Flying with You

Chapter 2

Saturday came sooner than I expected. I woke up by 1:00 a.m., took a quick shower, and wore the outfit that I had prepared the night before. As I double-checked my things, my stomach started to ache, and suddenly, the trip to Lake Sebu felt like a bad idea. It was as if the universe was telling me to just stay in my comfort zone. Instinctively, I grabbed my phone from my purse and dialed Nyx's number.

"Is something wrong?" Nyx worriedly asked after three rings.

"I don't think I can do this, Nyx," I weakly said.

"Arci, you've waited for a long time for this trip. It would be a waste if you wouldn't go," she said, trying to cheer me up but it didn't work this time.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

"Of course not. You can do it, Arci. Hwaiting!" Nyx said as loudly as she could, and a weak smile formed on my lips.

Nyx gave me more words of encouragement than she had ever given to me in the past. I gave one last look at my condominium unit and dragged my bags out. It was now or never.

It took me forty minutes to arrive at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, where I had to check in and wait for my flight, which was supposed to depart by five in the morning. While waiting for boarding, I can't help but notice that I was a complete loner. Around me were people whom I suspected as college students who would be having their getaway in GenSan as well.

As I looked around the area, a guy suddenly caught my attention. He was wearing a blue shirt and faded jeans. As he was seated a few seats away from me, I suddenly wished I saw him earlier so that we could be seated together.

Wait. Did I just really think of that? I shook my head to free my thoughts from this nonsense. A few minutes had passed when I noticed that he was looking in my direction. I immediately averted my gaze and that's when I realized that I was staring at him the whole time. Flustered upon this realization, I felt my cheeks burn and I silently hoped for the floor to crack open and eat me up alive.

I tried my best to focus on the book that I was reading. After staring at a single page for almost fifteen minutes, I heard the gate attendant calling our attention for boarding. I headed straight to the counter and gave her my pass. Upon boarding the plane, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Lake Sebu, here I come.

"Miss, we're here already." I woke up with a start when I heard an unfamiliar voice beside me. I looked at the guy beside me and was surprised to see that it was Blue Shirt Guy.

"Shucks. Sorry." I shook my head upon realizing that I had said the wrong thing. "Wait. I meant thank you," I continued, my cheeks burning up from humiliation.

"It's okay. Let's go?" he asked, and when I looked up at him, he was smiling. Why was he smiling and when did we become close? Before I could even distort my face into something weird or ask him those stupid questions, I nodded and forced a smile.

Blue Shirt Guy and I ended up staying in the same resort. As if fate wasn't tired of playing its tricks on me, I was assigned to the room right next to his. Small talk wasn't really my thing so when I got my room key, I thanked the girl on front desk and silently made my way to my room.

To: Nyx

Arrived safely. Met a cute guy, btw.

Thought you should know.

After sending the message to Nyx, I changed my phone to silent mode and slept. I woke up when I heard someone knocking on my door. To my surprise, it was Blue Shirt Guy.

"Uhh, hi? Did I wake you up?" he asked, worry kind of evident on his face.

"Oh my God. Does my hair look like a bird's nest? It doesn't usually look like that, I swear!" My hands immediately flew to my hair and tried to tame it. He then chuckled and I silently cursed myself for acting like a fool in front of him.

"Actually, it's all right. I just wanted to ask if you have an adaptor. It seems like I left mine."

"Oh, okay. Hold on for a sec. I'll just go get it inside," I told him as I closed the door. As soon as I got the adaptor from my bag, I looked at myself in the mirror and was relieved to know that I looked pretty decent for someone who just woke up. Why did I even bother to humiliate myself in front of him?

I took a deep breath before opening the door of my room again. He was still there, waiting for me (or maybe my adaptor), looking like a model straight out of a magazine. He was wearing a plain white shirt topped with a blue polo, which he paired with khaki shorts. It was simple yet he looked effortlessly good in it. Didn't I just say a while ago that he was cute? Let me change that. Now that I have seen like this, he is freakin' hot . . . and maybe cute. Oh God. What is wrong with me?

"Sorry to keep you waiting but here it is."

"Thanks. Before I forget, I'm Kyle, by the way," he said as he extended his hand in front of him. I looked at his hand for a couple of seconds before I decided to take it.

"Arci," I said, and clichéd as it may seem, sparks flew when I held his hand. Flustered upon this realization, I immediately removed my hand from his proximity and tried to keep my cool.

"I know it may sound weird but do you have any plans for today?" he asked, much to my surprise. I didn't know much about him, except for his name and his apparent love for the color blue. Kyle must have sensed my anxiety, since after a few seconds, he started to babble things about himself.

"I can absolutely tell you that I am not a creep. I work as a graphic designer in Manila. I live with my mom, my two younger sisters, and our two-year-old shih tzu. Also, here is my company ID for your reference," he said and he presented his ID to me. I really didn't want to accept it but when I saw the familiar look of the ID, I knew that I have to take a look.

"By any chance, do you know Danny Ramos?"

"We work in the same department. He was the one who urged me to come here, saying that this is a good place to unwind. You know him too?"

"Well, he's my friend," I reluctantly said.

"That must be it! When I saw you a while ago in the airport, I knew you looked familiar," he proudly said and I suddenly had that unsettling feeling that this was a setup. Everything was too much for a coincidence. Was this Nyx's way of getting me a boyfriend?

"What do you mean?"

"If I'm not mistaken, the picture on Danny's wallpaper was taken in Sagada. There are seven people in the picture and you are one of them, right?"

"Oh, okay," I told him while trying my best to hide the weirdness that I was feeling, after which I tried to decline his invitation as politely as I could. Yes, he was Danny's colleague but I couldn't put my trust in him just yet. Besides, I wanted to try to wander around the area on my own first. Maybe if I tried to avoid him all throughout my stay here in Lake Sebu, everything would be back to normal. I mean, that should be easy, right? Or maybe not.