The wind cooled the air, it was late afternoon. My grandfather was sitting on the old wooden rocking chair while smoking on his pipe with a cup of coffee beside him while my grandmother is collecting the bedsheets hanging on the clothesline and putting it all in the huge basket. The birds are flying away so my friends and I chase it. I was running down the hill when I fell and roll down after being trip by the rocks. They shout my name before walking towards me. I was filled with dirt. I sit on the ground and check myself, I saw a scratch on my elbow and wounds on my knees, and it's bleeding. I cried out loud not minding them. I was crying so hard when Cedric, my friend, kneel in front of me and wipe my tears before whispering. "Hush now Ali, I'm here, we're here. Don't worry." He even hug me for a second before letting me go.

Just in, Grandpa walk and stop in front of me, he carry me and we all went home and go inside my room. They went out for a minute, for me to change my clothes and went back after. Grandma clean my wounds and scratch and put some alcohol on it, that made me cry. I stop crying after hearing the encouraging words from my friends. "She will be okay Gran-grans, right?" Cedric ask my grandparents, you can hear that his really worried. "She'll be okay. Kids, I want you all to know that she might not be able to hangout with you tomorrow, it will affect her wounds." Grandpa informed them while folding his sleeves. They all nodded, understanding my situation and that brought so much joy to me.

"Why don't you children stay here for a couple of minutes? Let's all have some bilo-bilo. You can go to the dining area and wait me to serve." Grandma leave us and wear her apron and start serving foods. Riana look out the door. "Grandma, I'll help you." She walk out the room and followed by our friends on the kitchen. "How about you Cedric? Don't you want to help and be impress kiddo?" Grandpa hold Cedric's shoulder, smiling at him. "No Grandpa. Riana and our friends can help Grandma preparing the foods. I'll stay here with Aliyah." He smile shyly to my grandfather. Grandma left us after informing us that he still needs to go to the barnyard and check the stable.

Riana, Grandma and others are on the dining room while eating bilo-bilo while Cedric and I choose to stay here because of my situation. It doesn't hurt that much, I mean I know that I can walk but he convinced Grandma that I should just stay on my room and he'll just guide me. Maybe he was just concern that much.

"Bye Gran-grans! I'll go to school with Riana and Cedric, you don't have to worry." I bid goodbye at them before leaving our house and ride on Cedric's bike. He was the one biking while I was standing beside him, Riana is the one who bring my backpack, she put it on her bicycle's basket. I was humming when Riana ask me. "Why don't ask them to by you a bicycle? I know you can afford to buy one or a dozen." I look at her beside me, biking. "I don't want too. I'm contented and I don't want to have wounds, scratch and scars in return." they laugh at me because they knew that I'm so pretty clumsy at all. "And I don't know how to bike." I added and look up the sky.

"You know that were always available for you." Riana said that while pulling the trigger of the bell on her bike. "Yeah right. Let's go!" I scream when Cedric drive so fast starting a race with Riana. I hit him on his shoulder lightly when I was about to fall but he just laugh at me.

"I won't let you win bro!" Riana shout at him and lead the race. "As if I'm gonna let you!" He shouted back before holding my right hands on his shoulder with his left hand and drive fast. I just stared on our hands the whole ride, because he didn't let go. I feel something weird on myself. While they were so competitive in their race, not knowing that when it comes to speed, my hearts situation right now will be the champion.

"Hey, are you okay? What happened?" Riana ask me, with her brows furrowed. "I... I-I f-failed the exam Riana! What should I do!" I cried in front of them and run to them later on and hug them. "Hush Ali. Cedric take care of her for a moment, I'll get her some water." She tap my shoulder before leaving us. I was still hugging him when he push me lightly so he can look on my face and wipe my tears using his handkerchief. "Hush Ali, everything will be okay." He tried to calm me but I just cried again in front of him. "N-No! Everything won't be okay! I-I failed! I failed our exam! I did review with you guys right? The three of us did review together! B-both of you knew that I understand all of it. B-but I-I failed Cedric! I failed! I'm a failure! I don't want that my grandparents will get mad at me. I don't want them to be disappointed at me." I was crying out loud. I know that grade is just a number but I don't want to have a failure grades. I know I did my best but I think my best is not enough.

"Stop crying Ali. Everything will turn out fine, okay? Don't worry. We're always here." He just calm me and after few minutes, Riana arrive with a bottle of water, her uniform was tangled. What happened? We just ate some snacks and have a little conversation and I did invite them to our house on weekends to build a tree house on Grandpa's farm and the both of them agree. Exciting!.

The sky was dark, it's still noon but it was cloudy. I was walking home with an empty basket. It was full of vegetables, fish, meat and chicken earlier because I just deliver it around the town. I was wearing a baby blue skirt, it almost reach the ground and it was partnered to a white long sleeves shirt. I was enjoying the view of our province when the rain pour. I ran immediately and stop on the abandoned old damaged hut. I was shivering so I hug myself but I ended up gripping my shirt and belly when my lower abdomen aches. I was cramping on the corner while waiting for the rain to stop.

After an hour the rain finally stop so I immediately get the basket and walk home. I feel sticky down there. I badly want to lie on my bed and have something sweets to eat.

While walking I saw Cedric on the other side of the road, wearing a black jacket and white shirt inside partnered with his denim pants and new rubber shoes, He was walking so cool when he turn his gaze on me, he smiled widely at me but I just roll my eyes. He cross the road and walk beside me. "Hey, walking home?" I just nodded at him. "Did... did I do something, for you to roll your eyes on me?" he ask calmly.

"Can you please stop following me?!" I shout at him. He was shock after realizing that I just shout at him for unknown reason. "But I'm not following you. It's just happen that our house is next to yours." He explained himself.

I stop walking so he did, and I face him just to shout at him again. "Then stop walking beside me or next to me!" I know I'm wrong but I can't even understand myself why I'm acting like this. I felt bad for him. I thought he won't follow me anymore but I froze when he suddenly hug me from behind. I'm sweating and my heart is pounding. Beating so loudly that he might hear and feel it. I feel butterflies wandering around my stomach.

I thought he really just did hug me but I feel his hands in front of me, tying his jacket on my waist. "I-I'm sorry. It's just that, you have a stain. So I cover it." He apologizes at me before letting me go. My cheeks heat and turns red, it's embarrassing. I was just looking down while walking home, unable to thank him and apologize.

Our childhood life was almost perfect, Cedric and I used to be with each other back then since we were toddlers. We used to play with our friends, neighbors and visitors too. In our middle age we often play on the farm, climb trees, play with the kites and more. When we start going to school, the three of us used to go there together and went home together too. We also review our lessons together. We are also used to stay on our tree house every weekends. We celebrate each other's birthday, achievements and even one of us lose we still celebrated it for doing our best, that's one of the things we've done in our whole life being together.

That was also the time when I start having a crush on him, to Cedric. I thought it was just a simple one but I start liking him more, appreciating him more until I realize that I fell in love with him at the age of 13 while he's 14. I was not sure at the first, I thought it was just because we're growing up already and we're in the puberty stage already. I'm always giving myself a dumb reason like I just made it on my mind and assume things because he was the closest boy to me and we grew together. That's why I try to avoid him but I always ended up sitting beside him while studying, walking beside him while eating street foods, riding on his bike while laughing with him and talk for the rest of the time.

It was summer, eight on the morning when I made up my final decision to go to his place and confessed to him, but when I arrive to their place no one's around. I keep calling his name, his family but no one answered. I open their gate and walk towards the door. I was hitting hard their door that my bones might broke if I continue hitting the door. Their garage is empty. I don't want to believe on my prediction. Maybe they're sleeping or they went out for an hour.

I don't know!

When I'm done closing their gate, Aunt Shina, Cedric's godmother stood in front of me.

"Aliyah, looking for Cedric?" she asked me with her sweet voice. I nod at her. "Hmmm, looks like he didn't inform you."

"Inform about what Auntie?" I'm confused. The three of us never hide anything to each other, except for my feeling for him.

"I'm sorry to tell you hija, but he was sent to Manila. And I don't know why." She was sorry to me when she did nothing at all to me. She hug me and caressed my back and that made me cry. Cedric leave us! I know it's not because I was avoiding him but if I didn't just avoid him, he might inform me!

After knowing that, I ran to our house, my grandparents were shock to see me running while crying. I locked myself in my room. I didn't get out in the whole week.. Gran-grans are serving me foods every meal time but I only ate once a day. Riana, my friends, and classmates visited me too but no one dare to enter my room. I was messed up. I threw things that I'll see and cry loud until my eyes get swollen and swollen.

That's how I suffered to my first love.