Category: love story

All My Favorite Words: Naive

It was our first big fight.

You said the wrong thing, and I said some bad things too. We didn’t know each other well. We’ve only been in one other serious relationship before we met. We both were going into a battle where we were blind and deaf, both not knowing what makes the other tick. I exploded like a time bomb and you took cover, diving into trying to draw pity. 
It was just one wrong word. One misunderstood word. But the next thing we knew I was ignoring you, and your were flooding my phone with texts.
We both didn’t know what to do. We were running before we even got the chance to stand up. We never got to try on our new legs. We just ran like a couple of idiots, trying to outrun the other without any particular reason.
And then it ended.
We ended.
We were a glorious mess, each of us trying to figure out where the other stood.
There was no bloodshed, no need for medical attention.
I thought it was the end, I thought I would never see you again.
You thought you lost your chance, you thought I would never go back to you anymore.
But then the next day, the next moment, we were side by side, gasping for air. 
And then we rolled around and turned to each other, then slowly lifted each other up.
We didn’t know what we were doing, but it seemed like the right thing to do.
Then we began to walk. Together. Side by side. Our broken legs mashing together like a perfect piece. 
—————————–
This is the second chapter of All My Favorite Words on Wattpad. If you want to read more, go to the link. 😀

Ticket please?


“Good evening sir. Ticket please?” I said hoarsely for maybe the hundredth time that night.

The man grumbled as he looked for the small thin strip of paper that was supposed to be in his hands the moment he stepped into the boat. I impatiently wait, looking at the other passengers who are also waiting for the man. I found myself studying him, from his furrowed brow to his scattered bag. This guy seriously needed to relax.

“Here.” He pointedly says, handing me a piece of crumpled paper. I open it delicately, afraid it would get torn apart
“Well? I don’t have all day.”

I force a smile, then I point him to the right direction. He stomps away like a little kid, slamming his bags on his bed. I soon accommodate the others, most of them more gentle than the other guy.

“Take a break Lisa. Let me take over.” Mike says, offering a helpful smile that came out as creepy.

“And let you slack off? No.” I huff, remembering the time I left him in charge. Never gonna happen again.

“Come on. I only took a bathroom break. I didn’t know people would come pouring in.”

I ignore him, knowing it was wiser than to acknowledge his arrogant self. Boredom soon came over, making me use my highlighter to paint my nails.

“Excuse me miss?”

I look up instantly with a smile on my face, afraid to get caught not being “polite” to the passengers. But as I met dark brown eyes with a crinkled forehead, I internally groaned to face Mr. Cranky.

“Yes sir?”

“Where can I ask for beddings?”

I noticed he had a dimple on his left cheek while he talked, and the way he was so stiff and bossy.

“Just continue on this side sir, then turn to the right for the Information table.”

He walks off again, without much of a thank you. Jerk. Minutes later I see him return, his tall frame towering the double beds.

“Good evening passengers. We regret to inform you that we will be leaving an hour after our designated time, as we are still undergoing cargo. We apologize.”

I silently protest, certainly not looking forward to another hour of standing. I see Mike snicker across from me, lounging on one of the seats for the others. Rage begins to grow inside of me, barely holding its lid.

“Miss?”

“What?!” Uh oh. Breathe Lisa. I find the courage to look up and begin to apologize to the man, until I realize it was him.

“Uhm, I’m sorry about earlier. I know I acted sourly towards you.” He looked sincere, yet still so stiff. He held two cups of soup on both hands, both steaming with the hot water. “Maybe I could make it up with the soup?”

I couldn’t say no, especially when he showed a smile. It was downright cute, definitely better than the evil tyrant face he wore earlier. Luckily his bed was near my station, and soon we began talking like long lost friends.

“So you were left on port because you got locked in the bathroom?” He bellowed with a laugh. I smacked his arm and tried to shush him, peering around to see the other passengers sleeping on their beds.

“It’s not my fault it’s broken. They should have written that “out of order” note on the door. I got in so much trouble for missing that boat!” I cringed as I remembered that moment.

The overhead speakers soon came to life, zapping me out of retrieving more embarrassing moments to tell the guy beside me. “Ladies and gentlemen, we will soon depart from the port. Employees, please report to the office.”

“That’s my que.” I stood up and began to dust off the biscuit bits from my shirt.

“See you in 5 hours then? Since you can’t see me til after the trip I mean.” He gave me a soft smile, enough to make my heart go kaboom!

“Sure”

I fell asleep during those five hours, dreaming of nameless guy. It kind of sounds stupid that I didn’t get his name, but if we don’t see each other again it won’t be a problem. I begin to do my rounds to my station, as passengers began to exit the boat. He was no where to be found, his bags all gone.

“Lisa! Want to go somewhere before the next boat?”

“Mike. No.”

I walked away, hoping he would just give up.

“Come on Lisa. It’s not like you have another date somewhere.” I began to walk faster, not minding my way. That was until I bumped into him.

“She does have a date, doesn’t she?”

I looked up to see Mr. Cranky turned Mr. Mystery smiling at me, a hopeful look on his face. I looked back at Mike, his face full of annoyance. I slipped my arm through his, and smiled at him.

“Yes, yes I do.”
——————–
Dedicated to the snotty woman who checked our boat tickets on the way to Tacloban. She was so grumpy that the creases on her forehead never seemed to go away. So I gave her a fictional love life so she could be happy. 😀
On a very HAPPY sidenote, I finished my book! I sent it to multiple publishers, and I have my fingers crossed so hard that they’re locked together! Haha.

The End



According to the movie Mr. And Mrs. Smith, “In the end, you start to think about the beginning.”

So when you’re dangling from a cliff and you’re deathly afraid of heights, you think about what got you there. You rack your brain to remember where your worries began, and in the end you blame the guy who drove you crazy enough to get yourself stuck on the edge of a cliff. And in my case, he was Kent Clark. No, he’s not superman. Though he did rock that “S” logo on his right arm. I should have known guys with tatoos were up to no good.

And as cliche as it might sound, I still fell for the bad boy.

It was great in the beginning. It always is. Though he was high tempered and was constantly on his man period, it was great. Sure, he liked pushing my buttons, but I liked pushing his buttons too. 

But when he started making dangerous sports a usual thing during our dates and threatening to date other girls if I said no, it started to go down hill. And then he started to smoke in my face just to get a cough out of me, then he’d laugh making more smoke smother my face. And when I saw a red underwear in his apartment even though we’ve never had sex, I drew the line.

“The underwear is for you! So you would..” He paused, then whispered in a small voice. “Maybe move in with me.”

“And you gave me a freaking underwear? Could not have given just a simple flower or something?” His lips were suddenly on mine, completely shutting me up.

“Did you just hear what I said? I asked you to move in with me, something I’ve never done with any of my exes, and you’re mad because I gave you underwear instead of flowers? Anyone can give you flowers babe. But no other guy who is in love with you would buy you underwear.”

I admit that all my anger melted and went down the drain, because that was the first time he said he loves me. But the anger began to rise again when he lighted another cigarette.

Now back to the present, with my strength draining with every second as I dangled. I let out a frustrated sigh, as I began to scream for help. My voice was becoming hoarse by now, as I prayed for help to come.

“Samantha!” 

Finally! Someone’s here!

“Samantha it’s Kent! Where are you?”

Oh how cliche. Superman saves the day. I hear rustling of leaves, and soon his maniacal laugh.

“Sam, what are you doing?” He says in between his laughter. Jerk.

“Hanging from a cliff that you asked me to climb. Now would you please save me?”

“You do know you have about a one feet distance from the ground right?”

For the first time since I landed in this predicament, I looked down.

“Oh.” I hopped down, and surely enough I was safe. How embarrassing. Surely enough my supposed to be Superman was smirking at me.

“Awwe. My girl is afraid of heights.” He teased.

“No I’m not!” I screamed like a five year old girl.

“Well let’s see.” He began to pick me up bridal style, and began to carry me to the end of the hill. I felt safe in his arms, those muscles that..

“Put me down Jerk!” He merely chuckled, and then flashed me that evil smile of his. We were just at the edge, and I began to grip onto his suit.

“Tell me you love me baby, and I might just let you down safely.”

“Over my dead body.”

He literally jumped, and I hanged on to him for dear life. I screamed his ear off as he tugged on his parachute. Well, here’s to the end all over again. 

—————————-
Fiction.
Yehey! My first story not related to Haiyan 😀 

Eternally yours



I struggled to sit up on the cemented hedge, and when I did I crossed my legs together. Throngs of cars soon came to view, early morning families who came to visit the others. I soon lost count on how many people came and went as the sun rose to the highest point in the big blue sky. I began to wonder if anyone would visit me today, as I stared in envy for all my friends who wore happy faces.

“Hi Emily!”

My head snapped towards the source of the voice, a smile creeping up my face. Finally! I couldn’t contain my happiness, and I soon jumped onto my sister and hugged her tight.

“I missed you too little kid.” She joked. Even though I’m already 25, she still treats me like I’m 5. I still was so happy she came, and that I wasn’t forgotten. Soon I saw the whole family walk towards me, with flowers and sandwiches in hand. 

My mom and dad were walking hand-in-hand, a sad smile on their face. But never the less I was thrilled to see them as they approached me. I gave them a warm embrace, their scent engulfing me. They always smelled like the old people that they are.

“Hey Em. Your brother’s here too.” My dad said, showing me a little kid who was a spitting image of the man I saw as my superman. He had black hair like my dad, had the same nose and eyes. The only thing that he inherited from my mom was the fact that he was shy. I pinched his cheeks, and he didn’t look bothered by it. At least he’s warming up to me now.

“Dad, is that my sister?” Tommy asked.

My dad nodded with a proud look on his face. “She’s the best sister in the world Tom.”

“And the most annoying one.” My sister quipped. The whole family began to laugh, at my expense as usual. They soon set up the mat on the floor, opened the huge umbrella and gave the sandwiches out. My sister placed the flowers in front of me, and lit up a candle in the middle of everyone. 

Soon small conversations started here and there, as more people seemed to come in. It was soon crowded, with people going in and out like crazy.
But my family didn’t seem fazed by it, as they continued to talk to each other, trying to get me to join in. The sound of my sister’s phone broke off the conversations, as we all pried on her call.

“We’re here with her. Yes, with the whole family. Yes, you could come. Goodbye.” She turned off her phone with a smile, and she peered to the right and began to wave frantically at someone. My heart skipped like a rock when I saw who she was waving at. He still looked as handsome as ever, although his eyes looked sad.

He was thinner, but he still walked like the angels themselves made sure he didn’t trip. He smiled when he saw my family, who all cajoled him to come closer. He sat right beside me, accidentally brushing his hand on my arm. It immediately sent a thousand familiar sparks throughout my body, jolting me awake from my day dream of him.

“Hey everyone. Little Tommy.” I smiled when he greeted my brother specially, which made the young boy smile a bit. My mother offered him a sandwich that he ate with gusto. That boy was too addicted to my mom’s famous sandwiches.

“How’s work John?” My father asked; his voice soft.

“It was fine sir. So far so good.” He said without a trace of smugness. Gotta love that in a man.

“You know you can call me Keith, or Dad.” My father offered a small smile, which John returned. I could feel my cheeks burn up, and my lips aching from the smile that never went away since I saw him. After a few minutes of idle chatter, my mother stood up and instructed everyone to do the same. The mat was rolled, the sandwiches kept. My dad held to Tommy, my mom beside him, my sister and John followed.

“In the name of the Father…” My mother started to say. She then proceeded to pray, my family and John joining in whenever possible. I soon felt my heart become lighter, stronger even. “And Lord, please bless the soul of my daughter, Emily Bright, and receive her soul as we have received You in our lives. All this we pray in the name of the Lord.”

“Amen.” They answered. One by one they left, kissing the cement that I was sitting on merely an hour ago.

“Bye Emiwy!” Tommy said, waving towards me. I waved back, smiling at the little kid. 

John left last, his fingers playing with our wedding ring. He kneeled to face the cement hedge, and began to etch out the words that were carved onto it. ‘In memory of Emily Bright. A daughter, a wife, a sister and a hero. 1986-2011’

“You’d always be a hero to Tommy, Em. I’d make sure he would never forget the day you jumped in front of that car for him.” He held out flowers, placing them in front of me.
“I miss you.” He whispered. “I miss hearing your laugh. Sometimes I miss you so much I forget to eat.” I narrowed my eyes towards him, and he chuckled. “I know that if you were here right now you’d narrow your eyes and yell at me to take care of myself more, but it’s so darn hard Em. I miss you.”

I touched his cheek, caressing him softly.

“Em? Is that you?” I nodded, though I knew he wouldn’t see me. “I know you’re here Em. I could smell the perfume you always wore.” He inhaled deeply, as if savouring every scent. “If you’re there Em, wait for me okay? Don’t go falling in love with angels or other souls. You’re mine. You’re married to me remember?”

I smiled at him with tears slowly making their way to my cheeks. Before I could stop myself I kissed him right on the lips. He smiled as he touched his lips, shaking his head and chuckling.

“Just, save me a seat up there okay? I love you.” He kissed the carving, and began to walk away. My heart went with him, following him everywhere.

I was eternally his, after all.
—————————————–
Fiction. Today was all souls day here in the Philippines, and a lot of people went to the cemeterey to remember all those who went before us. I love this story personally, not just because I wrote it. <3

Nightmares and sweet realities



I woke up with a start, the vivid images from my dream digging into my skin. I was shaking, sweat pouring profusely from its glands. I tried to shake off the feeling, trying to get a grip on reality. My arms on instinct snaked their way onto my husband’s side, and I breathed a sigh of relief to find him there. I began to shake him awake, afraid of being alone. The room seemed to be closing in on me, the darkness and silence as deafening and as blinding. He soon woke up, sluggishly opening his eyes. These eyes whoever, widened at the sight of me.

“Honey? Are you alright? What happened?” He frantically searched my body, his eyes scanning every inch of me. When he was done, he turned back to me, looking at me intensely in the eye.

“What’s wrong?”

I began shaking again, and he hugged me tight. The warmness emanating from him was a gift from heaven, as I inhaled his scent of pine trees and mint. I tried to calm myself again, breathing in heavily. He pulled me closer to him, his big arms wrapped around me. I took a big breath, before burying myself deeper to his chest.

“I-I had a bad dream.” I said, my voice shaking with every word. When he didn’t say a thing, it urged me to continue. “You left me. You said you were tired of me. Then you shot me in the heart, and ran as far away as you could.”

Everything flashed in my mind, the feeling of loneliness, and death that was slowly creeping into me. To some, I might sound like a lovesick teenager, but this man was literally my rock. He made it impossible for me to live without him. Without him, I’d be a walking dead person. My husband only kissed my forehead, trying to calm me. I didn’t even know I was crying till he wiped a tear from my eye.

“It was just a dream, alright honey? Just a dream. I’m here.” 


I looked up onto his eyes, and I saw only sincerity. Gosh, I love this man. He closed the distance between us as he kissed me on the lips, sparks flying everywhere. His grip on my hips tightened, closing any milimeter of distance between us. When we finally let go to breathe, a thought entered my head.
“But what if you’re a dream too?” I asked, my voice faltering.

He surprised me by biting the tip of my nose, making me smack his face away. 

“What was that for?” I asked, rubbing my injured nose. 

“Did it hurt?” 

“Of course it did!” He lowered his head to kiss my nose, his warmth spreading all over it.

“Then you’d know that this isn’t a dream. I’m here. I’d always be here.”

My heart fluttered like a bird, as he cuddled me into his arms. We fell asleep like that, just hugging. I knew that no nightmare would ever harm me, as long as it was sweeter in reality.


————–

Fiction. I texted this to my boyfriend the other day when he asked me to imagine married life with him. I came up with this one. 🙂

My bag carrier

“I have your bag with me so you won’t leave me.”

He said, a smile on his face. I chuckled, as I waited in line. He walked away from me, looking at the aisle where they sold toys. He looked back at me, as if asking for permission.

“Go then. I don’t think I’m going anywhere with my whole life praticaly in that bag.”

He beamed at me, then walked into the toy section. For someone who’s almost twenty seven years old, my boyfriend sure acts like a kid. I shook my head, as the cashier lady said “Next.” I emptied my arm, full of new books to read. As the computer beeped with every swipe, I realized my wallet was in my bag. I silently cursed, hoping that he’s come back before I had to pay.

“That would be nine hundred pesos.” The lady said, bored as ever.

I looked around for him, and when I saw his egg shaped head, I practically called him like an overhead speaker. He hurriedly ran towards me, his hand behind his back.

“What is that?” I said, eyeing him suspiciously.

He pulled out a space gun and a Hot Wheels car shyly, putting them on the counter. The lady swiped them, and I paid for it. Figures, I thought. I’m in love with someone obsessed with guns and cars while he’s in love with a girl with more books than sense. I inwardly smiled to myself, as he took the bag with all our stuff in it. I offered to take my bag from him, but he resisted, reminding me how many times I ran off without him. I smiled, remembering the times I left him in department stores and other places just because I knew he’d go looking for me. It was fun while it lasted, and it always resulted in a kiss, because I always scare him to death.

“We’re home.”

He said, breaking my chain of thoughts. I looked at the second floor, where our apartment was located. With our heavy grocery bags, he took them all, determined to do it in one trip. I laughed at his antics as we walked up the building. Reaching our door, he asked me for the keys. I quizzically look at him, as he struggled to open the door with the key. I was about to follow him inside, when he stopped me, making a few jars in the grocery bag to crash together.

“Don’t go in yet.” He said, more like ordered.

I puffed at him, and he just smiled as he took the grocery bags and my bag into the apartment. Curiosity was killing me by the second, and just as I was about to open the door his face popped out.

“I know you’re impatient, but could you just please wait here? I won’t be long, I promise.”

He looked flustered, his face looking like he ran a marathon. I reluctantly nodded as he closed the door, locking it from the inside. My eyes widened at the realization: he locked me out! But I stood my ground and stuck my ears onto the door. I could hear his frantic steps, and I could hear him throwing something to the ground. He was saying something I couldn’t make out, then it was silent. The door flung open, causing me to stumble into his arms.

“Eight years later and you’re still falling for me?” He smugly said.

I stuck my tongue out to him, and that is when I realized what he was wearing. He had an actual tux on, like a cute little penguin. He had a yellow rose on his front pocket, and his face broke out into a smile when I looked up.

“You’re not wearing any pants.” I said, stifling a laugh while looking at his Perry the Platypus boxers.

“That’s because when I was just about to put on pants, I heard someone impatiently listening in to what I was doing.”

I smiled at him proudly, then I tried to take a peek of what was behind him. To my dismay, he tsked and blocked my view.

“If you’re going to keep doing that, how am I supposed to propose to you perfectly?”

His eyes widened at what he said, and closed his mouth shut. I was practically peeing myself now, the excitement rushing through me like a drug. He looked at me again, running his hand through his hair.

“Pretend you didn’t hear that okay?”

I nodded, unable to say anything. He then opened the door, and it revealed all my bags and books. They were arranged by color and shape, most books inside a bag. Petals of roses covered the floor, and it was dimly lighted. My brain buffered for a good minute, before I finally noticed him kneeling in front of me with what looked like a handle on his head.

“I know you treat your books and bags as your life. You treat them delicately, and every bag has a book. Everything you need is in a bag, and when you need a good distraction you have your book. I have that connection with my toys, but in a manly way.”

I laughed at what he said, tears brimming at my eyes.

“So I want to ask you this: could I be the one to carry your bag forever?”

I stared at him like he was an alien, not understanding what he said.

“I mean, you said earlier your bag is your life right?”

I nodded, still confused.

“Then could I carry you all your life?”

Realization struck me, and my heart skipped several beats, making me wonder if I was going to have a heart attack. I smiled at him, and slowly nodded. He smiled at me, slipping in the simple diamond ring into my finger. He then lifted me up, and I squealed in delight.

“What with the hair prop though?”

He put me down, then smiled like a little boy.

“I was going to dress up as a bag and say ‘Could I be a part of your life?’, but I figured that I was already a part of it. But I figured that out after I bought this.”

I laughed at his cheesiness, then he lifted me up bridal style.

“Shall I carry my fiance towards our bedroom?”

I looked around the mess in the living room, and looked at him.

“You know you’re going to clean this all up later. I don’t want my bags and books getting ruined because you-“

I was cut off by his lips, passionately entrancing me into a spell. I swear his kisses should be bottled up somewhere and be an illegal drug. He walked towards our room, and closed it with his foot. He slowly put me down, kissing the top of my nose.

“Care to dance my fiance?”

I stepped into his arms, and he began to sway us back and forth. I smiled onto his chest, excited what else life would bring me and my permanent bag carrier.
—————————-
Once again, fictional. I feel like a sappy romantic these days and my stories reflect it. Have a nice weekend! 😀

Ms. Zoom-in

“Ruby!”

I hear someone call my name from afar. I look around me, and I can’t find where the voice is coming from. I squint my eyes, and sure enough I see my superfriend Le-an from the other side of the road. She waves at me, and crosses the road as the traffic light becomes green.

“Your ‘zooming in’ powers are amazing.” she jokes just as she hugs me.

I stick my tongue out to her like an eighteen year old should, as we walk into the donut cafe. We wait for our other friends to arrive, as we munched on some tiny donuts.

“Sooo. Do you have a boyfriend?” Le-an asks.

I laugh at her question, and she raises her left brow at me. My laugh is cut short when I see who comes into the cafe. I didn’t have to squint my eyes to know who came in. With his bowl haircut and pimply face, I hung my head low. Le-an notices it immediately, and her eyes shot daggers at the loathed specimen who’s a sorry excuse for a human being. Visions of fluffy elephants and my high school uniform flash into my mind, and I try my best to shake them out. Luckily my four other friends come in, completely ignoring the specimen near the counter. They sit down in front of me, blocking my view of him. They huddle protectively, and I smiled at their gesture.

“What do you want me to do with him?” Alyssa,my best friend, asks. She pulls her sleeve up like getting ready for a brawl, but I simply laugh at her.

“Nothing. I’m over him anyways.”

The five of them look at each other, then looks back at me. We soon forget about him when one of them opens their mouths. We shift from one topic to the other, and with us six girls in one table, it’s like a whole crowd chattering away. Soon enough an old lady shushes us, and we all talk in whispers but utterly fail because once again the old lady curses at our noise. We look at each other in silence, gather our stuff and walk out the cafe. As soon as we all step out, we burst out laughing at our antics. We soon hug each other goodbye, and we go to our different schools. I missed the times when we belonged to the same school, but it made up for the times that we met with each other.

I climb on the jeepney on the way to school, and my thoughts drift away to a day two years ago, during my freshmen year of college. Everything was falling apart between me and him, and it was only a matter of time before things ended the way it did. The jeepney suddenly stops, thrusting me forward, ending my reverie. I hold on for dear life as I held a person’s arm, screaming a bit. The driver apologizes, and we look at the almost hit to the Toyota car in front of us. Suddenly the driver hops off the vehicle, and screams profanities at the Toyota driver.

“Ouch.”

I look up at the source of the voice, and I saw dark brown eyes looking at me in annoyance. That’s when I realize that I was still clutching someone’s arm, and I let go. I look down, hoping he doesn’t see how embarrassed I was. The vehicle then starts to move again, and soon enough I reach my school. Annoyed boy hops off before I do, and I walk slowly behind him. He rubs his arm and I feel guilty again. He then looks back to me and smiles. He approaches me and runs his hand through his hair. It made my heart skip a bit, and I willed myself to stutter the words

“S-sorry”

“I should be the one who should be sorry. I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

The sincerity of his voice catches me off guard, and I look up to him. He was really tall, and for my 5’2 height I was just at his shoulder level. He smiles at me and holds out his hand.

“I’m Michael.”

I stare at his hand for a few minutes, and finally I shake it. Sparks flew from my hand to my heart, and I smiled at him.

“Ann Ruby.”

———————————-
When I went home on Friday evening, I turned on my computer as always. I checked my Facebook, and I smile when I see that Michael added me as his friend. I begin to go stalker mode, I mean admirer mode, and checked his account. He was a senior student, and he didn’t open his Facebook that much. I was disappointed that I didn’t learn so much, and just logged off the computer.

I sit on my bed and I put on my glasses as I begin to study for tomorrow’s quiz. Soon enough I drift into slumber, and for some reason I dream of someone I haven’t dreamt of for a while. We were in our high school homeroom, and he was just looking at me. My heart melted the way that his eyes were just on me. He held my hand and leans in for a kiss. He suddenly laughs, and I see him in his college uniform with another girl.

“Ann Ruby? She’s just an ex. You’re better.”

He whispers to the girl’s ear, who just giggles. The girl turns around and I see that she looked almost like me, and I run away from them. That’s when I woke up, with the light streaming from my window. I shook my head with thoughts of my ex, and simply walked towards the bathroom to do my morning ritual. My head was still confused on why I dreamt of him, when I was over him years ago. I had plenty of crushes after him, but I didn’t get a boyfriend because I wanted to put my studies first. I sigh deeply as I put on my pencil skirt uniform and walked towards our kitchen.

When I reach school, I was just in time before the teacher walked in. I do my best to concentrate on the lesson, but my thoughts kept drifting to my dream. It couldn’t just have happened without a reason right? I try to think of reasons why I dreamt of him, and concluded that I was just stressed with finals coming up. I am pulled from my thoughts when I hear people getting up from their seats, and I realize that class was over. I mentally slap myself for not listening to the teacher, and I walk on to my next class. I shove through the throngs of people who were also rushing to their classes. Stephanie runs towards me and smiles widely.

“Hi Rubyyyy”

She says, stressing out the last letter. I smile at her as we get into our next room. I shove my hand into my bag, and I frantically try to find my eyeglass. My eyes widen as I realize that I might have left them in the other room, but I remember that I kept it in the front pocket of my bag. I slump on my chair, realizing that it might have fallen while walking. I then see a bright reflection, and I see my glasses in someone’s hand. And not just anyone’s hand. It was Michael’s.

“I saw this fall from your bag earlier.”

He says, smiling at me. My lips tug and curve into a smile at my eyeglass savior, and I mumble a thank you. He then waves goodbye as he goes to his room. Which was right next to my room. I felt my day instantly turn around, and I look at Stephanie who smiles at me knowingly. That’s when I concluded that I had a crush on Michael. And I was happy.

—————————————-
From that day on I always tried to take a peek in the room beside mine whenever the teacher didn’t come. I always saw the back of Michael’s head, and I always felt disappointed. I did it again anyways. I noticed other things about him, like how he was thin and that he was a bit silent in class. He always seem to know when I was looking at him, and he sometimes turns around and smiles.

‘Staring at me again?’

I smile when I read his text. We exchanged numbers a few days ago, and he was a hilarious guy. I look up from my phone and see him looking at me from across the canteen.

‘Look who’s talking.’

I text back. It doesn’t take long before he replies.

‘You’re quite hard not to stare at.’

I stupidly grin, and my classmates look at me. One of my friends steals my phone and her eyes grow wide at the text. She nudges my arm, and looks between me and Michael. I take my phone back, and I shove it into my pocket. I feel someone sit beside me, and I look up to see him. My heart jumps high, hoping he’d catch it.

“Why did you stop texting?”

His voice travels from my ears to my heart, making it leap higher.

“They took my phone”

He simply smiles at me, and opened his mouth to talk. Just then a pair of thin arms encircle his eyes, and long flowing hair covers the side of his face.

“Guess who”

The girl says, clearly enjoying what she’s doing. Michael holds her hand, and my heart drops 30 feet below sea level. He then takes the girl’s hands off, and he smiles at her. He walks off when she grabs him by his arm, dragging him to God knows where. I look at my lunch, suddenly losing my appetite. I scold myself for not thinking that he might have a girlfriend. Standing up from my chair I walk to my next class and I bury my head onto my arms. I try to empty my mind of Michael, and I felt like it was a repeat of a past. I sigh, thinking that history does repeat itself. At least I didn’t fall for him.

———————————-
I squint my eyes as I find for Chenee. We were in the mall for our usual hang-out, and I forgot my glasses making it hard for me to look for my friend in the food court. I see a hand waving at me, and I walk towards it, hoping it was her. My whole body stiffens when I realize it was Michael, but it was too late to walk away. I haven’t seen him in school, avoiding him. I haven’t even replied to any of his texts. I respected guys who had girlfriends, because I knew how girls felt when their boyfriend is close to another girl.

“Hi Ann Ruby.”

He smiles at me, or I think he does, and I awkwardly smile back.

“Want to join us?”

My heart ached when he gestured to him and the canteen girl and I shake my head. And as if on cue, I see Carrie walk towards me with Divine.

“Where have you been? Chenee is over there.”

She points to the other side of the food court, and I squint my eyes to see Chenee. I say good bye to Michael and the still unnamed girl, and walk with my friends. I’ve known them for most of my life, and I rarely saw them because of our schedules at school.

“So who was that guy?” Divine asks.

“Nobody.”

They don’t ask further, and soon Stephanie, Alyssa and Le-an arrive.

“Where’s Hannah?” Alyssa asks as she sits down.

“I texted her, but she didn’t reply.”

Soon enough we were lost in each other’s conversations. Luckily we were in a more public place, therefore there were no old ladies to scold us for being noisy.We ended up deciding to watch a movie, and as we walk into the theater I saw a familiar tall figure sit in front of us. He was surprisingly alone, but I tried my best to focus on the movie. After the movie we all went home.

Unfortunately for me, Michael got on the jeepney I was riding in. He sat two people away from me, and I sighed with relief that I wouldn’t be facing him the whole ride home. The rest of the ride was uneventful, that was until I passed my fare to him. Our hands touched lightly, and that familiar spark traveled from my skin. Our eyes locked, and I immediately pulled my hand away and he passed my fare to the driver. I got out the jeepney when I saw my house, and I turned around without saying goodbye to him.
————————————
On the last day of the finals I was feeling sky high. I was finally over half of my junior year in college, and semestral break was just around the corner. I smiled to myself thinking that I would see my friends again and I was too much lost in thought that I bumped into someone.

“Sorry.”

“Did you know that was the first thing you said to me?”

My head immediately shot up, and I saw a grinning Michael looking down at me. I noticed that he had a new haircut, making him look more dreamy. I snapped my head back down, and walked away. I then felt sparks flowing from my arm, and I saw that Michael was holding it.

“Can we please talk?”

He looked at me with pleading eyes, and for some reason I nodded.

“Why have you been avoiding me?”

I swallow hard, and I bravely look at him.

“Because you have a girlfriend” I whispered.

Silence took over, and I didn’t know if it was comfortable or not. I didn’t know if he heard me or not. I was just about to say it again when he cut me off.

“Sam isn’t my girlfriend. She’s my sister.”

My jaw dropped six feet into the ground, and my heart was beating lively after almost a month of staying still. He looked at me in the eye, and said.

“Did you really think I’d keep texting you if I had a girlfriend? I’m a loyal guy Ruby. I wouldn’t text someone I like if I had a girlfriend.

My lips curled a bit at what he said. But I was still speechless. All that effort to avoid him, and it was useless. Sparks once again flew when he held my hand. I was surprised, but I didn’t say anything. That’s when I realized that even though I tried to zoom out my feelings on him, my heart still squinted and zoomed in. We slowly made our way to the school gate, our hands still intertwined.
—————————————-

This story was fictional except for the characters that I based them upon.
Here’s Ann Ruby. She’s my superfriend in real life, super nice yet has the ability to be evil. 😀

And here’s our barkada:
Ann Ruby, Chenee, Divine, Alyssa, Stephanie, Carrie, Me, Sharmaine and Frances 🙂
As for Michael, he only exists in the vast world of fiction 😀

Yes or no?

My hands were sweaty and my feet were actually shaking. There she was, in all her beauty as we ran into each other in the empty hall of the school. She was with her classmate, and I was with a friend. She seemed to come out of nowhere, but I beamed. She was singing “All by myself” loudly,and immediately stopped when she saw me and smiled. She already knew I liked her. And she seems so cool with that fact. Ever since I admitted it to her last Saturday, I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t even wait til Monday came so I could see her again.
All day I’ve tried to catch a glimpse of her, and she seemed to pop out of nowhere just as I was thinking of her. It was like she read my mind or something. Although I chickened out to go to the cafeteria for lunch because I knew she would be there, I really wanted to see her. She gave my feet an extra bounce. When I saw her after lunch, she just pinched me and even noticed my haircut. I smiled widely, and pinched her back.
I’ve liked her for three years now, and I just came around to telling her because I knew after Graduation Day there was less chance to tell her. She made me feel like/love at first sight, since the moment I saw her face peering into our classroom looking for her friend when I was eleven(yes, ELEVEN). She swept me off my feet that moment, even though I should have done the sweeping since I was the guy. I met her officially through my friend, and with shaky hands and puberty peering everywhere, I introduced myself to her. I never wanted to wash my hands, especially when she said I was the first guy to shake her hand during introductions.
Now going back to what was really happening in front of me, I saw her turn to the left, going towards where I was headed. She was whispering something to her friend. Suddenly, I didn’t know what came over me, but I grabbed her arm and made her turn to me. Her friend walked on, not even noticing her absence. My friend walked on too, knowing what I was going to do.
I held her hand, and felt that it was soft and small. My heart raced faster than any car, as I knelt down in front of her, and I could see her blush. It was darn cute. I shook off the instinct of daydreaming, and looked up to her eyes. ‘You’re fourteen years old. Get a grip’ I told myself.  I must have looked like a lost puppy before I finally blurted out:
“Will you be my girlfriend?”
I swear my heart stopped, waiting for her answer. She smiled, unable to control herself. She then whispered,
“Maybe.”
And walked away towards her friend. I was dumbfounded, and I grinned so much that my cheeks hurt. That one word, two syllables. Even when she said maybe, at least she didn’t say no right? I’m going to court her, like they did in the old days and then ask her again to be my girlfriend when the time is right.

(more than two years later, we’re still together)

Reading hangover

‘She clutched the knife and drove it right into her lover’s chest. Her lips quivered as his blood slowly stained his shirt, and he screamed from his sleep, feeling the cold blade. His eyes grew wide as he gripped the knife, before passing out. Taking her gloves off, she went out of the hotel room shaking. I did it! Miranda thought. And now for my husband. She grinned mischievously, feeling up the gun that she kept in her purse.’

I close the book, my nerves rocketing through sky limit. She killed her lover! Now she’s going to kill her husband. The cafe seemed to quiet down around me. I look around, and I notice people staring at me. Did I just talk to myself? An old man just looked at me. I talked to myself again! I shut my mouth and walk out of the cafe. The warm weather envelopes me, and I make my way home. I burrow my brows together, my thoughts still hanging by the thought that the protagonist killed the man who made her happy. What kind of twisted world was I living in? I pause for a moment, and I laugh at myself. It’s not my world. It’s a book. 
“Something funny?”
I look up and see him, in all his handsome glory. And he was smirking! The nerve! I walk past him, a tint of blush on my cheeks. 
“Hey I was just kidding.”
I feel him run up to walk beside me, and I walk a bit faster. I hold my book to my chest, and I flag my hand to stop a jeepney. I get into the front, so that he won’t sit beside me. I sigh, exhaling the breath that I was holding. I open my book again, and in an instant I am lost in the sea of words.
‘After getting in a cab, she prayed silently that her husband would be home. The cab ride home was excruciatingly tiresome, and her heart was beating so loudly she hoped the driver would not hear. She tossed her red hair to the side, stepping out of the cab. Her hands were still shaking because of the adrenaline, but nervously tried to compose herself as she walked up towards the apartment. Just as she was about to open the door-‘

“Hey!”

I look in annoyance to my book thief, who grinned like a wolf. He was sitting behind me, holding my book by its cover. Rage seeped through me as he stuck out his tongue out at me. He began reading my book, his brows furrowed as he read the page I was reading. Jerk. The jeepney was near my drop off now, and I was thinking of ways to get the book back. I paid the driver, glared at the thief and got off. Predictably, he got off too and he walked towards me, closing my book. He didn’t even use the bookmark! Now I have to search the book for where I left. I huff, and I try to reach for my book. He held it up over his head, and I curse under my breath. 
“Give me the book Dennis.” I look at him in the eye, trying to muster the angriest look I could. I only received a howl of laughter from him.
“You’re so cute when you’re angry!” He says between his laughter.
I turn around so he wouldn’t see me blush, and I walk towards my house. I hear him call my name, but I pretend not to hear him. I feel his hand on my shoulder, but I just shrug it off. I walk faster, and soon enough I was running towards my house. I try to slam the door, but his damn foot got in the way.
“Hey Clarisse, don’t get mad. I was just curious what the book was about.”
I smack the door to his face, and soon enough I hear an “omf”. I smile with satisfaction, and I walk into my house. I hear him close my door, and I open the TV. He sits beside me, nudging me with his elbow. He slowly slid the book to my lap, and he remains silent. He’s smart after all. I immediately open my book, eager to know what was about to happen next. It took me a few minutes to find where I stopped, no thanks to Mr. jerk-a-lot. 
‘Just as she was about to open the door, she hears a woman. And not just any woman. It was her sister. She stuck her ear on the door, and her heart breaking in two after hearing her sister moan her husband’s name. Filled with rage, she opened the door and her eyes confirmed her suspicions. Her husband was in an intimate position with her sister, whose eyes practically bulged out when she saw her.’
My heart hammered right out my chest, as I read on. But unfortunately for me, the jerk started to sing to the theme song of Phinneas and Ferb as it played on TV. I sigh, and reached for the remote to mute the sound. 
“Hey! No fair!”
He tried to get the remote from me, but I lose immediately when he reached for my book. I reluctantly give it to him, and soon he was blaring the episode. Why did he have to be my neighbor? Why can’t my neighbor be someone who is actually nice to me? But lo and behold, I get a bully. I sigh, and return to my book. I shake my head at him, and he sticks his tongue out again. I open my book, and soon my anger melts. Soon I get lost between the confrontation of wife and husband, my mind drifting into a world woven by a writer so brilliant. And soon, I get drunk again with words from a simple book.

Someone asked me about you

Someone asked me about you a few days ago. They asked me who was the girl that made me grin like a lunatic. It made me stop and think how to tell them about you. I looked up the sky in hope to find inspiration.

I could have said “She looks like Aphrodite.”

But then that wouldn’t do you justice. So I searched again for the right words, trying to think about you. I thought about your hair, the way it curled at the end. I thought about your lips, how they perfectly melted into mine. I thought about your eyes. Damn your eyes. They would entrance me every time I saw it, and I never wanted to look away.

My friends looked at me expectantly, waiting for an answer. I searched for words again. They laughed at me and told me I was whipped, and I never denied it. The breeze coming from the trees stirred my hair, as we walked back to our office. Then after awhile, I turned to them and said:

“Have you ever been to the beach?”

They all nodded looking curiously at me, and I continued:

“Well she’s like that. Close. When you’re around her you feel a certain breeze float through. You feel relaxed, and the deeper you dig into the sand, the more happier and carefree you would feel. You feel like you could just run all the way to the other side of an island.

Like water she reflects. She can reflect someone’s happiness as if it were her own. At night when everything’s dark, she glows. Every indent a person makes in the sand she takes and she keeps it in her memory. Every wave gentle and she washes up treasures from her own self.

She can make you listen to everything she says, just like how you’d want to listen to the sounds of the ocean. Sure she sometimes turns into storms and wreaks havoc, but she does everything she could to make it up to you. You know what I mean?”

I looked at the three of them, each had a different expression. After awhile they smiled at me, and patted my back. We each went in the building’s elevator, and we pressed our different floors.

“We hope to meet her soon okay man?” One of them said when he reached his floor.

 After a while I was alone as the elevator continued to make my stomach drop. As I heard a familiar ding I walked out and proceeded to walk towards my cubicle. My neighbor smiled at me, her gaze kind. I then sit down on my computer and log in. I smile as I see you face, smiling brightly into the camera. You were showing off your engagement ring, a blush on your cheeks. My eyes then look further below the picture, with the text:

My beloved angel,
1988-2010