CHAPTER 7: AUNTIE EVA’S BIRTHDAY Part 1

Tomorrow, I am getting married tomorrow.

I felt the jitters. They say it’s normal to have wedding jitters. The anticipation, the feeling that it’s surreal, the excitement and happiness that cannot be contained.

But my anxiety is coming from apprehensions and uncertainties. I’m not sure of anything. I’m not sure that I want to stop loving Rev. I’m not sure if I can.

But there’s one thing I am sure of. I MUST. Because Rev will never find it in his heart to start loving me.

*FLASHBACK*

“Hey, what are you doing?” Rev tapped my shoulder. I was in a cubicle in the graduate section of the library, making a sketch. Our classmates are busy doing the compilation our teacher asked us to do. I will just do that tonight, I will borrow Rev’s and copy it. I’m so bright. Haha!

I glanced at Rev but did not answer him. I continued with what I am doing.

“Wow! Wedding dress. Do you want to get married already?” he was grinning when he snatched the paper and sat on the chair that he pulled beside me.

“Just because I sketched a wedding gown, it means I want to get married already??”

“Beautiful.”

“That’s gonna be my gown when I get married,” I smiled as I shared my wish.

“Hmm.. Give this one to me. This will surely look good on my future bride.” And then he smile at me as if he’s thinking something that only he must know.

My eyes grew wide.

“Are you planning to get married??”

He laughed.

“Of course not until we graduated. But..”

I felt nervous. I didn’t want to hear it. No! He’s not seriously contemplating on marrying Jean already, right??

“After graduation, I want to ask..”

“Ask?”

“Yeah. My future bride, if she will also consider me her future groom.”

He looked up as if he is seeing something there that makes him smile.

“I wish I will have the courage to ask, to take the risk.”

Nooooo! I wish you’ll never find that courage, Rev.

“I can imagine her, walking gracefully towards me. In this dress. Her hair in a braid. Her eyes looking only in mine, lips smiling at me.”

He is so not serious. They are still too young to get married.

I voiced it out but Rev just smiled.

“I said I will only ask to marry me in the future. I didn’t say that we will get married right away. I also still wants to fulfill all my career plans. I know that I am still too young. Even you are still too young for marriage.”

“Tss. Don’t include me.” I gave him a sharp look. I don’t know how else to hide my pain. Because right now, my pain is starting to be unbearable.

He fell silent.

“Well, I was talking in general. I mean, our age in general is too young to get married.”

I just made a face at him.

“Dude, explaining much? I only meant to tease you.”

I stuck my tongue out and left him. I just changed my mind. I think, NOW is the perfect time to complete my compilation.

I sat in between Noelle and Sheena and started to write on my notebook.

“Don’t sit there!” Rev playfully pressed my neck between his arms.

“Argh!”

The librarian shushed us.

“What’s your problem?!” I glared at him as I hit the arm he used to wring my neck.

“Why are you sitting there?”

“Is that not allowed?”

“Where will I sit there?”

“Over there.” I pointed at the other side of the table.

He pouted.

“That’s unacceptable! I want to sit next to you!”

“You’re so clingy!”

“Yes, we’re inseparable remember? You’ll stay beside me for the rest of our lives, whether you like it or not.”

“Hmpft! Leave me alone!”

Please, Rev, stay away from me.

He sighed. I thought he gave up already but I was shocked when he suddenly pulled me to stand up.

“Why?!”

“The two of you are so noisy. Get out!” Noelle pushed us away.

Rev gave her a sign of salute and picked up my things with his left hand as he pulled me away with his right.

“Slow down, will you?” I hissed.

We are already outside and heading towards his car but he still wouldn’t let go of my arm.

“Rev! Rein!”

We met Jean at the hallway. She seemed to have just gotten out of her class.

Rev stopped pulling me.

“Jean,” he called her name. I looked away as he leaned to kiss her on her cheek.

“Where are the two of you going?” Jean looked at Rev’s hand that is holding my arm while asking.

Rev subtly let got of me. I felt like I’ve just been discarded.

“I don’t know. This fool just suddenly pulled me,” I answered as if I am asking for her to side with me.

“We just have somewhere to go. I’ll call you later, honey.”

Jean forced a smile and nodded. She watched us get inside Rev’s car and waved at us when Rev drove past her.

“Where are we going, really? Look, I think your girlfriend is upset with you again. And you will pester me again with questions and plans to make up with her.”

He still wouldn’t answer so I stopped asking. Until he stopped the car.

“This is where we were going?!” I asked him. I couldn’t believe this guy!

“Yep.” I gave me an annoying grin. I wanted to punch him

“What the eff, Rev?!”

We stopped right in front of their house. And here I thought we were really going somewhere. I mean, it sounded so important!

“Come on, I’m hungry!”

He pulled me again as if he is in a hurry. We went straight to his room and left our things there before we went back down and headed to the dining room.

We found Auntie Evana there. She is busy preparing the table.

Damn, I forgot! It was her birthday!

“There you are,” she came over when she saw us. Auntie Eva hugged me and kissed my cheek. I returned her embrace and her kiss. She’s really like a mother to me.

“Happy birthday, Auntie.”

“I’m happy that you remembered my birthday. If you didn’t, I would surely be upset.”

I secretly felt guilty and glanced at Rev. He winked at me. Well, obviously, Rev knew that I forgot that is why he forcefully brought me home.

Auntie Eva ushered me to the table and let me sit down.

“How’s school today?” she asked.

“Boring, Ma.”

Auntie Eva raised an eyebrow to her son.

“This is the first time I heard you say that. How did it become boring?”

“Ugh! I was trapped inside the Dean’s office the whole day, trying to lobby for an increase in budget for the sports club. I did not attend any class.”

I laughed. “Wow, don’t tell me, you missed Bulldog,” I said referring to Mr. Mendrano, our teacher who looks like, well, a bulldog. Because really, all of our subjects today are being taught by him.

“Oh, I know better.” Auntie Eva said. She smiled knowingly and Rev glared at her.

They seem to be talking silently with their eyes and I couldn’t relate.

After a few moments, Auntie Eva turned to me.

“How’s school for you today, Rein?”

As I didn’t want to copy Rev’s answer, and I didn’t want Auntie to figure out that I was bored to death today because Rev’s been missing from our classes the whole day, I racked my brain to think of anything interesting that happened today.

“It’s okay, Auntie. I acquired a new friend.”

Auntie Eva’s brow arched as if asking for further details. She glanced at Rev and smiled. Rev’s spoon was suspended in front of his mouth as he glared at me as if accusing me of doing something bad. I grinned at him. I like to make him jealous. I’ve always known that Rev is a possessive friend.

“Because Rev was busy the whole day, I don’t have anyone to go with while skipping classes and I don’t want to be a bad influence to our friends, the way that Rev is a bad influence for me. So I just went to the soccer field alone to hang out by myself.”

Auntie Eva’s grin widen as I keep on trying to annoy Rev. He’s really glaring at me now as if his eyes are going to emit laser beams any moment. It inspired me more. Rev didn’t like me going to the soccer field alone.

“Why in the soccer field?”

“Next to the library, it’s the best place to hang out, Auntie,” I told her.

“And Rev is always influencing you to go there?”

“Yes Auntie,” I nodded solemnly. “He always asks me to skip classes. If I didn’t always prevent him from skipping, he would have failed our subjects due to absences.” I shook my head for effect.

“Do you want me to stick this fork in your eyes?” Rev threatened.

We burst out laughing. We were always like that. Auntie is the coolest Mom.

“So, who’s this new friend?” Auntie pursued the topic.

“Oh, that was Xander. Because I was alone at the soccer field and no one to exchange stupid jokes with, I just listened to the Engineering students who are joking around nearby. I also know them because they have been my classmates once in a minor subject, though I don’t really talk to them. But when they saw me alone earlier, I think they took pity on me so Xander greeted me, left his gang and joined me. So he started talking to me, and then I realized that, except Rev, there is at least one more soul in the entire school who spouts nonsense.”

I laughed after trash-talking my best friend. He really wants to murder me now.

“So you’re saying that I speak no sense?”

Auntie Eva and I stopped laughing because Rev looked seriously upset.

“Hey, you’re so touchy today. You know that already, why don’t you know yet?” I teased more.

He suddenly laughed loudly. What a buffoon.

“I know already but I don’t know yet? What the hell does that even mean?” He held his stomach while laughing.

Auntie Eva and I looked at each other. Rev’s laughter sounds weird. Like it’s fake.

“Well, anyway, Rev, please get the graham cake you especially requested because you said it was Rein’s favorite,” Auntie Eva told her son.

“Ma!” he protested.

I smiled. Rev really knows me well.

Rev left for a while and when he returned, he put the cake in front of me as if I am the one celebrating my birthday.

I served the cake to all of us, acting as if I am not a guest.