Wicked Games (An Epistolary Novel)

101

I was singing along to my Sabrina Carpenter jam as I was driving myself to work, iced coffee on one hand. We did not have any pressing tasks today so today's gonna be just a chill day.

There was no traffic on my way to work—which was so surprising—so I was extra pumped and humming as I made my way to the laboratory. There was an airpods on my ears also.

Since it was just seven thirty in the morning, I was the first one to come to the lab. Masyado pang maaga kaya hindi nakapagtatakha na ako pa lang ang nandito. I bobbed my head as I sang along while wearing my lab coat and gloves, preparing beakers and graduated cylinders that I will use today.

'Heartbreak is one thing
My ego's another
I beg you don't embarass me
Motherfucker ahhh'

Since it was just me here, I did not hold back in singing. Damang-dama ko ang kanta especially the cuss part. I was dancing while readying the equipment. Nakapikit pa at nakahawak sa dibdib habang umaawit, rotating my hips in circular motion. When I turned around, I shrieked in surprised because someone was standing at the corner of the lab staring straight at me with amusement playing in his eyes.

"What the fuck?!" Hindi ko napigilang bulalas. I held my chest because it literally constricted painfully in shock. Habol ko rin ang hininga.

"What the hell are you doing here? Were you here all along?" I asked, breathless and wide-eyed and embarrassed.

I did not know what shocked me more. . . the fact that Julian was standing inside the laboratory all along while I literally embarrass myself in front of him or him looking somewhat amused at what he had just witnessed.

His brow was arched but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes behind his glasses.

He nodded slowly, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips.

Oh, gosh.

Nakakahiya ka, Noah Monica!

"Yeah."

"And you didn't even bother to make your presence known?" Hinayaan mo lang akong kumanta at sumayaw?, I wanted to add.

"I mean. . . you were clearly having your moment. I did not want to disturb you and ruin it," he said so casually, putting his hands on his lab pocket.

Why does he looked so freaking good in the morning? He looked so hot and nerdy!

I cleared my throat, putting down the centrifuge on the countertop.

"Bakit ang aga mo? And why are you here?" I inquired, resuming with what I was doing to keep the awkwardness away. "Sir," I added because I realized that was too casual of me to ask that.

"Do we have anything to work on pa with the reports?"

"None. But Jhoanna said I could still work here in the lab even though the project's done already. So. . . here I am," he shrugged.

O. . . kay.

Tumango na lang ako. "But why so early, though?"

"I was expecting heavy traffic on the way here. It turns out the road's all clear which was surprising."

"Oo nga. Walang traffic. . ."

Wait. . . "Will you be working here at the lab for the time being?" I asked.

"Why? You don't like it?" he asked, brow arched again.

Huh? Saan nanggaling 'yon?

"Huh? I was just asking, huy!"

So does that mean madalas, kung hindi araw-araw, ko siyang makikita? Gusto ko ba 'yon? Kaya ba ng karupukan ko?

There was this. . . look on his face.

Oh, gosh.

Tinutukso niya ba ako?!

"I won't be here everyday," he said, turning around to do his thing. I did the same.

I wanted to ask kung nandito rin siya bukas but I held myself back. Baka kung ano pa isipin niya.

It was hard working when he's just a few meters away from me. I increased the volume of the music para hindi ako ma-distract at isipin na malapit lang siya.

I felt my phone pinged for a notification. I quickly opened it and my cheeks blushed at what Rachel chatted in Viber.

'Luh ano yan bakit kayo magkasama sa lab ni Julian???'

She must have arrived already and saw us from the glass window. Hindi ko siya ni-reply-an. Nilingon ko ang labas at nakitang nandoon nga siya nakatayo. She was doing her funny hand gestures and when I glanced at Julian, nakita kong napatingin rin siya kay Rachel. I chuckled when Rachel's eyes widened in embarrassment before she took off.

"Baliw talaga," I mumbled.

I just resumed with my experiments, not minding the tingling sensations I was feeling just because Julian was in close proximity.