The Ugly Duckling (PUBLISHED UNDER PSICOM)

Ugly #34

Someone was poking my arm.

My forehead creased. It was dark. I reached for the hand that was harassing my arm and tried to push it away. The action was followed with muffled noise and I groaned. Then the whole world started to shake. May lindol ba?

What the hell?

"Les, freaking wake up!" nandilat ang mga mata ko sa pagsigaw na ginawa ni Avis. Naramdaman ko ang patuloy na pagyugyog niya sa braso ko. Umungol ako at tinapik ang kamay ng kapatid ko palayo sa akin.

I plopped down on my stomach and covered my whole body, including my head with my thick comforter. "Go away!" I muttered against the pillow.

"Wake up, Maria Celestine. Your chauffeur is here!"

Kumunot ang noo ko. Nakapikit pa rin ang mga mata ko at nakakaramdam pa rin ako ng antok pero hindi ko matuloy ang pagtulog na iyon sa pagbulabog na ginawa sa akin ni Avis. "Get your ass off your bed and take a bath! Yung sundo mo, nasa baba!"

Inalis ko ang comforter mula sa ulo ko at tiningnan siya. Napapapikit-pikit at nasisilaw ako dahil sa sobrang liwanag ng kwarto. Avis must have turned on the lights.

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

Avis rolled her eyes at me. "Pasalamat ka at wala si Dad, or you'll be thoroughly grilled."

Naguguluhan na tinitigan ko lang siya at napabuntong hininga naman sa akin si Avis. Mukhang naiinis sa bagal ng pagprocess ng utak ko ngayong umaga. Aba, hindi ko naman kasalanan na ginising niya ako. She knows how much I hate being woken up from my sleep.

"Magbihis ka na at bumaba, your prince charming awaits." my confusion didn't leave me like Avis did when she got out of my room. I was still trying to make sense of everything that my sister was saying.

Ano bang meron?

I closed my eyes and it only took my a few seconds of silence to remember everything that happened last night.

Unang-una pumasok sa utak ko ang pagyakap sa akin ni Sage. The memory came backwards. From how Sage proclaimed how he can't stay mad at me, to him hugging me tight, to me crying at the sight of Sage hurting.

I can remember everything that happened that night, including the things that happened afterwards. Hindi muna ako inihatid ni Sage katulad ng sinabi niya sa mga magulang namin. He brought me to a convinience store. Alam naman niya kasi na hindi totoo na masama ang pakiramdam ko.

He offered stawberry ice cream and I didn't say no. Bumili rin siya ng sariling ice cream niya at sabay kaming kumain. Tahimik lang at walang imik. We were still adjusting from what happened earlier. I saw him tear up and I cried hard in front of him. It was a big deal for me, exposing my vulnerable side to someone else-to him. He knew it too. He wouldn't have reacted that way if he didn't. He wouldn't have begged for me to cry for him if he didn't know how much of a big deal crying for me was.

"Maria Celestine!" I heard Avis yell again, even banging my door to make her point. My eyes fluttered open and I groaned, sitting up and preparing myself to break up with my bed.

"I'm up! I'm up!" sigaw ko. Mukhang kuntento na si Avis doon dahil hindi ko na siya narinig pang sumigaw o kumatok sa pinto ko.

My sleepiness left me and the words that Avis had been telling me earlier finally clicked in my brain. Yung sundo nasa baba. Chauffeur. Pasalamat dahil wala si Dad. Magbihis. Prince Charming. My eyes slowly widened in my delayed comprehension.

"Sage!" I gasped his name out loud.

The memory of Sage driving me home last night started to play in my head. Naging tahimik ang buong byahe na iyon. I used the whole ride to calm my heart down and stop myself from tearing up again.