Coke & Sundae

It's her birthday today. Carolina's birthday is today.

"Um... Hi, Carol." I say after pushing past the crowd around her.
"Hi." she says with a smile.
I am nervous. Not only that, I'm an idiot too.
Why can't I say anything? Why am I just staring at her big, blue eyes & thinking that it went so well with her non-lip glossed pink lips? Why am I admiring her sleek, red hair?
Why can't I be cool like that stupid Jared, who can actually charm Carol? Why?

"Carol, can I... Um. Can I celebrate your birthday with y-"
Lily, a skinny girl who is often mistaken as a blonde, praying mantis, burst rudely in my best attempt to invite Carol for a treat & says, bouncing up & down, "Oh. My. God! Guess what, Caroline? I know this is supposed to be a surprise but I can't stand it! You see, J-"

My heart is beating fast. I know what Lily-what's-her-name's about to tell Carol. The big bash.
As predicted, seeing as Caroline is the most popular girl in school, her friends (the whole school) are throwing her this huge party at Jared's - most popular guy - house afterwards.
Also predicted, I'm not invited.

"Wait. Lily, that's rude of you. Garett was just about to say something to me."
"No, it's okay. It's stupid." I start muttering, to myself.
"It's not. It's sweet. I'll go. Tell Jared I just can't make it." she says to Lily & smile at me, right before the bell rang.
"Oh. 'kay." Lily says and scutter off - most likely to the girls, to tell them that Carol, the most popular, kindest, sweetest girl to ever walk down the hallways of this school is going to hang out with a spaz like me, Garett Wane.







I wake up to the sound of my alarm clock, buzzing like crazy. I nearly hit the snooze button until I realise that I'm 10 minutes late for my date - okay, date's a little too hopeful - with Carol at McD's!
After showering, I grabbed my best, casual T-shirt, a pair of jeans & I am off, dashing down the stairs & out the door.

'I really am a spaz...' I think as I switch on my handphone, hoping not to bump into anyone down the street.
"Okay, kid. Ya give the phone, & you're outta here." I suddenly hear a gruff voice say into my ear, & my collar feeling a little too tight.
I turn around & see a tall, big guy with a beard that covers half of his face.
Seems that I had taken a short cut down the deserted alley.
Something glinting catches my eye. It's a knife! The hobo/theif is holding a knife - & smudging my nice shirt!

"Look. I'll just run off & won't report you to the police." I stammer.
He laugh uproariously & say, "Fat chance, bub. Give the phone & not one body'd get hurt, ya understand?"
I sigh & give my phone grudgingly to the man.
He releases the fistful of my shirt & I start to run off, heading towards the McD.

Suddenly, it starts to rain.
'Aw, great.' I think to myself & start running to the nearest dry place I could find - a telephone booth.
I check my pockets & insert small change into the rustic old public phone.

"The number you have dialled is not available. At the term..."

Why isn't Carol picking up my calls? I wonder.

With a groan, I run out of the phone booth & to McD's.
Finally, I see the trademark yellow "M" shining in the rain.
Underneath the nylon light, I see Carol.

My heart starts to soar up & crash to the ground.
'Who's the guy with her?' I think.

It's Jared. Why's he always bugging me?

I squint & try to understand what they're doing.
Jared's asking her for a drink inside... Probably asking why's she standing outside.
She looks annoyed - at me, or Jared?

Most likely the first.

"CAROL!" I yell. She looks up & gives me a smile - an opposite effect with Jared, who's smile turn upside-down.
"I told you he'd make it." Carol says triumphantly to a rather-sad-looking Jared.

"Seems it's this lo- Uh... Friend. Well, he looks kinda beat up so why don't I just get you to a steakhouse & celebrate the day you're born? The world seems like a better place with you around." he says & puts a casual arm around her slender shoulders.
Carol looks uncomfortable. She pushes his hand away & says, "But I promised Garett I'd celebrate my birthday with him."

& with that, it seems that I'm the triumphant one.









The awkwardness is so thick. I feel like grabbing it & breaking it into half.
"Garett, why are you so quiet? Usually you'd be the first one to talk. What happened?" she says as I was sipping my coke.
I look away from her eyes & start to tell the story to her, or mostly to my feet.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry. Why didn't you go to the police instead of here?"
Little sweat beads are starting to show up on my forehead - I can feel it.
"Well, it'd be kinda rude to stand you up, you know?" I say.
'Phew. Nice save.' I think to myself.

"Yes..." she says quietly & looks away.
"Actually, I didn't just came here to not stand you up! To be honest, it's been a long time since I want us to be just more than friends. Not just friends. I like you since the day I met you, when I had to stand in class & didn't know a single person. You're the nicest, most beautiful girl I've known. Let me put it this way : we're like this coke & sundae. Two different things, yet just the same. It's both sweet but one's fizzy, the other can just melt. Maybe, if we add it together, it'd be..." I say & look away, hoping that she doesn't notice how red my face is.

She gives me a blank look. Suddenly, she put the sundae inside my coke.
"Really? It can mix?" she says.

I give her a startled look. Is she making fun of me or processing my theory?

My coke suddenly started fizzing & all the foam went out of the cup, coke everywhere on the table.
I look at my coke & say, "What the-?"
'My luck really is bad. It feels that I should just give up already.' I think to myself, disappointment flowing through my veins.

I say, hoping that the disappointment doesn't show, "Huh. Seems..."
I break off my sentence in mid-air as I notice Carol sipping the sundae-mixed-with-coke.
"Mmm... Tasty." she says.


My heart can't stop beating - only from joy.
"Seems that there's no problem going together after all." she says with a smile.
"Hey! You didn't even wish me a happy birthday yet!" she says giggly.
"Oh. Uh... Happy birthday!" I say, scratching my head.


Maybe a true relationship doesn't really need luck. It just needs some courage & truth.

A library

I am a bookworm. I have no shame to say that out loud.
I. Am. A. Book. Worm.

So what if I'm blonde & am not flat-chested?
So what if I have 50-50 vision & not wearing spectacles?
Is there some sort of law that bookworms can't be... Those who doesn't "look" like one?

That's what I am thinking right now when Rob said, "Hey, are you reading a book?"
& cackled away.

I do not believe that that's the sort of attitude a boyfriend should have.
Sure, he's the head of the football & rugby team. Maybe he does go out to the Friday boozer party they have at pubs.
But either way, I don't think that my boyfriend should just be so shocked that I enjoy reading books.

"What happened to People magazine?" he say.
"What do I look like to you, a bimbo?" I snap.
"Well, you are hot."

That made my blood boil. So, he thinks I look like a girl he could boff?
Well, forget it.

I throw his class ring into the bushes, stand up & walk away from a swearing ex-boyfriend.








Hutaru is the most serene place I've ever been to. Bookworm, though I may be, this bookstore is really awesome.
It gives this whole calm vibe - the mini waterfall near the bookshelves, this cute little Japanese cafe behind the waterfall.
Really. Whatever book-hater would LOVE this place.

I notice a cute guy as I walked in, in jeans & a black, collared shirt, neat & crisp.
His hair is red, abit on the long-ish side, really. & he smiles lik-
'You've just broken up with your steady boyfriend & already you're checking some cute guy out? God, Shell, get a grip!' I scold myself.

I quickly head to the "Fantasy" section, hoping that I don't bump into that guy.
... Who am I kidding?









"Chronicle Edge, Chronicle Edge..." I murmur to myself as I check practically each book title lying on that shelf.
'Yes! It's there!!' I think as my gaze fall onto a thick, green book, the words "Chronicle Edge IV" engraved on it with gold letterings.
My hand shot out as fast as you can say "Light speed", just in case no one else takes the book away from me.
It was the last one.

Yes, I am a geekette.

I manage to get my hand on the book first, but another hand is ontop of mine.
It feels warm, big & warm.
I look at the person, whose hand is on mine & realise that it's that cute guy I saw just now!

Great. This is embarassing.

"Oh. Sorry." I hear the guy say, his voice soft, deep & low.
"Um, no prob." I say, hoping with all my strength that he did not just hear my voice shake.
"But I'm not sorry enough to let you walk off with my book."

Well, that is truly the most romantic moment of my life.
Um, not.

"Dream on. I had my eye on that two months ago!" I say, completely forgetting that the guy I'm fighting a book over with is completely hot.
"Yea? Well, I was having the countdown plastered on the screen five months ago."
"Lies. All lies." I smirk.
"Bet you a cup of coffee I'm correct."
"You're on."
"Lemme show you the evidence." He takes out his MacBook out of his laptop bag, which was slung casually over his broad shoulders.

He flips open the screen & shows me proudly a white banner bouncing up & down, which reads:
"COUNTDOWN TILL CHRONICLES EDGE : ALREADY OUT!!"

I feel my face flush - either with embarrassment or disappointment that I lost the bet.
"I like my coffee dark." he says with a grin.












"So, you're from the Academy too? How come I don't see you around?" I say as he blows the steam off his piping hot mug.
"Well, because I kind of just graduated." he says awkwardly, probably wishing that he isn't being seen hanging out with a kid who is still in high school - a.k.a. me.
"Seriously?" I say, kind of shocked.
Don't ask me why, he doesn't seem like a high school kind. But he doesn't seem like a college guy either.
For one thing, he's pretty shaven. No stubble or anything.

Which all I can say to that is, Thank God.

He nods.

"I'm still searching. No scholarships. Well, okay. That's a lie. I do have one offer but it's sort of... Far." he says, still looking uncomfortable.
"How far?"
"Try England far."
I nearly drop my iced latte.

How could he do that? Leaving to another continent!
'Why am I so furious?' I just met him! I try to reason with myself.

"Now you know." he says with a sheepish grin.
I shrug & say, "Well, it'd be a loss to the authors of Chronicles Edge. Their second biggest fan moving to a different place & all."
"What do you mean second?! You're not going to another continent."
"Please. How many books of theirs do you have?"
"All."
"Lies!"
"Do you really want to bet, after losing?"
"Hey! That's not fair to bring up a loss." I say & whack him, not too hard. "Anyway, that's a lie. You can't have all the books. I'll even... I'll even bet a kiss that you don't."

Yes, I am that confident he does not have the whole series. Because everyone knows that if you have the whole series, you must be the kid of a millionaire's or something. The series is not cheap.

He gave me a smile & say, "You're on."











Just in the same day I broke up with Rob Mogregger, I end up riding a motorbike with a college guy, Chris Haught to go to his house - not for the reasons you might think, but to check out his set of books.

Sarcasm asides, I really am living my romance dream.





"I think you owe me a kiss." he says when he notice how big my eyes have gone. He really did have the whole series! Every book, from the germglozer to the Forever & beyond! He wasn't lying.

"No, you're missing one book. You didn't buy the last book, remember?" I remind him.
His smile crestfallens. But slyly brightens again.
"Yes. But only because I already have it." he says.

He look under the bed & takes out a box which was neatly kept. He opens the lid & voila!
There was the thick, green book with the gold letters, big & bold blazing on it.

"You do owe me a kiss. & there's no escape." he says, which just made my pulse beat faster.









Here I am, kissing the cutest guy on his bed. My hands are around his neck, his hands are...
Well, I can't say it here & now.

All I can say is, he kissed me, not me!
Okay, that's a lie. I kinda did started it.

But all I did was go closer to him, closed my eyes tight & leaned towards his face.
Then, he cupped my face & leaned even closer. Just like that, we were kissing.

His lips are soft. Very soft.
Yet his hands are so rough, even though they're holding me so gently.

I really don't want this moment to end.
Not now, not ever.













"SHELL, IM IN THE AIRPORT NOW. ON MY WAY TO ENGLAND. I'LL MISS YOU GBYE 4EVA"
That was the text message I got just recently. Now I'm on my scooter, zooming the traffic as fast as I can to reach the airport.
It didn't help that the tears are blurring my view.

'Stupid. Don't cry. Stupid.' I tell myself.
So maybe we dated for a month, maybe two.
Now all of a sudden, he tells me he's going to England in the next three hours instead of, gee, I don't know. THAT LAST MONTH?!

'Maybe he doesn't think we're together. He never asked.' I think to myself as I passed by a Trans Am.









Out of breath, I run to the gate A278.
"Gate A276... Gate A277..." I count.
"Gate A278!"

I run even faster & see a girl hugging Christ.
Not just a girl, an older one. Older than me, hell, older than him.
She had the skimpiest outfit I had ever seen.
The girl seemed more like his... Girlfriend.

Crash!

"Shell? Michelle? Wait! No!" I hear.
"Who's Michelle? What's going on?" I hear the chick say.

But I didn't care. Not anymore. I run faster as if I was being chased by wolves - only to find that I was dating one.








"SHELL IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK. COME OUTTA THERE"
Another text message. I deleted it & continued my silent sobbing.

Why didn't I see it? No guy could be that perfect.
One who is equally hot as he is equally smart & brainy.

Ten minutes passed & I couldn't stand it. I get out of the woman's toilet & hoped that he isn't out there, waiting for me.
Only to find out that he is.











Never in my life had I seen a woman that sad.
Even though she was sad, she still looked as gorgeous as she'll ever be.
Sure, sad-looking women ticks me off. I've got enough of those in my life.

But the way she looked up at me, with those red-rimmed eyes, mascara going down along with her tears, something inside me broke.
I hug her & at first, she didn't hug me back. But a moment passed, she finally hug me.
She look up & kissed me.

I kiss her back. Soft, tender. Whatever I felt towards her, I put in that kiss.
"Shell, look. About that woman... She's..."
I feel Shell tensing up. She thinks she's my girlfriend.
I'm used to it, but now I can't stand it.

"She's... My mom."









"That's right. You heard me. My mother. The woman who brought me into this life. A result of prom day." he gives a grin.
I stare. That was his mother?!
Skimpy-clothes-wearing-woman... His mom??
"I... I..."
I jump & kiss him.

"Calling passenger to Gate A278. Calling passenger to Gate A278. Flight will be taking off in ten minutes. Thank you." the announcer says.

"Goodbye." he says before he gives me one last kiss, a hug & a gift.








I couldn't stop smiling & crying at the same time.
It was a book. No, two books.
One was a notebook, filled with written stories & his thoughts... Just for me.
Another was a storybook.
The Chronicles Edge storybook which I had been waiting for since day 1.
He scribbled a little writing on the front page itself:

"Don't forget me. I'll be back.
Love, Christ."

A music school - op 1

The first time when I saw a piano, I was only four.
"Look, Mommy! What is that?" I'd bounce around as I tug on my mother's shirt, staring at a grand piano being displayed, probably for showcase.
She laughed, "That's a piano, dear."
She went into the shop & asked the sales assistant whether she could play something on the piano.
The minute I heard that beautiful piece my mother played - coming from just something made out of strings & wood, something so beautiful, I stared.

The next day, my mother took me for piano lessons at Zellar, supposedly the most famous (& priciest) children's music school in the city.
& that was how I ended up on that stage, performing infront of everyone a piano piece twelve years later.




You might be thinking "What is so great about music? Bor-ring!"
Yea, I get that response alot so, I don't mind. Much.
To be honest, Zellar is actually like another world for me. In school, my friends always think I'm the quiet, shy type.
When I go to class at Zellar, I'm a little more outgoing, but only those who I know. Other times, I'd be ten times more shy & quiet.

Asides from learning about Mozart & his life, or even Vivaldi & his last opera, we do theory too. It's not that bad.
It's gaining knowledge.
After studying at that music school for nearly 16 years, my teacher signs me up for orchestra.
I loathe it but now, I love it.



I've been labelled "Percussion Girl" eversince. I never took up a second instrument because I didn't put much effort into the piano, nor did I have the time.
But the teachers make such a big deal that I can cope playing the tambourine. Really, I don't understand.
They say that I can "learn so quickly".
One of the teachers, Vivan - she's the most respected. After Mrs. Zellar, of course. Vivan has been in the school since SHE was eight. Now, she's a happy mother & a wife - always give me percussion solos. I enjoy it but I don't like taking up the limelight. It's a little embarrassing.


When I packed up my glockenspiel - don't try to pronounce it - I got up & nearly knocked over someone... Or more likely, that someone nearly knocked me over.
He was cute, (the boy cute, not baby cute) his brown, shaggy hair nearly covering his eyes, which were emerald green.
"Oh, so sorry." he said. I noted that he had a British accent.
He kneeled down to pick up his case - a flute case. He was a flutist - & passed me by.
I didn't so much as turn around to apologize.

I hate myself.






3 months after that incident, my teacher, Wenno, arranged a piece for us - by "us" meaning my group class - to perform.
I was stuck with the marimba (surprise, surprise), my friend, Chulian with the clarinet, Steff & Key Nee playing the violin & a guy named Allary to play the flute.
This was unusual, was the first thought that I had.
Wenno invited someone to help play the flute - an accompaniement for the marimba.

A knock was heard at the auditorium door.
"Come in." we all said in unison.
There I saw the boy who I knocked over was walking over to the grand piano, most likely to greet Wenno.
At that time, you could have just tip me over with a feather. I was that surprised.

He looked at me & gave a small smile.
I returned the smile back & hid my face with my long hair.




"That was quite good as always, Leila." Wenno gushed.
I shrugged it off - compliments always made me feel uneasy.
"Yea, you were pretty good." a voice said.
It was him, Allary. I gave a small smile & blushed.

"We have another surprise, though. Lets perform the second piece, Loving You."
"But Medine isn't here! Who's going to sing? We all have to play our instruments." I said.
"Why don't you sing, Leila?" Allary asked.
"Oh, but I've never really s-"
"Actually, Allary's right. Why don't you sing? We always perform. Allary, go play the flute. Just accompany Leila sing."
He nodded & went to get his flute.










It was like an angel singing. I had never heard a voice as beautiful as that.
Leila striked me as one of those shy types. But when she sang, it was as if the heaven broke open, just like in that Mr. Bean show.
The melody helped too. It was so catchy.
I couldn't believe seeing that girl, though. I had thought of her as a snob when she didn't apologize for nearly bumping me off.
But there she was, singing.
All because of me.









His flute was amazing. It was as if he's the world's greatest flutist.
Really. He could've just played the "Bumblebee race" & wouldn't miss a note.
Three weeks later, we performed the pieces.
I ended up singing, since Medine had lost her voice.

A day after that, I started going out with Allary.
You might even just say I had my first ever boyfriend.
Who was a flute prodigy. A cute one, no less.




I discovered that he & I are so opposite - & alike.
By alike, he & I are pretty quiet.
By opposite, he secretly composes songs for himself so he could play more on his flute. I just like to play songs on my piano - especially from the Romantic era. But now, I've found a new pastime, thanks to him.







We broke up after a year. Not really but in a way, we did.
I was there at the airport when he went off to London, to accept the invitation of performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra whereas I just played part-time keeping my Percussion Girl reputation alive at home & my singing reputation worldwide.
That was the last time I saw Allary, walking to the Departing section, GateA72.
I couldn't stop crying & smiling, at the same time.
The night before that, he told me it would be fine. Everything would be fine.
He even gave me a token from his heart - his words. A small chain necklace with a heart-shaped pendant.
He wore one too, only it was just an empty circle.
When put together, our pendants fit perfectly.

As he put the necklace on me, he said those words.
"Everything would be fine."

But I couldn't believe he wouldn't wait.
But we were already 17. Well, I was 17. He was already 18.

"Leila?" I turned around & saw Chulian, looking embarrassed & uncomfortable.
"Hmm?"
He handed me a rectangular parcel, my name written on the brown paper by a scriblly writing.
I opened it eagerly & nearly choked up.
It was a manuscript, filled with original songs composed by someone.
At the back page, he wrote:

"To someone special. I hope you sing as well as I play.
-Allary"

Chulian handed me two tissue boxes, I think.
The book's now framed. Sometimes I take it out to sing the songs he'd compose for me, or play on the piano.
That was my first closest friend I had in a long time.

He still sends me manuscripts, as a hobby from travelling with the Orchestra so much.
I always finger the necklace that was always around me.