Ten Steps With You

Chapter 7: Yesterday No More

The journey back to Baguio was just like the one leaving it. Only this time, much less had happened during the duration of the trip.

"Good luck you two," Miguel said.

"Good luck on what?"

Standing outside the school campus, both Summer and Oliver stood patiently waiting under the shade of an overhang. Since the two were pretty tired, they decided that it was best to catch a jeepney instead of walking back home like they usually would. 

"So whose place are we staying in? Mine or yours?" Summer asked.

"Yours?"

"Okay, let's stay in your place." Summer said.  

"That's not what-" Oliver cut off. "Nevermind."

Oliver and Summer both lived alone. Just a few months ago, a couple of coincidental events led to both of their parents moving out of the country to take a shot at working abroad. In the meantime, they had left their firstborns to run their homes in their absence. 

"Your grandparents check up on you now, right?"

"Yeah, my parents asked them to," Summer replied. "How about you? Didn't your parents also go abroad?"

"Yep, my aunt checks up on me every week."

Being neighbors, the two would frequently visit each other's apartment rooms. On most occasions, they would eat a casual homemade dinner together. If they had free time, you could find them binge-watching the entire Star Wars series all over again. And on rare occasions, if certain things fall into place, they would sing their hearts out to karaoke.

"Wait, why my place?"

Summer grinned. "Why not? Are you hiding something, perhaps?"

"No, are you?"

"Of course not."

Before any more could happen, a jeepney en route to their neighborhood passed by.

"Hey, look! That's our ride. Let's get on." Summer said shakily.

----------

"Para po." Oliver called to the jeepney driver.

Once they got off the jeepney, the two entered their apartment building.

"Let's decide it here. Whoever wins in a game of rock paper scissors gets to choose where we will live." Oliver said.

"Fine. It's okay since I know I will win."

Oliver won.

"You cheated."

"How did I cheat?" Oliver laughed.

"I don't know! All I know is that you cheated somehow." Summer pouted.

"Hey, I won. And since you can't prove I cheated, we're staying at your place. Yay!"

Still pouting, Summer reluctantly helped Oliver to move a few things over to her room.

"If it makes you feel better, we had sleepovers almost every week before this school year began. Just think of this as a long-lasting sleepover." Oliver said.

Summer responded with a sour face and her tongue sticking out.

"This should be okay right?"

Oliver had placed his mattress right next to Summer's bed.

"No, it's not." Summer said in a nonchalant voice.

"Why, it looks perfectly normal to me."

"I think it's best if you move it a little further away."