03

After Dave bought all the goods, we went home with Tyra, mama was very happy that we sell all the goods. I thought Dave was just joking, that person likes to joke.

"Is that your boyfriend, Joy?" Tyra asked causing me to choke on the soft drinks I was drinking.

When I was feeling well, I stared at her.

"You punk, that's not my boyfriend." I said, she raised her eyebrows signaling that she doesn't believe what I was saying. "Yeah, he's handsome. But you think he'll hit on me?"

"You know he likes you--"

"I don't know about you, you're just making issues with everything." I complained, she just laughed.

A few days later, our teacher started to give us a lot of school works, that's why Sirius and I became closer. He gave all of his assignments and activities to me. That's not a problem for me because he immediately gives the payment with the listed activities that I need to do so I can not refuse.

Now, he's here again outside of our room and he is looking for me to give the works he listed and his payment.

"Just come outside the room again to get it." I said while looking at the list of things he has to do.

"It's not free delivery to the room? No voucher?" He joked.

"Crazy."

He left after that and I went back to my chair, there's no teacher now because there is a meeting. I was just busy with my assignments in our previous subjects.

When I finished doing my assignments, I started Sirius'. I felt Dave looking at me. But I ignored that look.

I already know the name of the American man who asked me, his name is Syrien. He asked me to teach him how to speak Tagalog because he couldn't understand what we were talking about. But now I can't teach him because I am busy.

"Just teach Syrien to speak Tagalog, instead of staring at me." I said to Dave and looked at him. He snorted, obviously disagreeing with what I said.

"Why should I teach that, I'm not his friend--"

"You have a bad attitude." I said and his eyes widened. I also did not expect me to say that. Syrien did nothing wrong to him but he still doesn't treat him well.

"Because the Americans colonized our country, didn't they? It hurts!"

"That's history, Dave. Don't act patriotic. Just tell me, that you have a personal reason so you can't teach him." He was speechless.

The past few days I started talking to him a bit. But my conversation with him is impolite, I could not help but doubt him because I'm surrounded by people who mock me these past years.

When recess time came Dave remained silent, I suddenly felt guilty for what I had said to him. As the three of us went down to the canteen, Syrien talked to me about the places here in Pangasinan. Sometimes he asks which other beautiful places in the Philippines are.

"Where is it good to hike?" He asked, I suddenly thought of that because I don't like that stuff so I don't know. All I know are beautiful beaches, not beautiful mountains to hike.

"I don't know. I don't like that, so I don't search for it."

He nodded at what I said.

When the three of us finished buying food, I elbowed Dave causing him to look at me. Dave did not treat me rudely even though I don't treat him well.

__

"Why?" He curiously asked me.

"Nothing, I wonder why you're not asking me anything. Are you sulking?" I ask. He grinned because I was staring.

"Why? Will you woo me if I am?"

I winced. He laughed at my reaction.

"Fix your answer. I'm asking a good question." I complained.

"Why should I sulk? You did nothing to me."

I stopped talking, he might add more madness on what he would say. I just listened to what the teacher is teaching in the next few hours while waiting for the time to go home.

"Can I take you to your house?" Dave asked me. I frowned at him.

"Why will you take me to my house?"

"Because you are a woman and I am a man." He answered simply.

I don't understand his reason for that, I have no one to take me home. I'm used to that, so I wondered why he's presenting to take me to our house.

"What's with you're a man and I'm a woman? Are you planning something?"

He laughed as he shook his head. "You're suspicious, Joy! I have a knife here if you don't want me to take you to your house. It's a bit dangerous on the road and you might get hurt."

He handed me a keychain that was rectangular and made of metal. I did not accept it, because I was wondering what he was giving. When he opened that metal I was amazed looking at that small knife.

He closed it and took my hand to put it there. Syrien and I just went out of the school gate at the same time, we just said goodbye and took different directions to go home.

I looked at the keychain that Dave gave me. I did not thank him for giving it.

Maybe, I should avoid thinking that someone else might do something bad to me. I may not know, the actions and words I say and my suspicions, are hurting other people's feelings.

I never imagined myself, being surrounded by a lot of people, or maybe be approached by someone. Because I know in myself that I am not a noticeable person, or should I even be noticed? I was shaken by what I thought.

My mind automatically would think that when someone approached me, they would make fun of me. I grew up with that concept in my brain, now that I am getting older I'm having a hard time getting rid of the habit.

I heard the waves crashing into the shore not far away, as I approach our house I could hear the sounds of the waves even more. I want to swim in the sea, I haven't been swimming for a long time.

When I got home, mama was busy cooking, Jun fell asleep with his assignments. I kissed mama first before I got dressed in the bedroom.

"Mom! I'm going to swim in the sea!" I informed.

"You'll have a fever! You won't be able to go to your school!" She preached to me, I ignored what she reminded me and continued to go to the sea.

It was getting a little darker because it's getting late, I continued to swim and feel the waves in the sea. Some people are also swimming like me, but they didn't pay attention to me.

Mama did not go wrong with the reminder, at night I had a cold which caused me to not feel good. Mama never stopped preaching to me, I do not listen to her preaching. Enter in one ear, and out in the other ear.

__

The next day, due to not feeling well, I did not go to school. I just ate and took medicine like what mama ordered, she's now in the market to sell, papa is in the sea, catching fishes again as usual.

I woke up when I heard a knock, as soon as I got out of bed my head suddenly ached with pain. I sat on the bed for a while to feel myself. When the pain subsided I went straight to the door of the house.

I was surprised when Dave was outside. The worry is obvious on his face. I frowned because I was surprised that he's here.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, he did not immediately answer and looked somewhere.

He coughed. "You did not attend school."

"I'm sick." I answered he nodded. "Are you taking the knife--"

"No... that's not why I'm here."

My eyes narrowed.

"I'll go now."

He left quickly so I did not ask anything. I continued to rest to recover, I just ignored the thought of what was Dave's reason why he came here.

Hours turned to days. Days turned to months. All my classmates are busy with their respective requirements to submit for their application to the universities in Manila, where they will take their entrance exams. While I am busy doing Sirius' assignments.

"You won't study in Manila, Joy?" Dave asked me, I shook my head.

"It's expensive to study there, maybe I will in college."

He did not say a word. It is indeed really expensive to study in Manila, we do not have enough money to study there, apart from that reason, why I'm not studying in manila first is also it's quite dangerous. Kidnappings and robberies are rampant, according to the news I've watched.

"Are you still staying here In Pangasinan... to study?"

I nodded.

Fortunately, the school has a senior high school building built, so that I don't have to transfer around to another school anymore because my transcript of records might get messy after graduation.

"How about you? In another country?"

He shook his head. "No, I have a crush here. I'm planning to court her."

I smiled and was shaken by what he said. I can't believe he neglected to study in Manila just for a girl he likes. If I have to choose, I would rather study in Manila than choose my crush which I'm not sure if he will like me back. I will not waste the opportunity to study in a good school.

"What if she dumped you?" I asked which froze him.

"I will court again until she agrees. They said, try and try until you succeed!"

"What if she dislikes you? -"

"Then she's choosy, annoying ah!" He laughed at what he said so I laughed too.

Syrien is busy reading the english-tagalog dictionary. In the past few days that has been his biggest concern.

"Me too, I have a crush." Syrien replied to the conversation.

__

"Who?" Dave asked. 

"The short-haired girl that I saw last time?" Syrien asked innocently, still smiling as he said that.

"Who asked?" Dave's blockage caused Syrien to get pissed off.

"Don't always tease Sy," I told Dave, he jokingly rolled his eyes.

"Sy?" He asked in surprise.

"Syrien, don't tease him. He's not doing anything wrong... to you."

"First name basis..." he whispered.

I was surprised by what he said but I did not ask, I do not know what's his point when I called Syrien's name.

"Alex and I will ride a horse tomorrow, you want to join us?" He changed the topic.

"I don't have a horse."

"We have it, I will lend you one."

"I don't want to either." He snorted at my disapproval.

He whispered something but I did not hear it. I just ignored that.

The next day I went to Sirius' subdivision, to give him the assignments and activities. I've been doing his assignments for a year and he showed me the direction where his house was but I chose to stay outside the subdivision.

I just texted him that I'm outside their subdivision, I did not wait too long because he arrived immediately, he was riding a golf cart. He laughed when he saw me.

"Have you eat breakfast yet?" He asked, I nodded.

"I can take you home?"

I shook my head. "I'm going to the market, mama ordered me to do something."

He nodded at me, I gave him what he asked me to do. He wants to give me more money but I refused because he gave me too much already.

"Thank you Joy! Without you, I would've failed all my subjects!" He said happily, I shook my head as a smirk engraved on my lips.

"You're just lazy!" He laughed at my comment. "Go home, I'll wait for a tricycle.

"I'll wait for you to ride one before I go home."

As he said, he waited for me to ride a tricycle before leaving.

"Take care!" He said.

"You too!"

When I got on the tricycle, there is someone inside, I was about to go out but I saw his face, I saw Dave's face there.

I just took the ride, the ride became quiet because the two of us did not speak. I also don't know what we should talk about.

When I got to the market I got out of the tricycle, Dave got out too. I was about to pay but Dave stopped the driver.

"Those are for two, the other one is mine. The other one is for her." He told the Driver.

"I can pay." I said.

"I know that, Joy." He said, the driver left after receiving the money. "Aren't we friends?"

"What is the connection between friends and my fare for my Tricycle ride?"

"I don't know, I just want to pay."