Cofi and fishbols

Chapter I. Wake up call

Princess…Princess…

My eyes hurt as I blink them. I lay awake on the sofa after that phone call. I couldn’t sleep. And there’s no reason to try and sleep for it was already, hark, morning. I trudged towards the bathroom mirror, horrified to see huge eye bags under my eyes. “Hay…Nothing I couldn’t cover up."

Besides, rockstars are supposed to have their staple eye bags. I laughed at the thought of referring to myself that way. I, Alexandra Juanico, a rockstar, what a laugh! But as my manager and bestfriend puts it, it’s never wrong to dream big, right? After finishing a degree in Music a year ago, I never thought of actually pursuing a career in it, especially here in our country where the competition is so stiff and being a musician can’t actually be called a profession. But what can I do? I love music, now I’m dividing my time in finishing my first album and doing gigs around town.

I try to smooth my tangled long hair but realized that I will go back to sleep that it’s pointless to bother with it. I walked out of the bathroom in a zombie like trance, not noticing him walking out of the bedroom. I was too concerned in going back to the sofa and just burying my face there till the eye bags disappear.

"Holy-! What’ve you done to my girlfriend…you…panda?!"

Panda? What panda?!

I looked around and saw my pajama-clad and tousled-haired boyfriend clutching a pillow, ready to throw it on me anytime. I stared at him coldly and without any warning, I was whacked on the face with a pillow.

"What was that for?" I whined as I flop myself down on his sofa. I closed my tired eyes and buried it on the pillow he threw. It smelled faintly of his perfume. So comforting. I mumbled some protest in my head, thinking that he looks more of a panda than I am with that almost ivory skin and deep set eyes, I chuckled at the thought but then I could feel myself drifting away when another pillow landed hard on my head. “One more and I’m gonna…gonna…-"

He flopped himself beside me. “Gonna what?" Then smiled his signature ‘papogi’ smile making his face worthy to be included in any toothpaste TV commercial. I felt him put his arms around my shoulders, igniting warmth that disappeared the night before. He pulled me closer, leaning my head on his chest. “Nawala ka sa tabi ko last night. Kala mo siguro di ko naramamdaman no…" He whispered softly. I felt him tapping his fingers on my back, telling me that he expects me to answer. I decided to shift my body facing his embrace; I just had the urge to bite my way out of the uncomfortable interrogation.

Literally.

I began to slowly bite his chest when he, sensing my technique, moved away and left me in the sofa. “Reyby.."(haha..Rey+baby=Reyby) I feebly called out.

"I dreamt of this melody last night, I want you to be the first to hear it." saying this as he went to his piano. He began tinkling at the keys, slowly and softly at first, then became heavier and heavier, like a heartbeat of a person suddenly getting nervous. I bit my lip as I listen to it, the tempo and the melody seems vaguely familiar.

Then it stopped to a halt where it should be climbing supposedly to its climax. “It’s…unfinished? Go back to sleep again. It sounds great." That’s my boyfriend, a superb pianist by night and a pre-school teacher by day.

"Tapos na sya…Siguro. Bigla kaseng nawala yung…feeling. It’s like I was just close…" He turned to me, “to where the sound is coming from." Then he fixed me in one of his piercing stares that say “You’re hiding something from me."

I know he could see it, he might’ve felt it last night. The sudden change of my heartbeat when I heard Vito’s voice on the phone, the same hour he calls me when he couldn’t sleep when we were still together. Saying he just needs to hear my voice for it’s the only thing that drives all his worries away.

"Rey…what’s happening to you? I don’t understand." Then I looked away. I just lied. I know he’ll see it in my eyes. Moments of silence. Then he tinkled with his piano again. “Nothing. I just got scared nung wala ka kanina sa tabi ko nung nagising ako." Then I heard him suppress an embarrassed laugh. I turned to him, the same time he turned to look at me. “Haha! Ang drama no?"

Then in large strides, he crossed the room from his piano to the sofa where I was crushing the pillow with guilt. He pushed me down on my back and rested on top of me. “Can you at least give me a warning when you’ll gonna leave my side? Thought you were abducted by aliens or something." He laughed then lowered his lips to rain kisses on my face. “I love you." I heard him mumble in between smacks on my forehead.

The whole time, I was dying with guilt.