Fascinated by You (GM Series #1)

31

The next days were...crazy. Hindi nya talaga maintindihan kung anong insekto ang pumasok sa utak ni Caius at ganun na lamang ito umarte sa harap n'ya.

Sa klase ay panay ang pag papapansin nito sa kan'ya. He would call her just to ask if she gets what he's teaching, mapapatingin tuloy sa kan'ya ang lahat, thinking that she's talking with either Olive or Shan for him to get her attention, constantly. Minsan ay kahit sa mga walang kabagay-bagay na usapan ay bigla na lamang siyang hinihingan ng opinyon nito.

At sa rehearsals,panay din itong naroon para manood sa kanila. Nagdadala pa ito ng pagkain para sa kanilang meryenda. Tapos ay walang pa itong pakundangan kung lumapit sa kanya na para bang sila lang ang tao sa lugar.

"Your works are great. You got your dad's talent," Caius commented on plate. Napatitig naman siya rito dahil sa huling sinabi nito.

They were in the class and he's returning their plates.

"What do you know about my dad?" she asked curiously.

She doesn't remember him having an encounter with her dad when it's still living.

"Not much but I knew that he was one of the best Engineers in the town during his time. That's why when he built your firm, it bloomed at its finest," she said.

"The firm isn't as successful as it was before," she sadly said, remembering how devastated her dad was knowing that the business he built from his own sweat and blood was slowly failing and he couldn't do anything to stop it because of disability.

"But it's doing just fine now. Ayos na iyon kaysa ma-bankrupt ng tuluyan," he said.

Tumango naman siya at ngumiti. "Kuya Jordan is doing his best to run the firm well. Sana lang ay maibalik ito sa dati tulad noong si Dad pa ang humahawak," she said.

"It will, surely. Tutal ay malapit ka naman nang magtapos, makakatulong ka na rin sa Kuya mo," sabi pa nito.

She just smiled and didn't answer. She's still not sure in that part, she manages their firm? She doubts herself.

"Malapit na ang festival, ah? Handa ka na ba?" Shan asked her.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Tingin mo ba ay pwede pa akong mag back-out?" she asked.

Shan shook his head. "Hindi," maikling sagot nito.

Napanguso naman siya. "Kinakabahan ako. Baka magkamali ako sa gitna ng play," ani n'ya.

Shan tap her shoulder. "Kaya mo. Ikaw pa ba?" ani nito. Napangiti naman sya tapos ay sumandal sa braso nito.

"Thanks, Shan. You've been a really good friend to me," sabi n'ya lang.

"Wala naman ang akong choice," he answered, messing her hair. Tinawanan lang naman n'ya ito at mas lalo pang sumandal sa balikat nito tapos ay pumikit.

"Ang dami kong pagod..." she said and yawned. Pagod na siya pero hindi pa sila pwedeng umuwi dahil may natitira pang isang oras sa kanilang rehearsal at naka-break lang muna saglit.

"You can't sleep, Addy. 20 minutes lang ang break n'yo," Shan told her.

Tumango naman siya. "I know, but let me rest for at least ten minutes. Pagod na pagod lang talaga ako," she answered, eyes were still shut.

Shan on the other hand, leaned on the wall to make her more comfortable leaning on him. Ganung sitwasyon sila naabutan ni Olive.

"Huy, ano 'yan, ha? Nawala lang akong saglit ay may paganyan na agad kayo..." kastigo nito. Napadilat tuloy siya.

"Huwag ka ngang maingay. Let her rest, pagod s'ya sa rehearsals nila," Shan answered.

"Ako rin naman pagod, ah? Ang sakit kaya sa kamay mag gupit-gupit," Olive said.

"Halika rito, mamasahihin ko," Shan said. Agad namang tumabi sa kanila si Olive at inilahad ang kamay. Shan massage it. Napangiti naman siya sa dalawa.

"Let's have dinner later. My treat," she said. Nakuha naman agad n'ya ang atensyon ng dalawa.

"Talaga?" Olive asked, eyes were wide open from shock.

She nodded.

"Wow! Shan, changed person na talaga itong prenny natin," Olive squealed, hinampas-hampas pa nito ang braso ni Shan.

"Tsk," she reacted.

Ano bang tingin ng mga ito sa kan'ya? Alien na biglang naging tao na?

Their rehearsals continued, they were in the scene where the lead characters reunited again after 3 years of being apart. The two were lovers that were separated by the bad circumstances that happened years back and as they met, the two fell in love again. Corny may it seems but the plot really goes like that.

"I've long for you during those days that we were apart..." Leonel acted, giving the emotion Ayen wanted.

She stepped closer to him and reached for his cheek, caressing it. "I've long for you too. You don't know how much my heart aches for you," she read her lines emotionally as well.

Leonel held her hand and put it on his shoulder and held her waist with his other hand, pulling her closer to him. And from her hand on his shoulder, his hand reached for her cheeks, caressing it the way she did earlier.

"I love you," Leonel said, it was almost a whisper but everyone was able to hear that.

"I love you too," she answered, looking straight into his eyes.

Leonel leans, holds her chin and lifts it up. He then tilted his face and aimed to kiss her. It came. Leonel kissed her, it was just a smock but everyone around them went silent because of it. At nang maghiwalay sila ay nagpatayo ng pumapalakpak si Ayen.

"Oh, gosh! Ang galing nyo!" Puri nito sa kanila.

Nahihiyang napapayuko naman ang dalawa sa pagpapasalamat sa lahat ng papuri ng mga kasama nila.

"Ang galing-galing! Rehearsals palang pero kinikilig na ako!" Olive squealed.

"Kasama ba talaga 'yung halik?" Shan asked, brows were furrowed.

"Not really, though we decided to do it anyway. Para maging mas convincing ang portrayal namin," she answered.

"Ang galing nga nila, e," Olive butted in.

"Tss. Anong magaling dun?" Shan scoffed.

"Oh, bakit ka galit? Hindi ba't ikaw ang may gustong gawin ko ito?" she asked, wanting to tease Shan.

"Don't tell us you're jealous," Olive teased more.

"I'm just being protective, Olive, not jealous. Nabigla lang ako nang gawin nila iyon kahit hindi naman pala kailangan," Shan answered.

"Sus! Crush mo ako, no?" she teased more.

They were in that scenario when Caius came and called her. Litong sumunod naman siya rito ng tawagin siya nito.

"Una na kayo, sunod din agad ako," she told her friends at kahit lito ang mga ito ay sumunod naman. She went to see Caius after they left.

"Ano na naman ba?" she asked him the moment she entered the auditorium again. Wala na roon ang mga kasama nila at sila na lamang dalawa ang naroon.

But to her surprise, Caius pulled her until she was leaning on the wall. She was shocked with the sudden action that the next thing she knew, he was already wiping her lips with wipes.

"Ang galing mo kanina..." bulong nito habang seryosong nakatingin sa kanyang labi na pinupunasan pa rin nito. "Sobrang galing ma na gusto ko biglang hilingin na sana, ako na lang ang kasama mo run," he said.