10 AUTUMS, FOREVER

CHAPTER 05

Rafael had already left when I woke up. He had made the bed and left the clothes I lent him.

I decided to go to school early, the sun was just preparing to show up for a new day. The lamp posts on the roadside were illuminating the dark streets as I walked my way to school.

I stopped by a convenience store to grab a cup of coffee. The staff greeted me as I entered the store, and the bell hanging on the top right corner of the door rang.

The smell of fresh coffee aroused all my senses. I never thought I would be able to enjoy a cup of coffee in this town that I had despaired of leaving. Even though it had never left my mind, I found myself thinking about leaving less lately. Honestly, a lot changed from a month ago. I found myself enjoying the things I had failed to appreciate before. Sometimes, I would find myself enjoying the rain and staring at the sky or the stars, thinking to myself, 'Have those things been there before? Why am I seeing them only now? Has the sky always been this beautiful before? It was always gloomy before.' I think I'm going against my own beliefs, or maybe I just started seeing things from another perspective. I stopped going through the circle I was once in.

During lunch break, I went with Rafael and Florence to eat at the eatery next to our school. From eating together by chance, the three of us started eating together by choice, and we would always hang out with each other during breaks and free times.

"Who is that?" I asked myself curiously when I noticed the girl sitting across our table glancing at me. She was obviously looking but would pretend not to whenever I caught her. Or am I just imagining it? Rafael and Florence must have heard what I said because they turned around in sync to look at her, and I could tell their action shocked and made the girl uncomfortable.

"That's Julia," Florence said when she turned back to look at me. I had seen the girl a couple of times before, so her appearance had become somewhat familiar to me, but I had never thought much about her.

"She has a crush on you," Florence said, laughing softly.

"Ako?! Bakit?!" I muttered, partly surprised and partly confused.

They both laughed at me.

"Binata ka na, may nagkaka-crush na sa'yo," Rafael teased.

"She's a classmate of mine," Florence indicated. "Matagal ka na niyang crush, lagi ka nga niyang tinatanong sa akin," she giggled.

"That's perfect," Rafael interfered. "You're not taking anyone to prom yet, right? Maybe you should ask her," he suggested.

"You're a genius," Florence looked at Rafael. "Mabait naman si Julia, matalino pa at mahinhin. You guys fit each other very well."

"I'm not interested," I said, bursting their bubbles.

"You're not interested in anything," Rafael scoffed.

"I wonder what type of girl you like," Florence said. "Have you ever loved anyone before? Someone who makes you feel excited and nervous," she asked. Rafael waited for my answer too.

"I haven't," I answered casually.

***

Everyone started to make a fuss about the senior dance a week before it arrived. Florence and Rafael kept asking me who I'm gonna go with, but I plan on going alone; I'll just show up for the attendance.