Loving My Rival

Prologue

“PWEDE ba 'kong makipaglaro saiyo?” pagsulpot ng isang batang lalaking mas matanda ng ilang taon sa akin. Nag-aabang ng maari kong isagot sakanya habang abala ako sa pagtayo ng sand castle malapit sa dagat na pinagbakasyonan namin ng mga magulang ko.

“Who are you?” I asked instead. Sa murang edad naiintindihan ko ang mga magulang ko. Dad told me that whenever a stranger come near me I shouldn't let my guard down and trust nobody. I was trained to be a keen observer since I was able to understand some things around me. Pinaintindi rin sakin ng mga magulang ko na hindi kami pangkaraniwang pamilya lamang, and at that moment, I know that I am not an ordinary girl and to have fun whenever I want like what the other kids would usually do, playing around and see the world as wonderful as what their parents would tell them. Somehow, I wished I am just ordinary like the other kids too, na sa murang edad laro lang ang alam at nagpapalipas ng araw sa paglalaro sa labas at iiyak pag nadapa at magsusumbong sa Ina.

My deep thinking was cut by the cute voice of a kid.

"I'm Vali," maikli niyang sagot at ngumiti. I looked at him. I can tell that he's older than me a little bit because of his features. Mukha naman siyang mabait kaya tumango na lamang ako sakanya hudyat na pinahihintulutan ko siyang makipaglaro saakin.

"Why are you alone here? Where did you parents go?" tanong niya. Nakisali na rin siya sa ginagawa kong sand castle. He pick the bucket and filled it with sand and turned it upside down to create a standing sand shape like a bucket of course. Patapos na rin ako sa ginagawa ko at pag lagay nalang ng mga butas sa buhangin na pinatayo ko na siyang nagsisilbing bintana at pinto ng sand castle.

"My parents allowed me to be alone and play here, they're busy in their businesses I think?" Medyo lumukot ang kilay ko dahil hindi sigurado sa isasagot sakanya.

"Oh I see," sabi niya hang abala sa ginagawang sand castle sa tabi ng ginawa ko. "What's your name by the way?" Tanong niya, sumulyap saglit saakin nang hindi ako sumagot kaagad, "if you don't mind?" Pahabol niya pa.

"Fae..." I blink twice when I heard my dad's voice in my mind.

‘don't trust someone when you first saw them, anak, even though they are kids like you. You shouldn't trust them they must be someone's pawn to get or capture you and you wouldn't like what they are able to do to you. You understand baby?’

"Ra... Faera," I said finishing the last word of my name. I don't trust this kid, I know he's just being nice but being raise by a dad like my father? I don't think you can trust easily because my father teach me how to trust nobody except for my mom and him.

"Nice to meet you, Faera," he smiled and finishing his sand castle by creating a door and window just like what I did earlier to mine. I just watched how he make a small window and door at his sand castle. When he's already done, tumayo na siya at pinagpagan ang sarili. Nag abot siya ng kamay saakin nang tatayo na rin sana ako, I looked at him, titling my head a little cause he's stand in front of me, blocking the sunlight through my face and had a smile plastered on his lips.

"Need help?" He said. I accepted his offer and stand up. Even though I was taught to trust nobody doesn't mean I'll be mean to anybody also.

"Thanks," I said and slowly nearing the sea shore to wash my body through the salt water on the ocean.

"Hey wait!" I stopped and look at him when he's rushing to go near me also and planning to clean his body, I think? "Can we be friends at least? I notice that you're alone here that's why I came near you," he said. Smile plastered on his pinkish lips.

"Okay.. just for now." I said and started to clean my body. I don't know but I have this feeling that there's something in him. I just can't figure it out.