Chapter Four | Florante, Laura, Rain, Bus

Another day has begun and with that, the officers of their class decided to who will be the final actors and actresses to fulfill the characters in the fantasy novel, Florante at Laura. Majority voted for John to be the Adolfo, Genemarie the Laura, and Tim to be the Florante. However because Breanna and Matthew volunteered to be Adolfo and Laura, they disregarded the votes and moved on with the next available characters.

Many hours has passed and many arguments has been made before they can finally proceed to the final decision.

"Alright! Let's start with the main characters! I will announce these actors and actresses who will fulfill these roles. Again, please do your best this is our performance task. Meaning this will affect greatly our grades okay?" Our President reminded us and everyone nodded their heads.

Meanwhile, Breanna looks outside the window admiring the beautiful trees beside their classroom and also the field of the school. The beautiful blue skies with the sun rays welcoming everyone under the sun — the day is beautiful.

"First off, hmm... Our volunteers, Breanna as Laura and Matthew as Adolfo. Next, Tim as Florante, Ella as Flerida..." The President and the Vice President continues to announce the chosen actors and actresses. After announcing it, they then proceed outside of the classroom and starts practicing.

Outside the classroom is not just any other ordinary hallway. Their classroom is beside the school canteen, it is not just any other normal building you all think. Classrooms are built to one after the other classroom beside the school's field. There is also a pathway between the field and the classroom and another little hallway beside the classroom.

Breanna went outside the room and was welcomed by the gentle wind greeting her. She gently put a strand of her hair back on her ears as she absent-mindedly stare at the field with the gentle breeze. She can hear the junior student's laughter as she admires the beauty of her school.

"What a surprise, Princess Laura." Naru's voice made her come back to the present from her train of thoughts. Her eyes widen in shock as her mouth fell in gape.

"Naru?! What are you doing here?!" She said with a shock on her face. "I am helping the teacher. I didn't know we have the same Filipino Teacher." He answered. "It is also surprising for you to get interested in roleplaying. As far as i know about you, you don't like main characters instead you like side characters more because they don't do so much. Like a side character." Naru said and it made her feel pissed. "Mind your own business you freak. I just happen to be interested in the story and the character itself!" Breanna answered, crossing her arms.

"Princess Laura for me is not a suitable character for you. She acts all lady in damsel in distress. She always want men to rescue her. However you, Bree, you do not want men to rescue you, rather you do not want to be a damsel in distress. Which makes you more admirable." He spoke. Breanna didn't speak anything. She isn't interested in the character but rather, she is just interested to the villain Count Adolfo — no, let me rephrase that, Breanna is interested in the actor who's role is Count Adolfo.

With that being said, her eyes are again unconsciously landed towards him as Matthew smiles and shared laughter with the other students that are not their classmate.

"Anyway, i gotta go. Catch you up later!" Naru said and walked away from her meanwhile Breanna couldn't again keep off her eyes from him until Kate called her name.

"Breanna! Come here, let's practice your script!" Kate said as she waves to Breanna getting her attention and cutting off her train of thoughts.

"Coming!" She said and went towards Kate and the others.

********

For the remaining days, everything is going smoothly. The happiness everyone felt in the past months for the school year felt quite fast. To Breanna, she enjoyed her school year for there was no such drama in her life. She lives her teenage life alone in a small apartment, she made friends and was silently looking outside the window of the classroom admiring the beautiful blue skies every lunch.

This performance task will be the last task they are going to fulfill and the school year will end after the remaining free days. Just thinking about it makes Breanna a little bit sad for the thought she's going to leave such beautiful and kind school year she experience. In the past, she never experienced these kinds of warm feelings, that is why it is hard for her to let go of these memories.

December 2019, the rain is pouring hard again. Because of that, they didn't film instead they took a practice of their lines inside the classroom. The wind is cold and the sound of rain dropping in the floor makes her feel sleepy.

"Okay! That's it for today!" The President finally dismissed them however to Breanna she finds it struggle to go home. She's all alone with no one she can go home with. Naru already went home and he doesn't even give a damn to her. She sigh.

"Hey, are you going home?" Tim asked Breanna and she nodded her head. "Y-yeah actually i was uhm... Do you live in xxxxxx street?" She asks Tim yet he shake off his head. "But i do know Matthew lives after that street. I guess you two can go home together." Tim suggested and with that, it made her feel butterflies in the stomach just hearing the word 'home together'.

"A-ah... I think i might go home alone —"

"Hey Matt! Breanna doesn't have someone she can go home with. You two are neighbors so... should you take the lady with you going home?" Tim already spoke before Breanna can finish her words.

Matthew then looked at her and he nodded his head, "Sure." He answered and Breanna's heart couldn't feel more joy than ever, although she tries to keep it to herself. The Vice President locked the classroom doors and everyone starts walking meanwhile Breanna and Matthew got stucked outside of the room door.

Matthew then asks, "Do you have umbrella with you?" He spoke first and Breanna shakes off her head. She forgot to bring her umbrella because she's almost late earlier. "Oh! Good think i bought an extra!" Tim again appeared right before them and handed them his extra umbrella.

"Okay, come now! Let's go!" He exhilirate. They then open the umbrella and walk together under it. Both of them were silent until Matthew spoke first.

"Hey, is it okay for you if we ride a bus?" He asks for her permission. Breanna stopped her tracks and went to look at him with such excitement in her eyes. "A bus?!" Matthew went shock to see her cute expression. He didn't know that Breanna could be cute too, she's always looking outside the window with her little world around her head.

"Yeah. It's easier to ride a bus when it's raining. Most jeepney's are full now." He said and Breanna quickly nodded her head. "Sure! Let's go ride a bus!—"

"Ah, but i'm not sure either if the bus is available in these times. Actually, it a bit of a heck traffic now." He cuts off her words before she could finish and her excitement went down.

"Oh... I see." She said with low voice. It was obvious she's disappointed. Matthew sigh. He didn't know she can get easily excited about simple things. "W-well. If you permit, we can go home together tomorrow again and ride a bus." He tries to reassure her and with that said, Breanna's smile came back.

"Sure! Let's go home for today. I'm quite tired... Haha." Breanna starts to have a comfortable conversation with him.

"I'm starting to regret why i volunteered."

"Same! I never thought it will be this hard. Ha..."

"I want to sleep,"

"I want to play,"

They both said in unison and they both looked at each other and bursted into laughter.

All of the sudden, they quickly got along well — getting comfortable with each other. The rain won't stop pouring as they both start to share their secrets. They continue to talk more when Matthew started a topic about a bus.

"You know, there's a bus that we can transport to our home." He spoke and Breanna's eyes starts to sparkle. She never had been in a public transportation — she was born rich, pampered with her parent's money. So having her own freedom is a new to her. For everything that she did looks weird to other normal people, but to her, it felt amazing.

To be free from the pain you had once — or to be free even if it's just minutes or hours, she's thankful enough to have it. A small freedom.

"Really?! Should we ride it then?" She answered with her excited eyes and Matthew only laughed.

"Sure! Let's go wait in the shed." He said and they both wait in the shed, forgetting their classmates who were there. They all waited for the bus for 30 minutes and when it arrived, they went inside the bus and sat on the third aisle, Breanna sat beside the window and Matthew sat beside her. The rain still won't stop pouring as they both went on with their conversation.

When they finally arrived at their destination, the rain stopped and they both thankful for it. They get off the bus and Breanna turns to look at him.

"Well, this is where we should part-ways. My house is just a few miles away." She said and Matthew nodded.

"Sure, let's go home tomorrow again." He offered and Breanna's stone heart starts to thump. It felt strange — she felt butterflies in her stomach as her heart starts to beat. She looks into his eyes and they were both mysteriously beautiful. She couldn't take off her eyes from his — and so he did too.

"Take care, Anna." He called a nickname that no one ever tried to use, but he just did. He then pats her hair like it was nothing, and went back again inside the bus to ride.

Breanna were speechless — she went back to reality when the bus starts to move. She look at the window where Matthew were sitting but he didn't look at her back. All of the sudden, she wished for him to remember her even in his wildest dreams — even though she knows it wasn't right.