He pushed to his feet then offered me his hand. "Halika na, let's join our families. I'm famished."
I ignored the hand he offered and scrambled none too gracefully to my feet. I threw him one cold look before heading towards the house.
"Ayn..." he sounded exasperated following me closely. "What is it now?"
"Go without me," I said. "I'll just order pizza and stay at home."
"What am I going to tell our families kung bakit hindi tayo magkasama?"
I stopped walking then turned around to face him. "And that's why I hate you."
He looked perplexed. "What did I do?"
"You are trying to manipulate me again. What am I going to tell our families? Really? Bakit? Obligasyon mo na ba ngayon to speak on my behalf? Why? Because I am forced to agree to that proposal regardless if it's temporary because I lost your grandmother's ring which is really your fault because I wouldn't have lost it had you not proposed to me!"
He momentarily closed his eyes. "God, I am so hungry..."
"What?"
"Gutom na ako, okay? Hindi ako nakapaghapunan kagabi dahil busy akong suyuin ka habang kumakain ka sa McDo. Hindi rin ako nakapag-agahan because I learned that my parents want to come with me today and I was so nervous that I couldn't eat. I am so hungry, Ayn, I actually thought of eating one of your mother's roses. That's how hungry I am."
I scowled at him but I couldn't help but notice that he looked pained.
"Go, change. Please."
"I can go to the picnic grounds without you."
"I want you to come with me because I don't want to be bombarded with questions about why you aren't there while I am eating. I want to eat in peace and I can only do that if you come."
"Fine, susunod ako."
"No, you won't."
I pretended to look affronted. "What? Are you insinuating that I'm a liar?"
How the hell did he know that I had no plans of showing up?
"Ayn, please. Please, I'm really so hungry..."
Hay, naku! This guy is really so annoying!
But I couldn't ignore the pallor on his face. I looked at him and he was wetting his lips as if they, too, had gone parched due to hunger.
"Fine!" I said. "Oo na, magbibihis na ako."
"Thank you..." he said; he sounded sincere.
I rolled my eyes at him before we marched inside the house.
"The powder room is that way, go wash your hands and face. There's an antiseptic cream inside the cabinet, put some on that wound at baka ma-infect 'yan, gwapung-gwapo ka pa naman sa sarili mo."
He smiled.
"I'll bring you a shirt so we won't have to drop by your house. Is it okay if you wear one of my shirts?"
"Shirt, like...t-shirt and not one of your blouses, right?"
"Are you trying to be funny?"
"No," he shook his head.
I huffed.
"Rona!" I called one of the house-helps.
"Yes po, Miss Ayn?"
"Halika, samahan mo ako sa itaas. May ipapaabot ako rito sa bisita natin."
"Okay po, Miss Ayn."
I turned to Castor. "What the hell are you still doing here? Go to the powder room and wash your face. There are face towels inside the overhead cabinet. Kakatukin ka ni Rona mamaya for your change of clothes."
