PROLOGUE

MY MOTHER told me that I was special. She said I had everything. She said I was attractive, kind and a good boy (even though we both knew that there were times that I was really being so stubborn). Yeah, she did anyway.

Well, she was not the only one who had told me that.

My friends, classmates and even the girls who I did not really know also said that to me. May nagsabi pa nga sa 'kin na mukha akong anime character at parang unrealistic ang aking physical features. Yeah, they all did.

Hindi ko tuloy maiwasang isiping totoo nga ang lahat ng 'yon.

But you know what? Every time I looked in the mirror, I thought twice. Sa sarili kong mga mata, parang hindi naman ako kasing-espesyal ng nakikita ng iba. I had no idea why there were all assuming that I got everything. But I knew kung ano ang best feeling sa mundo. Guess what? It was the feeling na kahit wala sa 'yo ang lahat, mayroon pa ring taong nagpaparamdam sa 'yo na walang kulang sa 'yo. The feeling of being valued and loved by someone . . . even though you knew deep in your soul that you did not deserve to have both that feeling and that person in your life.

I was doing the activity our teacher gave us before going somewhere when I heard my boy classmates talk about something. No, they were talking about someone.

"She's pretty, right? At bukod sa maganda na, ang bait pa! Saan ka pa, 'di ba?" one of them said.

Saglit akong napahinto sa pagsusulat. I wondered kung sino ang babaeng pinag-uusapan nila.

"Oo nga! At saka good student din kaya siya. Palagi kaya siyang nakakatanggap ng award."

"Grabe, 'no? Nasa kanya na yata ang lahat. Maganda na, mabait, tapos matalino pa. She's like an angel, hulog siya ng langit," sabi pa niya.

"Hindi naman halatang crush mo siya, ah."

"Noon ko pa siya crush," walang alinlangang tugon niya. "But it's just sad na until now, hindi ko pa nagagawang umamin."

"Why don't you try to confess to her? Malay mo, crush ka rin pala niya. Hindi naman 'yon malabo. She's beautiful, and you're handsome. Madalas naman daw, crush din tayo ng crush natin."

He fell silent for a moment. "I can't. Takot akong ma-reject."

"Alam ko naman 'yon. Lahat kaya ng boys, takot sa rejection. But nothing will happen if you don't try." Kung papakinggan mo siya, parang siya na ang pinaka-expert pagdating sa crush-crush na 'yan. "Pero kung ayaw mo talagang subukan, wala akong magagawa. All I can do ay itago ang sikreto mo."

"Thanks, Kyle. Sa ating dalawa lang 'yon, ha? Na-crush ko si Stephanie?"

May ibang biglang sumingit sa usapan. "What? Crush mo si Stephanie? 'Yong nasa fifth grade?Nagkataon lang ba 'to? Did you know na crush ko rin siya?"

That made his mouth shut for a moment. I could imagine him furrowing his brows. "Crush mo rin siya? Kailan pa?"

"Since when I was in fifth grade. Noon ko lang kasi siya napansin. Nagkasalubong kami no'n sa hallway, and she was smiling so sweetly. That smile, I couldn't just ignore it. Sobrang ganda niya." I could say by his voice that he was picturing it (the smile or face of the girl) in his head.

Hearing all that, I couldn't help but wonder about the girl, how she looked like. I had heard her name countless times lalo't tulad ng sinabi ng classmate ko, isa siya sa palaging naa-award-an. Isa sa with-high-honor awardees, to be specific. But I never saw her claim an award dahil hindi ako pumupunta tuwing may awarding. Why would I? Eh, never pa akong nakatanggap ng award.

Malawak ang school na 'to, but I could actually make time to get to know everyone here. But I never tried, and I never planned to. Was it necessary? Of course, not.

Totoo kaya ang lahat ng narinig ko sa babaeng 'yon? I should stop thinking about her. Baka exaggerated lang ang mga kaklase ko. Wala lang sigurong magawa.

Class hours were done, and it was time to go home now. I stood up and was about to carry my bag when I found a girl standing at the door. Hindi ko namalayang tinititigan ko na siya.

"Wait, totoo ba 'tong nakikita ko? That's Stephanie, right?"

"Yeah! That's her! Ano naman kayang ginagawa niya sa labas ng classroom natin? Is she waiting for someone?"

The boy who promised his friend that he would keep his secret spoke, "Mukha ngang may hinihintay siya. Baka ikaw na 'yon, Joseph! Puntahan mo na siya, dali!"

"Gusto ko sana, Kyle, pero... hindi ko talaga kaya, eh. Naduduwag ako."

I averted my eyes and carried my bag.

Makailang beses na kaming nagkasalubong noon, sa tingin ko.  But this was the very first time that I got to look at her face for that long. Well, I couldn't blame myself because she was absolutely pretty. No. She was just cute. Why? Maybe it was because of her chubby cheeks?

I shook my head, trying to shrugg off those thoughts. Nagsimula akong maglakad nang nasa ibang direksiyon nakatingin. I couldn't let myself stare at her again because that would be really weird. Lalagpasan ko na siya nang bigla siyang humarang sa daraanan ko.

She was looking down, at parang hindi rin siya mapakali. Bigla tuloy akong napakunot-noo. I wanted to ask her, but I waited for her to speak first.

"Um... May... Ano..."

"May sasabihin ka ba sa akin? Kasi kung wala, pwede bang paraanin mo na ako? Kailangan ko na -"

"I like you!" she said as she handed to me a letter she was holding with her both hands. Hindi ko napansing may hawak pala siyang gano'n.

Mas napakunot-noo ako. Let me process what had just happened. What? She liked me? Seriously? I couldn't believe it. I couldn't even imagine it. But still, I accepted the letter she was giving me. I looked at it, then at her, having no idea how to react.

Then, she slowly lifted her head and looked me straight in the eye. Nakakabulag ang tingin niya. Mas lalo nang pilit siyang ngumiti. "I'm leaving now!"

Huh?

"Wait!" Huminto siya sa paglalakad palayo at lumingon. I then walked to her. "I gotta tell that . . . I'm sorry, but . . . I don't like you."

She stared at me as if everything stopped. She was hurt. Siyempre, masasaktan siya. Was there someone who wouldn't feel hurt after getting rejected by the person they liked? Siguro? Ako? Well, I couldn't tell 'cause I was inexperienced.

My eyebrows rose when she . . . smiled? This girl was smiling at me? This was crazy. "Okay lang, I understand. Hindi mo naman ako kailangang magustuhan pabalik agad."

It all started that day, right when she confessed to me. Yeah, it did . . . without me knowing it.

FOREVER WITH YOU