JANE'S POV
[Eight Years Ago: The year 2014]
"AND you may now kiss the bride."
"Ayie!" the audience teased.
I felt my whole face turn red when Kent kissed me on the cheek.
"Long live the newlyweds!"
"Long live!" Leigh, who was only seven years old, and Isabella, shouted at us before throwing flowers at us that they had just picked in Nae Nae Land.
It was one of Kent's family lands, and we often hung out here when we weren't doing anything at school. We are also with Leigh who is just a child but is already good at communicating with people right away.
We're playing wedding games. I am the bride while Kent is the groom. Isabella is the priest, and Leigh is the flower girl. I don't know why the four of us are always set up like this, and I don't know why I'm always happy when the two of us get married... even just a role play.
"Come on, hurry! Let's play!" Leigh even applauded when she said that and ran there first to the tent that Isabella had made earlier.
After that, we continued to play. That’s what we did when we were kids.
"JANE ..." Kent called me while smiling broadly. We are here again now in Nae Nae Land but it was only just the two of us. Leigh is busy today, while Isabella is having a family dinner.
"Why?" I asked him but he just smiled at me. He took my hand and gave me the flowers he brought.
"You picked it up again, didn't you?" I asked him with a smile before I smelled the flower. I just smiled when the smell of it became gentle on my nose.
It was delicate.
"Yes, but that's only three," he replied to me before he sat down next to me. "Guess why."
"Why- Ouch!" I winced because he suddenly flicked my forehead. He's annoying!
"I told you to guess, then you ask me why?" He crossed his two hands on his chest before he stared at me. "I won't say, Jane, so guess why I gave you three flowers."
I just raised an eyebrow at him, and again, he was laughing next to me.
A FEW YEARS have passed, and Kent and I have become even closer now that we are in grade 9. I am 15 years old and Kent is 16. Actually, I like him. I've confirmed that to myself for a long time, but I'm still afraid to admit it to him
Maybe it's because I am happy with the friendship we have. I don't want to ruin it just because one of us fell in love.
Kent pulled me up and made me sit on the grass. Then, he suddenly lay down on my lap so I almost pushed him.
"H-Hey, Kent. You're crazy. Get out of there," I scolded him but he didn't leave. He felt even more at home as he lay down, and he felt like I was a pillow he can lay upon.
"Why? Are you feeling some butterflies in your stomach now?" he said, obviously teasing me.
"You're really annoying," I said and stared at him, but deep inside... of course, I was thrilled. I just don't want to reveal that to him because he will tease me even more.
He grinned before he took my right hand. He stroked it gently, seemingly preventing himself from hurting me.
"K-Kent, are you high?" I will ask. I was still stunned when I asked that because whether I admit it or not, his caress had a strange effect on me.
Maybe he sucked on a smelly sock?
Instead of being offended, he laughed at what I asked. It's annoying, I was even laughed at. I am seriously asking a question here.
"No," he said briefly. "Is it bad to do this to the woman I'm going to marry?"
"Huh?"
My jaws were left open by what he said. What is he talking about? Is it about the fake marriage are we supposed to play back when we're a child?
"We're engaged," he casually replied to me as if I wouldn't be surprised by what he said. "Don't you know? Didn't my mom tell you that the two of us will get married when we're 18? You know my parents, they want me to get married right away even though I'm young so that I can enjoy My life."
He seems to be really used to his parents wanting him to do something. Kent has HCM. It was inborn in him, but the doctor said he would be okay, as long as there was nothing that could trigger his pain to get worse. Leigh and Isabella and I always make him happy.
We all promised that we would keep Kent away from all kinds of pain. From an early age, even before Leigh was born, that was what Isabella and I had promised each other.
"What?!" But I still couldn’t help but be surprised. "Why... why me?"
Our life is simple, unlike Isabella who has her own company. So I can’t understand why they chose me.
"Why not you?" his question makes me wonder. "You're the one I want, so why not you?" He came closer to me, and I felt like I had run out of oxygen here around me even though the place was full of plants. "Besides, don't you know anyone else to say but 'what?' Stop that. I might kiss you right now."
"Do it!"
And my two eyes just widened when I realized what I shouted. Did I really tell him to do what he threatened me with?
That he'll kiss me?
I just wanted to run because I was so ashamed of myself, especially when I heard Kent’s loud laugh.
"Jane, you have to admit, you like me, don't you?" he asked in a serious tone, but I can hear a lingering teasing in his voice.
"Hey, don't assume too much!" I protested before I stared at him. No one will admit it! I will not admit it!
"All right, just deny that." his grin widened even more before he pinned both of my hands in my head. "You're pretty obvious. That's okay, I know a lot of women are crawling on me."
"Oh wow, how arrogant! Antipathetic!" If I only knew all the synonyms of being boastful, I would have said everything to him by now.
"Jane, how many descriptions do you have for me? Can I just be handsome?" he said while emphasizing the word 'handsome'
"You bet." No matter how hard he teases me, I won't admit it.
He just laughed at me and then later his hand landed on my cheek... and that's when I realized how close our faces were to each other.
"What if I tell you," he brought his lips to my ear, "that I like you?"
I feel like I'm out of breath. I couldn’t speak and I also couldn’t move right away because of what he said.
"Are you surprised?" He chuckled when he saw my reaction. "Your face looks like that," he added before he kissed the bridge of my nose.
Can I swear? Damn. I'm out of breath.
"I'll reserve your lips at our wedding," he said. "I'll take you home," he said so even though I didn't want to, I was forced to follow him.
What will happen next after he confesses?
A FEW years passed and Kent and I became even closer. After all, it was as if no one around us could separate us.
And our status now, we are officially together. He's my boyfriend, and I'm his girlfriend. In short, he is mine and I have no plans to let go of him. He was there with me since we were kids, and I'll make sure that I'll always be here for him for the rest of my life.
It's exciting and it's very new to me how I feel now. I am not fond of affections, but that has changed because of Kent. The truth of the matter is, I’m wearing a silver ring which Kent gave to me yesterday. It's only been a few years and we're getting married, and it's very overwhelming because her parents support me so much.
They said they could only see that Kent was happy and that they were fine... because we weren't sure how long Kent's life would last. We're both 19, and we stopped studying for a while since Kent won't be able to make it because he struggles when his heart hurts. As for me, I just want to be here always next to him.
I lost my excitement here in the living room of our house and I came back to reality when someone called me.
"Ate," Chanelle, my younger sister, called me. She was only in Grade 8. She had just finished school and she was with a girl, she looked older than her but younger than me.
"Ate, she's Selene. The one I always tell you about. That's her," she explained to me.
I looked over there at Selene. She's cute. She's innocent. It's cute because her hair is still in a twin tail, and her lips are still pouting. And Chanelle is right, she looks kind... and I just hope she won't be maltreated in this world. I am afraid of people like her and my sister. They are the ones who are often abused by other people because of their kindness.
They treated each other like sisters. Chanelle is very grateful to Selene because Selene allegedly had amnesia when she saved Chanelle from a car accident a few years ago. That's also the reason why I was so protective of my sister.
She told me that she has a stalker, that's why I always let her stay here at home.
"Nice to meet you," Selene said a little shyly.
I approached her and I smiled at her. "Don't be ashamed of me. I should be ashamed of you, eh, because you saved-"
Chanelle didn’t finish what I was about to say when she pulled Selene into her room.
"Selene, wait a minute, huh? I'm just going to do something outside," I heard Chanelle say inside the room because she still hadn't closed the door.
She came out he approached me. "Ate, don't mention what happened then. The one about her saving me, she had amnesia, she had a gangster boyfriend, and everything connected to me, don't remind her everything..."
I was surprised by what she told me so I asked. "Why? Don't tell me she doesn't remember it all? I thought the only thing she can't remember was the accident."
I was shocked when she nodded.
"Yes. All he remembers is that we were friends and we were close to each other. She didn't know that she had been comatose for a few months in the hospital because of me. And the doctor said it was better that we don't just remind her of what happened before because she might have a mental breakdown. She doesn't deserve to be hurt. That's why I don't want to see her suffering. There's a chance she'll remember everything, but we try to avoid that in any case."
I'm speechless. Selene's condition is difficult now. She's missing almost half part of her life. She missing almost many pieces of her life.
But... did I hear her right?
"She has a gangster boyfriend? How's her boyfriend?" I asked.
Gangster? The one who fights face to face with others? I'm not a gangster, so I don't know what a gangster is like.
"Selene's parents pushed her boyfriend away from her. And because he understood the situation, he decided to love Selene from afar."
I feel a pain in my heart when she said that. People can sacrifice their happiness because of love.
"I just wanted to say that. Selene and I will be in the room first, huh? We'll have quality time together for today!" Chanelle said before returning to her room.