“I was just worried. Sorry.”

His eyelids droop. He continues pedaling the bicycle until we reach the rusty gate of our house.

I immediately went down when he attempted to supported me.

"Thank you."

I never looked at him again and quickly open the steel lock of our gate.

“No prob—”

Reluctantly, I closed the gate.

I bite my lip as I put my ear near the gate's surface. It's only the noise from the vehicles passing by.

Is he not leaving yet?

After minutes of contemplating whether I should open the gate or not, I hear a wheel shrieking against the road, like he's turning the bicycle around. I sigh. It seems like there's no need to open the gate anymore.

I walk inside the two-storey house. Mom is in the living room, crocheting. The TV is on but she is not watching.

I kiss her cheeks, even though I only get to see the same reaction. Blank eyes that seem to haven't touch affection for a while.

After I had my dinner, I immediately took a shower. As the sound of water coming out of the faucet envelops the atmosphere, my mind couldn’t help but travel and recall what happened these past few days.

Why did I see him again when I was on the verge of forgetting his face? I wouldn't have remembered everything if I didn't happen to see him again. After I bumped into him atn the quadrangle, he seems to always show up everywhere.

It's been a long day. A tiring one, honestly. I've never been so drained like this, both physical and emotional. I jump on the bed after. A plain ceiling is the only witness for the whole night to my promises about avoiding Rico as much as possible from now on.

I close my eyes. The world around me has shut down for the mean time but the echoes of my thoughts keep on replaying in my mind.

Arriving at the gate of St. Angelus High School the next morning, I confidently walk with my chin held high for this time, I am now wearing my complete uniform. However, I halted when saw who was at the entrance.

I'm so unlucky!

I thought that he was just monitoring there yesterday. Why is he there even until now? Don't tell me that he's going to be guarding there from now on?

I trace Rico's face from his crumpled forehead, meeting eyebrows, glaring eyes that give more intense because of its hawkish shape, and to the ears turning red. His facial expression says it all. He's in a bad mood today. When he turns to look at me, I immediately avoid his gaze.

“Avoid, avoid, avoid. Avoid as much as possible,” I whisper to myself.

My sight caught a student who walks pass at me. I can see a lace around the student's neck.

Lace?

A small roar of nervousness broke out in my chest. I immediately rubbed my neck. I don’t feel lace.
Where's my ID?!

I place my palm on my forehead when I remember that I didn't get it from Rico yesterday. I nervously dug into my skirt pocket for the coin to pay. There, I have it!

Rico is gawking at the students passing by the gate. I felt my cheeks turn crimson red because my ID is actually hanging around his neck together with his own. Currently, he is wearing two IDs. My lips pout. I think... I slightly turned shy.

I don't know how to approach him after what I've done yesterday. Should I clear my throat to catch his attention? Maybe I should just walk closer to him and act normal.

But as I got closer, my plans were gone. Forcing a smile, the corners of my mouth turn up. My front teeth are exposed. I stand in front of him, but in a clear distance.

“Uhm... the...my... ”

I covered my lips when he bent down and came closer. One of his thick eyebrow raises as his eyes glisten like he's entertained. I clear my throat and look at him directly.

“I wanna get my ID. I'll pay the fines!”

I aggressively point at the other ID he's wearing. He smiles. It reveals his pearly white teeth that resemble those who models a toothpaste commercial.

Rico turned to the guard. “Mr. Cruz, please lend me the list,” he said.

I held the twenty peso coin tightly. I feel like a stump standing at the front of a white slanting table as Rico searched for my name in the large notebook. His hands rested on the table. I notice some prominent veins on it. I immediately return my stare at his face. His forehead crumples in focus as he turns the pages of the logbook.

“Here. Twenty pesos,” Rico says, pointing at my name. My palms are sweating furiously. I slowly put down the coin I was holding. I could see Rico's eyebrows rise when he saw that. He shifts his head.

“I would have charged you yesterday in case you closed your gate on me immediately.”

My eyeballs almost popped out from their sockets when I heard what he has said. The guilt I felt yesterday couldn't compare to the embarrassment I am experiencing today. My chest is thumping louder than my thought processes that I feel the relief when Rico fixes his standing posture. He gets the five pesos but returns the fifteen pesos from me. I wondered looking up at him.

"Why?"

He shrugs his shoulders and looks away. I could hear Clint approaching our seat, whistling and smiling. The teasing face turned to Rico.

"It seems like you have a reason to approach her again," he said.

What is this boy saying? Why would Rico need a reason to approach me? Why did Rico return it? Now, I still owe him fifteen pesos.

“Shut up.” Rico grits his teeth.

All of a sudden, his grin is gone and is replaced by a sour grimace. I can taste a bitter mood at the edge of my tongue caused by a sunken hope.

“Eh? Isn't it...?”

Rico glances at me once more before he finally gets the fifteen pesos from me. Thorn, I stare at him. They say, women are confusing. I didn't know that men can be, too. Well, maybe indecisiveness has nothing to do with gender.

Rico returns my ID before turning his back on us as my eyes just follow him. He goes back to where he has earlier and concentrates on monitoring the incoming students. I throw a sharp glare at Clinton who is now pretending to be innocent.