Chapter 15

“Oh Eros, you’re already here, you’re quite early—”

“Don’t disturb me, I’m going to study!” Eros shouted, cutting off the greeting of his elder sister Risa.

He went directly to his room and closed the door loudly which surprised the people in the house. Because his teacher said that he copied, he challenged his teacher saying that tomorrow he will take a quiz alone in front of him to prove  that he didn’t copy and that he can really get ninety-eight. But his plan was to get a perfect score, that’s why he’s studying again. He wants to prove to his teacher what he is capable of.

“Meow~”

“Don’t disturb me, mingming.” Shooing the cat away, who was rubbing itself to his leg when he entered.

He threw his bag to the bed and changed to his home clothes. He washed his face first then he grabbed the notes Eris made for him. He inhaled deeply and started studying.
It’s close to nine o’clock when someone knocked on his door, his Ate Risa entered, carrying a tray of food.

“Wow! I thought it was only a joke. Wait!” Risa placed the tray on the bedside table and sat beside her brother who was lying down, holding a paper. “Is that you Eros? Or are you his twin? Did you hit your head? Did someone hit you so hard that shook your brain, that’s why you’re studying? Eros—”

“Ate,” Eros placed down the paper he was holding, standing up from his lying position concurrently hitting her forehead. “It’s me. I don’t have any twin and most importantly, my head was not hit.”

“It was only a joke Eros! I just can’t believe that you’re studying. What happened? Do you have an inspiration? Ayeee! It’s Eris right? Ayeee!” Risa poked his sides which he evaded.
He held her hand to stop her. “Ate! It’s not my inspiration! Tss! I don’t have an inspiration!”

“Weh, that’s impossible. A person who strives to do something he doesn’t normally do, surely has an inspiration.”

“Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe I just feel challenged.”

“Feeling challenged? About what?”

“Did you know, I got ninety-eight at Earth Science earlier?”

Risa suddenly laughed and lightly smacked Eros’ shoulder. “Ahahaha! Really, I almost believed! Your face looks so serious! Ahahaha!”

“Ate… Even you?”

Risa stopped laughing.

“I’m serious, I got ninety-eight. Even you don’t believe me. Is it really hard to believe since I’m a bastard? A crazy and useless person, that I’m either a joke or that I copied just to get ninety-eight? Tss.”

“Wait, wait! Eros, are you really serious? OMG! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. OMG, I’m sorry. Don’t be offended.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Eros laid down again, turning his back to his elder sister because of irritation. “It’s okay, I know it’s unbelievable. Even my teacher said that I copied. Tss.”

“Oww, really Eros? Uy, I’m so sorry. I didn’t intend to laugh; actually, I’m happy to hear that. Great news! Congrats Eros!”

“Yeah whatever.” He didn’t face her.

“Are you angry Eros?”

“It pisses me of that just because I’ve been a bastard, you all see me as a bastard for the rest of my life. I want to change; but how can I do that if you all don’t want to give me a chance! Fuck it all!”

“Is that why you are seriously studying now? Because your teacher said that you copied? What you are doing is right Eros. Prove him that you haven’t copied. You know what, it’s really difficult to change people’s impression of you. They wouldn’t easily believe the changes happening to you especially if it’s abrupt. Have patience Eros, of course our brains would be shocked before we can process that you really want to change. If you really want to change, don’t get tired because of their judgments about you. Strive hard.”

“Eros, you know I read a quote, it’s like this: The best feeling in this world is to do the things they say you can never do. One day, you’ll realize that the quote is right.”

Eros turned towards his sister, “Ate, why is it painful that the things you worked hard for are overlooked? To be judge by the things you did not do…”

“Even if you’re a bastard, inside that,” she pointed at his left chest. “There’s a heart that is capable of being hurt, excited, sad, angry, and love. Eros, no matter what attitude you have, even if you are the worst or the most righteous person in the world, you’re still human. You’re not a robot for you not to feel anything.”

“Haaay my brother, you’re really cute!” She pinched both Eros’ cheeks.

“Ow—ouch! Let go of me! Ouch!”

“Ahaha, my little brother is not so little anymore,” Risa stood up. “I brought dinner for you. I’ll go now. You should eat.”

Risa was leaving when her brother suddenly called her.

“Ate …”

“Hmm?”

“You won’t leave me?”

Risa did not expect that question; she knew that her adopted brother was overly attached to her and that he hasn’t accepted that anytime soon she will die because her illness is getting severe.

Risa forced a smile and joked. “Of course, I can’t leave you yet without you finding a good girlfriend first.”

“Ate naman eh“*

“Hehehe. I’m going to leave now so that I won’t disturb you. Good luck and goodnight Eros.”

“Goodnight ate.” After that, Risa went out.

Eros stood up and took the tray of food at his bedside table and laid it on his bed to eat.

“Meoooow ~”

“Are you hungry too, Love?” The cat suddenly approached him and rubbed itself on his legs.

He remembered that “Love” was its name. It was named by Eris.

“Your name is really corny.” Eros laughingly said, while pinching a piece of fish meat and handed it to the cat. The cat ate it.

“I’ll eat first, okay? Don’t worry I’ll leave food for you.”

He touched the head of the cat and played with it for a while. He doesn’t know why, but he always sees himself in that black cat. He is angry and sad whenever he remembers that his true parents abandoned him.

* * * * * *

The next day.

“Ahh!” Eros yawned loudly as he went out their house.

“It looks like you’re still sleepy Ero-ero?” Eris asked, na katulad ng nakagawian ay pumunta sa bahay niya para  sumabay sa kanya sa pagpasok.

“Yes, I studied last night to show that scumbag  that I didn’t copy.” Eros closed the gate without looking that’s why they didn’t know that his cat Love was following him, that’s why it was able to go out.

“Yay! That’s the spirit Ero-ero!”

They continued walking to school still unconscious that the kitten silently followed them. They only noticed its presence when they were already near the school.

“Meow~” When Eros heard a cat mewing, he looked backed and his his widened when he saw Love.

“Hey kitten, what are you doing here?”

“Waa. Eros, you can talk to a cat?”

Eros smacked Eris.

“Heh! Wait, why is that cat here?”

“I don’t know, maybe it followed us?”

“How did it get out?”

“I don’t know.” Eris knelt down to get the kitten. “Since we’re almost near the school, we should just bring him.”

“H-ha? Are you really crazy? Why would we bring that in the school? Let’s go back to the house!”

“Its’s not possible, you know what time is it! If you go, you’ll be late, Earth Science is the first subject. You have a quiz.”

“Tss. Son of a… Where would we place it? It can’t loiter around the classroom.”

“In your backpack!”

“Tss. Why my backpack?”

“Because I don’t have a backpack! Hohoho! Come on, Love is not heavy!”

“Tsssssss! Okay.” He took Love and placed it inside his backpack, he didn’t completely close the zipper of the bag so that the kitten can breathe.

Luckily, when they were in the classroom,  Love haven’t made a noise, it was super behaved.

Eros took a retake in Earth Science, he was seated on the front so that the teacher can monitor if he was cheating or not.

Eros was delighted when he was answering the retake, he was very confident that he could perfect it because he stayed late last night to read and re-read and remember the coverage.

“This is it sir, I’m finished.” Eros stood up and handed the quiz paper to the teacher. “Check it now.”

The whole class was looking at both of them. The teacher seriously looked at Eros before he took the paper and started to check the quiz.

As the teacher checks, his eyes are getting wider and wider, he even cleaned his glass because he can not believe in the paper he was checking. He even re-read the name on the paper and he really can’t believe that “Eros Magdayo” was written on it.

There were forty questions and there was not a single mistake. Even one, there is none. None at all.

“What now? Is it finished? What did I get?”

The teacher swallowed and could not look at Eros. “P-perfect score.”

He lifted the hand with closed fist, his elbow on his waist level while shouting, “OH YEAH!”

“Waaa! You’re the best Ero-ero!” Eros clapped.

His classmates couldn’t believe what happened; Yohanne secretly smiled because he knew it was possible to happen.

“I copied? Yes, I’m copied. Do you see that girl,” he suddenly pointed out Eris to his teacher. “I copied from her; I copied her hard work in studying. I copied her goodness. Even though I’m a bastard, but in life, it’s not like your exam with ‘no erasures’. I can erase my mistakes, so I can change them. I’ll show you. ”

“Bravo! Bravo! Best speech of the year! Tears of joy!” Eris stood up and clapped.

Eros covered his face with his palm and shook his head. “But I will never copy her craziness!”

* * * * * *

“Yehey! The class is already over!” Eris stretched her arms while going down the building. “It’s time for operation: YOHANNE ♥ GAZELLE. Hohoho!”

“Can we invite Gazelle? Maybe she’s busy…” Yohanne asked. They talked about inviting Gazelle to Yohanne’s house, to study together because their exams are getting near. In that way, maybe Yohanne and Gazelle could get closer.

“Of course! Let’s look for Gazelle!” Eris smiling said.

“Meow, meow ~”

“Love is noisy again. Ero-ero I think you can get it out of the backpack.”

Yohanne also knew that Eros brought a kitten. They told Yohanne that Love had followed them this morning.

“Oh shit! Oy!” Eros was shocked when he opened the backpack, Love suddenly jumped. “Oy wait!”

Love ran away.

“Let’s chase it now!” Eris shouted, so they chased the kitten but soon lost sight of it.

“Where is it? Where did Love go? Oh no! Eros, Yohanne, how about we split up so we can find it faster?”

“Tss. Let it be.  Maybe it will just go back home.”

“What Eros! What if someone will take it? Then will make it a siopao? It will bother your conscience! Love will be pitiful! So we better split up so we can find it faster! Go in this direction Yohanne.” She pointed on the left. “Go on the right Eros, I’m going straight. Let’s meet at the gate okay?”

“Tsss. OA. Hear, hear.” Eros went straight to the right side of school and started searching for Love.

“Where could that kitten be? Is it even right to escape? What is the problem of that kitten? Hay, shit!” Eros scratched his head while walking and looking around.

“Meoww ~”

The Eros’ ears became alert when he heard a cat meowing; it came from the back of the school gym’s building. He approached and saw that near the backdoor of the gym, Love was on the washing area. Gazelle was played with it.

“You’re so cute! Where are you from?” While she was sitting she was carrying Love. Gazelle was wearing a P.E. uniform and a backpack was hanging on one shoulder. “What’s your name mingming?”

Eros tried to get closer but Gazelle looked at his direction before he was close enough “Oh Eros! What are you doing here?””Love.”

“What?” Gazelle was confused at what he said so he pointed the kitten that Gazelle was holding.

“Love is its name, my kitten.”

“Waaaa! This is yours? Seriously?”

“Yes…”

“Your kitten is so cute? Why did you bring it to school?”

“I did not bring it. It followed me.”

“Ayeee!  Your kitten really loves you, it even followed you! Hihi! So Love is its name? How cute!”

Gazelle stood up and handed the kitten to Eros. “Are you going home? Let’s go together!”

“Ha?” Eros was shocked.

“I do not have anyone to be with. My friends left already, they didn’t want me to go with them. Because they said they would buy a gift for me that’s why they didn’t want me to go for it to be a surprise.”

“Eh? It’s your birthday?”

“Umm, yes it’s near. The day after tomorrow.”

“Hmm… I see…” Eros wondered and suddenly a good plan came into his mind, so…

“Okay, let’s go home together.”

“Really?”

“Yup! I love sweets! Especially chocolates! I’m so addicted to it!”

Yohanne went to the school gate because he really cannot find Love but when he was there, he heard a voice that he knew so well and was surprised when he saw Gazelle was with Eros. They are going out of the gate. Yohanne hid behind a wall while watching and trying to hear what they were talking about.

His hands made a fist as he gazed how Gazelle smiled and laughed when she was with Eros. It looks like they are so happy together.

He was jealous and he felt that he was betrayed. He thought that Eros would help him, and then what is he seeing today? He did not understand.

“Yohanne! Ahhh!” Eris approached him. She placed a hand on her shoulder while the other was on her knee, her head bowed and was catching her breath. “Pwew! It’s so tiring! Did you see Love? I did not see it. How about Eros? He’s not yet here?”

“I saw Love,” Yohanne said lifelessly.

“Really?” Eris was very excited and she lifted her head but was confused at Yohanne’s facial expression.

“It’s with Eros.”

“Eh? Where is Eros?” Eris looked around but did not see Eros.

“With Gazelle.”

“Ehhh? Where? Where?”

“They went out of the gate.”

“Ehh? Why? Why did they not wait for us? We are having a group study right?”

“I don’t know. Why are you asking me?” Eris was shocked at the sudden change of tone of Yohanne’s voice; it’s as if they were angry. “You guys told me that you’ll help me then why does it look like you are taking her away?”

“Ha?” Eris did not understand what Yohanne was talking about.

“Does Eros have any intention on stealing Gazelle from me? He should have told me, instead of playing cupid!”

“N-no Yohanne! What are you saying?”

“Why no? Okay, explain to me the reason why I often see them together?

Why is it that Gazelle and Eros seems so close already while Gazelle and I seems to have no progress at all?”

“…” Eris couldn’t respond; she was confused.

“I don’t want you to help me! You’re giving me false hope! I even believe in both of you… especially to him! Thank you, and please tell Eros good luck! I was crazy to think that we were friends, but I forgot how can I be friends with such a good for nothing guy? In a man who does not have any hope to change ever, to a selfish guy like him! I thought he was my friend, I was wrong!”

Yohanne walked out.

“Yohanne! Wait! Yohanne!” Eris tried to call Yohanne but he never looked backed.

Eris was left where she was standing and said

“Oh no … Eros, what did you do …”