Chapter 00

I quietly went out of the house and headed straight to my car. Today's the last Sunday of the BAR! Naka-schedule na kami para salubungin si Iñigo. Alam ko naman na si Cha lang ang gusto niyang makita, but wala siyang choice kasi makikita niya rin iyong mukha ko. I'm here to stay kahit ayaw niya! I made a promise to his dad na hindi ko siya iiwan. I take promises seriously.

"Hi!" sabi ko sa ka-date ko nung dumating ako sa resto. Thankfully, dumating naman ako on-time. I completely forgot that I agreed to this date! I mean, alam ko naman na nag-agree ako, but I forgot na kasabay iyon nung BAR salubong ni Iñigo. And I didn't want to cancel naman kasi nakaka-hiya. Siguro naman hindi siya magagalit if aalis ako nang maaga. I still needed to meet Cha and alam ko na traffic ngayon papunta roon.

"Hello," he replied with a smile.

I sat down and then I was handed a menu by the waitress. Ngumiti muna ulit ako sa kaharap ko. He's a friend of a friend—kadalasan naman na nakaka-date ko ay mga kaibigan din ng mga friends ko from hospital and med school. A lot of the guys I dated, nagiging friends ko na lang. Ewan. Wala kasing sparks. Ayokong ipilit if walang sparks. Gusto ko iyong... kakaiba. I saw how it works! And that's what I want for myself!

Iyong love na parang sa parents ko na going strong kahit 30 years na.

Iyong love na parang kina Rhys na sobrang weird na ganon pala iyong kakambal ko... who would've thought?!

Iyong love na parang kina Iñigo na sometimes, he just wouldn't shut up about her.

I wanted that for myself.

So if wala nun, 'wag na lang. I want love, but I want the love. I didn't want to settle for... just okay. Pwede na 'yan kaysa wala. I want the heart racing, toe curling kind of love. That's what I want and I'd like to think that that's what I deserve.

"I'm Graciella," I introduced myself.

"Michael," he replied.

I smiled. "Nice to meet you, Michael."

"Likewise," sagot niya naman sa akin.

We talked about general topics for quite a while. Ganito naman talaga kapag first dates. To be honest, it gets kind of tiring after a while... Kasi paulit-ulit lang iyong sasabihin mo. You'll talk about yourself, your favorite movie, your favorite songs, your different favorites. Sometimes, gusto ko na lang gumawa ng carrd tapos basahin na lang nila in advance tapos ask na lang nila ako if may any clarifications.

"Excuse me," I said after a few minutes of talking. Dumiretso ako sa CR. I sent a quick text to Cha telling her that I'd meet here sa coffee shop malapit sa gate. Marami kasing tao 'dun based on experience nung si Rhys naman iyong sinalubong namin. Ayoko lang na doon pa kami maghahanapan ni Cha kasi ang stressful.

Mabilis lang ako sa CR dahil gusto ko lang naman itext si Cha. I find it disrespectful kasi na magtext kapag may ka-date ako. Baka isipin nila na hindi ako interesado or hindi ako nakikinig.

"Yeah, no... Sunod ako. This date's a snooze fest. She's pretty, yes, but she looks boring."

Napa-hinto ako sa paglalakad.

He was talking about me... right?

He was talking about me... badly... to his friend... while we were in the middle of our date.

Oh, wow. I didn't know how to process this.

"No, hindi pa ako aalis. I'll stay. She's pretty, so I'll get over the boring personality."

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin ko. Do I continue walking and let him know that I heard everything he said about me? Or do I turn around and pretend that I didn't hear anything?

What do I do?

I was probably standing there for quite a while that a waiter had to call my attention because I was blocking the way. Napa-tingin sa likuran niya si Michael. He was looking at me. He didn't seem like he thought I'd been there when he was still talking to his friend.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked with a worried look on his face.

"Yeah..." I lied.

"Are you sure?" he asked again as he held my arm. I gently tried to get my arm away from him. Napa-kunot iyong noo niya.

"The food's here na pala," I answered instead.

The whole meal was finished quietly. I was in no mood to engaged in a lively conversation. I answered all his answers with a mere yes or no. He'd probably tell his friends that I was the most boring date he had ever had.

When the date ended, I just quietly said my goodbye at tahimik na naglakad ako papunta sa parking lot. I stayed in my car for quite a while. I fought myself but in the end, I still ended up texting Mela, the friend who set us up, to apologize on my behalf. I felt like at the end of the date, I was borderline rude kasi hindi ko na talaga siya sinasagot. I was just nodding or shaking my head. It was my fault. Kung ipagkalat niya man na boring ako, totoo na iyon because I made the rumors true.

'He said the date's good and he'd like to see you again? Ano nangyari ba?' she texted.

The date's good? In what universe?

'I don't think there's a second date. Thanks, anyway,' I replied before I began to drive para pumunta sa salubong ni Iñigo. Pagdating ko roon, agad na dumiretso ako sa coffee shop.

"Hi!" sabi ko pagka-kita ko kay Cha.

"Hi," she replied.

"I'm so tired. Akin ba 'yan?" I asked kasi may dalawang coffee sa harapan niya.

She nodded habang naka-kunot ang noo. "Nagtext ka sa akin na umorder ako ng kape mo."

I chuckled. "Oh, right. I forgot. Sorry!"

"Send mo sa 'kin 'yung bayad."

I pouted. "Okay," sabi ko but I totally understood naman na nagtitipid silang dalawa because of their situation. Sometimes, nagdadala ako ng food sa apartment nila just to help. Hindi naman sila nanghihingi ng tulong but I see them as my extended family, so I'll help whenever I can.

"Date?" Cha asked.

Kumunot ang noo ko. "How did you know?" I asked, eyeing her.

She shrugged. "Naka-lipstick ka."

"So? Naglilipstick naman ako!"

"Normally, lip tint lang. You're wearing lipstick now," she pointed out habang naka-turo sa mukha ko. Napa-hawak din tuloy ako.

"Tss. Ang observant naman."

She shrugged again. "Naka-mascara ka rin."

"Oo na, oo na," sabi ko kasi baka hindi siya tumigil at ipointout niya lahat ng naka-lagay sa mukha ko ngayon. Knowing Cha, she definitely would just to prove a point.

"Did you cut the date short para pumunta rito?" she asked.

Umiling ako. "No. The date's okay," I said and then sighed so loudly na hindi na ako magtataka kung mapa-tingin sa amin iyong ibang tao sa ibang table. "Buti ka pa hindi mo naranasan 'tong date-date. It's brutal out there, Charisse Faith! Buti may Iñigo ka na."

She rolled her eyes. "Brutal, really?"

I nodded. "I swear!" sabi ko sa kanya and I began to tell her some of my first date stories. There was one time, for some reason, tinakbuhan ako nung ka-date ko, so I was stuck to pay the whole bill. I mean, I'd be fine with paying naman had he asked... but tinakbuhan niya ako! Tapos may isa pang time na iyong ka-date ko pala, may asawa na! I was called a homewrecker in the middle of a busy restaurant. May video pa nun. Rhys had to talk to the people who took videos of me and had to settle with them privately. And ang dami pang ibang stories! No wonder pag-irap ang sagot sa akin ni Rhys whenever he'd hear na may ka-date na naman ako. He told me na magmadre na lang ako at bibisitahin niya na lang daw ako sa kumbento.

"Saan mo ba napupulot 'yung mga nakaka-date mo?" she asked with her forehead creased.

"Right! You'd think na matinong lalaki ang irereto sa akin ng mga friends ko!" sabi ko. "Some friend they are!"

"They're bad friends."

I nodded. "Agreed."

"Kapag ganon 'yung lalaki, iwan mo agad."

"I know!" sabi ko kahit alam ko na magsstay pa rin ako until the end of the date just to be polite.

I ordered cake habang naghihintay kaming dalawa. Naglabas ng laptop si Cha and nagwork siya. Ako naman ay nanood lang sa phone ko. Rest day ko kasi ngayon. Bukas, back to reality na naman ako.

"Ang tagal naman niya..." sabi ko nung maka-tapos na ako ng tatlong episode. "Masama ba kapag matagal?"

"Not necessarily. Baka nagdouble check bago magpasa," she said.

"Okay... Matanong ko lang, hindi pa rin ba kayong dalawa?" I asked because I remembered one weird conversation I had with an old friend about Iñigo.

"Bakit?"

"Wala... Weird lang na naka-tira kayong dalawa tapos nung kasama ko si Iñigo last time tapos may batchmate kasi kami nung high school na tinanong if single daw ba si Iñigo kasi may nagpapatanong, ang sagot ba naman, single raw siya pero may selosang housemate. Like, sobrang confused nung itsura nung kausap namin."

But Cha, instead of answering, chose to ask me, "Bakit wala kang boyfriend?" kahit na kaka-sabi ko lang sa kanya nung mga horror story ng first dates na napuntahan ko!

"Busy sa work," I simply replied because sometimes, it's the easiest reason to give. Ayoko naman iexplain sa lahat ng tao iyong impossibly high standard ko. Alam ko na hindi nila maiintindihan lahat. Ayoko rin naman na ipilit nila na baguhin ko iyong standards ko. It's my standard to begin with—ako naman iyong makakasama ng tao forever, so deserve ko na magdecide ng kung anong standards ang dapat niyang ma-meet.

"Bakit? May ipapakilala ka ba?" I asked kasi siya na nagsabi na bad friend iyong mga kaibigan ko na nagpapakilala ng mga ganoon na tao sa akin. Baka naman good friend si Cha!

"What do you like in a person?" she asked.

"Mabait. Yun lang ang requirement ko," I replied. I realized that being nice is already a high standard. Seriously—you could never go wrong with a kind person.

Plus the sparks.

Always the sparks.

She nodded. "I'll message you if I think of someone."

I grinned. "Thank you!"

We stayed there for a while before we decided na lumabas na dahil nagsisimula ng lumabas iyong mga tao. We stood there for quite a while, too, bago namin nakita si Iñigo.

"Congrats!" I said, handing him the bouquet I bought.

"Thanks, Gracey," Iñigo replied, smiling.

"Ang tagal mo!"

Umirap siya. "You can't rush perfection."

I frowned at him. "Feeling perfect ka?"

"Duh. Tignan mo naman 'yung housemate ko," sabi niya tapos tumingin kay Cha na naka-kunot ang noo. "Magiging housemate ko ba 'yan kung hindi ako perfect?"

Napailing na lang ako kasi hindi ko sila gets dalawa talaga. But it works for them, so bahala na sila.

"Mahirap ba 'yung exam?" Cha asked. Agad na lumapit doon si Iñigo na para bang may magnet sa pagitan nilang dalawa. I was just staring at them but it almost seemed like I could feel the sparks.

That's what I want.

I want to fall in love. I want to fall deeply and madly in love. I want to experience being crazy in love.

God... I do hope I meet him soon—I have lots of stories I couldn't wait to tell him.

**
This story is already at Chapter 04 on Patreon (patreon.com/beeyotch). Subscription starts at 100php per month for all stories.

If you're having any problems with your payment or if you want to pay via GCASH, you can email [email protected] for assistance.