Chapter 2: Cheon Brothers

Hindi na ako umimik. Kumain na lang ako nang tahimik. Magsasalin sana ako ng juice sa baso nang maunahan ako ni Rich, siya ang naglagay para sa akin. Nakangiting inabot 'yon sa akin saka siya nagsalin para sa kanya.

I don't like bad boys because they are called bad for a reason and I cringe with getlemen, either. But If I were to choose between two, I'd rather be alone. Duh.

Bumalik din agad si Tita Minerva. "Pagpasensyahan mo na si Archeon, ah? Medyo pilyo lang siya pero mabait din 'yon."

Medyo?

"Wala naman po 'yon," sagot ko na lang.

"Ah, Rich? Why don't you give her a tour around this place? Para maging familiar siya sa lugar," sabi ni Tita Minerva habang nagsasalin ng juice sa isa pang baso. "Wala naman gaanong pasikot-sikot dito pero mas maganda na rin na alam niya."

Tumingin ako kay Rich na mukhang hinihintay lang ako.

"Ngayon na?" tanong niya sa akin.

Mabilis na tumango ako dahil baka dumating pa si Archeon. Baka kararating ko lang dito ay mapaalis din ako agad.

Sabay kaming lumabas ng bahay ni Rich. Naiilang talaga ako dahil sobrang maginoo niya. Pinagbuksan niya pa ako ng gate at kulang na lang ay latagan niya ako ng red carpet para 'di madumihan ang sapin ko sa paa.

I get it. Boys need to be gentle with girls but what I don't get is when they feel the need to do the move even with slightest thing. It doesn't make me feel like a princess, more like a disabled girl. It's actually fine if they let girls do move, too.

"Wala bang ibang tao rito?" tanong ko. "Are you perhaps a vampire living in a hidden place and away from the modern civilization?"

Natawa siya sa sinabi ko na parang biro 'yon. "Nakakatuwa ka naman. You can be a good writer with that imagination. Pero meron naman ibang tao rito. Baka tulog o may ibang ginagawa."

"Having sex, yeah," I nodded my head.

He burst out into laughter.

"Hindi ba kayo naiinip dito?" sunod na tanong ko.

"I read books," aniya.

How about me? I don't read books. Paano palipasin ang araw rito? Mukhang hindi rin ito naabutan ng internet connection. Para talagang nasa pinakadulo kaming bahagi ng bansa. Hindi naaambunan ng ingay.

"Hmmm... there's a lake from afar," Rich said.

"I don't like lakes," sabi ko.

"Hmmm. There's an abandoned theme park here, too. But I don't think you are into abandoned places."

Tumingin ako sa kanya. "What is fascinating about abandoned places?"

He smiled when he said, "The history why it was abandoned. What happened in that place?"

I shrugged my shoulders. The typical nerdy boy.

"Let's go to the lake?" I asked instead. Mukhang wala rin naman ibang lugar pa saka ayoko pang umuwi. Yeah, that jerk again.

Dinala niya ako sa lake. Dahil sa sikat ng araw ay tila kumikinang ang tubig. There were fishermen, too. Sa paligid ay mga palayan. Not bad. Masarap ding magpalipas ng oras dito. Lalo na at mas malakas ang malamig na hangin.

"Do you want to ride a boat?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Why here?" I asked, curious.

He looked confused with that question.

"I mean... why are you in this place? Your mom is driving for like four hours just to get home."

That's confusing me. Mas mapapadali kung sa siyudad na rin sila maninirahan, malapit sa trabaho ng mommy nila. The jerk could even enjoy the nightlife there unlike here. Unless they are really a group of vampires.

"The air," he said as he closed his eyes to feel the cold air. "The trees. The chirp of birds. The silence."

Napangiwi ako.

Very dramatic.

"May hangin din naman sa siyudad, ah?" pagrarason ko. "There are trees there, too. Even birds but... caged. And... silence every night. Actually, there are coffee shops where you can read in silence."

He let out a soft laugh. "I don't like crowded places."

That confirmed my thoughts. Because he is a nerdy boy who loves nature and silence when he reads books. He is living in his imagination that he starts to hate things that deprive him a better visual of things --- that's reality.

"I get it," I nodded my head.

"Get what?" He raised those thick eyebrows, just like that jerk's.

"I get that you really love to read books," I responded.

"You should try, too. It's fun!"

I winced. "Sitting is no fun."

"Using imagination is," he immediately said as if I offended him.

Umupo ako sa damuhan at tinanaw na lang ang ilog sa malayo. Umupo rin sa tabi ko si Rich.

"Because I am sick," he said out of nowhere.

Napalingon ako sa kanya. "Ngayon? Gusto mo na bang umuwi?"

Nakangiting umiling ito. "The reason why mom needs to travel for four hours just to get home is because one of his sons needs a fresh air to breathe. He needs silence to calm his suffocating lungs. He needs this kind of place. I need it."

Hindi ako madalas makisimpatya sa paghihirap ng iba dahil maging ako ay naghihirap din naman, pero pinatong ko ang kamay ko sa balikat ni Rich at sinabing, "That's sad pero okay lang 'yan. Dapat si Archeon na lang 'no?"

Tumawa ito nang malakas dahil do'n.

"I won't wish for someone to suffer just like I am, but you're hilarious I can't help but to laugh!" And he continued to laugh.

He's the total opposite of me. If I could take the place of someone who is good... I would. I don't like my life. I never liked it. It sucks... it's always been. I always covet for a good life, something life has been depriving me to have.

"You can stay here as long as you like," he said.

Hindi mo na kailangang sabihin 'yan.

"Thanks," I beamed.

"What do you like?" he suddenly asked. "I mean, you don't like books, lakes, abandoned places, silence... what piques your interest then?"

Napakapa ako ng sagot. I don't know what I like. And if ever I like something, I can't have it either.

But if there's one thing I see fascinating, "The view from high places. I like seeing things in the distance where everything seems so tiny. Like... I am the biggest star and no one can touch me. Very dramatic but... I like when it feels like I can see the world."

Kapag pumupunta ako sa mga building ay agad na sa rooftop ang bagsak ko. Uupo ako sa railing habang nakatingin sa mga maliliit na building. I could even spend whole day just by observing small things in distance.

"I know a place," he said, thrilled. "Gusto mong makita?"

I immediately nodded my head.

Hinila niya ako palayo sa lake. Matapos ang ilang minuto ay nawala rin ang ngiti ko nang makitang pauwi na kami. Hindi ako nagsalita. Akala ko ay papasok kami sa loob pero hindi, umikot kami papunta sa likod ng bahay nila kung saan ko siya unang nakita.

"Here," he finally said.

"I don't get it," I said.

"Sometimes, you need to look around, Amira. Why don't you roam your eyes around?" he suggested.

The moment I looked up, I saw a small house above the huge tree. Wala sa sariling napangiti ako habang nakatingin doon.

"How can we get there?" I asked, excited.

Naglakad si Rich papunta sa likod ng puno kung saan may hagdan. Siya ang unang umakyat bago ako.

Pagkarating namin sa taas ay mas bumilog ang mga mata ko. From here, I could see the lake, the small houses, the farms around... and the jerk who was up here, too. He was sitting on the wooden long chair, looking bored with those lazy eyes.

"You're not part of the Cheon Brothers," Archeon said. "Rich, hindi siya pwede rito. She's a girl."

"Come on, Kuya. She's part of our family now," pagtatanggol sa akin ni Rich. "Saka hindi ba mas maganda 'yon? The more, the merrier!"

Archeon stood up and crossed those broad arms in front of his chest. "We don't even know her. What if she's a thief or a criminal that just escaped jail? We can't trust her yet."

That... hit me.

Tatalikod na sana ako para bumaba nang humarang sa daan si Rich. "Stay," he whispered before he eyed his brother. "She doesn't know us either, Kuya Archeon. What if we are a vampire hiding behind the modern civilization or a human who fears other human. She can't trust us either. We are even here."

Bumali ang leeg ni Archeon. "You like her?" he asked.

"I like her," sagot naman ni Rich.

Tumingin sa akin si Archeon. Napalunok ako dahil sobrang seryoso nito. Ngayon ko lang nakitang hindi siya ngumiti. He's been smiling like a maniac since I got in here and now, he's giving me that cold and deadly stare.

Bigla itong umupo uli. "Introduce yourself," he dared me.

Napatingin ako kay Rich. Napahingang malalim na lang ito bago tumango sa akin.

I think I have no choice.

Bumaling ako uli sa lalaking kalmadong nakaupo habang nakatingin sa akin. Nakapatong pa sa magkabilang bahagi ng pahabang upuan ang kanyang mga braso. Nagtaas ito ng kilay na hindi pa ako nagsalita.

"I am Amira, 19. I am not a thief but I can be one. I am not an escaped prisoner either, but who knows?" I smirked. "And uh, I don't trust you either."

Kumunot ang mga makapal niyang kilay. "Is that it?"

"What do you want to know?" Hamon ko.

"Are you a virgin?"

That caught me off guard. What the heck?!

"Kuya!" Rich tried to get in our way.

"I am not," I stayed calm. "And if ever I am, I'm not going to ask that question to someone and pretend I am fuckboy who fucks girls and leave just for the sake of being cool."

Mas lalong sumama ang timpla ng mukha niya.

I gulped hard. I think I was not calm answering his queries at all. Did I exceed the limit I put just to prolong my stay here? But based on his expression, my stay here is done. Damn it!

"But I'm not saying it's yo-"

"You're annoying..." He cut me out. I felt goosebumps at the back of my neck when he flashed back that smirk on those lips again. "I guess I like you now."

Tumayo ito uli at lumapit sa akin. Napasinghap ako nang magtama ang mga katawan namin. Kinailangan ko pang iangat ang ulo ko para makita ang kanyang mukha. Still... the smirk remained dangerous.

"You need to swear, too," he said. "You need to promise not to tell anyone what's going on in here. You need to swear not to spread words and things we do while we are inside this treehouse. You need to tell us with all honesty that... you are not going to fall in love with one of the Cheon Brothers."

Napanganga ako sa sinabi niya. Sa sobrang gulat ko ay hindi ako agad nakapagsalita. Kinailangan ko pang balikan ang mga sinabi niya sa isipan ko para tuluyang maunawaan 'yon.

I get the privacy thingy but not the fall in love one. Inaasahan niya bang mahuhulog ako sa isa sa kanila? I am not here to fall in love. I am here... because my life sucks and they are my escape in the reality I live in.

"If you can't promise, you can come down," he said, threatening me.

"I promise," I said straight into his eyes. "I promise not to tell anyone about the things we do here and I swear to keep my mouth shut whatever happens in here. And yeah, Archeon. I promise not to fall in love with one of the Cheon Brothers."

Yumuko siya at mas tinapat ang mukha sa akin. "Promises should be sealed. Kiss me."

"What?" My eyes widened in shock.

"I am the eldest here so definitely, I am the leader. You need to seal your promise to me. I don't believe in words that much."

"Y-You're kidding me."

"Kuya, that's enough." Tinulak ni Archeon si Rich nang sinubukan nitong pumagitna sa amin.

He showed me that dangerous smirk again. "Unfortunately, I am not. Show me what you got."

"Ayoko," madiin kong sabi.

"Nahuhulog ka na ba?" pang-aasar niya.

Guess what? Baka siya pa ang maunang mahulog kapag tinulak ko siya pababa rito.

"You're not my type," I responded.

"Then kiss me and prove it, Amira. Why? Are you scared?"

Tumingkayad ako at inabot ang kanyang labi. Tulad ng gusto niyang mangyari ay hinalikan ko siya sa gilid ng kanyang labi. I've kissed a lot of men before and kissing is not hard for me to do. Pero ayoko sa lahat ay ang inuutusan ako. I don't follow anyone. But I made an exception today.

"But you won't see me confessing my feelings, Archeon. I'd rather run away than to admit it," I whispered back. "And there's only one way for you to find out if I break your rule, that's when I'm gone."

To fall in love? I am not here for that.

To fall in love with Archeon? Richeon is here.