Right From the Start

"Garrett, why are you here?" It's been three days since John has spoken to me during lunch and in those three days, I have noticed that his friends have been trying to pry me open. By prying open, I meant trying to talk to me.

"Uh...John um...wanted me to tell you something..." He stumbled upon his words, which made me giggle.

“Yeah?”

“Well, he’s uh… asking you if, er, he could hang out with you after school? In his house. Uh, since he’s aware that it’s a Thursday and, you don’t want to fail any subject. So he doesn’t want to go to any other place outside…” Garrett stuttered as he was fidgeting. Judging by the way things are going, Garrett seemed to be some kind of messenger between John and me. Laura gently elbowed me in the ribs and I sighed.

“I don’t sure why I can’t,” I said and smiled at Garrett. My parents were sort of absorbed with work all the time. They don’t really care if I come home a little late. Just as long as I come home by around nine in the evening. And besides, John’s mom and my mom are really good friends. I’m practically allowed to barge into his house without needing to ask.

“Great! He’ll meet you. Outside school. After dismissal,” he said gladly, just as if he was the one who was asking the question, not John. Laura and I haven’t eaten at the popular side of the caf ever since we’ve set foot on that part three days ago. I mean, it’s like we don’t belong to that part (which we really don’t). Garrett though, has been joining us for lunch ever since. Don’t get me wrong though, his company is pleasant.

“Okay,” I replied. I guess John just wanted to have some bonding time with me. Ever since last time, I wasn’t used to John catching up to me as we walked together to school. I wasn’t used to him saying hi or asking how I was to me every time we pass by each other in the hallway. Before, our shoulders would just merely brush as we made through the crowd in the corridors and he’d just mumble an apology. I wasn’t used to him introducing me to other people whenever he’d catch me walk pass by him as he was talking to them. I wasn’t used to being addressed or known as his best friend.

Garrett walked away and soon, he became just another guy desperately trying to race his way to class without being late. I shoved the remaining stuff I had in my locker and fixed my hair a bit. Laura walked alongside me staring off into the distance. “You know, I’m starting to wonder if Garrett likes you.”

“What?” I replied, too busy waving my way through the sea of people.

“It’s just a hunch though.” I nodded unfazed by her comment. We both had English together. Then we had to part for the last subject of the day – I had to take History while Laura had Science.

“Tell me how it all goes, okay?” She winked at me.

“Yeah, yeah, I will tomorrow,” I groaned.

I made it to my History class and sat somewhere at the back, beside the window. I don’t know, but I liked this class. Learning about world history always fascinated me.

The bell signifying the start of the period rang already, though our teacher hasn’t arrived yet. We had absolutely nothing to do but wait. Murmurs from the class filled the room as I just stared out at the window beside me.

“Uh, you’re Isa, right?”

I turned my head to the left and I found a guy with hazel eyes looking at me intently.

“Yeah, that’s me. I’m sorry, but do I know you…?” I asked him.

“No, you actually don’t,” he chuckled. “My name’s Kennedy. John told me about you,” he said, giving me a smile. John tells his friends about me? Well, anyway, his name sounded familiar. That’s when things started to click together.

“You guys are in the same band, right?” He nodded, still smiling. “And you’re Jordan’s friend too?”

“Yeah! She’s my best friend, actually. We met in kindergarten,” he chuckled and then paused for a moment. “Well, actually, I think we’re just friends now. Or maybe not at all… I don’t know, we haven’t talked for a long while,” he scratched the back of his neck. Right. Jordan moved to Philadelphia during sophomore year.

Before I could respond, our teacher came in the room and apologized for being late. She then proceeded to a lengthy discussion as I stared at the blue sky out of the window, listening to what she was saying.

~~~

“Hey,” John greeted, smiling as I made my way towards him.

“Hi,” I greeted back. We were standing somewhere a little far from the school entrance as the rest of the other students rushed out of it. And then things got pretty silent for about a minute or two.

“Uh, shall we go?” I asked John hesitantly.

“Oh, we’re waiting for someone.” He winked at me.

“Who are we—“

“Here he is now,” John said, smiling as he was looking at the guy coming to us.

Garrett was bumping into some people (accidentally, of course) as he made his way towards us. He always looked down on the floor whenever he would walk. He then came, mumbling a hello and smiling at us.

The walk back to John’s house was sort of awkward. But not at all so quiet. John would occasionally say something to break the silence.

“So, how were classes, you guys?” Garrett and I replied with a “fine” and a shrug each.

“Any homework?”

“Uh, yeah. Not so much though…” Garrett said, drifting off.

“Just Math,” I replied.

“Great, we could have a study session and then just chill afterwards,” John said with a smile.

Before we realized it, we already arrived at John’s house. We were greeted by his mom, who was baking her signature chocolate chip cookies for us.

“Isa, Garrett! How are you guys doing?” John’s mom asked, giving each of us a hug.

“I’m doing fine, Mrs. O,” I said, smiling.

“Good?” Garrett said hesitantly in a question-like manner.

“We’ll just go upstairs, Mom. We’re going to study,” John said enthusiastically.

Mrs. O’Callaghan let us go and we made our way to John’s room. John immediately threw his bag on his bed, not caring at all as we entered. I carefully avoided the spot on the floor, which made a horrendous creak and dropped my bag on his bed. Garrett on the other hand, had no care in the world about the floor. He stepped on the spot and a creak that made my ears bleed resonated in the room. I cringed while John just laughed at my expression. Garrett mumbled an apology, which I greatly accepted.

“So, let’s get started with homework?” John asked. We then all agreed. First we were to do whatever we can on our own and then help each other if mandatory. John and I would sometimes ask each other questions to make sure we were on the right track. Garrett would also ask me and John questions occasionally, since we’ve both been through 10th grade already.

And in less than two hours or so, we were done studying and we also finished the cookies John’s mom made.

“Garrett, you know what to do,” John said.

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Garrett replied. He told me to go sit at the beanbag near the wall, and I just complied. He and John then carried a light table about 2 feet high and put that in front of me. Then they sat down on other beanbags behind the table, facing me.

“Guys? What are you doing?” I asked, knitting my eyebrows together.

“We’re having a press conference!” John said, grinning like a kid.

“I’m not a famous person.”

“John thought of this… for fun. So we can, uh, get to know more about you,” Garrett shyly said. I see that he’s not as awkward as he is in school.

“Well, Garrett, I already know her well… I think. It’s for you to get to know her better and for me to catch up on stuff.” John was so enthusiastic about this whole thing.

“And John also said—“

“Nothing,” John interrupted. Then I’m pretty sure he whispered, “You’re not supposed to tell her I said that.”

“I want to know what John said, Garrett,” I said while smirking.

“Well, he said that, uh, we’ll get to see what not to do in press cons if, uh, we’ll get famous,” Garrett said, diverting his gaze from me. He then mumbled, “Sorry, John” which made me laugh a bit.

“You’re not offended?” John said, his face looking as if he should be preparing for a slap or something.

“Psh, I know better not to get offended by that. Besides, this is all for fun, according to you. But I do have to say that it’s not like everything I’ll do in the next few moments would be all wrong,” I said in a manner-of-fact tone.

John then sighed in relief. It made me giggle how he would think something as minute as this would get me really mad.

“And by the way, I just wanted to let you know that this seems all too childish to me,” I added.

John just smirked at my remark. “You’re going to regret saying that when we do become famous.”

“Yeah,” Garrett said in a hushed voice.

“Right. Now let’s get to the questions and stuff,” I said.

“So, how’s school? And grades and those other things.” Garrett asked.

“Well, school’s great.” I smiled. “I don’t really know about my grades, but I’m trying to do better than before.”

“Aren’t your grades exceptionally high already? Everyone knows that you’re one of the most intelligent people in our batch. You’re a topnotcher all the time,” John stated.

“Well, uh, I’m not going to respond to your question. But I want to say that even though my grades may be high already, I still want try to do better. I believe that one shouldn’t be immediately contented with his grade, whether it’s high or low. I’d rather one would be contented when he knows that he’s giving his all. So I’m just trying to see right now if I did give my all by trying harder,” I responded. Garrett and John were nodding at my answer.

“Inspirational,” John said.

“Uh, well anyway, next question?” I asked. Sometimes I really don’t like talking about my grades.

“So Isa, let me ask: how is your social life?” John asked.

“Well, I have a close friend, Laura — you know her already. I also have a lot of acquaintances, like the people you guys introduced me to and some classmates,” I said, shrugging.

“That’s all?” Garrett mumbled quietly.

“Well, yeah. I guess so,” I awkwardly said. Telling these two super popular guys about my social life should probably lessen my self-esteem. I mean, everyone in school knows about John and the rest of his band. Each of them has approximately a thousand friends.

“Well, in that case… do you go to parties?” John asked.

“Nope.”

“Do you want to go to one?”

“Well, not really.”

“I’m inviting you to a party. Will you come, please?” He pleaded with his striking, green eyes. John Cornelius O’Callaghan V was inviting me to a party. Who would decline any invitation of his?

“Can I bring Laura along?”

“Sure, sure,” John said, smiling.

“Uh, okay, I guess. But I need to ask my parents first,” I said.

“Isa, we’re eighteen. Do you really have to ask?” John exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. I rolled my eyes and nodded. He did the same while I stifled a giggle.

“May I ask a question?” I asked.

“You just did.” John winked at me and I rolled my eyes. “See what she did there, Garrett? We should never roll our eyes as a response to a fan or interviewer’s remark,” John said. Garrett nodded at him, as if making a mental note in his head.

“Okay, so you were saying, Isa?” Garrett asked.

“How are things going with the band?”

“I think they’re going great. We’ve been song writing for a while now and covering some songs. We’re almost fully synchronized when we play,” John happily said.

“And we, uh, might have some gigs soon,” Garrett said, smiling. I then saw how much this band meant to them and I couldn’t help but to smile in support of them. Before I could say something though, someone knocked on John’s door.

“Open the door, John,” a familiar voice said. John opened the door to find Ross, his younger brother.

“Mom told me to tell Garrett that Trey’s here to bring him home.” Garrett then stood up and I did so as well. Ross then noticed me.

“Isa, hey! It’s been a while,” he said, laughing.

“Yeah, it has,” I chuckled.

“Mom also said that it’s getting late and you might want to get going before your parents worry about where you are. Not that we don’t like having you here,” Ross said, letting a little laugh escape from his mouth. I agreed. Garrett and I got our stuff and then we all went downstairs.

Garrett soon left after some small talk in the living room. When I was about to leave, Mrs. O’Callaghan told John to accompany me as I walk home. I said I didn’t mind at all and then we left.

Our neighborhood was always so peaceful. It was apparently already about seven in the evening when I left the O’Callaghan residence with John. I couldn’t help but to notice how the stars were towering over us, up in the sky as we walked. Crickets were chirping in the distance as John and I started to walk to my house, which was only a few blocks away.

“Do you need help with your stuff?” John asked, his hands in his pockets.

“I’m good,” I said, giving him a smile. Our walk was pleasantly silent, aside from the occasional whistling John made, which I did not mind at all. I couldn’t help but to look up at the dark sky being faintly illuminated by the stars as we neared my house.

“Just like the day we first met, huh?” My heart stopped beating for a moment. He remembers too.

“Yeah.” I chuckled and gave a sigh as we gazed into the firmament above, however still constantly checking whether we already passed by my house. And before we knew it, we reached my house.

“Well, good night, John,” I said, looking back and giving him a wave as I walked up to the front porch.

“Night,” he called out. I unlocked the door with the set of keys I own and came inside the house. I then peeked out of the window to see him smile at this very house. He then turned around and walked through the route we passed, still peering up at the stars above.