Who We'll Be

“Symmery?”

A familiar voice brought me back to present.

I stood frozen as I stared at the boy in front of me.

Him, I thought.

I was twelve when we last saw each other. My last memory of him was when we were here at this very airport, a week after telling me that they’re moving to New Jersey because his dad got a new job. I also remembered, in my room that night, I was bawling like a newborn.

Five years had passed, and it was as if history is meant to repeat itself.

Me and my mom were the ones who'll bring him to his home because he had no relatives here anymore, and he said when we were talking on the phone last week he’s the only one coming back, his parents will just go after him after they'd fixed some important stuff back in Jersey—which, for me, is quite absurd, because if I were them, I would never let my son go back to their hometown alone, especially when it's like a jillion light years away—but his parents had already prepared and bought a house for him once he gets here, which Sky picked, which made me happy. Because the house he'd chosen was none other than the lot near my own, lovely abode.

I can’t believe that he chose to buy that house to be neighbors with me. I’m so lucky.

Wait, no, he chose to buy that house because it’s the best available house in town.

Wait, no, I actually think he did it for me.

No, he didn’t.

Shut up, you Whiny Symmery.

Stop dreaming, you Hopeless Symmery.

Anyways, now he looked very different--his hair was quite longer now, his body frame more laid-back and firm and steady. However, he still had those stupid eyes and stupid smile and that intimidating aura of his.

Stupid eyes that made my heart melt so many times, that over-confident smile, that rockstar-ish, something-I-can-never-point-out vibe, that charisma capable of making me know it's really him with just one look.

Him.

The boy I’ve known all my life.

My best friend…

…and first love.

Oh, my God…

…I’m getting so cheesy.

“Symmery?” he called out again, still a little unsure.

I smiled the widest bubblegumiest smile I could.

“Sky!”

“You!” he shouted, left the luggage he’d been strolling with and scurried towards me, like a little boy. He hugged me so tight, I could hardly breathe.

Can’t…breathe…

…please…

…hold me tighter.

“I missed you so much!” he said, twirling me around. “How’ve you been?”

“Great!” I replied, sad the moment he'd let go of me. I'd never let him know, of course.

Sky scrutinized me from head to toe, an astounded expression taking over his face. “Wow…you look…”

“What?” I asked, quite hopeful inside.

What do I look like to him?

Does he think I’m pretty?

Beautiful?

Hot?

Or…ugly?

Oh, no…maybe he thinks I’m ugly.

Oh shoot, what if he really thinks that? I had put on my best make-up this morning.

Perhaps I put too much make up, though?

Oh my God, he thinks I look like The Joker.

“You look…” Sky smiled, quite charmingly. “...taller than before.”

I was secretly relieved, so I rolled my eyes at him, grinning. “No cheese, Sherlock."

“Mrs. Belle!” Sky called and walked past me. Of course. My mother was still there. Every time I’m with Sky, I always tend to forget everyone else around. She had been smiling, must've had watch us the whole time. Embarrassing.

“It’s nice to see you again, dear!” my mom said. “How’s the flight?”

“Very tiring, actually.” Sky smiled.

“Why, then you need to take a rest now. I’ll just call Ben.” She picked up her cellphone, ready to call my dad.

The drive home was really long, but I didn't bother. Sky talked to me about the stuff that happened to him in New Jersey, like how his mother, a housewife, also got a good job there too, and about his friends, whom I think were a bit wild as he is, and who tends to get into fights often—like he does—and how many times they got busted when he starts a party at their house whenever he’s alone. Sky had told me when we were kids that he had an older brother once, so he must’ve been wilder if he’s still alive—one must not ask me about it, though; I had always felt it would be too rude to ask him, because he seemed to have been avoiding the question ever since we were young.

It was already evening when we finally reached his house next to ours. The sky was already twinkling with stars, our only provenience of light.

“This is my house?” Sky said, putting down his luggage, now standing on the porch of the two-story building.

“You’re so lucky you get to have a house of your own…for awhile that is,” I told him. “When will your parents come here, anyway?”

He chuckled without looking at me, like he was laughing at some private joke.

“I don’t know…but I want this house for myself anyways,” he said. “Now I can party anytime without getting busted!”

This time, he looked me in the eyes and smiled.

Looking back at him right now, underneath the stars, made my heart kind of...I don't know, forget to beat.

I snorted as I removed my gaze from him, trying to shake off the feeling.

“Here are your keys.” The old owner had already given me the keys because of an out-of-town errand. “Go knock yourself out.”

“Let’s go then!” Sky said, and grabbed me by the hand. He took his luggage and ran towards the house.

And I just had to blush at that.

The house was really cute, already had everything a person could need. The kind of house that even if you live by yourself, you'll still feel safe.

“I’m tired as fork, man.” Sky flopped down the bed when we reached his room.

“Well, I guess I better go now,” I said as I started to walk out his bedroom door.

“Hey…” Sky yelled.

I paused and looked at him, his eyes were already closed as he lay on the bed. “What?”

“So you’re just gonna leave me here all alone?”

“Well, duh. What else do I need to do here?”

Sky grinned.

“Sleep with me.”

My heart stopped.

And I didn't think it plans to ever beat again.

“What?!”

“There’s another bedroom next to my room. I don’t want to be alone in this house, you know. What else do you think I mean?” he clarified, a smirk stapled on his lips.

A blush on my cheek, and rolling balls on my eyes.

“I’m not a hobo, I have my own house to sleep to, you know.”

He grimaced.

“Fine. Go ahead. But if something bad happened to me…if a dinosaur broke into my house and eat me, you’ll feel bad.”

“Look what time it is,” I said, ignoring his babble. “I need to sleep…there’s school tomorrow, you know.”

“Oh yeah…forgot about that.”

“I need to prepare my school stuff. You’ll go to school tomorrow too, right?”

He waved me off. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

“Well, I gotta go now…goodnight,” I said, strutting out of the room.

“Wait!”

I sighed and looked at him again. “What is it?”

“Symmery,” he said my name, his tone serious. “Tell me…”

“What…?”

He smirked.

“Did you miss me?”

I looked at him in surprise.

Of course I did, idiot…I love you…

“A bit.”

I smiled back.

“A bit?!” He frowned.

Best friends shouldn't feel awkward saying how they missed each other...right? “I’m kidding! Of course, I did. Okay? Goodnight.”

I nervously chuckled at his sudden expression, hoping I didn't sound like a dying, lovesick bird craving for his love.

He laughed.

“’Mkay…goodnight.”

His smile kept on running in my mind as I walked out of the room. If there's a race in my head, it could've surely won.