Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Sunny

"Oh, really? Come inside! Come inside!" Mom invited them to come over to our house.

"You do not have to, auntie." Mavin replied. "We just sent Sunny over since it is already night. It would be dangerous for her to walk at night alone." He explained.

"Okay, I understand. Thank you for helping my mom. She appreciated it and she said that she was having fun cleaning at your house." Mom shared.

The two smiled after hearing that. "Really? That was nice to hear." Steven commented.

Mom nodded. "Yes. She likes the both of you. She kept on boasting how handsome you guys are, and now that I see you in person, mom is right. You guys are." Mom said, even giving some compliments.

"You are flattering us too much, auntie. Thank you very much." Mavin said. "We will go now, auntie." He added.

"Okay, okay. Take care on your way," Mom replied. "Feel free to visit our house if you need some help or if you just want to go here." She added. "Do that. No one will stop you."

"Thank you, auntie." Both Mavin and Steven said.

"Mavin and Steven," I called on them. "Thank you for this night. I appreciated it. I will also mark this day that we are now officially friends." I told them.

Mavin smiled, and Steven nodded his head.

"Take care on your way home. Make sure to message me when you get home, okay?" I reminded.

"We will. See you next time, auntie." Mavin said.

Their car started to go off.

"They sound like good kids. No wonder mom likes them." Mom commented. "Let's go inside." she initiated.

I nodded as we walked into our house. "Yeah, they are. They are just both weird sometimes." I jokingly said. "But they are more thoughtful than I expected." I shared.

If they did not call me a while ago, I am sure that I was still at the gate of our school, crying and waiting for Jake to come. I am very grateful to them. It helped me calm down and lessen the pain in my heart.

"Eat dinner." Mom said.

"Mavin and Steven treated me to dinner already, mom. How about you guys?" I asked.

"We are done too. Go and rest."

"Good night! I will go to my room now." I bid my goodbye and headed to my room.

After changing my clothes, I lay in my bed. I was reflecting on what had occurred today. I was so excited this afternoon and started crying in the evening. Then I calmed down with the help of the Rendezcah brothers.

"It is a complicated day, right?" I asked myself and fished for my phone.

I went to Jake's number.

"Should I message him or just call him?" I said.

Looking at his contact number. It's been a while since we messaged each other too. Are we that busy to do this? Is this really normal?

"I want to message him and know his reason, yet I am scared to know the reason."

I will just save my courage for now. If I have enough courage, I will ask him straight about this. I am still not ready. I can push this for now. Yeah, for now.

RIGHT! I WILL TRY TO MESSAGE HIM TOMORROW MORNING IF HE REMEMBERS IT.

"Omg!" I exclaimed and accidentally put my phone down after seeing Sheila's name on the caller. "What should I do? I feel like I need to avoid her since she will definitely ask what happened to our date tonight."

"But if I do not answer her, I have to tell her tomorrow."

"What should I do?"

"Hello, Shiela?" And yes! I answered the call.

"Based on your tone and the way you answered our call... the date did not go well." She got straight to the point.

I sighed. It is better to tell her tonight than tomorrow. Things won't go well if I tell her late.

"Jake did not come." I shared.

I could hear her gasping.

"WHAT THE F*CK IS HE?!" she cursed. "AND WHAT IS HIS REASON NOW FOR NOT COMING TO YOUR DATE WHEN HE IS THE ONE WHO INVITED YOU? YOU BETTER SAY GOOD REASON TO ME SUNNY OR ELSE I WILL KICK HIS BALLS TOMORROW!" she added, angrily. To the point that I can imagine her brows furrowing in madness.

I do not know if I should say it at all.

"DO NOT BOTHER KEEPING IT FROM ME, OR ELSE I WILL CALL HIM ON MY OWN AND ASK HIM WHY―"

"He did not come... at all." I interrupted her. "I do not know whether he forgot or he had an emergency. I waited for him at the gate until evening." I added.

"HE GOT THE NERVES TO DITCH YOU?!" she yelled on the other line. "I WILL KILL HIM! I WILL KILL THAT BASTARD!" she added, and I could hear her cursing. "Wait! Why aren't you crying now? You are supposed to cry because of what happened. You do not care anymore and plan to break up with him now?"

"No. I just... I already cried... in front of Steven and Mavin." I replied.

I can hear her again, gasping. I am sure her eyes are wide as owls.

"What happened? Why are you with them? Tell me in order. It is a good thing that they are there." Shiela commented.

"While I was waiting for Jake at the gate, Mavin called me to go out. He said it his treat. Then I did not know that Steven was with him. He seemed to already know that I was crying and asked if I was okay. A while ago, they fetched me at the gate and I cried like an idiot." I shared. "They asked me what happened at the restaurant. It helps me calm down a bit. I do not feel like crying anymore." I added.

She sighed. "I am happy to hear that they were there for you. If that happens again, just give me a call. You have been waiting for him for hours and I thought you guys were still on a date. That is why I never texted or called you a while ago." She said. "That dumb a*shole is something. Do not let me see him tomorrow or else I will smack him down without thinking."

After talking to Shiela, it feels like my sadness has gone away already. She gets mad on behalf of me when I cannot. I can smile again, even though Jake ditched me. Yeah, I can say it now. That JAKE DITCHED ME.

"Sunny Clyde, are you still there? Are you crying now or what? Hello?" Shiela said on the other line.

"I am still here." I answered.

"I said, I think you need to talk with him. In person. Heart to heart. I do not think that your relationship with him is healthy anymore. It seems like he is taking you for granted." She recommends. "I am not saying this because I hate him. I am saying this to you because I need to do it as your friend. You know how much I love you and how much I treasure you. I want what is best for you." she added.

Should we need to address this now?

"Shiela... I am still not ready to face it." I answered her honestly. "I had been thinking the same thing a while ago, and I ended up pushing this matter away for now and saving some courage enough for me to ask him. Can I do that? Can I?" I asked her.

"Of course! Take your time. Do not force yourself to do it if you are unable to do so right now. Just do not dwell on it for a long time. Make sure to save your courage. I will help you! I can even help you move on from him if you want to." She replied.

"Crazy." I told her. "Thank you, Shiela. You are the best of the best. I am really lucky to have you." I added.

"I am so happy to have you in my life too! That is why you need to remember it all the time. If you need someone to cry with, just one call away, I will go to you. I will be with you through happy and sad moments. I love you from the bottom of my heart, Sunny!" Shiela replied.

"You are making me cry now. I love you too, Shiela!" I told her.

Tomorrow comes, and grandma wake me up. We have work today. I will see the Rendezcah brothers today too.

We entered their home and found Steven watching a movie in the sala while sipping his coffee.

"Good morning." I greeted him.

"Good morning." He replied.

"Have you eaten your breakfast already?" Grandma asked Steven.

Steven shook his head. "Not yet, but you do not have to cook for our breakfast. Mavin went to his work early in the morning, and I am having my coffee already." He replied.

"Okay, then. We will just clean the house." Grandma said. "How about your laundry?" she asked.

"Mavin brought it with him a while ago." He replied.

They are responsible.

"Sunny, you can start sweeping. Wipe the tables and vases too." Grandma told me.

"Yes, grandma. I will get the mop myself, okay? You do not have to go upstairs and give it to me. I will just go down." I reminded her.

Grandma always goes upstairs to give me the mop when I can go down and get it myself. She is worried that I am tired from cleaning. That is why she is doing that.

After our small talk, I went up with the broom and dust pan with me. Started cleaning the last floor.

"Let's listen to music while I am cleaning." I said and got my phone to listen to some music. "Oh, Déjà vu. This one." I said excitedly and started playing the music of one of the boy groups I follow in Kpop.

This will help me clean faster. I just learned about it last week while I was cleaning here as well. I enjoyed listening and cleaning at the same time.

After cleaning the last floor, I went down to the middle floor and saw Steven on the stairs.

"Why are you there?" I asked.

"I just went here to ask you if you are okay now." He said.

I smiled. "I am okay now. After talking to the both of you and Shiela helped me a lot. That is why I am okay now." I told him.

He nodded. "Good to hear then." He said. "Have you talked to him? Your bastard boyfriend?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not yet. But I texted him this morning before we go here. I do not think he is awake. I will just see if he replies to me later." I answered.

"Next time, if that happens again, just go home or message him right after. You can bombard him with calls and messages if he ever forgets your plan. Do not do that again, waiting alone at night. It is very dangerous. Dates can happen again, but not your life." He reminded.

"Yes, sir!" I replied. "Thank you very much. But this won't stop me from making you gain friends tomorrow, okay? We will start talking to our classmates tomorrow. Ready yourself if you have to." I added.

Our operation to make friends is still ongoing. No more putting it off.

"If you say so." He answered. "Have you finished watching the movie?" he asked.

Movie? What movie is he referring to?

"The movie we need to watch. We still have to make a reflection paper about it, and it is due tomorrow." He added.

My eyes widened. RIGHT! I FORGOT ABOUT IT!

"I guess you are not able to watch it." Steven said. "Finish your work now. Let's do it together after that." He added and went downstairs.

"Okay! Thank you very much!" I exclaimed in glee.

I almost forgot about it.

"I need to remind Shiela too. I think she forgot about it too."