Rabbit Teeth

I tried saying it by looks, but he has that far-off eyes

I tried it through a letter, but it was blown by the wind and was carried by the waves away

Then I thought of doing it through text, but we were never friends, so I don't have his phone number.

Soo I tried my last resort, the day was fine and the students were already on their way home, I came back from throwing the trash, he was there, sitting calmly in his chair, breathe in breathe out my best friend once reminded me, so I did, and felt that slight relief and surge of confidence.

He was there, the love of my life. There it was, the dream I am meaning to make a reality, but my voice betrayed me. It ran like the coward that I am the day I was supposed to sit beside him.

One normal day, our professor introduced us to a new student, and I never really cared because he's got a pink pen and a rabbit teeth.

His seat was in front mine, he even asked me my name.

He was neither timid nor intelligent, but there was something in him that draws people.

Maybe because he tries to answer questions even though his answers were wrong, or because he always volunteers to do the reporting that my classmates finds laborious and just plainly boring, or maybe, that's because he does not use complicated words in his essays whenever our professors asks one, he would say, "they don't even use those words, so why bother use them" his tone, that when pushed a little, would sound kind of arrogant.

He was never my friend, because I hate his guts and his wits and most of all, I hate his teeth.

So at the day our Prof. assigned us to a different seating arrangement, I immediately agreed when a classmate asked to swap places.

A girl, with a straight long hair and a slender body.

You could say it was love, because he is handsome and she is pretty and they would make a great couple.

Because she is pretty, because she is intelligent, because she asked me to swap places. so I did.

The next day, we were poles apart with that big barrier. He never said a thing. I never said a thing. And we went on pretending to have let the other exist in each other’s world but never really did.

On our 2nd year, my classmates were still drawn to him, because he loves to sing and he can dance, do math problems, sleeps whenever he wants and has soft spots for stray puppies.

It was windy when I saw him carrying a box with a small puppy inside. I was chasing something blown by the wind until it landed in the lake beside where he was. He tried to catch it, but failed to do so, his hands supported the box.

Because he was there and I was there, and there was this wind, and this thing blown by it that we never had the chance to talk, and he waved and smiled.

But he’s not my friend, I hate his guts, and his wits. And more importantly, I hate his teeth.

After changing seats, I found myself beside him. And because that girl who used to swap places was already in a different section, and because no one ever mentioned of wanting to swap places with me so I sat there quietly. And he never made a sound. And I never made a sound.

And we became 3rd yrs. and still pretended to have existed in each other’s world when in reality, we never did.

And Christmas came and we sang our Christmas carols and gained a small amount of money that we planned to use for our Valentines booth.

And I saw him behind the school’s gym talking to that girl with a straight long hair, and a slender body. And nobody cared, because she is pretty and he is handsome and they make a great couple.

Because she is pretty and is still on him and because they were there and I was there. so I never made a sound.

The next day, we were standing next to each other, but felt poles apart. And there was this big barrier. Because he has her, and because I know it.

So he’s not my friend. And I’ll hate his guts and his wits. And most especially I will forever hate his rabbit teeth.

And then we reached our senior year. He grew his hair long and I cut mine for a change and went on several dates. But he was still beside my seat. And he never said a thing so I never said a thing.

And Valentines came, a fine day, I came back from throwing the trash. And he was there and we were alone.

I tried to say it but then I remembered, he has her, and she was intelligent, and was still on him and I knew it.

My voice betrayed me. So I never said a thing. And he never said a thing. And right in that four-cornered room, we still pretended to have existed in each other’s world when in reality, we never actually did.

Fin~

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so this day has fin'lly come!