Chapter One: First Interaction

"See me in the darkest night"
Under the brightest moonlight

With electric currents flowing
With my heart that's beating
Everytime I see you
When the sky is blue

And I have loved you
More than I have loved me

Wishing you wouldn't leave me
Darling all I have

Is you
And my love for you.......

"Nice song" ngumiti ako.

"Thank you" I smiled at the person who just passed by and happened to hear my song. Being appreciated gives a very nice feeling to me.

"You composed it?" Tanong niya.

"Yes po" I think she is on her late 40s. She has a scarf around her neck. Malamig ang gabi. I happened to do my hobby in front of the mall at the circular fountain where friends and lovers or even families hang out.

"My husband used to write songs for me" ngumiti siya pero parang may lungkot sa mga mata niya. May wrinkles na siya ngunit sadyang kay ganda parin niya siguro mas maganda pa siya nung panahon ng kabataan niya.

"Every year, kapag anniversary namin, kinakantahan niya ako ng mga kantang ginagawa niya every year din. He has composed 24 songs. Una nung ikinasal kami and last is.......last year" parang may kung anong bigat sa dibdib ko nang marinig iyon mula sa kaniya, para bang may nangyaring masama.

"A day, after our anniversary, he died. Ilang linggo narin ang lumipas nang ma-diagnose siya na may cancer. Hindi naman siya nagpapa-chemo kasi maliit ang chance na mabuhay siya ulit. I never thought that would be our last wedding anniversary together" sabi niya at may tumulong mga luha sa mga mata niya.

"I am sorry" sabi ko. Nakita ko naman siyang ngumiti at pinunasan ang mga luha.

"I'm sorry hija, nag-drama pa ako. It just feels good to share something to someone. Well anyway, lalakad na ako. Continue your passion hija. You are very talented."sabi niya at naglakad na palayo.

"Ang saklap naman pala ng nangyari bes no? Yung namatay ang asawa niya. Ang sakit siguro mawalan ng taong mahalaga sayo."

Nagkibi't balikat lang ako at kinuha ang capo sa guitar ko bago pinasok ito ulit sa lagayan.

All my life, I felt pain. Halos araw araw akong nakakadama ng sakit na biglabg isang araw nasanay na ako at naging manhid. Maybe sometimes, pain can go through my thick and large walls, pero hindi iyong masakit na masakit talaga na para bang may pumipigil sa sakit na katiting na lamang nito ang nakaka-apekto sa akin.

"Tara na, gumagabi na rin Sue" sabi ko. Sinabit ko sa balikat ang strap ng guitar case ko bago tumayo at tiningnan ang paligid na dumidilim na rin.

"What?!, You kidding me Gab?, After three and a half hours na pananatili natin sa mall, una yung pagpunta sa NBS para maghanap ng mga new arrival na books, tapos pumunta tayo ng Department Store para mamili ng damit tapos sa anong store yun?, Yung maraming musical instruments?, Tapos tumambay ka pa dito sa fountain, kanta ka nang kanta tapos uuwi lang tayo nang hindi mo ako pinapakain, unfair Gabrielle!" Nakatitig lang ako sa kaibigan kong nagmamaktol. Nakatingin halos lahat ng tao sa amin ngayon. Fudge!

Sue is a beautiful fresh college graduate, like me. Classmate ko siya simula 1st year college and we've been best of friends. Siya ang palagi kong kasama sa lahat ng lakad at trip ko. Well, she also likes to go on trips and shopping, it is her thing.

"Okay, okay, kakain tayo" sabi ko at hininaan ang boses dahil sobrang nakakahiya ang ginawa niya kanina.

Nagtaas lang siya ng kilay.

"Dapat lang" kinuha niya ang bag niya at nauna nang pumasok sa mall.

"Food court tayo?" Tanong ko.

Huminto siya sa paglalakad. Kahit maraming tao sa paligid ay nakuha parin niyang huminto, not minding some people's hushed angry voices and complains.

"Ano?!" Napayuko ako bahagya nang marinig ang malakas na boses nito. Nasanay na ako sa kaniya. Maldita ako, I admit that pero mas maldita siya kesa sa akin. Suplada siya at hobby niya ang pagpapasakit ng mga ego. Kaya walang nagmamalakas ng loob na ligawan siya dahil sa kasupladahan niya. But she is actually kind, well, sometimes.....once in a blue moon yata.

Ngumiti ako na may halong pagpupumilit sa kaniya na huwag munang magmaldita.

"Gab!, Three and a half hours sa mall, tapos food court lang?, Dapat Cabalen or Viking or....basta, basta. Huwag lang sa food court. I am allergic to crowd you know?" Sabi niya at naglakad ulit. Pinanlakihan ko naman siya ng mata nang tumalikod siya. Allergic sa crowd?....Am I not updated about her?. Allergic sa crowd?. That's new.

Narating namin ang Vikings at agad na siyang kumain. Ako kumuha nang pang-batang size ng pagkain habang siya, parang pang Goliath. Seriously?!.

"Ang sarap ng pagkain di'ba?. You know what?, The best talaga ang day pag ikaw ang kasama ko, you know, you are sweet at hindi KJ, ang ganda pa ng boses mo. You know, ang sarap mong kasama" nag-taas lang ako ng kilay nang sinabi niya iyon habang kinakain ang isang piraso ng carrot.

I sighed. Alam ko!. Ako na naman ang magbabayad ng bill.

"Hahaha" tawanan ng isang grupo ng lalake ang nakanakaw ng atensyon namin. Napalingun kami sa entrance ng viking at nakitang sinaway sila ng guard.

Five boys, who looked like our age, wearing different t-shirt colors and men's shorts. Magbabarkada siguro sila.

Halos lahat ng babae dito sa loob ay nakatingin sa kanila, well who wouldn't, aside sa attention catcher nilang noise, their faces, handsome faces and body structure is just so hard to ignore. They are well toned, and hot to look at.

"Well Jin wouldn't mind paying the bill" prenteng sabi ng isa sa kanila na nasa harapan. He is handsome with his messy hair, his long nose, his thin lips and perfect jaw line.

"Dude, hindi napupulot ang pera" sabat naman ng katabi niyang pinakamaliit sa kanila ng height. Well he is still taller than me pero kung ikokompara sa mga kasama ay pandak siya.

"Well, enjoy the moment, I'll pay the bill" sabi ng isa na galing sa likod at naglalakad na ngayon papunta sa harap.

"Oh, Jin, nandito ka na pala, we were just talking about you" nakipag-up here pa ang lalake sa harapan sa bagong dating.

Compared to the five, the boy they are calling Jin is simple, yet still attractive. He has this messy hair, long nose, thin lips, beautiful eyes, soft white skin, well toned body, and just enough height. He looks good with his black-framed rectangular eye glasses.

"That's the spirit bro!, Kakagaling mo lang sa states, you are single, so wala kang ginagastusan" tawa tawa lang sila.

Hindi ko namalayan na sinusundan ko na pala siya ng tingin hanggang sa bigla siyang napalingun sa banda ko at nagtama ang mga mata namin.

At first natigilan siya, but he smiled anyway at kumindat sa akin bago nagpatuloy sa paglalakad.

And that is when I first felt my heart beating rapidly. A feeling I have never felt before.  I had crushes and boyfriends way back when I was still in college, my heart beats unusually everytime I see them, but not like this. Not worse like this.

And that is where I also met the boy I first loved truly and the boy I first lost.

All I knew, this morning when I woke
Is I know something now, know something
I didn't before

And all I've seen since 18 hours ago was green eyes
And freckles in your smile in the back of my mind making me feel right

I just wanna know you better, know you better know, you better now

I just wanna better know, you better know, you better now

I just wanna know you, better know, you better know, you better now

I just wanna know you, know you ,know you

Cause all I know is we said hello
And your eyes looked like coming home

All I know is a simple name, everything has changed

All I know is we held the door, you'll be mine and I'll be yours all I know is yesterday, everything has changed

(Everything has changed by Taylor Swift)

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