Almost Maybes

Chapter 11

I couldn't help my mouth from spouting nonsense, so there I said it. "Even if the girl is Ayala. You're okay with that?"

"Rex's younger sister?" she asked, didn't even seem surprised.

I nodded as a response.

"I like her," mom answered with a smile on her face.

Then like a kid who just thought of something upon hearing the word like, I started to drift into another world and reminisce about something. Something that would surely put me into a trance.

The next day, somebody was already banging my bedroom door to wake me up even if it wasn't time yet for me to get out of bed. I think I heard Kuya Ely's voice saying, 'Wakey, wakey, Princess. The Prince has arrived', if he was referring to our dad, he didn't leave home so what's with the prank?

With one eye open, I checked the time on my phone. It was the closest thing to me on the nightstand table, easier to grasp than my alarm clock. It said 9:45 AM.

I usually rise on weekends at ten in the morning.

With a blanket draped over my body, I walked to the door and found my brother standing at the other side of it.

"Do we have to go somewhere today?" I asked, fixing my bed hair, still yawning.

"We're staying at home today."

"That's good. So, can I get back to bed now? Sleep for another fifteen minutes? Sleep is important, you know?"

"Sure, if you want your friend to wait for another fifteen minutes."

"Sten's here?"

He shook his head. "Dad's talking to him."

When I heard the word "him", I walked past my brother, ignoring his endless list of questions.

I just hoped what I had in mind wasn't really it. It couldn't be him again.

Standing on the second floor, by the staircase, I saw them. He was with my dad in the receiving area, having coffee.

"Hi."

"Hi, your face. What are you doing here?"

"Perry visited a friend who lives nearby. I was with him, so I decided to drop by."

"What a coincidence, liar."

"That's not how you talk to a guest, Ivy Grit," Dad said, flipping over his morning paper.

"I know, dad, but he's no special. He's my friend, he doesn't need formal accommodation whatsoever."

"He told me you've been friends since freshman year. Why didn't you invite them here often? I want to know all your friends aside from Kirsten and Angelo."

"You can talk to him now, dad. All day is yours."

I turned my back to them and started to walk back to my room.

"He said yes." That was Asis' voice.

Stopping my trail back to the room, I looked over my shoulder and asked. "Yes for what?"

"He asked if he could go out with you today. Like go to church and have lunch together. That's a good proposition, and I said yes."

"Go to church? Have lunch together? You're nuts."

He just shrugged and smiled at me. I walked away from them, a blanket still draped on my back like a cape. My brother was waiting in my room, sitting in my bed.

"You got a boyfriend?" he asked, sounding interested.

I went back to bed and pulled the blanket on top of my head. "He's just a friend. Obnoxious friend."

"He has the guts to ask dad if he could go on a date with you."

Peeking from the cover, I saw my brother looking in my direction. "He's just nuts. Leave him be. Where's mom?"

"Preparing breakfast for your friend who's nuts." and he went out of my room.

We stayed in the house that day, like what my brother had said. I don't know if Rex was just trying to pull off a joke with my dad, but he didn't mention the church or lunch together. We ate together with my family just what we did in their house the other day. I couldn't read through him. What's gotten into his mind to do all these things? Was he being serious? Did he really want this to happen? Did he mean it when he said he wanted to get to know me?

If yes, I was starting to believe him. I think we were on the same page.

As we stayed in the house the entire afternoon, my brother, Eliseo, talked with him about guitar and pop/rock music. They had the same taste in music, as I heard it.

Dad shared and asked him news about basketball and other sports. They discovered that they were both fans of playing online games.

Some plants in his mother's garden were used to get the heart of my mom, who was also fond of planting just like Rachel. He promised to bring over plants when he gets back sometime.

And I, what was I doing while they were having fun? I was with them, in the TV room, reading a book while eavesdropping on their conversation.

Walking with him unhurriedly to the bus station, I decided to talk after a moment of silence. As the sun was setting down, my thoughts resurfaced. There were questions dwelling in my mind for the past weeks, and now I wanted them to get answers.

"You still want to get to know me?" I asked without meeting his gaze.

I could see his shadow walking next to me. The gap between our shoulders was close enough to feel each other's body, but we stayed that way. Walking ten centimeters away from one another. He was taller than me, but enough to not make him look like my younger brother.

"Obviously, I'm at it. It's fun to meet your parents and brother. I think they like me."

The braggart Asis was with him today. I could imagine him grinning when he said that.

"Wow. Should have kept that to yourself."

"I'm not trying to piss you off. Just telling the truth," he had that wide smile on his face. "You already said yes. No turning back, Conde."

"I know. Stop repeating the words I said."

"Your parents really like me. Ely's also nice. I think I wouldn't have a hard time pleasing your family."

"That's how they treat guests."

"Really?"

"Really, Asis. Hospitality is a practice in our home just like in yours."

"Well, I couldn't agree more. See you next week, Conde. Your dad has invited me for lunch and a game or two of NBA. We'll be constantly seeing each other on weekends."

"Oh, my. Lord have mercy on me."

"He never told you but he could play guitar. I could tell you he's favorite color is green. He loves to argue. Born on the 17th. He's sister is beautiful. He has his father's eyes."