"Hey. Thanks for listening." I said. "It sure feels better to have that out of the way."
I knew I was fighting a losing battle. A lone tear slid down my cheek, creating a track where the rest are sure to follow. I tried to wipe it away discreetly, to no avail. Jake reached in and gently wiped my tears away.
"It's perfectly fine to cry, you know." He said gently. "Let it all out." At his words all the tears that I've been suppressing for the past 6 months let loose with a vengeance. I felt him wrap his arm around my shoulder; I leant into his shoulder. He was right -- it felt good to cry. It felt even better when you have someone comforting you.
After a few minutes - it actually felt like an eternity - I lifted my head up from his shoulder. We stayed silent for a while, with Jake staring at the koi swimming in the pond aimlessly. I wondered why he said that he didn't have a good year last year. I mean, he was good looking, an athlete to boot - tall, tanned, and fit.
I decided to break the silence. "Enlighten me, Jake." He looked at me, puzzled. "How does a jock like you find a spot like this?" He chuckled.
"I was just walking around campus last year, preoccupied." He answered. "I just happened to stumble across the greenhouse. Checked the campus map the day after, and I've been coming here every time I'm free." Jake gazed upon the entirety of the garden. "It's not much, but it's kinda homey. Not to mention only a handful of students know about this place, you included."
"Reminds you of home, huh?"
"Yep." Jake answered. "You remember my mom, right? She absolutely adores flowers and anything green. When she's not tending to her patients, she's tending to her flowers. I grew up helping her in our gardens."
"Ah." I said. "That would explain a lot."
"That and it's a quiet place one can ignore all the people." Jake added softly. I decided to take a chance.
"Why'd you want to do that?" I asked quietly. He sighed deeply before answering me.
"Did you hear on the news about the scandal concerning a senator last year?" I pursed my lips sideways, thinking hard.
"Somewhat. Although I wasn't in the, well, mood, to keep tabs on current events, given the circumstances." I said sheepishly.
"Right." He continued. "Anyway, there's this sex scandal that made rounds on the internet the past year. Unfortunately, one of the people on the tape was my uncle, my dad's twin brother." I gasped in shock. "I know. That's exactly my reaction when I found out. Naturally, people would assume it was my dad on the tape, when our family knows otherwise."
"Wait a second." I said, backtracking a bit. "Your dad's Senator Roberto Sanchez?" I whistled as he nodded. "Wow. How come you're not, well, the famous son?"
"Mom was adamant on keeping his private life private. And Dad was on board with that." Jake shrugged. "My sister and I weren't allowed to come during the campaign period, or to any political event."
"Oh, I see." I motioned for him to continue.
"So anyway. There was this big investigation and blah blah blah, but media was in a frenzy." He ran a hand through his hair. "My friends know my dad, and they said they believed us, but you could see their doubts. My team mates would make excuses to exclude me from practices, and my other classmates would whisper and stare. It was so annoying to be in the spotlight for something you didn't do! I even got threats, but I didn't do anything but be his son!" He exclaimed.
"I feel you there." I replied, which earned a grin from him. Oh my. He has such cute dimples. Wait, what? I mentally slapped myself back to listen to what he was saying.
"Until the school year ended it was like that everyday. Thankfully the investigation showed that it was an edited film, made by someone with extensive knowledge on computer graphics and animation or something. But something like that scars you for some time, right?"
"Exactly my sentiments." I answered. "But I transferred schools, though. Why'd you stay? I mean, first reaction would be to transfer, right?"
"I told my mom that. But she said that if I do that it would seem like they won or that they're right. She wanted me to stay to prove them wrong. I quote, 'Why should you transfer schools? You have to hold your head high especially the investigation proved your father innocent.' I was like, yeah, sure. Like everything's going to be back to normal."
"You know you could start over." I suggested. "Sort of like a new beginning. Here." I extended my hand. "Hey there. I'm Andi Galang. I'm new here. I'd love to be your friend." I said, smiling. He caught on quickly and grasped my outstretched hand.
"Jake Mendoza." He grinned, exposing the killer dimples again. "Friends." He said, as he gave me a firm shake. "'Til the end?"
"'Til the end." I chuckled. "See? You're my first friend here. Really hope that we're in the same classes, too. Or is that hopeful thinking?"
"Well having you in class with me will make it easier." Jake said. "I don't think they've forgotten the issue yet." I nodded thoughtfully.
"We just have to change their minds, then, now do we?" I said, cheekily smiling as we started our way back to the dorms, the sun setting on the horizon.
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