#i did this instead of working on my semestral project and now i might not make it in time:3 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kimmiherself · 4 years ago

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CHAPTER THREE: FIRST MEETING

When they said we could go into a short break, the teachers really didn't mean a vacation with all the projects and homeworks they piled up for us to ensure we didn't forget our education—they were sweet that way. So there I was at home with my girl best friend, Shanelle, spending our whole afternoon making visuals for our English project that consisted a lot of writing—and a lot of headaches too—instead of binge watching our favorite TV series on DVDs together and munching on whatever food our hands could grab, which was how we imagined our semestral break would be.

"Totally wasted a perfect day for this," I said, tucking our handwritten visuals away for safekeeping until the actual presentation. "We could have finished a season of One Tree Hill, you know."

"Definitely," Shanelle agreed as she slumped herself on the couch in the living room, looking so worn out. "Or those South Korean dramas of yours that we haven't watched yet. They're so much better than OTH, by the way."

"Yeah, I guess so," I said, too tired to even start to argue. One Tree Hill was Matthew's favorite TV show and I started watching it so that I could have a conversation with him about it but later found myself glued to the series. But Shanelle's right. A good Korean drama was a lot better choice to binge watch with a friend and Shanelle was the best person to do it with.

I moved back with my father and my sister in my grandparents' house about two years ago when my cousin, who owned the house I previously occupied with our housekeeper, had come home from abroad and permanently settled down. When my grandfather died a few years back, one of my aunts had taken my grandmother to the States so she could better take care of her, leaving the big, ancient house to just the three of us and a housekeeper. My family had already gotten used to my best friend's presence in the house. She liked to sleep over so that we could watch our favorite shows together. We could go silent all night, just letting ourselves get lost in the movies, but we could also get loud, just talking about everything under the moon until the wee hours of the morning.

She was the first person I talked about Raven with. She might have a really big mouth but she would never judge a person. "So what's wrong with this Raven guy?" she asked.

My shoulders fell. "Haven't you been listening, Shane? You do know I have a boyfriend, right? And I think this sort of thing that Raven and I have—you know, constant, well, more like incessant texting—is kind of a bad thing because I have a boyfriend. The thing is, no matter how platonic our conversations are, it still feels like I am cheating on my boyfriend!"

"You have a boyfriend?!" she exclaimed, acting all shocked.

"Now you're just making fun of me," I said, pouting.

She giggled. "Seriously, Kier! This boyfriend of yours," she said, propping an elbow against the cushion. "We always forget he exists. I mean we've never even met him. Don't get upset but half the things you say about him isn't believable. He may be good with words but he's not the perfect boyfriend you think he is. You're probably just wrapped up with this insane idea about love and destiny that you put him in this high pedestal, giving him perfect boyfriend attributes as if you're writing about the heroes in your novels, just so you could have a romantic story," she said with a slight grimace on her face that I didn't fail to notice.

"But, girl, I hope you're not just having delusions! You don't even know this guy in real life. He's just the man on the phone. And, gosh, he's hardly even romantic. He never exerts effort and he never even bothers to show up. He's like...non-existent. You don't even know what he's up to these days. I'm sorry, Kier, but you don't even know if he has, other than his virtual girlfriend—you, an actual girlfriend in the city. Matthew to you is like an imaginary friend to a child!"

Shanelle really had a big mouth and I regretted telling her about Raven. Well, she didn't seem to have a problem with Raven—at least, not yet—but she sure had a lot to say about my relationship with Matthew. I was wrong about her saintly attitude of being incapable of judging a person because she sure was very good at it. "You don't know Matthew like I do, Shane. He's in college and he just has a lot on his plate right now. And he's not made up. He's a real person!"

She sat up and looked over at me with an apologetic look on her face. "Hey, you know that's not what I meant, right? Of course, he's as real as the sun, but what I doubt about is his feelings for you. As a boyfriend, he doesn't seem to care about you that much, Kiera..."

"Matt's just a really busy person," I cut her off. "I already told you, Shane. College is difficult and Matthew has a part-time job as well."

"Maybe, Kiera. Just maybe. You don't know that for sure, do you? And, as far as I know, when you're really into someone, you'll find the time."

I couldn't answer that. Sometimes, the immature side of me couldn't help but have doubts too. "I have faith in him, Shane..."

"He's not God, Kiera," she said with a sigh, which prompted me to laugh. She laughed too, and the intense conversation was over just like that.

"Gosh, I want you to be happy, Kier, but I really don't think he's as in love with you as you are with him. I'm your friend, and I'm sorry if I don't have a filter in my mouth, but I just want you to pop that bubble and see what's real and what's not, okay?"

I frowned and decided to keep my arguments to myself. "Fine," I said with a grunt. "I don't know what I did right in my past life to deserve such a great friend like you," I said, sarcasm lacing my voice. But deep inside my core, I meant it.

"Oh, I love you too," she said with equal sarcasm. But then smirked. "So what's the deal with this Raven guy, Kiera? I am not so sure about these men you meet merely through your phone but I know you are sensible enough to know what you're doing, right?" she asked with a serious tone in her voice, sounding like a mother—not just mine because my mother wasn't compared to Saddam Hussein for nothing.

I simply nodded. "It's not like Raven's a total stranger, you know. He lives here and I know his family—his sister, at least, and she's quite amazing!" Exactly what a friend said. But he was smitten with her, I thought.

Shanelle looked unconvinced but didn't care to argue. "Have you met this Raven, Kiera? Does he look good? Is he tall? Because you know I don't really like any guy who isn't at least as tall as I am..."

You're as tall as a tree, I thought. I would've rolled my eyes already but the mention of Raven's name had my moods switched. He was like a breath of fresh air, a calm breeze, a misty morning when the sun had just risen. It was a pleasant feeling that I had learned to like a lot. He was home and the thought of him being in the same place as I was sent butterflies to my stomach. I hadn't met him yet and I didn't think it would be possible. I barely went out of the house and I knew that the moment I did, everyone's eyes would be on me, considering how close my aunts' and their offsprings' houses were to ours, and I was terrified of becoming the subject of their gossips if they saw me standing next to a boy. Mother would surely know about it and hell would come loose. Just the thought of it made me shudder.

Shanelle grunted when I didn't answer. "C'mon, tell me about him!"

"I've already told you everything about him and, no, I haven't met him yet," I said, shifting my focus back to my chore.

She frowned. "You should, though," she said. "You don't know what he looks like. What if he's ugly? What if he has no teeth? I don't know, Kier. It creeps me out that you're texting someone you haven't even seen and it creeps me out even more that you think you have a crush on this guy, whose face you can't even picture out!"

That made me look up and glare at her. "I didn't say I have a crush on him."

She glared back. "Shut it! It's all over your face."

I sighed and looked down. There was no use arguing with Shanelle. She really was a force of nature. "Well," I dragged. "I know that his sister is pretty and if the same blood runs through their veins, he couldn't be that bad, right?"

"You don't know that, for sure, Kiera!" she said, looking appalled. "What if he inherited all the bad genes? You're impossible, Kier! You and your faith in men."

I laughed. "Don't be such a pessimist, Shane. He sounds handsome on the phone, though," I teased. "And if you care to remember, we go to a Catholic school. It has been taught to us how equally beautiful we all are, created in the likeness and image of God."

Her eyes widened and laughed. "I can't wait for you to finally see him and have your optimism smack you in the face, oh pure and venerable Kiera!"

I finally rolled my eyes at her. "I hope not!"

She just giggled at that. Shanelle could be a handful most of the time but she sure was good company. There wasn't a dull moment with her. "I should go home, you know," she said, pushing herself up from her seat. "Grandmother's gonna kill me if I missed dinner again." Like me, Shanelle grew up without her parents. Her mom and dad separated a few years ago. Her mother worked abroad while her father lived in the city, probably with a new partner. I guessed the similarities of our lives were what truly bonded us, despite us having opposite personalities. I liked to consider myself an introvert while my best friend was the ever active, passionate, and outgoing person the world had ever seen. While I had few people I trusted, she had a whole community—her chuchmates, her cousins, and her long list of friends—she could rely on to have her back.

"Okay, I'll walk you to the bus stop," I said, putting away the remaining writing materials and other supplies. I helped Shanelle put her own things in her bag before peeking at myself in the mirror to check if I looked appropriate to walk the streets. I was wearing a faded, blue P.E. shirt and a pair of old denim shorts. I was too tired to even think about changing so I just ignored how crappy I looked and ushered my friend towards the main door of the house, grabbing my cellphone with me as I did so.

Only to stop on my tracks when I heard it ring and found Raven's name flashing on the screen. I hesitated for a while, knowing my friend was there to eavesdrop on us, but Shanelle was quick to grab the phone and press the answer button herself. She smirked at me, leaving me dumbfounded. "Hello, who's this?" she said, her voice deep and stern.

"You're crazy!" I screamed at her, only without sound. She just dismissed me with a quick flick of her hand and stepped back.

"Hello?" she said once again, putting the phone in loudspeaker mode. "May I know who is this?"

"I-It's Raven," he answered and I could clearly hear the confusion and uncertainty in his voice.

"Hello, Raven! This is Kiera's aunt," she said, and I couldn't guess what she was up to. Surely she wouldn't embarrass me, considering I was one of her dearest friends. Shanelle watched me pull my arms up across my chest and grunt my displeasure, that mischievous smile never once leaving her face. "Why are you calling my niece?" she asked and all I could ever think about was how painfully annoying she—"Are you Kiera's boyfriend?"

"Amelia Kassandra Shanelle!" I screamed in horror, definitely with sound this time, and jumped at her to grab my phone but failed, considering how tall she was. Freaking tree!

I watched her stifle her laughter and continued to torment me. "Don't you think she's too young to have a boyfriend, Raven? She is still in school and she doesn't need distractions right now. I don't want you calling her anymore, do you understand?!"

There was silence from his end but the call hadn't ended yet. Shanelle probably scared the hell out of him. "I am begging you with my life, my dearest friend! Put me out of this misery," I said, my acting skills in full display. She just wouldn't budge. "Ugh!" I grunted. "You evil woman—"

"Fine!" she finally exclaimed and laughed like a crazy person. "I'm just messing with you," she said on the phone. "This is actually Kiera's best friend, Shanelle. Meet us at the bus stop in," she pasued to think, "ten minutes. We wanna see you!" She then pressed the end call button and handed the phone back to me. "Thank me later, friend!"

"You're so not my friend anymore!" was all I could muster to say. I quickly fiddled with my phone and started typing an apology to Raven. I told him it was just my friend and she was just messing around, just in case he didn't hear her say that. I also said he didn't have to meet us because I was just walking Shane to the bus stop. It would be quick and I'd hate to take someone else's time. I also didn't want other people seeing me with him in public, although I didn't tell him that. My mother would freak out if she learned about it.

"You're welcome, dear," Shanelle said and led us out of the house. "It's now or never!"

I thought I'd faint at the sudden stress she had just put me into. I wasn't ready to meet him yet. Thoughts filled my head like a flash flood. What if he didn't like me? What if he thought I was too plain? Or too fat? My head started to hurt just imagining the disappointment in his face upon seeing me. But he had already seen you! A voice from the back of my head snapped me out of it. Yes, he had. A couple of times, according to him, but those were before we even started texting each other. This would be different! I then got distracted when my phone beeped. My hands shook as I pulled it up and opened the message. It was definitely from Raven.

I wouldn't miss it for the world!

I grunted, dreading my impending doom. I should have, at least, changed into more appropriate clothes and powdered my face. But Shanelle and I were already treading the two-block walk. It would be too late to go back now. My chest felt heavier the closer we got to the bus stop and I thought it would be best to just run back home. But a small part of me wanted to see Raven too. I was curious about how he looked but I also knew it wouldn't matter anyway. I always preferred character over physical appearance. That's not entirely true, my inner voice argued. Fine, I preferred someone who could make my heart skip a beat and sweep me off my feet with just one gaze from him, just how I imagined the heroines in the books felt when they finally found their true love, but he should be at least a little cute to make me swoon like that.

It didn't take long before we reached the bus stop, my chest pounding so hard as if I had been running a marathon. To my relief—and just a slight disappointment, Shanelle and I found it empty. "He probably didn't hear what I said over the phone," Shanelle threw a comment, entangling her arms over her chest, then turned to look at me. "That or he deliberately decided not to show up! Well, that actually speaks a lot about his character and his intentions to you, Kiera. This Raven guy is probably up to no good."

I rolled my eyes at her yet again. "You don't know that for sure, Shane," I said, using her words against her. "He just probably didn't get to hear what you said earlier. You rattled the guy, by the way."

"Excuses," she said, giving me a smirk. "I really was expecting him to be here, though," she murmured.

We waited for a while until transportation arrived. The countryside had few public vehicles that you'd have to wait according to the scheduled trips and we were lucky we didn't have to wait that long. Shanelle lived even deeper into the countryside and the trips there ceased before nightfall. When one arrived, I quickly hugged my friend and watched her scurry off to hop into the vehicle. It was a relief for me that she had to go sooner and didn't have to wait for Raven to come—if he were coming—because I actually didn't know how he'd take my friend's overwhelming personality. It was also a blessing for me because I could now just run back home and escape this dreadful situation.

I crossed the road and started walking my way home when my cellphone beeped, alerting me of a new message. I prayed it would be Raven saying he couldn't make it for whatever reason God had dropped on his feet and I wouldn't mind at all. Perhaps this wasn't the perfect time and this definitely wasn't the perfect place. There wasn't a lot of people around but words spread like wildfire in this place since everyone just knew about everyone. I had goosebumps just imagining my mother's wrath. I always abided the laws and followed the rules but my mother's no-boyfriend-until-I-finish-college rule was the only one I couldn't seem to follow.

I opened the message and read Raven's text.

Going somewhere?

I thought the world just stopped and I froze with it, my eyes glued to his words that I couldn't understand it at first. But it didn't take long before it all made sense to me. He was nearby. He was watching me. He was there with me and there was no escaping him. I probably should have left without reading that damn text and I could've freely gotten away. But it was too late now.

I knew I shouldn't but my stupid reflexes made me look up and around, all the while hoping this was just a nightmare that I only had to wake up from. But, apparently, that wasn't the case. There, sitting by the bench at the other side of the road, I found Raven Maude.

Our eyes met and I recognized him in an instant. He was sitting between two other boys, one I knew from my elementary days and the other one I knew when he once pursued one of my village friends. The other people around us were just passing by. There was no mistaking it. Raven was the only one I didn't know and had never seen in my entire life and he was facing right back at me, his eyes completely disappearing into thin lines as the corners of his mouth lifting up into a big, goofy smile.

I never could have pictured him out but I knew his features definitely fitted the Raven that I knew on the phone. His jet black hair was thick and playfully disheveled, giving him that carefree vibe I had always felt in him. His skin was dark but I didn't know if it was natural that way or a mere consequence of his incessant basketball games. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and basketball shorts but he stood out from the two others that I immediately forgot they were there, with his vibrant smile contagious enough to make the leaves turn even greener and the sky even bluer even when the sun was about to descend. He was definitely a sight I couldn't peel my eyes away from.

I staggered backwards as I watched him stand up and start walking towards me, my heart pumping so hard I could hear its pulsations in the open air. My mind was telling me to run and just hide somewhere, anywhere but there, but I remained frozen on the ground, my eyes glued to the boy I never once imagined storming into my life and taking my breath away, literally. But there he was in actual flesh! Raven crossed the road and stopped right in front of me, hovering over my meek posture, which probably looked like a melting candle, by the way, and still giving me that ludicrously beautiful smile.

"Raven says hi," he said, casually pointing towards his friends.

I stifled my laughter but a smile broke out. "You can't fool me," I said, peeking at the beaming faces of the other teenagers across the road. "I know those two." I was confident that I knew them but even I thought I sounded unsure. Raven towered me for about five to six inches and he stood so close to me that I could smell his heavenly scent. He wasn't reeking of perfume, though. Raven had that clean, fresh scent on his clothes as if they just came out of laundry. I really liked it.

As I stared at him, I couldn't help but notice the slight stubble on his chin and the thin hair growing above his upper lips. He also had blemishes on his face like the rest of the teenage boys who shuddered at the mere mention of skincare routines, but Raven definitely had those rugged good looks. I also liked that slight hump on the dorsal bridge of his nose, which would add a nice detail to a sketch, and his deep, piercing eyes that easily disappeared when he smiled.

He chuckled as he ran his fingers through his hair, making me breathe a sigh. "Well, it's a shame,"—he sighed— "that you seem to know everybody but me." Raven's lips remained curled up in a smile but it didn't seem to quite reach his eyes anymore.

"You know I don't go out that much," I said in a low voice and pulled my gaze down to my feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world at the moment. I talked a lot over the phone but I couldn't seem to find the right words to say to him in person, and it also didn't help that other thoughts plagued my head like how worried I was that other people might see me with Raven and spread horrible gossips about me and how bothered I was about looking fat in my loose t-shirt.

"It's too bad that I didn't get to introduce myself to you sooner," he said softly. "But I'm really glad we've met, Kiera."

The warmth in his voice urged me to look up and meet his gaze. It's a relief to see that he was still beaming at me and that he seemed sincere about what he just said, which caused even more discomfort to my chest, by the way. He seemed friendly and modest but he also had that confident stance in the way he handled himself. Unlike me, who mostly regretted everything that came out of my mouth, Raven didn't seem to have a problem speaking his mind. In my futile attempt to match his confidence, I murmured, "Me too," and immediately looked away before I could catch any reaction from his face. He chuckled and I thought I'd die of humiliation. Damnit, Kiera! Get hold of yourself! "I-I think I have to go..."

He tilted his head to the side to catch my eyes and asked, "Already?"

I nodded and gave him an apologetic smile. "I really have to. My family's probably looking for me already." It was a big lie. My father's not home most of the time and God only knew where he went, my sister was probably still glued to her phone that she wouldn't notice I even went out, and our housekeeper had so many chores to finish at home that she wouldn't really mind about me at all.

"I'll walk you home, then."

"No!" I cried, trying very hard not to imagine my relatives' faces when they found me walking alongside him. "I mean," I swallowed hard, "I can go home by myself, Raven. There's really no need to trouble yourself. My house is not that far, anyway," I said in haste and tried to mask my restlessness with a laugh, but I probably over-exerted myself that Raven looked at me in a funny way.

He thought for a while and said, "I insist, Kiera."

I shook my head and begged him with my eyes. "No, you don't have to, Raven..."

If it were possible, Raven's smile even widened. "I believe I do."

Just great! I slowly backed away and widened the space between us, testing the waters. He took a step forward. I took another step backwards. He followed. "Really, I can just go..."

He gently swung his one hand towards the road as if to pave the way for me, his smile never leaving him.

I grunted. "Raven..."

"Kiera..."

His voice just made my heart beat even more erratically. Raven chuckled and it was a sound that really unnerved me. His mere presence unnerved me. I had never felt this intense feeling of mixed fear and euphoria ever before. I was wrong. Raven Maude was not a breath of fresh air nor a calm breeze. He was a hurricane that destroyed everything in its path. Excitement. Trouble. Even danger. That was how I felt at the moment with him. I wanted to run away but he seemed to be intent on following me. And I thought I had gone completely crazy because I somehow felt pleased with that.

The jorney home was intense—for me, at least. I felt like a criminal evading the authorities as I walked past the array of houses that belonged to my relatives, all the while immensed in the conflicting feelings that came with knowing that Raven was only ten steps behind me. I was glad that he didn't come any nearer. It was such a relief that he was perceptive enough to realize my wishes or perhaps my anxiety of being seen with a boy without a chaperone—and even if I had one, really—was all written in my face. I was merely walking but I believed my heart had survived a marathon.

We arrived at my place in no time at all and I couldn't decide if I liked that very much. Despite the stress I had just endured, I thought I enjoyed Raven's presence. We barely talked to each other but his heavy, intense gazes, which I returned in a rather awkward set of stares that would make one think I needed to go to the toilet, were enough to fill the silence. It didn't sound very enjoyable—and it probably wasn't—but I liked seeing him. I wanted to see him. That I just realized. And now that I saw him, I just wanted to see more of him. I liked everything I saw in him. His carefree smile that reached his eyes was, so far, the best thing about him and I wanted to discover more things about him...things that made up one Raven Maude.

We stood next to each other in front of my house's wooden gate, a decent distance separating us. He slid his hands under the side pockets of his shorts and glanced sideways before he looked at me. "You should go inside now while the coast is clear," he said with a sly smile. Perceptive, indeed.

"Y-Yeah, I was just about to," I said and started to walk. "So, uh..." I stopped and braved a glance at him. "Bye, I think."

His smile widened. "Goodbye, Kiera. I'll see you around."

The heat of his stare was burning me that I had to drop my eyes from his. "Yeah, I'll see you when I see you," I said, remembering his words to me a week ago.

He chuckled. "Oh, I'll see you, Kiera," he said. And it sounded just like a promise.

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