I'll Hold On To You

Unexpected Kiss

How come when you look at me, it seems like time stops moving? ― If Only, Little Mermaid Musical

xxxxxx

[Relaina]

"Do you need something?" Brent asked me in an annoyed tone as soon as I approached him. Sa totoo lang, gusto ko nang upakan ito.

Hindi ako tanga para hindi maintindihan na mukhang ito pa yata ang may ganang mainis sa ginawa kong paglapit dito samantalang ito ang may atraso sa akin. Hah! It looked like this guy was so full of himself when I should be the one feeling pissed and irritated for what happened. I crossed my hands in front of me and raised an eyebrow.

"So bakit ikaw pa ang may ganang mainis? Nagtatanong ka na nga lang, eh. Baka nalilimutan mo. You're the one with the bigger fault here, Mister, because you gave me this injury on my first day at this university," I said, hindi ko na talaga itinago ang inis ko sa mokong na 'to.

"And it's my fault. I admit that. But I already apologized to you, didn't I?"

Napaismid na lang ako at umiling. "You call that an apology? You let your fraternal twin brother do what's supposed to be your job. It only means that you're not sincere in asking for an apology to me, if that's how you want to call it."

Brent stood up from his seat and approached me. He stopped just a few feet away from me. He was staring at me intently as if memorizing every inch of my face. Grabe namang makatingin 'to sa akin. Pero I kept my ground at nakipagtitigan din dito. At may napansin lang naman ako.

Now that I thought about it, he was looking at me the same way yesterday, as if he was enchanted sa kung ano man ang nakita niya sa mukha ko nang araw na iyon. It was as if he was looking at me like I was some kind of... Wait, what exactly does he think of me as he was looking at me that intently yesterday?

Oh, never mind! One thing I knew, I had a different feeling as Brent was looking at me yesterday. I wasn't someone you would call beautiful for him to look at me as if he was enchanted. But I knew he looked at me that way. Weird but I remembered it like that. Pero sandali lang iyon. For some unknown reason, I felt uneasy. Especially when my nose caught the scent of his perfume (or maybe cologne) with a mixture of his natural scent. And just like the first time that he was near me, my heart thumped crazily again.

I couldn't understand why my heart would go beating crazy like this just because he was near me. Pero lalamunin muna ako ng lupa bago pa malaman ng mokong na 'to ang mga bagay na naiisip ko tungkol sa kanya sa mga sandaling iyon. He might use it as a reason to bring down my defenses and I didn't want to let that happen.

Iyon ang huling bagay na gusto kong mangyari.

"Alright. What do you want me to do so you'll stop acting this annoyed as if I made a huge mistake towards you?" he sarcastically asked me moments later, which didn't surprise me at all.

Mayabang nga, 'di ba? Ano pa ba ang nakakapagtaka roon?

"You should personally apologize for what you did to me," I answered. "Besides, may karapatan akong mainis at mairita sa 'yo since what happened to me yesterday was your fault. Your sincerest apology is what I'm asking from you. Hindi naman siguro mahirap ibigay iyon, 'di ba?"

Brent took a deep breath and looked at me intently once again. Sa totoo lang, ano ba'ng meron at ganito ito makatingin sa akin?

"Okay. I'm sorry for causing trouble for you on your first day here. Pero pareho natint alam that everything has been an accident and I didn't mean to do that. And I admit, it's my fault," he said sincerely. Then he sighed. "There! Am I forgiven?"

I couldn't help sighing in frustration and gladness at the same time. Did I have to approach him and rant this way just for this jerk to make a proper apology? I still felt his sincerity while saying those words. At least, consolation ko na siguro iyon para lang matanggal kahit papaano ang inis ko rito.

"Kaya mo naman palang mag-apologize sa harap ko, eh. Why did you have to make me confront you first just for you to do it?" I asked after mulling over his words for a while. Wait a minute, why was I giving his apology this much attention?

"Napaka-demanding mo kasi. To think you even confronted me. Siguro taktika mo lang iyan para lang mapansin kita," Brent said in full arrogance that surprised me and annoyed me at the same time. At ang lakas pa talaga ng loob nitong ngumisi! Akala mo kung sinong naka-score, ah.

Seriously-- This guy was so full of himself! He was also an arrogant jerk! Argh! Bakit ba nag-krus ang landas namin ng sira-ulong 'to, ha?

"You can tell me the truth, you know. Na may crush ka sa akin kaya ka tumigil sa harap ko that day at madaganan kita," he added without that smirk leaving his face. That only caused the other people around to tease us which only made me furious.

Alright! Now he had done it! That was my only irritated thought after hearing those words from Brent. It didn't come to me na napakahambog pala ng sira-ulong unggoy na 'to.

'Well, guwapong unggoy naman. Besides, you even admitted it to yourself that you were attracted to him since the first time your eyes met. Just be true to yourself, okay?' A part of my mind nudged which only irritated me. Urgh! Not again. Bakit pati yata ang sarili kong utak, hindi ako magawang tantanan ng pang-aasar ngayon? Seriously speaking. I took a deep breath before facing him with a small smile carved on my face. Well, more like a sneer.

"Crush pala, ha?"

Without a word, I punched his face as hard as I could. He staggered backward before falling like he didn't expect it at all. Parang nag-echo sa buong building ang pagsinghap ng mga taong naroon at nakakita sa ginawa kong iyon. The others couldn't react properly because of what I did. Well, most of them were utterly shocked. Obvious naman, eh. I smirked while massaging my fist that I used to punch Brent's face.

"You have to know that the punch I gave you just now is not enough as compensation for what you did to me," I said. "You know, I considered forgiving you. Kung hindi mo lang pinairal ang pagiging hambog at arogante mo. Do you think na ganoon ka kaguwapo para masabi mong may crush ako sa 'yo? Kilabutan ka nga." After that, I turned around and was about to leave.

But I wasn't ready for what he did next. He rashly pulled me by the arm and forcefully turned me around to face him. I was already expecting my heartbeat to increase its tempo as soon as I saw his face. I could see that he was angry and embarrassed at the same time, just trying his best to suppress them. I knew the reason for those emotions but I tried not to avoid eye contact with him. I did that even though I had to admit that I was starting to feel both nervous and scared that I didn't want to show in front of him.

Ipapakita ko sa lalaking ito na hindi ako natatakot dito.

"You know that you're the only girl who punched me this way," Brent said in suppressed anger while his hold on my arm started to tighten.

Sa totoo lang, may palagay akong babakat ang kamay nito sa braso ko after this.

"Oh? Then I guess I broke your record. There's always a first time for everything nga, 'di ba?" I still managed to say it as a response even though his tightening hold on my arm began to hurt. "That's what happens to people like you. Ang yabang mo kasi."

"Mayabang pala, ha? Tingnan natin kung masasabi mo pa 'yan once I do this to you." After that, he suddenly pulled me by the waist and forced a kiss on my lips.

That kiss had come as a shock to me... especially to my heart....