When I Saw Him Again…
I told myself, You still haven't changed. You're still the person I loved back then…
But me… I'm the one you don't love anymore.
As the plane I was on descended, I grabbed my cellphone and immediately called my friends, Janice and Amy, to ask if they were already at the airport.
RING…
"Hello, Janice, where are you and Amy?" I asked as soon as she answered.
I didn't want them to pick me up because I knew they were busy with their lives, but I couldn't blame them if they missed me. After all, I had left without saying anything.
"Hello, Athena. Yeah, we're already at the airport, and you have so much to tell us, witch!" she shouted excitedly.
" Athena, really? You only contacted me last night after six years, so hurry up and get off that plane, or I'll strangle you," Amy said, her voice full of playful annoyance.
"Come on, girls, I'm finally back. Don't worry, I'll tell you everything, okay? Relax." I laughed bitterly and ended the call.
My chest felt tight as I wondered if I could revisit the things that happened to me in Canada. Could I really tell them what my parents went through? It had been so difficult…
A few minutes after the passengers disembarked, I grabbed my suitcase and walked down the plane, feeling the strong wind and warm sunlight.
I'm really in the Philippines… nothing has changed. It's still so hot. I chuckled softly to myself and walked straight out of the airport.
There I saw Janice and Amy waiting on the side. They ran toward me and hugged me immediately.
"Bitch! You look so beautiful!" Amy shouted.
"We missed you so much, Athena," Janice said. I just laughed while they held me.
Everyone was staring at us. They probably thought we were overreacting. As I looked around, I noticed a tall man standing where Janice had been earlier.
He wore a black polo. Tan-skinned, with a sharp nose, and his eyes looked at me warmly. He smiled at me…
"Ahm, sorry, Athena, I didn't tell you that Josh was with us. I really tried to lie, but Josh followed us, so I had to tell him," Janice admitted.
"But he promised, Athena, that he wouldn't tell the group you're back, especially Kenji," Amy reassured me. I smiled faintly when I heard that name again. My chest tightened.
"You two are still together? You've been at it for so long, wow," I said happily. In college, they were already together. Their relationship hadn't been messed with by fate.
"Ahm, yes, of course. I love her so much. Let's go," he invited me.
I simply nodded, and we walked over to Josh.
Josh was one of my friends who didn't believe what happened back then. He always had my back and never let me receive hurtful words. But I still chose to leave him because I didn't want people thinking there was something between us after the scandal.
"I'm glad you're back," Josh said with a smile. I smiled and nodded. I got into the car along with Amy and Janice. Josh started driving.
"Babe, we'll drop Athena off at her house, and I'll just call you when I need a ride. You know, girls-girls. Is that okay?" Janice asked Josh.
"Yeah, it's okay. I know you'll have a lot to talk about," Josh replied.
"To the Makati townhouse, right, Athena? Since you sold your hacienda house, that's where you'll be staying?" Janice asked to confirm.
"Yeah, and we actually used to stay at the townhouse. We have more memories there with Dad and Mom, and we only stayed at the hacienda occasionally, so we decided to sell it," I replied with a smile. Janice nodded repeatedly.
That was enough so Josh wouldn't ask further. He probably already knew.
"Ahm, Janice, I'll just take a quick nap, okay? I'm a bit tired from the trip," I said.
"Sure, we'll wake you when we reach Makati," Janice said with a smile. I leaned my head on the seat and slowly closed my eyes, trying to rest a little.
PAST
University of Makati
UMAK. This is where I studied, taking Business Administration because Daddy and I had discussed that one day I would run the company. I didn't complain because I also wanted what they wanted for me.
"Athena, you shouldn't have argued with that girl. Look at you now, you're the one in trouble with the principal," Janice said irritably.
She was right; I shouldn't have argued, but I didn't like seeing my friends in fights.
My friends knew how to stand their ground, but I didn't know why they didn't fight back, so I ended up bearing the brunt.
"How could I not? She accused me of stealing her boyfriend when it wasn't even true," I said angrily as we walked to the Principal's Office.
"That's exactly why, Athena. It's not true, so Janice didn't retaliate. You'll probably get stuck cleaning the library again. Kenji's friend will tease you again," Amy said, making me roll my eyes.
That was just another problem — I couldn't understand why Kenji targeted me. Just because I didn't accept his invitation to the upcoming prom? It was far away, and he wanted me to decide immediately. So many girls were after him, and yet he picked on me.
I could almost believe that Kenji liked me. Tsk. None of the guys I played with ever got that far. Even though I teased them, I never had sex and I was still a virgin. Only half-naked, and it was up to them how to react — that was it.
"Soon I'll have people thinking Kenji likes me," I said irritably.
"Isn't that what Josh told me? That Kenji would change you," Janice laughed loudly when she said it.
"Wait, where did Josh say that?! And you talked? You two?" Amy asked immediately.
"No! As if I'd fall for that guy. I just heard it in the cafeteria earlier. Kenji wasn't there when Josh said it," Janice defended.
I just grimaced. "Tsk… Don't even try. Why does he think like that? Law student, and his mind works like that?"
We stopped in front of the Principal's Office. Nothing new, just cleaning the library until 6 PM. Sweeping repeatedly until the students were gone. I'd be exhausted by the time I went home.
I went to the library alone because Amy and Janice had classes. I hadn't fully entered when Kenji blocked my way.
"Break up with your boyfriend, toy? And choose me, Athena," he said firmly, his eyes dark as he stared at me.
"What are you saying, Kenji? Can you stop? James and I have been together for a long time. Why would I leave him for you?" I shouted. This guy was crazy.
Even though I was known as a playgirl here, I loved my boyfriend. The thing was, James and I both liked to retaliate when we caught each other.
But there was a big difference between James and me — just kissing me was enough, but he had to take me to a hotel. That was his way of compensating because I didn't give him what he wanted.
"You two have been fooling around for a long time? That's okay with you?" he said firmly.
"You have no business in our relationship, Kenji. Can you stop?" I shouted and tried to walk away, but he grabbed my arm.
"Play with me instead, Athena. No other girls and no other boys so it's just us," he tried to convince me, which made me laugh.
"As if I'd fall for you, Kenji Martinez! NEVER EVER!" I shouted loudly as he suddenly pulled out his cellphone.
"Then watch your toy boyfriend f*ck with Trish, your enemy?" he said, and I immediately looked at the phone he was holding. I took it.
I could hear Trish moaning with pleasure while on top of James in a private bar offering a room. The feeling was unbearable hearing every moan while he pleased James.
This was the first time I saw James like that. Before, all I saw were pictures of him beside different girls, and I thought nothing happened — but it did. It was so unfair; I could only kiss when retaliating.
"W-where did you get this?" I said softly.
"It's already all over a website. Don't tell me you didn't know? Didn't you do the same to him?" He made me feel ashamed.
"I never retaliated on him that way. I only kissed other guys, but I never went all the way. So don't talk to me like that because you don't even know me," I shouted, finding the strength to remove his hand. I grabbed the mop and walked straight into the library.
I felt my treacherous tears because I told myself I would never cry again when I found out about James' cheating. I simply wiped my tears and started mopping so other students in the library wouldn't see me.
I glanced at Kenji. He was still at the door, just watching me. I could see pity in his eyes, but he shouldn't pity me. I hated embarrassment…