"So, are you ready for the summer?" Joan asks, but it wasn't for me. It was for my other friend who I forgot his name and face. He was sitting beside me on a table where we share cus.h.i.+oned chairs.

"I really don't know. I haven't being working out as of late. What about you, Alister?" he said jokingly. But, I replied.

"Hahaha, I think the ladies won't even catch our eyes at all. I mean, we are both skinny and we don't posses the features of a muscle guy." I tried flexing my insignificant bicep, as my two friends laughed it off.

"Don't be stupid," Joan said with a flair. "Physique doesn't matter. What's important is spending time with your friends, right? We can have a blast at the beach."

We nodded. Joan's bright smile flapped my heart, making me blush. My 'unknown' friend continued talking until we finished cla.s.s and walked together toward the exit. We actually drove toward my mother's house, where together we will spend some time watching streaming service, spending hours and hours watching cool series like anime, superheroes, horror, etc. We basically do this every Friday where we take a break from the ongoing a.s.signments from teachers. We always look at the calendar and mark the date where we will hang out together, and Joan always uses her magic marker and slashes the counting days.

However, one of the Fridays was strange. I know, it sounds completely suspicious saying like that. But, strangely enough, it was my 'unknown' friend who didn't come to one of our parties. In fact, he began to miss cla.s.s two weeks ago. It was as if he vanished from thin air. Weeks became months. I tried contacting through his cellphone, but nothing. But the strangest of them all, is that there is no contact from his parents nor any family members. It was as if he was living alone. He always told me that he can walk to his house alone, which Joan and I offered to take him home, but he always refuses to do it. Nor does he allows us to accompany him. It was a haggle for us. But nonetheless, I tried again contacting him each and every day…until I finally spoke to him.

He wanted to see me, and only me. In secret. He told me that he will like to meet me at my house. I was worried that something happened to him throughout these days. And wanted to support him. So, I saw him. Standing on the ground, with a different type of face. A face that I cannot remember. The only thing I remember is saying to me: 'I don't have much time.'