CHAPTER 48
NICOLLE'S POV
"That's what Anne told me!"
"Shut up, Krungy."
"No, Andrew, I'm serious here."
Luke says something in Chinese.
"My mom's stupid."
"Hey, don't talk about Anne like that, Blake!"
"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!"
We all turned our heads to look at Zelle who was just a second away from murdering us all with our unending complaints.
So, today was the day after that incident in the billiards room at Tagaytay where the moment was so intense Blake and I almost did it. And today was also the day after Zelle got back from Baguio. And today was also the day of Krungy's great announcement. She announced something like this an hour earlier:
We all are fucked up, guys. Anne told me she froze all our bank fucking accounts. We have to make at least two hundred fifty fucking grand to donate to Perez Foundation. And we have to complete the fucking money until Saturday, that's, what, two fucking days from now. If we didn't, it's a good bye to our fucking money. Ain't that the fucking life, motherfuckers?
Yep, those are the exact words. Krungy... really, she's got to clean her mouth sometimes. But she's a got a point right there. How the hell are we supposed to earn two hundred fifty thousand in less than three days? I mean, that's shit, right?
And, by the way, Anne is Blake's mother.
"Hindi kasi kayo marunong magtrabaho eh! Masyado kayong mayayaman!"
I rolled my eyes. "Says the hotel heiress," I commented.
Yep, if I haven't told you before, Zelle really was a hotel heiress; her family's business. But she decided to keep it low and live peacefully.
"Whatever, Jot. I have an idea."
Everyone else fell silent. Right now, we're desperate for ideas. We actually don't care if the idea came from outer space, as long as we can do it, we will. For our money!
"So what are your talents?" Zelle asked.
We only stared at each other for quite a while before bursting into laughter. What's Zelle got in her mind? Right, it's an idea, it's actually an acceptable idea but...
"So, we are going to run a talent show?" Andrew asked, between his guffaws.
Zelle pouted then crossed her arms, and that's when all of us stopped laughing. We know Zelle all too well to not realize she was offended. Stomping her feet like a little child, she exited the room. I sighed dramatically. Looks like I am the one responsible for consoling her.
I looked at Andrew who had his arms raised up in surrender. He shrugged as he grimaced. "Sorry, I... It was a joke."
"Alright," I said then a second later, I followed Zelle to the kitchen.
When I got there, I saw her sulking, her head down the table, her arms sprawled. And she was making a funny sound. Nope, she wasn't crying, just murmuring something in a different Language. Or... I don't really know?
“Hey,” I called. She didn’t respond. I cleared my throat and called out again, “Hey, Zelle.” Again, I got nothing from her but more of the murmuring. I clucked my tongue and sat on the island, across her.
“Well… uh… Zelle, we’re really sorry for laughing at you. We shouldn’t have done that. We’re just—“
“Hindi yon,” she said out of the blue, turning her head up to look at me. She straightened her body. Her nose was red. Was she crying?
I raised my eyebrow in question, but she didn’t seem to notice it.
“Feeling ko kase… I’m just a nobody pagka nagkakasama tayo. Parang… parang sabit lang ako. Kase… look… Blake and you are a couple, Luke and Krungy are a couple and si Andrew… kahit wala siyang ka-partner sa inyo, mula pa noong una, kasama na siya sa grupo. I just… I feel like an outsider.”
I scrunched my eyebrows and crinkled my nose. With my palms, I gently tapped my cheeks. “What are you talking about, Zelle?”
“I just feel like out of place, sometimes,” she replied.
I let out a breath.
“I feel like I don’t belong. It’s—“
“Zelle!” I interjected. “You do belong, alright? You’re my cousin. You’re my friend, alright? And I trust you. So don’t feel like that. We all are friends here. We laughed at your idea, so what? It’s funny, but that doesn’t mean you don’t belong, because you do.”
She just looked at me, sniffing.
“Maybe, we’re just a bunch of idiots with different perspective, but we all fuck the same thing right? This is us, Zelle. This is your group, your friends. What I mean is… uh…” How the hell should I say this? “… uh, what I mean is... I don’t know, stuff?”
I shrugged as I pursed my lip. In my mind, I have banged my head a thousand times on this island. What kind of person am I? Was I really consoling Zelle or was I making it all worse? Why am I not good at this?!
“Hindi ka pa din talaga marunong mag cheer up, no? But it doesn’t matter. Pwede na yon. OA lang siguro ako.”
“Yeah, I think so,” I blurted out which earned me a death glare from her. I whistled as I avoided eye contact with her.
“Let’s go back,” I asked her. She nodded and together, we went back to the living room.
We saw the four of them throwing everything to each other and once Zelle cleared her throat, everyone dropped what they were holding and sat straight up. This bunch of kids!
I settled on the couch and sat beside Andrew.
“Hey,” I heard Blake called out. I turned my head to him and raised my eyebrows in question.
He rolled his eyes in response and looked back to Zelle. What the hell?! I only shook my head.
“Nicolle,” Andrew whispered, silent enough that if he didn’t whisper it right in my ear, I couldn’t have heard it.
I looked at him. He was smirking. This guy was up to something, I could sense it.
“You wanna know how territorial your boyfriend is?”
In the background, Zelle was busy with her phone, Krungy and Luke were fighting and Blake, I don’t really know what he was thinking but I could see that his fists were tight, but what the hell right? Maybe he’s just constipated or something.
I scoffed at Andrew and just shook my head. “Come on,”
“Alright,” I finally agreed.
A second later, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. My eyes widened but before I could react, though, something blocked the light in front of us.
I looked up and saw Blake shooting daggers at Andrew. He grabbed my arm suddenly and pulled me up. “Samahan mo ‘ko!” he shouted.
“What?” I asked, confused. “Where?”
“Basta, samahan mo ko!”
I looked around, wondering where the hell this guy was supposed to go in the middle of a life and death situation meeting. When I heard Andrew chuckle, I noticed Blake’s jaw tensed in a way that says he’s ready to murder anyone. I can also see how his blue eyes darken, which didn’t really made me feel any more comfortable.
“Hey, what happened?” I asked him, a bit concern because I really didn’t understand why he was acting so weird and so scary.
He didn’t answer me. He just turned around and threw his fist right at Andrew’s face. But it didn’t hit Andrew, though. Blake stopped just an inch away from Andrew’s nose.
“What the?!” Luke shouted.
“Anong ginagawa niyo dyan, bakit bigla na lang kayong nagsusuntukan?” Krungy asked.
I shook my head in innocence while Blake only looked at them. And a moment later, he took hold of my wrist and dragged me all the way outside.
“Hey, where are we going? We’re kind of busy back there. What’s gotten into you?!” I buzzed, a bit exasperated.
When we were at the hallway of the second floor, we stopped. I faced him and was about to ask him more when he stared at me with one of those death glares that would make me want to wonder if I was to be killed. I mean, Blake’s gaze could really be murder.
I gulped.
I looked everywhere else but Blake’s eyes. He, on the other hand, continued gawking at me. No words were spoken and no one moved.
“Do you like shovels?” I asked abruptly. I actually am not sure why I said that. I just kind of panicked and those words came out of nowhere without even thinking of it. That’s not right, is it?
Did I make much sense?
Much?!
Really now, Nicolle?
Now I’m talking to myself.
Damn it, Blake, why the hell are you scaring me?!
“Whooo,” I exhaled as I tried to meet his eyes. He was still frowning. His jaw was tensed and his arms were crossed over his chest.
I pursed my lips and nodded. “Whoo,” I repeated, nervously. My toes were curling. Did I do something wrong that Blake actually looked at me this way.
He turned around and started walking away to my unit. I ran after him. “Hey,” I called out as I caught up with him. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“Shut up,” he answered, his voice stern.
When I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, I just rolled my eyes and walked silently. I walked faster. But then, he walked faster so he was ahead of me. But I’m not really a loser so I caught up and he was now behind me. I turned my head and smirked at him. He rolled his eyes and took longer strides. Now I was behind him.
“Ha-ha!” he teased.
I gritted my teeth and half ran-half walked. Now I was again ahead of him.
“Ha-ha, back at you,” I said.
We were like that until we reached the door to my unit. I opened it but before I could enter though, he tried to and since the door was not built for three fat men to enter at once, Blake and I got stuck on the door. Neither of us could move.
“Hey! Move!” I ordered him.
“No, you move!”
“Damn it Blake, are you retarded or what?!”
“Aah! Ang sikip. Alis na dyan!”
“Can’t you be a gentleman for once?!”
“Gentleman mo mukha mo. Move!”
“You’re such a kid!”
“Don’t call me a kid. Because if that’s the case, what does it make you?! A fucking pedophile! Go away.”
For the next minutes, we continued pushing each other. Now, it’s so funny how unrealistic those TV shows and chick flick movies were, where the guys were so gentlemen they would open the door so the girl could enter first. For Blake and me, it’s the total opposite.
Neither of us wanted to lose to the other.
Probably, that’s how we express our love for each other.
After about twenty minutes of shouting over each other, throwing profanities here and there and threatening each other that we would break up, finally, we un-stuck ourselves from my little (fucking) door.
Once inside, the four gave us a round of applause.
“Nice entertainment,” Luke commented. “Daig niyo pa si Charlie Chaplin sa comedy ah!”
Then the other three laughed.
“Get away from me,” I told Blake.
“Hindi naman ako lumalapit sayo ah! Asa ka naman. Dun ka nga!”
I was about to sit next to Andrew (because that was the only available space) when Blake suddenly jumped on it. I frowned at him. When I was about to protest, he said, “Dun ka. O kaya don. Ewan ko. Basta. Wag lang dito.”
I looked at Andrew who was raising his eyebrows and that’s when it hit me. I smiled knowingly at Blake.
“Oy, ano yan? Bakit ka tumatawa ng ganyan?” he asked.
“Hayaan mo na kasi sila, Krungy!”
“Wag ka ngang epal dyan, Luke!”
“What’s wrong with my smile, Blake Perez?!”
“Eh, nakakainis eh!”
“Ano ba, Krungy, nakikinig ka ba sa akin?”
“I’m not interested in what you’re saying, Luke.”
“SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO MY PLAN OR OUR BANK ACCOUNTS WILL BE FOREVER FROZEN.”
A second later, Luke, Krungy, Blake and I fell into complete silence as we listened to Zelle attentively.
“Okay, so ano ngang mga talent niyo?”
“Maliban sa pagbighani sa mga puso ng mga babae sa unang tingin pa lang?” Luke said.
Everyone of us groaned. Right now, I wanted to throw Luke on a cliff and leave him there so monsters could eat him. Sometimes, he needed to grow up. He’s the oldest, for Chipe’s sake. He’s twenty and, what, one week from now his girlfriend’s going to be nineteen. Wait, Krungy’s birthday is in a week?!
“Krungy, what’s your talent?” Zelle asked. We all looked at Krungy.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Sing?”
Then Luke burst out laughing, and so did Blake and Andrew. Zelle and I exchanged knowing looks and shrugged.
“Ewan ko sa inyo. Ikaw, Luke, ano talent mo? Yung seryoso?”
Luke tapped his chin with his index finger, seemingly thinking of his talent other than flirting.
“Ah! Piano! Magaling akong mag-piano!” he shouted.
“Pft. Yabang ah,” Krungy commented.
We just ignored them. Zelle continued, “Eh ikaw, Andrew?”
“Well, uh… I can bake,” he replied.
My eyes widened at the revelation. I craned my neck to look at Andrew. I was a bit surprised. “You can?”
Before he could answer though, Blake craned his neck so I was face to face with him, in the process, blocking my view of Andrew.
“Yes, he can. Okay na? Makinig ka na kay Zelle.”
“I’m not really talking to you,” I told Blake, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Pwede ba? Nag-be-bake siya. So what? I can bake, too.”
I sighed before then smirked. “You’re jealous, aren’t you? You’re jealous of Andrew?”
He laughed to his heart’s content. As to why, I don’t know. “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes.”
I smiled when I noticed that his face was serious and all red. His ears too, grew pink.
“Ha. The great Blake Pierre Perez, the man of every girl’s dream, the prince… jealous?!” Then I laughed, not because it’s funny, but because I was happy that he was jealous.
“I’m jealous of every guy you talk to,” he said, his eyes boring mine.
I gulped at how intense his glare was. Why everytime he’s jealous does my heart do crazy and weird things?
“Alright, lovebirds,” Zelle interjected. “Ikaw, Luke, kung magaling kang mag-piano. Tutugtog ka. Sort of like a concert at syempre, dahil ikaw si Luke Sy, mataas ang bayad. Ikaw Andrew, you can bake right? Bake all the cakes and cupcakes you want, kami na nina Nicolle at Krungy magbebenta. Ikaw Blake… ano talent mo?”
“Blake can paint,” I answered, nonchalantly before he could protest.
“it’s settled then. Blake, magpaint ka then ipapa-bid naten. No more questions, alright? We start today.”
“How about me?” a familiar voice said. We all turned to the entrance of my unit and saw Nick leaning against the door frame.
“You can sell me,” he said flirtatiously, his eyes directed on Zelle.
Zelle rolled her eyes.
“Excuse me, Nick, but my—“
“Umupo ka nga!” Blake shouted.
And I did.
“I meant you can pay you and date you.” Realizing what he just said, Nick looked around and asked, “What did I just say?”
“You mean they pay you and you date them,” Andrew clarified.
“Right,” Nick confirmed.
“Alright. We can do this!” Zelle encouraged us.
Though, I’m not sure how.
***
We only need two hundred fifty grand by Saturday. And it’s going smoothly. We sell Andrew’s cupcake for five hundred each. Of course, it would not be overpricing if with each purchase of is a kiss from Andrew Bailey himself. Yep, now we’ve already collected, what, fifty thousand pesos? And it’s just the first day! Ha! I’m so freaking happy.
Blake was in the Royal Building, painting whatever he wanted to paint. Luke was practicing for his piano concert tomorrow and Nick was nowhere to be found.
“Jot, iwan na muna naming kayo dyan ah?” Zelle told me as she dragged Krungy away, probably to the nearest girl’s room.
I nodded. Andrew sat beside me. He looked tired and worn off. Who wouldn’t be tired of kissing hundred girls? And there are still a hundred of cupcakes here. Of course, Andrew didn’t bake all these by himself. We hired three professional bakers, courtesy of Luke.
“Can you close the store for just a minute, please?” he pleaded, his voice husky.
He sighed.
“I’m thinking of a promo,” I told him. “To get your ass off of this in no time.”
His eyes shone like the stars with what I said. “Tell me, what. Come on!”
“We ask one of these girls to buy all these cupcakes and you kiss her on the lips for, maybe five seconds, that okay?”
We both looked at the next girl in line. And then the next and then the next and then the next. Until we found someone worth kissing for. The girl was kind of cute. And she was not screaming or shouting and going all fangirl about Andrew so I thought, Andrew could put up with her.
“I’ll take her for you,” I told him.
“Sige na nga. Five seconds lang, tapos tapos na ha?”
I nodded and smiled. The girls were shrieking and taking pictures of Andrew and the cupcakes and just obsessing over my friend.
“Hey,” I called out to the girl.
Her eyes widened a tad in shock. I looked at her ID and saw she was just a sophomore. Too young, but… what the hell? It’s not like Andrew and she will do something involving bed. It’s just a kiss. Just a smack. For five seconds. That’s all.
I took hold of her arm and dragged her away gently. When I let go of her, she looked at her arm and her eyes widened. “Oh my God, Princess Nicolle, hinawakan mo ang braso ko. Oh my God!” she shouted.
My eyebrows shot up at what she called me. “Princess Nicolle?”
She nodded. “Yes. That’s what we call you. Blake is our prince and you are our princess.”
“Oh,” was all I could say. “Anyway, let’s forget about that. I’m here to offer you something.”
She nodded and smiled.
“You buy all hundred cupcakes for fifty thousand and you get a kiss from Andrew Bailey, on the lips for five sec—“
Before I could finish what I was saying, though, her smile grew wider I thought it would rip her face apart and she held her hand out to me and said, “Deal.”
I shook her hand. “Sweet.”
I dragged the junior girl along the line and towards Andrew. She handed me her cheque and took all the boxes of cupcakes.
“HEY!” some girl shouted.
“Bakit ka sumisingit, junior?!”
“Tabi nga dyan, nauna kami eh!”
I winked at Andrew who was breathing heavily and shouted to all the girls. “You, guys, uhmm… thank you all, but we’re sold out.”
“WHAT?!” they all shouted.
“Yeah, so… sorry,” I apologized, grimacing.
A few minutes later, everyone stalked off the room, disappointed and complaining and whining and some were even crying. Ooh, those diehard fans.
“Kiss,” I told them.
Andrew looked a bit unsure but it only took me rolling eyes to make him kiss the girl. He cupped the face of the girl and crashed his lips against hers. One… two… three… four… five… DONE!
Right after the kiss, Andrew and I thanked the girl and left her there, dumbfounded. I noticed Andrew take his hanky and pressed it against his lips. I shook my head. “Were you disgusted?”
“Not really, but… I just don’t kiss girls I’m not in love with.”
Oops. Isn’t that awkward?
I mean, Andrew and I kissed a couple of times so… does that mean that he was in love with me? That he just doesn’t love me?
“Well, uh… yeah. I… They’d be surprised we earned a hundred grand in just a day,” I said, getting as far away as possible to the awkward points.
“Yeah. But you still owe me one. You can’t just make me kiss someone,” he said as we turned to the left hallway, leading to our classroom.
“Let’s just find Nick and hope he wouldn’t back down from the auction.”
Three hours later, we found Nick sleeping on one of the laboratories. We asked the maintenance personnel to tie him and bring him to the auditorium where Andrew and I will meet with Krungy and Zelle.
Once there, Nick’s growls, groans and complaints only doubled and worsened.
We settled Nick on the center of the stage. He was tied on a chair. Then I remembered when I first met him. This was what he looked like. Tied on a chair from head to toe. He looked ridiculous. I found myself smiling.
Krungy took the mic and nonchalantly said, “Wanna date him? Pay us a hundred grand. Who wants to volunteer?”
And a lot of girls’ and gay people’s hands shot straight up.
“I’ll pay two hundred thousand,” one of the girls said.
“Alrighty then,” Krungy replied. “Take your price.”
The girl gave us the cheque and then we left Nick under the girl’s care. You can do it, Nick.
***
It was already six in the evening when I got home. I haven't seen Blake that much today, but he told me he would call so here I was, staring blankly at my phone.
"Jot, uy! Kanina ka pa dyan ah!" Zelle shouted, waking me up from the trance. "Ano bang tinitingin tingin mo sa phone mo?"
I scratched the back of my head then got up from lying on the carpet. When I was about to say something, my phone rang and without hesitating, I grabbed my phone and answered it.
"Hey! I've been waiting for ages!" I called out.
"Uhm. Hey, Nicolle. It's Andrew."
I looked down and bit my lip, a bit disappointed. Sighing, I said, "I'm sorry. I was just expecting Blake's call."
"That's okay," he answered.
"I'll just be in my room," Zelle informed me. I nodded, smiling. And off she went.
"Why'd you call?" I asked Andrew.
"I just... I don't know. I thought.. It's... well, uh..." he stuttered.
I chuckled. I could almost imagine him banging his head against the wall or slapping his face ten thousand times. Andrew could be so effortlessly funny and cute and awkward at the same time.
"I just... kinda miss you," he said.
My heart started beating faster. I gulped. What the hell should I tell him, now? I tried to rake my brain for the best possible answers.
The options are:
a. Thank you.
b. Oh.
c. That's sweet.
Instead, the words that exited my mouth were, "The square root of forty nine is seven, right?" Upon realizing what I just said, I mentally slapped my shoulder. Now, I was hoping that Andrew didn't hear what I just said. But, who am I kidding, right?
"Well, yeah. Why?" was all he could reply.
"Nothing. I was just... doing our Math homework."
"We don't have Math homework."
"Oooh, right."
I heard him laugh. I sighed and tried to fake my laughter. "Ha-ha-ha! whoo."
"You never fail to make me happy."
I found myself smiling and in that same instance, I felt like my whole body flushed. I never fail to make him happy? But I hurt him a lot of times.
Before I could say anything though, the line went off. I was left there, staring at my phone like it was the most mysterious thing that ever happened. While I was looking at it, a memory came flashing back to me.
This phone... I didn't buy it. It was a... I don't know who gave it to me, but... I remembered that this phone was kind of like a peace offering or... I don't know. A payment for an offense?
But... this phone seemed special.
And then it rang.
I shook my head, and when I answered Blake's call (thank heavens he did call me), I was greeted with, "Why the hell were you talking with Andrew?!"
My mouth dropped open.
"How did you know?!" I shouted back.
"Because of me!" I heard Nick shouted at the background.
My lips formed a straight line as I took a deep breath.
"Sige, mag-usap na kayo ni Andrew mo. Sige, enjoy lang!"
"Blake, are you-"
Eng. Eng. Eng.
I can't believe he hung up on me! That crazy kid!
Angrily, I threw my phone on the couch and locked myself up in my room until I fell asleep with this stupid frown.
What the hell's wrong with Blake?!
***
Half of the school gathered inside the audio visual room. I was seated at the front seat beside Nick and his date. It was kind of hilarious, though. Nick would not stop complaining and sulking and cursing and just shouting all over me.
It wasn't really my fault that he volunteered himself.
On the bright side though, we have already collected three hundred thousand, when we only need two hundred fifty grand. I'm guessing we could make at least five hundred thousand after this auction and Luke's piano concert.
Zelle got up the stage with Blake who had been ignoring me since the start of today. Blake's really killing me, it's so annoying!
"Good afternoon and thank you all for coming today for the auctioning of Blake Perez's painting," Zelle said through the microphone.
"Why didn't I date her instead?!" Nick groaned, pointing at Zelle.
"Shut it," I told him.
And fortunately, he did.
"Let's stop beating around the bush, people and have a look at the Prince's masterpiece."
I looked at Blake first who was standing beside the painting. I gave him a small smile which he didn't return. I rolled my eyes.
When he removed the cloth that was covering the painting, everyone stared in awe. Everyone including me. The painting was so beautiful it made me want to cry.
My eyes were suddenly lined by my tears. I covered my mouth as I tried hard to catch my breath.
The painting was beyond perfect.
It was us.
We were beyond perfect.
Blake was tucking my hair behind my ear while I was looking down and smiling. And behind us was... New York.
He was wearing tux and I was wearing the most beautiful bridal gown.
“Blake,” I whispered to myself as tears started to roll down. My heart started going crazy and crazy with every passing second that I look at the painting. “Why do you always make it so hard for me to breathe?”
“Stop the dramatics, will ya?” I heard Nick complain. “The mess I’m into is more tragic.”
I ignored him.
Everyone inside the room fell into complete silence. No matter how hard I convince myself that it was just a painting, I could not help but fall in love with Blake’s work more and more. Blake saw this in his mind. Blake imagined this in his mind.
Me… wearing a bridal gown. He… wearing a tux. We… in New York. We… wearing the same gold ring around our ring finger.
We… spending forever together.
I wiped my tears away as I stood up from my seat. “That’s beautiful,” I told him as I stared at his blue eyes.
He graced me a shy smile then looked down. I noticed he was blushing. I let out a breath and was about to say something when…
“Half a million would do, right?” a voice boomed.
“Alright. That’s sold,” Zelle said immediately. Surprise was palpable in her shaky voice. I was surprise too, that—
Wow… are these kids actually this rich?
“Claim your prize,” she added.
The girl went up the stage, observed the painting and went backstage with Zelle for other negotiations.
I was still in shock with the painting when Luke’s piano concert started a few minutes later.
I didn’t even realize that Nick was gone and Blake was already seated beside me. My eyes were still wide and my heart was still beating crazy.
Luke greeted the crowd with his flirtatious voice before saying, “This song is dedicated to the most irritating girl in the world. But I’m in love with her. Samantha Perez, this is for you.”
The crowd went ‘awww-ing’ with what Luke said. I heard Blake scoff and saw Krungy smile.
Luke started playing. He was great, alright. And the song was just beautiful…
I sang along, silently.
Whole world is watching us now
It’s a little intimidating
I noticed Blake opening and closing his hand over and over again. I pursed my lips when he took mine and intertwined our fingers. Up until now, I still can’t get over the fact that our hands perfectly fit with each other.
But since there’s no way to come down
Let’s give ‘em something amazing
Is it possible that destiny is true?
Is it possible that love is true?
Up until now, I still can’t get over the fact that Blake made me believe in those kind of shit. But one thing is for sure… even if I don’t believe fully in love… fuzzy jujubear made me feel fully loved.
I sighed and as I held his hand, I drowned in his beauty.
We were incredible
Simply incredible