Verse of the Day.
"Being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ:"
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭

Chapter 15
Enchanted To Meet You
[ Ava Maureen ]

NAKATULALA LAMANG akong nakatingin sa mga bituin mula sa malaking bintana ng aking kwarto. I am holding my guitar while strumming a soft melody until I strum the song entitled 'Enchanted to Meet You' by Taylor Swift.

"There I was again tonight.. forcing laughter, faking smiles. Same old tired, lonely place..." I started singing as I start reminiscing about the young me, a.k.a Maui the stupid.

"Hi! I'm Brandon Lim!"

Napatingala ako at hindi na natuloy ang isusubo ko na sana na Carbonara dahil sa nagsalita. I gave him a gentle smile like I always do with the people who introduces themselves at me. I shake his hands that was in front of me. He suddenly flinch at the sudden contact of our skin.

He has this good boy aura. I'm tall, yes, but I'm just below from his nose. Olive skin and a thick eyebrows na parang pinahugisan niya. Singkit ang kaniyang brown na mga mata. His nose was a bit pointed and he has this lips na parang nagli-liptint siya. I know this guy. Siya 'yong varsity player ng football team sa campus. He's famous—hindi lang dito sa loob ng school, pati na rin sa labas.

"C-Can I join you walking along the hallway to your classroom?" Shock was evident in my face. Ang alam ko ay junior student siya at iba ang building namin sa kaniya. I am just a sophomore student.

"Walls of insincerity, shifting eyes and vacancy. Vanished when I saw your face... All I can say is it was.. enchanting to meet you.."

At dahil hindi ako makatanggi ay pumayag na lang ako. Many girls was eyeing me like I am their prey. Probably jealous because their crush is here by my side. For Pete's Sake, we're just highschool students. Nang makarating sa tapat ng classroom ay hinarap ko na siya.

"Thank you sa paghatid..." I said but immediately covered my mouth when I said a language that probably, he won't understand.

Gulat siyang napatingin sa 'kin. "Y-You know how to speak Filipino?" Nagulat din ako sa sinabi niya. He knows that language so he surely lives there but just migrated here in Japan like me. And I'm not wrong.

"Your eyes whispered 'have we met?'
Across the room your silhouette. Starts to make it's way to me..."

Starting that day, araw araw na niya akong inihatid-sundo. Cafeteria to classroom, classroom to parking lot where my driver waits for me and vice versa. I know this kind of gestures dahil palagi naman akong nanonood ng teen-fic movies. But I don't want to assume, either. We're just highschool kaya kinonsulta ko na si Mama about do'n.

"Sweety, I think he's just having a crush on you kaya ganiyan siya. Try to ask him about that. Hindi naman masama ang ganiyan. Habang bata ka pa, i-enjoy mo lang 'yan. Kami nga ng daddy mo ay ganyan din noon." She chuckled upon remembering something sweet and funny memories of them. "Kaibigan ba kayo?"

I nodded at Mama's statement and question. We're friends dahil iyon ang sabi niya. I don't have friends in my school dahil ayaw nilang lumalapit sa 'kin. I am intimidating, they said. Kaya thankful ako. Since that day happened, wala na akong naging kaibigan. Takot din akong makipag-kaibigan dahil baka may mangyaring masama sa kanila dahil sa akin.

I know it's not my fault that it happened pero sinisi ko pa rin ang sarili ko. My instincts never failed me but I chose to ignored it. Kaya sising-sisi ako dahil hindi ko binigyan ng pansin iyon.

"The playful conversation starts. Counter all your quick remarks, like passing notes in secrecy..."

"Bakit ang bait mo?" I pursed my lips as he asked that. "Ang hirap mo tuloy ga . . ." I can't hear his last words but I ignore it.

"I'm just like this." I giggle kahit wala namang nakatatawa sa sinabi ko.

"Alam mo, bagay sa 'yo ang maging model kahit sa murang edad mo. You're 14 but look at yourself, parang 18 kana. You have so many connections, too dahil isa kang Shimizuo."

I felt happy when he said it suitable for me to be a model, but immediately went off when he said I'm a Shimizuo and has lot of connections. So, what if I am? Don't tell me, I'll use connections para lang mapapayag ang mga modeling agency na ipasok ako? Pero dahil siya ang nagsabi ay ginawa ko nalang. And he's right. I became a model even at my young age but not because of the connections I had, it's because I had the potential. Marami nga ang nag-aagawang agency sa 'kin but I only chose one.

"I'll court you, Maui..." he announced in a serious tone. Gulat akong napatingin sa kaniya. Is he serious? Bata palang kami! But I suddenly remember my mother saying I should enjoy this kaya pumayag ako.

"Maui?" Instead, I asked.

"It's my nickname for you! That name suits you." There he goes again in his alluring smile. He's really handsome and cute!

"And it was.. enchanting to meet you...
All I can say is I was.. enchanted to meet you..."

I don't know how it happens pero simula nang sinabi niyang liligawan niya ako ay simple sweet gestures lang niya ay parang nagkakarera na sa pagtakbo ang puso ko. Even though he keeps on saying cheesy lines ay namumula pa rin ako. My Mom and Dad already knows him dahil ipinakilala ko na siya noong nakaraang linggo.

"This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonder struck, blushing all the way home. I'll spend forever wondering if you knew... I was enchanted to meet you..."

"Happy Birthday, Brandon!" I smiled sweetly at him as I handed him my gift. It was a latest rolex watch na gustong-gusto niya. They're not rich like us. They're just middle class people. Hindi mahirap ngunit hindi rin mayaman dahil na-bankrupt daw ang kompanya ng daddy niya kaya lumipat sila rito sa Japan. Originally, Japan citizens naman pala ang parents niya pero sa Pilipinas lang siya lumaki.

"Thanks, Maui..."

"Don't you want to open my gift?" Umiling lang siya kaya napasimangot ako but he just laughed at me! "Come on, open it! I still have another 2!" Pagkasabi ko no'n ay lumiwanag ang mukha niya at dali-daling binuksan ang wrapper.

He suddenly shout like he won on a Football Game kaya napatingin sa kaniya ang mga bisita. He just throw a small party. Mga kakilala lang niya ang pina-attend. "Thank you very much, Maui! I love you!"

I immediately blushed on what he said. A gush of air suddenly filled in my ears like saying 'be careful' but I shove it away. "The second gift is . . . I told my agency to recruit you in the field of modeling and they said yes after seeing your pictures!"

Happiness glittered on his eyes kaya bago pa siya maiyak (because he looks like he'll gonna do it), I told him the third gift. "The third is, I . . . I want you to become my—my boyfriend now," I stuttered upon saying it.

"R-Really?" I don't know but there's a hint of guilt shown in his eyes pero agad naman ding nawala iyon. He hugged me immediately and kissed my cheeks.

"The lingering question kept me up. 2 a.m., who do you love? I wonder till I'm wide awake..."

I thought he'll be happy that we're now official but as I observed him, parang hindi siya masaya. Is he regretting it now? But I doubt that. Nanligaw siya ng limang buwan sa 'kin kaya imposible na hindi siya masaya.

"Megami, do that new required model slash your boyfriend has time on you? Mukha kasing mas busy siya kaysa sa 'yo, e. Bakit hindi na kayo nagkikita kahit sa school man lang? O baka hindi na nagpapakita . . . naku! Megami, kapag 'yang boyfriend mo mababalitaan ko na piniperahan ka lang or ginagamit ka lang para sa ambisyon niya, lagot siya sa 'kin!" Kuya Ivy lectured.

He's my manager and he's gay. A half Filipino and half Japanese. He's just 23 years old. Part-time lang daw niya ito dahil every after class lang naman ang mga shootings ko.

"Kuya Ivy, he's not like that . . . maybe he just have a problem with his family or friends or someone important to him," I defended kahit totoo naman na hindi na siya nakikipagkita sa'kin kahit sa school lang since pinasok ko siya sa modeling industry

"Now I'm pacing back and forth, wishing you were at my door. I'd open up and you would say, 'hey, it was enchanting to meet you'. All I know is I was enchanted to meet you..."

Kuya Ivy was right. He's just using me. I am USED. "Pwede ba, h'wag ka ng habol nang habol sa 'kin! I was just using you! Ginamit lang kita dahil mayaman ka, e! Magagamit kita para umangat ang buhay ko. Hindi ko naman aakalain na uto-uto ka pala! Akala ko ba, ikaw ang pinakamatalino sa lahat dito dahil alam mo na ang lahat-lahat. Pero nahulog ka sa patibong ko? Ha! I pity you, then."

My tears were continuously falling.

He's a freakin' gold digger. I wish his phone will run out of battery while his charger is missing. Huh!

Habang sinusumpa ko siya sa isipan, nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makita ko siyang parang nahihirapang huminga kaya napatakbo ako palayo. What happened? I'm worried sick because I love him but my pride won't let me come back.

"This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonder struck, blushing all the way home.. I'll spend forever wondering if you knew.."

I cried the whole night. I was fooled. Nagpaloko ako. I hate it when I'm fooled. My demons were now crying with me because they couldn't protect me this time. It's my fault, though. I became weak and fragile. But I promised myself that after this, I will finally learn on how to save and protect myself. I can't be broke twice.

I will make things the way I want it. Different . . . new. I want it to be different and new. I can't be nice forever because someone might took advantage on it. I need to dominate people so they will not have the chance to step and fool on me like this.

"This night is flawless, don't you let it go
I'm wonder struck, dancing around all alone.. I'll spend forever wondering if you knew.. I was enchanted to meet you.."

But my scar will remain as it is. It will never erase the fact that I once fooled and I felt betrayed. I just hope it will not open. It's okay to replace it but it should be more beautiful that the others.

"It was enchanting to meet you.."

***
Egg Note:
Don't let them show the fragile side of yours or they will take that as an advantage to destroy you.

@eggarru