Reach [Complete]

[1]

It was Tito Arman, my mother's young brother, who wanted to nurture my talent. Magpapatuloy na sana ang singing career ko kung hindi lang bwisit na bwisit sa akin ang manager ng studio ni Tito. 

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang problema niya, marahil ay inggit lang si Ion sa ganda ko. Psh.

Tito Arman assured me that his employees are friendly. But when Ion and I first met each other, I already knew he hated me. Sa tingin ko'y dahil na rin sa paborito ako ni Tito. Lahat kasi ng anak niya ay lalaki pero gusto niya talaga'ng magkaroon ng babae'ng anak kaya naman ako itong ini-ispoil niya. 

Ion knew how much Tito Arman adored me. He figured out he can't touch me easily so he made sure I'll meet hell with him. He made my life in the studio miserable.

Nakakapasok nga ako doon ngunit hindi naman ako pwede'ng kumanta o tumugtog man lang. I can only hold a mic or an instrument if I clean it. It was so hard to stop myself. Minsan ay napapaisip ako na baka talaga namang hindi ako magaling. I mean my parents and Tito Arman are my family. It's natural for them to support me. 

But Ion is also a performer, instructor pa nga. What if he sees something else? What if he thinks I'm just going downhill? What if he thinks I'm a failure? 

Scratch that. He is sure I'll be a failure and go downhill. Napasinghot ako. On top of all these embarrassment, am I starting to be a cry-baby too? I ignored the thought and continued thinking while working. 

Ion won't assign me as a cleaning machine if he sees something in me, right? Surely, he won't do this if he sees even a glint of success in me. But no. He definitely thinks I'll crush. Now I'm a garbage machine. 

"Aria? Ikaw ba yan?"

Napatigil ako sa pag-aayos ng mga lalagyan ng basura. Bahagya akong tumingala at nakita ang isa sa mga schoolmates ko. 

Caleb Velasco.

He was wearing a white shirt, a pair of blue jeans and white shoes. May hawak siyang paper bag sa isang kamay at sigarilyo naman sa kabila.

Aaminin kong kasali siya sa listahan ng mga naging crush ko sa college. Gwapo si Caleb. Matalino at malakas ang appeal sa mga kababaihan. Matangkad siya at maganda ang pangangatawan. 

But when I learned that he smokes, I got turned off and his crush percent leveled to the bottom until it disappeared. Sana'y ganun din ang gawin niya sa kanyang sigarilyo. I'm starting to feel the tears in the corner of my eyes so I blinked and sniffed. Kaya naman pala panay ang singhot ko.

"C-caleb," I said while sniffing again. Please, please be sensitive.

I saw how he stared at me worriedly when he saw my expression. Napatingin akong muli sa hawak niyang sigarilyo at sinundan niya rin ito ng tingin. He stared at it for a sec before throwing it a little farther away from me. Tinapakan niya ang natitira nitong filter at muling bumalik sa kinatatayuan niya kanina.