Bewildered 🌸 (kja)

The Jealous Harry

"Great job, class!" exclaimed the dance instructor as she watched her students waltz with their partners. Counting out loud, she instructed, "One, two, three, one, two, three," while clapping enthusiastically. She then performed the steps herself and encouraged, "Keep it up, one, two, three, one, two, three. You're all doing fantastic!"

"Elizabeth, you move like a graceful swan on the dance floor," Gerald marveled, his eyes shining with surprise as they twirled together.

With an exaggerated eye roll, Liza dismissed his praise. "Oh please, Gerald. It's just a waltz, nothing too special," she teased .Aaah. Oo nga pala. Nanliligaw nga pala si Gerald. Muntik niya na makalimutan. But she didn't really care about that. Sure, Gerald was handsome, a true gentleman, and wealthy to boot. But she only saw him as a friend, nothing more. What only fascinates her about him ay ito lang ang tumatawag sa kanya sa buo niyang pangalan. He even called her 'Beth' sometimes. Shortcut of her name. It was odd, and she found it strangely endearing.

"Come on, Geraldo," she chuckled, using his first name just to see his reaction. "Don't be so uptight about it."

Gerald cringed at the sound of his full name. Ewan ba niya sa mga magulang niya bakit iyon ang ipinangalan sa kanya. "Please, no 'o'. I prefer my English name," he protested, trying to maintain his composure. "You are making my name sounds so old,"

Liza couldn't help but laugh at his discomfort. "Geraldo Poldo Lucas, it suits you though. Embrace your inner Spanish charm," she teased, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Gerald grunted. Natatawa at naiinis na napatingin siya rito. Tawagin ba naman siya sa buo niyang pangalan. She even pronounced it in a very Spanish way of accent. And hey. It sounded so cute. Bagamat naiinis ay nangingibabaw ang labis na kagustuhan sa dalaga. Maglilimang buwan na rin siyang nanliligaw dito. Hindi pa rin siya sumusuko kahit na ilang beses na siyang busted. "You are really something else, Elizabeth," ang tanging nasabi ng binata, and Liza just shrugged and laughed at him.

As the music played and the dancers swayed joyfully, a sudden gasp of surprise rippled through the crowd. Tila biglang nagkagulo. Ilan sa mga nagsasayaw ang natigil at sabay na napalingon sa sentro ng maugong na usapan.

Liza glanced over to see what everyone was looking at. Wait. It's Harry! What is he doing here?!

From where she stood, she saw Harry's commanding presence. He looked incredibly handsome in his all-black business suit. As he walked into the dance room, the women went wild. Hindi nila maitago ang kilig sa di inaasahang bisita. Like a Greek God in ancient Greece with irresistible charm, Harry caused chaos wherever he went. A delightful chaos. Inis man ay hindi maipagkakaila ni Liza ang nag-uumapaw nitong kakisigan. Harry will always be her version of Apollo, the most handsome God in Greek mythology. Iilan sa mga kaklase niya ang di napigilan ang sarili and took a photo of him. They were practically asking for his autograph.

Artista lang ang peg?

He wore heavy black shades ngunit alam ni Liza na nakatitig ito sa kanya.  That mere notion causes shivers down her spine.

"Hello, Harry!" kilig na bati ni Ellen, but he ignored her as if he hadn't seen her. Galit na napasimangot naman si Ellen nang mapahiya sa mga kaibigan.

Diretso ang binata sa kinaroroonan ni Liza. He ignored the crowd's gasps and murmurs. He stopped walking when he stood directly in front of her, towering over the others surrounding him. He gave a deep, gruff sigh. Inalis nito ang suot ng sunglasses, revealing his two dark gray eyes.

Wait. Is he angry?

"Brat," Harry grumbled, his voice monotonous.. He looked at her sternly. Pagkuwa'y, inilipat ang tingin sa mga kamay niya na nakapatong pa rin sa balikat ng kanyang kapareha. Ang kamay ni Gerald ay nasa beywang niya pa rin. Harry's lips curled in distaste.