Caught On Fire (WAKAS)

Caught on Fire

"Mommy! Kinuha niya ang toy ko." Mangiyak ngiyak kong sabi. I really hate her! She always bully me whenever she wants. I hugged Mama as I went home.

"Tahan na 'nak. That's just a toy. I'll buy you one."

"Ayoko! I want that toy! I hate that girl!" Tumawa lang si Mommy.

Hindi niya lang kinuha ang toy ko, sinira niya pa. I hate that girl! Lagi niya akong inaaway. Galit ako sa kanya. She's also ugly. Bungi pa siya. Nothing is good about her. So, we ended up hating each other.

I looked at her as my great competitor. She loves competing with me kaya ako rin. Lagi ko naman siyang nauungusan sa lahat ng subjects. She can never beat me. Kapag sasali siya sa mga contests, sumasali rin ako. Just to piss her off.

Ofcourse, Padua's are always unbeatable. We are not meant to lose. Victory is always at our back. My father taught me to excel in everything-- that I should not be a failure. Malaking kahihiyan iyon sa mga Padua.

Hanggang sa maging highschool na kami, noong first at second year namin ako ang naging top 1 ng batch. I am always ahead of her. I always ace in some of the subjects.  At lagi siyang pumapangalawa sa akin. Natutuwa pa nga akong makitang lagi siyang inis. Kapag lumulobo ang ilong niya sa galit at pamumula ng pisngi nito. Damn. She's always fun to be with.

I cannot end the day without teasing and bugging her. I always push her button until she gets furious. Damn.

I always get excited whenever I see her. Her pissed look and the creasing of her forehead made her more beautiful.

I never mind when she's mad at me for being an ass because it turns me on every time.

As time went by, the word fun is an understatement. I don't just find her funny. She's more than that. She's the one that I cannot end the day without seeing her. There's this tingling sensation occupying my being everytime we talk and fight especially when I love sticking my nose in her affairs. Damn.

This is bad! I am now slowly falling into that damn trap, slowly looking at her differently from the tons of girls I had.

"I hate you, Padua!" I strained my ears. She likes telling me that. Ano pa ba ang bago?

I stared at her face. There's this floating feeling I felt on my chest as I scanned through her entire face. My heart skipped a beat and my heart jumped. The feeling is foreign and I don't know how to handle this. I always keep my record straight and compossure but when I'm with her, wala na. Damn Gray. She's just Esguerra. The girl you hate.

My eyes landed on her lips. Fuck Gray. Stop with that thought. I felt kissing it endlessly and keeping her with me. Fuck fuck. Have I gone mad?

"Yo bro!" I looked at Renz coming down.

"Ngiti ngiti mo diyan, Gray. Mukha kang gago." I raised my middle finger.

"What happened?"

"Wala,"

"Tangina ka, gusto mo na namang makaisa doon sa bago mo. Anong pangalan nun? Christine? Carmine?" Binatukan ko naman agad.

"Celine, gago." Alam niya kasing marami na akong babae. He's not good at remembering. O, baka dahil nga sa marami ng babae no'n.

"O kamusta?"

"Naudlot. Tsaka break na kami."

"Ang lupet natin talaga boy! Idol!" Natawa naman ako sa pang aasar niya.

"Someone interfered us a while ago. Nandoon na ako, nabitin pa. Baliw talaga ang babaeng 'yun." Umiinit naman ang dugo ko sa Esguerra na 'yun. Tangina! Hinalikan ko nga kanina ng manahimik. First kiss pa pala niya. Inosente ang p*ta.

"Ah, si Rashiel mo?"

"Rashiel ko? Tangina ka. You know how much I hate her."

"Baliw, pwede naman 'yun ah? The more you hate, the more you love."

"That won't apply us, Renz. Tingnan mo nga kung paano niya ako gustong matalo lagi. Hell no, she can never beat me."

"Alam mo yan, diyan naguumpisa 'yan. Alam mo namang maraming may gusto diyan. Maganda na matalino pa. You're just blinded of the thought that you hate her kahit na mukha ka namang tinatamaan. Wag ako boy!"

I frowned. I did not sleep at all. Lumipad ang kamay sa labi ko habang paulit ulit na iniisip ang sinabi ni Renz kanina. Napahilamos ako ng mukha. Baka nga..

Little did I know, I was captured by her. The spark that is too hard to resist.

She was the fire that was already etched in my soul-- the fire I was willing to be caught to.