" he said. "I was just worried because you kept on mumbling things."

"You don't need to press your forehead against mine, you know?" I said, annoyed.

"You're cute when you're flustered," he teased. "I like that."

"I like B and I don't want us to be just friends."

My memory about last night came running inside my mind and made me even more flustered. I grabbed my pillow and shove it to his face then pushed him away. "SH-SHUT UP! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

I didn't give him a chance to speak. I immediately get up and went out of my room.

"Wait! Where are you going?" he called out to me.

"Breakfast, what else?" I grumpily answered.

"Did someone wake up at the wrong side of the bed?" he said and chuckled. "Right, I almost forgot that you always wake up at the wrong side of the bed, grumpy woman."

"Very funny, NJ," I said and walked downstairs with my PJ's still on.

"You sure you're not gonna take a bath and dress up first?" he asked as he followed me all the way down.

"I don't care what to do first," I said.

"What?" he responded. "That doesn't answer my question. Seriously, are you okay?"

When we were finally downstairs, I faced him and when I did, I remembered his indirect confession.

"I'd like to be something more"

I found myself screamed at the memory and as I did, NJ closed his ears using both of his hands. My scream of course caught my mother and my sister's attention.

Trust me when I say that my sister and mom looked fuming mad at my outrage. NJ didn't get mad. He looked worried.

"What's up with you, B?! It's early in the morning and you're disturbing everyone!" L said.

"Why are you getting mad at me for my outburst and disturbing everyone?" I said. "NJ disturbed us a couple of times but you were never mad at him!"

"Are you upset that I always go here?" NJ asked calmly and a little bit sad. "If I do nothing but upset you, I'll stop going in here."

My inner heart says "No! Don't! You can keep coming." But my pride said, "You upset me every time you barge in without my permission!" then sighed.

"I'm sorry if I make you upset," he said. "Okay, I'll stop bugging you from now on." he looked at my mom and sister and said, "I guess this is a goodbye for us?"

At the word goodbye, another flashback came running insise my mind.

"The last time we spoke and bid a goodbye was during the winter of the same year of the summer camp we first met, She thought I left but I'm always watching over her without her knowing it."

Then I caught myself telling him, "That's sweet, you creep!" then I ran back to my bedroom, shut the door closed and locked it.

I don't care about the time or the school.

I just want to act normal around him like I used to.

I was about to jump back to my bed when I heard my phone's notification. I opened my phone and saw Quila sent me a message.

Hey twinny! Morning! Are you up? Come to school, quick! You should see our dance. We have completed it, yay!

After reading her message, I made up my mind. I am going to join her team.

Not for the spotlight.

But because I'd like to be distracted from the thoughts that's been bothering me.

While holding my phone, I heard a knock on the other side of my door. It was a gentle knock then a voice said, "Hey, B. Did I do something wrong? Can we talk about it? I'm sorry that I upset you every single time." Boy, he sounded sad.

I'd like to say that he no longer upset me. I'd like to say that I'd like to stay away from him because my mind is still trying to comprehend his confession and revelation last night.

Of course, I didn't say that.

But I also didn't open my door for him.

Not yet, not now.

I didn't speak and finally, I heard his footsteps fading away. It seems that he's leaving.

After he left, my sister opened my door harshly and walked up towards me. "What's gotten over you?! Do you have a problem with Nico?!"

"N-No!" I started. "It's not him, it's me."

She rolled my eyes at me. "Who needs that old lame line?" then continued speaking. "Seriously, what happened? Don't worry, I'll listen. Your elder sister is always here for you."

"Can you tell me if I have been in a summer camp before?" I asked and she looked at me, confused.

"Summer camp? What are you talking about?" she asked, curiosity flashed all over her face.

"That's what I thought too," I said. "He may have gotten the wrong girl. Maybe he mistook me for someone else."

"Okay, that's enough! Can you just tell me what's going on?" she asked. "SPILL THE BEANS!"

I know it's getting late for class but I've decided to tell my sister about what happened last night.

Oh, how I wish my story about last night is a good and happy one like other folks who experienced something good and fun the night before, but it isn't.

"Oh, hold on," my sister said while massaging her forehead as if she was overwhelmed with the information I gave her. "So after your fake date with Tom, he barged in? Then you continued to play as Beatrice then as Beatrice, you found out that he's planning to ask you out, said that he liked you and would like to be something more? And he also said that you two have met before? Bid goodbye and that he's been watching over you since then?"

"Uh-huh," I answered. "He said that we met in summer and bid goodbyes in the winter. I am worried that his confession would complicate our friendship and worse, wasted."

"So you'd rather stay as friends?" she asked.

I nodded.

"And push him away?"

I nodded.

"And focus on yourself by joining the cheerleading dance squad?"

I nodded.

"And avoid him?"

I nodded.

"Weakling," she said and gave me a poker face look. "Woman up, young lady!"

"What if he ask me out? I'd risk our friendship!" I said. "He said he wanted something more!"

"But you can't reciprocate his feelings with the same level as his?" she said.

I nodded. "At least, not yet. I don't want him to wait. It would be unfair to him."

"He's always there for you," she said. "And what if he meet someone else? When will you be ready? Why don't you give it a shot?"

"I am not prepared for something like that," I said. "I may have successfully acted as Tom's girlfriend, but this is NJ we're talking about."

"Oh well, you better decide," she said. "But of course, you should find out what's he talking about. Because I also can't remember you, going into a summer camp."

"That's true. I never went to a summer camp before. And every summer, we're out on a family vacation, right?" I said.

Maybe he mistook me for someone else.

Now, I've decided to find out myself.

And maybe, I'll use Beatrice Smith as a way of finding things out.

❀