Daunted By Love

Chapter 4

Daunted By Love

To like you

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I received a text from Leaf yesterday inviting us to have a sleepover at their newly made resthouse around Cauayan. Sabi niya ay inimbitahan niya rin daw sina Alliah, Yuan at ang ilan niyang kaibigan para makapagbonding daw kaming lahat. I'm a bit nervous dahil mayroong mga hindi ko kakilala sa pupuntahan, I hope I'll be good friends with all of them. Agad akong nag-ayos ng gamit na dadalhin pagkasabi niya no'n at maagang nagising kinabukasan para bumiyahe na. Hindi ako nahirapang magpaalam kina Papa dahil kilala na nila si Leaf bilang matalik kong kaibigan ng ilang taon.

"Caia!"

"Leaf!" I called, I waved at him in the entrance.

Tumakbo siya palapit sa akin para yumakap. Sa likod niya'y nakasunod ang mga inimbitahan niya. Nagningning ang mga mata ko nang makita na nandito rin si Claire. Alliah and Yuan is standing beside her. Pinasadahan ko ng tingin ang ilan pa nilang kasama. They all look familiar but I don't know their names. Siguro yung iba ay nakita ko na sa school o ilang school events. Tumikhim si Leaf na siyang nakakuha ng atensyon naming lahat.

"Caia, this is Bliss, pinsan ko. Si Felize naman, isa sa mga pinakaclose ko sa room." Pagpapakilala ni Leaf. I smiled at them and they did the same.

Bliss is a tall man, he's moreno and looks a bit more mature than all of us. Ngayon ko lang nakilala ang isa sa mga pinsan ni Leaf ng personal, I'm glad to know one of them now. Felize is a petite girl, she has a wavy hair and fair skin. Tumagal ang tingin ko sa kaniya, I now remember where I saw her! Noong enrollment ay nakita ko siya sa harap ng fountain ng school.

"And ofcourse Claire." Lumawak ang ngiti ko nang magtama ang mga paningin namin.

"Oh my gosh, you two know each other?" Hindi maitago ang gulat sa boses ni Felize. I'm surprised too that Claire knows her.

"Magkaklase kami nung Grade 8 at ngayon, Fel." Claire explained.

Napatango si Felize. "She looks familiar." Aniya.

"Alliah and Yuan, are you guys okay?" Bliss checked on them.

Alliah smiled at us while Yuan nodded. His eyes remained on me not until I gave him a small but sweet smile. He looked away and tried to hide his little laugh. Napansin ko ang pananamit niya, he wears neat and tidy clothes but not necessarily formal. He always dresses nicely in anywhere he goes and that makes him more attractive.

Our small interactions everyday makes my heart happy. I can't explain the exact feeling that I feel whenever he does something for me. Is this what falling in love feels like? Or is it just an infatuation that I'm feeling? Do I admire him or just want to be friends with him because of his loving personality?

Thoughts whirled up in my head while looking at him. I rarely have a crush and when I do it lasts for 2 years or so, mabilis lang akong mahulog pero matagal bago mawala ang nararamdaman ko sa isang tao. I've never been in a relationship my whole life so I don't really know what having a romantic relationship with someone feels like. Fragile would be the best word to describe me but I want to take care of my heart now. I'm scared to fall in love and how it would be able to hurt me.

"Let's unpack first, guys!" Leaf said.

"I'm so glad you're here." Baling ko kay Claire. My lower lip protruded.

She opened her arms widely, getting ready to hug me.

"Chikahan tayo later, ha! Mag-aayos lang ako ng gamit."

Dala-dala ang kaniya-kaniya nilang mga bag ay nawala ang kumpulan ng tao sa entrada ng bahay. They all made their way to the rooms.

"Mauna na kayo ni Yuan sa rooftop, Cai. Akin na 'yang bag mo." Mapang-asar niya akong tinignan nang kunin niya ang bag mula sa akin.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Yuan.

"Tara?" He asked.

"Tara" Nakangiti kong sabi.

Pag-akyat namin sa taas ay tanaw namin ang kabuuan ng Saint Daunte, isang lugar dito sa Cauayan. The mountains in the distance looks like a sleeping lady to me. Kinapa ko ang cellphone ko sa bulsa ko at kinuhanan ng larawan ang magandang tanawin. Maganda iyong tignan dahil pababa na ang araw.

"Caia" Pagtawag niya.

Nalanghap ko ang pabango niya nang tumabi siya sa akin. Pasimple ko siyang tinignan sa gilid ng mga mata ko.

"Why?" Mahinahon kong tanong at nakangiti siyang nilingon.

"Look up." He said and looked up at the sky.

Namilog ang mga mata ko nang makita kung gaano kaganda ang kalangitan idagdag mo pa ang buwan na maaga palang ay nasa itaas na ng langit. I will forever thank God for creating such beauty. Tuluyan nang lumubog ang araw. The vast blue sky was aglow by the city lights. The pale crescent moon looking like a silver claw in the night sky.

"What do you like more, Yuan?" I paused for a bit to look at him. "Ang araw o ang buwan?" I continued.

"The moon because whenever I look at it, napapakalma niya ako." He answered.

"What about you?" Tanong niya sa akin.

"I like the sun better."

He frowned. "Really? That's new to my ears. Can you tell me why then?" Interesado niyang tanong.

"Only some of the people love the sun, I mean every bit of it. They only love it when it's rising or setting not when it's shining so brightly unlike the moon." I said.

Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa. His eyes became soft when our eyes met.

"I treat you like a sun so imagine your importance to me." I whispered while smiling.

"Kung gano'n, 'wag ka masiyadong lalapit sa akin mag sunblock ka." He jokingly said.

Napairap ako. "Corny mo!"

We both laughed and looked up at the blanket of stars that stretched to infinity. Dahan-dahan kong ibinaba ang tingin ko para tignan siya. His smile almost reaching his ears while looking at the sky. Yuan Sevilla, it's not hard to like you, really.

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