---

"Hi, Chris," I said, moving closer to be beside him, by the same beautiful balcony of Town in a Building, by the—once again—gorgeous sky. "How did y-your day go so far?"

"Hello, my lady," Chris said, looking down then up the sky we both admired. "It was okay, weird, and. . . tiring."

"Tiring because?" I asked. Na-curious lang naman ako sa buhay niya nang slight.

"Because you weren't around," Chris smiled, leaning against the railing of the balcony. This immediately made me anxious about Chris's position against the railing and forgetful of what we were talking about. Anyways, bolero.

"And exams," he sighed, his manly shoulders dropping a bit. "Fuck exams, napuyat ako."

"Did you ace it?"

"I think. Ako pa?" he said. "But maybe. . . I don't know."

"S-sorry, I didn't know," I said, remembering all the reasons why I was also responsible sa pagpupuyat niya. "Sorry."

I should've known and told him to go home early.

That was when I realized that I should still know how to be sensitive about things even in his real life. I might take more space than I am intended to.

"No, no, my lady," he said. "Now that you are here, I can say that I don't need rest anymore."

"Bolero talaga," I said, rolling my eyes. "But you have—"

"My lady, such a beautiful mask," he suddenly said, cutting me off, our masked noses almost touching. I couldn't believe that we got that close, that my heart was pounding that quick, and it was because of my mask.

Somehow, improperly, I am jealous.

"I would like to marry her," he added, chuckling. "Just kidding, my lady."

"Well," I started, knowing what I would say next, and it would be a complete revenge for what he said.

"Such a beautiful mask, my man," I said, forming a good comeback with my lips. I hope it doesn't flatter him. "I like him."

"I—"

"What?" I said, smirking.

"I do not like the sound of you saying you like someone else," he sighed. "But I told you, gorgeous, you won't be able to resist my charms. It's still my mask."

"Yeah, I think you're right."

"Just kidding," he said. "I was just kidding. But you said that, and I felt a slight hint of jealousy."

"But my lady. . ." he started again but stopped as soon as he dropped those three words.

"Hmm?"

I looked up to his face, and the sun gorgeously made its way to craft our shadows against the wall, complementing the dark parts of Chris's gorgeous mask. His features were so beautiful that I did not know how to describe them. I just was. . . so amazed.

"Nothing," he said, reminding me what I almost forgot—our conversation's topic.

"Hey, I wanna show you something," I said. I was ready to show "Mime," and I also wanted to let him know what makes most of my free time aside from this new addiction—well—called "Town in a Building."

"What is it, my lady?"

"This," I said, gingerly pulling the charcoal paper from between the pages of Cerulean's Scrapbook of Moments. "I drew this last night, coincidentally, while you were studying."

"Wow," he said, carefully taking it from my hands, avoiding the strokes of charcoal I made against the paper. "My lady, this is so beautiful."

"Thank you."

"You are so talented," he said, staring at me. "C-can I take a picture of it?"

"Thank you, and. . . sure thing," I said, holding out the charcoal paper to face him. Suddenly, he took his phone from his pocket, a thing I would like to pledge I would never do inside Town in a Building, and just like what he asked permission for, he took a picture of my art.

All on a sudden, I realized that I had not yet signed it, which was a good sign because—well—this was Town in a Building. It would utterly be a dangerous thing to bring one's signature inside a town of lies.

"The clock, like, symbolizes all the time I am willing to offer to you because. . ." he paused, "all I want is to win your heart, my lady. And the shadows are our shadows."

"I have no words," I smiled. "If that is how you see it, my man."

Nagulat naman ako nang bahagya siyang umiwas ng tingin, pero ibinalik niya agad ang tingin niya sa akin, dahilan para mawala 'yon sa isip ko.

"Did you just call me 'my man' again?" he smiled.

But his smile faded, and all on a sudden, I could feel the swarm of consciousness of what I just planned and executed with Zoey minutes ago. Maybe he's thinking about it and planning to leave me, my thoughts went. Or maybe I am not his type after all.

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying to take hold of the situation. Within me and between us.

"My lady," he frowned. "I will tell you something to get it off my chest."

"Tell me," I said. "I will listen."

"Someone messaged me, and she was, like, interested in me, so I ignored it."

"Actually, I have to tell you something," I said, my hands a bit cold from everything I hadn't told him yet.

"What is it, my lady?"

"Plano k-kasi namin t-talaga n-ni Zoey 'yon," I uttered. "Kami talaga 'yon. I am s-sorry."

Without a word, I heard Chris chuckling, and to be honest, it sounded like a song to my ears, although it made me terrified. I hope he is not laughing because he's mad or something, I thought, holding my fingers into a fist because they would go trembling if I didn't. Pa'no kung masira ang tiwala niya sa akin dahil sa trip namin?

Chris sighed, making me more nervous than I already was. Then he smiled at me.

"My lady, I could feel your fear that I might be mad at you," he said then reached out for my hands. "But my lady, I am grateful na kayo lang 'yon, that people aren't trying to tear us apart. Because it happens often here in Town in a Building. And at times, they easily succeed."

Tiningnan ko siya sa mata, pero nakayuko lang siya sa mga kamay namin. At kahit sa anggulong 'yon ay may nakita akong emosyong ayaw ko nang pakialaman pa. Siguro, kaya siya parang malungkot ngayon ay dahil sa isa sa mga ex niya, I thought. Siguro. And I drifted away from the thought because I was a lot hopeful for our little play on this clumsy stage.

Unconsciously, I stepped a little closer, trying to make my arms comfortable since he took my hands in his. I was all so relieved, calm, and happy at the same time to know that he did not find it offensive, but honestly, I thought that we should not have done it because if it were like that, my voice did not have to feel stiff and most importantly, Chris did not have to think about it for a bit.

"That happens often?" I asked, steering back to the story we told with our words.

"Yes, my lady," he started. "And I will make sure that nothing can separate us once you agree to be my lady."

With that, I took a deep breath, fully aware of what I was thinking. I knew where it would go, and in my head, I was ready. But at the same time, I had this "bahala na" theme going on in my head. It was confusing and sure. At the same time.

I was ready for something I hadn't even experienced yet.

"Chris," I uttered. "Yes."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Call it cheesy, but I want to be your lady," I said, my hands shaking in his hands. "So, yes."

At first, he was just staring at me, trying to let it sink in.

"WORLD! Cerulean is now my lady!" he then shouted, as if boasting amongst all the people present in Town in a Building. "She said 'yes'!"

Noon ko lang napansing may iba pang tao sa balcony ng third floor, at pati ang iilan sa loob ay napatingin sa amin. I rolled my eyes at Chris because—first—what he said and did was cheesier than what I said and—second—nakakahiya. Then I mumbled to myself, "Parang purat."

"What's purat?"

Quickly, I was surprised because (again)—first—he heard what I just mumbled and—second—he did not know the word. I mean. . . we often use that word because of our grandparents' expressions, but I. . . I don't know.

"Uh. . . purat."

"Huh?"

"Parang purat, basta purat."

"What kind of word is that?"

I giggled to hide my inability to explain the meaning. 'Di ko ma-describe, e. Ang hirap. Pero na-conscious ako nang ma-realize kong nakatitig si Chris sa akin na para bang ang ganda ko.

"Whatever," I uttered, and without knowing what I was doing, I hugged him. Really, I took 'whatever' personally, I thought, still not releasing him from the hug.

"I will make sure I don't break your trust," Chris said and hugged me back, which made me realize one thing over and over again—that who I was in Town in a Building was just another role to play other than the one I was already playing in the real world. "Thank you for trusting me, my lady."

"You will always be welcome," ang sabi ko habang nakangiti hanggang tainga. Call it cheesy, again, but I think I have this new addiction—aside from Town in a Building—called "Chris Hartell."

---

Napahiga na lang ako sa pagod oras na makapasok ako sa kwarto ko. What a day, I thought, putting my experiences today on rewind. Yesterday was overwhelming, so as today; however, today was more, like, realistic. Nag-sink in na rin lahat sa isip ko. The fact that Chris courted me—as Cerulean, the fact that someone liked me—even if it was just inside Town in a Building, and even the fact na kami na.

"Stephanie!"

Sa sigaw pa lang na 'yon ay marami na akong naisip. It was either may mabigat o marami akong nagawang mali. O kaya may nagawa akong mali, regardless of anything or everything.

"Mom?" Napatayo agad ako sa pagkakahiga ko para buksan ang pinto at bumaba. Kumaripas naman ako sa pagtakbo pababa kung nasaan si Mom. Kinabahan ako at hiningal pa ako pababa, dahilan para kumabog nang malakas ang dibdib ko. Baka nakita ni Mom ang scores ng midterm exams ko.

Shit.

"Mom? B-bakit po?" ang tanong ko pang muli habang hinahanap kung nasaan siya.

Pumunta ako sa kusina. Wala siya. Pumunta naman ako sa banyo. Wala rin siya. At hanggang sa napagdesisyunan ko nang pumunta sa likuran kung saan narinig ko ang umuugong na washing machine.

"Ano 'to, Stephanie?" ang sabi ni Mom habang hawak-hawak ang bagay na hindi niya pa nakikita noon. Ang pocketknife ko.

"Ano 'to, Stephanie?" ang pag-uulit ni Mom. "Saan mo 'to ginagamit? Akin na lang 'to. Wala ka namang paggagamitan."

"M-Mom, gagamitin k-ko po," I said, but she did not hear it. "Mom."

"Nakita ko lang 'to sa bulsa ng uniform mo," ang sabi niya. "Sa'n mo nakuha?"

"P-para sa camping po sa Girl Scout."

"Nag-MAPEH ka no'ng nasa Junior High School ka, Stephanie," she said, catching me off guard because she was right. Napakahina ko naman at napakatanga ko naman magsinungaling.

"U-uh. . . pang-self defense po," I said, unaware of what I was saying. "Para po kasing may sumusunod sa'kin minsan."

But before I could even realize it, Mom was gone. Iniwan niya na ako, katabi ng umuugong at maingay na washing machine. Mag-isa na lang ako, at kinuha na ni Mom ang pocketknife ko. Mas okay na 'yon kaysa sa ang exams ko ang nakita niya, I thought. Hindi ko kakayanin kung ang nakita niya ay ang exam scores ko.

Wala na akong iba pang nagawa kung hindi ang bumalik sa taas kung saan ako maaaring magpahinga muna hangga't 'di pa ako tinatawag ni Mom para magluto.

Nang makarating ako sa bedroom ko, naramdaman ko na naman ang pagod ko tulad nang kung paano ako pinagparamdaman ng sakit ng katawan kanina bago ako tawagin ni Mom. Pero masaya ako dahil today, on December 13, 2017, I said yes to being Chris's lady.

Maybe the thirteenth isn't so unlucky, after all.

So I grabbed my phone from my bag and played "Say It Again" once more like it never left my head since the day one of Chris's courting. Habang tumutugtog lang 'yon sa kama ay nagbihis na ako. Inilipat ko na rin ang Scrapbook of Moments sa shelf kasama ng mga libro kong binili kung saan 'di ito makikita ni Mom. Pati ang "Mime" ay sinama ko na rin sa mga drawings ko.

I just knew she wouldn't be happy if ever she finds out about Town in a Building.

Then, out of the blue, a song played from the shuffle I made. It was "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran, and I immediately thought of the person I think about a lot, the closest person I knew to being perfect.

---

➡️ Today, let's wish Chris Hartell a happy, happy birthday! And I also attached my acoustic cover of "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran for thematic purposes.

But don't expect much.