Mark, Justin, and Cesar were sent home to get some rest while Samantha and Ruth remained to continue studying. When they were about to go home, Cesar and Samantha were talking to each other. Mark heard what they were talking about and got depressed. Ruth saw that Mark was depressed. She looked at Samantha and Cesar.

“What were they talking about?”

Mark sighed yet again.

“They arranged that they should date via eating together after school.”

“Hmm. Let’s plan. Let’s eat after school.”

“What plan?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

“Ok.”

While they were talking, they were approached by Cesar.

“Mark, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Are you sure?”

“Very.”

Cesar looked at Ruth.

“Is Justin okay?”

“Yes, he is.”

“Good, I’m just gonna check him out.”

Cesar went towards Justin and the two of them talked. Ruth looked at Samantha and then at Mark.

“Mark, go and approach Samantha. There’s no one talking with her. Approach her while Cesar is still talking.”

Mark smiled at Ruth and went towards Samantha.

“Hi, Samantha! Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m ok. What about you, how’s your cheek? You were punched by Junrey's underling.”

“I’m ok. That was soft.”

“Such boasting. Hey, do you want to be with us, me and Cesar, to eat somewhere?”

“What? Were only the two of you supposed to eat with each other?”

“Why not? I need also guidance on how I could talk to Cesar.”

“What? You’re shy? Hahaha.”

The two of them laughed.

Samantha looked at Cesar and then back to Mark.

“I want to have someone to be with me because I’m shy towards him.”

“Ok. I’ll be with you.”

“What? Thank you very much, bro.”

“You’re Welcome.” ‘Bro? Is that what she thinks of me?’

The thought of Mark being only a friend to Samantha caused a daunting feeling for him.

‘Bro? Is this the end of me?’

Mark thought that the invitation was an opportunity where he could know Samantha more. But he needed help on how to talk to Samantha when Cesar is present.

“Can I bring Ruth with us?”

“It’s ok, you can bring her with us. You could even bring Justin with us.”

“Okay, I’ll tell him. Thank you very much, Samantha.”

“You’re welcome.”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Mark, Justin, and Cesar went home together. The three of them walked to their homes together. While the three of them were walking to their homes, Mark looked at Justin. While Mark was looking at Justin, Cesar looked at Mark. Cesar saw that Mark looked sad. Cesar looked at Justin whom Mark was looking at. Cesar saw that Justin’s face was beaten up good.

“Are you ok Justin?”

Justin looked at Cesar.

“I’m ok.”

“Are you sure? You can tell us.”

Mark turned to Cesar. Mark thought to Cesar, ‘Why does he care about us?’

“My face may hurt but I can manage it as long as somebody is there for me.”

Justin looked at Mark and smiled. Mark looked at Justin and smiled. Mark egged Justin on for a fist-bump. He raised his fist so that they could fistbump. Justin raised his fist so that the two of them would fist-bump.

“Boom!” The two of them fist-bumped.

Cesar smiled at what he just saw.

“You should come with us, Justin.”

“Where are you going?”

“I and Samantha are going out for dinner and I’m inviting you with us”

“I’ll go if Mark would go.”

Cesar made a decision.

“Ok, I will let Mark go with us.”

Although Mark knew he was invited by Samantha, he wants to know if Cesar would like to have him in their dinner.

“Ok, thank you very much Cesar.”

“Walay Sapayan,” with an American Accent.

“That’s good Bisaya you have there.”

“Thank you, Mark.”

“Walay Sapayan.”

While they were walking home, Mark arrived at their house.

“Goodbye, we’ll see each other later.”

Cesar waved towards Mark.

“Bye Mark.”

“Bye.”

Justin waved towards Mark.

“Bye Mark.”

“Can you come here for a moment?”

Justin went towards Mark.

“What is it, Mark?”

Mark took hold of Justin’s arm.

“Ouch, Mark!”

“Oh, sorry about that Justin.”

“It’s a prank.”

“Justin, what the heck?”

“I’m so sorry. What do you want to tell me?”

“Help me later ok?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

“Ok. Bye.”

“Ok, Mark. Bye.”

Justin walked towards Cesar where he waited for Justin so that the two of them would go home.

Mark also walked towards his house and entered.

When Mark entered their house, he covered his face using his hand. He went into his room, closed the door, and locked it. He spread himself on his own bed.

“Why are mom and dad not here?“

He thought about it then his lightbulb shone brightly.

“Ah, that’s why. Today’s only morning. They’re still working right now.”

Mark laughed at himself covering his face for no reason.

“I’m like Dracula. Covering the face because of the light. Except I don’t want to be seen by my mom and dad.”

He laughed again like a psychopath. After a while, he controlled himself, behaved from his laughter, and listened to his clock.

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.

Mark lay down and relaxed. He thought of what he should do.

“Hmm, what am I going to do today?”

Tick tock, tick tock.

“Ah, I know. I’ll read.”

He sat on his bed finding the book he liked on the shelf. His shelf is by the head of his bed. His shelf is not that big.

“Tada.”

He grabbed the book that he liked.

“One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.”

Mark continued to read the book that he read yesterday. This is the book that he forgot to put a bookmark in.

“Let's go.”

Mark read the book and took notes of what he read.

“Hmm, interesting.”

After a while of reading the book, he took a brief rest from his reading and grabbed some snacks.

“Banana, wafers, and chocolatey yummy hot milk.”

He brought the snacks to his room. He tore open the wrapper of the wafer and took a bite at the wafer.

“So delicious.”

Mark was about to use his smartphone to open Facebook but he controlled himself.

“Not now, I may waste my time scrolling through my feed.”

He stares at the ceiling and says, “What should I do today?”

While he was thinking of what he should do, he noticed something in his peripheral vision; his Bible that has accumulated dust.

He grabbed the Bible and opened it where he last read. He put a sky blue bookmark where he last read the Bible. His bookmarks are cut on colored papers.

“Jeremiah 29:11”

He paused for a bit.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

He thought about what he read. He kneeled beside his bed, bowed his head, and clasped his hands.

“Lord, I don’t know what plans you have for my life but I’ll leave all to you, Lord, because I have no idea how I should run my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Mark stood up from his kneeling. He put his Bible on the table beside his shelf and sat on his bed. He continued to read his book, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.

While he was reading, his phone lets out a sound, “Pop-ding.” A notification that someone messaged him on Messenger. He grabs his phone and turns it on.

‘It’s Ruth.’

“Mark, Samantha and I were talking about you. It looked like she doesn’t like you. I don’t want to be harsh but you don’t have a chance for her.”

“Hmm.”

Mark typed so that he could reply to Ruth.

“Not a chance? Even a little bit?”

He sent what he typed and waited for Ruth’s reply.

‘She has seen it.’

“Mark, the chance of you having her is like a carabao entering the eye of the needle.”

“So you’re telling me there’s a chance.”

“Whatever Mark.”

“Hey, I already accepted Samantha’s invitation that I could be with her dinner with Cesar.”

“Do that later. We need planning.”

“I already accepted. It’s already too late. Falling back is now not allowed.”

“I’m beside Samantha, I could tell her that you don’t want to be with them.”

“No, don’t. I’m embarrassed.”

“She’ll understand.”

“Don’t tell her please.”

“Ok, it’s your choice.”

When Mark read this, he put his smartphone on the table and lay down on the bed. He thought what Ruth said that Samantha doesn’t like him.

‘Samantha doesn’t like me?’

He looked at his clock on the wall above the door.

11:45 AM

“Hmm, I should cook scrambled eggs with cheese.”