Sherrie occupied her usual seat in the back room, knowing she will be invisibly learned through out the lesson, she just scanned through her notes. A loud group of guys and girls are laughing over and Robert was one of them. Sherrie ignored Robert's warm smile as she was reminded of Cecile's instruction.
"Is there something wrong?" it was Robert who pester her and handed her the books she piled on the shelves after her classes. She just silently give him cold stares and arranged neatly the books as she always used to.
" Let me guess, A. you still get upset over a small joke yesterday?"
"Or B. Your older sister bid you not to get close to me." then he assisted Sherrie in heavier books that must be place at topmost part of the shelf.
"or C. Both A and B?"
Sherrie paused for a while and turned at him who is still smiling.
"D. All of the above. Are you happy?"
"Oh, I see. It just a small scale subject Sherrie. I could ask Cecile myself and tell her off I am a man of good character." then he look at her as if he is a superhero or something.
"Seriously? You never know Cecile and my tatay might get angry and get me in trouble. If he heard I had someone who pester me around, he might misunderstood that I had defy him and he might not permit me to go to school anymore. How about that sounds?"
"Hmm… a little bit challenging. I could ask him myself. Then he would like me and adopt me instead."
Sherrie laughed out of the blue and then she fell silent.
" You must be kidding me?"
"How about this semester's break?"
"Suit yourself kid. I won't tell them I know you anyway." Sherrie patted his proud shoulders to brush off confidence from him.
"Should I serenade your nanay as well?"
" Are you out of your mind?"
"Should I offer our crops to please your family?"
"You know what? Forget it. Let's be strangers with each other."
" Were not even formally friends to begin with Sherrie," there is a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Could we be friends? I will ask your father if you were afraid of being misunderstood. How about that?" he offered his hand and waited for her to affirm his requests. She just looked at him hopelessly and out of the blue shook his hands.
"Let me remind you Robert, keep a distance of 12 inches."
"Should I bring ruler with me all of the time?" he retorted foolishly.
"What should I do with you?" she laughed while covering her mouth with her small hands.
Robert smiled from ear to ear while she just did the same. In that fair lit room, the sun rays struck against the window glass and generously flashed them that they both ended laughing and reminded of the same scenario. The fine dust floating can be seen in the sun light that they looked at each other with the deafening silence trap them; only their beating hearts can be heard.