Ellie-chan (COMPLETED)

Eight - My Short-lived Happiness

Although I was tired from last night, I woke up pretty early. I was excited to see Hiroki's older brother, Hayato. I must look presentable. It took me ages to get dressed and put on makeup. I couldn't decide on what shoes to wear. I ended up wearing a 5-inch stiletto. But I brought with me a pair of flat shoes just in case my feet got tired...

My train man was on the dot. He was in front of my apartment at nine o'clock as he promised. He didn't bother to get off his car even when he saw me coming. He just opened his window and motioned for me to get into the backseat. The backseat? When I got inside, I understood why. There was a girl sitting beside him...She smiled at me so I reluctantly smiled back. I noticed her pimples right away. But she is a knock out.

I felt like something pricked my heart. I remember the time when Tori and I got home one night and we saw Pharaoh with an ugly Asian girl talking and giggling in our favorite spot in the park. The feeling was similar.

Hayato introduced me to the girl - his girlfriend. My heart sank. Well, what do you expect? It would have been strange if he was still single. I regretted agreeing to go with him to the hospital to visit Hiroki. If I have known....

For a moment, I have forgotten about what I felt that morning when I saw Hiroki. He was very happy to see me. He apologized for causing a stir. The last thing he wanted was to get me in trouble, he said. He hoped that his older brother didn't cause more trouble for me in school, and he glanced at his brother when he said that. It seemed like he was asking for confirmation. His brother just looked at him with bored eyes.

After a while, I excused myself. I told everyone that I still have things to do at home. Surprisingly, Hayato volunteered to drive me to the nearest train station. But I refused. So he just walked me to the elevator. Perhaps, my disappointment was pretty obvious that he asked me if I was okay.

Bored, I replied to him in Tagalog. "Kung sinabi ko bang hindi, iiwan mo ang syota mong may pimpol para sa akin?" (If I said no, would you leave your girlfriend with pimples for me?) He replied, "Huh?"

With my sweetest smile, I told him I just replied "I'm okay" in Tagalog.

"That long for 'I'm okay'?" He was skeptical.

"Yeah. Tagalog is wordy. We, Filipinos, love wordy expressions."

"Really." Still he didn't believe me. But who cares. He has a girlfriend.