The Future I See With You

Chapter 3

"Would this design fit your theme, darling?" Tanong sa akin ng babae.



It's two months before the prom and although a bit early we ought to already be talking to our designer since two outfits would be in the making. I already rendered my sketches for my class portfolio and showed the designer what I wanted for Kean and I and she aligned it with her style. What she is showing me now is just perfect. The theme is 'Castles and Crowns' a royal family kind of theme and I loved it, it was hard to think of perfect designs but knowing Kean and I's styles, it made it easier.


"Yes, that's perfect na po." I clapped in excitement. It looked stunning. I don't care if we would shine bright amongst others, what I cared for was that if we would look dashing together.


Our main color pallet was navy blue-- rather more of a midnight blue and dirty off white. My dress had an empire waist, it would give my chest the boost it needs; it also had a low straight neckline. The skirt would drape elegantly to the floor, it also had a slit on the right leg, it would reach halfway my thigh. the fabrics I opted for are silk and tulle. It was ombre, lighter at the shoulders than the tips of the bottom of the skirt. It would have long flared sleeves as well. The white parts being the ends of the sleeves, the ends of the dress, a belt like fabric just below my bosom, white ruffles lining the top of my dress — from the sleeves to the back and at my chest to accentuate it. There were also white starry patterns on the skirt having more of it at my waist and lessening as the skirt drapes. It resembled the beauty of a starry night sky. For accessories, although the theme was Castles and Crowns I did not want to wear one, I instead had some gold necklaces, 3 were enough and one of which Kean would give me on the night of the prom. I also had an envelope opener designed like a dagger attached to the leg where the slit was. I made it obvious of course and I asked my teacher if I could have that before adding it to my design. My shoes was a shimmering blue as well, it was about 4-5 inches in height and had a crisscross strap design up until the top of my ankles.


Kean's suit was a three - piece. Penguin coat, pants and vest. Of course he had a white undershirt that ruffled out the top of the vest. The three - pieced suit was not so dull. It had a shimmer to it. It was the same midnight blue as my dress but had a subtle stripe pattern to it, the stripes having a bit of shimmer to appear lighter than the other blue. It's the starry effect I wanted to portray on his outfit. He would have another layer inside thought, a thin white cardigan that would have his coat cuffs have white ruffles coming out of them. The collar of his coat would stand and cover most of his neck. I opted for a penguin coat because surely that would make him stand out. His shoes was also a shiny dark blue. It was not shimmering, just polished.


"Thank you so much Daniella for prioritizing our children." Biglang pasalamat ng aking ina sa aming designer. She was a close friend of our family and I also admired her from before, I even asked her to teach me a few years back. I have always really been inclined in the arts; any form of it.


"You're welcome. And I am treating you as clients anyways, it's no big deal. Inuuna ko talaga by urgency ang mga gawa ko. By the end of the month I will be finished with both pieces. I have a bigger team now so I have a lot of helping hands." Mahabang litanya ni tita Daniella sa amin apat.


It was a small store but it looked elegant and bright inside. It was just me, my mom, Kean and his mom. Our dad's were outside waiting with the cars. Manggugulo lang daw sila kung pumasok dahil wala naman itong mga alam sa damit damit.


"Thank you po ulit tita! And I can't wait to see them in person." I gave her a wide smile to show my gratitude and excitement.


"You did great with the first draft, hija. You made my job easy with your ideas and suggestions. I will do my best in surpassing our written designs." She gave me an equally excited grin.


We left after our moms and tita chatted a bit more. We had a dinner and movie to catch. A thing our family usually does when we meet. Hindi talaga mawawala ang panonood namin ng sine kahit gaano kabilis lang dapat ang aming pagkikita.



A month passed, and in that month school got a little hectic with prom preparations. There was a core and different committees. And of course the creative comm was most of the Arts and Design sections. We had to divide ourselves according to designing and connections. I was not part of the core because I was still shy with the rest of the Juniors, but I would help as much as I could.


We settled on making our venue in the Grand Hyatt Hotel in BGC. They had a grand room that would fit all of us and it was within budget. We worked on thinking of how to make the tables and buffet fit when we also want to have a lot of room for dancing. There would also be a mini stage and the ceiling was high. We needed to think of how to decorate it as though it was in a grand castle.


In between school academics and prom preparations though, I would often visit my doctor, all were spontaneous as I shouldn't really be visiting that often. I don't know what I was so worried about with my health. I just didn't wanna go back to how I was in junior high. I guess it was just the new environment and new people that I had to get used to. I have never welcomed change with open arms after all. But my doctor said I was fine and I was just paranoid. Kasama ko rin naman daw lagi si Kean sa simula at sa pagtapos ng mga araw ko at alam na niya ang mga kailangan ko kaya wala na daw dapat ako isipin na masama. True to his word, Kean kept a close eye on me and my state when I would encounter a huge group of people or when I am faced with the stress of the overflowing events.



At the start of the new month we then visited tita Daniella's store again for the first fitting of my dress and Kean's suit. She only had to do a few adjustments to it like the fittedness of my dress and the length of Kean's sleeves and ruffles. I suggested that the back of my dress would be tied from top down to where the skirt starts. It would show a little skin and would be lined with white, the ties would be white as well and would be a little lengthy. After those alterations the suit and dress would be perfect on us.


After two weeks, more or less, we could bring them home. I was definitely excited for everyone to see our complementary dress and suit. I was excited to see Miguel's outfit as well and who he would be bringing as a date. I've witnessed a lot of proposals to him. And he rejected all of them. So no one knew if he would go alone or with a date. Although it is advisable to have one, so I don't know why he keeps turning them down.


A lot of people would have gone stag but our batch advisor could not let that happen because she also wanted us to have a performance. A different Arts section was assigned in creating and teaching the choreography after the parings was established. If you did not have a date outside our institution, the teachers would pair you personally. And that is another perk I loved having because of Kean. I do not want a random batch mate to be my partner, even if it was just for the choreographed dance.


Weeks came and more preparations were made. We had a week of no class so that we could finish everything before the prom. The personnel of the hotel and those we hired were very hands on. Everyone was amazed at the final results of our hard work. Now time to party!



On the day of the prom I was up early. After washing my face I used my spare key card to enter Kean's room. Dinaganan ko siya sa kama niya ngunit hindi siya nagulat doon. If anything, he pulled me beside him and cuddled me. I went here to wake him up not to sleep some more! Hinampas hampas ko braso niya para lumuwag ang hawa niya sa bewang ko, ngunit pasikip lang ito ng pasikip.


"Kean ano ba! Hindi na ko makahinga, that's too tight bub! Bangon na ano ba!" I resorted to slapping his face lightly but repeatedly. Nakapikit pa rin siya and all that comes from his mouth is a groan. Nakakunot noo siyang higitin ang kamay ko mula sa mukha niya at hindi na niya binitawan ang palapulsuhan ko. Kapag sinusubukan kong kumawala, hihigpitan niya lang ang hawak niya sa akin.


"Shh, five minutes. Dito ka lang sandali." He said in a very hoarse morning voice. Pinagbigya ko na lang siya at naghintay ng ilang minuto. He wrapped me with his hands and legs, my face was already pressed to his chest because of how tight his hold on me was. Sanay naman na kami sa ganito pero kailangan na talaga niya bumangon.


Nung narinig kong humihilik na naman siya ng mahina, ginalaw ko ang kanyang balikat. "Bub, gising na! Sayang yung breakfast daliii!" Mahina lang rin ang boses ko sa paggising sa kanya dahil baka ang magulang naman niya ang magising ko.


"Bigay mo kay Addie, maya mo na ako gisingin, after spa niyo. Antok pa ko, bub." Sabi niya ng putol puto sa namamaos pa rin na boses. Hindi pa siya namumulat kaya nung tumingala ako sa kanya hindi niya nakikita ang kunot sa noo ko at ang nakanguso kong mga labi.


"Fine." Huminga ako ng malalim at sinusubukang kumawala sa yakap niya sa akin. Nakailang minuto pa bago niya ako tuluyang bitawan. I had to wait for him to dose off to sleep again so that his hold was not that tight.


Our parents booked two rooms the night before kaya dito na kami natulog. Gusto raw din kasi nila mommy na mag ikot ikot sa BGC habang wala kami. Yung kapatid ko hindi rin iyon maaga gumigising kaya I had two extra slots for breakfast. I called Taryn and she answered immediately.


"Parang mapapaaga pamper day natin. Punta ka na, sama mo na rin si Addie, breakfast tayo. I have two extras." Bungad ko sa kanya.


"Uy! Yey okay sige sige alis na kami! Bakit dalawa yung extra mo?" Narinig ko ang pag palakpak niya ngunit natigilan siya at napatanong.


"Ah, ayaw pa gumising nung dalawang bata eh! Antukin mga yon!" Sabi ko na may kasamang tawa.


"Dalawang bata? Diba isa lang kapatid mo? Am I missing something?" She got curious at my use of words.


"Sino pa ba yung isa, edi si Kean! Ayaw pa bumangon kay Addie na lang daw yung sa kanya." Sabi ko sa kausap.


"Ahhh, sige sige eto na aalis na kami! Dalhin na rin namin gamit namin tapos iakyat muna natin sa kuwarto niyo bago kumain, ha!" Dagdag pa niya bago ako magpaalam.


"Sige, sige, see you!!" Huli kong sinabi bago ibaba ang tawag.


Pagkalipas ng mahigit kumulang dalawampung minuto nakarating na rin ang dalawa. Like Ryn said, inakyat muna namin ang gamit nila at nung pababa na ulit kami sa buffet ay sumabay na ang nanay ko.


We ate breakfast, chatted and afterwards we went to the spa that the hotel provided. Sumabay rin ang nanay ko at ang nanay ni Kean. We went to our nail appointment when that finished. Afterwards we went back to our room because the people we hired for hair and make up were there already.


My brother moved to Kean's room and slept there some more. Addie was also there waiting for Kean to wake up and for me and Ryn to come back. Pag akyat ko hindi pa daw talaga gising best friend ko kaya pinuntahan ko ulit.


"Kean ano ba! Andito na si Addie oh! Maligo ka na! Naaamoy ko kilikili mo mula dito! Ang baho! Pati hininga mo!" Sermon ko sa kanya pagkapasok ng kuwarto. But he didn't hear me at all.


He was really still comfortably lying down on his bed. Kahit nakabukas na ang mga ilaw ay hindi pa rin siya naiirita dito at nagmumulat ng mata. I sat down on his bed and shook his legs. I shook his entire body which made the entire bed shake. Tumalon talon na rin ako sa kama niya para mas lalo siyang maguluhan sa akin. Umikot siya sa direksyon ko at natapilok ako sa paa niya. I fell on him and he caught me gracefully. Kala ko ba tulog 'to? 'Bat nasasalo ako?


"Dahan dahan naman oh!" Sabi niya ng mahina ngunit parang sinesermonan ako. Bigla rin lang niya ako niyakap ulit at siniksik sarili niya sa leeg ko. His legs and arms were draped over me... ang bigat niya! Hindi ba niya yon alam?!


"Hoy! Wag kayo matulog ulit ano ba! Tara na, pre!" Biglang si Addie naman ang nagsalita. Bigla ring bumukas ang pintuan ng kuwarto nila at narinig ko ang malakas na boses ni Taryn.


"Aba, Reign bakit hihiga higa ka pa jan ha? Aba madame kala ko ba maliligo at magaayos na tayo?" Nakatayo ito sa tabi ng kama ni Kean at nakapamewang habang nakataas ang isang kilay.


"Ate, ingay." Biglang sabi ng kapatid ko na natutulog sa kabilang kama. I hushed them and spoke quietly.


"Kita mo naman na dinaganan ako oh! Di ako makagalaw, help!" Humingi ako ng tulong sa kanila habang sinusubukan alisin si Kean ngunit bibigatan lang niya lalo ang katawan niya.


"Kuya, tayo na kasi! Labas na kayo!" Biglang saad ng kapatid ko. He inhaled deeply into my neck then groaned while squeezing me tight once then he let me go before stretching over me, still groaning in frustration. Kapatid ko lang pala ang makakapagpatayo sa kanya. Nilapitan niya ito at bumulong ng sorry at kinumutan lalo.


"Doon na kayo sa kuwa—" hindi ko na tapos ang sasabihin because he cornered me to shush me. "Hindi mabaho kilikili at hininga ko." Sabi niya bigla sa akin ng mahina, masyadong malapit mukha niya at ang pungay pa ng mata niya dahil kakagising lang niya at dumagdag iyon sa pagkaseryoso ng mga salita niya. Natulala lang ako at hindi na nagsalita.


He took his towel and coat out of the closet. He also got an extra one for Addie and told him to follow. Lumabas na rin kami at tumungo sa kuwarto na katabi. Bago ako pumasok ng banyo nakita ko pa siyang humiga sa kama ko.


"Hoy Kean Timothy ano na naman ginagawa mo?!" Sigaw ko, nawala na ang hiya sa ginawa niya kanina sa akin. Normal na lokohan lang naman namin yon pero habang tumatanda kami may nagbabago na sa disposition namin paminsan eh.


"Maligo muna kayong dalawa tapos susunod ako! Patulugin mo muna ako pwede ba!" Saad niya ng may kahinaan ngunit madiin at dinig ko pa rin naman. Hay nako di talaga siya morning person ... kahit tanggahi naman na.


Dahil doon hinayaan ko na lang siya at nauna na ako maligo. Pagkatapos ko, inayusan na agad ang aking buhok at sumunod sa banyo si Ryn. Mabilis lang naman ang ginawang pag ayos sa buhok ko.


I have relatively long raven hair, it reached my mid back. It had a bit of layering because of all the bangs I tried to have in the years before. Because I did not want to wear an actual crown, the hairstylist put almost half my hair into a loss crown braid, there were several pieces falling around my face to frame it. The rest was curled at the ends and fell elegantly over my shoulders. I moved to make up afterwards and it was also simple, I didn't like make up that much so the make up artist didn't put anything heavy. She did primer, light foundation then a bit of blush and highlight. She made my eye shadow shades of blue, that's the only thing that I let be a bit extra. She also added a glittery eyeliner. Oh, that would give me hell removing later tonight. She made me wear a red-ish nude lipstick and added gloss over it. Not much was needed to be done to my eyebrows and lashes as they were thick enough and it would not fit to have too much worked on.


My mom suggested that I wore colored contact lenses, but I had perfectly good eyesight. I don't even need regular contacts why would I want to alter my eye color for a night? My eyes were beautifully dark, but they shimmer in the light, showing a hazel like color. They are perfectly in theme.


Habang nasa make up ako, si Taryn naman ay nasa hair stylist. Her hair was the same dark as mine but shorter, straighter and naturally shinier. What they did was just brush all backwards into a low bun and dry her baby bangs over her face to frame it beautifully. Nung lilipat na ito sa make up artist kakalabas lang ni Addie sa shower at oras na para magising yung isa. Sinigawan lang namin siya at bumangon na rin . I doubt he still had good sleep when we were preparing, ang lakas ng musika na pinakikinggan namin to be in the mood for gosh sakes!


Simpleng pag blower at gel lang ang kinailangan ni Addie, he wanted his hair brushed up subtly but also a bit messy. He had that basic undercut hairstyle so it wasn't hard to style it the way he wanted.


Ryn's make up was also subtle. Isa sa mga bagay na napagkakasunduan namin ay ang walang hilig sa makeup. Addie and Ryn's colors were red and white. Her make up started the same as mine but more on the highlight than blush, then she had light brown eyeshadow just to make her eyes pop a bit more, she also had an eyeliner but used a lighter shade of eyeshadow instead. The artist put highlight on her inner corners and her eyes looked so stunning. A bright red lipstick was what made her face complement her dress, it was finished off with gloss like mine. She wore contacts because her glasses would be a hassle to bring and wear, sayang lang rin yung make up kung mag suot siya ng salamin. It was only clear though, like what she would sometimes wear to school when she wasn't in the mood to wear glasses.


Pagkatapos nilang dalawa tsyaka lang nakalabas sa banyo si Kean, inayusan na rin siya ng buhok. It was just blow dried and tossed a bit, he added a bit of wax to it but it was a mess, but it suited him so hayaan na natin siya.


Of course the boys did not have make up done, kahit concealer ayaw nila. Not that they need it though, their faces were flawless, especially Addie. For a 17 year old, he took really good care of his skin, he never got any acne of some sort ever since I met him.


Si Kean naman ... nadaanan na ang kanyang bad puberty stage, kaya ngayon alagang alaga rin siya sa kinis ng mukha niya. For the past three years or so I have not seen another acne grow on his beautiful face.


We dressed after that, the boys already had their undershirts on and their pants before having their hair done. Us girls had our corsets on already and underskirts once we got out of the bathroom. We still actually have an hour to kill before we actually need to be at the venue for last touches. We ate a small meal first before finishing our outfits.


When the right time has come, I was excited to reveal my dress to Taryn the same time she revealed hers to me. We wanted the first look on both dressed to be such a surprise kaya ngayon lang namin ito gagawin.


Napasigaw kami nung pinakita namin sa isa't isa ang mga damit. Ang ganda ng sa kanya. Bagay na bagay! Hindi pa niya sinusuot pero nakikita ko na sa kanya iyon.


Once we wore them, we screamed again at the excitement. Hindi pa nakasuot ng maayos dahil pareho namin hindi maabot ang likod. Kinuha namin ang atensyon ng dalawa para sila ang mag sarado ng aming damit. They both fit perfectly on us. We looked like princesses of our own kingdom! It was a fantasy I like living when I read, and now it feels like I'm living those.


Pagkatapos isara damit namin, sinuot na ni Kean ang white cardigan niya at ang penguin coat. He did it smoothly, it whipped some air towards our direction which just added a dramatic effect on him. Inayos ayos niya iyon sa makakaya niya. Nilapitan ko siya para ako ang mag ayos. While I was fixing the inner part of his coat I heard a click and there was a bright light that shown towards our direction. It was Taryn using my film camera taking a shot at us. Inayos ko si Kean at tumingin kay Ryn.


"Smile !!!" She said and I did so widely, I don't know what Kean's expression was but his hold on my waist was tight. "Cutiesss!!" She cooed at us after the picture. Napapikit pa ako sa liwanag ng flash.


After that I finished my look of with the final piece of jewelry that Kean was gonna put on me. He strapped my dagger on my thigh and he carefully rested my necklace on me and snapped it with the rest. Kinuhanan rin ata yon ni Ryn.


She took a candid picture of Addison too, then a selfie of them, then I took one of the both of them lying down on my bed with Ryn's dress spread evenly on Addie. Nakuhanan ko rin ng litrato ang dalawa nung nilalagay ni Addison ang kumikinang na alahas ni Taryn sa kanyang leeg.


Pagkatapos ng ilan pang mga litrato na kinuha namin sa sarili ay nagayos na kaming lahat at naghanda ng umalis ng kuwarto.


Addison's suit was a three piece as well. Pati yung pagkapenguin style ng kay Kean ginaya niya, katabi ko nga kasi siya sa klase nung dinadrawing ko ang designs ko. His red was very dark and rich in color since he used a velvet fabric for the most part. The vest inside was black and his undershirt was the same. The slacks were made with the same material and had chains dangling. His suit though had the collars down and pressed along his chest. He had a pocket to his right chest and a brighter red cloth was peaking out. For accessories he had circular specs that were a bit thick, that did not actually have grade on them. Di naman niya kailangan ng salamin, pang porma lang niya yan. He had a silver watch and a black bracelet around his right wrist. At para lang sa kaartehan ng lalaki na ito, mayroon rin siyang staff, a legit black staff that was just as high as his waist. It had a glass ball like topper where he would hold it for most of the night. He also had a few gold rings that matched Ryn's. His shoes were plain black dress shoes that were very polished, it had some silver minimal designs to it that made it shimmer a bit. He looked like a king and I'm sure he would make multiple girl's head turn to him tonight.


Ang damit ni Taryn, ay tulad ng sabi ko, majority of it is Red. It is similar to mine but her skirt did not have a slit and it is bigger, more puffy and her sleeves are off shoulder but also long and it flares. It had a sweat heart cut at the chest which defined her breasts more. There are no stars on hers but there are small outlines of white flower designs and very tiny diamonds are also scattered everywhere. She has a belt of white diamonds as well, that had different sizes for variation. She had a cape that also became her train. The hood had white fur at the brim as well. Her dress and cape were both made out of velvet fabric. She had silver rings and a necklace that had red gems on them. It was beautiful as it accentuates her neck and gave more attention to her chest. Her heels were open toe and 3 inches high, it wrapped around her foot with thin lacy straps.


Oh, and did I mention the best part about our dresses?


They have pockets!


We did not need to bring clutches because those would be a great hassle to us both. Baka mawala lang pag nag iikot ikot kami. It was better to have pockets and some of our stuff would also be with the two guys as they have a lot of pockets.


"Bub! Pabring ng mga 'to, please and thank you!" I pouted at Kean as I have him my essentials for the night. May konting kunot lang sa noo niya ngunit tinanggap rin niya ang mga iyon.


We both made Kean and Addie bring our press powder with mirror, lip gloss, lip and cheek tint, and breath mints. As for Ryn, she made Addie bring her eye drops as well, it would be a long night, we don't want her eyes to get all dry. Ang tanging dala naming dalawa ay ang telepono namin. Dala ko rin ang film camera ko na maliit, kasya rin sa bulsa ko at pag malaking sagabal sa akin bibigay ko kay Kean.


"Ang gaganda't guwapo naman ng mga batang ito!" Pagpuri sa amin ng nanay ni Kean. We just gave her an awkward smile.


"Ma, naman..." anging sinabi ni Kean dito.


"Bub, it's fine. She's not lying though." Sabi ko dito na may tawa. "Thank you po mama!" Baling ko sa nanay niya na may malaking ngiti.


"O, Tim, Addie, alagaan niyo yang dalawa." Bilin ng tatay ni Kean sa kanilang dalawa.


"Timo, alam mo na..." My dad added, but just to my best friend.


After our moms took more pictures of us we headed down to the lobby where the grand ballroom was located.



When we entered the grand doors, it was a magnificent sight to see. A few chandeliers were put up, dirty white and gold linen cloths were draped on the walls exaggerating the height of the room. There were also light fixtures attached to posts that was installed beside the walls for texture. It was a white and gold room overall. It was not so bright but not so dim either.


There were four very long buffet tables, 2 on each side so that the space is used up well. The rounded tables are arranged in a U-shape around the dance floor and a little far from the stage, there were, however, more tables near the back, we were a whole batch so the more tables the better. There were three layers of cloth on the tables; a gold one that reached floor length, a white one that draped over it nearing the bottom but not as much so that the gold tips shows, and another gold cloth that was a bit transparent and just slightly draped over the table — it was a short piece of fabric. There were gold and white vases filled with white flowers in them as center pieces of each table. There were also numbers small enough to not be seen but elegantly placed for it to fit the theme. The plates were marble white and the utensils were gold. The wine glasses also had gold rims around them.


The chairs had a high back and was wooden with gold accents. There was an usher by the entrance to direct us our seating arrangements, it was actually one of our young teachers, he would fit right into the crowd. We were given the liberty to be seated with our friend groups for the night and a STEM section was assigned to fix our seating for the night, we just had to tell them who we wanted to be with at the table at sila na bahala. Ang stage naman ay hindi gaano kalaki, sakto na sa insrumento ng mga banda na tutugtog mamaya. We really allotted majority of the space to the dance floor.


Ang upuan namin ay sa may harapan malapit sa right buffet table. Kean pulled my seat out for me and then sat to my right afterwards, sa kaliwa ko naman ay si Ryn at sa kabila niya si Addie. Ang iba naming kasama sa tabe ay apat na kasama namin sa pag gawa ng mural. Si Quin and Xian ay ang date ng isa't isa habang si Dianne at Saul naman ang magpartner. Si Klare ay ay close kay Nero, yung kabanda ni Miguel, kaya doon siya sa kanila makikiupo. Na lingid sa kaalaman ko bago ang gabing ito ay sa katabing lamesa lang pala namin. Sila ay ang mas malapit sa gitna.


Nagusap usap lang kami habang hinihintay na mapuno ang lugar at pumunta ang MC, na guro rin namin, na tumungtong sa entablado para ipahayag na magsisimula na ang programa.


When the room was filled with gorgeous and handsome who shined like they were from the medieval era, our teacher went up on stage and did a mic test before addressing the audience.


"Good Evening junior students of the Ateneo senior high school!" He started off. "How are you all doing on this fine evening ladies and gentlemen?" a collective noise was our response. "Well, for tonight, you are Kings and Queens. And as we open the night officially, your batch band would like to make a grand performance. Please welcome ... Jireh!"


Our teacher gave the mic to Miguel as entered the stage with his guitar in hand again. Tumayo pala sila sa tabi namin at iniwan ang kani kanilang mga kasamang babae. They stood out from the crowd with their different deep yellow shades and varying suit designs and patterns. They all looked like Princes of the same kingdom with their outfits. But they were dashing, no doubt about that.


"Good evening, Kings and Queens of this night." Miguel started off in that deep voice of his as they all prepared their instruments. There were already people cheering with just that. "Gentlemen, if you would like to bring your ladies to the dance floor you may." With those words Kean presented his hands in front of me asking for mine. I looked up at him with a smile and took his hand. Kami ang unang nakatapak sa gitna at sumunod naman sila Addison. Marami na ring sumunod sa amin when music was coming out of the instruments of the men on stage.


They started with a more up beat song that made us dance loosely with our bodies. We swayed gracefully and sang with the band. They were planning to play three songs and as they progressed the songs got more mellow and everyone got more intimate with each other on the dance floor.


"For now, this would be the last song of the first half of our performance." Miguel said through the mic and Perfect by Ed Sheeran started playing.


I wrapped my arms around Kean's neck and his were around my waist pulling me closer to him. We just had wide smiles looking at each other enjoying the night and our company. But my eyes would roam around the other people from time to time, I would also find myself staring for long periods of time at Miguel as he sang. He looked so passionate.


I found a love for me
Darling just dive right in
And follow my lead
Well I found a girl beautiful and sweet
I never knew you were the someone waiting for me


Binalik ko ang tingin ko sa mga mata ni Kean at nakatingin lang rin pala siya sa akin. Kanina pa ba ito nakatitig? His eyes were dark but he had a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. He would even hum and sing a few of the lines of the song as we swayed to the beat.


"Why are you staring at me?" I ask him. His smirk grew wider.


"Nothing, bub." he says not looking away. I squint at him but didn't push further.


'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love
Not knowing what it was
I will not give you up this time
But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own
And in your eyes you're holding mine


He pulled my hand from behind his head and held them out. He got my other arm and made me place it on his shoulder as his grip on my side loosened a bit. "Usog tayo sa may gitna pa." Sabi niya at nilakihan ang hakbang namin papunta sa bakanteng espasyo. We swayed to the other side a bit before taking another big sway nearing the middle. We looked so weird doing that but we laughed when we settled nearer at the stage.


"Ayan, para mas malapit ka pa sa crush mo tas makita niya yung ganda mo." He winked at me, inirapan ko lang siya at hinampas ang braso niya. He caught my hand and made me place them lightly on his shoulders.


Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath
But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight


"Do you still remember this song? And how we wouldn't stop listening to it back in junior high?" he asks me. I leaned my head against his chest and looked towards the band. We swayed gently, and I could hear his heartbeat pacing a bit faster.


"Yeah ..." I say speechless because of the way he spoke, the way he's talking to me, his usually smooth voice sounding more rough at the closeness. "This would have been our song if hindi lang natin paborito Ben&Ben." I chuckled and felt his chest rise and fall when he did too.


Well I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know
She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home
I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets
To carry love, to carry children of our own


"Oo nga, bagay rin sa atin ... medyo." Natawa ako sa huling salitang sinabi niya at itinaas na ang aking ulo para titigan siya ng masama. We continued swaying and singing along.


We are still kids, but we're so in love
Fighting against all odds


"Reign..." He called me and I looked at him intently.


I know we'll be alright this time
Darling, just hold my hand


"Hmm?" I tilted my head a bit and he made us slow our pacing.


Be my girl, I'll be your man
I see my future in your eyes


"Ano ... wala." Ngumiti na lamang siya sa akin.


When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful
I don't deserve this, darling, you look perfect tonight


"What is it bub? Eto naman parang others ako ah." He looked so serious kanina tas biglang wala?


"Ano, I thought this would be our song ... our story ..." He trailed off, medyo mahina ang pagsasalita niya ngunit dahil sa lapit namin narinig ko pa rin iyon. What did he mean? Di ko maintindihan.


"Huh?" Napaisip ako pero di ko talaga maintindihan. Is he giving a different meaning to our friendship?


I have faith in what I see
Now I know I have met an angel in person
And she looks perfect
I don't deserve this
You look perfect tonight


He sang the last few lines of the song smiling widely at me bago tumigil ang banda.


"Wala, kain na tayo." He stopped swaying when the band stopped playing. He held my hand and directed me to the buffet near our table. Nakakunot lang noo ko sa kanya habang nag lalakad pero hindi ko na rin inisip yung sinabi niya kanina. I wanna enjoy the night and not have anything on my mind. Tinuon ko na lang ang pansin ko sa pagkain na kinukuha ni Kean para sa akin.


"Get us soup and drinks na lang bub, ako na bahala sa plato mo." He looked at me when I was getting utensils for us and glasses. Tinanguan ko na lang siya at nilagyan ng tubig ang baso ko habang ang sa kanya ay nilagyan ko ng soda. Alam naman na niya ang gusto ko at hindi ko kinakain na pagkain, bahala na siya. Nilapag ko muna iyon sa lamesa namin bago kumuha ng soup namin. I waited at the table for Kean and when he came we prayed before diving into our food. Wala pa mga kasama namin kaya inunti unti muna namin.



The place got loud as people were conversing and there were classical music playing in the background of everything. Namangha kami ni Kean sa pagkain at pinatikim niya rin ako ng mga nasa plato niya na wala sa akin. Dumating na rin ang aming mga kasama sa lamesa at lahat kami'y nasarapan sa kinakain. Nag usap usap lang kami tungkol sa ano ano, kalaunan ay napunta ang aming usapan sa mga kaklase sa paligid.


We talked about about everyone's outfits and who we thought would be awarded tonight. There were several awards that would be given. King and Queen of the night. Best dressed; male and female. Best section between strands.


"Ayan si Kean at Reign, King and Queen for sure!" Biglang saad ni Quin.


"Hindi yan." Comento naman ni Addison. Laki talaga ng ulo nitong isa eh!


"Oo nga, si Bueno at Abs ang King and Queen, kita mo naman yung porma ng dalawa. Ang effort grabe!" Pagbigay ng puri ni Saul sa dalawa.


"I agree, I agree." Sabi ko naman.


"Me too, me too!" Tawa naman ni Kean sa tabi ko. That's how light our conversations would be.


There would be games also throughout dinner and afterwards. We talked about the dates people brought, specifically yung mga hindi namin school mate.


"Yang date ni Miguel, kapatid ni Asher. Mas matanda lang yan ng ilang buwan." Sabi ni Addie bigla. Hindi na ako masyado nakikinig sa pinag uusapan nila pero biglang lumaki ang tenga ko nung narinig ko pangalan ni Miguel.


"Ashley pangalan. Sa La Salle yan nag aaral." Dugtong ni Ryn.


"Hala kalaban pala!" Kumento ni Xian na may kasamang tawa at sumabay kami doon.


I turned towards their group and surveyed them. The girls had different colors from the guys. Parang mas planado pa yung suot nung banda kaysa sa mga babae. Si Klare lang ang kilala namin doon dahil siya lang ang school mate namin, yung iba hindi na.


"They just took each others sisters. Except for Miguel masyado malaki ang mga agwat nito sa mga kapatid niya. And minus Nero of course, he has Klare." Narinig ko na naman sa usapan si Miguel. Well the fact that they took their sisters was interesting. Di namin pwede idate ang direct family members namin pero pwede maging date ng iba, kaya iyon na lang siguro ang plinano nila. Malayong magpinsan si Ryn at Addie kaya pwede sila. I also saw that Ashley really took an interest in Miguel the whole night. The other girls too was so invested in being able to be with the band the entire night.



Around 10 pm the games were over and so was the choreographed dancing. They were all very tiring and fun events. The dancing was not at all awkward even after what Kean said awhile ago. Madali lang sa amin yung sayaw dahil medyo may alam na kami. He's also a fast learner and we would practice at home a lot.


They were about to crown the winners already after that. Halos mula sa Arts and Design ang mga nanalo, they based the winners on who could carry the theme the best of course, and we designed our own outfits, most made their own even, kaya hindi na nakakagulat ang mga resulta.


"Let us give a round of applause for Lady Reign Elysha Briones and Lord Kean Timothy Mabini! Our best dressed couple of the night!" The host announces and we go up on stage. Sabi ko na nga ba mag sstand out kami eh! My designs were perfect and not too out there. It was simple for a princess and a prince. We were given a sash and waited for the Kings and Queens to be crowned. Who as we have already predicted, were ...


"For our King and Queen of the night ... voted by you ... Queen Mae Taryn Abao and King Franz Addison Bueno!" Natawa kaming dalawa ni Kean sa stage nung binanggit ang buong pangalan ng dalawa. They never use their first names, hindi ko ba alam kung bakit pero ayaw na ayaw nila sa mga una nilang pangalan. They rose from their seats with scrunched up faces but when they got on stage they were as presentable as ever.


Their dress and suit shinned when the spotlight was pointed at them. Simply what a King and Queen would look like. Pagkalagay ng korona at sash sa kanila, they went straight to the dance floor and waited for us to join them.


After the awarding the band played a few songs again, iniwan muna nila ang kanilang mga kasama sa kanilang ibang mga kaibigan to keep them company. Nauna kaming apat but soon enough the crowd joined us.


Sumayaw lang kami nila Kean at paminsan minsan magpaplit kami ni Taryn at si Addie ang magsasayaw sa akin. I only let these two men dance with me and no one else. I would be awkward with other guys I was not yet well acquainted with. I have a ton of guy friends, but it's weirder with my new school mates because I barely knew them.



"Hey, so bakit nga ayaw mo ulit sa Admu boys? What's your history, come on, tell me luv." Addie said trying to strike a conversation with me on the dance floor.


"Okay, first of all, never ever call me luv again. That's reserved for someone special and frankly I don't see you as being that someone special, my dud! Not gonna lie here." I warned him but chuckled at the end of my statement.


"So  bakit nga, anong meron?" He urged me more.


"Wala, ano, bad history lang. Someone used me, then ghosted me. I was ... not well. Ayon, that's as vague as I can get." I did not want to go into much detail about it because I did not want to open closed wounds.


"Sino? Kailan? Paano?" He continued to dig for more information.


"Secret na kung sino. Basta wala na siya dito, kaya kaya ko na magaral sa Ateneo." We continued swaying but he kept his eyes intently on me. "Medyo recent lang, a year? More or less? Basta ayon." Sagot ko sa unang dalawa niyang tanong.


"Paano nga? Anong use? Anong ghost? Tell me details come on! I'm one of your closest now. You can trust me di ako tulad ng ibang boys dito, alam mo yan." He was using an amusing tone pero yung mata niya seryoso.


"You know yan lang rin sabi ng lahat, na you're not like that every boy here, but I stand corrected every time. Pag ikaw talaga--" I was just being a tease but he cut me off and looked very serious now. Tumigil pa kami sa pagsayaw dahil lang doon.


"I'm not. You can trust me. Promise." Tinignan ko siya ng masama bago kami natawa ng kaunti.


"Fine." I said after a long chuckle. Napangiti siya doon at nakuwento ko na ang aking nakaraan.



As I sway and dance and talk with my friends on the dance floor, nakikita ko paminsa minsan na tumitingin sa direksyon ko si Miguel, pati ang iba nitong kabanda tapos titingin sila kay Miguel. But they're performing, they have to have audience interaction somehow ..?


Di ko na lang pinapansin dahil nakakaramdam rin ako ng iba pang mata na umaaligid sa akin. I'm not stupid. I know I'm pretty enough for guys here to take an interest in me. And it was not just even now, even before I would have guys come up to me in between class or in the cafeteria just chatting away, waiting for me to give them more attention than what I give my friends.


But I don't want to have any flings anymore — wala naman sakanila ang seseryosohin ko e, hindi pa ako handa ulit.


And at their last song, Kean was my last dance. It was such a fun night. It has been such a blast and I can't imagine spending it with anyone else. I have been so well treated in this environment ever since I transferred. I'm glad I am having a fresh perspective.


"Good night, Kings and Queens. This has been Jireh! Enjoy the rest of the night." Miguel says as they finish off. He then gives the mic to the host as he formally closes the event. And gives way to the after party.


May iba pang bandang tumugtog para sa after party. When the band could dance again I saw that ang mga babae pa ang nagaya sa kanila sumayaw and it took a lot more convincing for Miguel than the rest. Walang mga alcoholic drinks dahil hindi pa kami of age kahit mayroon na mangilan ngilang mga kabatch kong umiinom na. Kasama na doon ang tatlo kong kaibigan. We partied a bit before retreating to our rooms. There, we drank since our parents gave consent. Not me thought, just the three of them. Hindi kaya yon ng puso ko.



The next morning, I woke up relatively early. It was around 6:30 am and I decided to run around BGC before eating breakfast with my hungover friends. May dala naman akong work out outfit at nag palit ako bago bumaba sa lobby. I was just wearing my white and teal running shoes, a matching white leggings and sports bra and finally a two toned white and teal wind breaker. My hair was up in a ponytail.


Pagdating ko doon nakita ko ang banda na nasa sofa, suot pa rin ang parehong damit kagabi. Ngunit paalis na rin sila. Wala na ang mga kasama nilang babae. Pero meron rin namang ilan sa aming ibang batchmates na andon rin malapit sa kanila. I guess they partied so late and they forgot to call their fetchers afterwards. Narinig ko rin na nag rent yung ibang malalaking barkada ng hotel suit, baka doon sila uminom.


Nung palabas na ako, tumunging ulit ako sa may sofa at nahuli ko ang mga mata ni Miguel na nakatingin sa akin.


He did not break eye contact when he saw me look his way.


Instead he looked like he was challenging me with his tired bloodshot eyes.


I did not break as well, my expression showed evident confusion at him and his actions.


Huminga siya ng malalim at umiling na lamang pagkatapos ay tumingin sa labas ng malalaking bintana ng lobby.


Lumalim ang kunot ng noo ko pero lumabas na lang rin ako at nag simula na sa aking pagtakbo.




Sana pagbalik ko ... wala na siya doon.