My Boyfriend is a Freak (Published under Pop Fiction)

31: Mira

Dahil walang magawa ngayon dito sa opisina, naisipan kong ipag-FLAMES ang pangalan namin ni Vren. (I know, I know — I was acting like an elementary student. But this is what boredom does.)

FLAMES

Mirathea Avila Custodio
Vren Andrei Ayala Montevilla

Ang resulta? Engaged ako kay Vren (nawa'y magdilang-anghel ka, FLAMES!) habang Angry naman siya sa akin (or at least, he used to be). And as for the total, Lovers kami (well, we really are now).

Kaya ang aking conclusion: hindi nagsisinungaling ang FLAMES. Charot!

"Ano 'yan, Ate?"

Nagitla ako nang biglang sumulpot ang magaling kong kapatid sa aking harapan. I must have been so engrossed in my little game that I didn't even notice Myron sneaking into my office. At mas nagulat pa ako nang bigla niyang hinablot ang notebook na ginamit ko para ipag-FLAMES ang pangalan namin ng jowa ko.

"Hoy, Myron Theo! Akin na 'yan!" I shrieked. "Baka gusto mong samain sa akin?"

Chuckling, my brother ran until he was standing by the door, well away from me. Wala na akong nagawa kundi magtakip ng mukha nang sinimulan niyang basahin ang laman ng notebook na inagaw niya mula sa akin.

After a few beats, I heard Myron roaring with laughter. "Pinag-FLAMES mo ang pangalan niyo ni Kuya Vren? Para ka namang bata, Ate!"

"Bwisit ka!" I glared at him. "Give that back to me!"

"Okay!" Ngumisi ang mokong. "Pero ipapakita ko muna ito kay Kuya."

"Subukan mo lang —"

To my holy horror, I didn't even get to finish my threat, dahil tuluyan nang lumabas ng opisina ko si Myron. Narinig ko pa ang muli niyang pagtawa bago tuluyang sumara muli ang pinto.

Anak ng... Kawawa na naman ako nito sa kantyaw ng boyfriend ko!

****

When the door to my office opened again, it revealed a grinning Vren who was being closely followed by my menace of a brother as he entered.

"I didn't know people still play this game. And I certainly didn't expect my girlfriend to do so." He brandished my notebook and snickered. "Who's next — Hannah and Vince, or Mavi and Alexia?"

Kahit hiyang-hiya ay nagawa ko pa ring tumawa dahil sa biro ni Vren. "Hmm..." I pretended to think carefully, as if I was making a major life decision. "Try kong isunod sina Mavi at Alexia."

"Good idea. Let's see if the results will be Angry for Mavi, Angry for Alexia, and Angry for the total, too." Vren chuckled again, then placed the notebook on my desk and leaned closer to give me a forehead kiss. "You really are a childish person. Imagine the accounting department head of Medialink, playing FLAMES during office hours."

"I was bored!" defensive ko namang sabi. "And you weren't supposed to know about it, anyway. Bwisit kasi 'yang si Myron Theo."

"Love you, Ate!" Myron flashed me the peace sign, grinning.

"By the way, I just talked to Vira over the phone," my boyfriend remarked. "She sends her love."

Ibinalik ko ang ngiti niya. "I'm really glad na okay na kami ng ate mo."

"Me too." Vren looked genuinely pleased. He then spared his wristwatch a glance, and his expression turned apologetic as he refocused on me. "Hey, I hate to say this but I have to go. I'm attending a meeting in five minutes."