No One But Mine

Chapter 1: The Marking

I have known Karlus Ambrosio Ventura since I was in my diapers, we were close, at least for me.

Mine and his family are good friends, my mom is his mom's best friend, when my mom got to know dad, she also befriended his buddy who later became her best friend's husband, that fathered Karlus. Cool right?

It's no wonder that I have considered their house as my second home, whenever I am bored I go here to hang out with Ramina who prefers to be called 'Mina' who happened to be my best friend and Karlus' younger sister. We're of the same age making Karlus 5 years our senior.

I and Mina are classmates, we are now in our third year in college and we're both taking Management, talk about friendship goals right? Since I happen to crash into their house or should I say 'mansion' often, you probably expect that I always see her ever glamorous brother, but unfortunately for you and most especially to me the answer is a big NO. Whenever I'm around he either locks himself into his room, reading, drawing, playing guitar or hanging out with his friends, which were my twin elder brothers, Nikolai and Mikael and Israel 'Izzy' Perez their other friend.

I sometimes or should I say 'often' attempt to tag along with them, but my knuckle headed siblings stops me every time. They always say that I am way too girly and frail to go with do 'manly' stuffs. As if.

Anyway the chances of me taking a glimpse of my soon- to- be- husband (note the dreamy tone) depleted even further, coz he is now very  busy with all the responsibilities of him being the first born, the heir of their business empire.

Mina is in her room preparing our girls' day out. It's nothing much really,  it's just us enjoying  petty things that we love to do, like going to the cinema, shopping or getting pampered at the salon.

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We are in the mall I am looking at acrylic paints, yes, people you got it right, I paint. It's one of my hobbies that only few people know of.

I want to buy a few tubes, my supplies are fast depleting, coz I'm currently working on something. That something is a portrait of a certain someone. Yes, it's Karlus'. I have been painting him since forever, I have his face plastered on unaccountable canvasses. I know it's a bit creepy, that's why only I myself is the only one that knows about it, even my best friend is oblivious of my collection.

Mina is at a boutique just a few stalls from where I am, looking at newly arrived make ups. While I do love colors and stuffs I prefer putting them to canvasses instead.

While I am busy deciding how many hues of gray should I buy, a familiar silhouette got caught up in my line of vision, a silhouette which I could readily recognize even in my afterlife, my heart immediately rams as if a herd of bulls is running in it.

I looked up and through the glass partition of the stall I saw him, at the guitar shop just across where I am at. He was looking into some picks, and if my memory serves me right is one of his favorite things to collect. Being a guitar player, he has a great deal of pick collections stacked neatly in a cabinet inside his room. Don't ask me how I knew, coz if there's a will there's a way.

He was wearing a casual pair of black jeans and plain white shirt, it's his usual look whenever his not in his suit. Despite his simplicity, to me no one could hold a candle to him.

With his 6"5 stature, tanned skin and brown eyes, he looked like a Spanish model straight from a magazine.

I decided to approach him, totally forgetting about the paints.

"Hey", I said.

He just glanced at me, and got back to his the picks like he saw nothing, walked towards the counter and paid.

"Got to go", he suddenly told me, before heading off.

I just huffed, I know he's been avoiding me,  I have been outright vulgar with my feelings for him, and he on the other hand have always been  frank that he DOES NOT LIKE ME, but I don't mind. I know that deep down he likes me. And that's for sure.