Boy Next Door (LeAga)

Why? A teaser, maybe.

"Please, stop. No! Don't touch me." She screamed with tears streaming down my face.

That stranger was about to touch her again. She closed her eyes waiting but felt nothing. She opened her eyes only to find the stranger beaten up by a guy.

She felt her knees weaken. She was almost raped. She almost, almost died. She cried harder. The man who just saved her was about to touch her when but she moved away.

"Sshh. It's okay. You're safe now. Come on, look at me."

She was about to turn to him to see his face when she felt sharp pain on her cheek.

Darn it!

"Hoy bakla! I've been ringing your phone but you're not answering! Yung alarm clock mo, kanina pa ngumangawa, wa effect pa din sa'yo! Hoy Salonga! Naririning mo ba ako ha? Ano? Pinuyat ka na naman nung fafa sa kabila no?"

With that last thing he said, he earned a deathly glare from me. I saw him swallow a lump on his throat. I raised an eyebrow on him and that made him step backward.

"uh-oh"

"Did you just slap me, Viceral?" She moved slowly and as she does, Vice steps backward away from her. "You, son of a bitch! How dare you accuse me of being with that asshole? You. Ruined. My. Sleep!"

"Salongerz naman. Hindi ka naman mabiro. Sorry na." He said this while running away from her.

"Walanghiya ka talaga Viceral! Bwisit ka! Punyeta! For the nth time, sinira mo na naman! Bwisit ka! Makikita ko na yung mukha n'ya! Makikita ko na!"

I said, nah, I shouted while chasing him and giving him crisp slaps every time I'll get him.

"Aray ko naman! Sorry na nga di ba?! Aba nagmamalasakit na nga ako e."

"Nagmama—"

"Male-late ka na bakla. Tulog mantika. Alas-nuwebe na po." Her eyes grew when she heard him say that. She is a dead meat.

"Ba't di mo agad sinabi?!"

-------------

Her POV

"Nakakainis. Late na naman ako kanina. Oh, well, okay lang yun." She whispered as she lean on her door after a long day. She took a deep breath and stared at her name printed in the front cover of the magazine. Finally a finish product.

Lea Salonga.
Writer

She's 27 and is working for one of the best and influential magazine in the metro.  At yung baklang hinayupak kanina? He's, she's, uh, s/he's Viceral, Vice na lang.. Vice has been Lea's companion for years now. S/he's a TV personality so it is a lot of perks for Lea and her job.

And, about that dream, she'd always been wondering what is it about that she always -- her daydreaming was interrupted by loud moans.

It has been a normal scene for her: that boy next to her unit pinning a girl on the wall kissing her with full of lust. Oh yeah, pin her to the wall 'cause she's a master piece, but the thing is, it's not the same girl every day.

He looked at her and that made her so anxious she had to gulp multiple times.

He looked away and started to kiss the girl he is with today on her neck.

She opened her door and walked her way in her own unit. He has always been like that ever since. She never asked. Just like what she always says, "I'm a writer, hindi chismosa."

His POV

"I miss this! I see you again, my love." Para syang baliw. Kinakausap yung kama. I followed her in her unit pero hindi n'ya ako napansin.

I'm Aga Muhlach, the love of her life. Naguguluhan kayo? Alam ko. It has always been like this. I have always been like this. Looking after her, loving her even if she doesn't remember me.

"Sshh. It's okay. You're safe now. Come on, look at me."

"Te-thank you."

"Come on, I'll bring you home."

Lea and I became friends since that moment I saved her from that criminal. And oh, we're a couple now. Ang ganda talaga ng babes ko.

"Good Morning Babes! Good Morning San Francisco!"

"Babes! Lower down your voice."

"Sorry! I just missed you."

"Ah-huh. Come here nga. Give me a—"

Before I even finished what I'm saying, she kissed me. Our lips linger for seconds.

"Naughty. Hahaha!"

"Hahaha—ah. Aaaahhh! Aray!"

"Babes? Babes? What's happening?"

I rushed her to the hospital after that. And that's when I knew, she has a tumor in her brain which eventually lead to amnesia when something went wrong after the operation.

After some tests and medications she needed, she finally woke up. She woke up, she had her second chance to live and it feels like it's killing me.

"Who are you? Where am I?"

Her parents decided to take her home and her home is in the Philippines. That moment, hindi ko alam anong gagawin ko. Would I give up everything I've put up here in San Francisco?

Silly, I know. But I love her and I'd give up everything for her.

And that moment I chose to go after her. But I decided to just look at her, from afar.

"Ako din. I missed you."

She jolted up instantly.

"How did you get in here?"

"I followed you, Ms. Gorgeous." I told her as I walk towards her, making sure she has no space to move behind her. She gulped.

"A-anong ginagawa mo dito? Ba-Bakit i-iniwan mo yu-yung girlfriend mo?"

"Hindi ko s'ya girlfriend, Salonga."

She looked at me wide eyed.

"Paano mo ako nakilala? Where did you get my name?"

"I have always known you, babes!"

All I can see is confusion written all over her face.

"Babes..." I said sexily as I moved my face near hers.

"I don't... Move away. I don't know you. Get out. Get out of my house!" She said quite loudly. That's when it hit me.

I moved away. Stupid, Aga. Stupid.

"I'm sorry." Just like that, I walked away from her. It feels like I've let her go again. I became a coward, and it feels like I'm dying, AGAIN. Damn.

xxx

I tried my best to edit away errors. Republishing when time permits. Ciao!

Original publish date: August 2, 2015.