Taped-Up Heart

XI. Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Eleven

"Weird," I mumbled after Tiu left. Duane just shrugged and tapped the keycard on my unit. Pagkapasok naman ay ibinaba na namin ang mga pinamili namin at tinulungan niya akong ilagay iyon sa cupboard at sa refrigerator.

"So... what are we gonna do?" I asked as I was stacking the canned goods on the cupboard.

"Let's just watch a movie," he answered.

Tumango lang ako sa kanya. Nag-prepare kami ng nachos, chips and dips at saka kumuha ng dalawang coke-in-can na iinumin namin habang nanonood ng movie. It was past eight in the evening already and we both don't mind kasi hapon pa naman iyong class namin tomorrow.

I connected my Smart TV to Netflix as Duane shut the lights off. Nagpunta rin siya sa kwarto ko para kumuha ng unan at kumot. I smiled. He really knows me too well. Duane was like the brother I never had. Only child lang ako kaya hindi ko alam iyong feeling ng may kapatid... but Duane, kilalang-kilala niya talaga ako.

Just proves how long we've known each other. Alam niya na every time na manonood ako nang movie sa bahay, hindi pwedeng wala akong kumot at unan na niyayapos.

"Here," he said as he handed me my favorite pillow. Kahit 'yon alam niya. Alam niya na marami akong unan sa kwarto pero dalawa lang iyong ginagamit ko, iyong mabibigat and the rest, nilalagay ko lang 'yon sa tabihan ko in case na mahulog ako.

Umupo na kami sa couch. "What do you want to watch?" I asked him.

"You decide," sagot niya.

I frowned. Ito ang pinaka-ayaw ko. Hindi kami makapag-decide kung ano ang papanoorin. Palagi niyang sinasabing ako ang mag-decide, pero ayaw niya naman nang mga napipili ko dahil palaging romance o hindi kaya ay rom-com.

I chose the movie She's Out Of My League and to my surprise, hindi siya nagreklamo for the very first time. I tucked myself in my blanket as I was hugging my pillow while Duane was hugging a throw pillow. We were only inches apart from each other.

Nag-focus na ako doon sa movie. About 'yun sa isang lalaki na nagta-trabaho sa airport, he wanted to get back with his ex but then, ayaw naman na sa kanya nang ex niya. Until one day, may isang babaeng maganda at hot na dumating sa airport.

Naiwan niya 'yung phone niya and the guy was the one to return it to her, and that was the start of something between them.

The guy thinks he isn't good enough for the girl, because if you're going to rate them, the girl is a ten---a hard ten, mean while the guy's barely even a five. She's just too perfect for him, that's what he thinks.

Kaya she's out of my league pala 'yung title.

"If someone really loves you, then you are a ten," said one of the bestfriends of the main lead.

I smiled at that. I agree. If you really and truly love someone, then they are already a ten to you. Despite all the differences and flaws, they'll always be a ten to you. That's what true love is. Never minding the imperfections about somebody, because to you they are perfectly imperfect just the way they are.

I was enjoying the movie... until my breathing stopped when Duane rested his head on my shoulder. It was the very first time that we became this close while watching a movie.

"Can I?" he even asked.

I slowly nodded.

"Sorry. I'm just tired. Too many tasks."

"Okay lang," I said.

The movie finished with a happy ending of course. Almost every movie naman yata. How I wish in reality too, sana... palagi na lang happy ending. Sana palagi na lang masaya. Sana kahit may problema, malalagpasan din, but then, who am I kidding, right?

This is reality.

Not everyone gets a happy ending.

Not everyone gets whay they deserve.

"Ang ganda nang movie!" I said after we finished watching it.

"Yeah," he timidly said. He was still resting on my shoulder and I just let him. Wala namang malisya, hindi ba? Wala. "It's a good movie. I liked it."

"Talaga?" he nodded. "First time ah. You hated romance kaya. You prefer action and horror movies, nagulat nga ako na hindi mo ako kinontra earlier, e."

He stifled a small laugh. "For a change, Asia."

I smiled and rested my head against his. "Do you agree? That when you love someone, they are automatically a ten to you?" I curiously asked him.

I just wanted to know his opinion. Lahat kasi talaga nang mga sinasabi niya may sense palagi and sometimes, he could get deep with his words, and I love that about him. How sometimes, he suddenly becomes a man full of words of wisdom.

"Yeah," he lazily answered. I couldn't see his face but I know that there's a small smile playing on his lips right now. "When you love someone, you don't really care and will never care about their physical appearance anymore, 'cause the heart is the one that falls in love... not the eyes. And I solely believe in that. Love is blind. Corny, but yeah... I'd like to believe in that. The heart falls in love first. I fall in love with the personality, characteristics, with the kindness, with the heart of a person... not with the face."

I laughed to ease the awkwardness that I was feeling. Siguro ako lang. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit. "Never pegged you to be that kind of guy."

"What?" he asked, laughing.

I shrugged. "I don't know. You look like the guy who falls in love with the face. With beautiful, hot and sexy ladies, something like that."

"Huh, you really think so shallow of me, Asia," he said sounding offended.

"I'm sorry, opinion ko lang naman," I defended.

He sighed. "If I was that type of guy like you were saying... edi sana marami na akong naging girlfriend. I mean, not to brag... but girls are out there. Fucking shoving theirselves right at my face. When I am at school, when I am with my family, when I am outside, but look, nobody's got my attention. I mean sure, I notice that they are pretty, but that doesn't get me... at all. I mean, I never really cared about what they looked like."

I just listened to him. He has a point. Wala pa nga siyang nagiging girlfriend, kahit na ang daming nagkakagusto sa kanyang babae. Kahit nga iyong sikat na babae sa school namin siya ang gusto, pero ayaw niya. Wala siyang interest man lang kahit kaunti doon, even when I am already telling him that she's a good catch, he would always dismiss my thoughts and tells me that he just don't care at all.

"Joanuel would always set me up with his friends, but it's just a no for me. Just no. I don't know, I'm not picky, really, all I want in a girl is someone who understands me and my moods. Someone I can get along and be really comfortable with. Someone I can share everything with... my good and bad moments in life. That's all. I never wanted someone who's pretty and makes all the guys' heads turn, because if she really is the one, she could make my head and heart turn effortlessly."

"So, yeah, I agree. When you love someone, they are automatically a perfect ten to you."

I smiled. "I agree too."

Then, silence occupied us.

"Asia," he called.

"Yeah?" I said and I was thanking god that he couldn't see my face, and that I couldn't see his too, because I was scared. Damn scared. Kasi hindi, 'di ba? Hindi naman talaga. Wala naman talaga.

He sighed. "Just know that..."

"That what?" it was almost a whisper.

"You are an eleven."