Chapter 15: The Emerald Sandejas

This is the first time I came here with someone. The first time I laughed again for a long time and I never thought it will be with Emerald. The person who loathe me so much was the first person to see me being just myself and laughing with her. Emerald, you never fail to amaze me.

Jaden's POV

"I used to love playgrounds," Emerald said while smiling at the children playing hide and seek. We're still at our spot just like before and already finished eating our ice creams. "But I eventually grew tired of it."

"Don't you have a lot of friends before?" I asked and she rolled her eyes.

"Says you who only have one friend in class." I chuckled at her.

I stared at her, long enough to notice how calm she was and I couldn't help but smile a little. The wind was slightly blowing her hair and I watched as she tucked the loose strands of it behind her ear. She slowly smiled, dimples on her cheeks then turned to look at me. I should look away when she caught me staring at her but I didn't. We just stared at each other's eyes, caught up in the moment, until I broke eye contact first when I felt that strange and familiar feeling that I once felt with Chubby.

"I did actually have other friends—before," I managed to say, breaking the silence and shoving off that familiar feeling whenever I stare at Emerald's brown eyes.

"I did too but—" she furrowed her eyebrows and looked at me, confused. "Why am I even sharing this with you?" I wanted to laugh at her but I just composed myself and stood up from the bench I was sitting on earlier and sat beside her, not too close but just enough to breathe in her lingering perfume. She just looked at me and I fought the urge to smile when she didn't argue or sat away from me.

"It's because you consider me as a friend now?" She furrowed her eyebrows more and I can't help but chuckle at her.

"I don't—"

"We're seatmates, research partners, you handed me the study guide and I treated you an ice cream," I said while counting on my hands. "It's basically saying we're friends now."

"I thought you clearly said that we're never gonna be friends?" She crossed her arms, raised her eyebrows, and waited for me to say something.

"I take it back. You're not so bad if you're just being you. I like the Emerald I see today. The one who likes strawberry ice cream and the one I'm sitting with today. If we can talk like this without cursing at each other, I guess four months of being research partners won't be bad." She avoided my eyes and bit her lower lip.

I notice how Emerald oftentimes does that when she's thinking hard or fighting the urge to punch me in the face but I find her little habit adorable that I wanted to tease her all the time just to see her reaction again.

"F-Fine, whatever." She looked back again at the laughing children and sighed. "Don't ditch class again for a week because you just feel like it. You can't solve your problems if you kept running away from it."

"I don't have any problem—"

"You wouldn't bring me in here if you're not feeling frustrated or trying to escape reality as what you've said earlier and being sick for a week is a lame excuse if I see you being more than okay for a sick person." I chuckled and she just narrowed her eyes at me. "And playgrounds aren't always happy. There's this one kid out there who doesn't have someone to call a friend or to play with." She's right. Chubby at that time doesn't have any friends until I came but I left her too.

"Are you speaking from your experiences?" I asked because I was curious about how she can say something like that. She just shrugged her shoulders and her smile before faltered.

"No, I'm not. I don't like playmates when I was a kid." I wanted to ask why but I don't want to upset her.

"To be honest, I only had one close friend when I was a kid," I suddenly said, trying to brighten up the mood. "She's the first person who wanted to play with me and she's the first person I always wanted to be with." Emerald looked at me a bit surprised but I just scratched my nape, suddenly feeling stupid for saying those things to her.

"So, you're a love-struck boy at a very young age," I avoided her curious gaze at me and cleared my throat. "You said had, what happened then?"

There was a minute of silence between us and I was internally debating whether to tell her or not. She looked at me and waited for my answer, her brown eyes scanning mine and I instantly wanted to tell her everything but I held back. She will be a temporary person whom I just met as Jaden Samaniego. I will soon disappear from her perfect life and I should not drag her into my messed up life. There's this selfishness in me again, I wanted her to be in my life but how could I ruin hers when she deserves much more than just a jerk who has father issues?

"You're suddenly interested in my life." I tried averting the topic from me and she frowned, showing discontent when I stopped sharing what I shouldn't have shared with her.

"Since you said we're friends now, I should know more about you. It's compulsory in starting friendships—if you're not aware." I find it funny how she used the term friends now just to have some information about me.

"I didn't know such conditions in friendships." She groaned and gave up pushing me to tell more while I was trying so hard not to laugh at her frustrated face.

"You're still a jerk!" And I ended up laughing at her again.

Emerald's POV

It was already 6 PM when I arrived home. Mom was sitting on the couch, holding her phone and she stood up when she noticed me enter the house. I greeted her and kissed her cheek.

"Where have you been? I was starting to get worried when you're still not at home by 4. I thought we agreed to bake some cookies." She looked at me and made sure that I was okay and then waited for my explanations.

I always tell everything to my mom because she's my only best friend and I love her and—I made her worry. How could I forget about our supposed-to-be daughter and mother bonding?

"I'm sorry, mom. I had to meet my research partner and give him some study guide to help him cope with the lessons." She eyed me and slightly nodded, not buying everything I just said.

"Mom! He's was sick for a week and Daniel was the one to hand him the study guide but can't because he was in a hurry so I ended up being the one giving it to him and then I was a bit mad at him for—"

"Wait," mom suddenly said and looked at me surprised. I was ready for a lot of explaining to do but she talked again. "You're talking to Daniel—you're friends now?" Mom beamed happily like it was what she wanted ever since she'd known Daniel.

I was talking and explaining a lot of things but she only focused on the part where Daniel and I just talked?! Well, she always fancied me and Daniel being together because Daniel's mom and my mom are BFFs.

"Mom!" I groaned in frustrations and went straight to my room and mom was trailing me behind giggling at the idea of me and Daniel.

"Okay, I'm sorry sweetie." I was sitting on the couch in my bedroom and she was sitting on my side, smiling at me.

I know this conversation is still not over until she knows everything about my day today. So basically my mom is my diary which was okay with me because she's the one who knew me best.

"So, you're were with your research partner? But your driver said that he took you somewhere?" She asked again.

"Because I was mad at him mommy, for not even thanking me for giving him the study guide."

"And after that, he took you somewhere?" I nodded and she smiled at me.

He must have been feeling guilty and because of his ego, he couldn't say a simple sorry and just took me to his favorite place. I didn't honestly expect him to bring me there. I never expected to see this side in Jaden and I was surprised when he told me about the girl he became friends with. I thought he was just a total jerk but when he mentioned that that girl is the first-ever person he wanted to be with, I saw how genuine he was, and maybe—just maybe he's not a total jerk.

"So he took you on a date—"

"Mom! It's not a date, okay? He just took me to a playground and had some ice cream—"

"Sweetie, it's called a date," I wanted to say something but mom looked ahead with dreamy eyes, recalling her past with dad. "I remember when I used to date your dad, he's just like your research partner. He never says anything and takes me out on a date without me knowing it and—"

"Mommy! It's not a date! It's his way of apologizing to me and a way of us becoming friends!" I exasperated and mom just chuckled at me. She cooed at me and sighed.

She likes it so much when she still treats me like a child and I got used to it since I'm the only daughter and the youngest of her two children.

"Alright, it's not. Mommy is just happy that you're hanging out with your classmates." She caressed my cheek and I sighed in contentment and smiled at her. She went out of my room after a while to prepare dinner and I was left alone to have some peace.

It was quite a tiring day and I went to my walk-in closet to change. I was looking for comfortable clothes to wear when my eyes landed on the jewelry rack. It is out-shinned by my other pieces of jewelry but for me, it is the only thing I see. I suddenly remembered who I gave the other pair of it.

13 years ago

"Emmie? It's getting late. Maybe we should go home--" I shook my head and clutched the ring in my hand. I looked around to see if he comes or if he was running in my direction but still, he was nowhere to be seen.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to wail and throw a tantrum because he promised to be here. He promised to see me. We promised to give each other our names.

"Emmie, he's here," my driver happily said and pointed the boy I waited for almost two hours. He's not alone now unlike before and he's escorted by a man. He saw me and I ran in his direction, excited to give my name to him. I hugged him and he greeted me with a smile.

"I thought you're not coming!" He didn't look at me and I noticed him not wearing the ring I gave him. "What's wrong?" He only answered me by handing me back the ring. "Why?"

"I'm saying goodbye." I looked at him and the boy I once considered as a friend, was replaced by a boy who looks at me like he didn't even know me.

"Are you going somewhere? You're not coming back—"

"I don't wanna be your friend anymore!" He yelled at me and I flinched in fear from his angry voice. I was never been treated like this. Yes, kids my age don't play with me because of how I look but they never did this to me. "I just played with you because I pitied you." He looked away from me and I saw him clench his fist.

"I-I thought y-you wanted t-to b—"

"Who wants to play with you? You're too pathetic for me. I don't want to see you again!" Tears I didn't notice before, kept falling from my cheeks. I looked down, feeling the pain of being alone again. Why did I ever think of him being different from any other kids? I thought he was kind, honest and trustworthy. I thought he likes me.

"W-why a-are you so m-mean to me? Wh-what did I do wrong?" My small voice breaking as my tears continued to fall.

"I don't want to see you again. I don't want to be friends with someone like you and I felt embarrassed whenever other kids see us together. I was just forced to play with you because I feel bad for you but you're making these ridiculous rings and promises and I hate it. Who wants to stay beside you until you grow old? Only a fool would."

"I hate you, Raven! I hate you so much! You didn't have to come in here and hurt me like this. I thought you were different from other kids! You could have just disappeared and never show your stupid face in front of me and I would wonder why you suddenly disappeared without saying goodbye rather than knowing the truth and hurting me like this!" I yelled and pushed him away. I wanted to run away from him but I looked back at him again with angry eyes--eyes full of hatred I never knew I had to the person I once like so much. "I will hate you until you die and wish I will never see you ever again!"

I looked at myself in the mirror after remembering my past. The past I could never forget. The past that led me to be the girl I am today. Gone is the ugly and fat Emmie they once knew. I flipped my hair and fixed myself with a smirk on my face.

"I wish you'd know my name. I wish to see you again one day and tell you my name so you won't forget what you did to me, Raven. No one forgets Emerald Sandejas."

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