4 o'clock

Edmond and Kevin are shooting some hoops together. They bumped into each other at a gym and hanged out after. Tired, they sat on the floor to catch their breaths.

Edmond said to Kevin: "Not bad."

Kevin smiled and replied: "You're pretty good with the ball too."

Edmond received a text message. It was from Val. He smiled. The look of love is written all over his face and Kevin noticed it. He felt bad for Amy.

While they were resting on the floor, Kevin said to Edmond:

"Nobody asked me why I moved here. I guess it did not matter to anyone."

Edmond became curious so he asked the question:

"Really, so why did you?"

Kevin replied: "I was running away from my past."

"There was a girl from my school, she was younger than me. For some reason, every time I see her, she always looked sad and alone. I was drawn to her out of curiosity. As I followed her home one day, a group of young girls from another school mugged her. I ran to her rescue. She cried so hard that I could not leave so I stayed until she was all cried out. I did not ask for the reason nor did she say anything to me. I made sure she was home safely. She thanked me the following day and from then, I would walk her home to make sure that she was safe. She brightened up a bit and the sad face was not there anymore. It felt good inside but it was too late for me to realize that my act of kindness created a deeper feeling of misunderstanding for her. When I was walking her home one day, she confessed her love for me and she was expecting that I felt the same way. I froze at that moment. Unable to say any word. I never doubted my feelings for her but it was only a brotherly love. She understood my reaction. She stepped back slowly, turned and ran away crying. I did not pursue her. I stood there frozen trying to reflect on what just happened. I only realized now that my actions had given her the wrong impression. I started avoiding her after that afternoon. I needed to correct my mistakes and hoped that things will turn out alright."

"I have not seen nor heard from her for some time, then a big news spread like wildfire in school. A student committed suicide. She hanged herself. The moment I learned it was her, I felt suffocated. I cannot breathe. The air seemed to be not going inside my body. It felt like I died too."

"It was only after her funeral service that I found about the reason for her sadness. Her mother was having an affair with a married man and was having their baby. One of the girls who mugged her that afternoon was actually the daughter of her mom's lover. Her father became addicted to alcohol after finding about the affair. She was left to suffer alone. Then I came into the picture. She probably had a little bit of hope when I came in to her life."

"I felt rotten after that. I should have said something that moment she confessed and I should have understood her better. Guilt was eating me even until this moment. My family was saying that I have got nothing to do with her death. It was her choice but no matter how I convince myself, I knew that I was the last thread she was holding onto and I let her down."

"If I could only turn back time."

Kevin looked at Edmond. He was quiet and pondering about the story. He understood his reasons for telling it. Kevin got up and said to Edmond: "Let's go."