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@akaiito2kj
Corridor
âElmo!â
Iâm used to hearing murmurs and whispers of my name around campus. Not to sound conceited or anything, just stating a fact. Pero this time, medyo malakas ang pagkakasabi ng name ko and the voice sounded familiar. I turned around.
âUy, Maq!â
âHi. First time to actually see you here on campus.â
âHaha. E alam mo naman, wala pang one week nagsa-start ang term, bakasyon agad eh.â
âYeah, I know. Anyway, medyo late na rin pero let me welcome you here sa CSB. WELCOME!â
âHaha Ang adik lang. But yeah, thanks.â
*ehem*
I heard her clearing her throat and I suddenly remembered I wasnât alone when Maqui called me.
âOh, nga pala. Maq, si Lauren. Lo, you know Frencheska.â
âHi. Welcome to CSB.â
âThanks. Nice to see you. Dito ka rin pala. Whatâs your course nga pala here?â
âOh, Culinary.â
âNice. Kami HRIM.â
âYeah, I know. Kayo. I mean, HRIM kayo.â
âYes. Kami.â
Ok, hmmm. Parang awkward.Â
âAnyway, it was good seeing you here Lauren. And you too Elmo, you looking good. Hiyang sa US ah.â
âHaha. Ang saya nga eh. Iâm sure nagkwento na rin si Julie sayo. Panay chikahan niyo yesterday and nung Sabado.â
âOh yeah, definitely. Sounds like you both had a blast. Dami nga niyang kwento eh.â
âYeah, ang saya. Oh, she mentioned na you went to Korea. Wow. Ang saya dinâŠâ
âUghm, hehe. Yeah, Moe, we should go, may class pa tayo. Nice seeing you din Frencheska. You look good. Bagay sayo yang top mo.â
âThanks Lauren. Pasalubong ni Julie âto from their trip.â
Haha. I remember this top. Isa sa mga una naming ginawa ni Julie when we got there was magshopping for pasalubong. Just to get it out of the way.Â
âJulie was persistent in getting you that. Favorite color mo daw and all.â
âOf course. Tumulong ka rin naman daw sa pagshashopping niya when you guys were together in⊠I forgot na yung kwento niya. Basta kung saan man kayo nagshop nun.â
âAh oo. Nung nasaâŠâ
I then felt na hinila ako ng slight ni Lauren, and not so softly whispered,
âMagkasama magshopping? I thought si Tita ang kasama mo? And, andâŠTHAT GIRâŠ.I meanâŠSHE was with the others?â
I gave her a confused look. Whoever gave her that idea? I can see Maqui sa corner ng mata ko na nabigla rin at napataas ang kilay sa sinabi ni Lauren.
âI never told you that. You knew we were together almost the entire time. She was even there when I met up with Micah. â
âButâŠâ
âShe was also with me when I bought you yung binilin mong Tif..â
âUhgm excuse lang guys, mauna na rin ako. May class din kasi ako eh.â
Napatingin ako bigla kay Maqui. Bigla na naman ba kaming nagkaron ng random almost fight ni Lauren? And here in the middle of the corridor no less.Â
âOh sorry Maq. Sige see you around.â
âSee you Elmo. You too Lauren.â
Lauren just gave her a half hearted smile. She clearly wanted Maqui to leave na so we can talk about my âshopping escapadesâ with Julie.
âOh and Lauren?â
Napatingin kami pareho kay Maqui.
âUghm, advise lang. Hope you donât take it the wrong way, pero I just canât help but notice eh. Ughmm⊠That Tiffany thing youâre wearing is super nice pero ingat lang siguro sa pagsuot niyan dito. I mean, here inside school ok lang siguro. Pero pag labas mo diyan sa Taft, hindi mo rin masabi. Alam mo na. Such an expensive looking jewelry to wear habang andito lang naman sa school. You know what I mean?â
Napataas ang kilay ko sa sinabi ni Maqui. I was trying to contain the snort that was trying to come out of my mouth. Napapigil ako ng tawa. Napalingon pa nga sa akin si Lauren, but she turned back to Maqui.
âHa?â
âI mean, Iâm sure you donât want to be⊠THAT GIRL⊠na ma-snatch-an ng alahas sa Taft right? It happens more often than you think. So why wear it pa? Alam mo⊠concerned lang naman ako. Itâs not like youâre trying to..I donât know⊠SHOW IT OFF or anything di ba?â
Kitang-kita kong nanlaki ang mata ni Lauren. Iâve actually mentioned this to her this morning. Na why she has to wear it to school. Sabi naman niya kasi bigay ko. Napatawa na nga lang ako. Kasi alam naman namin parehong ilang araw niya rin akong kinulit sa wishlist niyang âto. That she just has to HAVE it.
âUghmâŠno. No! Of course not. Iâm not trying to show off. I donât have to prove anything to anyone! Hindi noh!â
âOhkaaaayâŠ. O sige. Mauna na ako. Bye guys.â
At umalis na nga si Maqui. Pag tingin ko kay Lauren, she seemed to snap out of her mini-trance. She also seemed to forgot about our mini argument kanina.
âHay naku, letâs go. You have a lot to catch up on.â
And she walked sa other direction. I just stood there shaking my head.
Monday pa lang ba talaga? Ang tagal naman ng tech reh.
Hahaha takte ka magalona namimiss ko narin ang techreh niyo ng julie baby mo! Huhu
485 C
Yes. Magcommute nalang ako. Yup. Kaya ko. As if may choice ako? Bye.Â
The person ended the call. Naman talaga ang buhay ko! Hello pollution. Nakakainis ahâŠcommuting galore. Sino kaya pwede sabayan?Â
* * *Â
He was in the car with her, parked near the school gate, readying to leave.Â
Tap. Tap. Someoneâs knocking on the carâs window.Â
She opened it a bit. Â
Can we talk? Sandali lang ito. The person outside said.Â
Yeah, wait lang. *yawn* She went out of the car and followed.Â
A few minutes later, she returned to the car and talked to him.Â
Please babe? She said while looking from him to the person outside. *yawn*Â
Whatever you say. But, you know my stand. I still donât like that person.
Yehey! Thank you, babe! She isâŠnice. She kissed him on the cheek.Â
She rolled down the passenger seatâs window.Â
Hey! Sabay ka na sa amin! Daan ka na namin hanggang Quirino. Dun ka nalang magbus or cab kasi pa Roxas Blvd kami, ikaw papuntang North. So, ok ba yun sa iyo? Â She called out to her.Â
Nagliwanag ang mukha ng sinabihan. Wagas itong napangiti sa pagpayag ng kakilala.Â
Yey! Thank you, thank you!Â
She turned to him, smiling.Â
Naku, bahala ka dyan ah! Nakasmile na naman yang isang yan hanggang mamaya. Magfefeeling na naman yan. HayâŠ
Pagbigyan mo na. Patay na patay sa iyo eh. Classmate ko naman.
Oo nga. Classmate mo na nang bully sa iyo at sobrang feeling. Lakas na mang stalk, lakas pang magtweet ng kung ano ano. Pati ako biniktima nyan at patuloy na binibiktima. Ewan ko ba sa iyo, ang bait bait mo sa kanya. Â
She was looking at him with puppy dog eyes. Malamang may problem siya sa childhood kaya nagkaganyan siya, bully. Hahaha! Â Canât we give her a second chance?
Sige na. One random act of kindness. Second chance pa. Sighing. Wag mo akong tutulugan ha? Letâs just hope that I can fulfill this act of kindness. What if hindi ko magawa?
Kaya mo yan. I believe in you. At oo, di kita tutulugan..sana lang. Hahaha. *yawn*Â
Shaking his head, he whispered and smiled, mahal talaga kita, walang duda.Â
Tap tap. The person was knocking on the carâs window.Â
Click.Â
Sorry, forgot to unlock. I did not do that on purpose. Automatic eh. He said smiling. Looking at his girlfriend.
She flung her arms around him. Thank you, babe. Â
Salamat ha. Super hulog kayo ng langit sa akin. Wala kasi susundo sa akin eh. Nakakainis nga sila eh. Coding pa. Sambit ng taong sumakay sa likuran ng kotse.Â
* * *
Red light.Â
*Yawn* She faced the window, looking at the people walking at the sidewalk. Â
Babe?
Tulog na ata, Moe. She commented from the backseat.
Itâs Elmo.
Ang taray mo naman. Â Ang yabang lang. She mocked him.Â
Babe? He saw her sleeping. He held her left hand and squeezed it gently. She smiled.Â
Still red.Â
It was eerily quiet inside the car, so he turned on the car stereo. Â Â
           Why canât it be?
           Why canât it be the two of us?
           Why canât we be lovers?
           Only friends?
           You came along at the wrong place at the wrong time
           Or was it me?
 Ayun oh! She excitedly commented from the back.Â
Shhh⊠ano ba? Please keep it down.Â
But, she was too caught up in her own little world.Â
Elmo, bakit naman kasi di pwede maging tayo? Bakit kasi di mo ako niligawan? Maganda naman ako ahâŠÂ
Kasi hindi kita gusto. Kasi ayoko sa iyo. At dahil hindi lang sa kagandahan nasusukat ang pagmamahal. Hindi ako nagagandahan sa iyo.
Huh? She surprisingly asked.Â
Oo. Kung marami ang nagagandahan sa iyo, ako hindi. And could you please mind your voice? Ang lakas din ng boses mo, may natutulog oh.
She was shocked with his answers. She just realized that she rather asked those questions loudly. Nakakahiya. Sobrang nakakahiya.
Red. No movement still.Â
He silently asked himself, bakit naman ang tagal maubos ng sasakyan galing Estrada? Argh!!!
Sakit mo naman magsalita.
Just saying what I feel. I am not my girlfriend. I speak my mind. You can still get out of the car if you want. The traffic lightâs red.
Bakit naman? Bakit ba galit na galit ka sa akin ha?
Green.Â
Finally. He shifted the gears to drive and stepped on the gas pedal.Â
Bakit ka galit na galit sa akin? Pag uulit nitong tanong sa kanya.Â
Hindi ako galit sa iyo. I just donât like you. You hurt people.
Why? And how did I hurt people? She demanded.
Yes. You pester people just for the sake of doing it. You enjoy making fun of others. I see them on your tweets. You like doing these things. You once, not only once, bullied my girlfriend with your barkada. You annoy me. A lot.Â
Stop. Red.
This is your stop. Quirino.Â
Lauren eventually stepped out of the car. Not saying anything.Â
Elmo on the other hand, woke Julie up. I dropped off Lauren in Quirino earlier. Sorry, I wasnât able to do my act of kindness.
Why, babe? What happened? How was it?
Letâs just say that the ride with Lauren was the worst 10 minutes of my life.
-FIN-
Aliw na aliw ako sa oneshot mo na to Wil! XD
otis
Toot toot.
       1 Message Received â Baby
Ganda, paki abot naman yung phone ko oh? Please.
Iniabot ni Ganda ang cellphone ng kapatid. Thank you. Nakangiting sambit ng nakatatandang kapatid. Nagpeprepare kasi ang Ate niya ng baked macaroni para pagkain nila mamaya.
Ate, sino ba kasi yang âbabyâ mo? Nacucurious ako nang todo dyan ha!Â
Boyfriend ko nga diba? Habang binabasa ang text na natanggap.
Boyfriend? Bakit di ko pa nakikita? Pagdududa nitong tanong sa kapatid. Baka naman matanda na yan ha? Sumbong kita kay mama. Kaya siguro lagi kang may regalo. At hello? Bago na naman ang sneakers mo, Ate?
Hahaha! Eh kasi lagi kang wala pag pumupunta siya. Lagi kang nasa labas. Nasa baba. Nakatambay sa UM. Naglalakwatsa sa Midtown. Ano pa ba?
Oo na. Oo na. Tama na Ate! Nasasaktan na ko!
Sira. Kilala nila mama yung baby ko. Arte mo! Nagmamaganda ka na naman! Hahaha!
Bigla biglang tumayo si Ganda at nagmamadaling sinuot ang denim sneakers niya. Napatingin ito sa relo nila malapit sa kusina.
Anong nangyayari sa iyo? Pagtatakang tanong ng Ate niya.
Shucks! Mag aalas quarto na pala! Di mo naman sinabi Ate! Ehhhhhhh!!!!
Bakit? May class ka pa ba? Di ba tapos na classes mo for today? Litong tanong ng Ate niya.
Arghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
Palabas na sana siya ng, Ooops! Saan ka pupunta, Ganda? May bisita tayong darating.
Dyan lang ate sa baba! Sandali lang ako. Sino ba bisita natin? Nagmamadali siyang lumabas ng condo nilang magkapatid at tumakbo patungong elevator.
Yung âbabyâ ko! Ipapakilala kita sa kanya! Sigaw nito kay Ganda habang natatawa.
Please naman elevator, bumukas ka na? Para naman abutan ko siya. Lalakad pa ako. Malayo rin ang LRT station ahâŠPlease? Manong elevator, come on. Makisama ka. Kausap niya sa elevator na tila ay nagmamakaawa.
Ding! At biglang nagliwanag ang mukha niya. Bumukas ang pinto ng elevator.
Yes! Salamat po. Lakas ko talaga sa inyo.
Pinindot niya ang G/F button. Sana walang sumakay, sana walang sumakay, dasal niya. Mukhang maswerte si Ganda. Siya lang nga ang sakay ng elevator simula 27th floor hanggang sa pagbaba nito sa ground floor lobby ng building. Kapag sinuswerte ka nga naman oh. Ngiti niya sa sarili.
Ding! At tuluyan na siyang naglakad palabas ng building ng condo nila.
Siopao naman sa init oh. Alas quarto na ah? Mataas pa rin ang araw? Haha! Buti nalang dala ko shades ko. Wahahaha! Girl Scout to uy! Laging handa. Â
At dali dali na ngang naglakad papuntang LRT station si Ganda. Lakad. Takbo. Lakad. Takbo. Lipad? Yan ang ginawa niya sa kahabaan ng Taft Avenue.
Umabot naman siya sa lugar na patutunguhan. Di naman siya na late. Sakto lang. Kalalabas lang ng hinihintay niya at may dala dala itong paper bag ng Vans. Pasakay na ito ng kotse ngunit kasama na naman niya yung babae. Girlfriend nga niya ata yun. Pabulong na sabi ni Ganda sa sarili niya habang medyo nalulungkot.
Umalis na ang kotse.
Naku naman Elmo, bakit kailangang si Lauren pa? Nandito naman ako. Di hamak na mas maganda naman ako dun sa babeng yun ah! Habang pagkakausap niya sa sarili.
Toot toot.
       1 Message Received â Ate
             Nasaan ka na? Wag mo sabihing nag aabang ka na naman
                       dyan sa tapat ng CSB? Nakaalis na yung si Elmo dyan. Hahaha!
                       Umuwi ka na. Padating na daw yung âbabyâ ko.
Itong si Ate, basag trip talaga eh! Lakas mang asar! Pailing iling na sambit ni Ganda sa text ng kapatid.
             Opo. Babalik na ako dyan. Nakita ko naman si Elmo eh.
                       Kaso kasama na naman si Lauren. Mas maganda naman
                       ako dun ah? Hahaha. Bakit alam mo na umalis na si Elmo ha?
                       Pauwi na ako, Ate. Wait lang.
       Message Sent â Ate
Pagdating ni Ganda sa condo building nila ay nakita niya ang kotse ni Elmo? O ni Lauren? Na pawang may hinihintay. Naka bukas ang hazard lights.
At bakit naman nandito ang kotse na yan? Nakaharang pa. Pagtatakang tanong sa sarili ni Ganda. Medyo may halong inis pa. Pero, nandito yung kotse eh. Ibig sabihin, nandito si Elmo sa building! Napatawa siya sa naisip. Sabagay, possible nga naman. May Vans store sa 2nd floor ng building na tinitirahan nila eh. Sponsor ni Elmo ang Vans eh.
Papasok na si Ganda sa loob ng building ng makasalubong niya si Elmo sa may hagdanan. May mga dala dalang bag galing Vans. Mukhang kumuha ng mga items sa store na yun. Papunta ito sa kotseng naghihintay.
Hi! Bati ng binata sa kanya sabay ngiti.
Walang nagawa si Ganda kundi ang tumango nalang sa nakasalubong. Cool lang kunwari. Pero ang totoo, mukhang naubusan talaga siya ng tapang sa pag hi ni Elmo sa kanya.Â
Oh my gosh! Nag hi sa akin si Elmo Magalona. Sambit ni Ganda sa sarili habang pinapaypayan ng sariling mga kamay ang mukha. Nasa lobby siya ng condo building at hinihintay ang pagbukas ng elevator.
Sa kinalulugaran niya ay natatanaw ang kotse na sinakyan ni Elmo. Hindi pa rin ito umaalis. Nakatayo si Elmo sa labas ng sasakyan niya at mukhang may hinihintay pa rin.
Ang pogi niya talaga. Ang swerte ko talaga today. Up close and personal lang kay Elmo. Hahaha! Sabi ni Ganda. Â Â
Ding! At muling bumukas ang pinto ng elevator. Lumabas ang mga taong sakay nito. Kasama na si Lauren.
Ngumiti si Lauren sa kanya.
Nginitian ako ni Lauren? Bakit? Close ba kami? Takang tanong ni Ganda sa sarili.
Toot toot.
       1 Message Received â Ate
            Ganda, wru? Nandito na si âbabyâ ko. :)
Minabuti ng hindi sagutin ni Ganda ang text ng kapatid dahil paakyat na rin naman siya sa unit nila.
27th floor.Â
Ding! Lumabas na si Ganda ng elevator at nagdoorbell sa pinto ng unit nila nang makarating ito doon. Pagbukas ng Ate niya ng pinto ayâŠ
Ate! Hulaan mo sino nakita ko? Excited na sabi nito sa kapatid.
Si Elmo. Simpleng sagot nito.
Paano mo nalaman?
Part-time manghuhula ako, di mo ba alam? Pang aasar nito sa nakababatang kapatid.
Ate naman o, basag trip talaga. Pagmamaktol ni Ganda.
Aba naman, sa araw araw na pagpunta mo sa tapat ng CSB eh hindi ko pa ba malalaman? Samantalang dito ka lang naman pumapasok sa tabi. Hahaha!
Nakakainis ka Ate! Sambit ni Ganda habang papalapit sa dining table nila. Nakita niya ang dalawang kahon ng brownies sa lamesa. Saan galing itong brownies? Di ka naman lumabas ah? Habang kumukuha ng isang slice. Tsaka nakita ko pala si Elmo dyan sa baba. Nag hi pa nga siya sa akin eh. Tsaka si Lauren, nag smile sa akin.
O bakit parang di ka excited? Hindi ka kinilig? Akalain mong siya pa lumapit sa iyo? Â Pang uusisa ng Ate niya.
Kasama kasi niya si Lauren eh. Malungkot niyang sagot.
Ito naman masyado! Baka naman friend lang niya talaga si Lauren. Baka naman may ibang girlfriend yung tao? Baka ako ang girlfriend ni Elmo? Nangingising sambit ng Ate niya.
Ngunit tila di iyon napansin ni Ganda, pero Ate, bakit kasama niya si Lauren? Nasasaktan ako!
Ang OA mo ha! Sa totoo lang. Hahaha! Natatawang pagsaway nito sa kapatid.
Ate, ano yan? Sabay turo sa may counter top nila sa kitchen. May Vans na naman na paper bag? Ano ka? Nanghihingi ka ba sa baba ng paper bag? Nakakahiya ahâŠ
Tinignan niya ang kapatid na kumakain ulit ng brownies.
Nasaan na pala ang bisita mo? Nasaan na si âbabyâ? Late naman yan! Pang aasar ni Ganda sa Ate niya.
For your information, galing kay âbabyâ ko yang kinakain mo na brownies at ang Vans na yan. Pinadeliver niya. Hahaha! Sabay turo sa mga nabanggit.  Â
Aba Ate! Swerte ka talaga ha! Mukhang may connect sa Vans ang âbabyâ mo ah.. pabirong bati ni Ganda.
Hindi sumagot ang Ate niya. Nakangiti lang.
Nakakaloko naman yang ngiti mo Ate.
Ganda, may sasabihin ako sa iyo.
Nakakakaba ka naman Ate. Ang serious mo bigla? Nahawa ka na sa kabipolar-an ko? Hahaha! Pilit na pinagagaan ni Ganda ang sitwasyon. Medyo natetensyon kasi siya pag nagseseryoso ang Ate niya.
Toot toot.
       1 Message Received â Baby
            On my way there, baby. :)
At sumagot sa text ang Ate niya.
                  Ok, baby. Talking to her now. Hehe.
        Message Sent â Baby
Biglang nagsalita ang Ate ni Ganda. Tinignan siya nito sa mga mata. Nakangiti.
Ganda, what if sabihin ko sa iyo na yang brownies na kinakain mo, si Lo ang nagbake?
Weh? Lo ka dyan? Close kayo? Pang aasar ni Ganda.
Ngumiti ulit ang Ate niya.
Eh, what if sabihin ko sa iyo na kaya nag hi sa iyo si Elmo kanina sa baba kasi kilala ka na niya? Pagkukumbinsi pa rin ng Ate niya.
Hindi rin. Friendly lang yung tao. Artista eh. Kailangan mabait sa lahat.
Ngiti ulit.
Eh yung si Lauren naman ang ngumiti sa iyo kasi alam niya na kapatid kita? Maniniwala ka ba?
Hindi.
Napailing ang Ate niya sa sagot niya. Nangingiti.Â
Eh, kaya mo bang iexplain kung bakit nandyan sa baba ang kotse ni Elmo? Or kung bakit ang dami ko ng Vans?
Ewan ko sa iyo. Nagtataka nga rin ako eh.
Kasi ngaâŠ
Kasi nga ano Ate?
Napabuntong hininga ang Ate ni Ganda.
What if sabihin ko nga na ako ang girlfriend ni Elmo? Maniniwala ka?
Napaisip si Ganda. Lahat naman kasi ng nabanggit ng Ate niya ay posible eh. Hindi naman kasi nature ng Ate niya na gumawa ng kwento. Oo, masikreto ang Ate niya pero hindi ito sinungaling.
Oo naman. Basta ba kakatok siya dyan sa pinto natin at hahanapin ka dito sa bahay. Doon lang ako maniniwala na boyfriend mo nga si Elmo ko. Hahaha!
Ding Dong!
Nagkatinginan ang magkapatid. Binuksan ni Ganda ang pinto.
Hi Ganda. Este, hi Mara. Iâm Elmo Magalona, nandyan ba ang ate mong si Julie Anne? Ako kasi si âbabyâ, ang boyfriend niya.Â
-FIN-
One of my favorite oneshots mo Wil! Salamat sa pagpapasabog ng Twitter notif ko..masyado mo naman akong namiss! Chos! Trololol P.s And yes please continue writing miss ko na ang mga JuliElmo ff mo eh! Hihi ;)
Wonderwall
âYes?â
Elmo asked her as he smirked.
Julie blinked at him with confusion. âHuh?â
The two of them were sitting next to each other in the library of her college. It was already four in the afternoon and her last class just ended while Elmoâs classes were all scheduled in the morning so they agreed to meet up at the library where he had been waiting for a few hours until her classes were over. He was reading a book when she arrived and they decided to stay for another hour so she could also get a few homeworks done as early as possible.
A few minutes into writing though, her thoughts wandered from her history paper to Elmo as her gaze suddenly landed upon his face and they stayed there until he finally looked up to her and caught her eyes.
His smirk then turned into a full blown smile and laughed softly. âWhy are you staring at me?â
âAm not!â She countered rather defensively.
âAre too,â he answered right back. Then that oh so familiar smirk returned again. âGwapo ko ba?â
âWhatever,â Julie said, rolling her eyes.
She actually wanted to say yes but refrained from doing so to prevent inflating his already large ego. She was guilty anyway, so she just surrendered to avoid prolonging an argument that she knew herself she couldnât win.
She has been doing that a lot latelyâjust staring at Elmo. Sometimes intentionally, but most of the time she just usually found herself staring at him for so long like he held all the questions of the world. And maybe he did, at least of her world. She just couldnât help it and itâs not just because of how good looking he was, but also of how Elmo was very patient and passionate with her.
He chuckled smugly, knowing that he just won. There was another teasing looking on his face before he spoke again. âSagutin mo na kasi ako. Para hindi ka lang puro titig sa akin ng ganyan.â
âGanyan?â Julie repeated, a frown settled on her forehead.
âGanyan,â he shrugged. Elmo glanced at her then went back to the book he was reading before she came in and sat on his side, smiling knowingly. âParang gusto mo âkong halikan.â
Julie blushed furiously but tried to hide it by laughing as quietly as she could and smacking him on the shoulder. âSira ka talaga!â
âSige na kasi,â he teased further as he feigned a hurt expression while rubbing his shoulder.
âAno? Sige na, sagutin na kita?â She whispered mockingly as she went along with his playfulness, leaning forward to him thinking it would make him uncomfortable.
As it turned out, she was wrong because Elmo leaned closer into her, his breath touching the corner of her lips. Then he answered seductively, âHindi. Pa-kiss naman.â
The move obviously caught her off guard, her face heating and red. She moved away from him as fast as she could, afraid that he would hear how fast her heart was beating from his proximity.
âHay nako. Ewan ko sa'yo, Magalona!â
Elmo had been courting Julie for almost a year now but she had been adamant to take things slow and he was all happy to complyâwhich she didnât exactly understood. She thought 10 months was too long for a guy to court someone and while Elmo would sometimes keep on asking for her yes, he had been really patient and understanding.
It wasnât like prolonging the courting stage was a test for Elmo; she just really had hang ups about love and relationship. It wasnât like she was cynical about these things either, she considered herself a hopeless romantic in fact. But she also was a realist. And part of her reality were a broken family and a complicated childhood. Her parents separated when she was just a kid but both had their own new families. And all of them were happy. So yes, Julie believed in true love and happy endings but she knew that not everyone was lucky enough to make it last forever. Just like how her parents werenât able to stay together.
He just shook his head lightly and was about to go back to reading when he turned to face her again. He raised an eyebrow to her, a small smile on his lips but his voice was void of any teasing when he asked. âSo bakit nga?â
He stared at her, waiting patiently for an answer, while she just stared back at him. And again, the endless clouds of thoughts started to swirl in her mind.
In the ten months that Elmo had been courting her, they had become really closeâway closer than regular friends would be but a little less than how two people in a relationship were supposed to be. Elmo had earned her friendship, her trust and her affection. Despite of the walls still up around her, Julie had actually let him in quite a little if not fully.
There was just one thing Elmo was yet to earn completely though: her heart. But he might as well was on his way to steal it from her because of the way he took care of her, the way he made her laugh, the way he made sure to call her every night and a lot more. It was just her stubborn mind that wouldnât cooperate completely.
One thing that Julie really loved about her ârelationshipâ with Elmo was that they were more like best friends who just happened to be attracted with each other. They had always been honest with each other and, most of the time, were comfortable in speaking their thoughts unfiltered. With the exception of the depth of feelings about him, she told almost everything to Elmo.
Which was why even though she was hesitant, she trusted that Elmo would give honest answers to her questions.
âIâm just wonderingâŠâ She started slowly. âWhy havenât you given up yet? Itâs been what, ten months?â
His face was blank for a moment then another small smile formed slowly on his lips. âWhy? Do you want me to give up na ba?â
âNo!â She said immediately and when she noticed that his grin got wider, she realized what her reaction just implied. She blushed for the third time that afternoon and tried to backtrack. âIâI mean I donât know. Thatâs totally up to you. Bahala ka,â trying to shrug nonchalantly but to no avail.
Just when Elmo was about to open his mouth to say something, the university bell rang indicating that administration offices were about to close, including the library, so she quickly stood up and gathered her stuff, trying hard not to look at him. She could still feel his gaze on her as he also stood up to get his books and it even made her face more heated than it already was. Julie practically ran out of the library, not waiting for Elmo, but she could hear his footsteps following closely behind her so she didnât bother to look back even until she reached his car in the lot. He still opened the door for her though which she really appreciated and as they drove to her house, she couldnât help but stare at him again.
âItâs because of that,â Elmo said, breaking the comfortable silence between them without even glancing her way.
She blinked once again at him as she was caught off guard by his random talking.
He chuckled lightly as he finally spared a look at her. âYou asked me why I havenât given up on courting you. Itâs because of that.â
âWhat?â Julie asked, dumbfounded.
âItâs because of the way you look at me every time I catch your stare,â he elaborated further. He then smiled sheepishly before adding, âI might sound conceited for saying this but I think you do want to be with me as well..â
She didnât know how to respond to that.
But Elmo continued, not waiting for her response. âYouâre just scared. Iâm not exactly sure of what, but I know youâre scared of something. And I see it every time you look at me like that. It gives me hope that one day, hopefully soon, I will finally figure out whatâs scaring you and put that fear to rest.â He gazed at her ever so softly as he spoke the last sentence gently. âThen maybe, just maybe.. Youâre going to finally be ready to be with me.â
Elmo stopped the car and she looked around, confused. Julie realized then that they just arrived in front of her house but she didnât want to go home just yet. They werenât done talking anyway. So she released her seatbelt, twisted around the passenger seat and leaned back against the car door to face him fully.
Julie tilted her head to the side as she looked at Elmo intently. âHow can you say that? You say that like you already know me so well.â
And maybe he did. Heck, thinking about it, he probably knew her better than anyone else.
Elmo released his seat belt as well, mimicking her position on the driverâs seat so now they were facing each other except he wasnât leaning against the door. He sat up straight and moved forward to her to take her hands and held them in front of their bodies.
âJulie, Iâve been courting you for ten months already. And weâve known each other for about two months before I fell for you. Of course, I do know you. I pay attention to everything about you,â he countered as he moved his thumbs slowly around her knuckles.
His answer made her smile. She knew this for a fact but she didnât realize how much he actually paid attention to all the things about her. She was touched that Elmo liked her enough to really put so much effort in getting to know her. As a child of a broken up parents, they loved her but she wasnât really given that much of attention especially when her parents married other people and started building another set of families.
Squeezing his hands and sitting up straight as well so they were now very close to each other, she decided to humor Elmo and asked what else he saw when she looked at him like âthat.â
Elmo happily obliged as he stared directly into her eyes. She could see the intensity of the emotions behind his eyes and she couldnât help but get lost in them as he spoke. âYour eyes seem full of wonder. Maybe what ifs. Iâm not really sure, I just know you but Iâm not a mind reader either. Itâs like every time I catch you looking at me intently, youâre having an internal battle with yourself. Like you were weighing the pros and cons of being with me.â He shrugged.
Julie didnât speak for a few minutes after that. She just let everything Elmo said sink in. Everything he said was on point and she couldnât have said it better herself. Because the truth was she really wanted to be with him. She wouldnât let him stick around for ten months if she didnât want him. Itâs just that every time she would think she was finally ready to give her answer, she would chicken out because of all the things running through her head.
âItâs like youâre a wonder wall to me,â she just blurted out. She said it so softly she was kinda surprised that Elmo still caught it, just proving that he really paid attention to her.
âWonder wall,â he repeated as he pondered on the word. âI kinda love and hate the idea of that,â he smiled at him though there was a crease on his forehead that indicated his confusion.
She shrugged as she looked away. Then she added, âWell, we both know I still have these proverbial walls up around me that make it hard for you to figure me out at times.â
âYeah..â He agreed, laughing lightly at her defensive tone.
She couldnât help but smile at how Elmo could be really accepting of her flaws. She let go of his hands though and put a little space between them so she could think straight. His warmth and proximity had been very distracting to her and she wanted to try to finally open up to him completely.
She then proceeded to reminisce and told him something she had never shared with him before. âI have this white wall in our old houseâs backyard before we moved. And when I was younger, I would sit in front of it, especially when my parents would fight, and I would stare at it for so long. Just thinking and imagining a lot of stuff. Sometimes I would draw or write on it but only inside my head because I wasnât allowed to vandalize our own property. But that wall helped me figure things out.â
Julie remembered those times. Her parents would start talking calmly but there was always that underlying tension around them then their voices would raise on each other. Before they even get to the shouting and screaming at each other part, she would escape the house to the backyard. A few feet across their houseâs white wall, there was a big tree that had been there even before she was born. She would sit under its shade and Julie would just stare at the wall, waiting for the shouting to die down. As she waited, her thoughts would wander and she would imagine a different kind of home where her parents never fought. They loved her so much and never neglected her even when they broke up but she still wished they were able to work through their marriage for her sake. Whose child wouldnât want their parents to stay with each other and grow old together, right?
Going back to the present, she stared at Elmo for the nth time that afternoon as she went on.
âAnd sometimes, I canât help but look at you through those walls. Iâve always wondered how it would feel to finally break them down and just let you in,â Julie explained, reaching out again for his hand and she held it with both of hers. âI wonder about the things you could make me feel; the things that I could make you feel. I wonder about the endless possibilities and the amazing adventures I could have with you. I wonder how it would feel like to be with you.â She smiled every time that thought would cross her mind. But it also faded as a frown appeared between her eyebrows. âBut I also ask myself if Iâm finally ready to give my heart out fully. If I can finally be vulnerable to someone like that. Iâm scared to give someone the power to hurt me. Honestly, Iâm scared of being hurt,â she finally confessed her fears.
Elmo smiled and tried to assure and comfort her. But she saw an ache in his eyes. âSo what youâre trying to say is that youâre scared of giving your heart out to me?â He asked hesitantly as if heâs almost afraid to hear her answer.
He probably knew that as much as he wanted to put that fear to rest, he couldnât do anything about it really because it was out of his control. It was going to be all up to her. And knowing Elmo, he would want to fix everything for her.
âNo,â Julie assured him. And even though it scared the shit out of her, she finally admitted, âIâm.. Iâm scared of you handing it back to me.â
She saw how that little confession affected Elmo ultimately. The ache in his eyes was immediately replaced by so much hope that even when he wasnât smiling anymore, his eyes were definitely twinkling.
âBut you do want to be with me, right?â
Because she realized now that itâs time for her to fix everything herself. Thereâs this boy who had been patiently waiting for her, and though he had already waited for ten months, she also knew Elmo wasnât going to wait forever. He was eventually going to get tired of hanging around even if he didnât want to and he was going to be her âthe one that got awayâ. And she didnât want that to happen. Elmo had done everything for her and now itâs her turn to do everything for him because he deserved it.
Julie had loved him from the very first time he asked her to be his girlfriend. She wasnât ready to take the risk before but now she was.
âI do.â
She was only able to whisper those two words because even though she had this newfound courage, the whole thing was still scaring her shitless. But the conviction and honesty behind them were unmistakeable as she was finally putting her heart out there. She was finally breaking the walls down, giving him the power to throw her heart away and step on it anytime but she trusted him enough to take care of it.
Of course, the ever gentle Elmo Magalona securely held her proverbial heart in his hands as that oh so familiar smirk settled upon his lips.
âYouâre looking at me again like you want to kiss me.â
And as she realized that she had also grown tired of just wondering and staring through the proverbial wall, she leaned forward to him and wrapped her hands around his neck to pull him closer, the center console of Elmoâs car between them.
âItâs because Iâm about to.â
She whispered as her lips descended to meet his.
All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.
I love you. đđđ
1. The friends you have at the beginning of the year can completely change by the end of it. People change, and if they arenât improving your life in some way, itâs okay to drop them. 2. Take many pictures. Donât let it take over your life, though. You donât want to look back and see that you only captured your memories with your camera lens and not within your mind and heart. 3. Find your safe place. Whether it be in the arms of a certain person or on the balcony of Barnes and Nobles with a cup of soup, find it and donât let it go. You can have more than one safe place. 4. Be nice to everyone. You honestly donât know what skeletons people are hiding in their closets. Everyone has their skeleton. Every person on this earth has something in their life or past worth collapsing on the ground in uncontrollable sobs over. 5. Reading is so important. Highlight the things that you read that you find intriguing. Read a lot, it can only do good things for you. 6. Writing always helps. 7. The girl with anxiety has the deepest thoughts. The autistic boy has the kindest heart, and the schizophrenic has the ability to put a smile on your face in seconds. Do not judge character based on a mental illness. 8. Music has an indescribable ability to connect and heal. Let it do its thing. 9. Her prettiness doesnât make your prettiness any less pretty. 10. Getting close and letting someone in is scary as hell. You know what else it is? Worth it. 11. The minute you feel your happiness being dictated by someone else, take a break from them. 12. Adventuring is a must. Sunsets always help the soul, showing that endings can be as beautiful as beginnings. 13. Spend more time with your parents doing things they enjoy. Later in life, youâll be wishing youâd spent more time with them than on your Netflix account. 14. Home is not always a place, but whatever you love with your whole heart. I have many homes, and itâs okay if one home doesnât feel like home anymore. 15. Making someone smile and feel genuinely happy has the ability to warm your heart from the inside out. No matter how much pain someone is going through, you made them forget about it for a few seconds. Isnât that something? 16. Feel everything and let it hurt, but donât go back to what broke you. 17. Donât let fear hold you back from what you want. The view from the other side is spectacular. 18. Tell people how you feel. Even if youâre scared itâll burn your life to the ground. You say it loud. 19. You find the most extraordinary things in the most ordinary places. 20. Swollen lips and sweaty âI want youâsâ can make you feel again, but I donât want to feel anything if it means having to sit there feeling like the wind is constantly being knocked out of me when he stops calling back. 21. Sometimes the way you think of someone isnât the way they actually are. 22. Never underestimate the amount of joy the holiday season can bring you. Try and find ways to feel that way all year long. 23. Timing is never going to be perfect; if you care about something enough, youâll make the time. Itâs all about priorities. 24. If women used their words to build each other up instead of tearing each other down, our world would change drastically. 25. Recovery can take 2 weeks or 5 years. You arenât any less of a person if it takes you longer to find a way to let go of whatâs hurting your heart. 26. You only need yourself, but having people by your side trying to understand means a lot more than you might think. 27. You find your truest friends in your darkest hours. 28. You can feel the whole world in a month and nothing after 2 years. Time does not define love. 29. Always say yes to dessert. 30. Concerts make life worth living. So does yelling your favorite song along with your best friend in the car with your best friend with hands intertwined. These are things that show you that you donât need to be on drugs to feel invincible. 31. So does kissing.
emmuuhhhhh, 31 Things Iâve Learned Coming Into 2016 (via lengwritesstuff)
Check yourself. Sometimes you are the toxic person. Sometimes you are the mean, negative person youâre looking to push away. Sometimes the problem is you. And that doesnât make you less worthy. Keep on growing. Keep on checking yourself. Keep on motivating yourself. Mistakes are opportunities. Look at them, own them, grow from them and move on. Do better, be better.
Youâre human. Itâs okay. (via theblacklittlemermaid)
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HAHAHA
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sad but true.
Never push life. Relax and have faith in God's timing. Do your best and let Him take care of the rest.
If Only
That one goes in here. I pointed to the circular, orange thing while holding up a small ramekin. And this oneâŠis yours. I handed him the blue one.
You sure have a way of segregating things.
Separating. Noticed that, huh? I countered.
Iâve been watching you.
Scary.
Youâve been fascinated with these candiesâŠ
Chocolate candies. I corrected him.
Yeah, whatever. Him dismissing my comment. Youâve been putting away the oranges in that whatever-you-call-itâŠ
Ramekin. I cut him off.
for likeâŠ15 minutes now.
You got stopwatch there, buddy? I scoffed.
And you are continuously giving the blues to me. He reached for another one.
Thatâs because you like blueâŠyou love blue.
AwâŠyou remembered. Mocking me. You are obsessed with these candies.
Just M&Mâs, E. I answered in a sing-song manner. Just M&Mâs.
Right, J.
Canât help it. Iâm a candy shipper.
Iâll keep that it mind.
You do that, E.
***
âIs it possible for someone to just forget the feeling ofâŠbeing in love?â
Confusion written all over my companionâs face.
âWhat is this about?â Kristine, my best friend, asked.
âNothing.â
âAh yes. Nothing, when you were smiling from ear to ear during your sleep.â
âReally now?â
âWould I kid you?â
***
âSpandau Ballet, Live in Manila. â
Spandau Ballet. Why does that ring a bell? I said out loud. I was in the gazebo reading a magazine.
Thatâs because you already performed one of their songs.
Oh shit. Do you always have to do that, E?!
Do what?
Come out from⊠wherever youâre hiding. I stammered. You startled me.
Relax, J. Too much caffeine is not good, you know? He said as he plopped his butt on the chair across me.
I know⊠this⊠much⊠is true.
Thatâs it, E.
Thatâs what?
The song. You know the song! I exclaimed.
Of course, I know the song. We sang it together.
We did?
Confused, he reached for me then slightly hit my head. Whatâs gotten into you?
A sly smile greeted him instead. Hi, E. I forgot to say hello to you. Hellâo.
That wasnât funny. You scared the hell out of me!
I know. I was just teasing you.
Bad joke, J. Bad joke.
Iâm sorryâŠbut, I do remember the song and the⊠I paused and smiled at the memory.
âŠthe dance moves? MY awkward dance moves? Emphasizing on the âmyâ.
Your superb dance moves, E.
Youâre not good with lying, J. He snickered. He knew I was just making him feel good.
We were both in blue that time. I can hear myself smiling now. I liked that performance.
Yeah, it wasâŠbut, I wore a vest that time. They told me to wear that hideous vest.
Hahaha. True.
***
âIs it possible for someone to just forget the feeling ofâŠbeing in love?â I looked up from my sunglasses.
âIs this a line you need to deliver in the soap?â
âNope.â
âIs this a line from your new song? Youâre writing another one, right?â
âNope.â
âIs this from the book youâre reading now?â
âNope.â
âThen why the hell are you asking me this question?â
âI donât know.â
âYou better figure it out, Julie. You kinda creep me out.â Kristine said in her very exaggerated kind of way.
âThanks, pal.â I learned that a little bit of sarcasm from time to time wouldnât hurt.
***
There came a point in my life that I knew Iâd be on my own.
Like today.
Although it was planned out ahead of time, I knew that the plan has changed.
Like this one.
Look at me now.
Iâm alone.
He said heâll always be right by my side.
But now, heâs gone.
Itâs like Iâm suffocating.
I feel like thereâs no air.
***
âJulie? Julie?â
I woke up from my sleep. My eyes were heavy and I was breathless.
âWhat happened there, Julie?â I sensed panic in my friendâs voice. âYou were gasping for air.â
âK!â I hugged my best friend tightly, never wanting to let her go.
âYou were crying in your sleep.â
âI was?â Â
âYes. What happened, Julie?â Kristine was stroking my back to help me calm my nerves.
âIs it possible for someone to just forget the feeling ofâŠbeing in love?â And for the third time, I asked her that question.
***
âJulie?â
âK?â
âJulie, in this planet we go by names â real names. Letâs start with Kristine, ok?â
Julieâs currently reviewing the script the production team handed her about an hour ago. Itâs been a week since the last âdreamâ.
âIâm sorry, KâŠristine. Itâs just thatâŠI was used to calling himâŠâ
âForgiven, Julie.â Kristine intercepted her. âYou are forgiven.â
âBut, is it possible for someone to justâŠâ
ââŠforget the feeling of being in love?â Kristine continued it for me.
âYeah?â
âYouâre not going to drop this, right?â
âNot stopping.â
âEven after a week of being not yourself?â
âYes.â
Concern is seen in Kristineâs eyes. She asked her friend. âWhere is this coming from, Julie?â
âi donât know. Iâve been having these dreamsâ
âDreams.â
âYes. Iâve been dreaming about Elmo and me the past week.â
Kristine exhaled. Â âYou miss him. And since this isnât going anywhere, might as well face these so-called dreams.â
âRight.â I agreed.
The room fell silent for a couple of minutes. Intrigue, curiosity enveloped the air.
âSoâŠis it possible for someone to just forget the feeling ofâŠbeing in love?â Kristine started.
I remained still. Waiting for her to answer.
âI donât know, Kristine.â
âYou have to know. Julie, to forget the feeling of being in loveâŠis the saddest thing one can ever imagine. It may sound impossible, but itâs not. Look at you.â
I still kept my silence. Kristine has a point.
âHow long has it been, Julie?â
âHow long has been what?â
âWhen was the last time you fell madly, deeply in love?â
âKristineâŠâ
âJulie.â Her voice, stern.
âUhmâŠâ
âItâs been that long, huh?â
âFive years isnât that long, Kristine.â
âIt is. EspeciallyâŠâ
ââŠwhen he didnât even say goodbye to me.â I sighed. Logic and reality now taking over my system.
âThatâs the point, Julie. Youâve been a floater the past five years. You got stuck in the fantasy that Elmo is the one for you. He left you. Thatâs what happened. The dreams â theyâre the âwhat ifs and what couldâve beensâ with Elmo. Yes, you miss him. But Julie, you have to let go. You have to let him go.â
âI know.â
âYou need to learn to love again, Julie. You need to open your heart to happiness.â
âYeah.â
âYou know that you deserve that.â Â
âKristine?â
âYes?â
âAll of theseâŠwouldnât have happened ifâŠâ
ââŠif what?â Kristine cut me off.
ââŠif only I asked him to stay.â
âYou didnât.â
-FIN-
thank you! sorry late reaction! hehe love you! :***
Been on this ride for the longest time,
Watching you take the lead.
Got tired of seeing the same long, endless road,
Got tired of being lost.
This journey has no destination.
Looking out the window,
Saw a sign that read, âto the train stationâ.
The stars showed me an option.
They pointed me in a different direction.
Stop.
Iâm going to start walking alone.
And soon, maybe, Iâll find home.
this is splendid yema! (:
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