Kalista glared at her best friend. Out of anyone in the world, she’s the only one who knew her best friend so well and her relationship with River. She was the one who was there ever since the love story of the two happened and she was also there when the two of them faded away as time went by.

“River?” Shandy started cleaning up the glass that fell on the floor, “n-no, I meant water. Why would I even say his name? It’s not what you think, Kalista.” Kalista crossed her arms and stared at her best friend, “come on. It would be a great opportunity for you to talk with him.” Shandy panicked and hurt herself when Kalista said those words, “for goodness sake! Why would I even talk with him? I would come to the reunion, but talk with him? Huh! No, I won’t do it. And If I won’t come to the reunion, even if we met, I won’t even talk to him.” Shandy finished sweeping the shattered glass and cleaning her wound.

“Why not? For goodness sake also, Shandy Alexa Valentin! We both know that it’s your fault. Don’t you think five years was enough for the silence?” Shandy closed the faucet and faced Kalista, “it is. But still. That’s a reunion party for our class and not Shandy and River’s reunion. And River’s good now, what good would it do to him if I would explain myself to him?” Kalista scratched her head. Shandy was still the hard-headed girl who always has an answer for everything, “I could face him of course. But me? Talking with him about the past. No way!” And still the confident girl yet afraid to talk about the past.

“Aww. Okay, it’s still your choice. But please come to the reunion, we missed you.” Kalista hugged Shandy. “I’ll get going. I promise to go back by Friday!” She bid goodbye to her best friend and then looked at Shaun who busied himself in front of the computer. “Bye Shaun!” She said with a grin, teasing Shaun as she knew that the guy liked her.

The days had passed. Shandy helped her mother with the flower shop that they have downtown. The flowers were freshly delivered and were arranged by Shena. “Isn’t it Friday today?” Shandy nodded. For the past few days, the two of them had become busy with the flower shop. Sharmaine and Shaun were busy with school as well.

Shandy doesn’t have a project for the meantime, she doesn’t have a client so far and her last commission was a huge portrait. She still has the earnings from that portrait as her client gave her an additional payment.

“Go home! Kalista’s gonna come, the two of you haven't seen each other for five years. I would be just fine here.” Shandy made sure that her mother was really fine before she left. She was at the door when her mother shouted, “I bought you a dress for the reunion. It’s in my old cabinet.”

Shandy walked out. Everyone was pushing her to come to the reunion. Some of her friends and her batchmates back in high school that would attend the reunion, also came to her and asked her about the reunion. The answer that she always said is, “of course I would be there!” But when asked about River and her, she tries her best to change the subject no matter what.

Everyone was talking about the success of River as a businessman. Some of her classmates have their own lives – married, married with two to three children, it’s complicated, has a husband or wife but still has no child, and those who have children but have no partner in life. They were asking her about her own life but all she could answer was that she has become busy for the past years and is a freelance artist now.

She went upstairs and went inside her room. “I am tired!” She dropped her body on the bed and breathed in and out. She looked at all the posters inside her room, “I still haven’t seen Eraserheads! I should get my ass up and start working. Ely Buendia, I will surely see you before I die, I’ll make sure of that!” Ely Buendia is the lead singer of her favorite band Eraserhead. He was her crush since high school aside from River. She smiled.

She cleaned herself and looked for the dress that her mother was talking about.

It was an above the knee dress that looked so sexy for her. She tilted her head to look at the dress intently and flipped it to see the front and the back design. “She is surely teasing me. WHY AM I GONNA WEAR SOMETHING LIKE THIS ON A HAWAIIAN THEMED PARTY?” Her shoulders fell, “I know I would look stunning here but…” She heaved a sigh.

“Shandy!”

Kalista came. She entered the door as if she lived there and put down all her belongings to hug Shandy. “Argh! I seriously thought I wouldn't make it. My boss is such a headache.” She looked at the dress that Shandy was holding, “what’s that for? Don’t tell me that’s what you are going to wear?” Shandy immediately shook her head. “No way! I know this fits me well but the theme of the part was Hawaiian, right?” Kalista’s eyes widened, “You’re gonna come?! Okay, I’m so happy! Actually I already bought us a dress.”

The two cooked together. They brought some of it upstairs and left some for Sharmaine, Shandy, and Shena. “I feel like we’re traveling back in time and we were just high schoolers.” Kalista laid down on Shandy’s bed.

It really felt nostalgic for Shandy and Kalista, “remember when you would sneak out late at night because you would secretly meet me and River?”

Shandy laughed, “yes. And those times when we tell our parents that we would create a project but we would just go to the other town so we could try the discounts in every grand opening of a fast food chain?”

Those were the good old times.

The best friends talked about a lot of stuff. Shandy told Kalista what happened in her life for the past five years, her frustrations in life, and the experience she had for living in the City. While Kalista told Shandy about her life, her job, and made sure that she could insert a bit about River to convince Shandy to talk with him.

Shandy obviously felt that what her best friend was trying to do, she just let her. The two of them talked until two in the morning. They still had a lot of things to tell each other but Kalista already fell asleep.

The two woke up in the afternoon. Shandy’s family did not wake them up as they heard the two still giggling, sobbing, and talking until two in the morning.

“Goodness we will be late!” Shandy cleaned up their mess while Kalista went straight to the bathroom. “I hate mornings!” Shandy rolled her eyes, “sleepyhead it’s already afternoon. Go, go, move!” Kalista groaned, she didn’t know why Shandy has full energy even though she just woke up a while ago.

The officers from the other section were the ones who were in charge of organizing the event. Kalista was the one who helped them to provide sponsorship. She didn’t have to think twice about the person that she would ask to be one of the major sponsors and that is the reason why she wanted Shandy to come.

River would surely be there.

The two prepared themselves early. The party will start at seven in the evening and it was already three in the afternoon. “I know I look gorgeous, but please look closely. Is this enough?” Shandy said with a wide smile showing the color of her lipstick to Kalista, “yes. We look good.”

Shandy was wearing a Hawaiian beige dress, it is off-shoulder with a flower pattern and is below her knees. She wore a black stilettos, red lipstick, and a fancy makeup that Kalista put on her face. “Excited, eh?” Kalista teased her, “River will surely be there.” Shandy just shrugged and smiled awkwardly, “And so?”

While Kalista was wearing brown high waist wide-leg pants, a black button-down shirt with flower prints, and a white sneakers. She also put makeup on herself and a red lipstick on her lips.

Kalista used her car and they were at the venue at exactly six-thirty in the evening. Shandy was really excited because she was away for five years. The reunion would be a great opportunity for her to bond and connect with her high school friends and schoolmates. Although she’s a bit nervous about River, she held her head high and walked inside together with Kalista.

The lights and decoration were all Hawaiian, everyone was wearing according to the theme and almost all the food that was on the table were also according to the theme. Kalista and Shandy were greeted by a lot of people, mostly from their class. Still, some were asking about what happened to them with River. She’s not new to it, everyone at the school knows about their unlabeled relationship. And everyone was expecting for them to be together but Shandy went away.

“I thought he’s with Tattia?” One of their classmates said, Kalista looked worriedly at Shandy while Shandy was just smiling from ear to ear – faking it but still it looked convincing for most of the people she’s talking with. “They are just business partners,” Kalista butted in and then smiled at Shandy. “We were really hoping that the two of you would end up together. What happened?” Shandy just shook her head and smiled, “let’s talk about it later. The program is about to start!”

Kalista and Shandy’s table was at the back, near the entrance.

All were excited. The host – who is from another section, finally opened the program. They showed throwback photos of their batches, videos that they’ve recovered, awarding for some students who are successful now – which Shandy didn’t approve of. For her success has a definition according to a person, it cannot be measured by anyone but only oneself could tell if he or she is successful.

“River Caelyx Samonte. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is the owner of Shaelyx Fine Dine. He is also one of our major sponsors tonight.”

Shandy looked around. River’s name was called twice but the guy was nowhere to be seen. Kalista saw the look on Shandy’s face. “He will come.” She said to Shandy, “I am not looking for him! The award was a waste, he would have been here and gotten up on the stage. Not everyone was given that plaque of honor and appreciation.” Shandy scoffed and she had said a lot of things, the host was still trying to call River for the third time.

“I am here and I will get the plaque of honor and appreciation because not everyone was given it.” Shandy’s eyes widened.

That soft and melodious voice and the manly smell.

She cannot be mistaken.