Shandy cannot help but to blush. Her heart was still racing and her hands were still trembling. After seeing the old carton shoe box, a lot of memories about River came to her mind. She bit her lips to suppress her smile, “calm down! Calm down please, your family would surely tease you and you don’t want that! So calm down.” She tried to inhale and exhale, although a bit worried, she reached for the box and hid it again under her bed.

She didn’t walk straight downstairs as Sharmaine shouted out loud that even the whole neighborhood probably heard it. She shook her head and then stood in front of the stairs where Sharmaine was standing in front of her – waiting for her with a grin on the face.

“So, you still think about him, huh?” Sharmaine said her grin won’t fade away which makes Shandy more flustered but she composed herself. Shandy kept her cool and then smirked, “of course… NO! I just saw that box and I was curious about it because I cannot even remember why it was there.” She walked past Sharmaine and walked straight to the kitchen to help her mother.

“Are you sure?!” Shaun who was now in front of his computer stared cluelessly at her two sisters. Instead of helping her mother to clean the house, he faced the computer and started cleaning it. “Who is River again?” He asked Sharmaine. Sharmaine rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, “her first love. You know, the reason why she used to sneak out when she was in high school” It was still fresh to her memory, all the things that her sister did when Shandy was still in high school.

Her mother was cooking the rice and reheating the sinigang – a soup or stew characterized by its sour and savory taste. It is most often associated with tamarind, although it can use other sour fruits and leaves as the souring agent – while sweeping the floor. She heard what Sharmaine shouted and she couldn't help but to be worried about her daughter – Shandy.

“Mom? I can’t find the duster. Have you seen it?” Shena immediately shook her head, “you didn’t find it in your room?” Shandy shook her head and smelled the savory smell of sinigang which overpowered the smell of the old house, “you didn’t find it but you found something else instead?” Shandy’s lips formed an inverted “u” and then pouted at her mother. “Stop!”
Shena came near her daughter and sweetly asked, “you can tell us about River, come one. Are you really over?” Shandy’s brows furrowed, “I was so over him but all of you here were not.”

Sharmaine helped clean up the dining table and set the food on the table so they could all finally eat, “are you sure you are over him? Such a waste, did you know that River is a billionaire now? He owns a lot of restaurants! Not just here at San Joaquin but also at the nearby provinces and cities.” Sharmaine said as a matter of fact. Shandy’s eyes widened but she made sure no one saw that surprised look on her face.

“Really? Then good for him.” Shandy sat on the chair, “enough with that computer! Come over here Shaun.” Their mother sat on the table and held-out her hand so they could all held-hands. She led the prayer and they all started to eat without changing the topic that they were talking about a while ago.

“You aren’t curious about River? Are you sure, not even a bit?” Sharmaine said, Shandy smiled from ear to ear, “I am very sure! It’s been five years, gosh move on everyone!” Sharmaine doesn’t want to be nosy but she knew that her sister really loved River. She was worried that Shandy was trying to fake a smile and being hard on herself.

On the other hand, Shandy didn’t expect that River would be that successful. She lost contact with him and she did not try to contact him ever again, even searching him on facebook, or trying to know what happened in his life. None. It just happened and then she realized that five years had passed and now she’s back at San Joaquin without even thinking about River at all. A day did not even pass and here they are talking about the past that she left.

“Hush! I don’t want to hear anything about him.” She covered her one ear with her left hand while still eating with her right hand. It was the only time when Shaun finally caught up with what his family was talking about, “woah! River. Shandy’s crush in high school. The two of you didn’t have a formal break-up right?” Shandy immediately glared at Shaun and stood up on her chair while murmuring, “we didn’t even become official, so no break-ups needed.”

“Your computer loads faster than your brain does.” Sharmaine remarked to Shaun, their mother cannot help but to shake her head because of her children’s attitudes.

After lunch, everyone went into their room. Shaun has his room downstairs while his mother and two sisters have their own room upstairs. They are not living a fancy life yet they are not that poor as well. Shandy is a freelance artist, Shaun is a first year college pursuing Bachelor of Science in Information Technology while Sharmaine is a third year college student who studies Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. Both of them were scholars.

Sharmaine went back to her room to clean it. When she closed the door of her room, she stood there for a minute and then stared at her bed. “Goodness! Shut up mind! Move and clean your room.” She whispered to herself. She breathed in and out before she started moving.

It took her so long as everytime she sees something inside her room, she’s trying to remember why she has those. She put on her art materials inside and all her belongings that were from her aunt Melanie who passed away. She tried to suppress her tears and then a knock interrupted her, “K-kalista’s here. Come down Shandy.” It was Shaun. She smirked and immediately thought of the ways he could pay back and tease her brother. “Who was there?” She went near the door but she didn’t open it, “it’s Kalista. She’s looking for you.” She smirked, “tell her to wait a sec. I’ll be downstairs.”

Shaun’s heart was racing. When Kalista came, she rushed upstairs and called her sister immediately. Kalista must have found out that their family is going home today with Shandy. When her sister told her to talk with Kalista and tell her to wait a second, his palms started to sweat. His eyeglasses seemed to be blurry and his lips were tied.

Shaun liked Kalista. He didn’t know when and how it happened. He just woke up one day and then he can’t stop thinking about her. Everytime he sees Kalista, all he can do is stutter and stare at her beautiful face intently.

“C-can’t you just come down? Or let’s go downstairs together.” Shandy laughed at her brother. “You know my best friend’s type is a guy who won’t stutter in front of her.” Of course, Shandy knows this. Everyone in their family knows how much he likes Kalista. He didn’t tell them, they all just concluded by the way he acted in front of her and when they confronted him about it, he was not able to lie.

“Stop teasing me and get out of your room!” Shandy finally opened the door, she looked at Shaun. “My best friend won’t ever like you.” She said and then went downstairs. Shaun cussed in a low tone and scratched his nape. He followed her sister downstairs and went straight to his computer.

As soon as Shandy went downstairs, Kalista came running towards her and hugged her tightly. “Shandy?! SHANDY! I missed you so much!” It was the first time again that they saw each other after five years. Kalista looked even more matured and her skin has become fairer. “I miss you sexy!” Kalista said and looked at Shandy’s whole body before pulling her into a hug once more.

“I know! Who wouldn’t miss me, right?” The two of them laughed and then sat on the couch. “How are you? How have you been?” The two best friends catched-up. “Do you want a drink? Don’t you have work today?” Shandy asked, “no thanks and none. It’s Sunday for God’s sake! And I missed my best friend so one day out of work, it would be nothing.” Shandy giggled with what Shandy had said.

“So how are you?” Kalista is Shandy’s best friend. They were classmates ever since elementary and up to high-school. They get along together so well and have become like partners-in-crime ever since. “An hour won’t be enough for us to catch-up with everything!” Shandy agreed. “Why don’t you sleepover, like when we were in high school?” The two of them giggled as they reminisced it, “you’re right but I have work tomorrow. I'll be absent for you by Friday so I could sleep over and we could come to the reunion together!” Kalista said excitedly.

What Kalista said made Shandy’s brows furrowed, “reunion?”

“Reunion! Yes, reunion… wait, what? You didn’t receive an email or no one contacted you?” Shandy shook her head. She’s not that active in any social media and she has a new email account that she uses for business, she already forgot her personal email account that she used before.

“N-n, no I am not sure.” A day still hasn't passed and yet so many things are happening. “We have a reunion next week!” Shandy doesn’t know what to say, she’s unsure if she will come or not. “Next week? I don’t feel like coming.” She stood up and went straight to the kitchen to get a glassful of cold water. Kalista followed her, “come one girl! We missed you, and the class surely missed you. Because who wouldn’t miss you, right?” Kalista was trying to convince her.

“I-I don’t know. Let’s talk about it when you’re here on Friday.” Kalista shook her head, “come on! Everyone in section A would come and you’re already here, so what’s stopping you?” Kalista looked at her intently, Shandy made sure she wouldn't meet Kalista’s eyes. “Shandy? What’s stopping you?” Kalista walked near Shandy while glaring at her.

The glassful of water fell on the floor. “RIVER!” Shandy exclaimed in shock and held her heart as the glass shattered.