This Life With Caden

I

Today is already in the month of January and in a few months, I wouldn't be in this school anymore. We would be graduating high school and I will just miss everything here. The untidy vandalized chairs, the overly slippery floor, even the mud that can be seen at the back of the building when it rains, and most especially, the people I've grown attached to with the distinctive memories I'll forever be euphoric when remembering.

As I was reminiscing the past, and appreciating the remaining days left here, Caden suddenly snapped his fingers in front of me and told me another pun. (As what he does almost every day)

"Why didn't the skeleton go to the party?" He asked while he made a gigantic smile with his eyes enlarging with excitement.

I glared at him as a response hoping that he would get my message on how boring his jokes are getting.

"Because he had NO BODY to go!" And he bursted out in laughter once again like a little girl being so happy that she finally got the fairy outfit she always wanted to have.

"Can you be any more hilarious?" I asked him with sarcasm.

"Can you be any more talkative?" He asked back.

I am silent. I've never really been the kind of girl who's friends with everybody, who walks around the hallway with a bunch of "interesting" people who she calls "squad", who gets hundreds of likes on facebook in one minute, and who never really makes a lot of effort to be "someone." I've always been the girl who just sits in the corner and peacefully waits for someone to approach her. But what I thank most of my life right now, is that my socially inactive attitude didn't hinder me from having such great friends, Feesha, and most especially, Caden.

"Helloooooooo! Earth to Aubrey! Are you even listening to me?" Caden woke me up from daydreaming.

"Of course, I did." I said with assurance.

"Okay. So what did I say then?" He questioned me with doubt.

"Can you be any more talkative?" I imitated him with his weird child-like but raspy voice.

"Hahahhaha. That was a good impression!" He said while laughing.

It's funny how Caden views everything as something hilarious, including the dumb things... Cute.

"Why do you laugh at almost everything?" I asked while smiling with admiration and curiosity.

"Why? Is it wrong, Madam Aubrey?" He said while letting out his fake british accent he copied from television with a big smile on his face.

"No, but it's weird." I said.

"Hahahhaha, you find everything weird." He said while he tucked my hair at the back of my ear.

Please don't make me fall for you even more, Caden. I value our friendship so much, not my stupid confused female hormones.- I said in my mind. God, I am so stupid. Why did I even let myself fall for him?

"Hehe... Let me tell you a pun." I just had to change the topic.

"Okay. What?" He said with a little chuckle.

"I made a chemistry joke last week." I said in confidence.

"And you didn't get a reaction? Is that the best you've got? That joke's so old, A. Hahhahaahahhaha." He said while making fun of me.

"What? You already know that pun?" I exclaimed.

"Of course, I do. I'm the king of puns. Hahahhahahah." And he laughed even more.

I was supposed to say " I made a chemistry joke last week. But I didn't get a reaction." But he already knew about that so this is a big fail.

"Whatever." I said.

"Hahahahha. Boooo, A! Epic fail!" And he made fun of me even more.

Tsk.

"Hay..." I sighed.

"Ano na kaya ang mangyayari kapag tapos na tayong mag-graduate?" I asked.

"Sir Vaughn's Law." He reminded me.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot."

In Lerion's Advance Learning Center, everyone of us here is required to speak in english 100% of the time or else, we would get scolded by our teacher, Sir Vaughn, or worse, they would send us to the principal's office and get a life-time supply of disgrace.

"I guess all of us would part ways after the graduation." He said.

"Yeah, and we wouldn't get to see each other anymore." I said while letting out a sigh.

"Cheer up, A. We'd still get to message each other on facebook." He said while trying to lighten up my mood.

"Yeah, but that's different from talking to each other in person."  I debated.

"True." He said with agreement.

"Are you really just going to stay here in Quezon?" He asked.

"Yeah, you? Are you going to continue your plan on going to Bohol for college?" I asked backed.

"Yeah, my mom even taught me some bisaya words and I even know some now!" He said with confidence.

"Oh, yeah? Shoot." I challenged him.

"Kumusta naka?" He asked.

"That obviosuly meant "how are you?" Come on, den. A little harder." I challenged him even more.

"Okay..." He said as he tried to look for the words he learned.

"How about... Kinsa imong gi angayan?" He said.

"Uh..." I said as I tried hard to analyze what that meant.

"I have no idea. What?" I asked as I surrendered.

"I don't know." He said while he shrugged his shoulders with a teasing smirk flitting on his face.

"What? Come on, den. Tell me." I said.

"I. Don't. Know." He said while he clearly emphasized every single word with his teasing smirk still on.

"Ha? Why won't you just tell me?" I begged.

"Hahahahaha, it's good to have someone not know about the thing you know." He said as he brought out his evil irritating laugh.

"You, demon." I labeled him.

"Hahahhahahaha" and he laughed even more.

"You two, keep quiet. Sir Vaughn's coming!" Feesha infromed us

"Good afternoon, Sir Vauhgn!" All of us greeted him simultaneously as we stood up from our chairs and showed respect before our teacher.