Hey, Cupid (COMPLETED)

Chapter 3: The Childhood Friend (Part 2)

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" I asked her as I put down the rope in my bed.

"'Di ko naman kasi maintindihan 'yong pinag-uusapan ng mga tao ro'n kaya umalis na lang ako." She said as she approached me.

'So she's a Lopez?'

"Well I don't care. Go back there and leave me alone. You're disturbing me." I said as I tried to gently push her out of my room.

"Wow, what's that? A rope? Are you perhaps, playing jump rope? I'm good at jump rope! Sali ako sa laro mo!" She said gleefully, giving me a warm smile.

Her smile was so mesmerizing that I thought it was more than enough to lit up my room. It was as if somebody had splashed colors in my surrounding and I started being conscious of everything around me. It was just so pure and so magical, that I thought I was able to put all my worries away for a while.

When was the last time somebody smiled at me like that? I can't even remember if there is at least one person who have genuinely smiled at me. As I was getting used to being unwanted, I have learned to accept that my existence wasn't important. But at that certain moment...I felt...for once, that... I am important. I felt my heart beat for the first time...I never felt this 'alive' before this moment.

I felt a thumb caressing the corners of my eyes.

"Why are you crying? Ayaw mo ba akong kalaro?" She said, close to crying as well.

I was indeed overwhelmed by this foreign feeling that I didn't know I was already shedding tears.

"No. It's not like that" I looked away and wiped my tears using my right hand. "Na-napuwing lang ako." What a lame excuse.

"Huh? Napuwing ka? Patingin. Hala kailangan nating hipan 'yan. 'Wag mong kusutin 'yang mata mo. Here, hihipan ko". She moved closer. I could see how angelic her features are. Was it even possible to be this adorable?

"Ayan. Halika, laro na tayo?"

"I would play with you, in one condition. Tell me your name."

"Hala muntik ko nang makalimutan. I am Feenix Bwaile Wopez." She bowed.

"Bwaile? Is there such a name? Wopez? I thought you're from the Lopez clan?"

"Bulol kasi ako sa aw (r). Hmph". She cutely rolled her eyes. "Ikaw?"

"I am Vernon. Vernon Ayala."

"Bewnon. Bew-ber-bewnon. Hmph. I will just call you Nonie. Is that fine with you? You can call me Feb. And since we already know each other, can we be friends?"

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever." She opened her arms.

"What are you doing?"

"Preparing for a hug. My mom said friends hug each other. Come on." She moved closer to me and enveloped me in a very tight hug.

I...have been in the Ayala mansion ever since I was born. I was homeschooled and I didn't get to experience being a normal student. I have lived my life in this house and yet this was the first time, in the arms of this girl, that I've felt home. I felt that warm feeling that embraces me, as if it was telling me that everything's going to be fine. That even if things would get harder, I'll be able to survive. That simple hug had such a huge effect on me. That simple gesture had magically told me that it's okay to be broken; to be a mess-because there will be someone out there who would accept your brokenness. Someone who would tell you that it's fine even if you feel like you're unfixable.