Chapter 3

• Knight and I stood side by side under the shed under the rain that’s pouring harder and harder by the second. There still aren’t any buses around and I’m starting to get impatient.
• I really wanted to talk to him but I don’t know how to open up the topic to start a conversation. I am probably not like this but maybe it’s because my mind is still preoccupied by the fact that I had faced my eleventh breakup just minutes ago. My eyes are probably swollen, right now.
• I heard him cough. He probably knows how awkward it is for us right now.
• “Uhm…” he paused. “I don’t think the rain is going to stop anytime soon.” He beamed.
• I sighed. “And I don’t think there would be buses anytime soon, as well.” I responded then it was his turn to sigh.
• I looked at the part of the road where the bus would come from and there was no sign of any vehicle coming on. There were even no cars or anything.
• I was looking to my right and I caught Knight in my periphery. He really is tall and he looks like he just came out of the magazine. He’s a freaking model. Swear!
• He really looks cold and strong and stoic on the outside. In fact, if he didn’t generously offer me an umbrella just right now, I would think of his as a snob. Well, he really suits that image. That cold city guy image.
• I felt him step back to sit on the railings on the shed. “Let’s sit for a while, Ashejan.” He told me.
• I looked at him, shocked at what he called me. He called me Ashejan. He called me on my first name!
• He must have known what I was thinking because he suddenly grew conscious. “Uhm, I mean, I can call you Ashejan, right?” He asked me in a polite manner. He even seemed embarrassed.
• I smiled and nodded. “Sure, you can.” I told him. “Sorry, I was just taken aback because it was my first time hearing my name from you.” I explained.
• He smiled shyly and rubbed the back of his neck. For the first time, I have never thought that someone would actually look really good with a simple V-neck shirt and a pair of loose and faded jeans. It seemed normal but, I already told you, Knight is a freaking model.
• A freaking shy model.
• I sat awkwardly beside him as we wait for our bus to arrive. We have been waiting for about fifteen minutes now.
• I really want to have a decent conversation with him right now. But I really don’t know where to start. Should I ask for his family background? His likes? His dislikes? I don’t know. What if he thinks that I am interrogating him? Well, it might be true at some point but if I don’t, we’ll just be sitting here awkwardly and secretly wishing for a bus to come as fast as it could.
• I faked a cough to break the silence. “So, do you know someone from our neighborhood already?” I asked him.
• He shook his head. “We’ve been here for about four days now but I still hadn’t walked around the neighborhood.” He started. “I have been busy unpacking my loads. It’s really tiring.” He finished.
• I nodded. “Must be hard.” I commented and he chuckled. “You have no idea.” He told me then it was my time to laugh.
• “You’re the only I know from the neighborhood.” He then spoke. “Though I don’t really know if your house is near ours.” He pointed out.
• I chuckled. “Who knows? Maybe you’re the neighbor my mother has been talking about a few weeks ago.” I beamed.
• He smiled. “I really hope so.” He replied. “It’s really hard to not know someone in the neighborhood.” He continued as he fixed his hair that became a bit messy because of the wind. “And I also believe in the second greatest commandment. Love thy neighbor.” I think he tried to crack a joke so I laughed even though I didn’t find it that funny.
• “You’re funny!” Okay. I’m a great liar. That’s one of the lamest joke I have ever heard in my whole life.
• He chuckled and shook his head.
• Damn. He really believed it was a good joke. Meh.
• The bus came when we were busy laughing – he was busy laughing, I was busy faking a laugh. We both stopped and stood up as we waited for the bus to pull over the stop.
• “You first.” He told me as we walked to the bus door. He looked at my hand holding the books. “Let me help you.” He told me as he took the books from me.
• I smiled and did not protest. I walked inside the bus and he followed.
• It was a jam-packed vehicle and all seats were taken so we really have to stand up. I inserted myself in between all these people and stopped on the third row where there was an unexpected space.
• I looked behind and saw Knight following after me, stopping just in front of me.
• “This thing is crazy.” He told me as he held onto the deck, a bit shaking because he is not used to standing on a bus ride.
• I laughed at his grimace. “This is your first time.” I pointed out.
• He looked at me weirdly. “I’m so not prepared for this.” He told me as he tried to balance himself.
• I laughed at him once again. “You’re going to get used to this.” I told him.
• He sighed hard. “I hope so.”
• --
• Knight and I stepped out of the bus after fifteen minutes of ride.
• “That was tiring.” He commented as he fixed his shirt that got crumpled because of the bus’ overpopulation.
• I smiled at his expression. He looked like a guy who ran a mile with the way his face looks so tired right now. “You look funny.” I can’t help myself but comment at how he looks.
• He gave me a look. “Hey!” He whined like a kid.
• It’s funny how it’s not raining anymore as soon as we arrived on our village. I don’t really get the weather. When I am praying for it to stop, it keeps pouring. And it happens the other way around too.
• I folded the umbrella and handed it to Knight. “Here. Thanks.” I told him.
• He smiled and shook his head. “No, just take it home.” He beamed.
• I narrowed my eyes on him. “This is not a handkerchief that I could keep.” I told him. “Take it back.” I held the umbrella out.
• I saw him hesitate for a while but in the end, he took it back. And I also took my books back. “Thanks for helping me out. With the umbrella. With the books.” I smiled.
• He smiled back and shook his head. “It’s nothing. I mean, I can’t stand to see a lady carrying loads of things.” He replied.
• I smiled shyly. I don’t really know why I am acting like an innocent girl right now. I mean, why do I have to keep a certain façade in front of Knight? He’s going to attend our school and sooner or later, he would find out that I am the woman who dated a lot of men. I am the lady who kissed a lot of men. I am the girl who got fooled by a lot of men.
• Sooner or later, he would regret that he ever lent me his umbrella on a rainy afternoon and that he offered me to carry my books as we rode the bus.
• Why am I acting like I want him to see that I am a wonderful girl?
• I am not and I know that for myself.
• “Come on.” He broke my thoughts as he cocked his head into the side.
• I looked at him and nodded awkwardly. “Where are you heading at?” I asked him.
• He pointed at the road to our house. “Here. You?” He asked.
• I smiled. “The same.” I replied and we headed out way.
• He chuckled as we walked home. “I really think our houses are near each other.” He told me.
• I smiled. “I’m starting to think that you’re the neighbor my mother was talking about.” I beamed back.
• “It would be great!” He exclaimed.
• I looked at him as he showed me his gleeful face. I can’t believe a tall person like him is so innocent on a lot of things. I wonder if he’s a genius as well.
• “It would be fun!” I beamed back to not burst his bubble.
• To be honest, I, too, am not that close with the neighborhood. Gavin Merculio, my first boyfriend, is just a guy around the neighborhood and since her broke up with me, I have lost interest in our neighborhood. I actually told myself to not date anyone in the neighborhood.
• It’s really hard how your other neighbors would ask you why you broke up and whose fault is it. They would ask you embarrassing questions and would tease you if you accidentally bumped into your ex-lover.
• I don’t like those.
• As much as possible, if ever I am to date again, I don’t want it to be my neighbor, or my schoolmate or someone near me. I don’t want to have the same persons around us. With that, we could maintain privacy and avoid bias.
• “I really think you’re a nice girl, Ashejan.” He told me out of the blue.
• We were nearing my house when I suddenly stopped and looked at him. Why do I feel uncomfortable whenever I hear him call my name?
• It’s not the first time that I have heard this line. All of my exes told me I am a nice girl. They have all given me the best compliments that would boost my confidence up but then, in the end, they were the ones who gave me the worst comments.
• “Thanks,” I replied as I continued walking. “I think you’re a cool guy as well.” I commented back.
• He chuckled. “You don’t know.” He told me. “You have yet to know me.”
• I smiled at his reply. “You, too. You have a lot of things to know about me.” I beamed as I stopped. “Here’s our house.” I told him.
• He looked at me in shock but in a good way. “Really?” He asked. I nodded. “That’s my house.” He pointed at the house two blocks away from ours. “Nice meeting you, neighbor.” He told me as he shook my hand and smiled widely. “I’m really happy you’re the first person I met.”