5 Days of Summer

Chapter 13: Wednesday

The moment I woke up, I felt my stomach groan in complaint. I'm already hungry. I got up from my bed and picked my clothes to wear. I decided to wear a simple black and white tee, partnered with black fitted jeans and my go-to converse shoes.

I can already hear the sizzle of the food being fried in the pan along the hallways. I stopped in front of the stairs, gripping the thin leather strap of my sling bag. Memories of yesterday's event replayed inside my mind.

"Ate Novie?" Michelle called, making me stop from pacing back and forth — which I didn't realize I was already doing it. "Aren't you going downstairs and eat?" She asked while fumbling on her ribbon.

I didn't answer, instead, I watched her while she's doing it. It took me a while to break-off the trance I trapped myself in; shaking my head rapidly while I jog down the stairs.

The breakfast table was so awkward that I lost my appetite. I only ate three spoonful of rice just to satiate my hunger.

As their usual routine, they dropped the kids off to school before going to Alejo.

We met Justin and his parents by the driveway near the school's main building.

"Hey Noob!" He greeted and ruffled my hair which made me slap his hand away. He turned to my father and greeted him politely.

Dad greeted him back and also his parents. Mrs. Arvesa — his mom — was looking at me, er... more like staring at me, making me a little bit conscious.

"My! Is this Novie? She's grown up already!" She exclaimed and went near me, examining me from head to toe like I was hurt somewhere. I gave her a hesitant smile, but deep inside I was already frowning in confusion.

She asked me some questions — like "how was I" and "do you have a boyfriend?" (A very common question to be asked to us, Filipino teenagers) — before leaving me and Justin there.

"Well, I better get to class," he glanced at his watch for the time before ruffling my hair... again. "See you later Noob." He was about to walk away when I stopped him.

"Hey, are you going to use your guitar?" I asked. I slid my thumb in my pocket while I rock back and forth.

"You can borrow it," he gave me his guitar case, surprising me. If I were him, I would make up an excuse just so that they couldn't borrow it. "Oh and if you're going somewhere, just put my baby in the practice room. Here's the key," he handed me his key with his name carved in the wood. My mouth formed an "o", observing the key like some kind of specimen in a test tube.

"Careless now aren't we?" I said, pertaining to how he just easily gave his guitar and keys like he's just handing out flyers.

He smirked — making my heart stop for a while and resumed to an abnormally fast beating, making me want to clench my chest; it was long ago since I felt this kind of feeling towards him. "Nah I just trust you," he said as he shook his head, his smirk was replaced with an amusing smile as he ruffled my already messy hair and walked away from me.

I sighed and fixed my hair while walking towards a nearby shed. There were lots of students scattered everywhere. I carefully placed his guitar case beside one of the shed's post while I took out Line's book from my bag.

Justin's P.O.V

The room was quite chaotic when I entered. It's still seven o'clock in the morning but they're already hyped up. I went to the last row where my seat was located. Keith and Ivaun were playing rock paper scissors, and whoever loses will be smacked on the head with a drumstick; Line on the other hand has his own world operating already, his earphones deafening him from the noise outside while his fingers were tapping on his table like it was a keyboard.

"I thought you're going to bring your baby?" Keith asked when he didn't saw my acoustic guitar with me.

"Novie has it," I said as I sat on my chair, and watched them play. "She borrowed it when she saw it,"

Keith made an "oh" sound and went back to playing. "It's a surprise you let her borrow it,"

Yeah, it's quite a surprise.