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"Say that again, please."

Chris stared at me for quite long. He was showing me a smile—a hopeful one. He didn't say a thing. I wanted to hear those words again. . . along with my favorite song playing.

"May lumapit na ba sa'yo when I gave you that stupid dare?" he asked, face-palming in the most perfect way I had ever seen. Oh, my goodness, why does he do everything so perfectly? And. . . what the heck, what is happening?

Okay, Cerulean and Stephanie, calm down.

"You are turning red," he chuckled while staring at me. "Nagtanong lang ako nang dalawang beses. And you didn't even answer yet."

The next thing I could see was his wide smile. Quickly, I tried to look away as I did my best in making my cheeks cool down. Damn, damn, damn.

"Uhm. . ." I started. "S-sorry? Haha. Sorry, ano u-ulit 'yon?"

"Answer this question first, okay?" he smiled, crossing his arms. "May lumapit na ba sa'yo when you said in the Mic-Taking that you are open to relationships?"

"U-uhm. . ." I involuntarily giggled. "Wala. Why?" I asked "why," but I felt like I already knew where it was going. I just hope that. . . this does not end up being something bad or sad because I've surely had enough of this year.

"Good." I looked up to his face and examined his mask. . . then his eyes. His eyes were dark and piercing, but they were surely beautiful. Gorgeous.

At that moment, I felt such a bliss. Everything was so perfect, although things were not that sure yet. I felt important, beautiful, and valued. What a day of rollercoaster, I thought. Parang kanina lang, umiiyak pa ako.

I don't believe in "jinx," but I hope that my thoughts don't jinx this moment.

Damn, really. Damn. Damn. Ang lakas ng tibok ng puso ko, at naramdaman ko na ang pagpapawis ng mga palad ko. The wind felt cold, and I was already shaking. But everything felt warmer than the outside world.

Without me noticing, Chris already had my hands in his.

"P-pawis ang kamay ko, d-don't—"

"Can this oh-so-hot Chris Hartell court the gorgeous Cerulean Hathaway?"

I looked away as I felt the heat rushing up my cheeks and ears again. Damn. Someone help me.

"You can," I said, smirking. "But you may not."

Chris chuckled, looking at the sky as I noticed that the place gradually went darker. Coldly, the wind blew, trying to mess with his carelessly brushed hair. With his jaw clenched, he smiled. Why does he call me gorgeous when he is the gorgeous one here? I seriously feel. . . confused, happy, and nervous at the same fucking time.

"Damn, the wordplay," he chuckled. "I gotta have you, gorgeous. I gotta have you."

"Sorry," I giggled, looking away. "I was just kidding. You may."

"Yes!"

Chris let go of my hands and faced the darkened sky, his eyes on the horizons. His hands rubbed his nape as I faced the sky, too.

"Thank you," he said and took my hand on the railings of the balcony. "I will make sure I don't waste this chance, my lady. I will be your knight, and. . ." he stopped for a moment, making me look at him, "I promise, you can't resist my charms."

Rolling my eyes, I cackled then stopped and took the laugh back quickly. I mean. . . that might turn him off. Not even a day of his courting yet, he might stop.

The clouds of the sky, as if, stopped moving, even if they were ever-so-gradually travelling. But as if a curse, I remembered how I despised the mirror without this mask. I had to keep in my mind that it was only Cerulean, not Stephanie, or else. . . it would be extremely dangerous. This is just a place of lies, I kept reminding myself. You will be okay.

"Hey?"

Napalingon ako nang marinig ko ang boses niya, and I didn't know how that was possible, but his voice calling my attention immediately made my stomach rumble, as if butterflies were in there.

"Y-yeah?" I said, looking down.

"Look at me," he said, facing me, but I refused to do so. Even if his voice made me smile, I still. . . was so confused, and so, I wanted to be cautious of how I should act. Taking my time, I faced him, but I didn't have the courage to look at him.

"Gorgeous, look at me." And just like a fairytale again, I felt his hands carefully lifting my chin up. "What are you worrying about? Please tell me."

"Nothing," I smiled.

"No," he replied, staring right into my eyes and making me forget that we are wearing masquerade masks. "I wanna tell you that no matter what you're thinking about right now, you need to know that you are gorgeous and you are important, okay?"

"A-ano?"

"Shush!" he grinned. "It's okay, just remember that you have this oh-so-hot suitor, and that's me, okay?"

"Ang hangin! Ang hangin!"

The next thing I knew is that we were both laughing out loud, as the nonexistent pinkish skies that we waited for became even darker than it already was. Coincidentally, the wind started blowing, and I could feel my hair getting blown by the wind. Buti na lang ay mahaba at medyo mabigat ang buhok ko. Nako, kung hindi, I will seriously look like a mess.

"Ang hangin nga talaga," I giggled, tugging some of my locks behind my ear. I never knew what I looked like at the moment, and I could be really such a mess, but his stares were, like, giving me faith, trust, or whatever for my hair. I know I said that I didn't feel beautiful, but right now, I feel like I am the most beautiful girl. And I also felt like this was too good for our second day as acquaintances in the town full of lies, but all I could think of was "whatever." This is a town of lies, and I don't have to worry about it.

All I know is that I am happy right now, even if my hair can currently be a mess.

"Your hair's really beautiful, gorgeous." He smiled at me and tugged a stray lock of my hair behind my other ear, and my goodness, I wanted to run away, so I could smile like an idiot.

" 'Wag ka ngang bolero," I rolled my eyes. "Mahangin na nga, bolero pa."

"Well, is it my fault that I am really hot, and you're really gorgeous?" he said, chuckling, and the timing couldn't be more perfect when the clouds got mad and poured more than we could expect. Chris swiftly held me in his arms with our Scrapbooks of Moments partly sandwiched between us. In a split-second, we were already inside, away from the balcony where he asked me if I could be his lady.

"Ce!" I heard a voice from afar, and I turned my head. "We're back!" Then, I saw Maddie and Lannie, and I was going to tell them a fairytale after we leave Town in a Building. I was not sure if my storytelling was going to be good, but one thing was sure, I would be smiling the whole way through.

And Chris is not going to know that I might actually be smiling like an idiot in Maddie's car later.

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12:29 AM. It was already 12:29 in the midnight, and I still could not sleep. The majestic scenery that I used to just stare at along with his image, the cerulean skies with shades of pink that we waited for, and the clouds that almost poured its rain over us—I could still remember every single part of it, and it was replaying in my head over and over again. The light hitting his masked face, the breeze trying to mess with his hair, and his hands holding mine—I wanted to be there again, at this very moment when I couldn't find which side of my bed I should sleep on.

Well, I thought, even if I find the perfect side of my bed to sleep on, I bet I still won't be able to sleep.

Tiningnan ko ulit ang digital clock sa nightstand ko, and minutes did pass by so quickly! It was already 12:42 AM, and those minutes passed by just when I replayed those scenes in my head. Damn, I thought. The way I could still remember every single detail from hours ago like a moving moodboard was terrifying because I might actually be forgetting it all when I wake up.

But one thing crossed my mind.

I looked over my shoulder to check what was on my desk. Nakita ko ang mga charcoal pencils ko, and I knew that I already knew what that meant.

Tossing my blanket aside, I jumped to my feet, grabbed my phone, plugged my earphones, and played "Say It Again" by Marié Digby. Oh, yes, because I would like to feel it all again and again and again.

Damn, ganito pala ang pakiramdam, I thought as I grinned at the strokes of charcoal that I just made. I was still quite unsure of what to draw, but soon, before I could even approve of what I was about to draw, my hand already crafted a clock of charcoal.

Paulit-ulit na nag-replay sa utak ko ang mga nangyari sa balcony na 'yon, at sa bawat linya ng paborito kong kanta, naaalala ko pa lalo kung paano nangyari ang lahat. The next thing I knew is that I was already giggling silently, like a fool, and the charcoal paper was already showing me a clock with a scenery of beautiful skies behind. I raised the charcoal paper, smiling at it, as I let the moonlight from my windows shine on it.

Agad naman akong tumakbo papunta sa switch ng ilaw para buksan ito kasi normally, what I draw in darker places are not drawings that are as smooth as the ones I draw under the light.

Pero bumagsak bigla ang phone ko, at nadapa ako dahil sa earphones ko. Ugh, what a good midnight.

Agad akong tumayo at pinunasan ang phone ko. Good thing, it didn't have any crack. Nasa maganda pa siyang kondisyon, at buo pa naman ang earphones ko. Buti na lang, pero damn, ganito ba talaga kiligin? Kailangan talagang maging tanga?

I laughed it off, once again, like an idiot, and holding my phone and earphones carefully, I turned the light on. Sa gulat ko, nang bumalik ako sa desk ko, nakita kong maganda ang pagkakagawa ko sa drawing. Hindi ko na napigilan ang mapatalon papuntang kama ko.

"Thank you, Lord," I mumbled as I jolted up because Mom was already banging on my door.

"Matulog ka na, Stephanie!"

"Opo, Mom," I replied. "Sorry po."

Narinig ko na ang pag-alis ni Mom, and I thanked God again because she was not that mad about me jumping on my bed again. Childish of me, if you ask me. Nagmamadali akong nagligpit ng mga charcoal pencils and pastels ko. I made sure that I didn't break any when I rearranged the materials that I didn't use as well. 'Di nga lang ako makatulog.

Still smiling, again, I opened my phone to check it. It was already 1:19 AM.

I checked our section's group chat, and ilang minuto lang ang nakalipas ay nagtsi-chika-han pa rin sila. I sighed, looked up my gray-painted ceiling, and smiled. They're happy, and I am, too.

"Thank you so much, Chris," I mumbled and placed Cerulean's Scrapbook of Moments beside my drawing. Then, I turned off my phone as well as the lights.

I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, but I would still force myself to. Because tomorrow, I would be showing this drawing called "Mime" to Chris.

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