Chapter 6: “Frienemies”

After a while, Kristina finally arrived... finally, I was waiting for her. She came in the room with her slightly messy hair and her fringe showing. She was wearing a jumper skirt with her pastel shirt and mismatched socks that she was trying to hide.

She also had her glasses on as she searches the room for me.

I was caught off guard when she smiled at me. She was searching the room and she smiled at me like that, she waves her hand frantically.

I unconciously waved back at her but the moment I realized it, I took my hand down.

She sat down beside me and said, "I made it just in time! I woke up really late. Ah, sorry I'm talking too much-"

I cut her off as I fixes her fringe in place, "Your bangs look cute. Goodmorning."

She turns red and shifts the conversation topic, "You don't have your uniform yet?"

I lied, "Yeah, I haven't got my uniform yet."

"Mine too, but my mom said it's going to arrive later so I can wear it by tomorrow."

"Ah about later-" 

She couldn't continue was she was going to say because the teacher arrived. 

Kristina Valdez POV

Crap, lunch break is just around the corner and I still can't tell either Ashley or Angelo the truth.

Who am I supposed to grab lunch with?

The classes went by so fast plus I can barely focus on the lessons! I'm going to have to pull another all-nighter to study all of those!

The bell rang loudly, it's lunch time already, I have to tell Ashley I told Angelo I'll eat with him first.

I stood up and told Ashley, "Ashley, actually I already planned lunch with Angelo first So I can't go with you."

Ashley smiled at Angelo as If she was saying she'll only borrow me for a while.

Ashley grabbed my hand and took me someplace else. I was confused So I asked, "Ashley where are we going?"

Ashley's expression grims and she looks at me with such disgusted look. She pushes me Inside the janitor's closet and locked it.

I kept asking her to let me out since I'm claustrophobic. I keep yelling as I began to have difficult to breathe, "Ashley let me out! I'm sorry but I didn't know you'd be this mad! Ashley! Please!"

I heard her laughing and she mocks, "Stupid and naive Kristina."

"What...?" I was confused  

Ashley was so cute and gentle... she's a sweet girl. She coudn't do or say something like this, right? But... then, who is she really?

She continued, "Who would want to be friends with you? You're so awkward and so annoying with your 'there's nothing special about me' act."

"But you said..."

"You know, originally I was just planning to being nice and tell you to join me for lunch and leave you there alone but instead, you chose to be with Angelo." She sounds irritated, "MY Angelo."

I was panicking inside the janitor's room, my mind was racing and I can't breathe anymore, I was so confused, "What do you mean? You like Angelo? Is this all that this is? You used me to get closer to him?"

"At first yes but then I realized what he truly feels about you."

"He hates me. What are you talking about?"

Suddenly, the door bursted open, it was Angelo. He kicked the door from the outside, he really had to see me crying. Angelo was worried as he immediately grabs my shaking hands and he asked, "Are you okay?"

My mind went blank and I started crying more but I can't help but worry more since there are students passing by so he hugs me and he whispered, "I'm the only person here allowed to see you cry like this."

I don't know if he meant to say it out loud.

Ashley went back to her usual cute self and says to Angelo, "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean it, we're friends and friends right, right Kristina?"

Angelo didn't even wait for my response, he covered my face under the hoodie he brought, he grabbed my hand as he said before we left, "Is it true?"

Ashley played dumb, "What?"

"You used her to get to me?"

Ashley dropped her act as Angelo sees right through her, she protested, "I've always liked you Angelo so I wanted to get closer to you, I even shifted from class A to B just for you! I like you..."

Angelo coldly replied, "You don't even know me." 

"I do-"

He cuts off Ashley as he looks at her with his piercing gaze, he continued, "Then you should know that I hate people who uses other for their benefits the most. I hate people like you the most."

Ashley pauses and she continued, looking at me this time, "Isn't this enough proof?"

I was confused... Was she referring to what she said earlier? About what Angelo feels about me? But he doesn't feel anything about me right?

After all, he's just... naturally a good person. I shouldn't put too much thought about it.

We passed by Angelo's friend in the hallway so I quickly hid my swollen eyes from crying by nodding my head down.

They greeted Angelo, "Hey bro, let's eat together!"

I shakes my wrist off of his hand but he quickly grabbed it back and he replied to them, "Sorry, I promised I'd eat with her."

Then we left.

hold up, just back up... just what the hell is happening to him? Did he ate something good today? He's... nice when he's supposed to be ignoring me? He lays down by the ground and he closes his eyes, just letting the wind brush his face and touches his light brown hair.

He apologizes, "Sorry for forcing you to eat with me."

"You didn't, I came because I wanted to."

Angelo chuckles lightly as he said, "You're surprisingly straighforward at times you know?" He pats the ground with his hand and said, "Lay here with me, the weather is quite nice."

I worried, "But your hoodie might get dirty."

"You can keep it."

So I lay down just a couple inches beside him, the clouds were mesmerizing that they soothes my swollen eyes from crying. Angelo opens his eyes but still looking at the blue sky, he says, "Still, I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"You really thought of her as your friend but she used you to get to me."

His words stings, I felt a sharp pain in my heart but I knew he doesn't mean to hurt my feelings. He's just stating the truth, the truth that I was too naive and stupid to accept. I mocked him back, "You're awfully straightforward too, you know?"

We both laughed as we awaited the school bell to ring. Angelo the sits up and look right at me with his dazzling hazel eyes. Ah... so this is what it feels like to see your reflection in the eyes of the person you like. It felt so lovely to be seen, for his eyes to relect me. The light hits just right at Angelo's eyes further highlighting the different shades of his eyes.

I blushed, "What? Is there dirt on my face?"

"It's weird."

I covered my face, I continued, "Sorry, my face must look weird right now because my eyes are swollen."

Angelo removes my hand from my face and he said, "It's weird that you still look pretty."

I was so dumbfounded that I wasn't able to utter any word. I felt the warmness of my cheek and the butterflies in my stomach playing. We were caught off guard as we heard footsteps approaching the rooftop so we quickly hid behind the wall of the tool shed, he kept me behind him.

We took a peak to see who was out there and there we saw Ashley along with a professor, she protests, "But I swear I saw students staying here!"

I heard Angelo whispers under his breath, "God, she really annoys me."

The professor scratches his head and replied, "Look, there's no one here and they probably already left if what you're saying is true."

"But-" Ashley continued to protest but the professor cuts her off, "Look, I have somewhere else to be, I'll just lock the rooftop area, okay?"

They left.

Angelo looks back at me worried, "Are you oka-"

But he was cut off as he saw me laughing like a little kid, I stated jokingly, "It's been a while since I last played hide and seek."

He smiled, "Yeah, me too."

We went near the edge of the rooftop to admire the school's view from the top, Angelo stated out of the blue, "You really remind me of someone important to me."

I was confused but then he continued, "You remind me of her... at least how she used to be."

That one sentence was enough to answer all my whys. The reason why he wants to spend some time with me was because I am nothing but a reminder of a fragment of her in his memory.

I have always known it.

After all these years, after all this time...It has always been her. Always.

I have always known it, I've engraved it in my mind but deep down in my heart, I always deny it. I guess I'm not that different compared to Ashley... at least she had the guts to confess her feelings whereas I'm always hiding, always waiting.

He already moved on from the past, we were just childhood friends, I'm just a childhood friend that he forgot as time passed by.

I fought the urge to frown and faked a smile, "Really? Then she must be really pretty if I remind you of her."

Angelo looks away as his face turned red, he answers softly, "Maybe."

I got my answer. I know how important she is to him but she's not what she seems to be, once upon a time Angelo would've agreed with me but one day, he didn't. And when I told him about her, the truth, that's when he started hating me...

He must've hated me so much that he left without saying goodbye and when he returned, it's as if I never existed.

I don't know if it's a good thing that he doesn't remember me or it's a bad thing. But can you blame me for not telling him? He's here right now and I'm here with him, it's enough for me even if he doesn't remember me.

So Angelo, I'm the one who should be apologizing. Sorry but I don't plan on giving up just yet, I'll be staying for a little more while so please bear with me. You can paint me as the bad guy trying to separate the two of them but I'm just giving myself a chance.

Don't we all use that excuse?

I'm just a bad person after all.

Angelo Cruz POV

Her question surprised me that I can't stop blushing, I tried to change the atmosphere and I went to the rooftop's door but it was locked.

Kristina worries, "Did they really locked us out?"

"It's fine, I have-"

She cuts me off, "Then I guess, we get to enjoy the view a little more."

I laughs. I thought she would be worried about the next class but instead, she's out here with me enjoying the view.

I actually have the key but I guess I could use a little bit more time with Kristina. She said, "Oh that reminds me, the next subject is supposed to be Biology, you seem to like it very much."

How did she even noticed that, I smiles and gave him a piece of paper, it was the teacher's note, "The professor handed that to me earlier, I was supposed to give it to Ashley earlier but I changed my mind."

"She's going to have hard time handling our class with the teacher's absence."

"Plus, Biology's the last subject before dismissal. I bet our classmates are going to get pissed." Angelo mocks

"You're such a bully."

I laughed and after a few more minutes, I asked Kristina, "Should we go home now?"

"Silly, the door's locked." 

I got the keys from my pocket and I replied, "Yeah but I never said I don't have keys, right?"

Kristina says, "What? you had the keys this entire time? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wanted to spend more time with you."

She fakes a smile and replied, "Because I remind you of someone else?"

"Maybe."

She was definitely different from Kristina... rather Kristina reminded me of who she used to be from what I can remember. I don't exactly know what it is but being with Kristina felt nostalgic.

Like a forgotten piece of my past.

Like a dream.