HIP #3: Forgetting The Old Us

Chapter 54

Since last week was our graduation day, today, we have our celebration. I still can't believe mom and dad said yes to my offer last night about this because they have something more important to do.

And when I say important, I mean insanely relevant! They're supposed to have a meeting with the world's largest company CEO. Despite that, they chose to be with me here in our small gathering with my two best friends. We talked about our possible majors last night.

All of us would take Creative Writing as I expected and all of us are going to take a teaching course as well. It wasn't their choice, though. They were both undecided, so I dragged them onto this one.

Nate seems fine with his Civil Engineering course, which I never thought he was interested in. I mean, that takes intelligence to the maximum amount, and it takes a lot of time to master the subjects in that subject. What can I say? He's always full of surprises.

I thought he would take something about technology, culinary, or anything easy. I guess he is ready for the consequences. No one knows why he took that. We all know Nate. He's such a cold person. But I know he's trying not to be.

Dad offered me to go shopping yesterday for school supplies which I will use in my summer class as a preparation for my college life next month but I refused since I promised Britney and Charlie that I will go with them next week. I'm also the only one who will spend the rest of my summer in a tutorial class.

Britney said she will go on a camping group with her family and Charlie mentioned to me last night when we were having a video call that she will go to Mancheston by herself and spend her time there. I know we have a tradition for every vacation, but since Peter died, Charlie's the only one doing it.

Two summers passed and I've never been there. I don't know what is it that keeps Charlie going there. Maybe because of the memories she made there with Peter which I didn't witness. I know how important memories are and I get why she always does that. So, I can't blame her anymore.

If I were her, I would do the same thing. When Arthur and I freshly broke up, I used to visit the same old forest we used to go to and when I stand there between the tall trees as the wind blows my hair, the memories flash back into my mind which I think was awesome though it used to make me cry hard.

I can see how much Britney wants Nate to love her again like he used to. But I know that they both know they can never work out again since they are siblings. If I fell in love with Kobie, I think that is also hard for me. But I don't like him even just a little bit though we're not real siblings.

Ugh!

Obviously, he disgusts me.

I don't know but... never mind.

"Shane," for the third time, I heard my dad calling me. Darn.

Because of too much thinking about such things that aren't even important, here I am again being out of the zone, I kind of forgot that I'm at a dinner table in front of my two best friends and their family.

"Oh, yes, dad. Sorry, I... I was just..." I don't know what to say, as usual.

"Yeah, yeah, that's okay," I added without even thinking. First and for all, I don't know anything about what they're talking about. Secondly, I am too out of the talk right now because of the moms and dads here.

I don't feel like gossiping with my friends since it's not just us here.

Awkward.

"See, my daughter agrees." He smiled. What was that? I don't get it. Agree with what?

I frowned at Britney beside me, I know she can sense what I'm trying to tell her. She pressed her lips and whispered, "it's about the elections next month!" I agreed with that?

I nodded and slowly began eating again.

I faked a smile and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. Another thing keeping me uncomfortable right now is the fact that I'm sitting next to my ex-boyfriend who has been nice to me for the past few hours the night started like passing me a bowl after asking for it, and handing me a pitcher when I request for it. But, he hasn't said a word to me yet.

Well, he did. But it was just a quick hello when we arrived then I hurried to get inside once when I saw Britney and Charlie already sitting on a sofa. I know we're all good. But, it's still awkward.

Seeing us being fine with everything going on right now, knowing that things have gone well, and a new set of good times are coming makes me realize how lucky I am.

Indeed, it was such a long story and most of the moments I had were bad, but that doesn't matter because at least, I survived and up to this day, I am okay. They all say happily ever after is a myth.

It's not.

But, even if it exists, like all the other things, it also is a choice.

Happy ever after is a choice. It's up to you whether you take it or not.

And in my case, I tried my best to reach for it, I dreamed of it a lot. And I succeeded. I got it. I reached the happy ever after they call.

Just not in the way I wanted to, and I expected to. This made me realize that not everything goes in the way we expect them to. No matter how much you try to go take the right route, sometimes, you keep coming back to the left one. I chose a happy ending and got it but in the other way.

Yet, I'm grateful for it. There's nothing I should not be thankful for. In every angle and every way, even if it's not as obvious as I wanted it to be, this is still a magical life.

Arthur could never be mine ever again. And I know it. I guess forever and always, I would just be forgetting the old us.