Sahri High

Thirty Five (Unedited)

"Heaven Callista Andranooo! Please! Don't bother me!"

I just laughed when I heard my full name, which Kuya called. I've been harassing him before because I can't do anything and I can't relax.

"Brother, come on! accompany me! I'll just buy a book at the national bookstore, promise we'll go home right away!" Convincing him, Alex Michaelides has a new book out now !! When I'm really exhausted!

"Heaven, you have almost no space in your room, will you add more? What's wrong with you? Hoarding?" He answered rudely while still focused on his laptop, because he was doing his paper works for next week.

"Brother, I'm reading that, I'm not just collecting, go ahead, it's easy. Spare a couple of hours with your sister, I'll miss you."

I laughed a little when I saw that he stopped typing on his laptop. Got you!

"Okay." I heard him sigh, he arranged his belongings and stood up. "Fix yourself. Don't tell me, we're going to the mall wearing that?"

I frowned at my clothes. Sando and short, I was about to get up but I really prefer to tease my brother. Hehe "What's wrong with my clothes? It's actually okay for me?"

I saw how pissed he is, he pinch his nose for a moment.

"Heaven, you're not leaving like that, I'm going to report you to Mommy, hurry up! Change." He almost shouted, and pointed to the door for me to get out.

I just laughed and ran into my room. I really like when he gets annoyed, because he's only at home once, He's a law student, already in his third year because, I think he's a bit stressed.

Mom and Dad are usually home for weekends, since I was in high school they have also expanded their business in the Philippines, but they still go home on Friday night, no matter where they are. We have a rule: Weekend is a family day, and besides we don't have too much business, enough for us to at least have a meal everyday and be able to attend private school.

Kuya and I, we're very close. Together we grew up, and we explored things together. He would also help me with my studies, I will admit that he is really smarter compared to me, but neh, no hard feelings.

"Heaven! Let's go! You might run out of the book you want!" I heard my older brother shout, he looked like he was in the living room, and waiting.

"Okaaaayyy !!" I shouted back and grabbed my sling bag before exiting.

I have to get that book, during our semester break, it's only four days and we're already busy and I'm a full College girl, I still have senior high so we didn't get to College right away, I'm sure I'll be busy non, and reading will not be an option for leasure time, sad yes.

-

"I'll just get binder and pen, meet me at the counter, okay?" He gave me strong instructions. I just laughed and nodded. I usually sneak out when we're at the mall, I just want to wander around. I have already entered the shelf section I want to look at.

There was this one that my older brother and I were together in SM Fali, he was buying stuffs then I sneaked out! I lost in time, I got home at almost seven o'clock, I was just outside when I heard Mommy crying, I was confused why, then there were more police mobiles in front of our house, did something happen? That's the lurking question in my mind that time, instead they reported me as missing, I'm missing , and Mommy was crying assuming that I was kidnapped or what. That night was epic, although I received a two hour scolding from Mommy and Kuya, while Daddy was there, laughing his ass out.

My family is crazy. Seriously.

I halt when I saw an interesting book.

The one that got away. written by Unknown

There's no author, is that even possible? Why would someone published a book without Author? Don’t they want to be famous because of their writings?

"That book was said to be cursed."

I almost let go of the book I was holding when someone suddenly spoke to my side, then I saw a tall man beside me, he was also looking at the book.

"Why?" I was curious, why cursed book to?

"People who get that can't stay together."

I almost hit him, it's not obvious from his looks that he's a hopeless romantic, and believes in such things.

"Then why would they sell it? Why don't they just burn it?" When I ride my brother's joke.

He might be older than me? Two to three years? It's as if he's lost his way. He was wearing a black hoodie, black shorts and a white shirt underneath, but he seemed to be endorsing what he was wearing, the military cut suited him, but his eyes were very showy, so many emotions were passing by, he has a perfect lips and a perfect jaw line. Well.

"I don't know." He said, still looking at the book. I opened it since nothing was sealed, he was alone on this bookshelf as if he had gotten lost, and was just really squeezed.

Summer after high school, when we first met

We make-out in your Mustang to Radiohead

And on my eighteenth birthday, we got matching tattoos

Wait, is this a song The one that got away by Katy Perry? What the hell? Is this a song book or what? I thought book? He's just a paper with lyrics in the middle, and that's it. It looks like a scrap book.

"Will you order that?" The person next to me asked again, he frowned and shook his head, I handed it to him and turned around to find the book I wanted. "Then thank you, hope you'll find Alex Michaelides book, but its on the third shelf on the right, not here."

Wait how did he know what I was looking for? I just ignored him and followed what he said. I almost jumped when I saw a single copy on the side. I took it immediately and hugged it.

"Finally." I wispered. I jumped back to the counter, my older brother was already there and lined up. You can see him right away because of his height and the intimidating nature of his appearance, well it won't work for me.

He probably noticed that someone approached him so he put his phone in his pocket and looked at me, including the book I was holding. "Okay? Have you found it yet?" Next was my nod. "Okay let's go, I have to finish my paper." He said so I followed.

We drove thru before heading straight home, I didn't bother him when we got home. I took a shower before going to bed.

I removed the cover of the book before opening. I love this kind of genre, I don’t know why, I was really fascinated reading and knowing stories about this.

I stopped for a moment when I remembered the man earlier, the weird thing he said. Book, have a curse? Is he expecting me to believe that?

Weird guy.

-

Days passed quickly, and it's my first day of school. My parents and older brother of course asked me where I want to study, UST, UP, PUP, FEU, UE, and more, but I'm from private schools and more, I mean, I don't want to go to manila now, I heard there good school in Fasti, and here I am, at Fasti State University, some students call it Fal, I am innovating, from the hallway, classrooms, cafeteria. I have to adjust if I want to study here, I also got an apartment nearby, it's not hard to find since there are many dorms and apartments, it looks like there are students who are really far away, so they chose to stay here.

"Good morning freshies, may we invite you all to gather to our Activity center for the orientation. Thank you."

As soon as I heard that, I walked lazily, out to the room. I'm hungry, it's 7 o'clock, so maybe there's no open store or canteen yet, I also walked for about ten minutes until I got to the AC, there are a lot of students ahead, and it's also noisy, it looks like there are friends they are here, I suddenly missed my friends in Manila.

"Good morning freshies! Kindly get the pamphlet near your seat and read it briefly. It contains the vision, mission, our president, vice president, other board members, college deans, and different parts of the University, may it be your guide, inside. "

While the speaker was saying that, I was reading the contents of the pamphlet, there were also many buildings, there was also a small map on the back with a label.

I also lost my appetite to listen, maybe because I'm still sleepy, but I can hear where we can buy uniforms, and PE uniforms too, I just looked around to enjoy while killing time, the duration of this.

Spontaneously my eyes stopped at the tall man standing nearby. He was just looking at the front, seriously, he was also a civilian like us. Is he also studying here? Even if I don't admit it, pay attention to him in his place, many are also looking at his side, but he doesn't seem to know anything, he's just looking at the stage while he's making a fuss, I don't know if he's listening or what.

"Last class for today?" It was our professor's turn when he came in. A mid-20's man entered the classroom, he looks like he's just the same age as Kuya, and he's just as tall, his facial features are a bit soft compared to kuya, who's serious all the time, it's really okay to be a lawyer, to punch a.

"Yes sir." Answer by the person next to me. He was asking us a question. Hehe I was lost for a while.

"Okay. I won't give you a lesson for your first day, awkward a no?" He said that he really seemed hesitant whether to give it to us or not. The whole class laughed on what he said, I chuckled with that. "Okay, anyway, it's just an assignment, we'll see you again next Monday, make an essay or poem about you, and how do you see yourself 10 years from now." I immediately thought. Is it like this in College? Essay the first day? Well, it depends maybe. Earlier, it was purely introductions to subjects and scope. "It's hand written, don't be lazy." He told us, so I looked at him. He doesn't seem to have been teaching for a long time, but he seems to be very good at it in front of the students.

With that he dismissed us. I would have liked to hang out but I don't know much about this place. I went out and looked at what I could eat, I'm a bit hungry, I wanted to go out, is there a restaurant here? Hays. I fished my phonw from my pocket then search for some nearby restaurant.

"Hey!!"

"Holy f**k!" I grabbed my chest in shock. Who doesn't? Suddenly someone shouted near my ear. I would have turned around to see if it was that apple, but he was already in front of me. Smiling and turned to dust.

"How are you? Are you going to study here? Seriously, small world boy." He gave me a boyish grin and wink, I frowned at him, remembering where I saw him.

Where did I see him?

Oh!

"You're the guy earlier? In the AC?" I'm not that sure, I'm not good at worrying about my face, that's my weakness.

"Yes, I'm also at the Book store, do you remember?" He dramatically placed his hand on his chest, acting like he was hurt, that I did not recognize him. "You're serious, you are able to forgot this handsome face? Did you forget about me? You're already ready." My forehead furrowed even more. This guy is weird. What's her problem? Are we that close?

"Grayson Levi Cohen, Gray just to be short, my mother named me long." He looks like a bad trip, so I just laughed, he's cute while crunching her nose. "What? Are we going to get dark here? Don't you have an umbrella? Looks like you're not used to the heat." I just shook my head and walked again.

But I stopped for a moment when I remembered something. "I don't know where to go now. I don't know."

I feel insulted when he laughed after I said that, I frowned and marched away from him. Annoying.

"Hot for a while." He said, still laughing. "I didn't mean to laugh, miss hey!" I stopped walking when he held me, I just looked at it, he did the same. He came out suddenly when he realized what he did to me. "I'm sorry, what's the matter, I didn't mean to, what's the matter."

I raised an eyebrow at him, because he still didn't want to say what his problem was.

"What, you're so cute." He said and bowed. "f*****g gay amp."

I couldn't stop my laughter, I just shook and poked him, he almost jumped in panic.

"Come on, I'm starving right now, where can I eat?" Her face lit up because of what I said.

But for a few seconds he stood up straight and hugged himself as if scared, and it didn't suit him.

"Wait, I don't even know your name, then you're inviting me on a date right away? Not like that, my parents are strict, no girlfriend until 95."

I let out a deep sigh before he raised an eyebrow. "Stupid, I'm Heaven Callista, you dope, it's not a date, just tell me where it is, and I'll take care of eating alone." I said and walked away, where I came from earlier.

I felt his obedience, are the boys at this school really like this? Talkative? In my school, I used to be usually arrogant, well not everyone, there are really others.

"What do you want to eat? There's a lot here. Do you want rice? Pasta? Pizza?" He asked next. I also don’t know what I want. Maybe pas- "I know! Let's go to kfc!"

Oh, we're just fast food? Okay.

-

"What the heck? What is this? I thought we were at kfc?" I'm confused right now, it doesn't look like kfc. There's no logo of kfc, no red bleachers and tables, there's a lot of students, and may different stores? I don't if that's what they were called.

"Yes, kfc. Capitol food court. BSU students eat here, you know? The rice and dish here? Only 35 with free soup and sauce." He proudly said.

What? 35 pesos? Is this even clean? You can eat with that cheap amount?

"What do you want? So that we can eat, we'll run out of that dish. Until then, they're really the first, peeo because it's the first week of school, maybe they'll be here later."

I roam my eyes around, maybe I'm just not used to it, does my older brother eat like this? I don't know, my goodness.

"Uh, maybe I'm just beef broccoli and half rice." Some I said, because I didn’t know if what I said was right.

He shook his head and approached the saleswoman. She is a bit old.

"Hey Ate Josy! How are you?" He greeted the old lady, wait did he know? So he's a regular here?

"Hey Gray! It's you! It's really young, isn't it your first day of class?"

He talked for a while, I don't know what because I can't relate to them, I'm not acting, my Mom was also from this kind of School, I'm not acting, I just don't really know.

"Who else is with you? It's beautiful, is it your girlfriend? It's okay, come here again." I would have refused but the strength of fuckard's laughter. It's as if someone heard a joke.

"Josy is mine, my parents are strict, but I'm going to seduce her, it's nice." I hit him so he laughed even more and just signed peace with me.

When he got the tray full of food, we looked for a place to sit, and it was time to leave, so we sat down immediately.

"Eat it, it looks like you're going to bite there." He said while arranging my food.

I was so hesitant to use the spoon and fork, haven't others used it? Why would he let me use it?

He seems to have noticed that I am not eating. "Don't worry, I washed it in hot water, that is, eat it, it will be cold."

I was convinced so I ate well. The food is okay, it's delicious. Mommy's cooking is a bit tasty.

I haven't eaten half of it yet, I'm done with it right away, after that he put it away and stood up. Wait, will he leave me? He brought me here and then he left me?

Well, we're not really close so why would he wait for me to finish? It just so happened that we were together.

"Don't go too fast, chew it, you might choke there." I looked at him in shock, he was holding a bottle of soda. I reached for it and drank.

"I thought you're leaving?" He's done, isn't he?

"OMG? You're driving me away? All right, don't worry about me, I'm okay even if it hurts." I almost choked because he said I just continued my meal, he just called, so maybe he wasn't bored.

"Hey pre, Grayson has a roommate! Dating?" I looked up because of the familiar name I heard.

I saw four guys in front of us, I was almost stunned when I recognized who one of them was. He smiled at me. Shit

"f**k you! He's still eating, can't you get upset?" Gray replied but also laughed.

"You can just date someone cheap! What is that! You can even go to kfc." Said a man.

They don’t look like students. They seem to be modeling tees and pants, it's up to them. I noticed that other students were also looking at our place.

"Fool we're at kfc now." Gray backfire.

"You're stupid too, don next to GL, you're stupid pre. ML later?"

I just ate because I was out of place with what they were saying. I was finishing when they left.

"I'm sorry, those are really bugs, but they're kind, I'm with my former school in Manila."

I just nodded, I don't know either, I'm a little confused when there are other people.

"Let go next time, nothing will bother us."

I just nodded again. He immediately arranged what I ate and took it to where we were staying.

But wait, what? Next time?

So, there is a next time?