He Married the Stripper.

How Do You Remember Us?

---LUNA---

College for me was the best time of my life because I finally tasted freedom. Freedom away from my controlling parents and their imposing ideals. I was born and raised in Cebu, I was the middle child and the only girl in a family of five. Both my parents were dentists with their own practice and because of that, they expected my brothers and me to follow in their footsteps. I was the middle child and I wasn't smart like my brothers over time I realized they never paid attention to me unless I mess something up or my grades dip lower than it already was but as bad as I was at studying I excelled in using my hands. My parents hated that I wasn't smart but they still found my talent to be useful in their field of expertise I could be a good dentist as I can still use my talent in making dentures, false teeth, or whatever else needed making as an orthodontist. 

I won a lot if not all art competitions I entered as I grew up and I knew then that art is my calling. That doing anything else other than art would make me miserable but pursuing art as a career is never gonna happen for me, my parents would never ever allow it. So, I formulated a plan during my last two years of high school, I did my best to be the best student I could ever be and pretended to be interested in my family's business. I 'dedicated' most of my time to prove I would love to be nothing but a dentist so when it came time to pick a college and a career they pretty much let me do everything by myself.

I picked a school in Manila just so I would be far from them, I forged papers that indicate I'm taking Dentistry instead of Fine Arts and took every precaution so that I will not get caught. Everything went well and according to plan and in no time at all, I settled in and enjoyed being by myself and doing everything I wanted.

I went to school and enjoyed all the classes I was taking, I mostly kept to myself but I had enough friends that I wasn't considered a loner. It was during our 2nd year when Alex's group started hanging around my friends. Yun kasi yung time na nililigawan ni Patrick si Willa, their barkada would always try and include as with whatever they had going on and that is when I finally met Alex and after a few months of being just acquaintances we got to know each other, we became friends and finally, lovers. 

Naalala ko  kung paano kami tingnang dalawa noon sa tuwing mag-kasama kami. Girls will look at me with envy and, Alex with lust in their eyes. Sa totoo lang may crush naman talaga ako kay Alex noon, I mean who wouldn't? He was rich, athletic and just the right amount of mean and flirty that you just can't get enough of him. While I was the quiet and judgmental type with the superiority complex who has just enough people to call friends so I never ended up by myself and be called a loser. 

He was the perfect boyfriend to have during your teen years because he'd treat you just right but you know it'll never be serious. Kumbaga sya yung last mistake mo bago mo mahanap yung talagang para sayo. Or sya yung pinnacle na gusto mong maabot bago mo marealize na masyado syang mataas para sayo. He was like part of the college experience, the boy you'd fall in love with and expect to break you heart but despite the heartache you're still glad to have called him yours even if its only for a little while.

So when he started showing feelings for me I decided to play hard to get kahit na sa tuwing tumitingin siya sakin parang gusto ng pumutok ng puso ko sa bilis ng tibok nito. I didn't want to be part of the Alex club, I didn't want to be another girl in his long list of flings, so I decided to show no interest and be mean to him but I guess it made him want me more and eventually my walls broke down and I said yes. Wala naman kasing mawawala sakin kung pumayag ako, besides I knew what I was getting into. He'll drop me in a few weeks once he's bored of me.

Akala ko hindi kami mag-tatagal, akala ko katulad ng ibang babaeng di-nate nya, ilang linggo lang ay mag-sasawa nadin sya sakin but somehow he didn't. He stuck with me for months and after dating me, tumigil nadin sya sa pagiging playboy at flirty. I became so confident that I decided to show my true colors just to test if he'd leave me but he never did, he stuck with me like gorilla glue, like duct tape, like a magnet were always drawn to each other. Until months became years and our petty fights became full on quarrels. My personal problems leaked into our relationship and vice versa. And yet, we still stayed together.

I walked towards the beach, my shoes in my right hand and my left clutching the ends of the gown Willa forced me in. It was cold and I should have brought a jacket with me but then again I didn't bring one since I didn't think I'd be wearing a dress tonight. I soldiered on and walked to the edge of the beach. I looked out into the sea, watching the lights of the numerous boats in the dark sea. Wondering about how peaceful it must be when you're alone in the vast ocean. Wondering if I could survive alone in the sea. I counted the boats because it was much easier to count than the stars in the sky.

"Aren't you cold?" I heard Alex say as he put his coat around my arm.

"Not anymore." I smiled as I reached for his hand and motioned for him to sit with me.

"Anong ginagawa mo dito?" He asked as he sat down beside me and pulled me closer, I put my head on his shoulder.

"Thinking..."

"About?" 

"If I can survive alone in the sea."

"So iiwan mo ko? Hindi mo ako isasama?"

"I like peace and quiet and you like the noise."

"Yea but if I'm with you that wouldn't really matter, I'll be happy as long as we're together." I smiled at him, were opposites but somehow it made things better, as if were puzzle pieces that fit each other perfectly.

"Do you think we'll still be as happy after tonight?" He lifted my chin and stared in my eyes.

"We graduated, it's not the end of the world."

"We're growing up, you'd start working in your  Grandpa's company and I'd either finally go to dentistry school or apprentice for Ms. Oropeza which means hell either way. A lot of things are changing."

"Yes but not our feelings for each other. Sinabi ko na sayo diba, kahit anong mangyari, I'd always choose you. Besides you're the one who promised me forever so you can't break your promise. You swore you'd always keep your promises." 

But then I did, not only did I break my promise but I also broke his heart. I wonder if his words are still true, do I still hold a piece of his heart?

The party's in full swing and I haven't been able to talk to Alex at all kahit na hindi niya kasama si Emily. He came in the middle of the rehearsal and he got teased relentlessly, his friends accused him of lying about getting married and just making excuses. Sinabi niya na may emergency daw kaya hindi nakasama si Emily and if everything goes well with whatever she's dealing with she'd be here tomorrow. 

Nobody dared to tease me and him, they're probably too scared to provoke him some more because he was clearly not having a good time. He was always looking at his phone, probably waiting for Emily to contact her and he didn't bother to hide the fact that he didn't want to be here at all. I wanted to start a conversation with him numerous times but Gigi was like a guard dog she wouldn't leave him alone and shooting me down every time I come close.

I finally found my chance when I saw him slip through the crowd and walk outside to the patio area overlooking the sea. There were a few people outside but after they saw him, they all quietly slipped inside but I pushed on. I was the only who was ever brave enough to approach him when he was in a really bad mood. I was the exception when it comes to his wrath. 

Was. 

It hurts just thinking about it.

A lot of things happened in the past, not all of them were good but we had better times, amazing times and we shared a lot of things together. Circumstances and fate just weren't on our side then, our families weren't on our side then but maybe now, now that we're all grown up, now that we're more mature and more secured, maybe we can continue from where we left off.

Continue from when we were happy.