Chapter 21

Austin Archangel introduced me to the captain of the yacht—his name was Gio. He's a 30 year old German who came to the Philippines 5 years ago. I asked him what made him move, but all I got was a shrugged. Ipinaliwanag niya sa akin iyong mga mangyayari at itinuro kung nasaan iyong mga lifevest pagkatapos kong magtanong. I just liked to be prepared—hindi mo alam kung kailan mangyayari ang sakuna.

We went to the starboard. Mayroon doong mga lounge chairs at lamesa. Austin Archangel looked at me and asked me if I was okay. I nodded. I tried flying in a plane, but I've never tried a yacht. This would be such an experience.

"If you feel seasick, tell me."

"Okay," I said. I tried to walk, pero medyo maalon kaya muntik na akong matumba. I looked at Austin Archangel who was watching my every movement. "Can you hold me?" I asked dahil ayokong matumba. I had this irrational thought inside my head na matutumba ako at matatapon palabas ng yate. And then my body would be caught in the propellers and then the fishes in the sea would eat my chopped up body.

"Okay," sagot niya sa akin. Hinawakan niya iyong braso ko at inalalayan ako hanggang sa maka-upo ako roon sa lounge chair. I drew a deep breath. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied. "It's my first time on a yacht."

Tumango siya. "It's like a plane... but on the sea?" sabi niya. "But Gio's licensed and the yacht's always checked for maintenance."

Humawak ako nang mabuti sa may lounge chair. Naka-tingin pa rin si Austin Archangel sa akin. "Do you want me to get the life vest, so you'd feel safer?" he asked.

"Pwede ba?" tanong ko.

He shrugged. "I can't see the harm," sabi niya sa akin. "And the guards are trained to swim," dugtong niya bago umalis para kuhanin iyong life vest.

Tahimik lang akong naka-kapit sa may lounge chair. I looked at the sea at puro dark blue na tubig lang ang nakikita ko. I thought I made a wrong move dahil parang masusuka ako. Dahil dark blue na iyong tubig, ibig sabihin nun ay masyado ng malalim iyong tubig.

Oh, dear god.

What have I done?

Nang maka-balik si Austin Archangel ay agad siyang napa-upo sa may lounge chair sa harapan ko. His eyes were slightly wide open and his lips were slightly parted.

"Hey... what's wrong?" he asked.

"Everything," I replied.

"Do you want me to ask Gio to go back?" tanong niya.

Napa-tingin ako sa langit. Nagsisimula ng magkulay orange iyon. I had never seen a sunset that I didn't like... And I was already here, in the middle of the sea, about to watch the sun set.

Huminga ako nang malalim.

"No," I replied. "Just distract me, please."

Napa-kurap si Austin Archangel. "Okay," he said mindlessly. "Uh... what are your plans with the script?" he asked.

"I plan to finish it."

He chuckled. "Aside from that?" tanong niya. "Do you plan to pass it anywhere?"

"I don't know."

"Why?"

"I don't feel confident enough."

He pressed his lips together. "If it's because of what I said earlier, it's just a suggestion. It's still your work—you're the writer of the story. You control everything."

"No, I'm actually considering what you said," sabi ko sa kanya. "I was just thinking that it would take at least a month to revise everything."

"Well, you still have 2 months before the next semester starts."

"You're right."

"After you revise, you can consider submitting."

I sighed. "I don't know what I would do kapag na-reject ulit," sabi ko tapos ay muli akong napa-tingin sa langit. It was already orange everywhere. I smiled at the view. It's really pretty. Marami ring ulap kasabay ng unti-unting paglubog ng araw.

"Ang ganda..." sabi ko.

"I know," he replied.

I reached for my phone so that I could take a photo. Hindi ko makapa sa loob ng tote bag ko kaya naman tumingin ako roon, pero napa-tigil ako nang makita ko si Austin Archangel na naka-tingin sa akin. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he replied bago tumingin muli sa may langit. Inilabas ko iyong cellphone ko. "Do you want me to take a photo of you?" tanong niya.

Umiling ako. Kinuhanan ko ng litrato iyong sunset. The picture was beautiful... but it could not beat the beauty of the actual sunset. I'd never tried watching the sun rise—I'd do that one of these days. Kapag tapos na iyong season dahil nasa loob ako ng court palagi kapag sumi-sikat ang araw.

"This is the perfect setting for a first kiss," I said as a I stared at the orange sky before us. "Who's your first kiss?" I asked.

Hindi siya sumagot. Naghintay ako ng 10 segundo.

"Sorry I asked," I said because that must be private. Ate Gina told me that there are things I should not ask. I was still figuring that one out—kung ano ba iyong mga pwede at hindi ko pwedeng itanong. It's tricky... And Austin's been answering all my questions, so far, so with him, it's much trickier to figure out where to draw the line.

"I don't have a first kiss yet," sabi niya.

"Really?" I asked.

"Why? Is it surprising?"

I nodded. "A lot of girls like you," I stated because that's the truth. Nung nagre-research pa ako tungkol sa kanya, I stumbled upon a lot of fan pages and a lot of girls commenting on how they'd give anything to be with Austin Archangel or any of his brothers. Even during games, minsan ay halos mahubaran na siya. May isang beses na mayroon siyang kalmot sa braso na hindi niya rin alam kung paano nangyari dahil sobrang daming sumalubong sa kanya. I asked him that time kung bakit hindi niya na lang paalisin dahil may guards naman siya—he said it's fine.

"I don't know any of those girls," he replied.

"You see them every after game."

"Still doesn't change the fact that I don't know them."

"Well, everybody's a stranger unless you make an effort to know them."

He nodded. "You're right... but I'm not interested to know them."

I shrugged. "That's up to you," sagot ko dahil hindi ko naman siya pwedeng pilitin sa kung sino ang gusto niyang kilalanin.

"You?" tanong niya.

"Me?"

He nodded. "First kiss?" tanong niya sa akin, pero sa papa-lubog na araw siya naka-tingin.

"I don't have a first kiss," sabi ko sa kanya.

Agad siyang napa-tingin sa akin. "Dom?"

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Si Dominic?" I asked because why was he saying Dominic's name all of a sudden?

He blinked thrice. His lips parted. "Oh..." he said like he was realizing something. He bit his lower lip but there was an unmistakable smile on his lips. "Right," dugtong niya.

"Right what?"

"Nothing."

"Okay," I said although this conversation confused me. "So, how did you answer the questionnaire kung wala ka pang first kiss?"

Tumingin ako sa kanya. His face was orange galing sa sikat ng araw. Mula sa pwesto ko ay kitang-kita ko kung gaano ka-tangos ang ilong niya. Napansin ko rin na walang pores iyong mukha niya. Nagpapa-facial kaya siya? O baka naman nasa genes lang dahil ganito rin ang mukha ng mga kapatid niya? Pero sa kanilang tatlo nina Saint, si Cohen ang pinaka-maganda ang balat.

"Imagination?" sagot niya.

"Must be some imagination," sagot ko dahil akala ko ay may experience na talaga siya dahil sa mga sagot niya.

"Hey, I really don't have a first kiss yet."

"Wala naman akong sinasabing meron na."

"I just watch movies."

"Iba pa rin kapag na-experience mo na."

"How would you know?"

I shrugged. "Sabi ni Kaleigh iba raw isulat kapag na-experience mo na," sabi ko sa kanya. "So, I really want to try a lot of things para mas lumawak iyong perspective ko at mas marami akong maisulat."

So far, I've watched a movie alone, I've been to the arcade, I've been to basketball games, I've been to the beach at night, I've walked under the rain, and I've been in a yacht to watch the sun set.

A year ago, all I ever did was to go to school and then go at home—I already stepped out of my comfort zone.

"So... you'll try kissing?"

I shrugged. "If the opportunity comes up," sabi ko.

I was not a very sentimental person. It's just kissing—two people's lips touching. I'd be more worried if the other person has brushed their teeth or at the very least, gargled.

Based on everybody around me, kissing is fun... but the idea sounded dangerous to me.

"What opportunity?" tanong niya at ipinaliwanag ko sa kanya iyong mga requirements ko. "But I doubt if anyone would bother to do all that," I said because when I was in high school, my classmates asked me about that and I told them about my requirements and they all laughed at me and told me that I would die alone.

But I refused to change my standards.

If no one would qualify, then that's not really my problem.

"Why do you think that?" he asked.

"Too much requirement."

"I don't think brushing and gargling are too much," sabi niya. "It's just good hygiene."

I blinked. "Right!"

He chuckled. "They just don't understand you."

I smiled. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," sabi niya.

"I know I'm not 'normal.'"

"What's normal, even?" tanong niya. "Who gets to decide what's normal?"

"Society," I answered.

"Society is judgmental."

"Maybe," I said.

Tumingin siya sa akin. "Karaminah Viel," he called my name. Tumingin ako sa kanya. "You're not weird, okay? Don't let the society tell you otherwise."

"Okay," I said, nodding.

"In an alternate universe, I'm pretty sure I'm the weird one based on what society says."

"Maybe in a world where everyone's under 6 feet, you'll be weird."

His lips parted. "Oh, now you're height shaming me."

I shook my head. "You are tall."

"Genes."

"Are both your parents tall?"

"Yes."

"That's why," I said. "My dad's tall, but my mom's short, so I'm in the middle."

"Your height's fine."

"I did not say it's not fine—I am above the average height in the country."

He chuckled. "Sure."

"The sun finally set," I said because it felt like we've been watching the sun set forever.

"Do you want to have dinner here or let's go home?" tanong niya.

Tatayo na sana kaming dalawa, kaya lang ay biglang umuga iyong yate. I lost my balance and Austin Archangel tried to catch me so he pulled me towards him... but I ended up with my lips up against his. 

**

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