Hans was so shocked, ilang minuto rin itong hindi nakapagsalita nang sabihin niya iyon. He was still slack-jawed from earlier. Naka-seatbelt na sya't lahat, ready to go home. It was awkward at first, with him being dumbfounded like that. Then it turned amusing when he couldn't get over it. But now, it's just embarrassing.
"Ano, wala ka man lang sasabihin?"
"T-Too?" was all he could say. "Kelan ko sinabi sa 'yong—"
She raised her finger. "Wait lang."
Kinuha niya ang phone at ipinarinig dito ang recorded conversation nila. Pinamulahan si Hans. Unang beses yata ito...
"Ni-record mo?!" paasik nitong tanong.
"Ni-record ko yung kanta mo. Malay ko ba namang—" Now, she's blushing as well. "Iuwi mo na 'ko. Inaantok na 'ko," sabi na lamang niya.
"Teka!" pigil nito. "Ni hindi pa nga nagsi-sink in yung sinabi mo e."
"Mamaya mo na pagnilayan sa bahay nyo!"
He bit the inside of his cheek. Napagawi ang mata niya sa labi nito. Is it wrong to want to kiss him again?
Hans sighed. "So, what does this mean?"
"Ikaw... ano sa tingin mo?" pabalik niyang tanong.
"Tayo na ba?"
"K-Kung gusto mo."
"Oo naman, gusto ko. Kaya nga ako nanligaw, di ba?"
Lalo syang pinamulahan. "Okay."
"Ano'ng okay?"
"Oo na! Kulit mo naman e!"
--
Manaka-naka lang ang pag-uusap nila pauwi. She didn't know that it would be this awkward. Siguro ganoon talaga kapag romantically linked ka sa isang tao, it's not always comfortable. Nakakailang pala.
Pagkaparada nito ng sasakyan sa tapat ng bahay nila ay agad niyang tinanggal ang seatbelt.
"Wait, Iya."
"O?"
"Seryoso na ba yung sinabi mo kanina?" tanong ulit nito.
"Ano ba, Hans, uulitin ko na naman? Oo nga!"
"Wala nang bawian ha," nakangiti nitong sabi.
"Kapag kinulit mo pa 'ko, babawiin ko," banta niya.
"Okay, hindi na."
"Good night na."
"Teka," pigil ulit nito.
"Ano na naman?"
"Good night kiss ko?"
Pinandilatan niya ito. "Kaka-kiss ko lang sa 'yo kanina a!"
"Dali na!" pamimilit nito. "Huwag ka ngang madamot."
Grunting, pinagbigyan na niya ito. She gave him a peck, but he was quick to hold her head in place. She balled her fists in his collar, momentarily drowning. When it ended, he was grinning like a fool.
"Abuso na ha!" sabi niya rito.
He simply laughed. They bid each other good night then got out of the car and ran inside the house.
--
Kinabukasan, during breakfast, she decided to break the news to her family. Halos maibuga ng daddy niya ang kapeng iniinom nito. Her mom just laughed.
"Iya! Sana pinainom mo muna ako ng kape!"
She grinned at her dad. "Sorry, pa."
"Excited lang si Iya," sabi ng mommy niya. She hugged her. "Dalaga na ang unica natin."
"Kumusta nga pala ang bidding kagabi?" tanong ni Ken sa kanya.
"Masaya naman. Hans got the highest bid. Fifteen thousand."
Napasipol ito. "Wow."
"So, pa'no yan? Hindi sya ang date mo mamaya?" her dad asked.
"Opo. Pero okay lang. Magkikita rin naman kami."
"And you'll have plenty of dates together after that," her mom said.
"So, okay na po sa inyo?" She looked at her dad. "Pa, any complaints?"
Umiling ito. "None... for now. Basta anak, be careful. Don't give everything to him yet."
Pinamulahan siya. "Papa!"
"I'm just saying!"
She gave her mom a pleading look. "Ma!"
"Your dad's right, Iya."
She groaned. "Please stop. You're ruining my appetite."
Tumawa lang ang parents niya. "Fine, we'll stop," her dad said with a smile.
Nakahinga naman sya ng maluwag. It would be very awkward kapag napunta roon ang usapan nila. And over breakfast pa! Sino ba naman ang hindi mawawalan ng gana?
"I just wish Ahn's a bit older, para sabay kami ni Ken na magka-lovelife."
"I have a lovelife," depensa ni Ken. "I'm just not in a relationship yet."
"Ang tagal naman kasi ng three years e," reklamo niya.
"If someone's worth the wait, three years are nothing."
And that might be true.
That night, sinundo siya ni Hans sa bahay. She went to the dance as the corpse bride, complete with the horrible gown that she got from a thrift shop and a cake of foundation in her face. Hans went as Dracula. He's not horrifying though.
Now she gets it why many girls are so willing to get bitten.
"Bakit wala kang glitters?" she teased.
"Vampires don't sparkle," he said as a matter-of-fact.
"Edward does."
And they both snickered.
Aubrey went as a zombified Jessica Rabbit. Her date, as geeky Frankenstein monster. Rayne joined them afterwards, naka-Sadako get up ito. It's a good thing na hindi sya iniwang mag-isa ng apat, kahit ba feeling niya, fifth wheel siya.
Maya't maya niyang ipinagtutulakan si Hans na isayaw si Rayne, because he's not taking the initiative. Gusto nitong nasa tabi lang niya. Nakakahiya naman dun sa babaeng nag-bid ng 15K kung hindi man lang ito isasayaw ni Hans.
"Just dance with her," she urged him.
"I already did!" reklamo nito.
"Five more times. Saka kausapin mo naman sya."
Hans grunted. "Ayoko. She gives me this weird look."
"Kasi crush ka nya."
He rolled his eyes. "Ang creepy kaya. Lalo na't ganun yung costume nya."
Sinamaan niya ito ng tingin. "Don't be rude."
"Fine," he quipped.
For the rest of the night, si Rayne na ang kinausap ni Hans. He even danced with her four times. Yung panglima kasi, last dance na. Puro party music yung pinapatugtog. Madalang ang slow dance. He's reserving the last dance for her.
"May naisip akong story," sabi nito habang sumasayaw sila.
"Ano?"
"Vampire ako tapos ordinary girl ka. I wanted to turn you so we could live together forever, but you didn't want to be turned. Then, I asked you to marry me and you said yes."
"That's nice."
He smiled. "But then, on the day of our wedding, my enemies found you and killed you. It was too late for me to turn you by then. You were wearing this gown when you died."
Sinimangutan niya ito. "That's tragic... and very creepy."
Hans shrugged. "It still makes up a good story, doesn't it?"
"Ayoko ng sad ending."
"E di dugtungan natin. I asked for help from a zombie Jessica Rabbit..." He glanced at Aubrey. "who turned out to be a witch. She agreed to revive you pero hindi ka nya naibalik ng buo."
"And I was brought back to life as a rotting corpse bride?" natatawa niyang tanong.
"You'll always be beautiful to me, even as a corpse bride," he said lovingly.
She wrinkled her nose. "Cheesy mo."
He smirked. "Nagba-blush ka ba? Hindi ko kasi makita sa kapal ng makeup mo."
"That's kind of the point."
"I hope you're happy with me, Iya."
She smiled at him. "I am. Very."
--
Ken couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy. Sya yung nauna e, pero hindi sya yung naunang makakuha ng resulta. He still have three years to wait for Ahn's answer and it's slowly eating him up. Matagal ang tatlong taon. Thirty-six months. A few hundred days.
If so many things can happen within a day, then what more in a span of three years?
He wanted to do something, but he couldn't do anything but wait and steal chances to be with Ahn. Ayaw niya itong madaliin. His mother's right. If someone's worth the wait...
Ahn's worth the wait.
Sighing, he composed a message to send to her. I wish I could fast-forward to three years from now. :)