Sincere Lies

Twenty-Two

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I took a deep breath as I waited by the balcony on the third floor, my favorite out of all the floors in Town in a Building. I was waiting for Chris, alone on the balcony, staring at the same colors of the clouds that once brought us together. While Carrie, Maddie, and Paris already drove home, Chris pledged to drive me home. At least that was how I understood his words when he said, "Sige na, mauna na kayo umuwi. Ako na ang bahala kay Cerulean."

I thought, It's still my birthday. It's okay. Chris won't let me down.

"Hey," I heard his voice. "Oh, shit!"

I turned around, but when I did, I was shocked when Chris shut two of the doors for the balcony. What does this mean?

"Tingin ka muna sa langit," he said.

"Ha?"

"Tingin ka muna sa langit, at 'wag mo muna akong tingnan," ang sabi niya pa.

"Bakit?"

"Basta."

I obeyed. Turning around as quickly as I could just to get over it as soon as possible, I looked up at the sky, trying to enjoy everything the sky had to offer to me.

"Take two," I heard him speak again. "Hey."

As if it wasn't funny and as if I wasn't on the verge of laughing, I faced him, still completely having a straight face.

"HAHAHA!" I finally laughed, my hands flying to hit him lightly. They ended up landing on his chest as I saw he was wearing Gideon as his mask again. I took my laughter back, as if.

"Why are you laughing?" Gideon asked, smiling. "Nakita mo ba ako matapilok?"

"HAHAHAHAHA!" I laughed even more. "Hindi, pero—HAHAHA!"

"You're laughing at me, my lady," he chuckled. "Wait again."

He left before I could keep my face straight.

"Gideon?"

I couldn't find him in any direction I looked. Ang hilig na niya ako paglaruan, ah. Nakakatampo naman. By then, I decided that I would be acting as if I had already lost my patience. I would play hard-to-get this time. And he won't win. With whatever game he's playing.

Turning around, I faced the sky again, trying to regain every single piece of self-control that I could muster. It wasn't easy. It was utterly difficult. I was about to play this game with the person I could not stand seeing bothered even with just the slightest thing.

Without a warning, I felt an arm around my waist, calling my attention to turn around, as if, involuntarily. Just like that, all the walls I built just for fun had crumbled down. I lost control over the 'playing hard-to-get' thing. Gideon was almost kissing me when I faced him. Just like how it always was. Close enough but never kissing me.

"Why a-are you dressed as G-Gideon right now?" I asked, trying to get my eyes off of his. Still, I failed every time I tried.

"I wanna be your own kind of uncertain," he said, and all I could feel was the strong pull between the two of us.