Paradoxical Love

Chapter 2: Those I call friends

Before I knew it, it was lunchtime so like I used to do, I was with Kiana sitting pretty on the rooftop after my last morning schedule. There's still an hour for our break, and no one will dare to join me for a meal, I also want to socialize sometimes but pride prevents me.

Everyone thinks of me as very different from other people including things that move. I always grab all their attention every time I do something simple like walking down the hallway or getting things in the locker, all in all, sometimes even when no one is staring at me I become self-conscious as if someone's looking at me.

Even now I couldn't stomach their distasteful countenance, I rather puke up than be their entertainment. My only pleasure is their scared face every time I gaze at their pitiful state.

Is my face really too scary or do they just hate me? I've been like this since it happened so I'm used to other people. Maybe not like before, maybe it's worse now, so I just ignore them but it surely is difficult to ignore their presence nonetheless.

I took a deep breath twice, and on my third breath, I took my lunch box from the bag hanging in the armchair right in front of me where I was sitting. Hoping they would not notice me, I got up and walked without disturbing anyone peacefully.

Finally taking a deep breath, I think I was not a hindrance to their lunchtime. But I can grab more attention in the corridor just to be sure. So I started walking up the stairs at the end of the hallway posthaste.

Wearing a serious face as I grit my teeth, I reached the stairs peacefully and without any problems when suddenly someone punched me on my back out of the blue. It was him again without a doubt.

"Yo, Rey!" He had such a condescending tone, makes me forget my facade.

"Oh." I crooked my smile a bit.

It was nice he casually called me up when we're at the stairs or else the other students will think there's a fight. As I always thought, it's just my name will be ruined even more with every step I chose either way.

"As usual, your scary eyes and your flaming movements are your main attraction. That's why you're famous especially within the female population." Ged's trying to get on my nerves.

He punched me on my back again, I'm just dead-straight staring at him. By the way, he is Ged Gilbert Flormata. He's a dignified man and because he is half American, he is blessed with blonde hair that charms beautiful cute girls.

Above all, his blue eyes are his main point apart from the ugly–I mean his handsome face. As for me, these deep stares are the reason why they avoid out of fear before they can even talk to me even though I am much more handsome than Ged, it's unfair–is what I thought.

"Ged if you don't say anything sensible you disappear in front of me." I tried driving him off.

"If maybe we met for the first time and you greeted me this way I might run away with my tails in between my legs." He awfully wants to get in a fight with me these days. Good thing we are basically what they call friends.

"Well, that's normal." It was always like that before I was called to the principal's office because I said I was scaring a woman where I just returned the notebook she dropped from her bag that was open. The world is so evil and unequal and unjust, that simple helping is doomed.

It's always like that, there was even a time I got called in the principal's office just because they think I harassed a student when I clearly picked up her notebook when it slipped from her bag that was left open. I couldn't believe such an act of kindness could be misunderstood.

"Just kidding. I just want someone to accompany me to eat my lunch on our building's rooftop." He said grinning and patted my chest softly.

"Don't you have proper friends? Stick your nose on me, we'll end up the same." I asked even though I knew there was none.

"There are, but I couldn't go as far as calling them friends if I may be frank. Maybe classmates? Did you just forget our friendship? By the way, where is Ariel?" He asked for the second time. I really forgot that I have a friend. I totally hate everyone in the world, except for my true friends, best friends such a level.

"Ariel? Maybe on the rooftop with Kiana." I answered without a doubt.

"How did you know?" Ged raised his left eyebrow.

"My phone vibrated just now, it means my sister has a message for me and what she will say is that Ariel is already there without her lunch box like always," I replied.

"Argh let's just go there shall we?" He snickered as he ascends on the stairs.

So we did not waste any more time, we went up the stairs while I was thinking and amazed the students with their homeroom located on the sixth floor. From the third floor to the rooftop isn't a joke, to be honest.

But we aren't using our big brain when you walk upstairs because there is an elevator, but at the same time, just imagine when the elevator is full the others will just walk up, so I'm not the one to talk.

We reached our destination in no time though I think the fatigue I acquired was blown when Kiana's hug greeted me as we open the rooftop's door, good thing no one locked it, or else I might kick it again so I could pass through.

"You're late! Ariel has been teasing me for a while, he's even hungrier than the one who brought lunch!" Kiana shouted at me totally grumbling while pouting.

"Wah! Reyler! Thank you for being here I'm hungry hehe." Ariel's already teary as he approaches me and squeezed me tighter. "Oh, hey yow Ged." He greeted Ged while still hugging me.

"Hey yow, Ariel." Ged just kept quiet. We did fistbump each other, Ariel let go of me as well.

"Shoo! Stay away from my brother, no hugging in front of me! You're a man yet act like a damsel in distress." Kiana drove him away from clinging to me which is pretty convenient on my part.

"What did you say?! And you're a witch from hurting this man's feelings! This is normal so stop complaining." He will never back down too certainly.

There they are again arguing on the most trivial things. They are always like this I just need to set up a boxing ring here so that they can fight, whatever kind of match they want.

"Bleh! Shut up." Kiana's sticking out her tongue as she pinches her cheeks, acting like a kid again.

"Stupid ugly!" Ariel teased back. If I don't stop them, they might argue endlessly. So I just sighed at all of them, preparing my deep voice.

"Shut it you two." Hearing my serious voice, none could disrespect my frightful authority.

I simply broke the breeze of the playful wind, it was enough for them to listen to me standing straight, their salute was like a soldier.

"Okay good, now sit here in the corner where the shade covers us from the annoying sunlight," I suggested and they totally agree.

"Yes sir!" They hurried to the wall serving as a canopy. My friends are aware of how I get angry that's why they will follow me out of fear so it's not like they were being forced more like they are used to it.

"It's good to see you being yourself once in a while," Ged uttered behind me.

"Well, what could you expect?" I smiled gracefully, though I looked like a demon hiding under a bed when I do such a good-hearted expression.

Now that I have completely forgotten, this nerd bespectacled nerd whose hair looks like it wasn't properly groom, tall and thin, just one cough and he's done for, or maybe still good for two more.

He is Ariel Branzuel Bashan whom I can also say my best friend with Ged, the big three as they say. They have been my friends since high school for a long time, they are always with me, and they are the only ones that I can trust. It's good that they still accompany me somehow, I also enjoy being with the two of them.

"Let's partake that delicious lunch you got there." Ariel's eyes shimmered and then grabbed the spoon in his left pocket.

That's how we presented our lunch boxes on the floor and we quickly opened them so we could eat our fill, after all, we are famished after wasting a couple of minutes earlier ago.

Kiana's lunch box contains eggs and sausages with fried rice, while Ged's lunch box is extravagantly colorful than rainbow that has assorted side dishes that I don't know if he can somehow stuff in his stomach.

Also because Ged's considered as a rich bot as their house had maids to prepare everything for him every single day. Good thing Ged always shares his meals with Ariel if he can't finish his lunch which probably will happen nevertheless.

"Let me borrow the cover of your Tupperware, Reyler." I immediately gave him the cover so we know, share each other's blessings.

"Wait before we eat pray first." I remind them of the most important thing, be grateful for what we eat, our common family tradition will never die as long as I breathe.

"Okie." They agreed and at the same time, we closed our eyes bidding thanks to the almighty Lord who gave us something to eat this afternoon.

"Thanks for the food amen." My sparing prayer, the shortest prayer in the world was what I offered.

"Alrighty let's relish this god-given time of ours!" Ariel grinned as he pierced my sausages as well as Ged's dish without a care about the world, the type that preceded the owner in the first move and first taste.

"When you get a dish, you also get rice. Don't be shy with me." I prompted him again. It's really okay as long as he gets a dish he should also take rice vice versa. The balance must be preserved no matter what.

"Wow, what do you call this that kinda looked like a premium riceball?" Kiana asked Ged while pointing to his strange dish. Now he mentioned what could it be and what does it taste like? It looks like a sack that encloses with a drawstring, because of its bright yellow color.

"As long as you eat, it's fine. That's the rule of survival." His statement doesn't make sense. While Ged's talking, Ariel grabbed the dish in the blink of an eye, such movement he showed was impeccable, that old move of his, that technique was alive when my grandfather was still young.

"This is just a riceball with a strange wheat wrapper, I didn't know I wasn't in the kitchen when they were making it." He explained to us munching down the whole thing.

"Ah, let me take a bite too!" So that's the style of my sister who is good at covert tactics, quickly grabbing a dish in no time.

"All right, just help me eat all of it as if I can handle this much." If anyone prepares his lunch, they know that Ged eats slowly, and always has no appetite, and then they make him bring a mini buffet while he couldn't consume half of what they have allotted for him.

"You said that." Ariel smiled while just swallowing plenty of rice, such a happy life.

"Sometimes I will come to your house and ask one of your maids to teach me various recipes," I said to Ged.

"Just don't scare them too much. As usual, sleepover if you want." He said and shove a chicken fillet in his mouth.

"Sleeping over at Ged's house means a lot of foods." Ariel's ultimate parasite really, but it's okay since there's an unlimited supply of food in Ged's house that one may call heaven.

"Sleepover? Why don't you invite me some time." Kiana complained to the three of us. Is it too obvious why we do not include her? Actually, she was really with us on our last sleepover. She was swallowed up early by drowsiness so when she woke up she was already at our house because I took her home.

That's why she forgot, if I were in her situation, I would be surprised then. Just the same when I was young I sleep in the living room it seems magical that I suddenly woke up on a mattress since my dad would carry me back into my bedroom.

"What's wrong with you, you're the one who devoured that burrito and salad, don't you know?" Ariel had immediately reminded of what she did.

"Ah yes I remember... I remember you were the one who did that and now you're trying to pass the blame? Hmph!" There they are again fighting, Kiana has already used the death glare on Ariel while his eyeglass is shining by the reflection of sunlight.

The trust is that the two of them almost went frenzy from consuming too much. I would rather change the topic at hand. "Anyways how are your brothers and sisters?"

Are you talking to me? Just wait. Don't strangle me, Kiana!" My sister's grumbling at the corner after letting go of him. They finally stopped I thought my sister would kill Ariel in rage, rather they became closer and closer with each argument.

"Hmph!" My sister pouts like a duck, she's not angry, she's just disgusted.

"It's fun, but we are still barely going by." He answered, his demeanor became gloomily.

"Ahh is that so, how are Dorathy and Tina? Or Ariel 2.1 faring?" I asked about his family's current condition.

He smiled as if he was crying. It is always like this every time I question about his brothers and sisters. Dorathy and Tina are the youngest but Dorathy is one year older than Tina, and Ariel 2.1, on the other hand, I just called his younger brother like that because they were literally the same side of the coin when both of them wears eyeglasses, his real name is Pole.

"That, they are okay and healthy as ever, thank you so much for remembering them." He's actually sniffing while covering his face. What a caring brother he truly is staying strong despite his parents left him with his brother and sisters.

"Think nothing of it." I just patted his back so it could lift at least a small fragment of his emotional stress. I know Ariel only makes a living by scrubbing part-time jobs, so he gives everything to her siblings rather than giving priority to his wants and needs.

For Ariel's good heart, I am joyous when I am with Ariel, Ged, and my sister Kiana, they are the ones I can call true friends.

In the world I live in now, only three of the majority can talk to me normally unlike other people who judge me based on how I look and what they heard about me.

Although, when my instinct once flows in my blood, usually being cold to others around me; I do not know what to do so in the end, they will avoid me and leave me alone in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes I even do that habit with my own friends, isolating myself just because of that event in my life.