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Chapter 29: Weird

29  Weird

"So, had anyone asked you, yet?" June queried as they were eating their lunch together. "Or had you asked anyone, yet?

Nicky shook her head. She was more worried on fixing the venue and the stage for the Junior and Senior Prom than finding a partner. On the first week of February, she had been meeting up with the student government and some of the faculty to discuss how to go about the program flow and logistics for the prom night. They had only one more week to get ready for it.

"I'm going with my cousin," June said. "I heard Jesse still hadn't had someone to go with."

Nicky shrugged. "I wouldn't mind going with him. Maybe I should ask him, then."

"So you're cool if he'd be me more interested in checking out the guys and won't even bat an eye on you?"

"I don't really care if he's gay," Nicky replied. "At least, he's not boring. Besides, I'm doing the emcee thing. So I'd be ccupied either way."

Everyone was all about whom to go with for JS Prom. It was sort of mandatory the juniors and seniors must have someone to go with—somewhat like a partner—or a date—but not always for every case. Mostly it was just someone to go with for prom night so no one would look like a wallflower during the occasion. And unlike the previous years where the teachers choose who should pair up with who, mostly based on height, it had already been practiced that students could now choose for themselves who to go with, provided that juniors should go with seniors and vice versa. A pair of juniors or a pair of seniors going to prom together is not allowed. But mingling with anyone once you're in there already was okay—as long as you were still seated with the person you came with.

"I've heard Red would be going with Annie," June suddenly blurted. "It was Annie who actually asked him."

Nicky stared at her.

"Oh, I forgot," June then said. "We were not supposed to talk about him, right? I totally forgot. And well, these past weeks, it just looks like you even forgot about him. Or at least that's what I notice."

Nicky didn't reply. She had been busy with her studies and in getting good grades for her Third Grading final exams. She had kept true to her new year's resolution and had been avoiding Red since the start of classes last month. Besides, she had also been overwhelmed with thoughts of college and her future. She had lost track of what had happened with the people around her. Or her classmates. And maybe she did forget about Red already. She was almost amazed at herself.

"You're acting weird lately, you know," June said in between a mouthful of her favorite dish, humba.

Nicky gave her a puzzled look.

"You're so-I don't know-detached. Like you have your own world or something."

"What?"

"You're here, but your mind seemed somewhere else. I'm afraid, you've lost it."

Nicky laughed. "I haven't, okay. I was just busy with school stuffs and all."

"Oh, okay. Just that, you scare me sometimes. You get fierce and intense during classes. You're hogging all the recitations. And then, after classes, you have that far-off gaze. You rarely talk with anyone. It's weirding me out. And not just me. People had been finding you more than weird, lately."

"Now, I'm weirded out, June."

June shrugged. "No, it's okay. Maybe, you're just nervous for the graduation. I get it."

Nicky looked at June. "Crap, hearing you, I totally sound like a total freak."

"You've always been a freak, Nicky."