Relentlessly Yours [Completed]

Chapter 6

Nicola, Age Fifteen
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"Do you think I'm weird?"

Wala sa loob na tanong ko kay Kai habang nasa ilalim kami ng punong Narra. Still, in our usual spot beside the pond. I was sketching a portrait of my parents as a gift for their upcoming anniversary while he was reading a sports magazine.

Iilang beses na akong nasasabihan na 'weirdo' ng mga kaklase ko palibhasa ay puro babae kami sa school at hindi ako makasabay sa mga hilig nila sa make up, fashion at mga crush.

"I think you're beautiful, Calliope."

Agad na nag-init ang pisngi ko. I laughed awkwardly and rolled my eyes.

"I'm serious," sabi ko at nag-angat ng mata para tingnan siya.

He raised a dark brow, his beautiful dark slanted eyes looked at me intently.

"And what makes you think I'm joking? I will never joke about you. Surely, you know that already?"

My heart pounded as I averted my eyes from his intense stare.

I've been experiencing that a lot lately. Correction, I've been experiencing it a lot for quite some time now.

Hindi ko alam kung kelan o paano nagsimula pero mabilis na nag-iinit ang pisngi ko kapag nahuhuli ko siyang nakatingin sa akin. I have had a crush on him for the longest time but lately, I'm starting to feel something else. Hell, who was I kidding? I probably have always felt this way.

"You know what else I think?"

I chewed on my lower lip and shook my head.

Ngumiti siya at inabot ang iilang hibla ng buhok ko para paglaruan sa daliri niya.

"Well on top of being beautiful, I think you're smart, loyal and extremely talented," he stated solemnly. Inangat niya ang mga mata at tumitig sa akin. "So don't ever call yourself that again, do you understand?"

There was a scratch-like quality in his voice mostly due to puberty. I let myself study him. Did he like me, too? We never said the words but I know there was something between us.

He always eats his lunch with me despite us not being in the same campus. He liked tracing his name using his index finger on the palm of my hand. He liked twirling my long hair as I sketched. He liked looking at me, too. I always caught him staring and he doesn't even bother to hide it. He just gives me a smirk every time I catch him which would make me blush with no fail.

"Calliope?"

God, I love my name on his lips. He never once called my by my nickname and I love it. Pakiramdam ko ay ang special-special ko sa kanya.

"Uhmm...you were saying?"

He shook his head once and reached for my hair, twirling it with his fingers. "Where did you go? Your mind is flying again."

I smiled, embarrassed. "I do that a lot, don't I?"

"Yeah, were you thinking about me again?" nangingislap ang mga mata na sabi niya.

"D-Di ko alam kung anong pinagsasabi mo," nakaiwas ang tingin na sabi ko sa kanya.

He chuckled, scooting closer to me. Agad na kumabog ang dibdib ko ng inakbayan niya ako.

"So, you never thought of me?" Bulong niya sa buhok ko bago inamoy iyon.

Agad na naramdaman ko ang pananayo ng balahibo ko.

He liked to do that, too. Smell my hair, I mean.

"Calliope?"

"Ha?"