Metanoia: A Change of Heart

Chapter XVII~ Thonia

Kennard guided me to Josh's house. We walked in their village where huge houses saluted the wide streets. This was not my first time to go to their house, but I still wasn't familiar. "I apologize for my friend. Josh was just acting weird but if you get to know him, you'll see he is actually nice and fun to be with."

I smirked at the topic he opened. "Don't worry, I'm used to people like him."

He frowned. "Something kept on bothering him lately."

"Thing?" He rang a bell to my curiosity.

He shrugged. " A week or two ago, he was disturbed by someone who he said sending quotes to him," Kennard shook his head and smiled. "Whoever that was, he or she had a great impact on my friend." So he did not tell his friends I was the one who made those sticks he received but the line about sending quotes to him? Gah, the guy was ambitious sometimes. I did not send those directly to him, to be clear!

Under the afternoon sun and the pinkish sky, I took photos from my camera, a gift from my brothers in my eighteenth birthday since I hated celebrating it for a personal reason. We walked in silence until the road became familiar and I saw his house. He knocked then Fredd opened. "Visitors in," he gave us a salute with funny straight face. "Yes, sir!" I gave the salute back then we laughed.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Josh emerged at the view. I stopped laughing and gave him a tiny wave. "Come in," his face was neutral as he gestured us in. I looked at Fredd and Kennard who patted my back as if to say "Don't him, imagine this wasn't his home."

Before we even took a turn to the arch going to the living room, Gabe surprised me with the snap from his own camera, much expensive than my brand. "Cheese!" I blinked to the bright flash. Kennard chased him just to give him a pinch on the stomach. Gabe plucked Kennard's ears. It was fun watching them like children. I wondered how crazy this bond had years ago compared to now.

"You can put your bag down." I was surprised to see Joshua standing beside me. I nodded and placed my backpack by the coffee table.

"A knuckle?" he sat on the sofa and leaned down to touch the hard rubber knuckle chained on the zipper of my bag.

"Yeah," I sat beside him but took a little distance. "From my brothers."

"They might be very protective."

I shrugged, after ignoring my friendly approach earlier, how could he touch my things. "Well, sometimes."

Kennard and Gabe stopped chasing each other and were now drinking water and sitting beside Stephen on the other sofa set in the room. "What do these dudes have to do here?" Gabe asked. He must be referring to Kennard, but where was Fredd?

To answer my question, Fredd walked down from the stairs. "We're here to enjoy ourselves, playing Josh's video games while you dudes are busy with your publication thingy." Fredd and his girlfriend carried Joshua's xBox and controllers with different DVD games. Mary, his girlfriend with red hair, smiled at me. We had few classes together. I gave her a wave.

"Come on!" Gabe made a face and stood. Without his knowledge, Stephen pulled his PE pants down, revealing his pink flamingo boxers. We all laughed while Gabe sat down and pulled his pants up. Even Joshua laughed beside me. "I hate life," Gabe said opening his phone and scrolled. After a while he showed a picture of Stephen during his Middle School days. The camera was zoomed in his nosetrils and his eyes were bigger than usual. Stephen snatched his phone and they struggled against each other.

I laughed because it was funny, and I also laughed because I admit their laughter was contagious. The kind of laughter once you heard, you wouldn't be able to force yourself not to laugh. Joshua was beside me and I could tell this was one of his most crazy laughs. I did not know these boys for long but I did know they were a very happy group. I met Fredd in one of my classes; Gabe and Stephen in the StuPub; and Kennard in whom I asked help for a question in Math during one class in a different subject. We all became groupmates and eventually class buddies since I did not have lots of friends unlike my other classmates who actually had at least one bestfriends per class. While for Joshua, he was in my English class... And for some inexplicable reason, I did not know they were friends with each other.