Chapter 4: It Starts with a Quick “Hi”
Stephen's POV
I breathed a sigh of relief as I made it to the classroom right on time. Not a second late. As I stepped into the room, my eyes locked with Eric Evans. It was a moment frozen in time, but my voice failed me, refusing to utter a single word.
"Hi," Eric said, clearly surprised by my presence.
"Hi..." I murmured, still trying to catch my breath. "Um, is this the room for accounting?" I asked, hoping to break the awkward silence.
"Yeah," he replied.
I found a seat behind Max and let myself relax. Surprisingly, the classroom was emptier than I had anticipated. There weren't as many students as I had imagined.
"Hey, Stephen," Max greeted me as she turned towards me. "How are you?"
"I'm good," I replied, trying to compose myself.
"So, any news on where Stan went to study?" she asked, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"Max..." Eric's voice grew slightly louder as he nudged her with his elbow, signaling her not to bring up that topic.
"What? I'm just making sure he's not here..." Max defended herself.
"Don't worry, that jerk is finally out of our lives for good," I said with a smile. Eric let out a relieved sigh, clearly concerned after seeing my recent Instagram post.
It was a relief to see Eric again after such a long time. And to my surprise, he hadn't changed much. He still had his straight brown hair, bangs swept to the side, freckles adorning his well-defined face, and his favorite attire – a cozy sweater.
Should I ask him about his summer? I wanted to become friends with him.
"How's it going, Eric?" I ventured to ask, but our accounting professor interrupted, entering the room with an aura of strictness and terror. I couldn't help but notice how he glanced around, seemingly unsurprised by the lack of students.
"Good morning, students. Due to the circumstances today, I won't be briefing you on this subject or Thursday's class. I'll provide orientation next week after the situation has been resolved. Please be ready for next week's class. From now on, you are free to do as you please. Welcome to FEU Alabang." With those words, he promptly left the room, followed by the other students, leaving only the three of us behind.
I couldn't help but wonder what issue the university was currently dealing with. Perhaps there were technical difficulties with the system, which explained the scarce attendance.
"Well, that was a strange start to our first class," Max said, clearly taken aback.
"I couldn't agree more," Eric chimed in. "He didn't even introduce himself... I was curious about what a terrifying college lecturer sounds like."
"Imagine our terrifying instructor from senior high school, but amplified by ten. I believe that's how terrifying our accounting professor could be," Max explained.
"Indeed, even though we're finally free from him... And let me tell you guys, it's not a pleasant topic to discuss," I added, as memories of our senior high school days resurfaced unexpectedly.
"Now that you mention it, I don't want to think about the troubles he caused us. Not to mention the countless sleepless nights we spent trying to keep up with his lessons," Eric recalled as if those times were still fresh in his mind.
"Want to hang out here for a while?" Max suggested. "It's too early for lunch, and the nearby mall won't open until 10 am."
"That sounds like a plan," Eric agreed.
"How about you, Stephen? Want to join us for a while?" Max turned to me.
"Sure thing. I don't have any other commitments," I replied. "So, Eric, how was your summer? Did you visit any new places?"
"I actually spent most of the summer at home," he grinned.
His response seemed a bit unconvincing. I didn't expect him to stay cooped up at home during the summer. Besides, he hadn't posted anything on social media about his summer activities lately. Considering his social nature, I hoped his summer went well.
Suddenly, Max sent me a text message, even though we were facing each other.
"Hey, sorry about this, but can we avoid talking about our summers? Especially Eric's..."
Curiosity ignited within me. Why would Max want to avoid discussing Eric's summer? Did something significant happen? A flicker of concern washed over me as I typed my response.
"Why? Did something happen to him during the summer?"
The reply came swiftly, laden with heavy news that weighed upon my heart. The words pierced through the virtual realm, carrying the weight of sorrow and loss.
"Yeah. His mother passed away the day after graduation."
My condolences spilled forth, genuine sympathy pouring through my fingertips. I hoped my words could somehow provide solace, even through the digital medium.
"My condolences. I hope he's doing okay now..."
Max's response echoed the uncertainties that clouded Eric's path, his pain amplified by the absence of the person who had been a guiding light in his life.
"I hope so too, but losing the person he looked up to might take a while for him to recover from. And to make matters worse, his father stopped talking to him after the funeral."
A gasp escaped me, my heart sinking at the thought of such a double blow to Eric's fragile spirit. The reasons remained unknown, shrouded in a veil of unanswered questions.
"That's terrible. Do you know why?"
Max's reply revealed the extent of the enigma surrounding Eric's broken familial ties. Neither she nor Eric possessed the answers, leaving them grasping for understanding in the midst of this tumultuous storm. I could envision Max's unwavering support, her steadfast presence by his side.
"Neither Eric nor I know. I've been doing my best to support him ever since."
Understanding surged within me, intertwining with a blossoming empathy. As I mulled over the gravity of Eric's situation, the desire to extend my own hand of aid grew stronger.
"I understand. Is there anything I can do?"
Gratefulness seeped through Max's virtual response, a gentle acknowledgment of the bond formed in shared concern. For now, she believed that mere conversation could be a balm for Eric's wounded soul, a lifeline to hold onto amidst the tempest.
"Thanks, but I think talking will suffice for now. Just try not to bring up anything related to summer or parents."
Determination ignited within me. I would tread with the utmost care, ensuring that my words would be a source of comfort rather than a painful reminder. The weight of responsibility settled upon my shoulders, and I resolved to be there for Eric, even if only through words exchanged.
"I'll do my best."
I looked up from my phone to see Max showing something on her phone to Eric. It was astonishing how we had just texted about the same topic. Yet, I couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy for Eric, now aware of the reason behind his absence from graduation. I wished there was more I could do for him, aside from talking and being a friend.
Eric turned in his seat, and our eyes met. "By the way, Stephen... Thanks," he said.
"Thanks for what?" I asked, perplexed.
"You know, for helping me stand up to Stan."
"No problem, and it was brave of you to do it."
"Thanks, and you too."
"I guess both of us had enough of Stan's jerkiness."
"Yeah, I guess so..." he replied.
"So, what major did you choose?" Max curiously asked.
"Marketing," I answered.
"Well, it looks like you and Eric will be classmates throughout college."
"That's great! We can help each other out with difficult lessons or assignments," I said, glancing at Eric.
"But who knows, we might just find all the answers on the internet, like we did in high school," Eric joked, and we all shared a laugh.
"Just a question, how did you manage to skip Filipino and Philippine History in high school?" I asked.
"Yeah, how?" Max chimed in. "You never told me the reason."
"My parents actually requested that I take a different subject because my Filipino vocabulary was lacking," Eric explained.
"Lacking as in you couldn't understand complex Filipino words?" Max clarified.
"That's about right." Eric answered.
"Lucky..." I murmured, secretly wishing my parents had done the same for me. But I knew they wouldn't since I was born here.
"Max also wished she could skip Filipino and Philippine History. Every time she had to do chapter summaries, she would call me out of the blue, complaining or even crying about them," Eric revealed.
"I almost threw my laptop because of those summaries," Max added, a vivid recollection of those frustrating times.
"If you almost threw your laptop, I nearly wrecked mine by banging my head on the keyboard too hard," I said, joining in the laughter. As we shared these memories, I couldn't help but steal glances at Eric. It was the first time I saw him laugh and heard the carefree sound of his laughter. In those moments, it seemed like all his worries faded away.
Time passed, and we continued discussing random topics. Our conversation became so random that we lost track of what we were even talking about.
"Shall we head to the nearby mall?" Max suggested, realizing it was already 10:30 a.m. We had been so engrossed in our conversation that we lost track of time.
"Yes, let's go," Eric agreed, standing up from his seat. "Any suggestions on where to eat? There are so many options."
"And the food court there lacks ambiance," Max added.
"You guys like Japanese food?" I asked.
"I could go for Japanese," Max replied. "What about you, Eric?"
"Sure, Japanese sounds good," he responded. "But won't it be a bit disappointing for you, considering you recently traveled to Japan?" He voiced his concern.
"It's fine. My brother already had that honor," she joked. "Come on, let's go! I'm starving," she exclaimed, leading the way out of the classroom. I followed behind, walking down the hallway after them, realizing that I had finally found the right people to be friends with.