Sequel: Fourteen Sundays ›
101 Reasons
REASON NO. 5
Take your time;
don’t live too fast.
Troubles come but they will pass.
-Lynyrd Skynyrd
“What the hell are you doing here?” I said when I saw Stan sitting comfortably at James’ favorite beanbag.
“Watching.” He said, without even looking at me. I sighed; he acts as if he owns this place. I know my brother acts the same way as he did when they are in Stan’s place but he is an only child and James has a SISTER! For crying out loud. I maybe running to James’ room butt-naked whenever I feel scared (Not that I’ll do that anyway) but you get what I mean.
“Where’s James?” I asked wanting him to be in a good mood so that he will tell me that he gave he CD to me, not that I care. Ok I did, a little, but maybe I would care a lot more before, when all that matters is his good looks and charm. But knowing Stan, NEVER MIND.
“Why, Ann, haven’t you looked at him at his drawer? Or maybe beneath that gay-ish flower vase of him.” He said sarcastically as he flick onto the remote, the sound of the programs screaming incomprehensively in my ears.
“Would you shut that thing off!” I finally said moving towards him as I snatch the remote from his hands. That’s the time he finally look at me, for a moment there I was lost in words, but hell this is Stan, and this is James’ room. And Stan will always be Stan.
I turned off the TV and stood in front of me. “Are you the one who gave me this?” I asked, trying to breathe normally.
He narrowed his eyes and then his gaze went back to me, “What’s that?”
“A condom!” I snapped. “What the hell do you think this is?!!!”
He just laughed. “Let’s watch it so we’ll know who sent it.”
He snatched the CD away from me and I snatched it back the next thing we both know is we are wrestling on James’ floor, when I got hold of the CD I am already on top of Stan his right hand on my waist, the other is holding my hand up in the air, my breathing became shallowed and my heart beat is beating uncontrollably.
“What the hell?” came James’ voice.
I immediately took the CD away from Stan and stood up.
Stan smiled at James, “Yo dude! I didn’t know your sister will be that persuasive.”
James instantly grabbed Stan’s shirt his hands balled into a fist, I've never seen him this angry especially to Stan, “What the hell did you do to her?”
Stan laughed, “Chill. She’s just asking me about condoms. If it works and stuff.” Stan looked at me and winked. I glared at him, James look at me and might have seen the disgusted look on my face because he let go of Stan.
“Do you have any idea how this landed into my bed?” I asked James’ tryng to hide the smile forming in my lips as I again catch him in one of his sentimental moments. He hated being caught in the act, especially around Stan, because he will make sure that James would not forget the mushy mushy thing he did for her sister.
“What’s that?” he asked. I sighed, it isn’t from James, if it is then he would blush as red as his carpet.
“Never mind.” I surrendered. Maybe it's just a random prank made my James, or dad, or even mom just to cheer me up. Well it didn't cheered me up!
Just as I was leaving the room James said, “Never tackle her like that again, she bruises easily.”
“Why’s that? she isn’t fragile before.” Stan replied, I stood by the door and looked at James.
His gaze caught mine. “You haven’t told him yet?” I asked.
“No.” and then he smiled at me weakly.
“What is it that you haven’t told me yet.” I almost bumped my head when Stan immediately resurfaced between James and me.
I spanked his head out of pure shock. Nah, I just really, really wanted to do that. He is about to do the same when James immediately grabbed his arm.
“Hey! Since when did you become her savior?” Stan screamed like a child lost in the deep blue sea, well I hope he gets lost for good.
“I told you not to hurt her!” James said tryinhg to keep his voice steady.
“What is it? What are you hiding from me?” Stan looks at James his eyes I swore at one moment turned into puppy eyes.
“Grow up!” I said irritated. But what he did really takes the cake, he stuck out his tongue and looks at me,
“Loser.”
“Kid!”
“Crybaby!!”
“Immature.”
“Ugly.”
“Monster!”
“Loser!”
I laughed, “that’s all you’ve got?!”
James is already laughing when mom peeked through the door.
“Ann?” I looked at mom his hand covering our wireless, “Phone for you. It’s Lee.”
When I grabbed it from mom, I could’ve sworn Stan shouted, “It’s LOVERBOY!”
“Hello?” I said trying to steady my slurred speech.
“Ann?” the moment he uttered my name I know deep in my heart I already forgave him, his outburst, him dating Aya. Everything.
“Yes?”
“I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry. Did you receive my peace offering?”
I knew that moment my heart just suddenly stopped beating. THE CD!
“Hello, Ann?”
I cleared my throat. “I did.”
“I hope you like the taste.”
I am totally confused, did he expect me to eat the CD.
“Uhm. Well…”
“I baked it myself, the cookies with I’m sorry spelled on it? I placed it in your doorstep a while ago.”
There were no cookies when I got home, I’ll ask mom later.
“Ahm. Yeah! Thanks.”
“So see you tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
“I have something to tell you. I know you’ll be happy for me.”
After I hang up I never wanted to go to school ever again.
Morning came and I remembered last night’s conversation with Lee, I tried to sleep again.
“Sleepyhead! Wake up!!!” came James’ booming voice. I muttered a curse under my breath.
“Time to go to school!!” he almost dragged me out of bed, practically bathe me and dressed me into my uniform and spoon-fed me like a baby.
When we reached school I immediately snaked away from James’ annoying sisterly sweetness.
I curse under my breath when I saw my locker hanging quite ajar. Who the hell would pull a prank on me! Stan's name immediately came into my mind and I swear if ever looks could kill, he is dead by now.
Stan is standing just a few more lockers away from mine, I stopped to open my locker and check if it is safe, maybe he placed a mouse trap in here so when I touch it, I'll scream with pain. But my locker is still the same as I left it yesterday except for the crumpled piece of paper hanging beside my Chemistry notebook.
I opened it and I saw, "Reason Number 2" written in neat curves.
I flipped it to the other side but nothing else is written, I knew it! It's Stan all along, but all of a sudden as if it was from teh heavens, a rose fell exactly on my feet, when I picked it up a note is written on it.
"You make me want to live." Pls Ann. Live, For me.
When I look to see from whom it came from, no one seems to care, everyone is hurrying to their classes, and when I caught Stan's eyes he just snorted, laughed and ran to his next class.
don’t live too fast.
Troubles come but they will pass.
-Lynyrd Skynyrd
“What the hell are you doing here?” I said when I saw Stan sitting comfortably at James’ favorite beanbag.
“Watching.” He said, without even looking at me. I sighed; he acts as if he owns this place. I know my brother acts the same way as he did when they are in Stan’s place but he is an only child and James has a SISTER! For crying out loud. I maybe running to James’ room butt-naked whenever I feel scared (Not that I’ll do that anyway) but you get what I mean.
“Where’s James?” I asked wanting him to be in a good mood so that he will tell me that he gave he CD to me, not that I care. Ok I did, a little, but maybe I would care a lot more before, when all that matters is his good looks and charm. But knowing Stan, NEVER MIND.
“Why, Ann, haven’t you looked at him at his drawer? Or maybe beneath that gay-ish flower vase of him.” He said sarcastically as he flick onto the remote, the sound of the programs screaming incomprehensively in my ears.
“Would you shut that thing off!” I finally said moving towards him as I snatch the remote from his hands. That’s the time he finally look at me, for a moment there I was lost in words, but hell this is Stan, and this is James’ room. And Stan will always be Stan.
I turned off the TV and stood in front of me. “Are you the one who gave me this?” I asked, trying to breathe normally.
He narrowed his eyes and then his gaze went back to me, “What’s that?”
“A condom!” I snapped. “What the hell do you think this is?!!!”
He just laughed. “Let’s watch it so we’ll know who sent it.”
He snatched the CD away from me and I snatched it back the next thing we both know is we are wrestling on James’ floor, when I got hold of the CD I am already on top of Stan his right hand on my waist, the other is holding my hand up in the air, my breathing became shallowed and my heart beat is beating uncontrollably.
“What the hell?” came James’ voice.
I immediately took the CD away from Stan and stood up.
Stan smiled at James, “Yo dude! I didn’t know your sister will be that persuasive.”
James instantly grabbed Stan’s shirt his hands balled into a fist, I've never seen him this angry especially to Stan, “What the hell did you do to her?”
Stan laughed, “Chill. She’s just asking me about condoms. If it works and stuff.” Stan looked at me and winked. I glared at him, James look at me and might have seen the disgusted look on my face because he let go of Stan.
“Do you have any idea how this landed into my bed?” I asked James’ tryng to hide the smile forming in my lips as I again catch him in one of his sentimental moments. He hated being caught in the act, especially around Stan, because he will make sure that James would not forget the mushy mushy thing he did for her sister.
“What’s that?” he asked. I sighed, it isn’t from James, if it is then he would blush as red as his carpet.
“Never mind.” I surrendered. Maybe it's just a random prank made my James, or dad, or even mom just to cheer me up. Well it didn't cheered me up!
Just as I was leaving the room James said, “Never tackle her like that again, she bruises easily.”
“Why’s that? she isn’t fragile before.” Stan replied, I stood by the door and looked at James.
His gaze caught mine. “You haven’t told him yet?” I asked.
“No.” and then he smiled at me weakly.
“What is it that you haven’t told me yet.” I almost bumped my head when Stan immediately resurfaced between James and me.
I spanked his head out of pure shock. Nah, I just really, really wanted to do that. He is about to do the same when James immediately grabbed his arm.
“Hey! Since when did you become her savior?” Stan screamed like a child lost in the deep blue sea, well I hope he gets lost for good.
“I told you not to hurt her!” James said tryinhg to keep his voice steady.
“What is it? What are you hiding from me?” Stan looks at James his eyes I swore at one moment turned into puppy eyes.
“Grow up!” I said irritated. But what he did really takes the cake, he stuck out his tongue and looks at me,
“Loser.”
“Kid!”
“Crybaby!!”
“Immature.”
“Ugly.”
“Monster!”
“Loser!”
I laughed, “that’s all you’ve got?!”
James is already laughing when mom peeked through the door.
“Ann?” I looked at mom his hand covering our wireless, “Phone for you. It’s Lee.”
When I grabbed it from mom, I could’ve sworn Stan shouted, “It’s LOVERBOY!”
“Hello?” I said trying to steady my slurred speech.
“Ann?” the moment he uttered my name I know deep in my heart I already forgave him, his outburst, him dating Aya. Everything.
“Yes?”
“I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry. Did you receive my peace offering?”
I knew that moment my heart just suddenly stopped beating. THE CD!
“Hello, Ann?”
I cleared my throat. “I did.”
“I hope you like the taste.”
I am totally confused, did he expect me to eat the CD.
“Uhm. Well…”
“I baked it myself, the cookies with I’m sorry spelled on it? I placed it in your doorstep a while ago.”
There were no cookies when I got home, I’ll ask mom later.
“Ahm. Yeah! Thanks.”
“So see you tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
“I have something to tell you. I know you’ll be happy for me.”
After I hang up I never wanted to go to school ever again.
Morning came and I remembered last night’s conversation with Lee, I tried to sleep again.
“Sleepyhead! Wake up!!!” came James’ booming voice. I muttered a curse under my breath.
“Time to go to school!!” he almost dragged me out of bed, practically bathe me and dressed me into my uniform and spoon-fed me like a baby.
When we reached school I immediately snaked away from James’ annoying sisterly sweetness.
I curse under my breath when I saw my locker hanging quite ajar. Who the hell would pull a prank on me! Stan's name immediately came into my mind and I swear if ever looks could kill, he is dead by now.
Stan is standing just a few more lockers away from mine, I stopped to open my locker and check if it is safe, maybe he placed a mouse trap in here so when I touch it, I'll scream with pain. But my locker is still the same as I left it yesterday except for the crumpled piece of paper hanging beside my Chemistry notebook.
I opened it and I saw, "Reason Number 2" written in neat curves.
I flipped it to the other side but nothing else is written, I knew it! It's Stan all along, but all of a sudden as if it was from teh heavens, a rose fell exactly on my feet, when I picked it up a note is written on it.
"You make me want to live." Pls Ann. Live, For me.
When I look to see from whom it came from, no one seems to care, everyone is hurrying to their classes, and when I caught Stan's eyes he just snorted, laughed and ran to his next class.