[MARCO's POV]
from afar i can see her sing, though hindi nga lang niya ako tinitingnan. of course, who am i fooling? how could she possibly notice me when all her attention is glued to him. and i know that, that song was meant for him. her honest smile says it all. baka nga wala na talaga akong pag-asa. soon as she finished singing i then looked at her direction, and i guess she was looking at me. but i clearly dismissed it immediately.
i saw her got down from the stage and headed back to him. ba't ba ako pumunta sa party niya kung alam ko naman sa sarili ko na masasaktan lang din ako?nhaha. nakakatawa naman. dahil lang din sa kanya, kaya ako pumunta. she invited me. she wanted to, she was expecting me. and now that i'm here, siguro okay na yun sa kanya. long as i'm here.
"photos." nilapitan ko siya. gusto ko siyang makausap kahit sandali lang. mukhang nagulat ata. haha. "celebrant...at the same time the photographer?" tanong ko sa kanya trying to avoid her eyes.
"haha. syempre." rinig kong sagot niya. mukhang masaya naman siya. bumaba na ang classmate namin at may bagong umakyat. she greeted Elise. as usual, she took a photo of every person that goes up the stage.
"kumanta ka rin." i heard her say.
"a request or a command?" i asked in a joke way. but then hindi siya nakasagot. same as when i asked her nung nasa rooftop kame ng school. "sure. for you." sagot ko na lang. "ang dami mong regalo." hindi na kasi siya nagsalita.
"sige, doon muna ako." nakita ko kasi pabalik na yung kuya Bryan niya. kaya naman umalis na lang ako. bumalik na lang ako sa table ko. kasama ng mga classmates ko at si sir.
"okay. so let's get up and dance!" Jayne said sa mic. ang magkaibigan talaga. "El, sayaw tayo! hot and cold!" ngayon naman niyaya niya pang sumayaw ang birthday girl. sinundan ko naman ng tingin si Elise. hinila niya pa ang kuya Bryan niya sa dance floor, then she started dancing. feeling so happy. smiling all over. i can't help but to smile too. pero umupo lang din agad yung kuya Bryan niya. umakyat siya sa stage at nakipag-duet kay Jayne.
so bubbly that girl is. haha. ang babaw ng kaligayahan, iyakin, makulit, mahilig kumanta, mahilig kumuha ng mga pictures, weird, in a good way, i think. haha. smart yet ignorant, beautiful yet insensitve, loving yet innocent. her innocence is the weakness of those who would fall for her, or maybe yet those who already fell for her. just like me.
ba't ko pa ba siya ulit nakita? haha. i remembered nung nagkita kame ulit dun sa mall. and i was even more shocked to see her at the same school. i never thought na dun siya nag-transfer. haha. and how i remembered how i used to make fun of her that made her transfer to other school.
i thought after that hindi na kame magkikita but then i was transfered to the same school too.. coincidence, i thought. but then our adviser made us seatmate. as much as i don't believe in destiny, but i guess i that's the very reason why i fell? destiny played on us, or just me. karma pa nga ata eh. kasi because of what i did, i guess ito ang kabayaran. haha. haaaaayy playful destiny.
"Marco! kumanta ka rin!" sabi ni Karen sa akin.
"mamaya." sagot ko naman.
"may gusto ka ba kay Elise?" biglang tanong ni Faye sa akin. i looked at her and saw her smiling. pati na rin si Karen.
"if i told you, would you keep it as a secret?" sabi ko sa kanilang dalawa. tumango naman sila na parang mga bata. haha. "then listen to what i'll sing to her." i winked at them mischievously and stood up.
"hahahaha. we'll help you." habol ni Karen. bigla naman akong natuwa sa sinabi niya. haha. isa pa yung dalawang yun.
i walked to the stage and met with Elise. our eyes locked on each other for how many seconds. those black eyes are so mesmerizing. i could look at them forever. i smiled at her at umakyat na sa stage.
this song is for you Elise. how i feel for you. i hope you'll get the message.
Jayne handed me the mic. "sana mapansin ka na niya." Jayne whispered at me. lahat na nga ata ng classmates ko, even our adviser, alam ang nararamdaman ko para sa babaeng 'to. ang ignorante at ang inosente lang talaga ng taong mahal ko. haha.
"i wish." i answered her. then she just gave me a pitiful smile. "haha. let's just see." she gave me a pat at bumaba na ng stage. i looked at Elise but i saw her talking to her kuya Bryan. she's laughing, baka nag-joke siya.
"so..." i begin. lahat naman ng attention napunta sa akin. pati na rin si Elise. this time i wanted to look at her, and only her. "i can sense that everybody's enjoying the party..." i heard them shout. "but how about our celebrant?" i asked her smiling. parang nahiya ata, bigla niya na lang kasi siyang tumingin sa baba saka tumango. "really?" i asked her again hoping she would look at me. but she didn't. she just gave a slight nod. "okay, so let's slow it down for a bit." sabi ko. "grab someone and just let the music take you." isa-isa naman silang pumunta sa dance floor. yung kuya niya and his wife-to-be. si Jayne pati yung boyfriend niya. her parents. and all the lovers inlove.
then, as if my whole world came crashing down when i saw them on the dance floor too. parang ayoko na tuloy kumanta. it breaks me into bits, but i can't say no to her now. if it means to make her happy, then i'll do it.
soon as the song started i say, "happy birthday Elise. happy sweet sixteen." then i begin to sing MOVE ON by BRUNO MARS.
they all seem to be stuck in the song. i glance around the room and saw Karen and Faye flashed a pitiful smile at me. but i just gave them an honest smile. saying that i'm okay. that i'll be okay.
i was just watching her. happily laughing with him, while i sing my heart out hoping it would go straight to her heart, just to get my message. but i think she's too preoccupied with something else.
~i come to you now when i need you
why do i wait to come see you
i always try to do this on my own
but i was wrong, i was wrong
i was wrong, oohh
with only you, only you
with only you can i move on
can i move on
can i move on~
"thank you." sabi ko sa kanila soon as natapos ko ang kanta.
"ONE MORE!" i heard Karen and Faye shout. then sumabay na yung ibang classmates ko. chanting the words 'ONE MORE'. i can't do another song.
"sige na Marco, last." this time, siya na mismo ang nakiusap. "please." she begged when she didn't get an answer from me.
i sighed and said, "okay. haha. last, for you." then we smiled at each other. ngayon naman i grabbed the electric guitar and began strumming the chords of I WISH by ONE DIRECTION. then sinabayan ako ng boyfriend ni Jayne.
every word of this song is meant for you. every word of it. everytime he holds your hand, it just breaks me, everytime you look at him differs from how you look at me.
i wanted to tell you how i feel but it leaves me tonguetied. whenever you're near, my heart starts to beat abnormally.
~but i see you with him
slow dancing
tearing me apart
'cause you don't see
whenever you kiss him
i'm braking
oh how i wish
that was me~
there's nothing more that i can add to that, those words are enough to show you how i'm slowing breaking by your innocent heart.
~he looks at you
the way that i would
does all the things
i know that i could
if only time
could just turn back~
i wish i could hold your hand the way he does right now. i wish i could get you to dance and just slowly lay your head on my heart. i wish i could kiss you one more and just feel the warmth of your lips with mine. i wish i told you much sooner. then i remembered how you defined the word soon. it could be today, tomorrow, or forever. but i guess for me, it's never.
tell me right now Elise, will you let me catch you? but i guess you wouldn't. you couldn't stand me. lagi kang naaasar sa akin, lagi kang naiinis sa akin at lagi kang umiiyak sa akin. maybe you don't like me as me.
i guess we're better off as friends.
[ELISE's POV]
from the duration of his second song, nakatingin lang ako sa kanya. there was something in his eyes that could tell a thousand. but what in particular is it? and his song, it's pinning my heart to the ground. could he mean this song is for me? could he really mean it? 'cause if he did, then i can feel my spirits up.
"happy birthday Elise, happy sweet sixteen." he said it once more right after he's done singing. "thank you."
bumaba na siya ng stage. nang magkatugma ang mga mata namin he smiled at me sweetly but broken. why? i thought to myself. "Marco..." bigla niya akong niyakap. hindi ko alam pero i feel like it'll be the last that i get to hug him like this. bigla naman kumirot ang puso ko.
just a second ago, i feel so happy about the thought that maybe, maybe, a little possibility that he likes me. then his smile somehow depicts that i'm wrong. and now not only my heart breaks but the whole part of me.
"uuwi na ako. haha. thanks for inviting me. please tell your parents that i'll be going."
"Marco..." gusto ko siyang pigilan pero bakit hindi ko magawa? as if nanigas ang buong katawan ko. his song is still singing in my head.
"happy sweet sixteen. good night." he then kissed me on my cheeks. the moment i felt his lips on my cheeks, i just couldn't stand it, bakit parang he's setting a wall between us? bakit? i tried to hold him but it was too late, umalis na siya.
bakit ganun? why is he setting a gap between us? does he not like me? pero kahit na, i hope he won't despise me as one of his friends.
i'm happy but not happier. i was getting there. then i remembered how he sang it, i never got his photo. i was too focused at him and his song.
"Elise." someone touched my shoulder, i jumped and saw it was just kuya Bryan. ngumiti ako sa kanya.
"haha. ginulat mo naman ako." sabi ko sa kanya.
"you love him?" bigla akong nanigas sa tinanong niya. "haha. tawag ka na ng kaibigan mo." i just stared at him questioningly, but instead of giving me an answer, he just smiled at me and lead me to Jayne.
parang nawala ako sa katinuan ko. do i love Marco? hindi pa naman di ba? and kahit na mahalin ko siya, it's too late. he won't even love me back. he just build a force field between us. and i don't like it. i hate it. i hate what he just did.
"okay. are you ready for the fireworks?" i heard someone announced over the mic. i don't even care about it anymore. i don't even care about all of this anymore.
all throughout the night, i tried to keep simple talks. bigla kasi ako napagod. and my heart is badly broken. i know how it feels to be hurt. i just want this night to end. i didn't even notice na tapos na pala ang fireworks. hindi ko man lang pinansin kahit na nakatanga ako sa kalangitan.
"walang photos ang fireworks?" i turned my head to the voice. he was smiling at me.
"maybe i was just stunned, i forgot." i lied.
"like how you were so stunned watching him sing." he stated but this time nakatingin lang siya sa kalangitan. i don't know if i should answer it or not. it was not a question anyway.
there was a very long silence between the two of us.
"i don't know." i finally uttered something. "haaaay, excited na ako buksan ang mga regalo. haha." i told him as i took a deep breath.
finally matatapos na ang gabing 'to.
"pili ka na El sa table, opening of gifts na." sabi ni Jayne sa mic. without looking i just grabbed one after the other.
i'm not planning to open them all, just a few will do. the first gift that i opened was from Jayne. haha. ang ganda ng gift niya. effort talaga. she made a scrapbook. i hugged and thank her for her wonderful gift. then the net one is from kuya Bryan. a silver bracelet naman ang binigay niya sa akin. yung may pangalan ko. basta, maganda rin. then the next is from ate Zoie, she gave me the newest album of DEMI LOVATO. haha. nice. i love it. then when it come to the last gift that i'll be opening for tonight is from Marco. i never knew he had given me a gift. medyo malaki ang gift niya. i bet it's framed, ano kaya 'to? i then tear it opened and was amazed. actually lahat kame, he left us hanging in mid-air.
not just a framed picture, but it was a sketch of me. i'm impressed, wala kasi akong maalala na he sketched me when we're together. ito yung time na nasa beach kame, naka-side view ako and i was just watching the horizon. it was beautifully sketched.
'are you always this innocent?' i remembered him asking that question. sabi niya inosente raw ako. na insensitive raw ako.
'what do you like the most in a girl?' i remembered asking him.
'her innocence.' he answered.
her innocence. i thought. the i smiled.
"thank you po ulit sa inyong lahat. sa pagpunta at sa mga regalo niyo. i really appreciate it. thanks so much po." those were my final words in ending my sweet sixteen.