Someday, I'll Find My Way Home

Karl wears the Lucky Jacket.

Yes, I wore it all day, even after classes where the heat of Los Baños is comparable to the depths of hell. When Paula saw me come back inside the laboratory, she gave me her evil grin and immediately sunk her fingers on my stomach.

"You sly fox," she teased. "Oh my God, you look extra hot in that jacket."

My face became extra hot. "Really?"

"Yes! You should dress up more often!"

I would consider that comment if I had enough money.

His jacket was full of Axel--the mix of Axe and vanilla perfume, empowering me while I do our laboratory exercise; the little crease marks on the lower sleeve, because he kept on opening and closing the end to check whether the temperature is too cold or too hot; how soft the texture of the whole fabric that I was able to move smoothly; and the fact that this was Axel's and I was wearing it.

I finished the exercise before anyone else, and my professor, Ma'am Kath, said I did a great job. Ah, what a great feeling of doing something I was good at and being validated by it.

I couldn't hide my smile at all. I was all posture when I walked outside the laboratory like a fashion model. Confidence was running on my veins, which didn't quite happen a lot. Even my tutee on my tutor session saw the glow in my face.

My senior also praised me today, which raised my mood even more. I was doing significant progress on my tutee (he called me cutie, but he said he understood the concept because of me, so all is fair).

I am now labeling this solid-blue jacket "The Lucky Jacket" because of all the good things that it did to me today. 

Of course it had another expiration date, so I would use it as much as I could. I want to inhale his scent until it runs out, until I wash it and give it back to him. I even thought of sleeping with it, but I thought that was so stupid I would to it later.

"What are you so happy about?" Marc asked when we were eating at Sizzler's, a restaurant on the third floor of a dormitory that has a bar and home-cooked meals.

"Nothing," I dismissed, but I was still smiling.

He nudged my hand that was playing with the sisig that I ordered. "Come on, tell me," he insisted. "Did something good happen today?"

"Hmm, you can say that."

"Did you finish the exercise? Is that the reason?"

I nodded.

"Or is it the jacket?"

I ate a spoonful of rice to not answer that question.

"Whose jacket is that?" he probed. "I didn't notice that earlier."

I gulped, then answered, "Axel's." 

"Oh."

We didn't talk much after that. All I could hear was the faint sound of the live band outside that I wanted to watch, but the seats outside were full. There was constant chatter around us, from peers to men gulping beers. I was tapping my feet with the beat of the drums outside. 

Then, Marc spoke again, "Do you like him?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Him?"

"Axel."

I spouted my usual reply. "Ew, no."

"So you're saying that if someone asks you for a date, you'd agree?"

"Well, that depends," I answered. "I'd appreciate the confidence, of course, but I don't know. It wouldn't probably happen to me, but it's a nice thought to think about during the night."