The Waves In The Ocean

Chapter 56: Bedlam (Acquaintance Party)

Third Person's POV

While everyone was busy dancing and swaying to the mellow music blaring from the huge speakers at the dance floor, Liezel, on the other hand, was in a state of daze dancing with Kaiden.

"I-is it o-okay i-if y-you dance with me?" kabadong tanong ni Liezel.

Kaiden nervously smiled at her. "S-sino namang may sabing hindi?"

"Wala lang," umiling si Liezel, "I-I t-think i-it would be better if y-you dance with some d-decent l-lady."

He then creased his eyebrows and looked at her, confused. "Why? You're also a decent one."

"H-huh? M-me? D-don't joke around."

"I'm not."

Dahil sa sinabi ni Kaiden, agad na namula at nag-init ang pisngi ni Liezel.

"You know? I've now realized that nobody cares about me until I change my looks," malungkot na bumungisngis si Kaiden habang pinagmamasdan ang sariling kasuotan.

"No!" Liezel chided. "I-I mean, it's not like that."

Bahagyang natawa si Kaiden sa iniasta ng dalaga. "How did you say so? I'm just a nerd and an ugly duckling. Without this look, no one would notice me."

"No! T-that's not true!" Liezel objected, full of determination to make Kaiden believe that what he was saying was all nonsense. "Y-you... you are smart! Y-you are kind! A-and you treat your friends well, even though they don't t-treat you t-that way!"

Agad na nagulat si Kaiden at hindi makapaniwala sa narinig. Hindi niya akalain na may isang tao pala na ganoon ang tingin sa kaniya.

"I-I..." Liezel uttered with a hint of hesitation in her voice.

Sa 'di malamang dahilan, bigla na lang nakaramdam ng kaba si Kaiden sa kung ano man ang balak sabihin ni Liezel.

"I-I like you!"

Kaiden froze the moment he heard those three words coming from Liezel. He looked at her with his eyes wide open, processing what on earth was happening.

"W-what?" Kumurap-kurap pa si Kaiden, halatang hindi makapaniwala.

"I-I like the original you!" she emphasized.

"But—" Naputol ang sasabihin ni Kaiden nang muling magsalita si Liezel.

"T-the one w-who will s-smile after getting bullied!

Kaiden is still bewildered and he doesn't know what to do anymore. This is the first time that someone has confessed to him.

"A-and the one who doesn't c-cry even though he's h-hurting i-inside." Tumingin si Liezel nang diretso sa mata ni Kaiden at doon ay agad na nagtama ang kanilang mga paningin. "I-in short, I like you for being you!"

"U-um..." Kaiden murmured, running out of words to say.

Parang isang malamig na tubig ang bumuhos sa buong katawan ni Liezel. Agad niyang napagtanto ang mga sinabi niya kani-kanina lang. Bigla niyang naisip ang kahihiyang idinulot niya sa sarili at kay Kaiden.

"O-oh, God." Liezel immediately took her hands off from Kaiden's shoulders. "Um..." she uttered as she swallowed, then she ran like her life was depending on it.

"W-wait!" sigaw ni Kaiden kay Liezel na tumatakbo palayo.

Walang pagdadalawang-isip na tumakbo rin siya papunta sa dalaga. Hindi niya alam kung bakit niya iyon ginagawa, basta pakiramdam niya na kailangan niyang sundan si Liezel.