Someday's Today

"Because I said so! Andrew, why don't you understand when I say there's nothing going on between me and Asher!" I yell at my six-month boyfriend Andrew Jenkins. We're just in tenth grade and the tension has caught up.

"I don't believe you even a bit!" He said sternly as if I'm a child who needs some scolding. "I saw how you looked at him," he hesitates but continues anyway, "You'll never look at me that way Veronica. I know his apartment is right beside yours and you guys meet up when you need help for exams and stuff but I...I've always felt so out of context, like I'm being led on, like you used me until you finally sorted out your feelings for Mr. Dreamy Stargazing Boy." He finishes softly and whimpers. I touch his arm but he recoils as if I'm going to hurt him, more, that is. "Ron, please don't play with my feelings more."

"Andre-" I let out but he jogs towards the condominium exit and doesn't look back. I consider following him to the train station but I think better. So, this is not how the night was supposed to end. It started with a smile on Andrew's face as I let him in to the condo and us making out until we decided to hang around and buy drinks from the vending machine. I don't know where it went wrong. I guess Andrew just saw Asher walking around and snapped. Here I was, crying in the bathroom stall thinking about all the times Asher and I locked our eyes while studying together. Maybe Andrew's right, I did feel differently about Asher. Maybe. Just maybe.

After ten minutes, I get out of the stall just to see my miserable tear-streaked face in the bathroom mirror. I hear some old Asian aunties talking about their grandchildren and how amazing it was when they were young. And in a bit of a distance, I hear the constant yelling and swearing of the boys playing basketball in the court. It was eight pm but nothing had died down. Actually, nothing dies down pretty quickly in Singapore. After all, it is a fast-pacing country. I hurriedly wash my face and wipe it from the hem of my shirt and walk out. I walk to my block as fast as I can but Asher stops me.

"Hold up, ladybug. Why're your eyes swollen?" Asher asks with genuine concern written all over his face. I don't have the strength to explain anything so my tears break free for the second time and I hurriedly cover my face with my hands. I'm suddenly enveloped in strong sturdy arms and a scent that is painfully tropical.

"Hush, Veronica," Asher says as he slowly strokes my arm, "Was it Andrew?" I let out a Yes while I sob into Asher's shoulder soaking his dark grey t-shirt with my tears.

"Shh." He repeats and this time my sobs slowly come to a stop. "Did you guys, well...." He doesn't complete it since I understood what he meant to say.

"Y-yeah. He broke up with me." I say as I slowly regain my balance and brush the hair out of my way.

"I'm sorry, you guys were a, well, cute-" he flinches, "-couple." Asher completes. I look at him for one whole minute.

"You really think so Asher?" I ask him with doubt in my voice clearly evident. He shakes his head in response and looks down at his hands. His touch still lingered on my bare skin even though it had been two minutes since he broke the embrace.

"I need some time alone." I say, my bottom lip trembling and walk off in the opposite direction of my block.

"Ron!" Asher calls after me, and when I don't look back at him after a few calls, he mumbles something under his breath and jogs towards our block.

I don't know what Asher meant when he shook his head in response to my question. Yes, we had shared a few, okay, many romantic moments but could he really like me? I drift into those thoughts and head home sobbing lightly.

The next morning, sunlight peeks through my window blinds and I groan. Monday mornings suck. And I have to head to school, Stamford American, without Andrew. I mean, yeah I had my best friends, Rebecca Vega and Caitlyn Davis, but a morning without Andrew's greeting kiss on the escalator, ouch, even hurts to think about it, after all, we dated for six whole months.

I get into my uniform after a quick shower and head to the living room for breakfast.

"Morning sunshine!" my mom calls out. She has blonde hair and a pretty smile. She's about a foot taller than me but we still look the same height. She loves using those cheesy nicknames people use in movies and shows. I cringer but I roll along since I'm pretty tired. I nod in her direction and stump my school bag beside my chair.

"Your favorite, waffles darling." She says with a smile. It was pretty evident that something bad had happened between me and Andrew, mom noticed that and just made me a cup of hot chocolate, my favorite.

"How are you right now?" Mom walks over to me and places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. Her warm touch makes me feel home. I shrug in a reply. "Not ready to talk yet?" She asks with concern in her voice. I squeak out a yes and she kisses my cheek. "I'm there for you baby, tell me when you want to, okay." I nod and hug her tightly.

I slowly finish eating my waffles and wipe the honey off my face with the tissue near my plate.

"I love you!" I hear my mom calling out as I step out of the apartment. I look back and manage a tight smile.

"RONNIE!" Caitlyn exclaims and throws her arms around my neck the moment she sees me walking to them in the MRT station. She drops her arms and squeezes my hand with care. She must've noticed I'm not in the usual cheery mood today. "What happened?" Caity asks me softly as we walk towards Rebecca near the tap-in.

"W-w-we broke up." I try as hard as I can to not cry and I surprisingly don't.

"Ron, I'm so damn sorry." Rebecca says and pulls me into a tight hug. She must've heard me when I replied to Caitlyn's question.

I shake my head and loosen up in her embrace. She's just two months older to me but she treats me like a younger sister.

"I love you guys." I whisper as we tap-in for our train and step onto the escalator. Caitlyn squeezes my arm and Rebecca winks at me.

We didn't say much as we reached Boon Keng, the nearest MRT station to the school. It was a comfortable silence that only me and the girls can share. And Asher. I think to myself. I feel the red creeping up to my cheeks so I look away from the girls.

We quickly reach school and I smile at the girls. They've always been by my side, through all my breakups and fallouts, through all my ugly moments and my happy moments. They're keepers. With that thought in my mind, we walk to our designated classrooms and plan to meet in break.

"Andrew Jenkins?" Mr. Mark Royce calls out. He's our English teacher and since this was one of the three classes Andrew and I had in common, he raised his hand sitting beside me. Mr. Mark keeps calling out names and I don't dare sneak a glance at my ex-boyfriend. Fifteen minutes pass by and Andrew looks at me.

"I can't stand this. You and me not talking and passing notes under our table. I miss it. Us." He lets out in a rush with a pained look on his face. "I- I actually thought that you'll stop looking at Asher in that way, your eyes glistened when you saw him, and you started smiling. Never with me though. I don't know how and when you started liking him but it hurt me to the core. I love you Veronica. I still do." He finishes and I look at him with a sad smile. I touch the side of his face and trace his jaw.

"You deserve better. And I'm not better for you. I'm sorry." I say as a tear slides down my cheek. All the eyes in the class are on us, including Mr. Royce's. "Can I go get my English textbook from my locker? I forgot it." I ask our teacher and he nods slowly.

I quickly rush out of the class and walk towards my locker. I shoot Charlotte a text saying I need to meet her and she replies instantly saying yes.

"What happened? It's related to Andrew. I know." She looks at me softly with a strand of her blond hair covering her eyes.

"He said he couldn't take it. Us being apart. Us not talking to each other. And then-" I let out a sob and look down at my hands, "-he said he still loved me." And I let out a full sob. Char wraps her arms around me as I weep into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry baby." She says softly in my hair and it seems like forever since I've cried like this in someone's arms.

As school ends, Charlotte and Rebecca join me and we get to the MRT station. We don't say much since Rebecca had an argument with her boyfriend. We giggle about the mean girls in our grade to get our minds off boys in the ride home. I kiss the girls' cheeks and walk out of the MRT.

"RON!" A voice calls out from behind as I enter the condo. I recognize it instantly and stop. Asher.

"I'm, oh my, how fast do you walk?" He says panting. Hands on his knees. I shrug as a response and look at his face closely. His sharp jawline. His cute dimple in his right cheek when he smiles. His long eyelashes. And hazel green eyes. "I'm sorry if I did something yesterday to make you walk away from me." He says in a rush. I manage a tight smile.

"What did you mean when you shook your head when I asked you if me and Andrew were a cute couple?" I ask softly as we walk up the slope towards the two entries. One to the carpark and the other one to the ground floor. I sneak a glance at him and realize that I caught him off guard.

"Don't bother." Asher says, a lock of his hair falling on his face.

"No. Tell me. Now." I almost said 'cuz you've been on my mind' but I think better and bite it back.

"I, uhm," he shifts uncomfortably, "I don't know if this is the right time or not but I feel like I need to tell you this." I look at his face and then his hands, then back.

"What is it?" I squeak out. My gut tells me he's going to confess his likeness for me and my heart wants it but my brain's telling me to not listen to the heart.

"It's been forever since we became friends and it was obvious that my feelings for you would become more than just friendly. I've liked you, ever since the first time you made a muffin for me on my eighth birthday. No one's ever done that for me. Not even my stepmom. You made it and that day, I realized that you were one hell of a gem. Veronica, I feel like this is the wrong time but it's time you knew the truth. I really like you. Hell, I may even love you." When Asher finishes, he looks up at me and I look into his eyes, having a flashback of my favorite moments with him. From our first argument about Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse to the moment he rushed to help me up when I had fallen down the swing and scraped my knee to the time when I had a fallout with Rebecca, I had confided in Asher because he was a great listener, to the times when we shared his earplugs to listen to the playlist I made when I was sad and to yesterday, when he held me close as if someone will hurt me more. I could still feel his warmth. My heart kept telling me to take the chance and eventually in a few seconds, my head willingly gave in to my heart's chant. So I did. I took a chance and cupped his face in my hands. The moment my lips reached his, I could feel him freezing up and then slowly giving in. He kissed with such tenderness and care. I felt like a princess. I could taste his sweet vanilla chapstick on his lips. He pinned me softly to the nearest wall and at that moment I was grateful for having some support since I was diving into a black hole of sweetness. Asher slowly pulled back and it seemed like he was hurt to even pull back. "God, I've waited for this moment for so damn long." He whispers and before I have a chance to say anything else he puts his lips back on mine. I never realized this would happen. But now I know it had to happen someday.