Cityscape Romance | Short Story

Zephyra

"Alright, one more chapter to go." She said as she continued typing on her keyboard between yawning. It's midnight already and it was a lil bit of a cold night for her which she used to like. "Another book is about to be published, yey."

She's a writer. A romance novel writer. Despite that, walang nakakaalam ng totoong identity nya as a writer. She hides herself in a dummy picture, dummy account with a lot of followers and readers.

When she decided to be a romance author, hindi nya hiniling na makilala sya sa larangan na 'yon. Kahit kapag pinapa-publish nya ang natapos nang kwento, walang nakakaisip kung kanya ba 'yon o hindi. Ise-send nya nalang sa isang publishing company ang lahat kapag ayos na. All she really wants is to express her fairy-tale desires, she used to believe that there's magic in the name of love.

She's living alone, her parents died a long time ago. She belongs to a middle class type of family and she is currently running a small business; of course, related to books. She doesn't go clubbing, outing or even spending time outside maliban nalang kung sunduin sya ng mga kaibigan nya at konsensyahing sumama. Tulad nga ng sinasabi nya lagi; "Walang special sa buhay ko, masaya na 'ko na nasa bahay lang habang nagkakape at nagbabasa ng libro." Business sa buong umaga at laptop na ang katapat pagdating ng gabi, kung minsan naman nagbabasa lang sya ng mga natapos nyang kwento kapag wala sya sa wisyo magsulat. That's her cycle. She used to love it. It doesn't matter to her if someone calls her a nerd, weird, etc. Her small circle of friends always calls her like that kaya nasanay nalang sya.

Kasabay ng pagsara nya ng laptop nya ang pag-vibrate ng cellphone nya. It's Esmerée.

"What now?" She answered in a lower voice.

["What's up? Sama ka sa'min tomorrow night."]

Napabuntong hininga sya at umirap sa hangin. "Ano naman ngayon pagkatapos ng pag-set-up nyo ng blind date sa'kin? Ha?" Esmerée and her friends always set up a blind date para sa kanya, kahit alam nilang ayaw nya sa gano'n ay hindi parin sila nakikinig at ginawa ang gusto. Kung hindi nga lang sya mapapahiya sa na-iset-up at naabalang tao ay wala talaga syang sisiputan na kahit sino.

["Eto naman ang sungit. C'mon, no more blind date muna, may pupuntahan tayong iba."] Halata sa boses ng kausap ang excitement dito.

"Nah, not interested. Bye, matutulog na 'ko--"

["Wait, wait! Teka lang naman, Ceila and Sera will be there too kasama narin si Sebastian. We're going to a bongacious party of the year ever!"]

'Yan ang hilig ng mga kaibigan nya, ang magpunta sa kung ano-anong party, kung saan kasali ang ibang friends of friends nila at imbitahin sila makihalobilo sa kanya bagay na hindi nya kinasanayang gawin.

"As long as it has nothing to do with me, I'm out. Goodbye." She ended the call right away, no interest to hear whatever Esmerée might reply.

She stood up and stretched her arms up and proceed to do her night routine and went straight to bed. Her friday night ended by reading a book before she fell asleep. That's how her every day life always ended up, no special moments, just an ordinary routine.

---

Doorbell ang gumising sa masarap na tulog ni Zephyra. Pupungay-pungay syang tumayo at binuksan ang pinto.

"Good morning Zephyra pretty!" Ang maingay na boses ni Esmerée ang sumalubong sa kanya. Nandoon ang tatlo nyang kaibigan at palundag syang niyakap.

"Ano ba, ang aga-aga nyong mambulabog." Angil nya pero wala nang magawa dahil sa higpit ng yakap ng mga ito. Pagkatapos ay sunod-sunod na umakyat ang mga ito sa second floor at may kanya-kanyang bitbit na paper bag.

"Hello! It's nine am in the morning!" Ceila said and went straight to her room putting down the paper bag she's carrying.

"Seems like, you spent all night reading romance novels again, lady." Sera rolled her eyes, teasing her.

No one knows that the book she's reading is her own published book and story. Even to her friends, she didn't mind telling about it, nevertheless, they knew that that's her hobby, her obsession.

Halos magmukha na ngang library ang bakanteng guest room nya sa first floor dahil sa dami ng librong nando'n at lahat ng 'yon ay tapos na nyang basahin.

"Ano bang ginagawa nyo dito?" Nakamot nya ang ulo at muling humiga sa kama nya.

Sinundan naman sya ng tatlong kaibigan hanggang sa loob ng kwarto nya. "'Di ba nga sabi ko may pupuntahan tayo? Kaya heto na kami dahil alam naman naming hindi ka kikilos, duh."

"Esme, ayoko nga. Wala naman akong gagawin do'n, alam nyo namang ayaw ko sa mga ganyang event."

"Wala ka nang magagawa dahil andito na kami at dito lang kami hanggang sa sabay-sabay tayong makaalis!" Ceila hissed and flipped her hair.

"Right! Girl, 'wag ka nang KJ, kaya walang special na nangyayari sa buhay mo dahil lagi kang nagkukulong sa bahay mo eh." Udyok narin ni Sera.

She hides herself under her comforter and closes her eyes.

"Tama, walang special--

"Walang special sa buhay ko, masaya na 'kong nandito lang habang nagkakape at nagbabasa ng libro." Her friends cut her and mimic her in unison. Her friends even memorized her words. "Wala ka na bang ibang sasabihin samin Zephyra? Gasgas na 'yan eh."

Nakasimangot nyang inalis ang talukbong at masamang tinignan ang mga kaibigan.

"Seriously? What are you guys up to?!"

"Alright! Girls, give her her dress. Omg, I'm so excited!" Esmerée said while smiling widely and then Ceila and Sera kept on clapping. Again, they won.

Palaging ganito ang senaryo kapag inaaya sya ng mga kaibigan. Nickname nya ang 'KJ' at sila ang nagbigay ng tawag na 'yon sa kanya.

She's one year older than the other girls habang si Sebastian naman ay one year older sa kanya kaya kung minsan ay pinagbibigyan nya nalang ang mga ito.

**