The school was fine. We didn't do much. It was just a short amount of time since we didn't have anything left to study.
We just reviewed all the topics we discussed throughout the whole year and talked about what we learned.
And then the bell rang. We all ran out of our room and, just like in the past few years, we let our papers fly through the air.
Here comes one new summer.
Sofia went home earlier than me. Her dad picked her up. And I took the bus.
Ven was the only one I had in my mind as I was walking to our house. I imagined what he looks like after a year and what his reaction would be when he sees me.
He flooded my phone with thousands of messages updating me about where they are already. But I couldn't answer any of them because I was at school.
"Hey!" I heard a deep voice calling from afar.
I looked up from the ground and found a blonde guy slowly approaching me wearing a mint green hoodie. He smiled at me.
The moment I realized it was Ven, time stopped. Everything around me froze. I was focused on him. In the background, his family was putting out all the boxes from their car. The same old one they used the first time I saw them here.
"Hi," I greeted back. He grew a lot.
He's much taller now.
His hair is more blonde than before.
He looks better.
He's cuter.
Though it was just last year that we last saw each other, everything has changed. "You look... beautiful. But could have been better with your glasses." He got straight to the point right when we got close to each other.
I took a deep breath and slightly laughed. "I'm better off without them."
"How was the last day of first-year college?" He asked with a different topic.
"Chaotic." I was being honest.
"How come?" The small amount of smile on his face is better than ever. Since the day he tripped and I helped him out, he always smile when he talks to me and was never grumpy ever again. But now, I can say that I've never seen him smile like this.
"I'll tell you later." I took a step and tapped his back.
Then I saw his sisters waving at me which made me wave at them back. "Hey, guys!" I screamed.
But from behind me, I heard him say again. "Wanna have fun with a karaoke tonight?" His voice was energetic enough to make me want to do it. But I reminded myself, that I have to make this summer different in order to make the way he looks at me different as well. I have to keep on acting like I don't care as much as I used to before. As if I matured.
I am determined to do it. Because all these years, he has been looking at me like one of his sisters. For once I want him to see me as someone he can love. Not just someone he can sing in the karaoke with.
"Sorry, got to go to a party tonight." I saw the disappointment on his face despite the smile trying to hide it.
"Okay, that's... great. Enjoy!" I smiled, nodded, then walked away.
Mission accomplished!
I guess that's going to give me at least one point.
"Hey, Jaraiah." Selena greeted.
I just smiled at them and opened the door as I rushed to my room.
I locked it, then threw my bag into a corner.
I lay on my bed.
This is my only safe place.
The smile drawn on my face showed how excited I am.
I formed into a curve and hid my smile of excitement. I want to scream, shout, and express everything. But I'm scared to be heard.
I want this summer to be all-new and not like the other ones.
Even if it's with the same old people, I want things to be different.
Extraordinary.
I picked up my phone from my side when I saw Sofia's name and picture on it. "Hey! What's up? I'm home."
"Are you coming to the party tonight?" She asked straight to the point.
"Yeah, I guess. Do I have a choice? How else should I spend this night?" I sarcastically said.
"Won't you be having karaoke with Ven and his sisters tonight?"
"Nah, that's too usual."
"What do you mean?"
"I want to try something different."
"You mean something not you, right? Don't get me wrong."
"Yeah,"
"Why?"
"I just want to."
"Okay. But who will you come with?"
"No one. Just by myself. I'll take a taxi or the bus."
"Do you know where it is?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Okay, bye! See you there!" She turned the phone down and ended it.
After changing my clothes, I ran down the stairs and found Ven sitting in our same old spot. The staircase of their garden. I smiled and ran to him.
"Hey," I greeted and sat next to him.
"What's up?" He greeted me back and left a space for me.
"Won't you really come tonight?" He asked.
"Well, I would love to do the usual. But maybe we can do it some other time? This party will only be for tonight. Thus, it's a celebration of us, 1st-year college students as we survived the school year." He nodded.
"Okay, the last thing I could say is to enjoy and have fun." I know he's disappointed with what I said. But I can't take it back anymore if I want to prove myself.
"How was Germany?"
"The same. Nothing new, nothing different. Just the usual, just as how it used to." I've never been there. But I remember, when we were kids, he promised to take me there. Perhaps he already forgot that.
"What about you? How are you? You look so much different compared to how you looked when we last met last year." I chuckled.
"Nah,"
"Nah? No more glasses, white highlights, clear skin, and saying no to the karaoke night you used to remind me of. How is that Nah?"
"It's just for tonight."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Are you sulking?"
"Me? Sulking? Never."
"I can tell it with your voice."
"Why do you have to attend that party? You never attended one before."
"Trust me, this one's different." Because I won't let it be the same.