I am Me

Lady Van Doren 8

Ping

I looked at my phone and saw a notification from my weather forecast app

Bring umbrella with you today. It's gonna rain

I looked at the window from my bedroom and saw the dark sky

I stared at it and can't help but remember my sweet time with Apol. Today is Monday again kaya naman ay nag hahanda na ako para pumasok

With my umbrella in hand, bumaba na ako at umalis papuntang skwelahan

I am currently wearing my Prada black dress with fuchsia roses paired with a Prada pump shoes. I know its probably gonna rain but I can't help it

When I arrived at school ay  isa lang ang nasa isip ko and that's to find Estevan. I saw him in the garden kaya nman diretso k osiyang pinuntahan

"Laurent" he turned to look at me with no confusion in his being. Its as if he is expecting me

I stared at him intently 

"Stop beating around the bush Oine just ask. Alam ko na marami kang tanong" I sighed 

So alam niya na may alam ako. Someone told him and I think I know who

"Ok then, what's your deal with lolo Arkie" You may think that I am exaggerating but I have a complete reason kung bakit ganito ang reaction ko

"It's nothing Oine" I stared more

"Nothing? Laurent, you know the Family's tradition right? what you're doing right now is not nothing. You being Lolo's driver is not nothing" he sighed but did not comment further. I took a risk and pursued further

"Doin something for the head of the family means asking for permission, do you perhaps li-" na putol ang sasabihin ng may mapag tan to ako

Now, Laurent look so rattled

"Of course! You like- gosh ba't diko nakita." Excitement consumed me pero naputol din yun when I realized something

"So, you're also the one who's sending fruits?" He just stared and nodded slowly

A voice interrupted Laurent and I

"Good, you're both here. Estevan care to explain why you've been driving our Lolo for the past two years?" I silently grinned dahil hinid pa napag tanto ni Eli ang ibig sabihin non

"Nothing, I just happened to ask Lolo Ark for some favor for my new business kay driving him is my payment" I rolled my eyes with that

I decided to leave the two of them para hindi ko na marinig ang mga kasinungalingan ni Estevan

I shouldn't have cause now, I am greeted with a hurtful sight 

It was Apollo walking with his Mom. Kasama si Katie

Apollo's mom was clinging to Katie while they laugh. His mom seems very fond of her

I was about to turn ng marinig ko ang pagtawag sa akin ni Apollo

"Nyx!, Hey" I plastered a smile on my face before turning to them

I met the halfway and bowed slightly to Apol's mom

"Wow, you are Nyx Hermoine Van Doren right?" She smiled at me lovingly so returned her smile

"Indeed I am Maam" I slightly bowed my head again and looked at Apol when he stood beside me

"Ma, Nyx here is actually my partner in one my subject. Remember? the one where we'll go to the Northern Lights?" Her mom's smile widened

"Right" her eyes sparkled and I don't know why

"Wow! Nothern Lights Pol ah" Katie teased

Apollo ruffled Katie's hair "Haha, naiingit kaba ha"

Apollo's mom laughed "Pasensiyahan mona sila iha, that's how they bond" why do I feel like her eyes are investigating me

"It-It's ok Maam, s-sanay narin ako" 

"Don't call me Maam, call me tita Nyx" Apollo's eyebrows furrowed when he heard what his Mom said

A-ayaw niya bang tawagin kong Tita ang mama niya?

The sadness I felt at that moment was replaced with warm feelings when he spoke

"Ma, don't call her Nyx, call her Hermoine" her mom raised her brow and Katie's eyes began shifting from me to Apollo

"And why is that? I heard you call her that?" Apollo's mom got the biggest grin she could muster

"Exactly Ma, I call her that, I call her Nyx and I'm the only one in this universe who could call her with that name"

Apollo's eyes stared at me

Tita Xandra have that smug look

And Katie, Katie looks hurt

But as of now I don't care cause all I can see is Apollo and all I can hear is the loud beating of my heart

After that heart stopping and jaw dropping moment ay umalis narin si Tita Xandra with Katie. More like Tita Xandra dragged her

"Hey, mind if we unwind?" I looked at Apollo curiously 

Apollo and I  arrived at a beach. Walang ka tao tao because they own this beach. May kinuha siyang blanket and we both sat down. I removed my heels and look at the waves

"We have classes but here we are" I laughed as I said those words, my hair is being blown by the wind

"Both of us got good grades, we'll be fine" Apollo assured

I stared at the sea "Do you know Hero and Leander?" Apollo shrugged 

"You know when Hero and Leander fell in love with each other,  Leander would swim every night across the Hellespont to spend time with Hero. Hero would then light a lamp at the top of her tower to guide him on his way to her

But one stormy winter night, the waves tossed Leander in the sea and the breezes blew out Hero's light; Leander lost his way and drowned. When Hero saw his dead body, she threw herself over the edge of the tower to her death to be with him." It ended tragically for both of them

"Yeah, It's messed up. Leander kinda manipulated Hero into having sex with him" I Looked at him and laughed

"So, you do know" he crinkled his nose

"I'm boring aren't I?" his head almost snapped at how fast he turned to look at me

His eyebrows are knitted together again which made me laugh

"I- I can't make you laugh, all I can offer you are those boring stories I know. I can't make you laugh till your stomach hurts. I don't know how to be funny" I smiled sadly at him

The waves splashed violently and the wind blew harshly hangang sa may mumunting ulan na ang pumapatak 

"Tara na, baka bumagsak ng bongga yung ulan" I stood up carrying my heels with me but halted when Apollo held my hands and slowly stood up

The rain started to pour little by little

"Yes, you can't make me laugh"

The rain poured completely 

"You can't crack a joke, anyone can see that"

We started to get drenched 

"You can't act silly, fact"

He took a step closer

 "You can't make my stomach hurt because of laughing, It's true"

Closer

"I'd prefer smiling over laughing. Kapag tumatawa ka ang naiisip mo ay ang nakakatwang pangyayayri pero kapag ngumiti ka ang naiisip mo lang ay ang taong nagpangiti sayo"

Closer

"You see one thing's for sure. Anyone can make my stomach hurt because of laughing but only you can make my heart hurt because of too much pounding and fluttering"