Once Upon A Chance

Chapter Fourteen

Kissing Marco has been my favorite pastime. We would meet up every night and he would take me somewhere for a date. Last night, we went to an amusement center at a mall near my place. We played video games, sang our hearts out to karaoke songs, and even had our pictures taken at the photo booth. We played 'shoot the ball' and he beat me to it. I would never win when the balls I threw didn't even touch the basketball ring. Then we ate corn dogs and fries to cap the night off.

My parents are now used to seeing him, although I still haven't introduced him as my boyfriend. We're not a couple, not yet officially. We've never talked about it, and I don't want to ruin everything by initiating a commitment from him.

No labels, just like his relationship with Janine. Yay, Aya! What have you gotten yourself into this time?

We never discussed Janine, though. When he said he ended things with her, I believed him. And he's spending most of his time with me (if he's not at the restaurant), so I suppose there's no reason for me to worry.

Ruth has a different opinion though. She warns me that I might get hurt, especially now that I am having feelings for Marco. And especially with the way his relationship with Janine ended.

Chinkay has a dissimilar view, as always. For her, it's okay to have fun and to not take things too seriously. Just go with the flow, she said.

I'm okay with going with the flow, but I can't stop myself from getting my feelings involved.

Marco and I haven't had sex yet. We kissed and flirted, but we haven't taken it too far. Though I want to feel him, I know it's better to take things slowly.

There have been changes in my life since Marco and I started going out. Modern Mr. Darcy has never messaged me again, and I decide to let that be. I continue designing shirts, even if my parents asked me to focus on my job. Teaching, surprisingly, is fun. I start to love my students, and my focus now is working on building a closer relationship with them by gaining their respect and trust. Dad has found a job at a recruitment agency. And Marco...well, he's always there.

Marco has offered to accompany me to Southwood. Last week, I hatched a plan to design shirts for the upcoming foundation day. My goal is to convince the administration by presenting my proposal.

My boyfriend-not-so-boyfriend picks me up at home and we drive all the way to my high school.

After parking his car, he opens the car door for me and helps me with my stuff. We hold hands as we traverse the buildings, the quadrangle, and the old canteen which was turned into offices of the Student Council and the school paper. Since it's school day, there are students roaming around the campus. Suddenly, memories of my high school life flash back to me.

"My friends and I used to hang out there," I point to the stairs in front of the high school building. There are students singing and playing the guitar. Others are reading or gossiping with friends.

"I wish we were classmates in high school," He flashes me a smile. I blush when he holds my hand up to kiss my knuckles.

When we pass by the high school building, I share with him funny and embarrassing stories. Like that time when I caught my ex-boyfriend cheating on me with a Senior, I went towards them and punched him in the face. My schoolmates called me 'the warrior' and no one dated me after that. Marco laughs at my story, recalling how he had a girlfriend who left him for a basketball player in high school.

"I thought you were a varsity player," I react. Back in Batanes, he told me he was good at basketball and his love for the sport started when he was thirteen.

"I was, during my third year," He ruffles my hair. I playfully hit his arm before fixing it. "Joining the basketball team was never my plan, though I love the sport." He says, explaining that his goal then was to focus on his studies. "But after my ex left me for a varsity player, I joined the tryouts and got accepted."