Cheer Up, Captain

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

I felt like I was in some sort of... simulation.

Because how on earth was I in the middle of New York city, walking at night while holding Finley's hand?! He literally hasn't let go of my hand yet! I felt like I was gonna die earlier nung nasa hotel pa kami and he was holding my hand habang nagla-lakad kami sa may lobby. Mabuti na lang at wala pa iyong schoolmates namin. Like imagine what would've happened if nakita nila kami na holding hands?!

"What do you want? Kanina pa tayo nagla-lakad," he said.

"I'm not hungry," I replied. Kapag talaga marami akong iniisip, hindi ako nakakaramdam ng gutom. Come to think of it, I lost a lot of weight recently because of my family situation.

"Pano mo iniinom 'yung gamot mo?" he asked, looking at me with his forehead a bit creased. "Di mo iniinom?"

"I'm fine—"

Before pa ako matapos sa answer ko, I felt his hand on my forehead again. I tried to slap his hand away, but he was much stronger than I was. Naka-tayo lang siya roon for a few seconds like he was trying to figure out if may sakit pa rin ako.

"You don't want to eat anything?" he asked.

"No."

"Fine. I'll decide."

For a minute, we were just standing in the middle of the street. I thought it was a bit rude of him na guma-gamit siya ng phone habang naka-tayo lang ako at naka-tingin sa kanya.

I hated that my heart did a little flip when he reached for my hand and grabbed it. He was getting too comfortable with it and it hasn't even been a day nung naging kami?!

It's so crazy?

Boyfriend ko na ba talaga siya?

If prank talaga 'to, I swear... Kakalbuhin ko si Finley even if that's the last thing I'll do in my life!

"Let's go," he said as we stopped in front of a car.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Queens," he said.

"Wait, what?" I asked, confused, kung bakit pupunta pa kami sa Queens. Baka atakihin sa puso iyong teacher ko dahil wala ako sa hotel!

"Was looking for porridge. Lots of Filipino resto there," he said as he gently nudged me papasok sa may car. He put his hand on the top of my head as I was going in. Ugh. Bakit kinikilig ako sa ganon?

Also, why was Finley already so good at this? Didn't he say na first girlfriend niya ako? Bakit ang galing-galing niya na agad?

And bakit parang naiinis ako?

"What is your problem again?" he asked.

Napa-tingin ako sa kanya. "What?"

"Your forehead," he said as he pointed at said forehead. "Are you pissed or is it just your default expression?" he asked. Ugh. As if hindi perpetually bored ang default expression niya.

I crossed my arms and huffed. "I'm not pissed," I told him although I was perfectly aware na for some reason, naiinis ako... but paano ko naman sasabihin sa kanya 'yon? Na naiinis ako kasi bakit parang alam niya na how to act like a boyfriend? Kahit according to him, first girlfriend ako? Like ano? Nagpractice ba siya elsewhere?! I thought basketball practice ang pinu-puntahan niya!

Bakit ba naiinis ako?!

I felt Finley watching me like a hawk. I tried my best to not look his way kasi no way na sasabihin ko sa kanya iyong reason behind the crease on my forehead. Nakaka-hiya.