THIS IS A FLASHBACK
Alvarez would narrate in this style: Testing
While i, the narration will keep this style.
It was rainy that day.
I was in Grade 7.
I was sitting in class, staring through window as the rain falls from the sky.
The sky had turned the color of wet cement, and the sound of droplets hitting the roof felt like nature's lullaby.
I sat by the window, chin resting on my hand, watching as raindrops slid down the glass like tiny rivers trying to escape gravity.
The teacher didn't show up that morning, so my classmates locked the door and shut the windows.
The far side of the room was covered, hiding us from the world outside.
It became our little sanctuary for the hour.
They laughed, shouted, played cards, even dared each other to prank call teachers.
Meanwhile I just watched.
I wasn't the social kind.
I didn't belong to that rhythm they had.
I was content with the quiet with the rain, with the cool air, and the kind of peace you only find in solitude.
That's when I met her.
Hannah would randomly approach Alvarez
Hannah:
Hey can I sit here?
I turned over to look at her.
Hannah Martinez.
She was distant.
Not unfriendly, but she had her own orbit.
She had her own circle, consisting of six other girls.
Most were in other classes, but she carried herself like someone who didn't need the crowd to stand out.
I nodded silently.
She pulled her chair next to mine and bridged the small space between us.
She was the kind of girl every guy admired.
Not just for her looks, although yeah, she was beautiful, most guys chased her simply because of that.
But i believed it was also for how she carried herself.
Calm. Cool. Collected.
Like she belonged somewhere better.
Pretty much every guy had a crush on her to some extent.
Even I did at the time.
Some were brave enough to try their chances with her, yet it always failed.
Every single one of them.
Still, I wasn't the type to show it.
I saw flustering as weakness.
Emotion as vulnerability.
I thought playing it cool was strength.
Hannah:
Hey.
Alvarez:
What?
Hannah:
I like you.
Alvarez:
Huh?
Hannah:
I said I like you.
She said it just like that with no hesitation, as if it's nothing.
She gave me a look that could've made any other guy melt on the spot.
Her eyes locked on mine with a flirtatious glint that, honestly, left me speechless.
I felt something then. I just didn't know what it was yet.
Alvarez:
So?
Hannah:
*giggles before laughing*
I was joking you know?
That laugh stuck with me.
It was the kind of sound that lingered even after it stopped.
After that seemingly insignificant interaction between the two of us. She began interacting with me more.
She started talking to me more.
Sitting next to me during class.
Inviting me into her friend group, pulling me into conversations.
She'd show up beside me when I least expected it.
She laughed at my jokes, challenged me at games, dragged me into her world.
She made me feel..
Seen.
Understood.
Then one day, she invited me over to her house.
Just to hang out and watch movies, is what she told me.
I didn't think much of it.
Until we were alone in her room
She said she was gonna change clothes.
I expected her to go somewhere else.
But she didn't.
She casually started to unbutton her uniform right in front of me. Although i knew there was a shirt beneath it, my head still spun.
I didn't know what was up with her.
I was kind of concerned if she's dealing with something.
I thought maybe, she's loss her mind.
She was probably 'playing' with me again, if that could even be considered a game.
Maybe she was challenging me.
I grabbed a random shirt from her closet and threw at her, stopping her in time.
Alvarez:
Stop that shit.
When i did that, It honestly felt cool.
Like something a protagonist would do.
I've always admired characters who were calm in chaos so part of me liked being that guy.
Though after that, she began laughing, even louder this time.
Hannah:
Hahahahahhahahaha! This is why you're so fun to be with!
My heart violently fluttered as if it was going to explode.
But I kept it a secret.
Alvarez:
That... wasn't funny you know?
You can't do that. Not with just anyone. That's dangerous.
She looked at me.
Not angry. Not offended.
She looked disappointed.
Like I'd broken the mood.
But i would later find out from her while we were playing video games together after school, that she very much appreciated it.
She just had no idea on how to tell me at the time.
From then on, we were closer than we've ever been.
She became a part of my life.
Someone who pulled me forward even when I doubted myself.
She gave me hope.
She gave me the motivation I needed to strive for greatness.
I thought fate was real.
I've met someone who understands me.
Someone relatable.
But good things never last.
Just as fast as we became good friends, everything faded.
A week before Grade 7 ended, she stopped talking to me, interacting with me, all together.
I didn't know why.
She moved on. I stood still.
I returned to who I was before I met her.
A loner.
Grade 8, Grade 9, and so on, we were still classmates.
Still in the same space.
But by then, we were worlds apart.
She changed.
She bloomed into someone warm, radiant. Extroverted.
She became a bundle of joy for everyone around her.
But I hated it.
I didn't hate her, I hated myself.
I hated that I couldn't change like her.
That while she moved forward, I stayed in place.
While she made people laugh, I couldn't even hold a conversation.
I wanted to be like her.
To be someone people could see.
I wanted to change too, I truly did.
I didn't like always being in the background.
Always being ignored.
But I didn't know how.
I was lost.
There were many times i wanted to talk to her.
To check up on her, see if we can return to what we were.
But I couldn't.
I felt intimidated.
I forced myself to believe that she never existed in my life.
And that I hated them. All of them.
It was easier that way.
Hatred became my armor. Resentment, my shield.
But for some reason, I no longer feel that way today. Even though it's what I've always did.
I don't know why.
Maybe dying changes you.
Maybe that 'dream' actually meant something.
Whatever the reason...
I'm grateful.
This is my second chance.
My shot to become more than just a shadow in the background.
I won't be trapped by the past I kept denying.
Never again.
I will become...
The Creator of My Story!
----TO BE CONTINUED----