Phoenix_Marco

Florante Mendoza builds a wall and distances himself from the people around him. Larry, the witty, funny, big-mouth Larry crashes in head-first onto Florante's  walls and throws a party! 

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Party crasher, wall breaker, smile summoner boy falls head over heels with the sad boy. Sad boy holds back, looks back, runs back, hides back to the safety of his walls. Will they ever meet halfway?

The Summer I Fell In Love is a coming of age story that explores friendship, love and teenage alienation. Two boys  embark on an adventure to seek their rightful place in the world. As they traverse unfamiliar territories, both within themselves and the world around them, they must confront the challenges that will put the strength of their friendship to the test as they navigate through the twist and turns of adolescence.

The Summer I Fell In Love

Mr. and Mrs. Magsalay were arguing about what was going to be the name of the next Sphinx that they would be getting. I'd like to join in and suggest they call it Edgar Allan Paw but Larry took me by the hand and dragged me up to the winding stairs leading to his room on the second floor.

Larry's room was larger than our sala. There was a TV set, a refrigerator, a shower room and it's air-conditioned.

I thought for a minute if his parents were drug mafias.

The windows were open,over-looking the veranda and the white silky-curtains were being blown away by the Zephyr. I looked around me and felt a kind of emptiness inside.

Larry's room was huge and empty at the same time.

'Do you have brothers, Larry?' I asked while my eyes scanned through the vast space inside. Huge room. Few things. What a shame.

'Nope....' He answered while he was searching for something in the drawer.

'How about you, Florante?' He looked at me with curiosity.

'Then we're meant to be brothers...or more...' He said the last word almost inaudibly.

'Does being alone bothers you sometimes?' I asked not knowingly.

'You ask me that??' He said sarcastically and looked at my eyes as if he's trying to find something there.

I looked away afraid he would find something there.

'Florante, you're not alone...don't be too hard on yourself...'

There was a moment of silence between us. But it was not the awkward kind of silence. What I like about Larry was he knew when to stop talking and I don't mind the silence.

'Let's play a game, shall we?' He declared.

'What game??' I asked inquisitively.

'Getting-to-know-each-other-game...'

'What do you want to know about me, Larry?'

He asked a series of stupid questions and I answered them nonchalantly until it was my turn to ask.

'How about you Larry? What do you like?'

He paused for a moment, bit his lips and answered.

'Movies, cats, birds, photography, and you Florante...I like you...'

Chapter 9