"Honestly, our class adviser has a point in what she said earlier. That you and Mia are a perfect combination," it was Roy.
Recess time and like before they are under a giant tree while eating a banana cue.
"You saw me again," Erik growled, shaking his head one after the other, and then finished what he was eating and also the coconut juice in the paper cup.
"What do you dislike about Mia? That young lady is so beautiful, I think she has everything a man wants," William commented then poked his side using his elbow.
Erik didn't move and just sighed instead.
It's not that he doesn't like Mia. The truth is that he likes her very much and wants to be her friend. But his heart has been beating for somebody else for a long time. And that is Keira, his best friend and childhood friend whom he doesn't understand why is that she keeps avoiding him.
But no one knew then. No one knows that he has feelings for Keira. Because for him, that's not what others need to know, not even the young lady.
He will also leave and stay in Canada for good. Because Erik believes that sometimes there are feelings that are better to remain secret, especially if you know that the future is unclear for that or it can destroy a happy relationship.
"I don't dislike her, and what you said is true, she already has everything a man can like in a woman," that was true. And that was also true inside him.
"That's it," William elbowed him again. "You know if I had the kind of brain that you have, Mia would be the one I would date and take seriously. It's not that I don't like Bernie, but Mia is too nice for him. Do you know how I feel about that man? I think he is too nice. Too good to be true. In other words, the great pretender," his friend continued saying.
Erik shook his head and sighed. "Stop it, someone might hear you. You don’t want to start a fight with Bernie, right? You are a part of a graduating class and being involved in a fistfight will definitely ruin your good reputation here,” he scolded then stood up to go back to their classroom. "One more thing, don't tease me with Mia anymore. You know she's shy, I don’t want to give her a reason to avoid me completely," as he walked with the two in the same direction that will lead them all to their classroom.
"Who are you going to ask on a date to the prom? You know being in the cotillion doesn’t mean you can date Mia, automatically, right? You need to ask someone,” it was Roy.
Erik just shrugged his shoulders. His last girlfriend recently broke up with him, so in fact, he doesn't know anyone who can date him. Except for Keira, but that's vague because the girl doesn't talk to him very much.
"I don't want to worry about that for now. So please you two, can you drop the topic for now? Our teacher just said that you guys are both very much problematic about it. We still have a month," he said, wanting to get his friends to stop.
Roy and William were both silent when he said that. Inside their classroom, he immediately returned to his seat. Then he leaned his head against the wall and glanced at Mia's chair with her things and bag there.
She’s probably with Bernie again.
Because that lad doesn’t leave Mia’s side. That is why sometimes he seems to want to think that they are in a relationship.
He was in such a state when the young lady who was on his mind at that moment entered the room. None other than Mia. When she turned to him and caught him looking at her, he immediately looked away. He knew Bernie was next to enter their classroom, and he was not wrong.
It was time for them to go home when Mrs. De Jesus summoned him and Mia to the Faculty Office. Their teacher just told them that as top honor students they will be the lead pair of those who will dance the cotillion so they should wear nice clothes. That was also the reason why for the second time he was able to walk home with Mia.
And unexpectedly, because the weather has been hot all day and in the past few days, the sky has suddenly become cloudy. When they reached the tricycle parking lot, it happened that there wasn't even a single rider in line there, so they had no other choice but to walk.
"Don't worry, I have my umbrella with me. If it rains, let's share," he said to Mia who saw a worried look on her face when they started walking home.
Mia hesitated based on the smile that tore her lips. He knows that Mia is shy. And he understands that it is normal for her to act like that because she really is a shy type of person.
"Do you know how to dance the waltz?" he asked Mia a few moments later.
That's when Mia successively shook her head and then looked up at him.
"Oh, I'm not very good at dancing. I just don't have a choice aside from the fact that I also don't want to disappoint our teachers, so I have to do that," Mia said as they were walking home.
"That's okay, I'll teach you how," what he said was true inside him.
When he said that, Mia looked at him again and looked up at him with questions in her eyes. "Are you serious?" she asked him.
Erik laughed softly at the question. "Sure," he said.
Mia smiled shyly and then bowed her head. "I know that you are good at dancing. I can still remember when we were in elementary. You were always among those who were made to dance by our teachers when there was a program. I was wondering why you didn't join the dance club this high school?"
"I'd rather focus on my studies this year. You know, you're a tough competitor," he joked.
Mia smiled again when he said that.
And even if he didn't admit it, he knew that a part of his heart was touched by the young lady's beautiful smile on him.
"I just want to ask you something," then he decided to ask the girl something that had puzzled him for a long time.
"What is that?" Mia replied to him with a question.
"Is Bernie your boyfriend?" he was nervous, but he didn't know why.
Mia just shook her head. "We are friends," she said.
He nodded then started to feel a little shy. "I'm sorry if my question seems too personal, I'm just curious because you two are always together," he continued to explain to defend himself from anything that might come up in Mia's mind because of his question.
"It's okay," Mia replied, even giving him a smile that seemed to say that it was okay and that he had nothing to worry about.
He doesn't understand, maybe if he's with another woman now, he might think Mia is boring to be with. But for him, despite her being straight to the point in answering his questions. Even with the short words she uses, he enjoys talking to her.
Maybe because despite all that he could read the feelings in her eyes and even in her beautiful face.
That's true. And he had to admit that for him Mia was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and met.
Mia is a mestiza, her hair is straight and black with a length that reaches her waist.
Mia's eyebrows are also dark and naturally lined. The kind that could easily be mistaken as drawn. She has long and curly eyelashes, and light brown round eyes. Her lips are naturally red, her nose is perfect.
Mia is also tall with a slim body. But that is not noticed much because of her conservative way of clothing.
Her complexion is so smooth that it turns reddish when exposed to the heat of the sun.
Beautiful, smart, and kind. A woman who is not difficult to like. But Keira is the one he loves, and Mia, he won't be able to include them among his girlfriends whom he knows won't last long. In other words, short time.
He cannot consider her as one of his past time because, for him, Mia is the type of woman who deserves to wear a beautiful wedding gown and be presented at the altar of the church to be married.