Niki and Andy

Chapter 19: A Different Kind of Me

It was already past eleven, yet Niki was still not feeling sleepy. Kanina pa siya nakahiga sa kama at nakatulala sa kisame. She just had the most intense kiss of her life and it was with her best friend. It was definitely something she didn't see happening this year.

She picked up the phone from her chest and opened the video again. She saw herself put the phone on the stand on the table. Ngumiti siya sa camera. Saka niya tinawag si Andy.

Niki saw herself cup Andy's face with her hands and plant a kiss on his lips. She saw how shocked she was when he didn't move away. Kitang-kita sa mukha ni Andy ang pagkagulat. But just as she was stepping away, she saw the slight change in his expression. It was in that shift in his mood that she noticed the defining moment in the video.

Andy must have interpreted her kiss in a different way. Why else would he pull her towards him and kiss her hard like that? Niki instinctively bit her lower lip at the sight of them kissing. Mas maiksi iyon sa video kumpara sa inaasahan niya. It felt longer earlier. Too long, every second that passed was agonizingly slow. Pero ilang segundo lang talaga iyon.

The recording was almost ten minutes long. Ganoon iyon katagal dahil ilang minuto siyang nakatayo lang sa may lamesa. She could still remember herself trembling and leaning on the table for support. Kahit na-fast forward na niya iyong video, masyado pa ring matagal siyang nakatunganga sa kusina.

Finally, after snapping out of her trance, she moved out of the frame. Nakalimutan niya yung camera. Nakapasok na siya ng kwarto nang maalala niya iyon. Rinig sa background ang muling pagbukas ng pintuan ng kwarto niya at makikitang humahagas siyang bumalik sa kusina at dinampot ang phone. She ended the recording after that.

–

It was already almost midnight but Andy has not slept a wink. Nakahiga siya kanina pa sa kama, nakatulala sa kisame. Ponkan was shifting restlessly on his stomach because he couldn't sleep either. Ramdam yata ng pusa na aligaga siya kanina pa.

He just kissed Niki. He finally did it. He finally fucking did it.

Maghapon itong naglambing sa kanya pero alam niyang para lamang iyon sa vlog nito. And he was fine with it. She was playful and flirtatious and for a while, he got to pretend that she was into him too.

When Niki called him to the kitchen earlier, he didn't think it was still part of the show. Akala niya ay may kailangan talaga ito sa kanya. He never thought...

Niki wouldn't just kiss him. While he let people run with the rumors and misconceptions about them, Niki would always straighten things out. Someone like that wouldn't just do something so... misleading. Especially to him.

Kaya nang hinalikan siya nito, something just clicked in his brain. Maybe she wanted him too. Maybe she was just starting to realize that. And then, he saw the camera. He knew right then and there that he fucked up, big time. Ngayon, hindi na niya alam kung paano ito haharapin kinabukasan.

–

Madaling-araw na nang makatulog si Niki. Dahil doon, tinanghali na siya ng gising kinabukasan. She woke up at around 9AM, which meant na nakaluto na ng breakfast si Andy at nagtatrabaho na ito. But Niki wouldn't tiptoe out of her room. She would walk out like she normally would. Kasi nakakahiya naman kung sobrang ingat niya sa paglabas ng kwarto tapos nasa kusina o sala pala ito.

Niki opened the bedroom door and walked into the quiet living room. Nang tumingin siya sa kusina, may nakalagay na mesh net cover sa ibabaw ng lamesa. She walked towards it and removed the cover. May pagkain sa ilalim noon, pang-isang tao. Alam niyang sa kanya iyon. Hindi naman mag-iiwan si Andy ng pagkain nito.

She sat on a chair and started eating. Binagalan niya ang kain para tingnan kung lalabas pa ito. But he must have been busy with work or he could sense that she was in the kitchen so he didn't come out.