Through Painted Eyes and Pastel Tears

Chapter 4: Green Tea & Honey

As we watched the fireworks die down, we held hands, her head resting on my shoulder.

After a few minutes, we decided that it was time for our first date to end, the first of many we agreed on.

We walked past colorful displays of candies, clothes, toys, restaurants and people back inside the mall until we came out the way we went in. We tried booking a car, each of our own. I decided to get her a ride first, but after thirty minutes, our luck ran out for the day.

"Pucha. Hirap magbook. What about you?" She said, her hands on her hips, blowing tufts of her hair off her face and eyes.

I chuckled, checking my phone, there was a car already on my way for me to get home. I decided to cancel it. I don't think I'm ready to let her go just yet "Wala din eh. You know what? Baka di pa natin time umuwi?"

She laughed a little before brushing a hand over her face, brushing her hair back to the top of her. "What do you have in mind? Check-in tayo?"

"Putang ina naman, Jazz." I choked on the smoke of my cigarette again. She held up a peace sign in response.

I checked on my phone, wishing any kind of luck to come back for an event nearby as she sat on the curb. And as if fate willed it, there was a spoken word poetry event back in QC. Maginhawa, you did it again. "Eto oh." I showed her the event off Facebook, "Meetings on Midnights: Poetry and Alcohol."

"Shit. Sounds nice. Tara?" She stood back up while holding onto my wrist for support. "Paano tayo pupunta dun though? Commute? Nagcocommute ka ba?"

Fuck. Nope, not really. Ever since I started living on my own, I barely rode public transport. I used to, when I was in college, but things were different then. I didn't want to sound like a privileged asshole, "O-Oo naman."

"Mga northie talaga." She shook her head and dragged me to jaywalk over to the PUV/Bus terminals.

"Southie ka?" I asked. Something about metro southies and their public transport, and fondness for road trips I admired.

"Parañaque." She said before turning her attention to a barker, who rudely eyed her from head to toe. She thanked the barker she asked.

"Welcome, sexy. Gusto mo ako na sakyan mo pa-QC."

Her face crumpled, infuriated. She trudged her way back to the barker, I was about to hold her back but she snatched her arm away from my grasp. I laughed, I wasn't stopping her, I was gonna do what she's about to.

The barker was making kissy faces before getting hit right on the nut sack with a swift kick from Jazz. I could almost feel his pain. Serves him right though.

"Takbo!" She yelled, grabbed my hand and ran over to the PUV's headed for Q.C., and fortunately, there was one about to leave waiting for two more passengers. We sat in the middle, and told the driver she'll be paying for the other seat, turned to me and said, panting and laughing, "Leg room."

I was chuckling in amusement, and brushed her hair back off her face. "Gago ka. Yari tayo pag nahanap tayo nun."

On that note, the van started and drove off into the night. "I don't think so. Chill, Tommy." She was rifling through her bag to take her earphones out. As usual, as if she's grown accustomed to doing it with the short time we've been together, one earphone goes into my ear, the other in hers. "Green Tea & Honey, Dane Amar."

The song was catchy, nice tune. She hummed and rested her head on my shoulder. "Weird."

"What is?" I asked, leaning my cheek on top of her head, she smelled like mint and burnt wood. It was an odd mix, but it was somehow really nice.