Mr. So Wrong (Published)

2. Danni not Dandan

"Kung hina-half smile mo ako para kiligin, pwes hindi ako kinikilig. Naaasar ako sa mukha mo."

"Tsk, hindi naman kita pinakikilig, Dandan, pero kung iyon ang gusto mo, I'll take the challenge, pakikiligin kita."

Napanganga ako. Did he just say na pakikiligin niya ako?

"I-judo kaya kita?"

Hindi siya nagsalita, he just stood there looking at me with his signature half smile. Ang tagal-tagal niyang nakatingin sa akin. I flipped my hair – take not kakapagupit ko lang it's a part of my moving on scheme, my hair now is very short.

"You're blushing..." He said. My eyes widened.

"I am so not blushing!" I yelled at him. Tumawa na naman siya. He moved closer to me. I took a step back.

"You have grown..." Wika niya habang titig na titig sa akin. Ano bang pinagsasabi niya? He must have lost it, somehow.

"Huwag kang lalapit, masamang espiritu!"

My body stiffened when I felt his hand on my face. I swallowed hard, why is he doing whatever it is he's doing to me?!

"Anong ginagawa mo?" Ayoko man aminin pero nakadama ako ng kaba. It was like he was actually going to... kiss me? Ang lapit-lapit kasi ng mukha niya sa mukha ko. I want to push him away but I guess that half smile thingy was working on me. Right now, my knees were trembling for his hand was so warm, and that signature smile of his was so... overwhelming. Why was he smiling at me that way?

"May dumi..." Sabi niya. "Kulangot yata ito, Dandan, ang laki-laki mo na hindi ka pa marunong magkulangot." Napanganga ako. How dare him say na may kulangot ako?!!!

"Hoy! Ang kapal ng mukha mo ha! Wala akong booger!" I said to him. He just laughed at me.

"Wala daw, siguro hanggang ngayon, TL ka pa din kapag natutulog." Sabi pa niya. Inaasar na naman niya ako at sigurado akong hindi siya titigil hanggang sa hindi niya ako napapaiyak, kung inaakala niya na mapapaiyak niya ako, pwes nagkakamali siya. Hindi na ako iyakin, hindi na niya ako mapapaiyak!

"Iju-judo na talaga kita!' Sigaw ko. Naikuyom ko ang aking palad, I wanted so much to punch him in the face but then, I heard Lolo called us.

"Dandelia, Edwardo, umaano kayo diyan? Halina kayo at nang makakain na ng almusal." Lolo said. I looked at Edward.

"Bakit? Wala ka bang pagkain sa inyo at makikikain ka sa amin?"

"Bakit? Wala ka bang boyfriend kaya ang sungit-sungit mo? O baka naman menopause ka na? Sabagay age 40 nga ang simula ng menopause." He said while grinning.

"27 pa lang ako! At hindi pa ako nagme-menopause!"

Ni hindi ako pinansin ng Edward na iyon! Nilagpasan niya lang ako at pumasok na siya sa loob ng bahay. Gigil na gigil ako sa kanya. Sa hitsura ko bang ito mukha na akong menopause? I'm only 27, nasa kalendaryo pa ang age ko! Siya nga 30 na, two years na lang wala na sa kalendaryo ang age niya tapos sasabihin niya na ako ang menopause?!

"Argh! I really really hate him!"

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I was eyeing Dandan as she eats her food. Lihim pa akong napangiti as I looked at her. She had undergone some drastic changes for the past years at kagabi nang makita ko siya, I almost didn't recognized her. Kung hindi ko pa naalala ang candle incident which happened twelve years ago, hindi talaga papasok sa isip ko na ang babaeng nakatingin sa salamin habang may hawak na kandila ay si Dandan.

She had changed.

Gone was the young and carefree Dandan, the one that used to cry a lot when I tease her all that's left was Dandelia – a very attractive woman on her twenties who could make any man worship her. I was sure of that – at hindi ko naman itatanggi, I am attracted to her.