6th Kiss

I stood there at Joseph's house gate. The truth is, I've been standing here for a while now. I've tried pressing the doorbell several times, but fear holds me back. I can't bring myself to do it. What if Joseph's parents are angry with me? I can understand if they are.

Breathe, Arianne. Just breathe. You can do this. I silently coached myself. I closed my eyes and was about to press the doorbell when I heard a voice behind me.

"What are you doing here?" it asked. I quickly turned around and swallowed hard.

"J-Joseph." His eyes narrowed, and he raised an eyebrow. As usual, he wasn't smiling. Nor was he frowning. His expression was more of a scowl. He was as tall and intimidating as ever.

"What are you doing here?" he repeated. I was nervous, truth be told. It felt like my heart was about to leap out of my chest. But something caught my attention. I don't know if it was just me, but Joseph seemed different. He looked more youthful.

"I-I was just going to visit your parents," I explained, my voice shaky. He continued to stare at me. "A-are you coming from work?"

"What is it to you?" he snapped.

"Tsk! You're still so grumpy," I muttered under my breath, though I'm pretty sure he heard me. "That backpack you're wearing doesn't suit you."

He seemed annoyed at my comment. He glanced at his bag. Why did he look so upset? It's just a bag.

"It's beautiful!" he retorted.

"No, it's not!" I insisted.

"You're crazy! There's something wrong with your brain," he said. He swung open the gate. "Don't you want to come in? Suit yourself. You look like a thief."

He didn't wait for my response. He walked ahead, and I hesitated before entering the house. After two years, a lot has changed in Joseph's home. It was truly remarkable how well Mama managed everything without any help. She had taken good care of Joseph.

"I'll take those!" he said, snatching the bags of food I brought from Papa.

"Ma! Arianne's here!" he called out to Mama.

"Oh, Joshua, do you have a friend with you?" I heard Mama's voice coming from the kitchen.

"Wait! Wait, Joshua?" I said, scrutinizing him closely. I gasped as I realized—it was Joshua indeed! I pinched his cheek playfully. "Oh, Joshua. Is that you? You've grown so big. I thought you were Joseph. When did you slim down? When did you become handsome?"

"Joshua?" Mama's footsteps approached.

"Ouch! What the heck!?" Joshua exclaimed, swatting my hand away. He rubbed his cheek while shooting me an irritated look. I couldn't help but clap my hands, delighted by his reaction.

"Wow! Seriously! You and Joseph could pass as twins!" I exclaimed, marveling at the resemblance.

"You're nuts!" he shot back. "I thought you'd mature by now. But your IQ is still stuck in elementary!"

"What did you say? I'm still older than you, Joshua!" I retorted. He stuck his tongue out at me and then rushed away.

"Arianne, is that you?" Mama entered. She was, as usual, wearing an apron. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Um, Mama - Auntie..."

"What's with Auntie?" Joseph’s mom asked. She was on the verge of tears.

"Oh, um, I don't know what to call you. Should I call you Mama or just Auntie?" I confessed.

"Always the same, Arianne. Of course, it's Mama!" she said. We walked into their living room.

"Pa, Arianne's here," Mama called out to Papa, Joseph's father. He quickly approached and enveloped me in a tight hug.

"Arianne! It's so good to see you've come to visit," he said.

"Yes, Pa," I replied.

"Arianne, let's catch up in the kitchen. I really missed you!" Mama exclaimed.

"Sure, Mama." We headed to the kitchen. That's where I saw Joshua, devouring the noodles I had brought from the restaurant.

"Joshua! What are you doing? You're supposed to have that for dinner," Mama scolded, eyeing me suspiciously.

"I don't want to!" he replied with a pout. He glared at me. "Stop staring at me. You're gross."

"Ugh! Mama, can you believe how rude Joshua is to me?" I complained.

"Joshua..." Mama threatened, casting a warning glance at him. I shot him a discreet glare in return.

"Mama, you know what? I thought Joshua was Joseph earlier. They look so much alike," I explained.

"Indeed, Arianne. Many have said that. Do you know that he and Smile are dating now?" Mama shared.

"Ma, stop blabbering," Joshua protested. I couldn't help but grin at what I'd heard.

"Really? Oh my gosh! Joshua, you're something else! Turns out, you like someone like me," I teased him. I used to be Smile's teacher, and I remember how much Joshua disliked her back then. It seemed like things had changed.

"Ugh!"

"Hey, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have met Smile," I remarked.

"Also, Arianne, he is already working at our company. Your Papa Ben is already thinking of retiring now," mama shared.

"You guys are something else," I marveled.

"Well, we're not dumb like you!" Joshua chimed in.

"Joshua, hush!" Mama chided him. "Please bear with him, Arianne."

"Oh, Mama, that's fine. I'm used to him," I replied with a smile.

"Oh! How have you been, Arianne?" Mama inquired.

"I've been okay," I answered.

"Have you talked to Joseph?"

I fell silent at her question.

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing, really," I replied.

"Really?" Mama said, pausing for a moment as if deep in thought. I looked around their kitchen and noticed Joshua's peculiar backpack again. I can't help but chuckle.

"You're insane," I heard him mutter under his breath.

"Your bag is ugly," I said. Mama burst into laughter at my comment.

"Smile gave it to him, Arianne," Mama informed me.

"Oh, that explains it," I said.

"The bag is actually pretty nice," Joshua defended himself.

"No way. You're just saying that because Smile gave it to you," I retorted.

"Yeah, yeah. It's the same with Kuya whenever you give him something weird too in the past," he continued. He seemed oblivious to the weight of his words. I lowered my head, feeling as if that moment had lasted a lifetime.

"Ma..." I stiffened when I heard that voice. Joshua signaled to me, saying "Uh-oh," and motioned that I was in trouble. I wanted to hide, but it was too late. I had to face him.

"Ma? What's so important that you couldn't wait to say it?" Joseph asked Mama. I bit my lower lip and saw both Mama and Joshua pointing at me simultaneously. I had no choice but to face him.

"Um, hi?" I awkwardly greeted. His expression immediately changed.

"I'll go change," he said coldly, not even acknowledging my presence. He was truly angry with me.