"Wait, you like Mr. Masons's son?" Shannon frowned at me. I hesitated for a second before slowly nodding.
Shannon and I were sitting at a small cafe, talking about random things and reminiscing about the old times. It had been so long since we last caught up properly, both of us had been buried in our studies, barely finding time to breathe, let alone meet.
"How do you know Dave? I mean, he wasn't that famous back then in school. People barely know him if he existed in that school." Shannon took a sip of her drink.
"Or you know him because of Brenda?"
"Shannon, I know Brenda because our idiot playboy friend, Crimson dated her. And back then, I didn't know Brenda and Dave were siblings."
"And how do you know Brenda and Dave are siblings? How do you know Dave? And why did you like him?" Man, this girl asks a lot of questions, I took a slow sip of my drink before answering.
"First and foremost, I didn't know that Mr. Masons was a teacher at St. Francis Primary School" I only found out when Shannon told me, after I admitted that I had a crush on Dave. I never really cared about him back then because I thought this stupid crush phase would faded away. I moved on though, but the other day, the spark came.
Sudden. Unwelcome. Familiar.
It was like my heart remember him before my mind could stop it, longing for him all over again.
"He was," she said casually. "But he already retired a few years ago. I think."
"Yeah, right. And I figured out Brenda and Dave were siblings because they look alike. I actually thought they were twins at first. They even share the same last name. Plus, didn't you tell me that Dave was Brenda's older brother?"
"I did?" She tilted her head, then smiled cheekily. "I honestly don't remember."
I shook my head, already used to her antics. "And I know Dave from church. He was an altar boy back then, same as Graham, Corinthians, and Jeremiah."
She smirked. "And I bet you fell for him because he was an altar boy. Am I right?"
I smirked back, exhaling through my nose. Of course she'd say that. Maybe she wasn't wrong, people always said that, altar boys had this quiet gravity to them. Like standing near them made you want to behave better. Believe better.
Someone holy felt safe. Like they knew the way forward when you didn't. I liked the idea of that once. Liked the thought that being near someone like him might straighten the mess inside me.
I glanced down at my hands, then back to her. She really was my best friend, she knew me far too well. "Certainly."
"I knew it.
"But hey," I said after a pause, "Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah?"
"You follow his Instagram, right? He still hasn't accepted my follow request. It's been 1 month now. Is he single? I mean… does he ever post a girl on his IG story?"
Shannon frowned and pulled out her phone, logging into Instagram. "I don't even remember if I follow him."
"Seriously? You don't even know who you follow?"
She shook her head, then showed me Dave's profile. She tapped on his highlights, and before we realized it, we were basically watching his entire life story through them.
From his highlight story, I found out that he majoring in civil engineering at Polytechnic Kuching. And—God—there was a clip of him smoking.
So he's a smoker.
"Weren't you studying at Polytechnic Kuching too?" She asked. I shook my head, I shook my head. "Nope. Mine's Polytechnic Mukah. Different place."
"Mukah, not Kuching," she repeated before smirking. "As far as I can see," she continued, scrolling, "there's no woman here. Just Brenda, his mom, and that lady." She paused.
"That lady's his sister."
"So… he's single?"
"Hm. Maybe?" She shrugged. "I can't really confirm that."
I sighed. Maybe I'd have to become my own stalker to find the truth.
"Hey.." I look at Shannon.
She met my gaze, suddenly serious. "Do you want to end your single era this year? I mean, you broke up with Chris two years ago. Do you want to be loved again?" Her concern was obvious. The love story between Chris and me had ended tragically, leaving a scar I didn't want to revisit. For two years after the breakup, I slowly picked up the broken pieces of my heart and tried to put myself back together.
"I don't know," I admitted quietly. "Maybe it's time for me to move on from Chris."
She studied my face. "I feel like you're forcing yourself to love someone just so you can fully move on from him." To be honest, I didn't know either. Maybe she was right. Maybe I was trying to force myself to move on by falling for someone who had never even spoken to me.
Or maybe she was wrong—because I had liked Dave before. I just never told anyone. It was a stupid crush, or so I thought. Something that would fade with time.
But I was wrong.
I still liked him, even after all these years—after never meeting him again, after never having a single conversation with him.
"You can't even give me an answer," Shannon said softly. "I understand, Abby." She patted my shoulder. "Just so you know, I'm always here for you."
"Okay," I murmured.
"Now," she smiled, "let's finish our food so we can go somewhere else."
I chuckled as we finished our pastries and drinks. After that, we stopped by a small shop to buy a few things, and then Shannon sent me home.
"I'm home."
Dayne and Solemn were in the living room, watching a movie. Both glanced at me briefly before returning to the screen. I headed upstairs and collapsed onto my bed.
Hah… finally, comfortable.
My phone buzzed. Graham. I picked it up, tapped the green call button, and held it to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Yo, wassup Abby, how you doin'?" I chuckled. Graham—never changed a bit. My friend since kindergarten, primary school, and secondary school. He used to have a crush on Shannon, but she only saw him as a friend, so he gave up. Now he's dating Nadia, our senior from secondary school.
"I'm fine. Does Nadia know you're calling me? I'm afraid she might smack me if she finds out her boyfriend calls other girls," I joked, and he laughed. Nadia wasn't that type; she understood Graham had female friends.
"Nah, Nadia won't smack you. She's the one who actually told me to call you."
"And why's that?"
"We organized a party at my house—a reunion since most people are in Kanowit. Thought it'd be fun to throw one here."
Honestly, parties weren't my thing. People getting drunk and acting like idiots? Not my vibe. But since it was at Graham's place, I might consider it.
"Hmm… I don't really feel like going."
"Come on, Abby, it won't be crowded. I invited, Jeremaiah, Raymond, Arthur, Corinthians, Victoria, Eleanor… mostly our primary school friends."
"Wait, Jeremaiah or Jeremiah?"
"Jeremaiah. Jeremiah's not here, he's in Miri. Did you know he got married last week?"
"What? He didn't invite us?"
"Nope. Corinthians told me yesterday."
"Sick bastard… how dare he not invite his friends!" Graham chuckled.
For clarity: Jeremaiah and Jeremiah are different people. Jeremaiah is our age, a classmate from primary school, while Jeremiah was a senior, three years older. They aren't related, though many think they're twins because they look so alike.
"Oh, yeah—invite Shannon and Sophie too."
"Are you sure Nadia won't get jealous if I invite Shannon?"
"Nah, she won't."
"Fine. When's the party starting?"
"5 pm, after everyone's back from class and work. Saturday next week."
"Alright, noted."
"Okay, nice," he said, and we ended the call.
Fuh… gonna meet some old friends next week. I can't wait—excited to see my basketball teammates again. I really miss Sophie, Victoria, and Eleanor. They're always busy—especially Victoria and Eleanor. Victoria's in her final year of nursing, and Eleanor's in her final year of education.
Unlike me and Shannon—still messing around, but surviving first-year college.
I got up, grabbed a towel, and headed to clean up before doing anything else.
---
"Sorry ma'am, I can't let you in unless you show your student ID," said the security guy. What the heck?
"What do you mean I need to show my student ID when there's a university sticker right there?" I pointed at the sticker on my car windscreen.
Is he blind?
I was on my way back to my dorm. After two days spent well at home, it was time to go back to reality. But this stupid security guy wouldn't let me in even though my university sticker was bigger than his head.
"I'm sorry ma'am. You still need to show your ID because last time someone who wasn't a student trespassed and caused chaos. And their car also had a university sticker. Mr. Kean wants every student to show their ID so the same mistake won't happen again," he said.
That's your problem, not mine. Haih. I took my student ID from my bag and handed it to him. He took it and looked at it carefully.
"Happy now?" I said sarcastically, but then I saw him smirking at me. "So, you're an older sister to me, huh?" he said as he gave me back my student ID. I gave him a fake smile. "I don't know, am I?"
He chuckled as he signaled his friend to open the gate for me. "Can I go now?" I took a quick glance at his name-tag.
Addy.
Damn, he almost had the same nickname as me.
"You may go now," he said with a smile. I kept my fake smile as I drove past him. After that, I took all my stuff and walked to my room. I knocked on the door before entering. When I opened it, there was nobody inside. Where were Rachel and Daphanne?
Maybe they were doing something, I didn't know. I started to unpack my stuff and decided to call Charlotte to see if she was free. I was too lazy to track down Rachel and Daphanne. They were probably busy with something—or their boyfriends. Oh right, Rachel was single.
"Oh, hi Abby," speak of the devil, Rachel appeared. She looked like she'd just come from the bathroom.
"Hey. Where's Daphanne?" Rachel glanced at me before getting dressed. "You know, out with Francis." She took her perfume and sprayed herself. To be honest, I usually hate her perfume, but this one actually smelled nice. I'd completely forgotten about calling Charlotte. "Anyway, wanna hang out at the café? Maybe we should invite Char," I asked Rachel.
She nodded and told me to call Charlotte. I found her number and tapped it. I waited for her to pick up, and when she did—
"Hey..." I immediately ended the call. I'd made it a missed call on purpose. Within seconds, someone kicked the door open and there was Charlotte, looking angry and annoyed while holding her phone. Rachel jumped in surprise. "Char... what happened?"
"That idiot Abby, she called me and hung up as soon as I answered!" she said. I covered my mouth to hold back my laughter. That's how I summon Charlotte. "I'm sorry. HAHAHA. Come on, let's go!" I said innocently as I tried to drag them both, but Charlotte slapped my hand away. "Excuse me, miss, you're being rude to me and now you're trying to drag us? Where are your manners?"
"Does friendship need manners?"
"Idiot. What do you want? Wealth, fame, power? I can't give you that."
"Wow, you think this is One Piece." I think Charlotte needed to stop watching One Piece. She made references to it in her daily life constantly. Before Charlotte and I could start fighting, Rachel dragged both of us out of the room. She didn't stop until we reached the cafe.
We started to order our food there. While we waited for our food, we talked about random stuff, university stuff, and much more. Charlotte and Rachel talked to each other while I was looking around at the cafe until I saw someone familiar.
Dave?
What is he doing here? Is he a student or what? He sits alone at the table while sipping his coffee. He looks like he is looking for someone. I didn't realize that I stood up and went to him. I wanted to meet him and greet him. I don't care if he doesn't know me, but the least I can do is greet him and introduce myself to him.
As I arrived there, he was no longer there but…
"Iman?" the boy looked up at me and smiled. "Yo, Whatups Abs." he greet as he sipped his coffee. Wait, was it Immanuel all the time and not Dave? I mean, I swear I saw him earlier and when I came here, Dave become Immanuel?
Iman, short for Immanuel had always liked pointing things out, saying thw quiet parts out loud. His real name meant God with us, something his mother reminded him often, usually when he was being sarcastic in church. She had chosen it carefully. A name that carried weight, whether the person wanted it or not. A promise or a reminder. Iman wore his holy name lightly, joking as though it meant nothing at all. And, he is my classmate.
"Er.. have you seen some guy who sat here earlier?" I asked him, he looked at me while taking a sip of his drink. "Who?"
"Er.. a guy."
"Oh, Mark."
"No..not Mark, he is tall, taller than Mark?"
"Oh, that's me."
"No…not you. He's taller than you, short hair and tidy"
"Oh, it was Mark" I swear one more time he say 'Mark' I going to kick his ass. I pinched my nose bridge. "He has a goatee and moustache."
"Oh, not Mark," said Immanuel. I sighed. Why is it so hard to talk to this idiot? I took a seat and sat beside him. "By the way, did Mark really sit here earlier?" I don't know why am I curious about Mark. Mark is Immanuel's best friend. They always seem together and people might think they are a couple but they are not.
"Nope"
I turned to look at Immanuel, who was busy sipping his coffee. "Then, why did you mention Mark?" Immanuel chuckled as he turned to look at me. "It is funny to see you frustrated. Anyway, yes there was a guy who sits here before me. Also, he seems unfamiliar here. Maybe he is not a student or maybe he is a lecturer" he said.
"Why can't you tell me like that earlier instead of playing around, gosh" Immanuel laughed at me as he patted my shoulder. He was having fun, making fun of me. "Anyway, why do you want to know about 'that guy'? Is he your crush?"
"My husband"
"HAHAHA, very funny Abs." I didn't talk, I stared at him which made his laugh fade. He holds both of my shoulders and looks dead serious at me. "Wait, are you serious? That guy is your husband?" I almost burst into laughter when I saw his face. Immanuel rolled his eyes as he realize he got play. He pushed my shoulder gently as he turn away.
"I'm joking. He just… well, someone from my childhood. "
"Childhood crush?" he asked. I don't know why I blushed, I glanced at him and nodded slowly. Immanuel chuckled, and he patted my shoulder. "Bro…finally my friend fell in love again after heartbreak," he said as he leaned back on his chair.
"How? I mean, how?" he asked. Immanuel look excited like he just got candy from stranger. I sighed as I look at him. His face full of hope and curiosity. I told him that the first time I met Dave, it was at the church. I told him that Dave was an altar server back then and he always attended morning mass every Sunday. Immanuel look at me up and down as he couldn't believe that I always attend mass back then. I know, I know and don't judge me for that. I went to church this Sunday okay.
"Let me guess, you like him because he was an altar server?" I don't know, but I can't denied the fact that I always had my eyes on him when he serve at the altar. The way he look focused when he do his duty. "And I bet he become the hottest man alive that you ever seen right. By the way, how old is he? Is he the same age with us?" Immanuel asked. I shook.
"Huh? Younger than us?"
"Two years"
"What? Two year younger than us? Bro, why did you like children?"
"Two years older than us."
"Oh.." We fell into silent but then, Immanuel look surprise and "OH DADDY!" All eyes on us because of Immanuel. I slapped his shoulder to make him back to his sense. "Okay, stop it."
"Oh my gosh, you like someone who older than you. "
"Is that bad?"
"Nah, it is not bad. I'm just being dramatic. Hehehe" once again I slapped his shoulder but this time real hard because it made him groan in pain. "All the best for you.. hehehe . Seduce him and made him fall for you. Use your feminine power" he said, okay enough Immanuel. The more i hang out with Immanuel, I might lose my sanity. No wonder Mark, sometimes lose his sanity and do some stupid stuff. You don't wanna know what kind of the stupid stuff that Mark did. As long as they are happy and I am fine with it. And there came Charlotte, who was looking for me. I smile sheepishly at her as I remember that I went out to eat with them, not hang out with Immanuel. I bid Immanuel goodbye before I leave with Charlotte.
"Remember to flirt with him" I sighed as Immanuel bid me goodbye and give his magic words. Very funny Immanuel.