The ride is like a bliss of a moment. I hug him tightly from the back like it is gonna be the last. I did not even realize that we are still in town. I just come back to my senses when Rico presses the brake. It causes the bicycle's wheels to screech against the rough road. Because of that, my forehead lightly collides with Rico's back.

“Sorry,” I whisper.

We also shop quickly. We just bought five organic eggs. Now, we are back to where the bike is.

I stare at him curiously. “How about that aloe vera?”

We did not find anything even after a few rounds in the market. We are not even sure if anyone is selling per pot here. He simply shrugs his shoulders as he looks at me with a lopsided grin.

He approached me and whispered. “Maybe I'll just steal one from our neighbor.”

I smile softly. “Crazy! You're gonna do that just for the grades?”

“Uh-huh, but when Auntie's broom chases me, I'll tell her that it's you who commanded me to do it!” he said and then laughed.

Sometimes this one also has loose screws, what? However, a chuckle also escapes my lips as our gazes interlock.

“Then I will act like I don't know you at all,” I utter. My eyes rolled.

“I was just kidding. But it's up to you if you want us to have grades in this activity,” he grunts.

His lower lip slightly protruded while looking at me. Is he - Is he acting cute? I sneer at him because of that.

After that, he glares at me. Maybe he wasn't too busy. I was just overwhelmed because we rarely talked like this. Might as well ride along with it.

“Ah, I'm bad, right? Should I break this, then?" I challenge him and lift the plastic bag containing the eggs. The playful look on his face is now gone.

“I was just kidding, hehe,” he says in his usual low baritone voice with a straight face.

I couldn't help but burst out laughing. I swear, that was the emotionless 'just kidding' I have ever heard!

Gradually, he frownsat me. He seems clueless that he just turned to be a laughing stock. “Why are you laughing?”

I calm myself before speaking but still remained smiling. “One more!”

“What else?”

“One more-”

I couldn't continue it anymore. I laugh again and again until air gives up on me. I just couldn't help it! I could just imagine Rico’s poker face while saying that I was automatically laughing. It becomes my guilty pleasure all of a sudden. He does not need to drop a joke for me to laugh so hard like this!

"Another ... another ‘just kidding’ with an emotionless tone,” I clearly tell this time. I feel my cheeks getting stretched too much.

When I calm down, I just notice that I was the only one laughing. Rico's thick eyebrows are furrowed while looking at me like I am some random crazy pauper who lives along the street.

“It's getting dark. We should go home by now.” He starts to turn the bike around.

“Another one. Please,” I insist after placing the eggs in the basket in front of the bicycle. I then settle at the seat on the back.

“Just kidding. There, happy now?”

I can hear the sarcasm in his voice. However, it does not fail to make me smile and giggle like a five-year old lad.

Fortunately, we finish shopping early because we even passed Clinton in front of St. Angelus High, impatience obvious on the grim face.

“You guys are so slow. Mama has been texting me,” he banters My cheeks blush with embarrassment. He stare at Rico so I was a little nervous.

“Oh, sorry bro  I feel like I'm too lazy to do your assignment,” Rico said and returned the bike.

I bite my lip while looking at the two. Rico is projecting a cocky smile while Clinton gulps repeatedly.

My vision returns to the former. A small drop of sweat is tracing his temple. It makes me want to wipe it out with my handkerchief I sewed years ago on which his name is embroidered beside a four-leaf clover stitch.

“Hey, I told you, you can borrow the bike whenever you want. I'm just going to walk home.”

Clint seems like he was only forced to say that. Nonetheless, Rico does the opposite. He draws near him and taps Clinton's shoulder, as usual, as if bidding a farewell.

“We will just walk, ” he says.

I'm glad about Rico's decision. It's really embarrassing to bother others when we can just do things alone without borrowing things necessary to them most of the time. Even though I am not very close to Clinton, I still can’t help but be shy.

“Yes, we will just walk. Thanks for letting him borrow your bicycle,” I softly utter and smile a bit to show gratitude. Even though I was annoyed with him last time, I still knew how to be ashamed, even just for a little bit.

And when we could only view Clinton's back getting farther, we have decided to start walking as the horizon's still shining. A silence envelops the atmosphere between us. It's merely a soft bumping of shoulders and tiny pit-a-pat sounds of our feet as we walk down the road. I hold the handle of plastic bag in front, my fingers are clasped awkwardly.

I hear him clears his throat. Never did I glance for I think it's just nothing, that maybe his throat is just randomly itchy or dry; I look towards the two-storey houses we pass by instead. In our small town, Collins Ville, the houses are usually concrete on the first floor but the upper parts are commonly built in woods. Strong woods finely shaped as walls, and with intricate details. We walk our way into the nearest block. Our house will be around the corner.

“Freesia.”

I halt for a moment, shocked for he calls me first. My grip on the plastic bag tightens as I glance at him through the curtains of my hair.

I raise an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

“Will you attend the prom?”

I shake my head.