Everything Has Changed

Friendship Speaks

"So-sorry," that's all I can say in front of him. His eyes speak worriedness and he breathes out heavily.

"D-did you wait for me? I'm so sorry, I got curious about something here earlier, I -I didn't know it would happen. I'm sorry," I said while I bow my head down because I know any minute my tears can fall.

"It's okay, I'm glad that you're safe and I know you're in shock right now. I think we should go to our classroom and let us move our practice tomorrow, I guess?" he said to me calmly and gently.

I feel like I am soft and fluffy mallow that needs to be treated gently and softly.

My tears suddenly feel down, I just bow my head down so he wouldn't see that I am crying.

He tilted his head upward and he grabbed my cheeks and faded away all the tears running into me. I am touched by his moves, I wonder if he does this to his girls too. Gosh, Saj.

"Let's Go?" he said while he put down his hand and let it into his pocket.

"I am good, yeah- I'm all good, I'm alright, ca-can we go to the Auditorium, I bet there are no people there. I-I just want to rest and I don't want to hear any noise. Can we?" I said to him.

He just nodded at me. I started walking and he is behind me. He is just following me and he didn't walk fast, he is guiding me and I feel safe at all.

I am afraid that anytime it could happen to me again but this time he wasn't there or even anyone to save me. I am afraid of that but now I feel safe and secured because I have him now.

It is like a funny story that I read in books, the someone you hate is the someone who will help you when you're alone. Before I didn't mean that phrase but now, I think it is true.

It is fascinating now that my hate for him fades little by little because of his actions that made me feel like, 'He is better, he is not worse like I thought.'

I open the glass door of the gymnasium and like what I've said, the room is still empty and quiet. I find peace here so I sit silently and I close my eyes to rest.

I want myself to be calm and to be focused on what I will be doing here on purpose, I just want to have at least a 10 minutes break to analyze everything.

*Bzzt bzzt…

I woke up because of that vibration coming from my pocket. I grabbed it and someone called me. I take a glance at it and keep my eyes closed again. Seconds later I realized that I slept here in the Auditorium with someone's shoulder.

Automatically I stood up and worried again about what happened earlier, but for some reason, I felt shy right now.

"I- I'm sorry I slept. I thought you're sitting behind me?" I said to him

"Yeah, but I know you're tired so I lend my shoulder to be your pillow for an hour. Feeling better now?" he said it doesn't bother him.

I nodded and smiled at him, "Thank you,"

"So let us make ourselves comfortable." He leaned his hand to me and said, " Hi, I am Ken Ashton San Juan and you are?" he stated calmly.

I pause for a moment hearing from him those words make me feel better around him. For the second time, I am wrong about him. I thought he is someone who does not know how to make friends but he indeed knows and I am wrong.

"Sayaka Jian Alcantara," I said with a slight smile.

"So after we Introduced ourselves, let us talk about ourselves more for us to be more comfortable before the pageant comes. FYI, being comfortable enough with your partner makes victory to be yours both." I said with an authoritative tone.

"Woah, okay Ms. Alcantara. So what should I tell you about?" he said

"Like, where you from, what are your likes, family status, stand about life, love life, etc. something like that, just open what do you want me to know, partner," I said without an expression

He thinks deeply but suddenly a smile appears on his face and then he smirks.

"Okay let's do it. First, I am from San Pedro, Laguna. That place is my hometown. Second, I like the beach and sunsets. It calms me and that is my resting place. Third, we are not poor but we are not rich either. My Family is a middle-class Family and Fourth, My stand about life is, Work Hard to be Successful. That is not rhymings but I guess it is true. That's it," he said with a smile.

"Uh, what about love life?" I said and I regret saying it.

"What about love life? I don't have any, unlike you," he said and smirk

"Wha-what do you mean unlike me? I don't have any either. I am not a fan of having relationships too. Judgemental." I said defensively.

"Okay fine, you win Jian," he said

I am shocked because no one calls me by that name. Even if it is my name, no one tries to call me that because they know what's behind it.

"Uh, don't call me by my second name," I said awkwardly.

"Okay, sorry my bad. I thought we could be close enough for the pageants' sake." he said awkwardly too.

"Yes, of course, we will. That is our main goal so everything they see is pure truth and not scripted," I said while trying to smile.

*the bell rang.*

"Let us go first to our room and pick our bags and let us back here again for some runaway rehearsals, okay?" I said and then stood up.

As I will open the door, his hand opens it faster than mine and he let me out first before him. We walked past many students that started to make conversation about us. They knew already that we were the representatives of our class.

I looked at him and he didn't pay attention to those students who were talking behind him. In a very short time, I know him as a coldhearted person when he's alone and he is a soft guy when he wants to be closed by someone.

I thought that he wants to be close to me because of the pageant, he wants to pursue that scholarship. That scholarship is very important to him. As he said earlier, they are not rich enough to handle those tuition fees our school imposes on the students. I will think of that as a motivation for us to win this pageant.

As we go to our classroom there are no people here, it is just me and him cleaning up our desks and putting our things back in our bags. I’m a bit shy to him, he gathers his things nice neat while I just throw my things back to their own space. God, should I clean my backpack in the house later? Yeah Saj, you must.

As we clean up our desks silently and no one dares to talk, the sound of the rain begins to break the silence between us. The rain pours so hard and I don’t even have an umbrella. My bag is so small to fit the umbrella so I must stay here in the room and wait until the rain stops.

“Ken, you can go if you want. I am okay here, I’ll just wait for the rain to stop and I’ll be at the auditorium too,” I said to him in breaking the silence between us.

“Just wait for me here and don’t you dare go outside while I’m gone, I will go to the auditorium first and see if Ms. Armie is there,” he said while he held his bag in one of his shoulders bringing him a more bad boy aura.

As I waited for him here in our classroom, I browsed at my phone and I saw some messages coming from Josh. Oh, he called me earlier while I was sleeping in the auditorium.

Josh:

They’re talking about it again.

That was just one sentence I knew what it was all about so I sigh heavily and close my phone for me not to bother with that text again. As I stood up Ken showed up with his wet shirt and pants.

“What happened to you? You have an umbrella but why didn’t you use it?” I said worriedly.

I am worried that he might get sick for what he’s done. He runs through the heavy rain and I am sure he might get sick after that.

“Ms. Armie borrowed my umbrella, I saw her near the cafeteria while I was walking through the auditorium and she said that the runaway practice was canceled due to the storm as well as the class tomorrow. He said while he is going to his locker and finds his extra clothes there.

*bzzt bzzt…

Josh:

Go down here to the first floor. I am waiting for you, I’ll drive you home.

When Shua texted me, my response is to go and leave Ken here in our classroom. I bet it is okay with him.

“Ken, I’ll go first, is it okay? My friend just texted me that he’s waiting for me downstairs,” I said to him

He glanced at me and then he glanced back at the shirt he had on his locker. He didn’t reply that fast. He put the shirt in his locker again and glanced at me again.

“I’ll look at you and I’ll be back here,” that's all he said but it is authoritative.

I started to walk through the classroom door and he is still behind me, walking quickly and he’s just looking at me. I felt so awkward while we were walking at the elevator door.

As we are in the elevator there is an unbreaking wall in between us and I don’t want to break either. As the elevator door opens and tells me that we are on the ground floor, I look at him and give him a small smile and goodbye and I go to Joshua's car parked in front of the main door of the building.

He just looked at me without saying any words. I wonder why is he cold-hearted right now, is he having a polar disease or something came up too?

After the long ride, Shua does. I am here in my room, lying on my bed and scrolling on my phone. I am tired of what happened this whole day. I must rest and still, the weather is so nice to sleep and rest well.

*ringing*

I wake up because of the sound I hear, early in the morning. I just grab my phone on my desk without opening my eyes and I am still in the position of half asleep and half awake but the voice of the caller awakens me so much!

Kylie: AHHHHHHHHHHH! SAYAKA WAKE UPPPP! YOU NEED TO SEE WHAT ARE THE VIRAL PHOTOS HAVING ON OUR SCHOOL SITE!!!!

Me: Why? This early morning, Kylie? Are you serious? If I see you you’re dead.

Kylie: I am serious right now Sayaka Jian Alcantara, I just want to inform you that You and Mr. San Juan are spotted in the auditorium while you are lying on his shoulder. Okay, can you explain that to us? What is the meaning of-

I didn’t let her finish her rants about the whole picture and I started to rise upon my bed to see what is on the school site right now.

I am so doomed right now, I didn’t know what magic the camera does to see this photo and it is romantically good. If I am not this girl, I would say they are in a relationship but holy no!

I think someone uploaded it for us to be on top of the votes for Mr. and Ms. Veatri Academy. I don’t even know how to react to him nor tell Ken.

I manage myself and still, I am clueless on how I should properly react to these issues. I am not experienced with involving too many romantic issues in our school.

*ringing*

Me: Hello Ms. Armie?

Ms: Armie: Oh, Hi Ms. Alcantara, I just wanted to inform you that I am the one who uploaded the pictures of you and Mr. San Juan on our school site. HAHAHA, I already feel the victory of our class, by the way, I already told Mr. San Juan about this. I saw him in our room yesterday and he doesn’t feel well. I regret borrowing his umbrella because of what happened. That’s all Ms. Alcantara, hope you have a stormy great day!”

Call Ended.

I cannot react to what my Adviser is doing to us, but I find it okay for us to win the competition. It is a great strategy but I didn’t expect it can be our strategy to win but wait, she said that Ken is not feeling well? I regret letting him alone in our classroom yesterday. I didn’t see that my words would come true. I want to know what he feels now.

Calling Ken Ashton San Juan.

When I heard the ringing sound of my phone, our maid knocked on my door and said, “Ms. Sayaka, Sir Josh is waiting for you.”

Here comes a knock.

“Can I talk to you Saj?” Joshua said in a sad tone.