Miliaria

In my mind, I pictured an hourglass, with the last few grains of sand slowly falling to the bottom half. It was only a matter of time before it all ran out. Poor, Ms. Adeline, I thought to myself; no one is paying attention to her. The bell rang and just then, pandemonium -- kids ran up and down the recently mopped hallways. The janitor's meltdown was hysterical, though I pitied him. All his hard work was made futile by some high schoolers happy for the holidays.

"Hey, wait up," called Aileen. Aileen Marsh was, undoubtedly, my best friend. Though our history was shallow, our relationship felt deep.

"Yeah, what is it, Aileen?" I inquired, stopping myself in my tracks and turning to face her.

"You know, we have never spent the holidays together. It is like a period which is meant to keep us apart."

"I agree, but what are we to do, Aileen?"

There was a moment of silence - well, between us, as we thought of a solution. The pandemonium by the rest was not helpful at all.

"Oh! Eureka," I exclaimed.

"What is it, girl?" Aileen asked in confusion.

"I just had an idea. What if...." My speech halted as a ball hit me at my abdomen, hard. I knelt on the ground; my arms wrapped around the affected area. "A rugby ball!?" I was infuriated, and in pain.

"Oh my gosh! Are you alright, girl?" Aileen asked, looking stunned. I always appreciated how she would quickly come to help anyone in need. However, when it came to me, I half-jokingly believed she might even intensively harm someone for giving me a paper cut!

"Are you alright?" she echoed.

"Yeah, I'll be okay. It wasn't that painful." I was still moaning in pain, still curled up on the floor in a foetal position.

Then, a jock ran over to us and took back the ball.

"No apology, huh?! Jurk!" she exclaimed in anger as if threatening him. The jock took no regard to the words of Aileen.

I got up, still in a bit of pain, but if I stayed down any longer, Aileen might actually hunt the jock down. I did not want to cause a fight on the last day of school. I wiped off the bit of dust on my leggings and straightened my skirt. God, I hate this uniform, I always thought whenever I looked at my clothes.

"Wait. What were you going to say before?" Aileen asked still having a face of worry.

"Let's go outside, then we'll talk. Otherwise, I would be going for a second lunch." I joked. It didn't seem to fizzle out Aileen's worry. But what was funny was how Aileen eyed that jock as we exited, as if she was issuing a threat only by her eyes - You would not wake up tomorrow. When we got outside, we realized it was... calmer? But the streets were full of high school students, some meeting up with other students from other schools outside supermarkets, some purchasing street food, while the rest concentrated on finding the right buses to get home.

Since we were released earlier than an average school day, Aileen and I would have an occasional catch-up as we picked our way home.

"So, what were you going to say back there?" Aileen asked.

"Oh, yeah! I was thinking, what if we hang out - a bit of bonding time together? Chatting with each other, taking selfies, getting to know the town..."

"Woah, woah, woah! My girl, why pack so many activities in one day. We have seventy-two other days!? Let us take it slow." Aileen was right. I was just too excited. We never planned to meet each other during the holidays. I was looking forward to the best holiday ever. Oh, how my youthful heart leapt just by the thought of it.

"Sorry. The thought of us hanging out over the holiday just... you know..." I said, unable to figure out the adjectives to describe my immense happiness.

"I know, I know. I understand it crystal-clearly. I would be excited too. Overwhelmed by bliss, actually. Meeting my best friend during the holidays is something to look forward to." We proceeded further down the pathway. We got so far that no high scholar was sightable.

"May I ask, would your mom be okay with it?" Aileen asked. She was asking the right question.

"Oh, definitely," I lied. Well, maybe not lied but I had no assurance of my mother's approval. My mother and I are close, but we are not a conversational duo. Plus, I am some sort of an introvert - I only talk to people when something dire or crucial is to be addressed. Aileen, she was the wee opposite of me. Odd, she turned out to be so when she met me because she had something that she had never received in full - support.

When my family and I moved to the suburbs of Wilspeare, I had no choice but to change institutions. It was an obvious change I expected. I slept during the night of arrival, worrying how it would be for me here, for my family. Although I was used to our nomadism, it did affect my attachment to others. I never had a real friend, a friend to last. 'Me against the world,' I sometimes assured myself.

We were supposed to settle at Heart Rose, in a penthouse located in Oblong District. But when the bombings occurred, we moved due to fear. It was a good idea at the time, but I didn't like it. 'But we were to finally settle?' I always asked myself whenever my parents brought the topic up. Unfortunately, I had to do what I was used to, detach from what we left behind and move on.

When I was admitted to the Shakespeare School of Arts I was clueless about what to expect. It was fancy, but not too bougie, though. It was after the first few classes during the long break that I noticed Aileen. She looked shy. She glanced at me, and when she noticed me looking at her, she hid her face. I was somewhat flattered. I walked up to her and introduced myself: "Salutations," I said, trying to impress her with a grandiloquent vocabulary to match the school's high academic level. "My name is Mireia Esperanza Casillas Galan Gallardo. A pleasure to meet you," I said, giving my hand for a warm-hearted handshake. She looked at it, wearing a countenance of confusion. 'Could be that she is surprised that I want to be friends with her,' I thought, 'or it might be my long name,' I joked.

"Oh, hey," she responded. She shook my hand and said in a shallow voice, "Aileen."

"Disculpe, pérdon?" I said, accidentally in Spanish. "Oh, sorry. My español slipped out."

"That's okay," she said as she giggled. "My name is Aileen Hugh Marsh. Sorry to disappoint, but I don't match the number of names you have," she joked, and we laughed. The bell rang, signalling the end of the free period, cutting our fun short. However, our relationship has been toxic since. But as our relationship got stronger, her shyness started fading away, and she was a bit more outgoing, knowing she had my support when she chose a risky path. I couldn't deny that fact. But I changed too. Maybe not in the outgoing part (might be in writing, but imagine I did air quotes when saying 'outgoing'), but rather I became more creative and, especially, decisive. In a nutshell, we are each other's inspiration.

When I got home, I was a bit fatigued. I only perspired a bit. I greeted my mother when I entered the house. She was in the kitchen, preparing her ingredients for supper.

"Hola, mama," I greeted her and embraced her. The excitement of the summer holiday and my meet-up with Aileen was still in me - it never left and never will.

"Ah, mi querida hija. ¿Cómo estás?" Mama told me, trying to break the hug, but slowly.

I let go of her and proceeded to my room in a bit of a hurry, which left her with a smile as if the excitement I had was chronic, and it caught her.

As I stripped herself down, I noticed a reddened area on her left upper arm. I ignored it, assuming it was nothing major. I took a cool shower and felt relaxed and relieved. Relieved? Why did I think such? I couldn't explain.

I told my parents about my plan with Aileen during supper. It felt awkward, but it was necessitated of me, so they wouldn't assume I would sneak out.

"I am happy for you, hija," mi madre reacted. I couldn't have wished for a better response from her. "What are you two planning to do?"

"A lot, I hope," I joked. She laughed. But I began to get worried - my father looked down at his plate, staring unblinkingly.

"Umm! Mi padre, what bothers you?" I asked, worry making up my countenance and my heart filled with pity. 'What could I do to make him happy again?' I thought to myself.

"It's nothing," he said. I felt unsettled by his response. If only I could point that out without having him blow a fuse. "Just job stuff," he added.

I did not wish to continue with the topic. I assumed his answer might, if not will provoke a discussion between my parents. I chose to continue with the preceding topic.

"So could I go?" I inquired.

"Hmm... I don't know, hija, should you?"

"What do you mean?" I was confused. The smile of excitement that was on my face quickly turned to become neutral.

"Well, I'm okay with it. I want my baby to explore this place. It might make you even more settled. You could even take your fa..."

I knew where it was going. Aileen would be gobsmacked when I accompany her for a walk with my father holding my hand or creeping behind me. She might think I'm immature. Or worse, he could do something embracing.

"It's flattering, Rosa," Papa addressed Mama; "but I think I would find my own ways to cope with the depression I have. Why not my little one proceed to venture out with her amiga."

I shoved the little food that remained on my plate and woke up from my chair. I walked up to my father and embraced him. "Gracias, Papa. ¡Gracias!"

He did not wrap his arm around me to return the embrace, but it made me hug him tighter; I ran to my room, full of anxiety and excitement.

"Hija, the table?" Mama told me as I was about to exit the dining room, stopping me dead in my tracks.

"Oh, yeah. Oops! Sorry, Mama." I felt a bit silly. "I'll clean it up."

I woke up the next day, full of energy, and anxious. I looked out my window, my eyes searching the streets for Aileen. But no such soul was on there. 'Might be too early,' I reassured myself.

I took out my phone and dialled Aileen. She soon picked up my call. "You've reached Aileen. Can't pick up, but I might listen to your message, not." The call went to voicemail. She ended the call. She tried again two more times - and the same result occurred. I gave up.

I proceeded to the living room and surrendered myself to the couch cushions, falling on it like freshly sawed timber. I closed my eyes only a little. Then I found myself sprawling on the carpet, laughing out loud. I was being tickled. 'Who dares expose my weakness?' The tickling stops, I look up and see Aileen towering over me!

"Girl, what the bloody heck! Why did you do that?" I said, poking her abdomen playfully.

"I just came early and your mother welcomed me in your home. Did you now her name is Rosa?"

I chuckled. "Yes, I did. What is it anyways?" I rubbed by eyes.

"Okay, first, when was the last time you looked at a mirror. Eyebag alert! Secondly, it's around nine o'clock. I was about to go and wake you up just now."

"But why so early?"

"I am glad you asked. See, I've rallied up the rest of the gals and there waiting for us somewhere. Don't keep them waiting. Get dressed, or something."

I expelled the daze I was engrossed in and became immediately active, proceeding to prepare myself. I tumbled on the way to the stairs.

"Don't forget to check where you're going, Mir," Aileen joked, then turned back to speak more with my mother.

Mir. She always called me Mir. It sounded weird, but I like it either way -- it is unique.