Chapter 5

“What? No!”  Leigh cried in protest.  

What surprised her was the knowledge that she was not alone.  Another voice, a male one cried the same with her, surprising both their mothers.  

Not used to Rocky’s hard voice when speaking with her, Aunt Evelyn looked affronted.  

Leigh could feel where this would go, so she decided to retreat to the second floor of the house to rest. 

But before she leaves, she sees Rocky quietly grab Auntie Evelyn into a hug in silent remorse. 

Auntie Evelyn, like Leigh and her mom standing at five foot two, only comes up to Rocky’s shoulder when they stand together. They looked cute especially when Auntie Evelyn opened her arms wide to receive Rocky’s embrace. 

She was on the stairs when she witnessed the sweet moment between mother and son causing Leigh and her mother to exchange a look of happiness and indulgence. 

Leigh shook her head, sighing to herself.  For all his bad-boy image, Rocky is a sweet boy to his mother.  

“Mom, aunt Leslie, can you let Leigh and I resolve our affairs within ourselves?”  She was near the top of the stairs when she heard Rocky say in a coaxing manner. His voice sounded loud and clear to where Leigh was.

She wanted to butt in to correct him.  She did not want her parents to misconstrue things.  There was never any hope for her and Rocky to be romantically involved now or in the future. 

If it were up to her, she would have dashed her parents' hope once and for all, for both their peace of mind.  But something held her back. 

When she could not make out their parents' reply, she just left them to it, and hoped whatever they would have agreed on would not complicate her life later.  

Her feet landed on the house’s second floor and immediately, she felt confused.  She had no idea where she would be staying since it was the first time she set foot in this house, but she could not go back and ask Rocky. 

Since she refused to get back in there and make another excuse, Leigh decided to take a stroll along the hallway, hoping to see if Rocky left any doors open for her to slip into and while away her time. 

She was lucky when she found an open doorway. 

She poked her head inside and felt luckier when she spotted her luggage pressed on the wall near the door. 

She gave herself a gentle pat on the shoulder for this good fortune, and for Rocky’s foresightedness before she  unceremoniously dashed inside the room, 

She did not break her run when she neared the bed and just dived face-first into its waiting softness,  inhaling the fresh scent of green tea leaves mixed in a slightly fruity blend, her favorite scent.  For a moment she allowed her body to relax as she sniffed the pillow before rolling on the bed, her thoughts kept drifting back to Rocky and the situation they were stuck in. 

For as long as she could remember, Rocky and his family have always been a constant figure in their family’s life. 

Their parents grew up together, and when they got married, they decided to not break the connection with each other, making her and Rocky’s lives intertwined in a tight bind. 

They were born on the same day.  Their parents even were roomies in the hospital when they gave birth.  Rocky was her first playmate.  Back home, their family albums stored so many pictures of Rocky and her side by side or being held by their parents. 

They enrolled in the same toddler class. Even went to the same preschool. She remembered their first day in school. She was afraid to leave her mommy’s side, but it was Rocky who calmed her and assured her that he would protect her from the bad children.

Sometimes they fight, but it was always resolved eventually and they would make up. 

Being around Rocky, Leigh felt she had an ally with him.  

It also did not help that their parents had drummed it into their heads since they were young that they wished for them to end up together eventually. 

And so at a young age, Leigh nursed the idea that Rocky will be her husband one day. She even thought of him as her boyfriend when she was three. 

He was her first kiss, for goodness’ sake!

But everything changed when they turned five. Around this time, they met a new girl in class and Rocky enjoyed the new girl’s company more than her.  He would follow the new girl around school and treat her like he used to treat Leigh. 

Because she was too young, Leigh did not know how to explain her feelings. All she knew was she was hurt by Rocky’s treatment. For years, Rocky’s eyes were all on hers, but when this new girl came, suddenly, his attention became less on her and more on the new girl. 

This caused a rift between them.  She became more demanding towards Rocky and initiated catfights with the other girl. She could not help it, the new girl brought out the worst in her.

When they turned five, things became irreparable between her and Rocky, causing her to hate Rocky to the core.   

Leigh’s nose scrunched up when she remembered that incident.  It was still so clear in her mind that it felt like it happened yesterday. 

Since she and Rocky share the same birthday, it was natural for both their parents to celebrate their parties together so they won’t miss out on each other’s celebrations. 

In previous years, the setup worked fine with them. But not for their fifth birthday. That time, Rocky wanted to invite Marmie, the new girl he liked to their birthday, but she refused. She even made an ultimatum that she won’t celebrate her birthday with him if Marmie would be there. 

She won that round. Marmie was not invited to their double celebration, but she did not know that Rocky would avenge her in the most humiliating way possible for Leigh. 

That day, her parents instructed her to stand on the stage to wait for Rocky’s gift. 

Rocky decked in a suit tailored for him looked so handsome.  He rose from his table at the center of the hall and went to her, bearing a medium-sized box wrapped in glossy paper. 

She stood there, eyes glowing because she thought that Rocky’s back after being sidetracked by Marmie.  He was now giving her his full attention while carrying her gift on stage. 

Her hands went clammy, her eyes glowed and a smile never left her face while she watched Rocky go up the stage.  She watched each step he made in trepidation and excitement.  Finally, he was in front of her.  He offered her the gift. 

Leigh who had her eyes on the gift all this time was so excited and thrilled. While Rocky walked up to her bearing the gift, her eyes were fixed on the box, her heart beats uncontrollably in her chest. 

She could not help it. She felt like a princess and Rocky was her prince. She also felt happy being the center of Rocky’s attention. Rocky looked dreamy in his black tuxedo with his brush-up hair and gray eyes.  

There was an impish grin on his face that she failed to notice.  All she cared about at that time was the box that bore his gift.  

When Rocky asked her to open the box, she tore the wrapper carefully. She made a note to herself that she would keep the wrapper along with the box later.  

“Close your eyes!” Rocky instructed before she opened the box. 

She did close her eyes, but to her shock and dismay, a live frog jumped out of the box, causing her to open her eyes and jump in fright. 

Laughter resounded in her ears.

“Take it off!” She cried as she kicked and jumped in panic. 

The frog would not let go. It clung to her hair.

Goosebumps spread on her skin.  She shrieked.  

She jumped up and down, flailing her arms in frantic attempts to get the frog off her face while everyone around her laughed their hearts out. 

She looked like a princess and the frog was her frog prince.  Rocky even managed to make the frog look like a prince with a matching crown. 

Everyone around her was laughing so hard at the joke.  Rocky laughed the hardest, tears streamed down his cheeks.  

It was the first time Leigh felt so humiliated.  The shame she felt was beyond words. 

She was so angry that her first reaction was to pounce on Rocky, wrecking her gown and tiara in the process.  

Rocky did not anticipate her next move, so Leigh managed to knock him on the floor. She straddled him all the while her hands slapping his face and chest. She hit him hard until his cries of laughter became cries of pain. 

When their nannies pried her off of him, her cheeks were wet with tears.  Rocky looked the same. His cheeks were wet with tears. They both ended up crying that day. 

She cried so hard that no amount of coaxing could make her stop.  

She cried for her first heartbreak. She never imagined that Rocky, the boy she grew up with would betray her like that. It makes everything worse. Her Prince Charming humiliated her in front of many people.  

Rocky broke her heart. 

That incident sparked a cold war between them. It wedged a wall so thick it was impenetrable. 

Until now, when the incident that happened fourteen years ago was mentioned, the memory brought Leigh shivers of disgust.  Every time she looked at Rocky’s face, she would remember his reaction when the frog jumped on her. He was chortling happily in satisfaction while she almost wet her pants in fear and embarrassment. 

Since then, Rocky and she ceased to become friends and Leigh never celebrated her birthday with him ever since.