Wazzup Pilipinas!
Ryan already had a feeling that the picture he saw in Lucille’s house but he didn’t really think about it because he thought that it was nothing. But in the end, his instincts were right. The familiar faces in the picture are Ryan’s real dad and his dad’s second wife. The wife was familiar because before her mom’s accident, she and her dad’s wife are talking and he saw her slap his mom. He also blames the wife for his mom’s death.
When Ryan saw the pictures, he didn’t even want to see Lucille’s face because it reminded him of the tragic past he had to experience. He didn’t talk to Lucille and their friends. He also doesn’t want to see his dad and his dad’s wife because he blames them to what happened to his mother.
After Ryan confessed everything to Lucille, he walked away from her, leaving Lucille brokenhearted and crying. Deep inside, he doesn’t want to break up with her but he has to do it for his sake. He really loves her and he felt guilty because of what he had done. He thought that Lucille is not the reason but her mom is and he can’t stand it.
Please read on below to appreciate our short story for today.
Last year is the most catastrophic year for me. Everything fell apart. Mom died because of a car accident caused by an inattentive drunk driver. Because of that, I had failing grades which I never had before. I can’t really focus because my mom is not with me and she is the only reason why I study. My coach in the swimming team replaced me with my best friend as the captain.
“Hey Ryan, how’s summer?” I don’t know how to answer the question because honestly, my summer sucked like hell. Actually it’s not like hell. It is hell. I spent my two month vacation with my step-dad and he won’t even allow me to swim in the pool. He said that the water is dirty because it is being used every day. But in reality, no one uses the freaking pool.
“Fine I guess?” I just faked a smile because I know that Kyle had an awesome summer. He’s one of the richest kids here in our school. Last summer vacation, he went to Macau just to attend a crazy party that his dad’s friend organized. Well it is understandable that I can’t have a fun one because we’re not that rich. And how can I go to Rosewood High? Scholarship is the reason.
“You should have come with us in Paris. Dude, the girls there are so”
“What?” Jay came with her crowd. Jay and Kyle have been dating for a year now and that is the longest relationship the two had.
“There so infuriating not like you.” I smirked because I know that that is not the line he was about to say.
“Let us just head to class. We’re running late.” We just followed Jay.
In AP class Ms. Weng introduced a new girl in Class. I think her new name is Lucille? Luchelle? I don’t know and I don’t care.
“Uhm hey excuse me? Do you know where room 305 is?”
“You’re the new girl right? Luchelle?”
“Yes and its Lucille” The aura of this girl is different from what you usually see in this school. Most of the girls here wears put on make-up like it’s one of their medicine. They also wear skirts and whenever they see someone wearing jeans, they would totally freak out. But the new girl seems different. She wears tight jean and a plaid green shirt with a cardigan. Her lips are insipid and her skin is not tanned like most of the girls here. Her hair looks like she doesn’t use any hair products.
“It’s on the third floor. Is Spanish your second class?”
“Yes. Do you have the same class?”
“I don’t know”
“What kind of student are you, huh? Do you even go here?” I seriously don’t know what my schedules are. I didn’t even know that AP is my first class until Kyle and Jay told me.
Before I knew it, the new girl is walking away. “You’re welcome!!!” She didn’t even say thank you.
“Mr. Parker, you’re late. As always” guess what? Spanish is my second period. I had trouble getting my class schedule at the principal’s office because of the new guy complaining that he said he would be taking advance math.
“Lo siento señor Martínez.” I’ve been having Spanish for the second time. Last year was advance Spanish for the running for honors and this year is for a regular senior.
Señor Martínez ignored my sorry and continued discussing the activity. “Since, Señor Parker was late, you and you’re pair will go first,” What pair? “I will be pairing you by your class number. And for you Señor Parker, you will be paired up with Señora Thorpe.” The new girl waved at me. So her full name is Lucille Thorpe. What a name.
“So I get paired up with you and because you’re late, we are the first to present. Wow, thanks a lot.”
“It’s not my fault that a weird guy keeps on arguing with the secretary.”
“It is actually your fault. You should have gotten your schedule earlier.”
“It’s not also my fault that my step-dad is crazy.”
“My head is aching because you have so many excuses.”
“I’m just saying the truth. And by the way, you didn’t say any thank you earlier. I shouldn’t have said where this room is so you’re late too.”
“You were busy looking at me from head to toe. It’s not also my fault that I thought you were a creep.” Wow. I look like a creep? Mind her that I was last year’s homecoming king and everyone knows me.
“Let’s just start this boring activity. What are we going to do again?” I wasn’t really listening to Martinez.
“We’re going to introduce each other.” I can see that Josh was paired up with her long time crush. And I get to pair up a new girl who said that I was a creep because I was observing her.
So we finished before Martinez came back from the teacher’s lounge. And he called us immediately. Lucille literally made the whole class laugh even Señor because of what she said. She said that I’m a pretty-face wannabe and I always make up excuses just for me to look good. And for her, I said that she’s judgmental because she said that I was a creep by looking at her because I really thought she’s cute and pretty. Everyone “ooooh-ed” and her cheeks turned red.
The month really had passed like a wind, very fast. After that incident in Spanish class, Lucille and I really became good friends. We hang out together with my friends. I introduced her to the club during break after Spanish. Everyone liked her. They said it’s because she was the only one who can say those things in front of so many people.
“You like her!” Jay has been mocking me for a week because I asked Lucille if I could come over by her house tonight. The real deal is she will help me in our project in economics since she can finish it in an hour.
“I do like her but as a friend, of course. We barely know each other. It’s just I find her attractive and she’s different from other girl’s I’ve dated.”
“So is that a yes?”
“It’s a yes and a no. Go figure it out.”
I went to Lucille’s house and I found out that she also has a step-dad and she’s an only child. Her mom looks familiar but I can’t point it out. Their house is not that big but it fits for three persons. They have a house keeper who always checks on us every hour in her room.
“So this is you room, huh? I’ve always thought that you hate pink or you don’t like them at all.” Her room is full of pink stuffs and stuffed toys.
“I’m a girl too you know.”
“You’re a girl?! I didn’t know!” I said teasingly and she pushed me.
I thought about what Jay said and I think I like her more than friends. She’s different. She’s not like Charlotte.
Charlotte and I broke up after my mom died. She said that I should move on and that everyone dies in the end. But I didn’t made me feel better instead it got me mad. I dumped her after that because instead of comforting me, she made me feel like she doesn’t care about my mom dying.
We finished our project half passed ten and I can see that her parents are not yet home. She walked me to the front door and I said my thank you.
“Hey dude, I asked Jay out and we’re going to have a movie date tonight. Do you and Lucille want to come?”
“That’s you’re date why would we even want to come. We’re not dating.”
“It’s not like a double date but where just going to hang out together.”
“Whatever, it’s not like I have a choice.”
Jay and Kyle totally set this up. I arrived at the cinema house and I saw Lucille standing alone.
“Where are Jay and Kyle?” She looked at me baffled.
“What? I didn’t even know you were coming. Jay told me that we’re going to have a movie bonding because you and Kyle are having boy’s night out.”
“They totally set us up. I’m going to kill those two.”
“What the heck is happening?” I just grabbed my phone and called Kyle.
“Kyle! What the hell is this?” Lucille is just staring at me confused.
“So, what did he say?”
“He said that you and I should go on a date because they think that we like each other.”
“Well is it true?” She raised an eyebrow.
“True what?”
“That you like me” Now we’re both raising an eyebrow.
“Well do you like me?”
“Well do you like me, too?”
“So you do like me.”
“Well you liked me first since the first day.”
“I do not.”
“Yes you do.”
And that is how we confessed our feelings. After our conversation and watched this horror movie. She was really focused on the movie and I’m the one who is scared.
“You’re such a coward!” She said laughing on our way home.
“For your information, I am not a coward. I find it boring and not scary.”
“You’re not a coward? You’re hiding inside your jacket! Your eyes were closed when the movie ended.”
“I got sleepy and bored.”
“You and your silly excuses.”
Lucille and I have been utterly dating for eight months. When we announced it to Jay and Kyle a week after our set-up first date, they totally freaked out and they were a hundred times happier than us.
“You should have a bizarre way of asking her for the homecoming dance.” The homecoming dance is a week from now and I haven’t asked Lucille about it.
“I was literally thinking the same thing. Have you asked Jay?”
“Not yet. I was thinking if we could do it at the same time since those two are always together.”
We had a double date at The Brews, a coffee shop since Lucille and Jay likes to hang out there. We planned to be late to make them irritated and when they will about to leave, we will asked the waiter to give them the coffee with flowers and chocolates and with a message written in the tissue if they could go to homecoming with us.
When they saw the tissue, their frown totally faded and looked for us. We went out and walked to their table and hugged us.
On the day of the homecoming, I went to the flower shop to get a corsage for her.
“Hey. What time are you going to pick me up?” She asked on the phone.
“I don’t know yet. Maybe I’ll surprise you again?”
“Don’t. Maybe you came too early and I’m not yet ready.”
“Okay. I’ll pick you up by eight.”
I went to her house to early and the house keeper let me in.
“Lucille, your date is here!” the house keeper yelled. She let me sat on the living room where I haven’t seen before. We always go out and we rarely go to our houses.
And there, I saw a picture of a familiar guy, with a familiar girl. I just walked out of the house, without telling either Lucille or the housekeeper when I will be back because I know that I wouldn’t.
I went straight to my house and into my room. I heard my phone ringing and it’s Lucille calling. I rejected her call. Another call came and now, it’s Jay calling. I answered it.
“Where the hell are you? Lucille is here and said she’s been calling you. You went to her house and when she went down, you were not there. Where are you?”
“I’m busy. An emergency came. I can’t attend the homecoming. Just tell it to her.” I put down my phone, lay down, starred at the ceiling and thought about what I found out. Why her? All of the girls I’ve dated, why her? What kind of game is destiny playing?
I didn’t go to school for a week and my step-dad is already asking what happened. It’s a shocker that he cares about what is happening to me.
For the next week, I avoided the three of them for a week until Kyle and I bumped each other in the sidewalk.
“Dude what happened to you? Do you know that you left Lucille broken hearted? Do you know that she’s worried sick about you?”
“I have no time for her. Tell her I’m sorry that all of it was a joke. Tell her to forget about me and that I was sorry for playing with her feelings.” I walked away leaving Kyle pissed about what I just said.
The next day, Lucille saw me sitting outside The Brews and walked towards me.
“So that’s it, huh?” She was standing in front of me. I can see that she’s been crying. I hate to see her cry but I don’t know how I can stand her after what I have found out.
“What?”
“Don’t pretend that you know nothing! Ryan, is that eight months a lie? Is it? Because I know that it’s not. And if you think that I’m going to believe your petty excuse that you were just playing around all this time, well you’re wrong. I felt it. It was real Ryan. So what is the real deal? You found someone else and you know loved her?” She is now crying.
“Stop it. Isn’t it obvious? I don’t like you anymore. I was playing around and that is it. I wasn’t in love with you. I was never and will never be.”
“Stop making excuses because I know when you’re lying or not.” I was about to walk away when she grabbed my arm.
“Let go of me.”
“Please, just tell me and I will try to understand it. I don’t want it to end this way. I want you to tell me and I will accept it even though it hurts.”
I took a deep breath, “Do you know what the deal is? Your step-dad is my real dad. Your mom is the reason why my mother died that why I thought she was familiar. On the day my mom died, your mom and my mom are talking, they are arguing and I saw that you mom slapped my mom. She was about to tell my dad about everything she knows about her but your mom chased her. She was driving fast and tried to avoid a car driven by a drunken person. Her car fell of the cliff and when I got to the accident, she was already dead and I saw your mom, just standing there, scared of what might she have done. But at ease that no one would know her secrets.” I tried not to cry because this is the first time I told the whole story.
“But what has it have to do with me?”
“Can’t you see? Every time I see you I remember that tragic moment. I remember your mom being calm because my mom died. I remember my dad not going to my mom’s funeral because he thought he thought she cheated on him and married your mom seven years ago. I was left with my step-dad who my mom thought she loved because my father left me for your mom. Isn’t it enough reason? I despise you and your family. But honestly, I loved you, more than any girl I’ve been with. But that was before. Your mom ruined my life and my mom’s life. I’m sorry but this can’t work.” I walked away leaving her and her tears. It hurts me to see her that way, but it hurts me more to know that her family changed my whole life. I wish that I didn’t come to her house. I wish that I haven’t known her. I wish that I didn’t take my class schedule on the first day. But somehow, I wish the faith hadn’t played with our feelings. Because what hurts more, is knowing that that would be the last time I’ll be seeing Lucille again, and that my greatest love and my greatest source of happiness, is also the reason for my greatest pain.
Contributed by Cecille Bongalon
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