Piper

1

Piper and I have been neighbors for 4 years.

My family moved in to our current house when I started going to high school. Tahimik na lugar ang subdivision namin, the security here is tight and there was never an issue about crimes that are committed in our place.

It was peaceful.

Our house is just across from Piper's , noong unang araw namin dito, ang pamilya nila ang nag welcome sa amin. It came easily for my parents to be friends with Piper's Mom and Dad. Maybe it's because their personalities mesh together?

I remember the first day I met her.

Her family came over to our house to give their regards. Binigyan nila kami ng blueberry cheesecake for their welcoming gift dahil nga bagong lipat kami.

Piper was wearing this over sized black denim jacket, black cotton shirt of some rock band na tinernuhan ng black na short at itim na converse. All black yung suot niya. Pati yung shoulder length niyang buhok na medyo kulot sa dulo ay itim na itim. She has fair white skin? though.

That was the first time i saw someone who wore a color like it's part of their own body.

Nasanay kasi ako sa dating namin na neighborhood kung saan ang suot ng mga girls around my age are white or pastel colors. We often wear dress and the likes.

We were religious and gender sensitive kami doon sa dati namin na tinitirahan.

Anyway, i tried making small talk with her. I was truly intimidated by her presence because she was just crossing her arms while looking at something in her phone. Akala ko nga wala siyang balak na kausapin man lang ako pero she was responsive to our conversation whenever we were obliged to talk to each other, though maikli lang ang mga sagot niya but it didn't come across as rude to be honest.

She was nice, i thought.

We went to the same school pero never kaming nagkasama sa isang section, i learned from her parents na freshman din sya. As days went by, mas naging close ang mga parents namin. Naging instant best friends ang mga Moms namin. They go to baking class together at sila din ang zumba buddies sakanilang zumba class every Thursday and Sunday. Our dads became drinking pals at sabay silang nagpupunta sa club para mag golf.

Kung ano ang closeness ng mga parents namin, ito naman ang inilayo namin ni Piper sa isa't isa. Sure, we're talking to each other every now and then pero never kaming nag hang out as friends.

Siguro nga hindi mo kami maituturing na magkaibigan.

I grew accustomed to my new life in our neighborhood. Marami akong naging kaibigan at sobrang daming oppurtunities ang nagbukas para sakin ng lumipat ako dito. Mas naging active student ako compared sa luma kong school. I think being in the student council when i was still in 8th grade helped me to get these opportunities.

School, the student council, Church. I have my priorities straight.

It was enough to keep me busy. It also helped me to avoid pondering about the fact na bakit ganito ang naging relasyon ko kay Piper.

But every morning, before i go to to school, lagi akong tumitigil sa harap ng bahay nila, lagi kong nakikita si Timothy na hinihintay si Piper at sabay silang papasok sa school sakay sa bike. Si timothy yung nag dridrive at naka upo naman sa likod si Piper.

Hindi ko alam ang relasyon nila but they're always together. Kahit sa school sila ang laging magkasama pero i know for a fact that they're not in a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship.

Sa loob ng school, Piper acts the same as i have always viewed her to be. She's aloof and it seems that there's something about her phone that keeps her occupied all the time. But despite all of that, she managed to be popular among her peers. Lots of students adored her for being cool and having that devil may care attitude.

I kinda like her mysteriousness as a person but i prefer her opening up to me as friends. Gusto ko lang talaga siya maging kaibigan.

Apat na taon ko na siyang kapitbahay pero i barely knew her. Aside from her favorite color being black, wala na akong ibang alam tungkol sakanya.

Wait, I'm not even sure if it black is her favorite color. Maybe it could be actually green or red! I just assumed that she likes black because she always wears black clothes.

My mom and her mom always asked me kung bakit hindi man lang nila kami nakikita magkasama ni Piper, ang tanging sagot ko lang sakanila ay " Nagkakapag-usap naman po kami, it's just that we're both busy and we can't find time to hang out. "

It's true, though. I'm always busy with my studies, student council responsibilities at sa church na din. Active Church member ako. Unlike Piper who rarely goes to church.

Minsan nga i overheard Tita ( that's what i call Piper's Mom ) complaining to my mom about Piper's lack of interest to spiritual nourishment. Ang sabi naman ni Mom ay baka may pinagdadaanan lang na "phase" si Piper. So ang naging solusyon ni Tita dito ay hikayatin ko na magsimba si Piper every Sunday. Baka daw kasi sumama ito kapag may ka edad siyang kasama.

But that was not the case.

Piper locks herself to her room at walang nakakapasok kahit sino man, even her parents. Unless she lets them. Hindi mo naman masasabi na emo si Piper, mas gusto niya lang talaga na wala siyang ibang kasama kundi si Timothy.

According to my little sister, mabait daw si Timothy. Minsan kasi mas nauuna na pumasok sa school yung kapatid ko kaysa sakin. Siya yung hinahatid ni Dad gamit yung car namin habang ako naman ay nag lalakad lang papunta sa school. Ayon sa pagkaka kwento sakin ng kapatid ko, pag nagkikita sila ni Timothy tuwing umaga, lagi siyang nitong binabati at binibigyan ng gums or chocolates.

Naiinis nga lang siya kasi parang ang tingin daw ni Timothy sa kapatid ko ay parang bata. She's just 2 years younger than us and i assume na may crush ang kapatid ko kay Timothy.

Katulad nga ng sinabi ko ang means of transportation ni Piper at Timothy ay bike. Madalas na dala ni Timothy yung bike minsan naman ay si Piper ang naglalabas nun galing sa garage nila every morning.

Kahit na maraming gumagamit ng kotse sa school namin sa pagpasok araw-araw, agaw pansin pa din ang bike na sinasakyan ni Piper at Timothy. It's just a regular bike pero siguro kaya ganoon na lang makahakot ng atensyon ito ay dahil kung sino ang nakasakay sa bike na ito.

Piper is popular so is Timothy dahil MVP siya ng soccer team namin.

May mga students na gumaya sa style ni Piper at Timothy pero madalas na hindi na nila itinutuloy dahil maraming nang babash sa kung sino man ang gagaya sakanila. Ganun na lang ma ka influence si Piper at Timothy sa school namin kahit wala naman silang ginagawa para maging avid at loyal fans nila ang mga students sa school.

Naging simbolo na nilang dalawa ang bike na lagi nilang sinasakyan, isang unspoken rule na din sa school namin na walang sino man ang puwedeng sumakay sa bike na yun maliban kay Piper at Timothy.

But you see, I became the exception.

I'm going to tell you readers how I managed to ride the infamous bike with Piper.

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Hi guys! This is my first short story. Please support naman po. I'll post updates every week. Salamat 😊😊