Prologue
Feelings can be managed and controlled, or even tamed, but if it's influenced by something deep, I doubt it. There's no way you can control it. Kahit gusto mong iba na lang, wala kang magagawa.
You're a slave of your heart, and even your mind bows down to it.
"Sorry..." medyo takot kong sabi kay Eli nang itulak ako ni Seth sa kaniya.
That girl! Grabe talaga bumawi ang isang 'yon! Hindi makatarungan. Siya naman ang nagsabi na itulak ko siya sa hallway.
"Next time, don't be too energetic like you two are the only people around," he said as cold as an ice. Which, honestly, made my nape sweat a little.
"I'm really sorry. Hindi sadya," I reasoned out.
He looked at me straight in the eye. Okay rin pala na tinulak ako.
"Yeah?" sarkastic na sabi niya, nagtaas pa ng kilay.
"Yeah," I said, zipped my lips and bowed down a little to leave.
Medyo nainis ako kay Seth pero saglit lang naman 'yon. Nakakahiya kasi. Baka kung ano'ng isipin no'n. Na ginugulo ko siya.
Gustong-gusto ko si Eli, pero simula noong nagkausap kami sa kubo noong grade eight ako, may namuong takot sa akin. I fear him, but I still like him a lot...
Ridiculous, right?
Sinubukan kong lumingon sa likod pero wala na siya roon. I sighed and added that moment in my memory core. Ngayon ko lang ulit narinig ang boses niya nang gano'n kalapit. He spoke directly to me. Not a good one, but still a memorable one.
Grade eight ko siya unang napansin at nagustuhan. Siguro isa 'yon sa mga ala-ala na 'di ko makakalimutan.
The days I started liking him...
It wasn't like at first sight, tho. Slow burn na medyo mabilis.
"Anderson!" tawag sa apelyido ko.
I was laughing with my friends when someone popped his head on the doorway. Kinukwento ni Seth iyong araw na lumabas siyang walang bra. She was so random for that.
"Hoy, Anderson daw!" Bunganga talaga ni Seth.
"Bakit?" tanong ko. Kaklase ko yung nasa labas, may kausap na ibang estudyante.
"Bakit daw?!" si Seth na naman 'yon. Ang lakas ng boses niya.
Tawang-tawa si Terry. Si Ays naman ay nagpipigil. Ewan ko ba, minsan kahit 'di naman nakakatawa, natatawa talaga kami kay Seth. She's effortlessly funny.
Naglakad na lang ako papunta ro'n. I recognized the students. I smiled politely and exited the room.
"Hello po, ate. Bakit po?"
There were two of them, part pa ng council for Junior High Schools. Kinabahan tuloy ako. May nalabag ba akong patakaran?
"Hi, Covy! Pwede ka ba naming kuning model?"
Halla ka?
Natawa ako. "Para saan po?"
I wasn't taken aback about the favor. Sanay naman ako sa gano'n. Kahit bata pa lang, pinapasok na ako ni Mommy sa mga photoshoots at kung ano pa. My Mom was a beauty queen before, and she wanted me to be like her so she signed me up in workshops and pageants.
Wala namang problema sa akin. I loved what she was doing. I loved earning at early age as well. It helped me buy the things I want.
"Para sa subject sana namin. Camera Shots, Angles, and Movements kasi ang topic namin. Hindi kasi pwedeng kaklase ang modelo sabi ni Mrs. San Jose..." Ngumuso siya, parang nagpapaawa sa akin.
