shut up, i love you.

chapter two| morning delight

"Jo, tadtad na naman ng kagat ng lamok yang mga braso mo." Puna ni Kuya Dominique (doms for short 😉) sa kanya habang kumakain sila ng breakfast. Her family calls her Jo, by the way. "Wag mong kamutin yan at baka masugatan ka pa. Ba't kase nagpapaka supergirl ka sa lalakeng yan eh"

Napangiti si Joey. Alam kasi niya na hindi sang-ayon ang kuya niya sa pagka camp out niya sa bahay ni Marvin every weekend. Over protective kase ito sa kanya. He believes that she should be protected and not the other way around.

"And what irks me is that, he hates you. Why does he hate you, Jo? You don't deserve all that."  Joey's heart ached a little bit. Doms really cares for her so much.

"Bayaan mo na, Ya. Last na yon kagabi. I swear. From now on, lahat ng attention ko, maliban sa school ay nasa inyong dalawa ni daddy na." Joey said sincerely. Napatingin siya sa daddy niya na kanina pa nakikinig sa usapan. Her dad smiled.

"I really don't know what happened to you both. But are you really finally giving up on him, Jo?" Daddy Benj asked.

Joey smiled.

"He was never mine to give up on dad. We're not even friends anymore. He won't acknowledge me when he sees me. He even shun you and Kuya, too. That's why I decided to protect him in silence. I supported him in silence. Cheered him on in silence. I even had to pretend like I hate him too just so we'd feel less awkward. Because I didn't want to torment him more by being close. Pero matanda na si Marvin dad. Siguro naman kaya niya na ang sarili niya ngayon." I said withholding my tears. "Besides, i'll have to leave the country after senior high."

And just like that, the mood got somber.

- - - -

Monday morning. Maagang nagising si Joey than usual. Dati ay palagi siyang pagod. Dahil dati nga, naka bantay siya sa bahay ni Marvin. Hinawi niya agad ang kurtina ng sliding glass window niya. Magkatapat ang kwarto nila ni Marvin. Mga dalawang dipa siguro ang layo. I know, clichè. Pwede naman sana niyang bantayan nalang ito mula dito sa kwarto niya pero ayaw naman niyang malaman nito na ginagawa niya iyon. He doesn't need to know that she wants to protect him.

Hindi na siya nag abalang tingnan ang kwarto ni Marvin. Palagi namang nakababa ang kurtina non simula nung hindi na sila mag pansinan.

Kinuha niya ang kanyang ukulele mula sa box na pinaglagyan nya ng mga bagay na hindi niya na ginagamit. It's been so long since she last played a song. She decided to play one song before preparing for school.

Untouchable like a distant diamond sky

Pagsimula niya ng kanta.

I'm reaching out and I just can't tell you why
I'm caught up in you
I'm caught up in you

Untouchable burning brighter than the sun
And when you're close I feel like coming undone

Ganon kase si Marvin para sa kanya. Untouchable. Kahit nga siguro dalawang dipa lang ang pagitan nilang dalawa, parang ilang libong milya ang layo nila. It was never like this in the beginning. Na iiyak na naman siya so she decided not to finish it. She decided to glance at Marvin's window. One last time before she finally remove him from her life.

But she immediately regretted her decision. Because as soon as she lifted her gaze towards the direction of his window, her eyes met his.

Impossible. Ngayon lang ulit hinawi ni Marvin ang kurtina ng kwarto niya.

But he did. He really did. And they stared at each other for a few seconds before Joey looked away, and pulled down her curtains instead.

Natulala si Joey ng ilang minuto. She was pulled out of her trance when her phone rang indicating that she has an instagram notif. She checked her phone.

Marvin Augustus Miranda posted a photo for the first time in a while

Her heart skipped a beat. She clicked on it. Tss. Marupok na Joey.

It was a photo of Marvin's hand holding a coffee mug. At the backdrop was Joey's room. And although it was slightly blurred, Joey was in that photo playing the ukulele. Under the photo was Marvin's caption:

Can't decide what woke me up more. Is it this coffee or your voice?