Season of Love (Jewel Perez)

Chapter Eight: Feelings must be changed, or so I thought?

The last few days became my heart-broken era. I've been playing Taylor Swift songs, as well as Conan Grey, especially his song of Heather playing repeatedly in my playlist. I didn't cry, of course. But it just brings me pain when you find out your crush already has someone else, worst, you saw your crush begging someone else. 

It's our last time practicing the lines of our roleplay and we finally do it outside our classroom. We went to the field, where we also tried to shoot some of the scenes as well. 

"Heya!" Alyssa approached me. Her class must've ended meanwhile I still have the practice to attend to. Mharj and Sean also followed alongside Alyssa. 

"You okay? You look tired with those eyebags of yours." She said and I just smiled. 

"Just a problem at the house," I said then she rolled her eyes. 

"Ah, yes." She said then sat down as if she just had a tantrum. 

The silence overruled us, as I was watching them practicing and trying to shoot some scenes meanwhile I was still sitting down watching them because it wasn't my turn to act yet. 

Mharj senses it and she speaks, "Hey Allie, have you seen the recent update of Nightcore yet?" Mharj asks her and they both start to chat. Meanwhile, I am still stuck in my own daydream. 

I looked at the narrator who was behind the directors and the other staffs, now reciting the lines in the roleplay, "Nagkataon ang pagdating sa gubat ng isang gererong bayani ang tikas, pananamit ay Moro sa Persiyang siyudad. Siya ay si Aladin ang gererong Moro ng Persiya na anak ni Sultan Ali-Adab, na dahil sa sama ng loob sa kanyang ama at kasintahang si Flerida ay umalis sa sariling bayan." By chance, the arrival in the jungle of a gerero hero with the elegance and clothing of a Moor in the Persian city. He is Aladin the gereron Moro of Persia, the son of Sultan Ali-Adab, who because of his displeasure with his father and lover, Flerida, left his homeland.

My classmate, Jean who was acting as Aladin, then spoke, "Flerida! Flerida! Ama ko! Bakit mo ako natiis na magdusa nang dahil sa aking irog? Di yata't ikaw na rin ang umagaw sa aking kaligayahan!  Kung hindi ang iginagalang kong ama ang umagaw kay Flerida, hindi ko masabi kung ang aking sandata'y bumuga ng laksang kamatayan." Flerida! Flerida! Father! Why did you let me suffer because of my lover? It doesn't change the fact you are the one who stole my happiness! If it wasn't my respected father who snatched Flerida, I can't say if my weapon would have blown a death blow.

Then my classmate Moby changed into position and acted, he said, "Ama ko! Ama ko! Bakit kaya ikaw pa ang naunang nasawi at ako'y inulila sa gitna ng sakit para kong nakikita ang malupit na parusa sa iyo ng taksil na si Adolfo. Para ko pang naririnig dito, aking ama, ang iyong panambitan at dalangin na ako sana ay maligtas na lamang sa paghihiganti ni Konde Adolfo!" Father! Father! Why is it that you were the first to die and I was left an orphan in the middle of the pain so that I can see the cruel punishment of the traitor Adolfo. It's as if I can hear here, my father, your plea and prayer that I may be spared from Count Adolfo's revenge!

Then the play goes on and on until Ace suddenly approaches me from behind. 

"Are you ready?" He spoke with his husky voice and I jumped out of instinct. 

"Y-you scared me... Yes, I am ready." I said bluntly and sighed. He was silent then. I turn to look at him secretly in my peripheral vision but he's too focused on the play in front of me. This roleplay is just a common assignment for us in the 8th grade. It doesn't need anything like a theater or anything. As the song playing in my playlist plays, Rosyln by Bon Iver, St. Vincent the nervousness that I was feeling while watching them practicing their lines and trying to shoot some scenes - faded away when this song plays alongside Ace's presence. 

Somehow, it made me feel comfortable and secure. He may look so intimidating and serious at all times, but he has a golden heart. A gentleman, a good man. His presence speaks just like the song playing in my playlist now. 

However, no matter how comfortable his presence may be, he isn't mine to begin with. It doesn't mean that something bad happened between them of my friend, Ella, doesn't mean I also have the right to snatch him away from her.  

I must somehow let go of these feelings I have for him. 

As the play goes on, it's now Ace's turn. He started to recite some lines and acts too. His acting is a bit off and stern, I chuckled. I guess he isn't that kind of a person who has a talent for acting but only for the sake of grades.

Then, it is now my turn. 

As the story says, Laura, who's my character then stepped inside the scene. I did my act in such a gracious and elegant way since Laura was portrayed in that way. With my hair tied in a messy bun, and wearing an old Filipiña dress. 

I did my smile and looked at Moby.

He spoke, "Magandang umaga Bb. Masaya akot nakilala kita ngalan ko'y Florante, wala ng iba." 

I replied with a gracious smile, "Magandang umaga Florante. Masaya rin akong makilala kita."

In the play, both Laura and Florante are lovers and so we acted in that way. As the play goes, we went into the scene where I never thought would cause suspicion towards my classmates.

I spoke, "Bitiwan mo ako Adolfo! Ako ay para lamang kay Floranteng giliw ko ang tulad mong taksil at duwag sa pag-iibigan naming ni Florante'y hindi makatitibag." Leave me alone Adolfo! I only love Florante, a traitor and coward like you can't resist Florante's love.

I spoke with so much strength in my voice, and face expression with bravery. Then he tightened his grip and even look closer to me. 

HUH? WAIT! HE'S WAY TOO CLOSE!

My heart starts to beat fast, and I am anxiously worried that he might hear my heart beating rapidly.

He said his lines, "O, Laurang prinsesa huwag mo akong galitin ang Floranteng sinta mo'y hindi na aabutin sa dilim katawan niya ngayo'y pinagpipyestahan na wari ng mga Leon kaya't wala kang ibang pagpipilian kundi.....mapasa akin." O, Princess Laura, don't make me angry, your beloved Florenteng will not reach the darkness anymore, her body is now feasting like the Lions, so you have no other choice but... to become mine.

He said with such deep and husky voice which really did made me feel chills. My face starts to turn red when he approach me even more AND YES EVEN MORE THAT HE TOUCHED MY FACE, CARESSING IT!

He then began to push me into the floor like in the act. I also tried to push him away too, really hard that it began to look like in reality. 

"KYAAA!!! LET GO OF ME!" I scream but he still acts in his character and really starts to undo his polo. My face starts to become tomato-like skin. He looked at me intently but there was gentle in his eyes. His hand caressed my face and said these words, "Wala na ang iyong Florenta, Laura. Akin ka lang." Your Florenta is gone, Laura. You are now mine.

When he said those words with such a deep and husky voice. I quickly jumped away from my character and shouted hard.

"AAAAH! ALYSSA! MHARJ! SEAN! APPLE! ASHLEYY! HELP ME!!!!" I shouted and cried and everyone in the set stopped. 

My friends quickly came over to me and hugged me.

"What's wrong with you? Your face is red and why are you crying like a baby?" Mharj said as if she were my mother. 

"Mama..."  I said and hugged her. 

"I-i'm sorry, I was rough to you," Ace said with his apologetic eyes. 

DAMN, BROTHER THAT DOESN'T HELP! IT'S AS IF SOMETHING DID HAPPEN BETWEEN US! 

Of all the chaotic in the set that happened that day, I didn't notice Ella was looking at us. I didn't know, something big would change my life forever ever since that day.