Chapter 12

It had already started—I literally had to put my phone in do not disturb mode because my friends were already flooding me with questions regarding Finley's 'soft launch' post! I didn't even try to deny that it was me because duh?! We're in New York right now and I was literally just wearing that very headband earlier today. Ugh! It was like Finley intentionally did it... for some unknown reason.

Hindi talaga matanggap ng brain ko na may gusto siya sa akin or something. Did I offend him before? May ginawa ba ako na nagalit siya sa akin? Was this his way of getting back at me?! I mean, there must be a reason why he's torturing me this way! He probably realized na hindi enough na iniiwasan niya ako sa school before—mas maganda if gawin niya akong target ng lahat ng chismis and target ng hate ng mga fangirls niya.

Oh, god.

Paano kapag bumalik na kami sa school?! Ang daming fans ni Finley both from school because he's the captain of the basketball team and also outside school!

I was doomed!

Feel ko magkaka-sakit ako dahil sa mga naiisip ko. If mas maraming maka-pansin sa akin because of Finley, then it means all eyes will be on me... Baka mas malaman nila agad iyong family situation ko.

Great.

Nagka-headache for real na ako.

I asked my roommate to ask our teachers for a medicine. I didn't want to miss today. Sandali lang kami dito, e. Who knows kung kailan ulit ako magkakaroon ng chance to travel?

Instead na bigyan lang ako ng meds, pumunta iyong teacher ko sa room. She checked my temperature. I was told to stay in my room. I tried to argue, but she was adamant na dito lang ako. I tried to pout my way out of it to no avail!

"Maia."

"Hmm?" I replied. Paalis na iyong roommate ko. Ako lang talaga maiiwan here and kung sinumang teacher ang naka-assign sa akin. Kawawa naman kaming dalawa.

"Ikaw 'yung nasa IG ni Finley, right?"

"No," I quickly replied. "Inalis ko 'yung headband ko last night. Someone took it. Probably wore it. Weirdo behavior," I continued. I was a bit proud of myself. I sounded convincing... I think?

I groaned and complained about my headache para hindi na ako i-ask. Ayoko na kasing magsinungaling pa. Ang dami ko ng jina-juggle na lies! Hindi na ako maka-keep up. Mabuti na lang at nakuha ng roommate ko iyong clue dahil narinig ko na magsara na iyong pinto.

Around 11AM, my teacher checked in on me. Binigyan niya ako ng food. I told her thanks and na hindi ako lalabas ng room so she could freely roam around. It's her first time in New York. I kinda felt guilty that she had to stay back because of me. I promised her that I wouldn't tell on her and dito lang ako sa room ko.

After a bit of back and forth, she agreed na. Nagstay na lang ako sa room. I watched some random movie that's playing in the TV. I ate din iyong binigay sa akin na food and pati iyong Crumbl cookies na binili ni Finley—

Ugh! I couldn't have a day to myself na hindi ko siya naiisip!

Then I heard a knock on the door. I opened the door thinking that it was my teacher na na-guilty dahil iniwan niya ako dito sa hotel. I was ready to tell her once again to go and have a great time nang mapa-tigil ako dahil instead na teacher, iyong mukha na pinaka-ayokong makita ngayon ang nasa harapan ko.

"What—" I said nung hinarang niya iyong kamay niya. I was about to shut the door at his face. I really had a headache! I didn't want to deal with his nonsense today.

"May sakit ka?" he asked, ignoring the very obvious fact na ayoko siya maka-usap today. Duh? I was literally closing the door in front of him!

"Yes," I replied, hoping that he'd leave me alone because I was a sick girl and I need rest. "Wait—" I continued. "How did you know?" I asked.

I didn't broadcast it... Teachers lang iyong nakaka-alam... Iyong roommate ko rin... Nasa magkaibang coasters kami. Did he ask—

No!

I shouldn't think too much. Mamaya dahil sa mga naiisip ko na ganito, bumalik na naman ako sa era na may crush ako kay Finley. That was like a dark time in my life! Imagine having a crush on someone and that specific crush kept on running away from you?!

"Kaka-mini skirt mo 'yan," he said.

I frowned at him. "Leave my mini skirt alone," I told him. Bakit ba ang laki ng problema niya sa skirt ko? It wasn't as if I wore it na skirt lang. Naka-stockings naman ako and coat!

"Did you drink meds?" he asked.

"Yeah..." I replied kahit gusto ko na lang siya itulak paalis. Why was he so... unlike Finley?!

"What meds?"

"I don't know. Meds."

He rolled his eyes at me na para bang wala akong sakit?! Nilahad niya iyong kamay niya. I arched my brow at him. He told me na ipakita ko sa kanya iyong meds na ininom ko. I really was in no mood to argue, so I marched back inside the room, grabbed the medicine, and inabot iyon kay Finley. I didn't know what he wanted from me. Naka-tayo lang ako roon sa may door frame habang nasa labas pa rin siya. At least if may balak siyang masama sa akin, may CCTV naman sa hallway ng hotel.

My forehead creased when I saw him calling someone on his phone.

"Hi," sabi niya sa kung sinuman ang kausap niya. "I'm sorry. I know it's late there already. My friend's sick—"

My eyes immediately widened. Was he consulting with a doctor?! Just because I was sick?!

I immediately grabbed the phone from him. I did a quick apology to the doctor and told him that I was fine. Ibinalik ko kay Finley iyong phone niya.

"Nagpapanggap ka lang na may sakit?" he asked, unable to read the room. Did he seriously think that I was pretending to be sick? For what? Did he think I like being stranded in this room?

I wasn't able to answer immediately. If I say that I was really sick, I figured Finley would stay with me kasi may sakit ako... It sounded silly in my head, but then again, Finley's been doing silly things lately! If sinabi ko naman na nagsinungaling nga ako, I figured he'd drag me out with him kahit na sabihin ko na nagpromise ako sa teacher na magsstay lang ako.

What do I say?!

"Uh... I was really sick earlier. I'm feeling a bit better na. I just want to sleep," I told him. I did say na na inaantok ako. Hopefully, he'd leave me alone.

Finley was staring at my face. Was he trying to read if I was lying? I mean, even if I were lying, so what naman? Ugh. Bakit ba siya ganyan tumingin?!

"Okay," he said after a full minute that embarrassingly felt like a lifetime. "Dito ka lang sa room?"

I nodded. "I promised Ms. Cruz na dito lang ako," I told him.

He gave me a short nod. Akala ko aalis na siya, but he did give me a 'stare' bago siya umalis. And finally, after he left, that was when I felt my knee buckling. As in literally napa-sandal ako sa likod ng pintuan. Gosh! So embarrassing!

* * *

I continued to rot in bed. Ms. Cruz kept on checkin in on me. I repeatedly told her to enjoy New York and that if she really felt guilty, to bring me a burger on her way back.

In the middle of me watching, may nagdoorbell na naman. I drew a deep breath because I thought it was Finley. I opened the door and saw that it was the room service. I immediately told her na wala akong order kasi ayoko nga magbayad ng room charge. I was quickly informed that it would be charged to another room.

'Anong gagawin ko dito? Ang daming food,' I told him via email. I even added a photo of the food! It felt silly to talk via email.

'Titigan mo,' he replied sa may DM sa Instagram. This stalker! Was he checking my account? Because why did he know na naka-unblock na siya?

'May kasama na meds dyan. One tablet every four hours. Do not drink with an empty stomach.'

Kinuha ko iyong maliit na brown paper bag. May laman nga na meds doon. Did he continue to bother his family doctor dahil lang may little headache ako?!

I was so tempted to ask him 'what are we' kaya lang ibabaon ko muna ang sarili ko sa lupa bago ko gawin 'yon. I swear I would never! If may crush nga talaga si Finley sa akin (ang weird isipin!), he'd have to confess himself! Nagconfess na ako dati (kinda). It's his turn now!

Instead of replying, I just gave a thumbs up doon sa may message niya. I continued watching. I felt my phone vibrating again. I rolled my eyes. Gosh, at this point, he's obsessed with me.

'Nainom mo na?'

Thumbs up react again.

The movie was still playing in the background. I was staring at the chat box. Ano kaya ang gagawin ni Finley? Knowing him, maigsi lang ang pasensya niya. He's probably pissed right now dahil hindi ako nagrereply and puro react lang ang ginagawa ko. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd march down—

"So freaky," I said when I heard a knock on my door. I felt goosebumps all over my body. Did he seriously march down here dahil lang hindi ako nagreply?!

I drew deep breaths as I walked towards the door. I peeped into the peephole. I saw Finley standing outside. He changed his clothes na. He was wearing white kinda loose shirt, gray joggers, black sliders, and I hate that I was saying this but he looked so good with his black rimmed reading glasses. As if naman malabo iyong eyes niya! Papansin lang talaga siya.

I opened the door. My arms were crossed.

"What?" I asked, my brow arched.

"What?" he replied.

"Stop bothering me. I'm resting."

"Di ka sumasagot. Malay ko kung patay ka na."

I rolled my eyes. So dramatic. "I replied."

"Iyong thumbs up?"

"Yes."

"Reply 'yon?"

"Yes. It means nabasa ko 'yung message mo."

He looked like he wanted to strangle me. He took a step forward and then it was like there was a self-policing that was happening because he quickly took a step back.

"Bakit ka ba nandito?" I asked, consciously pissing him off now because now, alam ko na na hindi siya papasok sa room ko. There's like a line that Finley wouldn't cross.

Hindi siya nagsalita.

Why?

Afraid to say na miss niya na ako?

Sige nga, if crush niya talaga ako, I'd just piss him off hanggang siya na mismo ang umamin sa akin. If hindi naman, okay lang. As if may pride pa ako when it came to him. Nothing to lose, I say.

"You know, if you wanna hangout with me, just say it," I continued taunting him.

He was just staring at me. I was staring back. There was some staring competition happening. I was starting to feel intimidated with the way he's staring, but I would never back down!

But my phone vibrated.

I looked at it and saw that that boy from Brent replied. I quickly waved my phone in Finley's face.

"Oh, look. My fan from Brent messaged asking me out pagbalik ko sa Manila," I said, looking straight into his eyes and even smiling at him.

Finley was just standing there. What was going on in that head of his? I didn't know for sure what he's thinking, but he definitely wasn't pleased.

"You're dating?" he asked after seconds of uncomfortable silence.

I shrugged. "Why not? I'm single," I told him. "Besides, if my family's situation doesn't get better, I will marry rich."

I knew that I was not doing myself any favor by saying these things to him. But whatever. Mas mabuti na na alam niya upfront iyong mga nasa isip ko. Besides, wala talaga akong balak maging mahirap. Never! I'd probably get judged for this, but I'd rather marry someone who I don't really love-love but can provide the life that I want. Period. Whatever love I feel for someone will soon disappear kapag wala akong pera.

"What's his name?" he asked.

I arched a brow. "Bakit ka interested?"

"Name."

"No."

He took a step forward. He was standing so close to the line... and so close to me, as well. Hindi na ata gumagana iyong pandinig ko kasi iyong malakas na tibok na lang ng puso ko iyong naririnig ko.

"If you really plan to marry rich," he said. I probably stopped breathing for a second. He was literally taller than me. He was staring down at me as he says these words. "I'm the richest man you know, Maia Celine."

**

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