Chapter 1: Bid of Good-bye's

I can't still believe how much we spent our days being with each other for the last two years. Not worrying about the bad things and what could go wrong. Just the matter of creating memories that we would be treasuring our whole lives.

It's 9:00 in the morning and I'm currently dressing up for the meet up at a mini-mall here near our houses. Just shorts, black polo, a yellow jacket and my high cut black Converse shoes. I fixed my small backpack, got my pencil case, paper and a bottle of water.

I arrived at the meeting place at 10. “Where are they?” I uttered. I've been waiting for the past 10 minutes. Finally, someone arrived.

“You have the nearest house that you can just walk it, and here I am who came first.”

“Hehe, sorry. I just said I'm already here so when I get here you're already here and wouldn't have to wait.”

Can I just push them off a cliff? It's already 10:20 and we're still waiting. Finally! She's here! The one and only Krysyle Verlice who's been saying she's on her way for the past 20 minutes.

“Blame the traffic not me,” she excused as if I would believe it. We went outside and waited for a trip to StarMall here in Mandaluyong City.

As we were on our way, Krysyle asked something Michane, “You brought it?” while the other said yes. Of course, I'm confused. I mean, who wouldn't if you know nothing. I tried asking but they kept on saying "secret".

When we arrived, we decided to go to a grocery store. "Mama said that we should just buy ourselves some snacks to eat instead of eating in a fast-food restaurant to lessen the expenses,” Michane said, so we all decided to agree.

“Let's do it this way. I'll buy the biscuits, Krysyle will be buying the chips, and you're on drinks,” she suggested and we separated our ways. I picked up 1.5L of soda and went to the cashier, then saw them paying for what they bought.

After that, we went out and decided to wait for the bus that will be travelling to MOA or Mall Of Asia in Pasay. We even argued about where to wait for the ride.

“It's not! The way home from Moa will be passing through here so we should be riding here instead of there,” Krysyle opposed to what I said. More arguments then finally. I'm wrong hehe.

We sat down and took some photos together. Krysyle decided to sleep for a while, while Michane watched through the TV. Thoughts came through my head. I'm only fourteen and both of them are thirteen. Then, here we are, travelling all by ourselves from Mandaluyong to Pasay—will be spending probably the best moment we would have before I leave and study in our province.

We finally got there at 2. Thankfully. We took photos with our faces looking like lunatics who just got out of asylum or mental institution. A facepalm. We decided to go near the bay already, not to miss the sunset.

We strode through the pathway. It's so big that we even got ourselves lost looking for that fountain thing, hoping we could wish in it hahaha.

Finally, we got through the building facing the bay. We went upstairs, then both of them decided to do something first. Yes, just the both of them.

They looked for spots that "we" could be staying for a while. We sat on the stairs and then pulled out their art materials? Why do they even have those?!

“We planned on making a gift for you on the spot. Since we didn't manage to make it last night, hehe.” Krysyle took her things out of her bag.

“Why didn't you tell me! I could've at least make you something also.”

“Eh? Why would we tell you? Where's the surprise there?” Michane uttered as she folds some coloured papers. She's right, hahaha.

They gave me materials. Two coloured papers. , only two! I mean, what can I even do with only—never mind we were folding papers, we started to feel raindrops.

We immediately picked up our things and went inside the building and find a place that we could continue our work.

We sat on the corner of the bridge where the telescopes are. Yes, people! The three of us sat there looking like lunatics who cuts papers with glues and different colours of glitters and pens in our hands.

I am embarrassed for ourselves—sitting in the middle of the mall with hundreds of strangers passing by, looking at us with curiosity in their faces but hey, we continued not minding others. Our reason? "Mind their own business while we mind what's ours."

I finished mine first, then a few more minutes, they packed their things and we all decided to go there already. To the bay. We ran through the bridge, went down through the escalator and realized raindrops are still falling—touches our skin.

We continued and sat on blocks facing the bay, as the sunsets. We opened the pack of chips and ate, opened up their umbrellas and decided to give each other what we made.

Michane were the first to give. She gave me a pink, rectangular, plastic box. I opened it and there were candies with 2 letters. To be opened when I receive it, when I'm happy, when I'm bored, when I'm angry, when I'm sad, and when I miss them.

Then, Krysyle gave me a black glittered jar. It has quotes written in tiny papers and rolled up. She also gave me a card with a heart pocket inside having her simple sentences of messages that are inserted. And one last is a black and pink card with a small piece of paper that you can put your photo on.

“Woi! I just realized we're the only one who uses umbrellas. Look at the others. It's not even raining anymore!” Mich exclaimed as we were laughing so hard while closing our umbrellas.

"How about we say what we like about each other before we say our promises?” Mich suggested and we all agreed. “Woii! It's pouring again! We're the only ones who don't use an umbrella.”

Few more exchanges of words we all realized it's not even misting anymore. Like, we look stupid using umbrellas!

“You know what? Let's not just use umbrellas and let it be,” I said as we were drinking and eating our food.

Tita Analyn called, Krysyle's mom. She told us that she has 5 extra concert tickets for us. A Concert of Kang Daniel here in MOA Arena.

We hurriedly left the bay and Krysyle lead the way. You guys are maybe wondering how tita got the tickets. She's the manager of the ticket booth. Both me and Mich were hoping she knows the way.

We passed through the fountain, the fast-food chains and we followed him to the intersection at the right side of the mall with some constructions site next to it.

I look like someone who's holding a bottle of beer as I was walking holding the bottle of soda. I look like a man walking instead of walking like a lady. A real facepalm. They even got pictures of me walking that way huhu.

We continued walking 'till I asked Krysyle already if she knows where we're going. “I kinda forgot hehe. I just remembered it looked like this.” See? That's what I'm telling that she's "very good with directions".

We walked towards the pedestrian lane and this was the funny part. A group of teenage guys mimicked what we're saying so I returned and said, “Look who's copying someone's sentences.”

Then again, a guy mimicked what I've said. “Mae, let's not waste our voice with some unimportant ones,” Krysyle said with her voice loud intendedly. Then, I whispered at Mich and said, “Say something too.”

After that encounter, I finally spoke about how good Krysyle is with the directions.

“Krysyle, we only came back from where we came from. Do you know where are we going? We came from the bay and now we're back here, having just a big distance from where we sat earlier. It looks like we just toured the whole mall, from north to south and east to west.”

“Oh wait, you're right. We're back. I forgot I'm sorry hehe. Let's go back then maybe I'll remember where it is,” she said. I know you'll say why not ask.

After she said we'll go back I just asked the guard around the Ferris wheel and he pointed north. From where we freaking came from. I heaved a sigh and we started walking again. This time, I lead the way.

After the construction, she finally said, “Oh now I remember!!! This is where we went out last time! I'm finally sure where it is!” She ran and we just followed her.

Then yeah, finally, we're here. We waited outside and it's so cold. We decided to throw the soda and packs of our food. A few more minutes and tita came outside and lead us the way inside.

It's actually my first time at a concert. It's even a kpop idol. He's good at singing and dancing. He's even good at playing darts. I was serenely watching while the two were screaming.

They were so loud laughing. Then when it's finally over, tita decided to treat us. She said it's her gift for me since that'll be my time with them. She's like my real tita. Both Mich's and Krysyle's mother. They trusted me so well with their daughters, and I'm happy.

It's 8 pm and we decided to eat at a fast-food chain. Had a couple more photos with the trees and lights and decided to go home already. We rode a bus and tita was the one who paid for us. Both tita and Krysyle were in front of our seat.

Mich was next to the window while I'm beside her. We were talking the whole time about those crazy things that happened. I walked Mich home to make sure she'll go home safely and went home by myself. I never really went home leaving her going home by herself.

The next day, I woke up at 1 pm. At 4 pm, I got visitors. Can I still even call them visitors where they're always here? Mich and Krys of course. “We decided to spend the last day since you'll be leaving already tomorrow,” Mich said.

We bought food and ate and ate and just ate while laughing and laughing—reminiscing what happened last night and what in the craziness happened for the last two years. Few more hours when mama and papa came home and bought us drinks.

We took photos and ate. Yes. It's all about the food and laughs we shared to create these irreplaceable memories. We bought ice cubes and ran outside as if we were kids. We had thrown ice towards each other. Putting it in each other clothes—to each other's backs.

Then, at 7 pm when they both decided to go home. This is something different. Some, when an important person is leaving, they'd cry with sadness. But we were different. We bid our goodbyes with smiles on each other's faces.

We bid goodbyes with hopes that we'll meet again soon. We bid goodbyes with our hearts filled with joy. I had trust within one another that our connections would never fade. Even if it's not every day. Not all the time. But still talks to one another.

I slept with a smile on my face and woke up with excitement going home to our province. Meeting my relatives once again.

It's 4 am and we got on the boat at 7 am. We slept for a while waiting for it to leave. It's 11 when it left Manila and started its voyage to Bacolod. We were voyaging for 3days. And got home at 7 pm. For the past 9 years so much had changed.

Fast forward, I transferred to my brother's school, still in a STE program, an academic program for junior high school students. I haven't had a friend since then, since I'm not even into socialising. It's just me and myself. My friends, we're only Krys and Mich who are miles apart from me.