Someday Soon, With You

Chapter 43

SELENA

“Anthony!” Selena shouted waving at Anthony in front of the elementary school his brother is enrolled at.

“Hi Selena” he greeted. He scratched the back of his head and looked down, blushing.

So cute! She thought.

“You didn’t attend class today” he said.

“Yeah, no. I already took some minors last year” she answered.

“You did? Why?” he asked her.

“I’m a year older than you. I had a situation last year so I can’t go to school full time. So, I’m taking the subjects I didn’t take last year” she simply answered.

“Kuya!” TJ called him. Anthony looked behind him and waved. TJ reached Anthony’s arm and held it with both hands.

She smiled. So, so cute! She thought. TJ stared at her. “Hi, TJ” she greeted him.

“Hi” TJ greeted back.

“I’m Ate Selena” she introduced herself. TJ just stared at her looking like he’s still waiting for something. “I am Kuya’s girlfriend” she said. TJ’s eyes turned wide and large.

“No, you’re not!” he quickly said frowning.

She laughed. “Yes, I am. You can ask him” she challenged him.

TJ looked at Anthony without asking anything. Anthony’s face turned bright red. Still, he nodded at TJ. “Why?” TJ asked. Eyebrows lifted and voice judging.

“What the! Why not? What’s wrong with me?” she asked him quickly. His younger brother seemed to be his opposite. Anthony’s tolerant, and always smiling. He even treated her to lomi the day they first met. The other one’s judgemental.

“I’m not asking what’s wrong with you” he started and then looked at her from head to toe. “I was asking what’s wrong with him” he added.

She gasped. Really, really opposite.

“TJ” Anthony called him.

“She’s not pretty, Kuya” TJ continued.

“TJ, we don’t like people just because they’re pretty” Anthony told him. His voice is soft, you wouldn’t even feel like he’s reprimanding his brother. TJ still knows he is reprimanding him. He’s looking at him, Anthony sat in front of him to get to his level. “Do you understand what I’m saying?” he asked.

TJ nodded and looked at her. “I’m sorry, Ate” he apologized.

She ruffled his hair. He looked like Anthony, they even have the same hair color. Except, TJ’s wearing large, round glasses. “It’s okay. Do you want to eat anything? Lomi, goto, kwek-kwek? It’s Ate’s treat” she told him.

After hearing all the food she just offered, his eyebrows returned to being furrowed. “That’s the unhealthiest choices you could’ve—”

“TJ” Anthony said when TJ’s starting to get crabby again.

TJ looked at him again. He sighed. “I want the goto. Thank you, ate” he quickly told him.

She silently laughed. They walked to the nearest food stall to the elementary school.

“One large goto for us and can I borrow one bowl and spoon and fork, please” Anthony told the staff.

“One medium goto for me” Selena added.

“We’ll just share the goto” Anthony told TJ.

“Mom will get mad if we don’t eat dinner, Kuya” TJ whispered to Anthony.

She laughed. “I’ll eat it if you can’t finish it” she told TJ. TJ looked at her, contemplating if he will say anything sassy again. Anthony ruffled his hair. Their order came and they started eating. After eating, they walked home.

They arrived at their front gate, Selena walked them home. “TJ, do you have anything to tell Ate Selena?” he asked.

“Thank you for the food, Ate” TJ told her. He sighed and stared at her.

He really can’t hide what he’s feeling about me. She smiled looking at TJ running inside their house.

“So, I’ll walk you to the terminal?” Anthony asked her.

“No, I’ll walk there myself. I just want to see where you live” she told him.

“That sounds a bit disturbing” he joked. “Aren’t we talking about what happened last time?” he asked.

“What happened?” she asked back.

“Well” he scratched his head and looked around. “You kissed me, last time. Remember that?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah I remember” she said. “Why? Oh! Do you have a girlfriend already?” she suddenly asked.

“No” he quickly answered. “No, no” he continued.

“Oh, okay” she said smiling.

“But you’re not my girlfriend either” he continued.

“Then make me your girlfriend, already. I even told your brother I’m your girlfriend” she added.

“But we’re not in love” he hesitated.

“Then fall in love with me” she beamed. Anthony’s face turned bright red again. “I can wait, Anthony. But I don’t have a lot of time” she walked away and waved at him. “Hurry and fall in love with me” she shouted. She saw Anthony looked around if anyone heard what she said. She laughed watching him.

JOHN ANTHONY

“Is she really your girlfriend?” TJ asked him. He’s studying at his room and TJ’s there playing around.

“She is” he answered. He can’t really tell him she’s not. TJ already hates people as he is, what more if he learned Selena just lied to him.

“Why?” he asked.

He chuckled. “Why not?” he asked.

“Look at her hair. It looks like an old scrub. Like that one we use at school. We put floor wax on the floor, and scrub it. Yes, that scrub. Coconut!” he continued.

He laughed. “The scrub is brown, though. Her hair is yellow”

“A yellow scrub” he said.

He continued laughing. “She’s beautiful, though” he continued defending Selena.

“No, she’s not” he frowned.

“She’s nice” he added.

TJ paused and think for a bit. “She is nice” he answered. “But you look really handsome, Kuya” he said jumping around not thinking about what he’s saying.

“You look even more handsome than me, TJ” Anthony told him.

“I am?” TJ asked still jumping around.

“Come here” he called him. TJ stopped running around and stood in front of him. “You are a lot smarter than Kuya, and a lot more handsome too” he told him.

“No, I’m not” he answered looking at him. “You are the smartest and most handsome” he told him. He laughed. How did they turned to be so cheesy? After a while, TJ also felt sleepy and went back to his room.

He remembered Selena smiling at him.

Hurry and fall in love with me

Like it’s so easy, but is it that hard, either? After all, he never had any extra curricular activities aside from volleyball before but now he even introduced her to his brother. He smiled. It might not be so hard.