Denying Affinity (Affinity #1)

Can We Date

"Daddy, please let me go to that party. Please, please." Les was pouting hard and using her sweetest voice. She's working our parents hard to let her go to that party that she mentioned to me yesterday.

"Princess..." Daddy sighed in his seat, exhausted of Les' non-stop pleading. Hindi nagsasalita si Mommy. She doesn't need to. Kahit ano naman ang gusto ni Les ay nasusunod kay Mommy. Well, our mother's like that to me too, but I wasn't as demanding and materialistic as my sister.

Maria Celestine is a mommy's girl, while I'm a bona fide daddy's girl. I love them equally, but I was a sucker for my father's approval. Probably because I never needed my mom's because she has always been very supportive of whatever I do. Daddy is supportive too, mas supportive nga lang si Mommy.

"I'll be going with Luke Dashiel. Babantayan ako 'nun." hindi nakatakas ang pag kuyom ng mga panga ni Daddy sa pagkakabanggit sa pangalan ni Luke. Tumingin ako sa lamesa at wala sa isip na uminom ng tubig. I wasn't doing anything wrong and yet I already feel guilty. "My other friends will be there too! You can give me a curfew if you want. Please, Daddy? It'll be our last hurrah before we graduate. Please, please, please?"

Inangat ko ulit ang ulo ko nang makalma ang sarili. Lumipat ang tingin sa akin ni Les. My eyes widened because I knew that look. An idea flashed in her wicked mind. I could tell. Shit, Maria Celestine.

"Gusto mo Daddy, Avis could... chaperone me in that party."

"Uh, no. I'm not going to chaperone in some kid's party." malamig na kontra ko. Bumagsak ang mukha ni Les dahil doon. She's starting to get hopeless by the second but she's not going to give up.

"Sunduin na lang. Pwede ako sunduin ni Ate doon. Please, Daddy." Les looked at our mother and pouted harder, batting her eyelashes. "Mommy... Please?"

She finally used her biggest gun and ammo to convince Dad. This family knows that Mommy is Daddy's weakness. It will only take a few pleas from Mommy and Daddy would soon bend over my mother's wish. That's how extreme his love for my mom is.

"Baby boy..." inabot ni Mommy ang kamay ni Daddy sa ibabaw ng lamesa. Pagod na lumingon si Daddy kay Mommy. Ngumuso si Mommy kagaya ng pagnguso ni Les sa tuwing may hinihiling siya. And that was all it took.

"Fine." my father grumbled and Les cheered as an exasperated sigh came out of my chest.

Pagkatapos ng breakfast ay pumasok na ako sa klase. Savion's been my classmate since freshmen. Hanggang ngayon ay pareho kami ng schedule. We'll be getting the same schedule next academic year too.

Papasok pa lang ng campus ay marami na akong nakikitang mga babae na may hawak na iba't-ibang itsura ng bouquet of flowers at naglalakihang teddybear. Yung iba ay may dala-dala pang balloons.

My mind was stuck on seeing Luke Dashiel yesterday and the pleading that happened in the morning that I forgot about the date today. It was Valentine's Day.

An unsual paper bag was placed on top of her desk when I first saw my cousin in the room. She's sitting alone and very busy with her phone. Malaki ang ngiti sa mukha niya at kumikinang ang mga mata. I rolled my eyes. Knowing Savion, she's probably sexting.

"What's with the wide smile?" bati ko at napaangat ang mga mata niya mula sa screen. Her smile turned into a wide grin. She finished tapping her phone before keeping it in her pocket and placing all her attention on me.

"This, my dear cousin-" Savion raised her hand and waved it in a circular motion near her face. "-is a smile of a girl who's getting lucky tonight."

I grunted and that made her laugh. Rolling my eyes, I grabbed the paper bag in front of her and checked what's inside. A newly bought trench coat.

"What's with the trench coat?" I looked at her with a creased forehead. She grabbed the paper bag from me and placed it on the vacant seat beside her.