Chapter 47: Dance

***

"I-I c-can't believe you're... Y-you're really..." I looked down and sighed. Up again to face him. "Here."

I was expecting a jolly Kenneth. But what's here is a different one.

"Oh, hey. I'm... I'm here." he smiled weakly. "Fresh and new."

"Oh. So... Anong-"


Wait, should I ask? Kasi kung tutuusin, wala naman akong karapatang magalit o magtampo kung bakit hindi manlang siya nagpaalam nung umalis siya, o di kaya nag-warn muna like that. Pero wala eh. Nakakahiya naman kasi kung aasta akong parang kung sino when I'm precisely just a somebody to him. At least I'm not nobody.

"Ah, wala pala." ngumiti na lang din ako.

Kami na lang pala ang tao sa hallway. Hindi na naman siya nagsasalita eh. Nakakapanibago lang talaga. As in. What does he meant by fresh and NEW? Did he change his persona? Wag naman sana, he's better the old way.

"What is it? Spit."

"Wala wala. Hehehe. So, you came back. What happened?" I looked at him curiously and then snapped out after a second. "Not that I'm concerned or something. Did you get scared of our bet?" I teased.

"Nah." natawa siya ng mahina. This time hindi ko alam kung totoo ba yung tawang yun. He's too complicated now. "Let's watch outside?" pagyayaya niya.

"Ah, sige. Tara." syempre pumayag na ako. Nakakatakot na rin naman kasing maglakad palabas magisa. YUN LANG ang reason of acceptance.


Pagkalabas namin, awarding pa rin naman. Alam ko naman na walang pakielam 'tong si mokong sa nagaganap eh, di naman nya kilala yung mga umaakyat sa stage. Naglakad kami papuntang open ground. Maraming estudyanteng bumabati kay Kenneth. Di ko kilala most, pero sure ako na yung iba ay hindi taga-Sermount. Lande eh! Joke lang.


May group of girls, na di ko mawari kung saang lupalop ng mundo nanggaling, na tumawag kay Kenneth. Inantay ko naman siya habang nakikipagusap siya roon sa mga flirt! Tch.

Whatever. Paki ko? Wuuh! Maya maya may nag-approach namang taga-ibang school sa'kin. Yung ibang lalaki, nice. Yung iba naman friendly pero pa-impress. Tapos yung iba ay bastos na compulsive.

"Miss sige na. Number lang oh." pangungulit nung tatlong bakulaw sa'kin.

"Paulit-ulit? Fourteen nga diba. Ayan nakapagbigay na akong number. Kaya bye-bye!"


May bigla namang umakbay sakin. Siniko ko naman agad yung tyan. Pagkatingin ko si Kenneth pala. Aba! Sensya naman. Malay ko bang siya iyun, baka kasi mamaya isa na pala 'to sa mga bakulaw eh.

I mouthed, "Sorry." Pero hindi niya pa rin tinatanggal yung pagkaka-akbay niya. So I weirdly looked at him.

He looked at me as if he answers like, just go with the flow. So hindi nalang din ako umimik.

"Hey dudes. Sorry she's taken. That might sound protective, yes. But to be honest, I'M SELFISH and I want her all to myself."


Narinig ko naman ang pagkabigla nung mga kausap na babae kanina ni Kenneth. At medyo nag-back off na rin 'tong mga bakulaw. Hoho! Go mokong! Wuuuh!

"Uhm, thanks." sabi ko na lang.

"Anytime." nakangiti nyang sagot. And I don't know but that made me sighed in relief.

"Uhh." I made an awkward sound. Haha. Kasi naman, nakaakbay pa rin. E wala na naman yung mga epal diba. "Your... Kenneth your... Uhhh."

Lumalakad kami na parang KAMI. Eh hindi namaaaan! Mga mata nung mga flirts oh! Parang mangangain na ewan eh. Pero there's this part of me na ayaw umangal, yun bang okay lang kahit ganito. Holooo! Anu bang nangyayari sa'kin!

Nakarating kami sa medyo hulihan. Wala masyadong tao rito kaya medyo kumportable ako. Nagkamustahan lang naman kami tapos ayun. Dead air na naman. Ang hirap pala ng ganito. Bakit ba kasi parang nagbago sya at naiilang na ako sa kanya? Tss.

"So..." panimula ko. "Saan ka na nagsstudy?"

"University back in L.A."

"Oh." parang na-disappoint naman ako. Akala ko bumalik sya para rito na ulit pero mali pala. "Edi ibigsabihin aalis ka rin ulit?"

"What, you're gonna miss me?" then he smirked.

"Yabaaang." tas nagtawanan nalang kami.

"Pero seriously?" tanong ko naman ulit.

"Yah. But..." tumingin sya sakin. "I'll stay if THIS someone begs."

"Beg? Don't you think it's too much? Haha."

"Hmm. We'll see." tumawa na naman siya.

So far hindi na naman awkward. Bumabalik na sya sa Kenneth na unang nakilala ko. Wag ka ngang ganyan! Naiinlove ako eh, kaines!


What?!


Naiinlove ako eh, kaines!


NAIINLOVE ako eh, kaines!


Naiinlove?!


NAIINLOVE?!!!!


Abaaaa!

"Hey." he snapped his fingers in front of me. Ayan natauhan na.

"S-sorry."

"Haha. You're cute!" tsaka nya ginulo buhok ko.

"Che." feeling ko naginit naman ang mukha ko. Bakit ba ganun?!

"Have you ever felt this feeling that even when there's nothing to do with this person, you still want to be with them?" tanong nya.

"Like now?-Uhh! I mean, no! Psssh!" then I looked away. Yung bibig ko aba!

"You spilled it." tapos natawa na naman sya.

Nahawa naman ako. "Pero alam mo nakakapagtampo ka."

"Huh?"

"Di ka manlang nagsasabi na di ka na pala rito magaaral. Tapos ngayon babalik ka? Para lang pala magvisit o ano kasi aalis ka rin naman pala."

"W-what do you mean? Did you miss me?" tapos tumawa na naman siya. Sorry but I don't feel like laughing right now.

"I actually did."

"Hahaha-wait, what?"

Ngayon ko lang narealize ang mga pinagsasasabi ko. Bigla nalang akong nagtakip ng mukha. Nakakahiya eh!

"Don't even try to make me repeat it again!" nakatakip pa rin kamay ko sa mukha. Sheeeez!

"Oh. Okay." humina boses nya at parang medyo naging malungkot. "I... I gotta go. Nobody missed me, so yeah. I'll see you-"

"NAMISS KASI KITA OKAY?! AS IN!" napasigaw ako na ewan. May taong mga napatingin, pero dahil maingay nga ang paligid konti lang ang nakapansin.

"Alam mo yung kahit saan, kahit anong gawin ko ikaw ang naiisip ko ha?! Nakakainis ka rin eh! Bakit hindi ka umalis sa isip ko?! Kaines 'to!" pinalo-palo ko sya. "Tapos alam mo ba nakipagdate sa'kin yung si Jake Flynn. Yung sikat. At shetlang! Parang ikaw yun eh. Oh baka sadyang miss lang kita nang sobra. Grabe ha! Walang binatbat pala yung sikat ba yun sayo pagdating sa'kin eh. Hahahaha! Pero wag kang magalala, mas pogi sayo si Flynn."

Hinde, biro lang. Mas gwapo ka Kenneth.

"Really? You had a date with him? And you actually think he's handsome than me?" he chuckled. "And what about the part where you can't get me out of your mind? Hahaha. Gahd, I'm really really falling."

Ano bang problema nito? Ang gulo. Di ko maintindihan kung anong expression ah.

"Kasi naman! Bakit ka ba tumatawa! Kaines ka!"

"Nothing. I'm just glad that you missed me."

"So t'was your plan, huh? To make me feel incomplete without you?"

He crossed his arms and with his chin way up high, he said, "Uh-huh."

"Baliw."

"Sayo."

"I know ri- ha? Since when did you learn that?!" out of the blue ba naman kasi eh.

"I'm still a Filipino Kath. Haha."

"Fine." I pouted.

"Hey don't do that!"

"Why not?"

"I might not control myself." tapos tumingin sya sa ibang direksyon. Haha. Ang cute eh! Para kasing namula sya.

"Whyyy?" tanong ko na parang nangaasar.

"Ugh. Don't entice me."


Haha. Di ko man gets pero ang cute nya kasi. Parang naiinis na nahihiya lang eh.

Tapos na yung awarding ceremony, at pinayagan nang magparty ang mga estudyante. Na-announce na rin naman na walang pasok bukas. Buti naman, dahil kung meron malamang konti lang ang papasok nun.

"You should join Yna and Lindsay." sabi nya. Eeehh. Ayoko. Gusto ko rito.

"What? Sending me away? Haha."

"NO! Uhh. No, really. I just thought that maybe you're bored being here with me. So, yeah. You could go."

"Nah. Lindsay's probably with Nathan and Yna is obviously partying already."


Nakaupo pa rin kami, tinitignan lang yung mga wild sa gitna. May biglang humawak sa kamay ko. Ang lamig ng kamay niya. Bakit nya hinawakan pala? Naiilang ako pero ayokong umimik baka kasi tanggalin nya eh. Halaaa! Kelan pa ako naging ganto?!!!


After several party songs, naging soft naman yung tumugtog. Nakahawak pa rin siya sa kamay ko. As in hindi ko lang ginagalaw kamay ko, baka isipin nun gusto ko na ring humawak sa kamay nya. Psh. No waaay! Okay I admit, SLIGHT WAAAY!

"K-kathy?"

"Bakit?"

"Can I take you in the middle?"

"Huh?"

"Uhm. Sorry. I don't know how to do this. C-can w-we..." tinanggal na nya yung kamay nya. Waah! Bakeet?

Tumayo siya at tumalikod. Kitang kita ko naman na nagbuntong hininga muna sya bago humarap ulit sakin.

"May I have this dance?" inalok nya yung palad nya. "Take my hand."

Agad ko namang inabot. Mahirap na, baka nga raw may umagaw. Sabi Nina ate Myla at ate NorHoney. Pero joke lang, di naman sakin si Kenneth eh.

"You own my hand tonight."

Pakiramdam ko nagiinit ngayon ang mukha ko. Halaaa! Pumunta kami ng gitna nang hindi inaalis ang tingin sa isa't isa. Ang lakas ng kabog ng puso ko. May heart disease na ba ako or something? This is definitely weird. Hinawakan nya ako sa waist, at pinatong ko naman ang isa kong kamay sa balikat nya. And our other hands kept twisted with each other.


♫ Take my hand, I'll take the lead. And every turn will be safe with me. Don't be afraid, afraid to fall. You know I'll catch you through it all. ♫


Yes please. I won't be afraid if you're there, waiting for a catch. I won't hesitate to fall for I know even if it'll hurt, it's worth it.


♫ And you can't keep us apart; even a thousand miles, can't keep us apart. Cause my heart is wherever you are. ♫


My heart really is wherever you are. It's always like that. It annoys me yet makes me feel much more uneasy without you around.


♫ It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you. It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do. ♫


Where can I ever find someone like you? Nah. You're already here, so what's the point of looking for another?


♫ And with every step together, we just keep on getting better. So can I have this dance, can I have this dance. ♫

Were already here, savoring the moment.

♫ No mountains too high enough, oceans too wide. 'Cause together or not, our dance won't stop. Let it rain, let it pour. What we have is worth fighting for. You know I believe, that we were meant to be. ♫


Are we? Do you believe? Cause I do. No barricade can ever divide us, I think. :)


♫ It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you. It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do. ♫


Yeah, I'd catch that. Out of billions, it's already here. You're already here.


♫ And with every step together, we just keep on getting better. So can I have this dance. Can I have this dance. ♫


Nakatayo nalang kami. Nakatungo na sya sa balikat ko habang head up lang ako. I'll admit this for the very first time. KINIKILIG AKO!

It's not everyday that I'm dancing with this guy. Bakit gain feeling. Siguro from the start naging denial ako nang sobra kaya pakiramdam ko naging mabilis ang lahat when the truth is everything's at slow motion.


I can feel this electricity-like feeling. Bakit ganito ka ba Kenneth. As in! Nanghihina ako in a wonderful way. Peculiar but great.

"Can we go out tomorrow?"

H-ha?

"Like, you and me? Together."

"S-sure." sabi ko nalang.

There's no point in denying this time. I really like this guy. Took me several months to figure out. So now it's my time to feel the moments. I just hope he'd be there to catch.

Unlucky Cupid © 2011-2012 Starine