Opposites

Chapter III

P.

Hmmm.. Ang lamig! Lakas naman nang aircon. I pulled my blanket up to my chin and squeezed the pillow tighter. Ba’t hindi pa ‘ata uma-alarm cellphone ko? I pulled out my phone on the coffee table next to my bed and I entered my password…1..1..2.. teka, why does this phone seem, white? My iPhone’s black. I rubbed my eyes. It’s still white… white... I opened up my eyes, the blankets, white. The walls are… white. The….

“Nakaka Shock-ira!!!!” I screamed and bolted up. Whoa... dizzy, so I steadied myself unto the first thing na nahawakan ko. Okay, orthostatic hypotension setting in. Ma drama lang? Somehow, the dizziness starts to subside.

“ Okay, Pipay, Inhale, Exhale. Relax. Isipin mo kung anong mga kaganapan kagabi. No, hindi ka nasa bahay ni Leo at masyado itong sosyal para maging bahay ni Connie. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, Exhale. Open your eyes… dahan, dahan. Ayan, open na. Look around.” I opened my eyes and I saw an elegant wooden flooring, high, white ceiling adorned by a simple chandelier, the high-rise bed I slept in last night and a guy… “Shit. Sige, close nalang ulit. Ooookay, tita, anong ginawa mo?!”  I was mentally torturing myself. It didn’t even help when I realize that I were no longer wearing my yesterday’s clothes. Instead, I’m in a bathrobe. Ba—thh-rrroo—be. Shit.

“You’re Paula, right?” Double major packing tape!!! Lalakeeeee! Homygash, homygash. Hindi ko kering humarap sa kung sino mang kumakausap sa akin. Hendeeee!

Then, the realization dawned on me. If I am onlyin a bathrobe and I am here in an unfamiliar room with an i-don’t-know-what-he-looks like guy, chances are?

“Tell me, Sir. Did I just lost my dignity last night?” I managed to say despite of my embarrassment. The voice that came out of me is throaty and is shaking. Never did I imagine myself to be in this situation. Cheka! Malay ko ba baka englishero to no? Cliché naman if I asked, ‘Did something happen?’ duh, girl. Obviously meron, you just don’t know kung what that ‘something’ was. I’m not ready to face this guy yet. Nakakahiyaaaaa.

“Yup, I think you did.” The guy spoke, a hint of amusement was certainly in his voice.

Anong nakatawa? If one night stands were common to him, pwes, bago to sakin, noh! This situation isn’t a source of amusement for me. I braved turning on my heels and faced him, my eyes were still closed. I’m keeping it closed because I really don’t know I feel right now. I feel ashamed, I feel angry at myself for whatever it was that I have done and all the more regretful because I know that whatever I have lost last night, I can no longer take back. I felt a tear slipping on my face and I just felt him instantly in front of me. He was so damn close but I still refuse to open my eyes.

“You lost your dignity…” He leaned in and whispered, “…by being so wasted last night.” Then he was laughing so much my eyes fluttered open in irritation. I stared at him until he was done laughing. “You were so drunk, you can barely stand.” Slap.

Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyare ha, but I heard a ‘slap’ and I haven’t realize what I have done until my left palm was ringing from the impact of it to his cheek. And then...

“Ohmygosssh..” I was horrified. “Im sorry, Im sorry. Hala.”I was frantic, I tried backing away from him, I tried moving one step forward. I am obviously not good at this stuff. How do you do confrontations again? Worry was clearly in my eyes when he just eyed me squarely in the face and gave a sly grin.

“That was the second time you slapped me, today. Just so you know.” He turned around and headed back to bed. “Nothing happened between us…” He crashed back to bed and closed his eyes.