Skinny Love

Prelude

Skinny Love

Date started: March 2018

Date Finished: --/--/----

Prelude

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He is two years older than me.

When I was on my 8th grade, he was on his Fourth year. We're in the same school and in the same 'group' of students. Anak kami ng mga taong galing sa Faculty and Staff ng school. And we almost had the same achievements. But he's one latch higher.

His mom was my English teacher in my 9th grade and our school paper adviser since who knows when. And my mom works inside the office that had to do with analytical calculations for the school.

We shared the same fate inside the school. We are expected to behave accordingly because we are from 'on high'.

Hindi siya nagkulang sa pagtupad ng mga expectations. Expectations mula sa mga guro, sa mga kaklase at maging sa kanyang pamilya.

He was the Supreme Student Government President back then.

He prepared and implemented programs that were enjoyable and tangible for students – he impressed teachers and administrators. He was the greatest speaker in our Division Schools Press Conference, kung hindi ako nagkakamali, he often went into Regionals because of his innate talent in being a speaker – the Anchor. He was their anchor in English Broadcasting.

While me, I settled on the sidelines. Cartooning from 7th grade to 10th grade but I've never went anywhere aside from the division level.

Nagsusulat din ako. But there are better writers than I am.

I became the SSG secretary on my last jhs grade. And pretty much, it involved drawings and technology manipulation. I can even say that I was a wallflower back then.

I can say that we belong. Dahil maraming similarities. But his world and my world are very different. He's in college right now, graduating na. While I'm still in senior high, graduating rin. He lives in the skies; I'm barely standing here on earth.

Kaya noong sabihin pareho na aming mga ina na, "Kailangan kayo ang magkatuluyan."

Hindi ako makapaniwala.

I felt my heart raced and my mind going blank. Magkatuluyan? Kailangan?

I don't even really know him. I don't know who really is Kuya Clint.

The real Clint Josiah Terez. The inner Clint. Kilala lang namin yung nasa school na Clint. O kuya Clint.

"Ha?" Pareho naming nasabi. Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa, but as soon as my eyes met his', I looked away. Sobrang nahiya ako noon. Lalo na sa sarili ko.

"Frena, anak, I want you to be my son's wife in the future. You're a smart and strong girl. My son is also the same. Bagay kayo. And there's no problem with religion because you both belong." Ani Maam Stephany habang nakangiti sakin at nakayakap saking tagiliran.

Napatingin ako kay Mama na parang nagdadalawang isip ngunit nakangiti lang rin. She already told me about this. But this coming from them at the same time, in this occasion, I'm quite overwhelmed.

Hindi pa nga ako 18 – may nagbabadyang engagement na.

Kung bakit nasa iisang lugar kami ngayon ay napapanahong nagthanksgiving ang aming simbahan. Tapos imbitado rin ang mga church goers from different churches. They're basically here to celebrate with us. Unexpectedly, the mother and son cornered us to this confrontation. Hindi ko nakita ang pangyayaring ito. I could've avoided the situation, pero sooner or later, babalikan rin ako nito. Alam ko yun.