Their Days of Nights

29 : Sand

April 2011

Kimberly

"Are you okay?" Aya asks.

We're in a taxi and on our way to the Jollibee near the corner of Main and Commerce. We're going to the beach for an overnight stay just like they planned last January. It's nine-fifteen, and call time is at nine-thirty this morning. The driver just turns right to Commerce Avenue.

I shoot my friend a puzzled look. "I am," I reply. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You keep tying and untying your hair since the last hour."

"There are always loose strands falling off," I say with a shrug.

"Right." But she doesn't sound convinced.

"How is fixing my hair an indication of my okay-ness?"

"You're fidgety."

"I'm not."

The taxi stops, and Aya pays the driver. We get off the car, swinging our bags on our backs.

"You're either excited, nervous, or..." Aya says as I approach her.

"Or what?" I ask her to finish that sentence as we reach the entrance of the restaurant.

She smiles. "You know." She also moves her eyebrows up and down.

"I most certainly don't." And I push the glass door open.

She drops her shoulders and sighs. "You really want me to say it out loud?" And she steps inside.

I follow her and instantly spot him in a corner booth, laughing at whatever his friend is saying. I cling a bit tighter onto the straps of my bag as I feel a sudden increase in temperature spreading under my skin coming up to my cheeks.

Aya leans closer to me. "Yep," she says with a laugh. "Figures. Let's go, Kimberly."

Benjie waves at us. His friends—Diego and Joshua—turn around and do the same. Then he sits back and says, "hey."

"Hi," I say to them.

And just as I'm sitting down on the empty seat next to him, my hair tie breaks, causing my hair to fall down on my shoulders and some on my face. I run my hands over my head and push them to the back of my ears. I'm already considering cutting it. Taking care of long hair is also a chore, not to mention this is the summer, and it's scorching hot.

Dominic just arrives. So now, D and D and Joshua are keeping up with each other.

Benjie leans closer to me. "How are you doing?" he asks.

"Fine."

I've been fine since I was at their house for Jessy's birthday two weekends ago. He didn't know his sister invited me over. The look on his face when he went down their stairs was priceless. He'd just woken up then. His hair was all over the place. He was yawning and wiping his sleepy eyes. When he spotted me, he almost slipped. He showered after dinner. We played Monopoly with his sisters and Jessy's boyfriend, and then he drove me home.

I was also fine when I last talked to him, which was two days ago when he called and asked how I was doing, and I said I just finished reading this book The Rule of Four. Then he asked what's it about, and it went on for over an hour.

"You?" I ask now.

"Fine," he says with a nod.

Kristina and Naomi walk in and join us, while I'm searching through the depths of my things for my hair tie, which I'm unable to find. I surrender and zip my bag, sighing.