"We tend not to always have an ideal ending. And that brings excitement to life because it can be unpredictable"
60 days later
Our two-month summer vacation has come to an end. We're back to school again but here's the good news... we're now in grade 11! Whooo! I am enthusiastic to start the semester of this school year. I'm getting fired up. I don't usually look forward to coming back to school, but this one feels different. My month-long vacation in the province has been filled with lots of fun. Life in the province can't be compared to life in the city. Both are wonderful but there are some attributes that stood out to each of them. I looked up at the school's gate before entering it. A lot of students are walking with me. I welcome myself to Vosiejo High School.
"You grin like you're a college graduate. Mind you, we're only in grade 11, still a high schooler!" Nyla appears not to be excited unlike me. We had a chat on social media last night about going back to school. I can't help but tell them how much I'm looking forward to today.
"At least we're one step ahead." Anj truly understands what I feel. I love her optimism.
"Yo!" Rishi greeted us and gave us a high five.
"How's the first day?" I asked the three of them.
"It went well," Anj's short answer. She trimmed her hair but still wore her iconic ponytail. She chose Accountancy, Business, and Management strand. She aspires to be an accountant after we graduate. That strand suits her the best because of her analytical and practical thinking skills.
"Hmm… not much but they made me the class president," Rishi replied looking clueless that the only thing he remembered is when he was chosen to be their class's president. The color of his braces' rubber bands changed from the last time I've seen him. He took Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics strand. He may not look like it, but this boy is hiding his clever brain in academics, especially in math.
"Yuck! You're the president?" Nyla raised her eyebrows. "I feel sorry for your classmates. I wonder what will happen to your class in the future. Not that I'm concerned but I'm glad I'm no longer your classmate." Nyla decided to be in Information, Communication, Technology strand because she's interested in computer programming. Her older brother who's a college student took a computer-related course that inspired her to follow in her older brother's footsteps who's now in college.
"Nothing good comes out from your mouth," Rishi scoffed. Here we go again with their senseless arguments. "My Artheo relatives are quite uptight. They expect too much from a dopey guy like me." he shrugged. So, he's aware that he's a dopey guy, huh. Rishi is becoming mature maybe because of his 'uptight' parents. I hope he's doing well.
"Hmp! There's a cute guy in my class and since he's my classmate, I'll study hard to get his attention, kyah!" And Nyla even grabbed my arm while she giggles. It seems like she's now motivated to start the semester.
"How 'bout you?" Rishi asked me.
"Me? It was okay. I've met a lot of new faces. Our new senior high building is well-built and has a lot of new equipment." I am in Arts and Design strand where my talent and hobby will be honed when it comes to drawing and painting. Our senior high building is newly built, just in time to start this semester. I am excited to test out the new tools and equipment invested in us. I'm thankful that my preferred strand is available in this school so that I wouldn't have the problem of transferring schools.
The four of us are no longer classmates this school year because we've chosen four different strands. It may not look like it, but our differences brought us all together which strengthens our friendship. I will miss hanging out with them all the time, so I grabbed this opportunity to spend time with my group. Who knows when will be the next time that we'll gather completely like this? Soon enough, we will be busy with our own class and lives despite studying in the same school.
"Oh my gosh! Is that you? Heavien Luvitos?!" I turned around to someone who called me by my whole name. If I'm right, she's the girl in my class that I notice glancing at me. And if I remember correctly, she's also the one I saw in the cinema whom we scolded for being noisy while watching the movie. I didn't see her face clearly inside the cinema, but I saw her with the other two guys when we fell in line to buy tickets.
"Um, yes, why?" my puzzling question. How did she know my whole name when I don't even know hers?
"What a coincidence! I am your classmate!" She held out her right hand to me. I accepted her warm greetings and took her handshake. "I'm Jezial Athaliah, a transferee from Sherrin High. I know you noticed me in the classroom. I'm looking at you, but you avoided me. I'm sitting in front because my last name starts with the letter A, so I didn't have the chance to approach you earlier, especially our adviser is strict." How friendly of her. My three friends are a bit confused about what's happening.
I smiled at her. "Nice meeting you, Jezial."
"Oh, by the way, here," She took something from her bag and showed it to me. A book? "I'm your fan! That's why I was waiting for you to come out after the homeroom to get an autograph."
I'm a bit hesitant to be excited that someone knows me because of the book she mentioned. And she even asks for my autograph. She handed me a ballpen and I signed the first page of the book she's holding.
"Hey, piglet, you're here!" A boy approached us. He's tall with long, messy hair.
"Why are you looking for me?" Jezial asked. I'm also done signing her book.
"This creep wants to eat with us at the canteen," said the other boy with a wristwatch. They must be the two guys Jezial's with at the cinema.
"Can't you eat without me? Geez," Jezial smiled at me. "Lovely meeting you. Thank you for this!" Jezial said goodbye to me and the three of them left. They are indeed the three we saw after the moving-up ceremony. Funny how small our world can be.
Rishi tickled my side stomach that made my body twitch. "You never told us that you're famous, huh."
"Silent but deadly, that's the motto of Heavien." Nyla added. Anj chuckled.
I felt both confused and embarrassed by what just happened. I don't know how and what to react supposedly, but I guess I did my part. I never thought someone would be interested in that story. Not to mention, she's my classmate, of all the people.
I paused for a bit. Novel? Book?
As I recall, when I was organizing my drawer there are compiled bond papers with texts. It was a novel, and the title was 'Triumphant Game'. There is a date when it was written and there's the name of the author with a sign above it. I was surprised that my name was written there that matches my current signature. I read it in one whole day because I got curious why my name was on the cover paper. I also found out that a soft copy is also saved on my laptop and that it had been published on an online reader website. I checked that and there are many views and comments. I got contacted by a staff of the online reader website and was offered to turn that online novel into a book. I am supposed to refuse but it turns out that I already signed the contract. They are just reminding me of it. I am not fully aware of that novel, but it appears that I was indeed the author of it. And that's it. It is now a book being sold nationwide. I would
I don't even know why my name is there, but I feel like I should just let go of it. I won't lose anything from trying so I did it. It seems that I also saved multiple soft copies of it in my other accounts. I thought that maybe I wrote that kind of novel and just forgot about it. I didn't worry that I might be copyrighted because it has been confirmed that it's mine. I just can't remember it which weirded me out. How come a novel that I specifically wrote would slip off my mind?
"C'mon, let's have lunch," Rishi invited us. I looked at my wristwatch and it is lunchtime. We gathered to eat lunch together after our first orientation of the day.
"You guys go first. I'll go to the CR." I need to pee first because the line at the canteen will be long. Besides, we'll have a long chat. I waved to them.
"Hurry up!" Nyla shouted and they went ahead to the canteen.
I am walking towards a building when I saw that the comfort room there is closed for maintenance. I walked again to the other building which is farther away. And because it is hot because of the sun in the afternoon, I stepped aside. I followed the shadows of the trees to shade myself while walking.
I saw a boy sitting on the ground and leaning against the large roots of a tree. I approached him to wake him up because he might be caught by the guard sleeping, or worse by a teacher or the principal herself. When I approached him, he is still asleep. He has tanned skin, his hair is neatly gelled which made his hair spiky, and his mouth opens with drool on the left side of his lip. His left hand is supporting his head and his right hand is holding a book. Out of curiosity, I leaned forward to the cover of the book and...
"Eh?" I gasped.
The boy was a little surprised and I accidentally woke him up.
"Oy," said the boy who just woke up and sat up. He wiped his drool and rolled his eyes looking at me. "Why?" he asked frowning while rubbing his eyes.
My eyes widened at the sight. At the same time, the wind is blowing harder, and the dry leaves are floating in the air. At the same time, the sunlight focused on the face of the person I am staring at now.
"L-Leon...than?" I asked the boy. I left stunned.
His forehead furrowed even more, and he brought his face closer to mine. His eyes narrowed asking, "Leon? What? What's that?" and he turned his face away from me and leaned back against the tree.
"Who are you?" I asked him out of the blue. I might weird him out, but I need to know.
I don't know what I am doing but I'm suddenly nervous. I feel relieved to see this boy. I have no idea why.
"Why?" he looks irritated because of my unwanted interrogation.
"Just…" Uh-oh, I don't have a reason for this. I can't tell him about that. He wouldn't understand.
"Canley"
"Can... ley?"
"Yes, Canley!" he cleared it out for me. "What or who is that Leon you're talking about?"
"Huh?"
Oh, wait! Who is this Leonthan I'm talking about?! What's going on with me? Why did I mention the name of someone whom I don't even know? I thought carefully about how that name came out of my mouth. Leonthan... Hmmm… Think, think, think... ah!
I have a 2x2 inches picture of that Leonthan in my drawer that has been stuck in my journal notebook. He's not smiling at the photo and wears a polo of our school uniform. I would have thrown away that picture, but I read something on the back of the picture.
'I, Heavien Cyre Luvitos, shall not throw this precious memento of Leonthan Hortaia''
I had my full name written on it. It puzzled me so I just didn't throw it away just to make sure. It seems to be an important photo that I should not throw away.
I look at this boy named, Canley. He looks exactly like Leonthan in the photo hidden in my journal. But when I saw Canley, it was as if a thorn had pulled out of my chest. It was as if I suddenly felt happy. It's as if Leonthan had come back to life. Even though I don't know or remember Leonthan, I can certainly feel that he's a significant being to me. I also saw that there was a sketch pad, then there was a sketch of 24 people. I don't know who the 23 people are but there's a sketch version of myself in the drawing included to the other 23. I just ignored it because the drawing is beautiful, but I don't know if I was the one who sketched it.
"Oy!" I came back to my sense from deep thought.
"Ah, nothing. You just look like someone I knew." It was a lie because I don't know who Leonthan is to me.
"Why the heck did you wake me up? I'm having a good dream." He is indeed annoyed by me. I greatly apologize for interrupting your sleeping hours.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it. The guard or teacher might catch you sleeping here."
He sighed. "Don't sweat it"
I can't leave him yet because of the questions formed in my head. "What are you dreaming about?"
He looked far away. "I'm supposed to save a girl from the game... haysss! I almost got the good part of it!"
I frowned. "Game?" What game does he mean?
"Here oh," He showed me the book he was holding. 'Triumphant Game' is the title of the book that he's reading. "It's a good one. Have you read it? Or are you even familiar with it? Tsk, tsk, you're outdated if you don't know anything about this book. Haha!" He laughs like he's mocking me for assuming that I'm 'outdated'. He jumped to his conclusion. I didn't know that his behavior transforms when talking about the book I wrote.
"I've read that," Yes. Not to brag, I'm even ahead of you reading it.
"Oh, really? I didn't expect that someone also reads this. All my classmates and friends know nothing about this great book!" He tapped the right side of the ground as if he was inviting me to sit beside him.
"Why?" I asked him. I was not planning to have a long chat with him.
"Come here!" he held left my hand and pulled me down. I sat on his right side without leaning on the tree.
He is having fun while telling the story and I couldn't get into his monologue. He even shows hand gestures and sound effects so I can feel his storytelling about the book.
"Right? It's sad that the story has ended. I hope the author will add something more to it," he said. He looks disappointed.
"Why?"
"The author must be fond of a cliffhanger. It was a bad ending for me. No, actually, it's the worst ending I've ever read!"
I don't know if it was supposed to be a compliment or a total insult to me. I have no clue how to react or comment. He just mentioned it is a great book, yet he considers it having the worst ending he has ever read. Where should I place myself then? This is the first criticism from a reader that I've taken face-to-face. It's good to hear one of my reader's impressions personally. He even expressed his opinion about the book with dissatisfaction on his face. So, this is what he thinks of the novel.
"I wish for at least one last chapter of it to give me closure." He even demands one last chapter of it. I think it ended pretty well. What closure does he need?
"I already know what the author will add in case she adds."
In my peripheral vision, he looks at me. "What will it be?"
I looked in front of me which are the students walking, running, and eating. I can feel the cool wind on my arms blowing my hair.
"Even if the two are not together, they will learn to live through each other's memories. They can avoid the destiny written for them but cannot escape it. If they try to get away from what is set for them, they are only hurting themselves. They shall receive what path has been prepared for them because they know there's a good ending awaits. For some, it might be a bad ending but there's a reason why the author chose it to be like that. Not every story should turn out to be what the readers expect it to be. If the author will always favor the readers, then where's the thrill behind it? We tend not to always have an ideal ending. And that brings excitement to life because it can be unpredictable."
Canley is silent and I could see in my peripheral vision that he is seriously staring at me. I turned to my left and he just kept staring blankly at me. What's his deal? Did he get my point? Or I did explain it implicitly? It must be too deep for him to get the gist of it. Anyway, I hope he gets it so that I won't explain myself anymore.
"Hey!" I poked his shoulder.
"Oh, my bad!" He scratched his head. He finally came to his senses. "You are?" he squinted his eyes waiting for an answer.
"Heavien," I simply answered.
"I thought so!" He pointed his left index finger in the air.
I got startled at his reaction. "W-Why?"
"You're the author of this! No wonder you look alike." He pointed out the book he was holding. "Why didn't you tell me?!" And he opened the book to the last page of it where my face is printed. There are few details written about me and about the book I had written. Am I obliged to tell him that I'm the author of the book he simultaneously brags and nags about? It just happened that we have the same face as that girl printed on the book. Okay, I can't make a joke out of it. That's indeed me but I have no definite memories of the story from the book so I'm not yet confident of claiming it mine.
"Hahaha!" I can't hold it in, so I laughed at him. I noticed that he suddenly fell silent. Maybe he is now ashamed of the things he said to me. I don't mind his previous rude actions. As a matter of fact, he's amusing. Okay, enough of this. And as a form of my apology, because I woke him up from his deep sleep, I gave him an autograph. That marks two consecutive autographs for today's record.
I glanced at my wristwatch. It took longer than expected. "I'm going to leave," I forgot that I still need to pee and the three of them are waiting for me for lunch. They must be mad at me right now. I stood up and patted my skirt because of the dirt from sitting on the ground.
"Where are you going?"
"At the canteen. My friends have been waiting for me."
I was about to run when he took my left hand.
He smiled. "Pleased to meet you, Author." He called me Author, just like the name of the hologram in the story.
He let go of the grip. I smiled at him too then nodded. I ran fast.
"Miss Author!" I stopped running for a moment and looked back.
"Mm?" I raised my eyebrows.
"Let's meet again and talk about the sequel of your book. I can be your editor so I should be the first to read the sequel, okay?" I smirked at what he said. "Canley Seblore, grade 11, from class ICT-D. Make sure to hit me up!"
"Looking forward to your volunteering!"
He waved at me so did I. I continued running. I stopped running for a moment and was caught on my knee while catching my breath. For a moment I grasp the fresh air and took time to wander my eyes to the beautiful view of the school. I can clearly see the school's garden from where I am standing. That's the place where it all started and ended. The moment I talked to Canley—it was as if the two of us are longtime friends. I smiled at the last part of what he said. I am being shaken by my thoughts.
Sequel? Hmmm...
I'll just leave it to your imagination.
And I started running again towards the next chapter of my life.
THE END