Heartstruck [PREVIEW]

Chapter Two

"Nope. Nothing."

But not for a lack of trying. It's not the first time I've thought of Theo. I guess as long as I'm doing arnis, I'll always be reminded of him. I tried searching for him on a couple of social media sites years ago, but none of the seventeen 'Theo Guevarra's I found bore even the tiniest resemblance to the Theo I once knew. I soon gave up wondering about where he was and had to be contented with the memories I had of him.

"Alexa, your footing."

Ugh, not again. "Yes, Guro."

"Keep that up, and we'll be working on nothing but stance and posture next week."

NO WAY. "I'm sorry, sir. I'll do better."

"I expect that you will."

For the rest of the morning, Tito Tim and I continue training, with me paying extra attention to my footing. At around 11 o'clock, Tita Becca comes to call us for lunch. Knowing that we both still need to shower and change after the whole workout, she's made it a habit to call on us at least thirty minutes before she actually finishes preparing our meals. I hurriedly take my shower to help Tita Becca set the table. Since I can't be trusted to help in the kitchen lest I accidentally set fire to something, setting the table is the least I can do.

"So, how were my favorite arnisadors this morning?" Tita Becca asks as she passes me a bowl of sinigang. I eagerly take it from her and taste a spoonful of the sour soup. Perfect.

"Well, hun, Alexa's footing needs some serious practice," says Tito Tim as he reaches for his own bowl of Tita Becca's specialty. "Her head was obviously somewhere else. She was a little spacey today."

"Tito!"

Tita Becca lets out a hearty laugh. "Oh, was she now? Is there something on your mind, Alexa dear? Or maybe, someone?"

I avoid all eye contact with my aunt and uncle, and focus on the delicious bowl of sinigang na baboy in front of me. "Nothing and no one, Tita."

"We were just talking about her old friend, Theo."

"Oh, I remember him. Alexa's first love."

"We were best friends, Tita. Just best friends."

"Of course, you were, dear. Besides, that's all in the past. I know you're already seeing that other guy. When are you going to introduce him to us?"

Tito Tim's eyes immediately widen and he turns to me with such a piercing gaze, he might as well have shot daggers at me. Who on earth is your Tita talking about? he asks silently. Trying to remain nonchalant, I turn to Tita Becca, "What guy, Tita? I'm not seeing anyone."

"You're not? But I thought I saw you with that chinito last week."

"He's a friend, Tita. And we were with our other friends, like I told you when I asked for permission to go out."

Tito Tim gives me another sharp look, but says nothing. Tita Becca just laughs my answer off and starts with her ever-familiar 'kids these days' lecture, saying that I should be careful when I go out, and that I should always be responsible.

Tita Becca was probably talking about Kirk, my schoolmate and a friend of Sarah's. The girls and I were out window-shopping when we ran into Kirk and his friends. Sarah invited them to join us for lunch, so the two groups ended up spending the rest of the afternoon together. Kirk had conveniently pulled me aside for a moment and asked me if I wanted to go hang out again sometime. Just the two of us.

Kirk is a nice, good-looking guy and all, but I had to turn him down. Not that it stopped him from asking me out again. I really don't have the time to think about getting a boyfriend, with arnis training and all. Besides, New Hope Academy rumors claim that Alexa Zamora is already seeing this college guy, and speculations like that actually make things a little easier for me when it came to making up excuses to my friends. Whenever I have to bail on something because I have training, they just automatically assume that I'm going out with College Guy. Not that I've ever really confirmed anything.

Tito Tim takes a sip of his iced tea and says, "We know you're a responsible one, Alexa, and your Tita and I do trust you. But you will tell us when some boy enters the picture, right? I mean, we're not going to meddle. We just want to, you know, know."

"Oh, lighten up, Tim," Tita Becca laughs. Then she smiles and places a hand on my elbow. "I'm sure that we don't have to worry. Besides, Alexa always tells us everything anyway. Don't you, dear?"

I turn away from my aunt's earnest eyes and instead seek Tito Tim's. He meets my gaze with a softened one, his tough, overprotective fatherly stance all gone. Tita Becca's words sting because they hold so much trust in them. She doesn't know what really happened back in Cavite. She doesn't know about the mask I desperately wear now.

Tito Tim doesn't know everything, but he knows enough. Enough to understand.

"Of course, Tita," I say, forcing a smile. "Of course I do."

Even though I don't. And I can never do.