Simula (Completed)

Chapter 23

NICHOLAS

She's so cute when she's serious.

I wonder who's she sketching?

I asked myself as I watched Hannah clucked her tongue to the side while she intensely shaded the paper.

(Flashback)

The last time I saw her drawing so intensely was way back in elementary.

It was a great day.

I just won one of my many art competitions. First-place! Woohoo!

I was so ecstatic not only because I have proven something since we moved here, but because I got to beat that tomboy.

When the judges were doing their final decision, truthfully, I was on the edge of my seat.

This is it. It is now or never.

When I looked at all the painting submissions, I can tell which ones really stood out.

Most of the paintings were baby-ish. I even drew like that when I was four.

I looked at my competitor, namely Miss Tomboy, who seemed nervous as well.

Her painting, randomly numbered, presented the theme quite well. Not that mine wasn't.

Although, I really admired how she used her colours, quite impressive for an eight year old.

I guessed you will learn those techniques if you live in a house full of artists. I was envious for some reason.

And the drumroll started.

This is it! The moment I have been waiting for, the time has come to defeat her and make her go home crying to her momma.

The honorable mentions were announced.

Then, they were followed by the third place.

And for the finale, a climatic ending to this battle war between Miss Tomboy and the Amazing Nico.

"In second place..." The MC started.

"I just would like you guys to know that it was a close battle between these two artworks. The difference was only marginal, just 0.2%." The MC read from the cue card.

I thought I would die from nervousness. I had the jitters.

I did not care if it was even a 0.1% difference. First place is first place. And second place will always be second. There is nothing new about that.

I can taste it...it will be mine.

"...and the second place goes to..." The MC stretched his segue.

"Miss Hannah Angeles. Therefore, the first place goes to Mister Nicholas Reyes, both from the same school." He proclaimed.

Finally, it is here!

The day I was waiting for.

I had beaten her.

The only thing missing was the Chariots of Fire theme song playing in the background...hah!

I can tell she was really pissed especially when we went up the podium.

"Hold hands please as you put your arms up." The photographer instructed.
That means, I have to have physical contact with Miss Second Place. Hey! At least she is not Miss Tomboy anymore.

I held her hand as she held mine so hard that she almost crushed it.

I should be yelping from pain right?

But, on the contrary, it felt different.

The moment I touched her, with our hands intertwined, I felt a weird energy passing through it.

I wonder what was that.

And since I did not want to feel anything about this lady, I succumbed to something drastic.

I started to bully her.

Before I knew it, she was staring at me.

Again, I felt another surge of electricity passing through my body as she looked at me.

And again, I dealt with it like a true bully.

"Cry baby! Cry baby!" I heard myself jeering her even more.

Come on. Punch me. I know you want to. I said to myself.

But, for some reason, she did not.

I saw her loosen up her iron-like fists and breathed calmly.

Then she said the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard, "I'd rather eat mud than to whine and cry about losing to a twerp like you."

That stopped my taunts, and everybody remained silent.

I looked at her flabbergasted. Nobody had the nerve to answer back to me before.

I thought I would be mad and pissed.

However, for some reason, it felt enlightening and refreshing.

And from that moment on, I admired this girl.

I just did not know that I admired her to the point of thinking about her day and night.

It was always a pleasure for me to bully her and pull pranks on her, anything that will catch her attention, if I may say.

I always enjoyed it when she loses in art competitions because I know she was always a reliable second place.

She might feel bad and upset, but for me, I felt like I was on top of the world.

I look at it this way. It was a double win for me because I snagged first place and I got to hold her hand during pictorials.

I always look forward to the awarding ceremony since I know I would get the chance to touch her, even for just a second.

Eric, my best friend, asked me why I was being such a dork.

"If you want to hold her hand, should you just form a truce and shake her hand properly?", Eric asked me that one day.

My answer to that was, "Hell no! The best part of winning was to see her gritting her teeth with anger as I smile at her sweetly and try to hold on her hand tightly."

I called it the irony of winning.

Honestly, if somebody asks me when did I start falling in love with Hannah, I would always definitely say, without a doubt...

"It was when I beat her for the first time in art."

(End of Flashback)

I still can't believe that she was here.

When she said that she will come with me and then immediately hopped on my bike I got so nervous.

Actually, I'm still nervous.

And then as she held on my waist the whole time, all I could think of was that she is the ONE.

Well, truthfully, she has been the ONE a long time ago.

I smiled as I contoured the face shape on my paper.

It's funny to know that I don't need to look at the person since I have etched her face in my memory.

I looked at the end result and I was amazed at how I have made it even more alive-like as her, down to the same sparse freckles on her face and shape of her eyes.

It's nice to have my own model sitting directly in front of me.

I put down my paper and hid it underneath some books so no one will see as I walked around to help my students.

I saw a group of girls raising their hands at the corner.

Maxine and her friends have questions again I supposed.

So, I headed straight towards them.