Cliche (Love Series # 1)

f i f t y - n i n e

Aftereffect

(noun)

af·ter·ef·fect\ˈaf-tər-ə-ˌfekt\

: an effect that occurs after time has passed

°°°
His eyes were as wide as saucers while his mouth went slack, he's like a gaping fish with that look and if my head wasn't abuzz with embarrassment, I would surely capture this in my phone and laugh at him afterwards.

But alas, I could still feel the zip of electricity coursing in my veins, the heat that doesn't seem to dampen in any way and the loud thump in my heart, so loud I fear Willmark would hear it. I couldn't meet his eyes in shame, I don't have skin like that of a carabao.

I guess I'm like one of those traditional minded girls who thinks that it's the guy who should make the first move. It's the twenty-first century, it's time for girls to do the initiation but no one can ignore the fact that some girls think that it's best for guys to be the one initiating rather than them.

"Ah..." I heard him sigh and my head snap up to glare at him.

"Why did you sigh?!"

"Well..." He trailed off and slowly opened his lips and continued. "You beat me into it" then he finished it off with a heart stopping smile.

"Hmph, you're too slow" I muttered underneath my breath but didn't know that he heard it..

"I'm slow? So... should we go faster?" There's a slight hint of innuendo in his words that made me slap him in his arm before he burst into laughter.

"Stop playing around!"

"Okay, okay... it's just a pity though" I feel my face was about to be burst into anger at his deliberate words.

"Willmark!"

"Okay! I'll stop now... Ow! That's hurts!" I glared at him after slapping his arm once more.

"Well then, let's proceed to that" his lips pursed into my direction and I turned to see the drawing book on top of the table.

Oh, I forgot about that, thank goodness our conversation has diverted into another topic or else I'll erupt into flames.

Great. Let's just finish designing this after all we don't want to waste his time, yeah I admit, I do have some purpose why I invited him here. Let's just forget about everything that happened in the past minute and work this thing out!

...

Today, our leader for our research subject decided to go to our house together with our group mates, and discuss as well as assign the topics for chapter one and three in our research.

Research just got more irritating and exhausting for me, I thought research was as easy as it was during grade 11 but it turns out it's much more difficult than I imagine. What more to the leaders of this subject?

I remember my friend, alex, crying over research. I'm telling you she does not cry, at all, so it came as a surprise for us when it happened.

"Jamie, you're assigned to the statement of the problem" I nodded and typed on my notes about my assigned task.

"We would be going to three schools after this and I hope everyone can cooperate" well, guess what? Our research title was already given by our lovely teacher, hehe, and because of her wonderful suggestion here we are sweating our mind and body about our future respondents.

"So we'll go to three schools then berna?" One of my group mates asked and we all turned to berna, our group leader.

"Yes" she said then sigh, girl, we feel you.

Then we all are pancit canton, the national meryenda of students who are doing group work or just staying in their friend's home.

Now we finished assigning their topics for next week's presentation, they left when it was already five in the afternoon. Willmark was still in the road so I washed the dishes left by my classmates and cleaned the house.

It didn't take me long enough to hear the familiar rumbling of his motorcycle and I quickly stood up and went to his side.

"We just finished, how's yours?" He's the leader of their research subject and I can clearly sympathize with him since I do help him with their research.

"Terrible, there's only three guys who came and the rest gave explanations while some didn't even bother to say anything" his brows were furrowed and I could sense the disappointment in his eyes.

"I'll help you then" I offered while he weakly smiled.

"Thank you"

"No worries, we already finished ours so I can help you" midterms are next week and I already prepared my reviewer, it's fine.

The two of us hurried ourself on our laptops, my head was almost dizzy from the technical and engineering terms that I don't even have a clue on. Though I tried my best and it wasn't enough but I think from his eyes he held great satisfaction from it.

"You should really tell your adviser, if my group mates were like that heh, I would have told my teacher about their lazy ass ways the moment they did that to me"

"I'll just wait, if they still remain the same, I would tell our adviser"

Though I hate to say it but it's only fair for them to have a chance but what about him? What about his efforts and his exhaustion when doing their supposed group work? It's unfair for him, it really is.

"Don't be angry now, I'll tell them tomorrow" he rubbed circles on my knuckles as I lean to his side.

"Of course you should!" I pouted before he laughed and continued to play with my fingers.

Ah, time is running continuously, it's only a few days before September arrives.

Notes:

• Skin that is of like a carabao, a Filipino idiom which literally means carabao skin. "Balat' is your word for skin and 'kalabaw' means carabao. A Filipino idiom for someone who is insensitive or shameless.
• The carabao is a domestic swamp-type water buffalo native to the Philippines. It's well known in the Philippines as the national animal.
• Pancit Canton Original captures the taste of traditional pancit canton (stir-fried noodles) with the rich flavors of sauteed onion, garlic, and savory chicken. It's an instant noodles that is very popular in the Philippines and the instant noodles that I love!
• Meryenda is usually eaten mid-morning between breakfast and lunch and/or between lunch and dinner.

***
Hello everyone! I'm sorry for the late update yesterday, I forgot hehe~ My head's aching, just freaking great!

I just helped my friend filmed a cinematic like video and I think it turned out really well, I'm quite surprised. I'm always tinkering with stuff like that, photography, videography and drawing but never really have the time to home my ability. Let's just say I know some but anyways, I hope you all have a great day!

Thank you so much for commenting and voting! Stay safe and healthy as always okay?!

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