Her Prince

- 51 -

- ADDYSON LOPEZ -

It was officially the start of our vacation.

But today, may ilang aklat pa pala akong kailangang isoli sa library, kaya kailangan kong pumunta sa school. Julien on the other hand, had to talk to one of his professors, so as per usual, sabay ulit kaming pumasok.

Halos isang linggo na rin ang lumipas matapos ang karupukan ko sa arcade. Hindi ko pa ulit nakita si Keenan at Reign, nahihiya din akong itanong sa kanila kung anong naging reaction ni Julien. He waited for me outside the café though and took me to an arcade. If I were to level up my delusion, it most definitely felt like a date.

Did he actually get jealous?

So what if he did? Nothing much had changed anyway. Julien was still Julien, and I was still me. It was probably just me... but I think... these days we were both trying not to get awkward around each other, dahil palagi kaming magkasama. O baka naman ako lang talaga ang nakakaramdam nang ganito?

Sinabihan niya lang naman akong maganda. So what? No big deal! It was not like he would suddenly feel the same just because he found me pretty.

I huffed, putting the books back in the shelf. Sa susunod na balik ko dito, third year na ako, in Chemical Engineering at that. Who would have thought I could survive this long? Definitely not me.

My parents wanted me to take any engineering program, at sa dinami ng branches nito, isa pa talaga sa pinakamahirap ang napili ko. Ang cool lang kasing pakinggan, Chemical Engineering. Pangmatalino. A small part of me wanted to impress them as well, at magpapansin, but they were both too busy at work. I didn't hold it against them, gaya nga ng sabi nila, para naman sa'kin ang ginagawa nila. Sanay na rin ako, kasama ko naman si Hana. Mas close pa nga yata ako sa family niya kaysa sa parents ko.

I have Julien now too...

Mentally, sinampal ko ang sarili ko. Where did that come from?!

Well, Julien was a reliable friend, neighbor and... how nice would it be to say boyfriend?

Another mental slap bago ako lumabas ako ng library. I came here to return books, not to get emotional with my parents, and then fantasize about my prince!

And speaking of my wonderful prince...

I brought out my phone and message him that I was done. Almost immediately, he replied na nasa CEA pa siya, then asked if I could wait for him at the cafeteria, para hindi na ako maglakad ng malayo. I told him I'd wait, pero naglalakad na ang mga paa ko papunta sa kanya. I wanted to see him, as soon as possible.

Para akong tanga, dahil feeling girlfriend ako na gusto siyang i-surprise.

My delusion is already this deep huh.

Where was he exactly? Apat na floors ang CEA building, saan ako magu-umpisang hanapin siya? I should have asked him the specifics!

Dumaan muna akong washroom para mag-retouch. Napailing na lang ako sa sarili ko. These delusions were going to destroy my heart, as millions of what-if's scenarios flash like warning bells on my mind, but I ignored them all.

Let's not think too much about this.

For now, I would listen to my heart.

With that decision, I head out of the washroom but quickly stopped on my tracks. There were voices outside, one belonged to a stranger, and one I knew too well.

"Am I not pretty enough?" said the girl's voice.

My heart was beating so fast. The girl... she must have confessed her feelings. I salute people like her, saan sila humuhugot ng lakas ng loob?

"You are pretty. But I already like someone." Julien answered and I flinched.

It was his voice but... he sounded so cold, and so far away... as if he was a completely different person. He never used this tone to me... and if he ever did, I really might just cry.

"You always say that to all the girls you've rejected."

"I'm sorry."

Umiling ako, retreating. I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't be listening, I was invading their privacy! But the moment I step out of washroom, makikita nila ako! Hindi ako makakaalis!

"Can I... ask who?"

Kusang huminto ang mga paa ko sa pag-urong.

"You don't need to know."

"Is it her? The girl you're always with? The Chem-Eng student?" The girl paused, as if she was trying to recall something. "Addyson! That's her, right?"

Napatakip ako ng bibig. I just let out an audible gasp. Kilala niya ako? More importantly... what would Julien say? He was taking his time to answer... para akong masusuka habang naghihintay. What if I fainted again?

"No." Julien's voice was soft, but it broke my heart all the same. "She's just a friend."

"But—"

"I'm sorry. I have to go."

I rushed back inside the nearest cubicle, just in time when I heard stomping footsteps and a sob nearing the washroom. She cried for a good hour, in the stall right next to mine. I admire her truly, she had been brave, facing Julien and confessing her feelings.

I could never do that.

And I didn't have to anyway...

Julien rejected two girls, in one confession.

Wiping my tears away, I laughed bitterly at my pathetic state. "Double kill."