My ONLY Star

Too Early For This

~~GERALD

"Good morning, Sir." the guard at the lobby greeted, I smiled back as an answer.

I am whistling while while we are walking. I can sense that Jalal is smilingly looking at me. When we got in to the elevator, I looked at him.

"What?" I asked him.

"Wala naman, Jay. Natutuwa lang ako sayo!"

"Bakit? Dahil mukha akong sira?" seryosong tanong ko sa kanya.

"Medyo." sagot niya kaya pinandilitan ko siya ng mata pero tinawanan niya lang ako.

"Joke lang. Ikaw naman, di na mabiro?"

Sasagot pa sana ako pero bumukas na yung elevator. Nauna na kong lumabas at lumakad papunta sa office ni Ate Nhila.

"Natutuwa lang akong makita na masaya ka. Ngayon lang kasi kita nakitang ganyan. Iba yung saya sa mga mata mo. In love ka nga!"

Dere-deretsong sabi ni Jalal sa likod ko habang naglalakad. I smiled widely and looked back to give him a fist bump. My friend is smiling widely too, yung ngiti niya para siyang tumama sa lotto at gustong pumalakpak. Hinila ko siya at inakbayan.

"Salamat, bro! Salamat!" that's what all I can say after realizing that aside from Fred, Jalal also helped me to realize that I am in love with Kath.

Pagkapasok namin sa loob ng opisina nila Ate Nhila, wala siya sa table niya. Sabi ng assistant nila, kausap daw siya ni Mr. M, hmm, ano naman kaya ang pinag-uusapan ng dalawa? Huwag naman sana tungkol sa akin.

I sat on the chair in front of Ate Nhila's table. I took my phone and I automatically smiled when I saw my wallpaper. It is a picture of me and Kath inside the elevator. She's the one who took our picture, her right hand is holding my phone while her left arm was around my shoulder. She's happily smiling like me. But the only difference is, she's looking at the camera while I am looking at her.

I was just smiling while remembering that moment. That moment when we had our first picture together. Naabutan ako ni Ate Nhila sa ganung sitwasyon.

"Mukhang ang saya saya natin ah?" she said after tapping my shoulder. She went directly to her swivel chair. Nakapangalumbaba niya akong tinitingnan.

"Masaya talaga ako, Ate." I answered back with a smile. Hindi ko muna sasabihin kay Ate Nhila yung tungkol sa amin ni Kath. Uunahin ko muna ang trabaho.

"Anyway, what's up? Bakit mo ko pinapunta dito?"

"May utos si Boss." seryoso niyang sabi.

Tumango tango ako at humalukipkip. "Go! Spill it!"

"Shelved muna daw yung movie ninyo ni Angelica. She's depressed daw. She needs to rest for a while." she started.

"And then?"

"He wanted to pair you with Arci Muñoz."

Ooh.. Arci Muñoz! The hot rock chic I met before in Valk!

"Okay, fine." I blurted.

"Yun lang?" she asked.

I creased my forehead. "Anong yun lang?"

"Ayun lang ang reaction mo? Parang kulang.." she leaned closer.

"Huh? Anong kulang?" Lalong napakunot ang noo ko. Hindi ko magets yung sinasabi ni Ate na kulang.

"Kulang kasi wala yung ngising Gerald. Yung ngisi na nakikita ko kaagad sayo kapag nadinig mong ipapartner ka isang hot chic!" sabi niya sabay tapik sa noo ko.

I laughed loudly. "C'mon, Ate! People do changed! It is not my thing anymore!" I answered confidently and smilingly, trying to remember the smile of my love.

"Weh!! WAG AKO GERALDO!"

I grinned. "Ayaw mong maniwala?"

"Hindi sa ayaw kong maniwala. Hindi lang talaga ako naniniwala sa ganyan mo. Ilang beses ko nang nadinig 'yan sayo. Pero in the middle of the project, malalaman ko na lang na kadate mo na yung leading lady mo." mahabang litanya ng handler slash sister ko.

I held her hand. "Promise, ate. Iba na ngayon!"

"Ewan ko sayo!" she took here hand back. "Oh, well! Hindi pa naman yan yung utos ng kinauukulan."

I put my chin on my palm and looked at her while I wiggle my brows as a sign for her to continue.

"Dahil alam naman ng management na eventually, ide-date mo din si Arci, they want you to date her as your PROMO." she said emphasizing the word promo. She even quoted it with her hands.

My eyes grew bigger. "WHAAAT??"

I stood up. "Hindi pwede, Ate!"

"And why? Ginagawa mo naman na 'to dati. Nag-e-enjoy ka pa nga diba? So, what's wrong now?"

I sat again in front of her and held both of her hands. "Ate, seryoso ako. Sabi ko naman sa iyo, nagbago na ko. And that is because of one girl."

She creased her forehead while I held her hands tightly.

"Ate, I have a girlfriend now. Kaya hindi ko pwedeng gawin yung gusto nila. Please, Ate. Please help me." it's almost a whisper for me.

Kitang kita ko kung paano nanlaki yung mga mata ni Ate Nhila. She was speechless. Hindi ko talaga binitawan yung mga kamay niya at tinitigan ko siya sa mata. Ate Nhila knows me for almost eleven years. Sigurado akong alam niya kung nagsisinungaling ako o hindi. She told me once that my eyes can't lie.

Unti unting lumambot ang expression ng mukha ni Ate. She freed her hands off mine then he held my face. "Oh my god! You're in love, Ge!"

"Yes, Ate. I am! It is hard to believe but I'm really am! I was about to tell you earlier pero siyempre inuna ko muna yung about sa work." I explained.

"Ge, sorry. Pero alam mo naman diba? What the management wants, the management gets." parang iiyak na sabi ni Ate sakin.

Parang maiiyak na din ako. Hindi pwede 'to. Kung dati okay lang, pero ngayon, I can't! Kakaumpisa pa lang namin ni Kath at hindi pwedeng bigyan ko agad siya ng problema. I really need to do something.

~~