It was bring your parents to school day and Rohry sighed for the nth time. Her head was plopped on her desk and her eyes stared into the white abyss of their classroom wall.
She sighed again.
"You're not jumping, singing or conspiring against Paine today. What happened?" The soft voice of Sidra followed by her chubby face and deep blue eyes invaded Rohry's line of sight.
Sidra had upgraded from 'just words' stage to 'conversing in proper sentences' stage around the end of their first year together. By the third, she had started treating Rohry like a normal human worthy of conversation and not just a rambling speck on the wall who was in constant need of validatory nods.
Rohry would always be proud of her herself for having made Sidra talk. She beamed, despite her heartstrings tugging her peace apart.
"You know what day is today," Rohry began, "The worst day of the year. I will have to battle it out with Jay."
Sidra let out a demure giggle, patting Rohry's back as the latter sighed again. "Let us not accidentally burn down the school like last year, okay?"
Rohry groaned audibly.
Second grade was horrible. Kang Hari and Jill Wisteria were out for eachother's blood — something regarding the Mayoral re-elections. Hari's campaign was better education, opportunity and facility. Jill was merely existing to step over it and ruin it all. When Hari could not win over Nile Amaryllis, she decided to be the Mayor herself even though it would have been impractical with her already existing job.
On bring your parents to school day, Hari had prepared a whole speech over woman empowerment and opportunities that Geography brings to you — she was a geographer and her husband was an architect.
Jill, who was nothing but a Pastor's wedded and a housewife, was there to relish in the favours of living the easy life whilst being the wife of a rich person.
Hari detested Jill's views.
Jill couldn't care less.
Hari showed off Jaehyun's independence in front of everyone, claiming how her son could, "Cook his own breakfast, clean his own room, darn his own clothes, do the laundry as well as his own dishes. He is also a star student with excellent grades!"
To which Jill had accused Hari of "parental neglect and child labour." She then proceeded to exhibit how Rohry is, "A pampered child. The absolute gem of my eyes, who has excellent grades, a comfortable childhood and is super independent. She can do anything she puts her mind to because she is literate enough, but she doesn't have to because her parents would never emotionally or physically abandoned their child— unlike some people."
Rohry had hid her face behind a stack of books and refused to budge as Jaehyun snorted with every word that Jill Wisteria uttered. Independent and Rohry could not be used in the same sentence, in relation to eachother, but Jill did not need to know that.
Rohry was the embodiment of pretence and Jaehyun was good at secrets. He got a good laugh out of it though.
But, it wasn't enough for his mother, who then asked Jaehyun to walk up to the front. Quite recklessly, she picked up a paper from the desk and pulled out a lighter from her handbag. She lit it up in Jaehyun's face.
"I want you to put it off in less than ten seconds."
Jaehyun did not even blink at his mother's audacity, as everyone else gasped and protected their children whilst the class teacher shouted. Jaehyun just clapped his hands over the paper and put it off in merely five seconds.
"That was horribly reckless of you, Mrs. Kang!" The teacher shouted.
"Nevertheless, I was better."
Which was fuel enough for Jill to snatch the lighter from Hari's hands and light up a paper in her hand — which happened to he Rohry's presentation — and demanded her daughter to put it off.
Rohry, unlike Jaehyun, freaked out because her mother was usually the embodiment of calmness and by the time she had reached the front with a water bottle in hand, the fire alarms had gone off due to the smoke.
Lest to say, Hari's mayoral lisence was revoked for five years and Jill was reprimanded by her husband.
It wasn't the worst of days but it surely wasn't the best of days. It was one of those days which Rohry desperately wished they'd stop making a 'thing.'
Rohry shivered as the embarssing memory ran through her head.
"I hate when they meet eachother."
"So you could have asked your dad to come. I don't think Pastor Jack could do anyone any harm," Sidra smiled innocently.
Rohry's memory was invaded with the black eye that Jaehyun's father sported for two weeks after her father had punched him in the face.
"Hmph, you don't even know. I think they hate eachother even more...like, they'll poison eachother with a smile on their face and never talk about it ever again."
Sidra snorted at that.
"Why don't you and Jaehyun try to make them get along?" Sidra proposed, "You both are best friends and you cannot go sneaking around like that for the rest of your life."
Rohry tsked, "Trust me, I will." She sat back-up, straight, and her eyes involuntarily found Jaehyun sitting two rows away from her, his chin perched on his palm. His eyes were fixated on the file in front of him as he went over his presentation material for the day. Somehow, Ian was still his seatmate, something about them being able to tolerate only eachother. They were giving a presentation together, having pretended to be best friends since first grade for just one day of the year.
Ian's grandparents were smitten with Jaehyun and his manners. The Kangs adored Ian's individuality and confidence.
Though Jay and Ian despised eachother, it was still lesser than they despised everyone else. Their "friendship," was an unsaid pact between them and no one around bothered to mention it.
Ian had his earphones on, connected to his iPod, as he bobbed his head to something, ignoring Paine freaking out all over the classroom.
Paine's parents were strict and Paine...well, his memory game wasn't an all 'A' and neither was his personality. Though, somehow, Lander had taken it upon himself to make a better man out of him.
"Stop pacing! You cannot remember it well even when you're pacing. Sit down and relax, breathe after me, okay?" Lander tried to calm him down but his good intentions were shoved away, quite literally.
"I work better alone, okay? Stop squeaking in my head! You're annoying!" Paine retored with a grimance. His eyes averted from Lander to Rohry and Sidra.
Rohry had no idea why, or how, but Paine had some secret one sided vendetta against Sidra. He'd scowl everytime he saw her, as if even her breathing was inconveniencing him. It had been going on since forever and a day.
"Stop staring at me!" He shouted and Sidra flinched in consequence, averting his presence with all of her body. Paine was always testing her patience.
"Hey! Shut up and be nice, will you?!" Rohry shouted back, in defence of her friend. She narrowed her hazel eyes at Paine, openly glaring to put him off.
"No one cares what you say church girl, just open your mouth and let your boyfriend feed you," Paine snapped back with bitterness.
"Hey! Buddy, not cool! You should apologise," Lander exclaimed right when Rohry jumped over her desk and grabbed Paine by his collar.
"Excuse me? What did you just say?!" Rohry seethed.
Lander tried swimming his arms between them but Rohry scratched him away.
"Ahh-ha, where is your holy patience now?! Are you abandoning your God after befriending freak—"
Rohry was about to throw a punch when a familiar pair of her bestfriend's arms wrapped around her torso and lifted her away from the point of conflict. She flailed her arms and legs in air as he dropped her infront of Sidra, who then pulled her further away from conflict to the back of the class — all the while Rohry voiced vile words.
"Look at you hiding behind your freak of friends, you coward!" Paine laughed bitterly only to recieve a head smack from Lander.
"Stop it, will you? You're making it worse!" Leander chastised.
Paine grumbled something under his breath but his breath hitched when Jaehyun placed his hands over Paine's shoulders and smiled a pleasant smile.
"Aw Paine, you don't need to be insecure about today. You'll do well, okay love? Just stay calm, cutie."
An eerie silence resonated inside the classroom, interrupted only by Ian choking on his water.
Paine got red in the face, eyes wide, and nodded in silence. Lander stared at Jaehyun as if he had seen a ghost.
"Go back to your seat now, okay? And listen to Lander," Jaehyun patted Paine's back and urged him to scram from the front of the classroom.
"Yeah, let's - uh, let us, review," Lander fumbled for words, probably a first in life.
Jaehyun walked past a choking Ian without helping him— this is why they weren't friends — and beelined to the very back of the classroom where Rohry and Sidra stood, hand in hand, jaws unhinged.
"Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Who asked you to jump over? Have you met you? You'd pull a muscle or ten and cry about it for weeks!" Jaehyun scolded his friend, inspecting her all over with his hands and eyes.
"I'm fine, your highness! No need to worry so darn much," Rohry scoffed, pushing Jaehyun's hands back to his own being.
"And who even taught you all of those words? We do not stoop to the bully's level Rara," Sidra whispered, providing angry clenches to Rohry's arm. "Everyone's a bit pressed about today so give him some space okay?" She urged.
"What she said," Jaehyun agreed with a sigh, having gained the supernatural ability to tune-in on Sidra's whispers over the years. "I think your best two decisions were making friends with me and Sidra. What would you ever do without us?!" He wondered out loud.
"Yes yes, I know, Rohry is a lost cause without her friends. I know, I love you, can we move on now? Our mothers will be here soon and they'll start another fight over us," She grumbled, pulling herself away from her friends as she took to her seat again.
Paine was right.
Rohry loved her friends but they were better than her in all aspects. She was used to hiding behind them. Jaehyun was near perfect at anything he touched and Sidra was just the embodiment of perfection. They were both beautiful and kind, if someone were to break through their defences. They were better people and would have done so much better without her holding them back. Why were they even friends with her? Wouldn't they be so much better off with eachother?
An insecure voice in her head wouldn't stop nagging. She was constantly working hard to be better for Jaehyun and Sidra, but she still lacked in so many ways. She always would. At the end of the day, she isn't them.
And she should leave it at that.
She had better things to overthink about — like, the fact that her teacher just entered the class with a line of parents and guardians following behind.
"Good morning students, take your seats please, we shall begin the presentations shortly."
⩩
It was a Saturday again. Saturdays were Rohry and Jaehyun's days. They would always sneak out of their homes— when their mothers would be gone for their kitties and their fathers were distracted with their own jobs— and hangout.
They included Sidra, Lander and everyonce in a blue moon, Ian on weekdays. Paine would always join because he had no shame and rarely took, "no," for an answer. The group would hangout at their local park and play games whilst Hari and Jill fueled Jaehyun and Rohry's rivalry.
Be it racing, playing catch or even House! Though...it got weird when they would play House.
Lander was the proclaimed leader of the group and would become the dad. Paine insisted he be the mother which would usually result in Rohry, Jaehyun and Sidra starting a new family of their own. No one wanted Paine as their mother.
Sidra was always made the kid because she was shy and cute and everyone loved her. Though, when it came to being a dad and mum, Rohry and Jaehyun were forced to pursue the opposite dynamic. Hari would insist that Rohry, "Go out and work and be a strong woman," whilst Jill would insist that Jaehyun man up and pamper the lady for good measure, "Treasure her until everafter." Words which made Hari's blood boil.
"Don't listen to your foolish mother, Rohry dearest, you're a charming young woman! I insist that you take a stance for your future and win not only the bread but also the butter of your family! Women should be left to their own devices!"
To which, Rohry could only nod.
"Oh shut up, Kang Hari. Jaehyun, sweetie, be a darling and show your mum exactly how girls should be treated and loved? Don't let her nail beds go dry, keep her safe, never let her work too much, will you?"
To which, Jaehyun could only nod.
Ultimately, Sidra would end up being a child of divorce as Jaehyun and Rohry would live separately and unhappily ever after, much to their mothers' content.
Hence why, they needed Saturdays for their own selves. Away from the usual bickering, condescending remarks and prying eyes. Just two friends enjoying each other's company over Yugiho cards and Pixar movies.
Though, this Saturday, Jaehyun hadn't brought his usual bag of toys, instead, he held out a scalpel over the grass fence that seprated their homes and said, "Dig a hole." He gestured at a corner beside the edge of her mansion wall.
"Ohh are we burying a memory box?" Rohry questioned excitedly, taking the tool in her hand.
"No," Jaehyun mumbled, pulling out a pair of gloves for her to wear. "Wear them. Today is Earth day and we're planting a tree. Two trees, exactly, in memory of our friendship."
Rohry held the scalpel under her armpit and frowned as her fingers eased into the gloves. "In memory? Why? Are you abandoning me?!" She gasped, looking quite genuinely convinced that this was the end of their friendship. For good. Her mother had got to him. He was sick of her. This was the end for good. Everafter.
"This," Jaehyun interrupted her spiral by pointing his scalpel over her frowning face, "this is the reason why we're planting a tree. It's tangible and you will not have to constantly worry but us withering away. Our friendship will be as sturdy as the tree we water and grow, okay?"
Rohry's quivering hazel eyes blinked away the tears they had already started collecting. "Woah...that was really deep, oddly," Rohry sniffled as Jaehyun rolled his eyes and leaned over the hedge to wipe away her tears.
"You're such a crybaby. Let's get moving, shall we?"
Rohry, always wanting to try new things, excitedly pranced over to the corner and started digging.
"But will you abandon me if I was too much of a crybaby?" Rohry suddenly questioned, half a minute into the digging.
"Yes," came Jaehyun's reply from across the hedge.
She stood up in exasperation and tiptoed to ask, "But if I toughen up, will you not leave me?"
"I will think about it."
"But...but, if I—"
"Rick, you're stuck with me for life. If you want me gone then you'll have to go back in time and and not smile at me the day we first met, okay?" Jaehyun snapped, digging his hole ferociously. He puffed his cheeks and hid the obvious blush that was consuming his face.
Rohry giggled at that.
"So, if I keep smiling you'll never abandon me?"
"Yes."
She sat back down, swaying her body left and right to an odd rhythm.
"Woah, Jay, you're such a fairweather friend!" Rohry snorted, much to Jaehyun's annoyance. "I mean, what did I even expect? You only like me when I smile. Tsk tsk." She dragged out in a teasing tone.
"Yeah, you wanna cry all that much? I'll make you cry!" Jaehyun grunted, grabbing a fistful of ground dirt and shoving it in Rohry's general direction.
It never reached her. But the intention of a dirt fight did.
So Rohry, being the competitive little child that she was, grabbed a fistful of the dirt she had gathered and threw it at Jaehyun's face.
It hit him, fair and square.
"Oh you just did not!!" He scowled grabbing a fistful and jumping over the fence to rub it all in her hair. Not the hair!
"Seriously? A girl's hair?!" Rohry retorted, grabbing a fistful to shove it in his shirt. They laughed as Jaehyun struggled to comitt rubbing dirt in Rohry's face but she was already erasing his facial features with both her hands.