Captivated, All Along

Prologue

"Engineer Hidalgo, kapag nagpatayo tayo ng bahay dapat may elevator ha?" Atlas said while playing with my hair.

He's laying down on my lap as we are watching the stars shine in the dark sky. It is approximately about 2 hours past midnight and we have our final exams tomorrow, or should I say later. After a month from now, we will be having our graduation ceremony and we will separate. Atlas will study in a different school where his little brother goes to. I will also transfer to the school where my older step-brother goes to.

"Gusto mo may escalator pa eh." Biro ko.

"Talaga? Sige, tapos 'yung kwarto natin may malaking TV tapos paulit-ulit nating papanoorin 'yung Harry Potter... Ay dapat din pala may malaki tayong sound system para araw-araw nating papatugtugin 'yung theme song natin." Dire-diretso niyang sabi kaya natawa ako.

"Yes tangi, we'll do that."

"Promise mo 'yan ah! Kapag ikaw nakipag-hiwalay sa'kin ipapabulabog kita kay Sadako gabi-gabi, Seraphine." Napatayo agad ako sa sinabi niya.

"Hindi kita hihiwalayan! Saka anong Seraphine? First name basis na ba tayo ngayon? Ikaw ata ang may balak makipag-hiwalay eh!" Pagalit kong sabi sakaniya at nanlaki naman ang kaniyang mata.

"Baby, no. Akala ko nagjo-joke time lang tayo ngayon eh. Sorry na." He moved closer to me and spammed me with kisses.

Nilayo ko ang mukha niya at seryosong nagsalita. "Mukha ba akong nakikipagbiruan ngayon?"

"Sorry, baby. Hindi na kita ulit tatawagin sa pangalan mo. 'Wag ka na magalit."

"Hidalgo, Seraphine Cypress F."

I let out a deep breath before walking towards the center of the stage. Most of the graduating students with me today are with their parents, while me, I am holding a picture of my mom. It's been my yearly thing when I go to the stage to take my achievements. My dad is still alive but he just doesn't care about me, he is too focused with my step-brother who has a passion in drinking alcohol and doing drugs. The worse thing is that my father tolerates it.

"Best in Mathematics, With High Honors, Valedictorian of Class 1*."

I received a lot of applauses from the crowd, but there is one applause that stood out. I roamed my eyes around the seated students and I saw him, Atlas, shouting his heart out at me.

"Baby ko 'yan! I'm so proud of you Engineer!" It touched my heart when I heard him say that. Other than my mother, Atlas is really the only one who stayed with me during my ups and downs. He is the only one who believed in what I can do. I am very thankful that he came into my life, because if he didn't, I am still lost up to this day.

I went down the stage and ran towards him to give him a tight hug. His embrace really reminds me of home, but unlike my home that my dad, step-mother, and step-brother lives in, he actually made me feel valued and relevant.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, he then broke the hug and flashed me a smile. "Congratulations, tangi!"

"Thank you so much, tangi. Sige na pumila ka na doon, malapit na tawagin ang section n'yo." Sabi ko habang tinutulak siya.

He pouted then spoke. "Sumigaw ka rin sa'kin ah! Talunin mo mga fans ko!"

Tumawa ako at tumango.

"Heredia, Atlas Yves R." Sumigaw ako ng malakas at pumalakpak. Nag-sign pa siya ng pumapana na parang cupid kaya napatawa ako ng malakas. Napaka-sutil talaga.

"Best in Science, With Highest Honors, Valedictorian of Class 2*."

Nang makababa siya sa stage ay tumakbo ako para salubungin siya ng yakap.