The room looked exactly as it did that Monday afternoon. The boxes were piled high around the room and the dust rose as they entered. Even the letter 'A' in the windowpane was still there.

"So," asked Angela, "Where do we begin?"

"Let's see..." said Robert rubbing his chin. "We can start by moving these boxes." He made his way through the maze of boxes and went to the door that led to the balcony. "We could put them outside while we clean the room."

"What's in these boxes anyway?" asked Angela, opening one. It was full of old books.

"Just stuff my aunt couldn't take to the states with them," replied Robert. "Some belong to my grandfather, like the old clothes and magazines, other boxes came from my cousin's room." He picked a box and carried it. "I placed them here when we moved."

"Huh?" Angela was suddenly interested.

She opened another box and found it filled with toys.

"These are kuya Glenn's toys!" she thought, going through the box. "How lucky!"

"Hey," Robert called to her, leaning on the door "you can go through those later, take it out the balcony first." Angela placed the toy gun she held back in the box, feeling quite embarrassed.

"Sorry..." she said beneath her breath but Robert was already out in the balcony, carrying his second box and didn't hear her.

Angela took the box of toys.

It was a little heavy, but she got it out the balcony and piled it on top of another. Robert had already taken out four boxes by then.

Angela looked at him and frowned.

'He sure is strong,' she thought as he went out carrying two more boxes. 'For a wimp,' she added.

He caught her staring at her and stared back.

Angela blushed and looked away. She looked at the old mango tree instead. There were blossoms all over it, filling the air with a sweet scent.

"Tired already?" asked Robert, standing beside her.

Angela's heart began to beat faster again.

"I-I'm just catching my breath!" she replied as she slowly inched away from him. "T-the mango tree's blooming..." she found herself saying.

"Yeah, in July too..." said he, "It'll all be destroyed when it rains."

"I sure hope not," said Angela, the cool air making her feel more relaxed. "I remember the mangoes from that tree are really good, especially when it's ripe off the branches."

"Yeah," replied the other, "my cousin and I used to stay in the tree house and eat all the mangoes we could gather. I remember once, I ate so much I had to stay in the toilet all day!" he said with a laugh.

Angela's uneasy feeling finally faded and she was glad that she could talk to him like this again.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" she asked. "How come I've never seen you around here?" She looked up at Robert, his eyes still on the old tree. "I mean, I only see your cousin every summer since he went to some boarding school, but I don't think I've seen you before."

Robert was silent. His gaze still kept on the ancient tree.

Angela waited for his reply.

"I didn't go out much when I lived here," he replied. "Grandfather wouldn't let me, especially when there were other people around."

"Huh? How come?" asked Angela.

It was then that she noticed it.

Robert wasn't smiling anymore.

He wouldn't look at her either.

'I should have kept my big mouth shut!' she thought to herself.

"Anyway," she said instead, turning back inside the room. "We'd better get these boxes out if we want to finish before lunch time."

She went inside the room, chose a fairly smaller box and lifted it.

"It's a little heavy," she thought as she braced it against her chest.

"Here, let me help you with that," said Robert, approaching her.

"Don't worry I've got it," she said stubbornly.

She supported it with her knee as she stood up and made her way to the balcony, holding the box against her abdomen. Robert followed behind her with a much bigger box.

'Show off!' she found herself thinking.

She bent over on a corner to place the box down, when the bottom suddenly gave out! The contents dropped to the ground in a loud crash!

It was full of old picture frames, the glass shattering as it fell.

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" said Angela in a panic.

She went down on her knees and started picking up the broken pieces, when she felt two strong arms lift her.

She looked up and saw Robert frowning at her.

"Leave it!" he said. "You might hurt yourself with the glass."

Angela stood aside and watched as Robert picked the broken glass pieces and place it in the old box.

He was still frowning.

"I told you to give the box to me," he said without looking up at her. "Now sit right there while I clean this up."

He looked up and pointed at a garden set at the far end of the balcony, then looked at Angela to make sure she understood.

"Okay, okay, I'll just get out of the way like you want!" said Angela pouting. "You happy now?!" She looked at Robert.

He was staring at her, turning pale.

"What?" she asked.

He pointed at her knee.

She was wearing a t-shirt and walking shorts and her bare knee was visible. It was bleeding from an open wound, the blood trickling down her leg.

"Y-you're bleeding..." said Robert weakly.

"Ah, when did that happen?!" she exclaimed as she touched it.

A throb of pain suddenly shot through her leg, putting her off balance.

Robert was suddenly beside her, taking her hand.

"To the bathroom. Quick."

"Wait..." said Angela in pain, her leg was shaking and she couldn't put her weight on it.

Before she knew it, Robert picked her up in his arms and brought her inside the room.

Angela's face flushed red.

Robert's arms were strong, his chest heaving as he breathed and his face was so close to hers. She felt her heart racing again.

'Why am I scared?' she asked herself.

Robert went into the bathroom with Angela and put the toilet cover down.

"Sit." he ordered her.

He went to the medicine cabinet and took out some gauze and antiseptic. He placed them on the bathroom floor and knelt in front of her, looking at the wound with a groan.

"I-I think there's still a piece of glass in it..." he mumbled weakly, taking in deep breaths.

"It hurts..." moaned Angela, her leg was still throbbing. She wondered why she didn't notice it earlier.

"I'll try to take it out..." said Robert.

He touched her leg and looked closely at the wound.

"Uhh..." he groaned, turning away. "L-let me wash the blood off first..."

"Anybody home?" called Danny.

He rang on the doorbell again and decided to let himself in. Mrs. Cordero was just about to get out of the kitchen when he entered it.

"Good morning Tita!"

"Hey, Danny, what brings you here?" she asked smiling.

"Well it was so hot today that I decided to clean your pool for free!" he exclaimed. "Where's Robert?"

"Upstairs with a friend, they're cleaning out one of the rooms," she took out a purse and looked at Danny. "Why don't you go ahead up stairs, I'll just go to the store to buy something."

"Okay," said Danny, licking on a spoon with cookie batter still on it. He placed the spoon in the sink and went upstairs.

Robert took the water dipper and poured some water on Angela's leg.

His hand was shaking.

"Cold..." said Angela beneath her breath.

"Put your legs apart..." he said, "You're getting all wet." He touched the wound gingerly.

"Ow!" said Angela.

Just as he feared, there was a piece of glass left inside the wound, and it looked pretty deep. "Please get it out! It hurts!" said Angela in the verge of tears.

"Okay, just stop squirming, it'll only sink in deeper..."

He took a pair of tweezers and pulled the glass out slowly.

Angela hissed in pain.

"I-is it over yet?" she asked.

"J-just a little bit more..." moaned Robert. The blood was beginning to flow again and he was starting to see double. "Haa..." He took deep breaths to steady himself.

"Ow..." said Angela wincing in pain.

Just then, the door swung open and in stepped Danny, his eyes opened wide!

"What the hell are you doing?!" he yelled at the two of them.

Robert turned around, surprised, so did Angela.

She didn't notice the glass slip out of her wound. The blood began to ooze out as it did, flowing down her knee freely.

"Danny?" Robert asked, when he suddenly looked down at the bloody knee. "Oh God..." he groaned, his eyes rolling up his head, before he slumped down on the floor, unconscious.

"Ah, Robert!" cried Angela.

Danny went to his friend and shook him, "Man, I thought you guys were doing something naughty!" he said with a laugh.

Angela looked at him questioningly. "What's that suppose to mean?" she asked with a frown. "Is Robert okay?"

The boy was slapping Robert on the face now.

"Hey, wake up!" he said, then looked at Angela. "What happened to you anyway?" he asked, motioning at her knee.

"Just... had an accident with some broken glass."

"Stupid kid, he knew he faints at the sight of blood," said the boy.

Angela was taken back by this.

"So, it was true that he's afraid of blood?" she mumbled.

"Yeah, gets all dizzy." The boy is was now holding Robert's nose closed. He suddenly looked at Angela. In his squatting position, their faces were right next to each other. "Hey, who are you anyway?" he asked.

"M-my name's Angela," she replied, moving back, her face blushing. "I live next door."

"You're still bleeding." Danny suddenly said, pointing at her leg.

"Ah..." gasped Angela, covering the wound with her hand.

"Here, let me see that," said the boy beside her.

He pushed her hand aside and cleaned the wound with some antiseptic.

"So, you're that girl he's been telling me about," said the boy. "I'm Danny, Robert told me a lot of things about you."

"He did?" asked Angela suspiciously, thinking of their first meeting.

"Yeah, I heard you had a fight with him last time," he continued as he placed a gauze on top of her wound and held it in place with two band aids. "Somethin' 'bout him making you wait all night... were you suppose to meet for a date or somethin'?" he looked up at her grinning.

"O-of course not!" said Angela turning red again, this time, with anger.

"Well, anyways, thought it might be right to tell you sorry," he said, still grinning. He picked up the medicine on the floor and stored them away. "It was 'coz we took so long to come, he had to run around the construction site twice before we got there." He laughed haughtily and turned to face her again, beaming. "But we sure scared that jerk silly!"

Angela looked at him, totally lost.

She had no idea what he was talking about.

"Scared who?" she asked.

"That kid with a large head and a tiny di–" he looked at Angela. "Well, anyways, he just called us up and told us to scare this guy who's been harassing a friend of his, he sounded real upset so we said, 'what the heck, for old time's sake'."

The Boy sat down beside Robert and filled the bathroom ladle with water.

"I think it was for that kid Tony," he continued. "They were classmates back in grade school ya' know. He feels kinda guilty 'bout him. He gets bullied around a lot"

Angela was quiet.

She remembered how she told her friends about the Head harassing her, but she never thought Robert would give a damn about it, but then again, he did look a bit upset back then.

'So that's why he disappeared...' she thought. 'I wonder what really happened, though.'

She looked at Robert.

He was still unconscious, lying motionless on the bathroom floor, a peaceful look on his face.

"Rise and shine, buddy!" said Danny with a grin. He poured the ladle's contents on his friend's head.

"Waa! Cold!" screemed Robert, waking up and shaking his head. Beads of water went flying all over the bathroom.

"Hey, how come you never told me you'll be having a girl up here?" said Danny, holding his friend down and messing his hair.

Angela was blushing again.

"Ow, stop that, Danny!" the other cried. "What brings you here anyway?" he asked.

"It's so hot outside. Let me use your pool," he said straight out.

"It still needs cleaning," replied Robert. "Besides, we're busy cleaning that room next door."

"Yeah, your mom told me." Danny rose to his feet and pulled Robert up after him. Angela stood up, as well, her leg was feeling better, but she still can't keep her weight on it.

"Hey, your leg, how is it?" Robert asked, looking at her.

"Much better," said Angela, looking at the bandaged wound. "Danny cleaned it while you were out cold." She looked at Danny, "Thanks by the way."

"Don't mention it." he replied with a grin, "Got a lot of practice with him," he said, pointing a thumb at Robert.

"You sure it's okay?" asked Robert. "It was bleeding real bad back there." He leaned closer and looked at the bandage, then touched Angela's leg.

Angela shivered.

"You might be needing stitches..."

Angela raised her arm and sent her fist down Robert's head.

Danny stood there grinning.

"Pervert!" she yelled, stepping back.

"Ow! You little..." said Robert, rubbed his head.

"Serves you right!" said Danny beside him.

Before Robert could react, his mother's head appeared behind the door.

"What are you three doing here?" she asked, when she saw the bandage on Angela's knee and gasped. "What happened to your leg?" she asked.

"Oh, it's just a little accident!" she replied, smiling weakly.

"Anyway, lunch is ready," she said, placing an arm around Angela, "Why don't you guys take something to eat before you finish with the room?"

"Good, I'm hungry!" exclaimed Danny. He placed an arm on Robert's shoulder and pulled him along. "Nice girl." he whispered to his friend, "Way to go pall!"

They were going down the stairs when the doorbell rang, followed by a loud ruckus.

"Oh, almost forgot," said Danny, "I called the guys up before I came here. Hope you don't mind."

"It's okay," said Mrs Cordero with a grin. "Good thing I prepared enough food to feed a battalion."