Numbered

Chapter 1

1 year ago...

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It's the first day of classes and I'm in my senior year now in high school.

Everything in junior high was cool but I didn't enjoy it much because of some...circumstances. But now that I'm in my senior year, I can do whatever I want. Of course, I won't go overboard about being able to do whatever... I want.

Time passed by and the Flag Ceremony is done, so is the opening program and now, we're in our classroom doing some self-introductions and seating arrangements.

"Rai Jay Mendez?" I quickly stood up from my current seat and went to the front when Mr. Sy called my name.

I looked at my classmates from here and I suddenly felt nervous being watched with an audience full of anticipation on what I'm going to say. So I gulped down the lump on my throat that I never knew it was there 'til now and spoke.

"Um.. Hi? haha, I'm Rai Jay Mendez and y'all can just call me Rai. Let's do our best this year together even if things get a little... out of place or something... Oh well. Nice to meet you all!" I kinda got a little too far for introductions but I think I did well since some of them introduced themselves immediately to me as I walked down to my respective seat.

I'm seated at the back by the window on the left and an empty seat on my right. Somehow, I feel like I'm some protagonist in an anime or something hahahaha.

We're seated in an alternate-gender kind of way. Like my row is the row for boys and the next row is for girls and so on and so forth.

For now, I'm just listening to my classmates who are introducing themselves but suddenly, my heart beats faster than usual after hearing her name being called out for introductions so I looked at the front then I saw her.

Smiling sweetly at everyone in this room...

Even at me.

"Hi! I'm Alishiya Crystella Lopez! Nice to meet you!"

How the hell did I not notice her when I was at the front?!

"You can all just call me Alice! I hope we can all get along!" She cheerfully said then faced our adviser.

She's still the same as ever...

"Okay, Alice. You can sit over there," Mr. Sy pointed out to the empty seat beside me. When she looked, our eyes accidentally met that somehow made my face heat up so I waved at her as she walks to her seat right beside me. I can see that she's shocked to see me in the same class as hers but I'm just the same as her.

"Yow!" I greeted her as soon as she's right beside me.

"Rai!" She hugged me but then gave me a headlock and damn. It hurts.

But at least she's hugging me hahaha.

"O-ow! Ow! It hurts!" I exclaimed in pain so she let go of me but then she punched my arm.

"Why didn't you told me we're gonna be classmates!?" She immediately asked as she sat down to her seat with a surprised look on her face.

"I'm just as shocked as you, you know!" I honestly said.

I mean really. I didn't know where going to be classmates.

"I thought you're going to GAS?" She asked.

"Well... I was having second thoughts about going to that strand since I'm capable of being in the STEM strand under Engineering." I said while looking at a student introducing at the front then I looked at her. "How about you? I thought you're going under Architecture? You already good at doing different designs in our drafting class last year, so why change here?" I asked her and she looked away.

"Father said that I should go under Engineering since it's the job that's more in demand than an Architect." She said then smiled at me.

For a second there, I think I heard a tint of sadness in her voice as she said those words but I think I'm just imagining it.

"You do realize that Engineering is much harder than Architectural, right?" I asked but she just sighed.

"Haa~, there's nothing I can do but just do my best," she said, and again for a second, this time, I saw that sadness in her eyes but she just brushed it off and just smiled. "And besides! You're here! We can hang out like the old times!" She cheerfully said and I just smiled and looked at her eyes.

Her eyes made my heart flutter every time I see them when they met mine.

"So.. how have you been? Didn't see you this summer... Did you and your family go on a vacation somewhere?" I asked but she only gave me silence and just looked down on her lap. Her smile disappeared and she's like hesitating to answer my questions. "Uhm.. what's with the silence? Is it a secret vacation place for your family? Hahahaha don't worry, I won't bother you if you want to spend your time with your family," I said shaking off the awkwardness that's starting to build upon the air. Then she looked at me.

"Sorry haha.. well... to answer your question, yes. We were on a vacation at My Aunt's Beach Resort for the Summer. Sorry I didn't tell you Hahahaha.." she said but in her voice, as she said those, I know... she's lying.

I hate it when you lie to me.

It's not that I really can tell if a person is lying. It's just that, her behavior somehow drastically changed from cheerful to hesitant and I know that if she's hesitant about what she's going to say, it means she's hiding something.

But... this time... it's different. I know she's lying but somehow... It seems like it's something that she has to lie for. Something that she has to hide or something...

I want to know what it is but... I'm scared that she might hate me for being pushy about the subject so I'll just let this one slide.

"Then how about you? You doing good?" As I asked these questions, this time, she smiled sadly then looked back at her lap. "Are you okay?" I asked once more and hopefully, she answered.

I hate it when you smile like that.

"Yeah... I'm okay... I've been fine this Summer but..." She's hesitating again. I patted her head and ruffled her hair then she looked at me with her sad eyes.

I hate it when your eyes are like that.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me what's up. But know that I'm all ears on you when you feel like talking about it, alright?" I said and smiled at her reassuringly to ease her. As she did, she wore that sweet smile on her face again.

The sweet smile that I don't hate.

She turned her attention at the front, now listening to the student who's introducing themselves and I did that too.

You see, Alice is someone that I care deeply about. Yes. I have a crush on her. Since the time we met, I already had an inkling of feelings for her though I only noticed my feelings for her recently a month before Christmas Break.

But I was already too late. Someone already got her and they're already dating since August. So it's almost their anniversary now.

I gotta admit it. It stung. HARD. It hurts so I took a couple of days off from the world and just stayed in my room regretting not being able to realize it earlier. I was able to make an excuse for school about my absence so it's okay.

She didn't know that I was absent luckily Because if she knew, she would confront me directly about why I'm absent and that would only make things harder for me.

I already accepted their relationship since I can see that she's happy with that guy. There's nothing I can do now but to support her. I don't want that beautiful smile of hers to disappear even if I'm not the reason behind it. So I let her go... But deep inside me, I still like her up to this day.

Setting aside this mushy talk, I'm having trouble thinking of why she's like this. She's hesitating to tell me something but decided to lie. She's troubled. She's hiding her problems on her own again.

Sigh... What must I do to help you if you don't tell me what's wrong?

Nica_0811