That Boystown Girl [COMPLETE]

32

IT WAS SEVEN and we just walked up to the area where the tents were done being pitched up. Hindi ganoon kalaki ang perya ngunit makulay talaga ito at maraming tao na ang nagdadatingan. May isang medium-sized Ferris wheel, isang ride na hindi ko maipaliwanag ngunit maraming nakapila, mga tent sa mini prize games at naglipana na rin ang mga nagtitinda ng mainit na pagkain at mga laruan.

"Hindi kaya mabagot si Misis Melon doon?"

"I left my pocket Wi-Fi for her so she could Facetime my siblings."

I nodded and reconsidered. "Ano nang gagawin natin?"

"She advised me to bring coins," aniya sabay alog ng isang pouch na kumakalansing sa barya. Natawa ako sa enthusiasm ng kanyang ngiti. "So maybe let's try to use them there."

He led me to the tents and we faced a side of the running lights table which ran from 1 to 23.

He seems to know how to play it.

Nagtaya siya ng tig-limampiso sa dalawang magkatabing numero at saka hinintay na huminto ang pagtakbo ng ilaw. Ilang beses din kaming nag-agawan ng torno sa pagtataya dahil hindi pa kami nananalo.

"Sa iba naman tayo, mauubos dito itong barya mo nang wala tayong maiuuwi kahit isang supot ng jelly ace eh," pangaral ko sa kanya at hindi ko na pinatapos pang huminto ang takbo ng ilaw dahil nauna na ako sa katabi nitong tent. May nagshoshoot ng maliliit na ring sa malayong mga pole pero hindi ko pinatulan dahil pagkain ang premyo.

Knight caught up on me and I saw him clutching a pack of Jelly Sticks. "Nanalo ka?'

"You didn't wait for your last bet. You won," he sheepishly grinned and started ripping one stick and ate it down as we walked around.

"Saan na tayo ngayon?"

"You decide."

"Ang konti na kaya ng pera natin," nguso ko sa pouch na hawak niya.

"Gutom ka na?"

"May mabibili ba iyan?"

He shrugged and walked up to a popcorn stand. He came back with a colourful box of popcorn and gave it to me. "Umupo ka muna. Maghahanap ako ng tubig," aniya at hindi na ako nakahindi pa.

I didn't realize that I am smiling alone. There's something in him that makes me want to see more when he's being like this. It was as if he was not an heir to a big fortune and was not a son of a lady soldier. It made me think that there was really this unpredictability in him that I like to play around so much. Maybe this side of him is the reason I feel comfortable around him in general.

He got back with an extra with him. A bottle of water on his left hand and a bunch of round colourful helium balloons on his right. I approached and almost scolded him. "Wala na tayong pera, aanhin mo iyang lobo?"

"Oh, this? I bought it from two kids so I could send them home."

"Ginantso mo sila? Hindi naman kayang bilhin nung barya natin iyan," suspetsya ko.

That earned me a full flick of his finger to my nose. "Hindi ibig sabihing barya lang ang ginagamit natin ay hindi na ako nagdala ng sarili kong pera."

"Eh saan mo naman gagamitin iyang mga lobong iyan?"

He grinned and grabbed some popcorn and said, "We're making money. I gave them my bill. Wala silang panukli."

"Ano?! Wala kang natirang pera?!"

He looked at me as if there's something wrong with what I said. "I have my cards here and some dollar bills."

Napasapo ako sa noo at saka kinuha ang kalahati sa hawak niyang lobo. "Wirdo ka rin eh," reklamo ko sa kanya bago magsimulang ialok ang mga lobo sa mga tao.

HIS SMILE IS boyishly attractive and I couldn't help myself whenever people notice him and impulsively buy balloons. At the end of the day, it was him who sold all of it.

"Syempre hindi mo talaga mababawi ang ibinayad mo sa mga bata," pangaral ko sa kanya habang binibilang ang pera sa maliit na mesa. May mga nag-uuwian na rin at nakaramdam ako ng ginaw sa hamog na nakapaligid sa mapunong dako ng perya.

"Shall we go home?" he asked softly, as if he's hesitant but it's necessary.

"Inaantok ka na ba?"

"Hindi naman. Ikaw?"

"Umuwi na lang din tayo. Baka tulog na si Misis Melon."

THE SPARE ROOM is clean and plain. It smells like lavender and there was an exhaust fan that could pretty much replace a new AC for keeping the room cool. There was a large comforter on the floor—something that I see in Japanese and Korean films but larger. It could occupy four persons.

Nakahiram ako ng pantulog na damit kay Misis Melon at sinaglit ko na ring kusutin ang mga napagbihisan ko upang iyon rin ang isuot ko bukas kapag umuwi na kami. Alas-onse pa ang klase ko bukas kaya naman hindi ko kailangang magmadali.

"Saan ka, sa kanan o kaliwa?" tanong ko kay Knight habang nagtatali ako ng buhok.

"Right," he mumbled as he struggled to pull the drawers where the pillows are stocked. He tossed two towards me and he tossed another two for him. He lied down in his undershirt and inner shorts. As I said before, it didn't bother me. Maybe because I was used to it as for my boy friends or maybe because I really am comfortable around him.

Humiga na rin ako at saka iniharang ang isang unan sa pagitan namin. Maginaw kumpara sa labas ngunit hindi ko magawang pababaan ang temperatura dahil gustong-gusto ni Knight ng maginaw. Nagbalot ako sa microfiber na kumot.

"Damot, share tayo sa kumot. Iisa lang iyan," aniya at hindi na niya hinintay pang ako ay makapagsalita dahil hinawi na niya ang unan sa pagitan namin at saka nagsusumiksik sa tabi ko upang makapagkumot.

"Bakit ka pa magkukumot eh gustong-gusto mo naman ng maginaw?"

Hindi niya iyon pinansin, bagkus ay iniayos pa niya ang mga unan namin upang nakatabi ang mga ito sa aming paligid.

"Don't you have fear from ghosts?" tanong nito sa akin.

"Takot akong makakita at makaramdam syempre. Mahirap kahit sabihin kong hindi ako naniniwala eh baka mamaya kainin ko mga sinabi ko kapag tumambad sa kung saan."

"Me too," he mumbled as he inched closer to me.

"Hindi ba natin papatayin ang ilaw? At saka hindi ba natin iiwang nakaunlock yung pinto—

"Milo."

"Baka kailanganin tayo ni Misis Melon—

"Milo."

"Hindi natin siya kaagad na maririnig kapag—

I hitched my breath when he suddenly rolled on top of me and pinned my hands over my head. My body suddenly shot awake and alert with the sudden contact. 

He leaned down, his breath fanning over my cheeks and whispered, "Milo."

Then he kissed my nose.