HIP #2: Summer Of Love

Chapter 8

"Nothing..." I rolled my eyes at his word. Seriously? Does he regret nothing? I can already imagine myself laughing when he tells me a single story about his childhood.

"Well, if that so, then what about the day when you pushed an old lady in a pool because you thought it was Shane?" I remember that day, it was when we were ten or eleven. We were together in a resort and enjoying the day, but then he accidentally pushed the old lady. Even me. I really thought it was Shane. Because they had the same height, same color, and same hair. Thus, they also had the same outfit at that time. He lets out a quiet chuckle and rests his head at the back of our wooden seat.

"Okay, fine... I regret that thing. Because that old woman was even our neighbor. And I regret I was too stupid to think it was Shane. But I swear, they really looked a lot like each other." I giggled along with him until I didn't realize that I was already sitting like a boy and close to him.

"You finally admitted it!" I looked up at him; even if we were sitting, he was still taller than me. Or maybe I'm just too short.

I never knew that laughing could be this tiresome. I sighed and gently crossed my feet together. Peter also stopped giggling and when I froze, I felt his eyes on me. "What else? I'm sure there's something you haven't told me yet," I swayed my feet together and licked my lips after the wind dried them.

I looked up at him and saw him staring at the trees above us as the leaves of it swung along with the air. With his arms crossed, he leaned forward and shook his feet to get the sands off of his slippers. "I remember the time when I climbed a tree and got bitten by lots of bees because I didn't know it was a beehive. I thought it was just a toy hanging up there so I shook it." A story I haven't heard from him.

I giggled and he did the same. His laughter sounds music to my ears. It's very cute but at the same time is very manly and cold. "Tell me about it," was all that I could say. I wanted to ask him: why did you do that? How were you able to think that it was a toy hanging in a tree? But I was already laughing too hard to speak clearly.

"I was playing outside that day and couldn't think of anything better but to enjoy the day and spend it playing outdoors so I did; then I found a tree and climbed. When I saw the beehive, I thought it was a toy, do you remember the honey jar toy from Winnie The Pooh?" I nodded.

"That! I thought it was the honey jar toy so I tried to get it and when I did, I shook it so many times until bees came out. That was just when I realized it was not a toy. I panicked and didn't know what to do. The tree was a little tall but I still jumped and broke my knees. Then I also got bitten by a few of them."

I could see the mixture of sadness, laughter, and disappointment for himself in his blue eyes. I know how much Peter is a fan of Winnie The Pooh back then, he used to always watch it all day long and sing the songs from it. I wonder if he still likes it now. I remember when all his stuff was Pooh-inspired. Like his tumbler, mat, and his slippers. But I don't see him using things like those anymore.

Maybe he stopped?

"Next time, know the difference between a toy and a real object," I continued laughing.

"Yeah, ever since then, I never climbed trees again and started avoiding beehives," lesson learned for him. I just hope that the tree we're under right now doesn't have any beehives in it.

I decided to step a little closer to him. When we were close enough, I lay down and leaned my head on his wet lap. His thick shorts stood as my pillow. He smiled at me and began gently rubbing my hair. Well, this is normal for me. But honestly, it has been a long time since I last did this.

This...

Laying on his laps.

The last time was when I was thirteen. We were playing Monopoly in Shane's house at that time. I lost so I leaned on him because he lost too. I don't know why I still can't forget that though it has been so long. Didn't know that after several years, I can get déjà vu. "I remember those times you used to lay on my lap," we are thinking of the same thing. The real definition of best friends. I laughed and recalled the days when he used to tease me for having a crush on Britney's brother: Eros. But until now, I don't have a one percent chance on him.

Darn it! I have a boyfriend! What the heck am I thinking again?

"Yeah, and you also used to pick on me," I replied.

"And you pick back on me," he raised his eyebrows which made me laugh.

"Those were our careless times..." I sighed and closed my eyes. Yet, I still felt how relaxing he can massage my hair with just his fingers. Then a moment of silence stood up straight beside us.

"Can I ask a question?"

"That's already a question," this laugh is making my stomach ache.

"Okay, fine... just go," he added.

"When was the last time you hated me?" He frowned and stopped massaging me for a second. Looking at his wet body from here makes me frozen. Seeing those water drip down, it's like a simple art. Ugh! What kind of brain do I have?

"I never hated you," he calmly responded.

"Never? As in never? What about the times when I tease and pick you?"

"Look, I might have got offended about your words back then but that doesn't mean that I hated you. Besides, I never hated anyone."

Never hated anyone.

That's his superpower.

He can easily forgive. He never hates anyone even if they bully, abuse, or tease him.