We're Better when we're Together

001

Tiningnan ko ng mabuti ang papel na hawak ko, "576" ang door number, I've been walking in this floor for quite some time now, pero di ko pa din mahanap yung unit, this is a huge building, I guess bagong gawa lang 'to.

I turn left from the hallway, then finally I found the right door "576".

I pressed the door bell twice, pero walang nagbukas.

So I knocked 3 times pero wala pa din.

I was about to knock again when the door opened. Standing in front of me is a 5'11 18 year old guy flashing his abs.

I walk in without his permission, malinis at malaki itong condo unit niya.

"What's with you  being so early here" ginulo niya pa yung buhok niya, mukang bagong gising lang.

"Pinapapunta ako ni tita Lea" I wandered around and pumunta ako sa kitchen counter.

"Yes girlfriend duty!!!!" He said this while wiggling his brows, ang makapal niyang kilay, gosh so annoying.

"Shut up and put your shirt on asshole" nilapag ko sa counter yung plastic bag na dala ko.

"What? I know you're enjoying the view" tiningnan ko lang siya na parang nasusuka ako, which makes him laugh more.

"Bumili ako ng pancakes sa mcdo and hash brown, just eat douche!!"

"Hey watch your words" he laugh even more because alam niyang he won today, nabadtrip niya ako.

We've been doing this our whole life.

I'm Alliah Dennise Montecillo daughter of businessman and Engineer, Carlo Montecillo.

And that annoying prick is my boyfriend and future fiancé, Ivan Alessandro Cabrera, son of also a businessman and engineer, Dan Cabrera. Family friend namin sila and business partner sa Cebu.

Bago pa lang kami isilang engage na kami ni Ivan, they already plan our future let's just say I was born to marry him, and he was born to marry me, this is absurd I know, but this is our path, pathetic diba? I mean arrange marriage in 21st century? What a joke.

Growing up, lagi na kaming pinagsasama niyan ni Ivan, every event sa buhay namin or parties at bata palang kami itinatak na saamin na, magpapakasal kami when we get older. Walang umaalma dito, not me or him, but just because I don't disapprove it doesn't mean that I want it to happen but hey im Alliah Montecillo, the good daughter, prim and proper. I was raised getting everything I want, I'm not spoiled pero in terms of wants and needs nabibigay lahat ng parents ko so sino ako para magreklamo?

I can bear this promise naman, but with this guy, ewan ko lang talaga. I've known him all my life, as in at buong buhay ko pagiging peste lang ang papel niya, he's a pain in my ass. At nung araw na pinganak siya nagpasabog ng kahanginan ang mundo.

Ivan Alessandro Cabrera,
The boy who ruined my 7th birthday, that douche  pushed me on my own birthday cake, the boy who laughed so hard at me nung nadulas ako sa ice skating rink sa harap ng madaming tao, yung lalaking tumalo saakin sa math quiz bee nung 4th grade kami, the guy who sabotage the event that I organized nung junior year namin, but he is also the same guy who have seen me and stayed with me at my worst days...

but whatever he's still a jerk.

"alam kong hindi ka pupunta dito ng walang dahilan, so what's your agenda?"

Pumunta siya sa tapat ko sa counter table at sumubo ng pancake.

Staring at his "just get out of the bed" look makes me think na he is indeed gwapo just like what everyone's saying but that thought makes me shiver, eww kung mababasa niya 'tong iniisip ko baka mas lalong magfeeling so I pushed away the thought.

"Let's go to this school without revealing our status."

Tumigil siya sa pagkain at tumingin saakin

"What do you mean?" He licked his thumb.

"Let's be strangers, hindi naman nila alam diba?"

Nung junior year namin our parents told us that we should go all out, I mean they told us that we should be exclusively dating, kaya sa dati namin school everyone knows we're an Item pero of course they didn't know that it is arrange.

Incoming college freshmen kaming dalawa, same university, same course, same classes, same schedules, which makes me sick, gosh I need a life.

I made a deal with my dad kung pwede bang sa isang normal private university na lang ako mag-aral here sa Manila with no bodyguards or driver or katulong, gusto ko lang maging free and independent, of course hindi siya pumayag but I know the magic word...

"Ivan"

Sinabi kong gusto rin ni Ivan magaral dun sa university na yon, which is true, Ivan and I never agreed on anything, we're each other's worst enemies but when it comes to this I know better, we're on the same boat, we want a normal life, pagod na kami sa bodyguard and elite life, we want liberty, alam ko din na sakal na sakal na siya kay Tito so I know he'll grab this. So that's why we end up here,  pumayag ang parents ko, malaki ang tiwala ni Daddy kay Ivan, ayaw din pakawalan ni Tita Lea at Tito Dan si Ivan at first, because this is Manila at sa Cebu kaming dalawa lumaki at going here without yaya or driver isn't a good thing, though nakapunta na ako ng maraming beses dito and si Ivan madalas din magpabalik-balik sa Manila.

But Ivan made an arrangement with our parents, and I think it worked too, hindi ako sure kung anong pinagusapan nila but whatever it is I'm glad na napapayag niya ng parents namin.

I need to do this, we need to do this I want to be completely away from Ivan, away from our parent's command.

"Uhmm... sounds inviting"