Chapter One
May's POV
"May... May.. MAY! MAYBELLE!"
I woke up to a shaking which I was first afraid to be an earthquake. Well, not that I have experienced one myself in my seventeen years of existence, but it came up decently strong. And when I knew it was just mom trying to make me do what I was supposed to do today, I decided an actual earthquake wouldn't really be that bad. So I rolled over to the side, still thirsty for the embracing comfort of sleep.
"Gosh Mom, he can make it here on his own." I groaned with both eyes still closed. "It's not like he needs somebody to pick him up." I added, hoping that this little speech effort I made would made her think that I would rather pick my favorite yellow-striped pillow that fell than picking up that particular someone.
"But Deary, it's impolite on our side of the family." My mom said thoughtfully. "So please pick him up?" She pleaded, still shaking the life out of me. Knowing that I would rather be more comfortable getting up than this sinister waking up, I surrendered.
I opened my eyes and grunted "Fine..." I grudgingly pushed myself up and glared at the wall clock in front of me.
8:33 A.M
"I bet he misses you too." Mom winked at me before closing the door behind her. I just rolled my eyes and let out an irritated sigh -my only form of exercise.
If it's not considered an exercise then it's the closest thing I can get to an exercise.
Well, it's really been a long time since I haven't seen him, seven years?
I zombie-walked to my bedroom mirror and examined myself, my blue eyes were still half-asleep and my chestnut hair crooked itself upwards like mutated deer antlers.
Oh dear god.
Wait. Wait. Oh deer god.
After mentally stabbing myself for the pun, I quickly grabbed a towel and went towards the bathroom.
After I was done doing my usual morning routine, trying to look sociably acceptable and whatnot, I headed out and bid farewell to my parents and grandfather. And since the airport was a few kilometers away from our house, I decided to take a taxi. It was more comfortable than taking the bus. The bus would make me feel claustrophobic with the morning rush hour.
Today was the school's 6th anniversary. So we didn't have our classes today, instead it would be held tomorrow Saturday. Yes, it's weird.
I would have just slept and ate today which would be my normal no-class day routine if it weren't for his arrival.
Tough luck for me as always.
As I arrived at the airport, I already saw his silhouette waiting near a small flower stand by the entrance. He didn't seem to change since I last saw him, which is probably almost a decade ago. But he sure did grow taller, and yet, his hair was still ever green, which I still find quite weird ever since. But aside that fact, those mischievous emerald eyes that I have ever admired, it is still so captivating.
After examining him which took me almost a minute or two, I approached him.
"May? Maybelle Maple? Is that really you?" He flipped and feigned amazement. "A big girl now huh?" He chuckled then flicked a bit of his hair out of his face - a habit he had since childhood.
Very weird if you'd ask me.
"You can't believe how prettier I've gotten?" I retorted back with my tongue stuck out.
"You sure did, you got that shape now." He winked as he gestured his hands to form a feminine figure in the air in front of him.
"Perverted moss head!" I smacked his face. "Drop it, okay? Our families are already waiting." I added with not so many extras and walked away looking for another taxi. "If you have arrived earlier, you should have sniffed your way to our house, you're not some middle school brat."
"And I'm not some stray dog either." He replied. "And why such a very rude front?" He asked which had me thinking for a while.
Rude front?
"I promise that I won't let you fall in love with me, at least not again." I furiously turned around to face him. My face went deep red in anger. I was quite sure that he was very proud of himself that I did that, his face was showing it all, annoyingly proud. Knowing that I would just bite and tear off the bait he flung at me, I just turned my back against him. There's just some times that it's best to leave things be, at least I'm mature enough to acknowledge that.
Imagining that he's probably disappointed that I didn't played right through his cards, he continued. "Here I'll prove it, you can carry my bags as a start. Oh wait, girls fall for a'holes. Sorry. Totally forgot about that." I can practically feel his smirk piercing right through behind me.
Gosh, he just doesn't give up very easily!
"I just came here to pick you up, nothing more and nothing less." I answered uninterestingly, eyes still looking for a taxi.
I successfully hailed a taxi within a minute and went inside immediately. After he was able to place his bags inside the back of the taxi, he went in beside me as well.
Oh, I forgot to tell you his name, sorry for the rudeness, I didn't mean to have it rub on me. His name is Andrew Hayden, a very close childhood friend. Our grandfathers were very close friends during the previous war which seemed to be a thousand millennia ago, that's how our families got tied together. And oh, I'm Maybelle Maple, same age as Drew. Yeah I call him Drew because it's easier. Just the way how he calls me May.
We're both seventeen years old.
We have different likes at everything. I like sweet, he likes spicy; I like to sing, he likes to dance; my hair is brown and his is green. But nonetheless we get along surprisingly well, you ask about our relationship? More of a sibling-kind-of relationship, you know, having all that share of childhood fights, quarrels and misunderstandings.
Memories.
We got separated when we were ten when his grandfather died. His family took him to their home city in LaRousse for the burial and where Drew continued his studies for the past seven years. You ask how I felt back then when he left? Well sorry to burst your little bubble of hope, but I didn't cry and bawl my eyes out. Okay, maybe I cried a little, just a little.
"Hey, keep it still will you?" I scolded him when I noticed him moving a bit more often.
"I can't believe how this place changed so much!" I don't know if it was pure amusement or some lame attempt to catch my attention so I just rolled my eyes.
"Come on May, am I really that annoying that you would try this very hard to ignore me?" He went still suddenly. When I didn't answer, he faced the window opposite to mine.
"At least say you miss me, cause it would be unfair."
I perked up and turned back to him, and surprisingly, he continued looking outside his window at the passing cars. If only I didn't know him well, I would really feel guilty acting this way. So I decided to keep up my front, nope I won't give him any chance of winning over me.
Not in this life or the next.
"And why would I?" I said knowingly and looked back at the opposite side. "and I was forced to pick you up." I added, gazing more at my own reflection than at the passing buildings.
I heard him picked up something so I looked back at him and he gave me this rectangular red box.
"To make amends for being a bastard and all those times I weren't there for you, I got that for you." He smiled as he handed it over to me. I didn't know how to react, it was so sudden. So I just accepted the red box, I'm a sucker for presents anyway. "Since you're a big girl now, it's only for you, so keep it a secret from the family okay." He winked.
The taxi gently stopped and the red light as well as the red box reminded me of the flower shop where he stood waiting for me. Maybe he got me a rose? Nah it would be better if it were chocolates, I mean who would rather want a rose more than chocolates for a present? I mean no offense intended for diabetic patients of course.
The present made me blush in raw sweetness that I hoped he hadn't notice. But then, like it has always been, it turned into a blush of raw disdain when I saw what was in that freaking red box. And I thought he couldn't get any more ridiculously stupid, he did. I fell right into his trap! He sure did know how to play his cards thoroughly. He knew I'm a sucker for presents. I should have known!
"Isn't it cute? Red suits you good, and it's padded, real thick, so you don't have to wor-." He paused and studied me, specifically the area around my chest. "I think I miscalculated something, it's not supposed to be this, uh, you know-" He bowled two of his hands. "Mature."
He got me good alright.
I glared at him with so much disgust that I totally ignored how the taxi continued to move. If I had laser vision, which I hope I had one right now, I would have had bore a hole right through his eye sockets.
"What? I said I'd give it to you since you're a big girl now." He stated, putting on a face of pure bliss from victory. "It might not fit you, but still!"
"YOU DISGUSTING FILTH!"
I literally jumped on him and punched him as fast and hard as I could, even though I got low grades in my PE exams, I couldn't care any less as long as I can physically throw at him my angst and frustration.
"Wow, you sure throw punches quicker than any average girl I know." He dodged expertly all of my punch attempts.
Goddamn this boy!
"I can't believe you got even more idiotic!" I screamed while trying to uproot all his hair. I didn't even care if we were to crash because of this. "And perverted!"
"Ouch! I was just joking! Stop ruining my hair!" I stopped when I saw the driver smiled at us by his rearview mirror.
"Can't you be more mature Drew? Act like your age or something." I composed myself and wiped a bit of my brown hair out of my face.
"I was just joking." He answered as he fixed his hair as well. "Don't you remember how playful I get whenever you're around?" He added, still fixing his precious hair. I didn't quite figure out what was there in those things he just said but it did get me smiling. And then again, I saw the driver smiled at us.
"It's actually for your mom." He quickly added before finishing the final touches to his hair.
"Stupid! Bastard! Cabbage jerk!Moss head!" I screamed again, trying to claw out his eyes this time. When I saw for the third time the taxi driver smiled at us, I realized something. I missed these kinds of times with him, maybe I did miss him. I missed Andrew Hayden, maybe as much as he missed me.
I guess Mom was right after all.
Well, the taxi ride home was quite fun, and wild if I might add. It was all nostalgic and stuff, with Drew being the jerk he was. I even still remember our first taxi ride home. Like the usual, it turned out to be something to be remembered about for future blackmailing purposes.
I and Drew fought over on who gets to take the front seat alone. Her mom, who was our grocery chaperone at that time, was on my side and I was very thankful for that. But Drew, being his high and mighty self, didn't give up easily. So what her mom did was made this challenge for the both of us. Out of the six grocery bag, whoever picks out the one which had the red bra will get the front seat. Unluckily for him, which is very rare, I won. But being the jerk he really was, I still ended up in the backseat with his mom. He sure did get the front seat, but not without the bra on his head for being such an inconsiderate jerk.
Anyway, I paid the driver and noticed something when he flashed me his playful look. A very familiar face. I decided to shake the topic off of my head and got out and stretched my whole body.
"Drew, they're he-" I was cut off when I saw him wearing on his head my supposed-to-be gift. "What's up with you?" I asked trying to hold back my laughter.
"Well, the driver said I would look cute with it." he finished putting aside all his luggage as the taxi went off. "Do I?" He put his head in between his hands and tilted his head a bit showing that infamous puppy eyes pout.
I laughed so hard until something in my mind clicked.
"Was he the same driver from back then?" I suddenly asked Drew.
"Back then?" He pondered on himself, taking the obnoxious thing off his head. "What are you talking about?"
"Never mind." Weird, but I shook off the thought as both of our families neared us.
He quickly hides it as his mom, Celia Hayden, got nearer. So was his dad. Mine? Well, my parents and grandfather. After a few hugs and talks, we decided to continue it inside my family's residence.
...
I was feeding Grandpa since it was lunchtime and he finds it hard to feed himself due to his age, not that I'm complaining, I've been feeding Grandpa ever since. I love him.
After a spoonful of rice porridge, he motioned me to stop and called Drew to come over. Not another story of cold killings in war again. I recalled that he used to tell us these mini part series when we were younger. I can't really say that I missed this, I guess he was just proud of the friendship he shared with Drew's Grandpa. I and Drew synchronized a sigh, and then we laughed it off. He must have thought the same.
Drew and I stared at him for relatively a while. He was still chewing every bit of food he got left in his mouth. His eyes were closed as if he's concentrating very much on grinding the poor rice to micro level.
I felt sort of bad for Grandpa, I wish he would still find eating comfortable as much as I find it.
As Grandpa finally swallowed, so did I and Drew. I didn't know, but for some odd reason, I felt as if there was something to be afraid of. I just couldn't put my finger on it.
"Errrhhmm..." Grandpa started. He looked at the whole family who were now listening behind us. I saw my mom make a worried face which sort of confirmed my bad predicament.
"You know how close our friendship was." He said smoothly, pointing to a picture on the wall. "Master Sergeant Carlos Hayden." Grandpa smiled.
"Your old man was a great man Drew. You resemble his face greatly, especially your beautiful green eyes." My grandpa said as he sketched a grin on his face.
I glanced at Drew and he maintained his composed look. I wonder what he could be thinking right this moment. Is he feeling the same nervous feeling I'm having right now?
"We made a pact years back to keep both of our families tied together, a promise." He rubbed his chin, showing us how long and important this promise must be.
"Now that he had already rested seven years ago, and I'm following him nearly, I hope you two can keep that promise."
"Huh?" We both asked.
"Will you? We both decided to get our children married. That was the promise." He answered our questioning looks.
"But you two got only sons." Drew answered, quite appalled.
I did agree, both of our Grandpa have only sons, which were both my father and Drew's father.
"That's why I'm passing it to you both." He said, too quickly for a grandpa at his age.
"What!? Marry Drew?" I asked, overflowing with disbelief. "That can't happen!" I frantically waved my hands in the air, as if I was waving off this ridiculous information from penetrating through my poor cerebral cortex.
"Yeah, that's what I said." Grandpa said calmly and fast, as if it was the most obvious and simple thing in the world, which in fact it was obviously freaking not!
"Sure thing Grandpa, I'll take good care of May." Drew straightly approved, hugging me by my side.
"Lay your perverted hands off me Cabbage Brain! We can't marry...yet." I said, my voice trailing off the 'yet' part.
"You two have to get married soon, I'll die happily when that happens!" Grandpa insisted.
"But.."
"And you two can already marry, you're both above 15 anyway and you'll both have your parent's consent." He added knowingly.
"But.."
"Come on May! It's Grandpa's dying wish! We must not fail him!" And what's even more unbelievable was the fact that Drew totally agreed to this! God! What's going on right now? I know I've been a very bad girl but I strongly believe that I didn't deserve this. My throat became dry and a sob came up to me.
"But.."
I looked behind for some support, and when Mom saw me about to cry, she dug her face in Dad's shoulders. Aside from my family, everyone just hung their head low. This must be why Grandpa called Drew to come here despite the fact that he was in the middle of his senior year in LaRousse.
"But.."
It's when my head became too painful, as if the marriage information attacked my neurons like some kind virulent disease. I fainted without even able to cry. And everything around me faded to darkness, but not before seeing Drew's faint yet vibrant smirk.
This has got to be a joke! I demand!
End
Chapter One: A Sweet Burden