Almost Maybes

Junior Year

"Hey, Ivy, aren't you going home yet?" Sten asked. She met in front of the school gate.

I was standing here alone, waiting for someone, when she passed by me.

"Nope. I have to meet someone here first. You?"

"Is it Rex?"

I shook my head. "Someone I know from another department. Are you going home alone?" I asked, expecting to see him with Fourth.

They were best buddies and neighbors. They usually went home together whenever Mitch, Fourth's girlfriend, had to stay late at school. It wasn't a big deal for Sten if she had to head home without her bosom friend, but it was a different deal for Fourth to let her be alone especially if he was free to accompany her. There was no issue between their relationship. Fourth had no romantic attachments for Sten, we were sure about that, but for my best friend, it wasn't that way. She had been keeping her feelings for Fourth. He was her prince charming, the ending of her happy ever after, but they couldn't make the once upon a time reach the end. Some fairy tales weren't right. Fourth was madly in love with his girl, Sten had to get over him before letting herself drown in her own maddening feelings for her guy best friend.

It was hard to see Sten seeing how happy Fourth was with his relationship. We couldn't do anything to ease her pain. We couldn't even tell Fourth to stop being too nice to Sten, she had a soft spot for him. Things between them had to be that way. They were born to be best friends.

"Fourth's waiting for me at the bus stop. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Sure. Get some safely."

She waved a hand at me before walking away. I held onto the umbrella. What was taking him long? He said to meet me at five o'clock this afternoon. It was already past five PM. I should have just given it to him at the cafeteria earlier if I had this umbrella with me. I looked at it for a moment. Why was I holding something owned by a complete stranger? To me he was a stranger. I met him yesterday. I shook my head to dismiss the idea. I guess we weren't strangers at all, we both were students in this university. We were schoolmates. He was a student from the Psychology Department. He shared it when we were walking to the bus stop.

It suddenly started raining hard yesterday, around this time. I had no umbrella to use, well partly because I wasn't used to bringing one. Then I met him, he was in front of our department building. Standing there with an umbrella that protected him from the rain. He noticed me. I was waiting for the rain to die down in front of our building. He walked straight to my spot and asked if I was also going home. I replied with yes, because I was really planning to go home that time. The rain started pouring down, and I got stuck here in school. He concluded that I didn't have any umbrella with me because I didn't look ready to go home in any minute. I was just standing there, watching the rain.

Then he offered to walk me to the bus stop. He didn't ask if I was taking the bus, he just said that. I didn't hesitate to accept his offer. I badly wanted to go home. So, we walked to the bus stop, and stayed there until the bus came. He handed the umbrella to me and said he didn't need to use it when he got off. He said their house was just near the drop off point. He didn't want me to protest, and just let me have the umbrella to myself. With that, he got on the bus and left.

I had no idea how to return it to him. Then I saw him around lunch time at the cafeteria with his friends. He agreed to meet with me after class. This was where we were both free to meet. I was still waiting for me outside of the campus, wishing not to rain cats and dogs. I forgot to bring an umbrella.

"Hey."

I heard a voice from behind. I turned around to see who it was, and found the guy who lent me his umbrella waving shyly at me.