Metanoia: A Change of Heart

Chapter IX ~ Joshua

I attended two more classes before I went to lunch, but the canteen was very packed. It took me nearly half an hour to have my turn in the line. There was no much food left, so I got fries and a hotdog bun. I paid for my food and carried the tray to look for a seat. Where were my friends?

"Joshy!" I heard Fredd's voice above the deafening noise. He raised his hand for me to see him.

"Hi, Josh," a girl from one of my class greeted me. She had long hair in a braid, thick glasses and slightly crooked teeth.

"Hi," I managed a reply before realizing who she was. Oh! Her name was Trish. Fredd and Kennard planned a date for us but as I had said, it did not turn out good. I actually felt bad for myself and those girls. She was about to say something but the flow of the super full cafeteria pushed me away. "Sorry," I said before walking away.

"What was that?" Fredd said and moved to give me space. "Another admirer?" He ate again.

"Give me a break."

I was shocked to see who were sitting in our table. Kennard was infront of me, beside him were Thonia and another girl I recognized as Asaila because of the pink highlights. Kennard found my curiosity. "What's the problem, Josh?"

Fredd looked at me, to Thonia, to Kennard and laughed. "Yeah, right!" No need to ask why he was laughing. He recalled the story I told him and narrated to Kennard.

Thonia looked at me like I was a weird specie of an endangered animal. Asaila held her arm and whispered something while giggling. Thonia looked at her and rolled her eyes. "Shut up, A." Asaila grinned and nodded at me before going back to her food like we didn't exist.

I wanted to ask why they were here, but I did not want to sound rude so instead, "Why does the cafeteria seemed... overflowing?" Not to describe the way I was fled away while talking to Trish. Fredd answered me with mouth full of garlic sauce. The smell made me nauseated. "The lower classmen had a program that's why they had their lunch late."

"Why don't you ask May later?" Kennard suggested.

"May? Is she your girlfriend?" Asaila asked. "There were like five to ten students with the name."

I saw Thonia and her looked at me. I was about to say yes when Fredd laughed again, he was annoying sometimes. "No, no. May is his little sister who looked exactly like him."

"Not exactly exactly," I said. "Well, not that similar with you and Sandy."

Fredd drank his iced tea. "How did Sandy came up in our conversation?"

"You look the same, Fredd. Honestly," Kennard agreed on my side. "And your older brother too."

"You three were triplets, I should say." I added and laughed.

"Okay, stop with the sibling talk." Thonia interrupted us. What was her problem this time?

"Why? You have two brothers, right?" Kennard said. How did he know?

"Uhh, well, yeah." Thonia said. "They're both in college."

Thonia Buenviaje. Buenviaje... "Jude Buenviaje." I remembered hearing that name from some of the girls. As far as I knew, he was a good basketball player.

Asaila smiled, "Are you Jude's fan too?"

I shook my head. "Not really, well, I just heard his name from my classmates. He is a great athlete right?"

"Was," Thonia corrected.

"Was? Why?" Fredd and I both asked.

Thonia arranged her tray, prepared to leave. "He had an accident."