Another Romance

Chapter 12- Traveling Hearts

"Teacher Faight, lunch na tayo!" Mariz tells Faight who is busy tapping her pen on a desk and imagining her and Lance's recent meetings. She can't help but smile, it's as if the real world must stop its spin for her imaginations to continue rolling in her mind.

"mauna na kayo hindi pa ako gutom eh"

"hindi kapa gutom? Ikaw? Hindi gutom? Imposible"

"Teacher Mariz sige na mauna na kayo ni Ruiz sa canteen, okay ako busog pa talaga ako"

"nako Marz wag mo nang pilitin mukhang may ibang gustong maka-lunch si Faight"

"hoyy anu ba hindi ah, wala kaya"

"talaga? Eh ayan na yung sundo mo oh"

Faight turns around and saw Lance standing few steps behind him. Lance waved and smiled as he greeted her.

"L...Lance! Andito ka?"

"hi Teacher Faight"

"eeh.. Faight nalang ano ka ba"

"sige, Faight, uhm nag-lunch kana?" He asked consciously while rubbing his left arm

"Naku sir Lance sabi niya busog pa daw siya"

Faight warned them through her stare "ani beh, temehemek keye"

"ganun ba? Yayayain sana kita, don't worry hindi sa balbacuahan this time sa iba naman"

"ano kaba, kahit saan mo ako dalhin okay sakin" Her cheeks blushed, her eyes froze and widened when she realize the words she uttered

Lance smiled back and with a lower tone asked her

"ano sabi mo?"

"ah ano wala I mean okay lang naman ako sa balbacuahan diba nga favorite ko na siya ngayon?"

Lance gave her a childlike smile and pursued his invitation.

"ahhh"

"yeah, yun"

"pero dadalhin kita sa ibang place, sa kabilang barangay, naalala ko kasi gusto mong kumain ng siomai"

"naalala mo?"

"oo, bakit? ayaw mo ba?"

How can she resist a manly tattooed hot guy who charmingly asked her out? Faight cleared her throat and calms herself pretentiously.

"oh yes! as in so meron ba?"

"tara, dadalhin kita doon"

"oh teacher Faight sumama kana diba wala ka namang nang klase? Sige na date date din pag may time"

"ma...malayo ba?"

"hindi naman, ano?

Faight nodded yes to him.

Faight accepted Lance's invite. A friendship that is starting to flourish between them, affection in disguise of mere strangers who doesn't want to fall but like puzzles falling into its proper places.

"so sa kabilang Barangay talaga tayo pupunta?"

"may kainan kasi talaga ng siomai sa kanila, Siomai sa Pina ang tawag. Kilala ko may ari and they make the best siomai, for sure magugustuhan mo"

Lance opened the truck's door for Faight. She felt nervous and doubtful. All her life even in her past relationships, no one had opened a car door for her.

"Faight?"

"u...yes?"

"hop in?"

"ah yes, sorry tulala"

Faight stepped up to his truck and her stare followed Lance's every movement. From the way he wipes his sweat falling from his forehead to the way he walked passed in front of the truck until he went inside and fasten his seat belt.

Lance noticed Faight is spacing out, he turned to her anxiously.

"okay ka lang ba talaga?"

"yes yes, sorry ang init lang talaga...whooo!"

"so, tayo na?"

"ha?"

"alis na tayo?"

"oo...sige na drive na"

Lance smiled and started the engine and drove themselves to Barangay Pina.

Faight's eyes explore the wonders of the rolling mountains they passed by. While driving, Lance steals few glances of Faight, watching things as if everything is a movie. Cinematic and beautiful. Lance turned the radio on and "To Be Yours I am Destined" by Denise Barbacena is being played. The music accompanied Faight's wandering thoughts, she towed down the window and felt the winds passing through her face, blowing the strands of her hair.

Rough is the road they're journeying at the moment but the thought of them being together even as friends, making it worthwhile.