An assurance

James and Devon were classmates in their freshmen days in High School

Devon admits to herself that she had a crush on James
James actually have that ‘campus crush’ look, so who wouldn’t fall for that?

James usually makes a move to get close to Devon
he borrows her phone; he gives his bag to her so when he needs it, he’ll go to her;
and even sometimes he tease on kissing her. but Devon always lean away.
they are on their first year for goodness sake she always thought

on their class picture day, everybody was goofing off when they finished taking the picture.

while Devon was standing alone, far from her group of friends, James came along

“Devon, let‘s take a picture together” he said
“just the two of us?” she asked
“yes, just the two o us”
“okay let‘s go, but where‘s the photographer?” she answered nervously

when they found the photographer, they were both called by their group of friends

“James come here!”
“Devon! over here!”
they looked at each other quite disappointed

they all went back to their room, still James and Devon were disappointed

few days passed

Devon had her lunch with her friends, while walking on the corridor Devon was called by one of their classmates

“Devon! Devon!! James was rushed to the hospital while you were having lunch!!”
Devon was shocked

“what happened to him?”
“they were playing with some sticks then Johnsen accidentally hit him on his head”
Devon can’t speak a word, and when she entered their classroom, she saw blood

‘so it’s real?? God please, help him’ she prayed with teary eyes
after a few minutes she decided to come out of their room

“Devon!” she heard James’ voice
she wanted to run to him and hug him, but he was with his parents, so she decided to stand still where she was standing

“are you okay James?” she asked worriedly
James just nodded and smiled at her
she gave him her sweetest smile

James didn’t come back to their room later that afternoon


their last grading period passed, and today is the day that their parents will get their grading cards
few were left in their classroom to wait for their parents

James, being his usual self was goofing off again
all the chairs were on the side, and Devon was sitting on the chair at the teacher’s table
she took out her phone and started videoing James’ craziness

James was walking like a model on the center of the room
he and Devon were laughing with some of their classmates
James went at the platform where the teacher’s table lays and Devon was sitting at

he walks behind her teasing her again on kissing her
“weirdo!” Devon said laughing

on that day, they bid their goodbyes for they don’t know if they would be classmates still


the next 3 years, they’ve never been classmates again
though when they see each other at the corridors, they smile at each other and wave

Devon misses what they used to be, for she admits again that she still likes James

on their Senior year in High School, Devon was surprised to see James living quite near from their house, but she rarely see James there until James’ family moved again to a different place

they graduated High School

Devon took an Engineering course

she was walking towards the highway one faithful day when she crossed path with James
she was stunned until she saw James’ uniform

that uniform is for a special course being offered at their University

a course that you have to finish first for five years and be stable at your profession for about another four to five years before you could have a girlfriend or get married. it’s a rule for that course, if you break it, you’ll get expelled, or you have to change course

Devon bowed her head while walking crossed James
but behind her eyes, she saw James looking at her

‘I don’t think I can wait for that long’ she murmured to her self

Devon lived her life normally, but still hoping and waiting for James

‘I think I’m crazy!!’ she said one day, she was thinking about James again
‘Devon, move on!!’

then it slapped her
‘am I in love with him? I mean, after so many years, I still like him? why is that, I mean is it possible to wait for a guy that long?’ she shook her head

‘I can’t believe it! I love him!’ she said surprisingly to herself

Devon is now on her Sophomore year

today is the opening day of the Intramurals for all College Department

being on the same University, Devon was hoping to see James there
she was standing in the crowd, watching the opening ceremony

“ouch!” she was bumped
“sorry -- Devon?” her heartbeat fasten up, she knows that voice!
“James” she said smiling, but shyly she looked down and saw something
“is this yours?” she asked James after picking up the keychain/pendant/whatever that is

“oh, yeah, thanks” James answered handing it back
“mmm, what is that?” asked Devon
“this? oh, this three stones here symbolize something”
“may I know what it is?”

James is now tense
‘Dude! now or never!! just do it!’ he said encouraging himself

“can we get out of here first? It‘s noisy here, we won‘t understand each other”
“okay, let‘s take a walk to the garden”

as soon as they were walking, James started to explain

“you see, it‘s like a pyramid right?”
“yes.. ?”

“the bottom part is the things I‘ve achieved, the middle one are the things I‘m achieving, and the top one are the things I soon will achieve”  James answered

“oohh, good for you, and you're confident, that's a good sign, it means you'll do everything to make that goal. James don‘t be annoyed but what does that three symbols mean? at the top stone”

James stopped walking, so it made Devon stopped too, they are now near the garden of the school

“the one at the bottom is to finish my taken course, the second one is to be stable at my profession, and the last one is to marry --”

“who?”
“you know her”

Devon felt devastated on what she have heard

“really? is she our classmate when we were on our Freshmen year?”
“yes” James answered smiling
“I don‘t remember you being close to girls within our class” Devon said
“oh, I‘m close to her just fine, I make ways but I guess I‘m not that good at getting close to her”

Devon wants to know who James is talking about already

“who is it? tell me now, don‘t --”
“it‘s you” James cut her off

Devon wasn’t able to respond to what she have heard

“me?!”

“yes, you. the one I wanted to have a picture with, but I failed. the one I always borrow phone from, just to see her picture from it. the one I hand my bag so when I need it, I get to go to her. and the one I always tease on kissing” James said

a smile is now plastered on Devon’s face

“wait for me, will you?” James asked as he cupped Devon’s chin
Devon nodded that made James’ smile widen

James still cupping Devon’s chin softly kissed her right cheek, then the left and to her forehead
he stopped while staring at Devon’s soft like mallow lips

“I‘ll save that one for the Altar” he said while smiling at Devon

“you’re a tease aren‘t you?” Devon said staring straight to James’ eyes

“yes, I am. cause you‘re a tease to me too” he said then hugged Devon




END