Part I: the beginning

It was an offered friendship. We were in third year high school then and were both members of the leadership trainees. It was our habit to walk in Sacred Heart Village with some of the other trainees on our way home after the training. In one October afternoon, I popped out the question, 'pwede bang mag- apply… na maging bestfriend mo?' he smiled at me and said, 'oo naman.' That was how it all started.

The reason behind the proposal. He transferred to our school in fourth grade. We did not know each other then. Our school population was not that large at that time. One grade level had a maximum of three sections with an average of 30 students each. Maybe it was because of our childishness that we were unmindful of what or who was beyond the four walls our room plus our obedience to the nuns prevented us from going inside other classrooms. It was in sixth grade when we became classmates. I admit I did not like him at first. Our ideas were opposite. With the many times our opinions clashed, it was not surprising that we became aloof with each other. To be honest, I hated him. I didn’t go anywhere near him. One day, his bestfriend and my seatmate asked me, what will be my reaction if someone in the class have a crush on me. I was speechless. Later, his bestfriend told me it was him. My only reaction was 'yuck!.' (that reaction caused me my first enemy- his bestfriend). At that time, I was head over heels with someone else. (who also had a crush on me. We didn't have any relationship though. Well, that's another story). Almost all of my classmates knew about it. My ultimate crush (which I had for five years or so) and I became a favorite icon in school. Our teachers and classmates always make us the butt of 'tuksuhan'. That might have caused him to turn away and later on set his eyes on someone else. Junior high came and we became classmates again. It was then I asked my self what was it in him that made me not like him. I didn't have the answer. I had to find out. And the only way I can do that was to be close to him.