Paper Ink and Cityscapes

1. Hershey's Is the Key To Friendship

Davao City was the only city Chesa Sanchez knew. Born and raised in the city, she knew of the city's secret treasures like how the bakery owner at Ponciano Street would give free pan de sal to struggling high school students or how an alley behind her school has many street cats that are tame enough to let you pet them. She takes this little knowledge close to her heart and takes pride in knowing them.

Her favorite of all though is the door leading to the rooftop of Victoria Plaza.

She discovered it by complete accident when she mistook the door for the bathroom door. It was located near the bathrooms on the second floor and when opened led to stairs in a semi-darkness that would've warned anyone that it wasn't safe to venture to. She had always been curious and she doesn't regret one bit her decision to throw her inhibitions that day and climb up the stairs.

Up there was an empty space and a couple flower pots that were probably tended by the staff. There was nothing else up there except the view and the slight breeze. She fell in love with the place and decided to make it her secret hideaway.

She would sneak up to the rooftop at night and read her book using a flashlight she grabbed from her father's supplies. She would sit on one of the cement benches and snack on some chips she bought from the supermarket downstairs. She would stay there on the weekends or after school as much as she can before her mother calls her, worried.

It was the same routine she held until now.

When she went there today she noticed a white CD sleeve and a note. Confused, and maybe a bit worried, she examined it and read the note at the back.

I think reading without music is a wasted opportunity that many fail to see. Don't you want to try reading while listening next time?

She whipped her head around looking for the writer but found the rooftop empty. She checked the crevices and the flowers, waiting for someone to jump out and say, "Boo!" then sending her off to the mall security but found none.

"Whoever you are, are you going to get me in trouble?" she asked aloud, clutching her backpack tightly. There was no answer and she sighed.

"I'll leave if you don't want me here," she tried again, hoping the owner of the CD would finally reveal themselves.

Before she left, she ripped a piece of paper from her notebook and hastily wrote:

How did you know I was in this place?

"Hey, are you okay?" Ezra asked as she watched Chesa aggressively devoured the ensaymada they bought as an after-school snack. "Like, you look like you want to murder but you're too hungry so you eat aggressively instead."

"I'm fine," Chesa bit out before taking a sip from her orange juice. "It's just my partner in Science is too busy looking at her makeup mirror to look at the scientific terms we needed for the project."

"Oh."

"And like I get she wants to look pretty and I have nothing against that but like," she took a breath, "can she do that after we finish our project?"

Ezra silently passed her chocolate cake to her best friend and Chesa took it with a grateful grunt. "So your solution is to stress eat?"

"What can I do?" Chesa scowled as she cut some of the cake and hand the rest back to Ezra. She wasn't greedy, thank you very much. "Tell her to do her part? I'm pretty sure she's one of those girls who hang out at the park to smoke cigarettes while drinking those beers they get by lying it's for their parents."

The people she was talking about were the group of kids who have taken to the trend of cigarettes and beer being cool from those American shows. Everyone knew of them, most preferring to stay out their way. They were the 'cool kids' per say, the trend everyone aspires to be. The two girls were too busy being scared of the walis tingting their parents have to pursue that lifestyle.

(Also, it may be due to the fact that these vices are just an added expense to their already broke wallets).

"So what's your plan?" Ezra asked as she flipped through the book Chesa borrowed from the library. "You can't just do all the work yourself, Ches. And wait, isn't this a new one?"

"Maybe I'll do that and just tell the teacher the situation," Chesa decided as she stuffed the book to her bag and stood up. "Yeah, it's a new book, I got it from the bookstore next to the record shop."

"Are you going home now?"

"Yeah I am. What about you?"

"I'm going to pick my brother up. See you Monday, Ches!"

Chesa waved goodbye before walking to the waiting shed on their school. She sighed as she sat down on the bench and waited for the jeep home. She noticed that a jeep on its way to Victoria Plaza stopped in front of her. People quickly rushed to ride the jeep.

"One more person needed!" the driver announced.

Ches bit her lip. She was really stressed now and she missed the rooftop after avoiding it for a week. It was because of that stupid letter that scared her from being discovered. After all, the rooftop was off-limits to people outside of the staff. She'll get in trouble if she would be caught.

"Last call!"

She decided then and there that screw it should be her motto and she would try to be braver in the future.

Which eventually bit her back once she found another note on the same spot last time, only this time there was a bar of chocolate instead of a CD. Warily, she picked up the note and hoped it wasn't from the Victoria Plaza.

It seems I scared you from going to this place. I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention. I merely discovered someone was here from the chip packets you left here and a piece of a book page that seems to have fallen.

Ah, crap.

Don't worry though, I won't get you in trouble. I really just want to that cliché where people became friends through letters :p

Huh. That was reassuring and unexpected. She slipped the letter between the pages of the book and picked up the chocolate bar. Hershey's. Wow. This person is a godsend.

Or maybe this is a bait.

Chesa read the note over and over again, wondering if she can turn back time just so she won't have to deal with this... Friendship proposition thing. Is it friendship? Does this count as friendship? After all, the stranger said they wanted to be friends and besides maybe they haven't seen her so if she won't reply they won't hunt her down to demand answers-

Okay. She's rambling.

She bit her lip as she grabbed a pen and ripped a paper, praying this person isn't a crazy stalker.

She left the rooftop that day without staying for long. She had to work on her English assignment and was in a better mood than before. She left a note though, along with some of the free ensaymada the shopkeeper gave, hoping that the stranger would get to them before the ants do.

What a coincidence, so do I. Thanks for the Hershey's :) By the way, what should I call you? You can call me Ches. I look forward to chatting with you, stranger :)

Maybe some routines were just meant to be broken. She can't find a fault with this.

_________

Glossary:

Ensaymada - a popular soft, sugary Filipino bread usually sold in bakeries 

Walis tingting - a stick broom made from thin midribs of palm leaves (also used as an alternative for spanking which hurts tbh).

Jeep - an American vehicle that Filipinos lengthened to accomodate 15-25 people for public transportantion. Affordable and colorful, this Filipino vehicle became a symbol for the Philippines.