My Roman Empire

Three words. It only takes three words para mawala ako sa sarili ko. Can you believe that? I, Chelsea Rodriguez-a popular gymnast known for focus and control-can be completely derailed by just three words. At ang tatlong salitang iyon? "My Roman Empire."

Isang slang na nauso noong high school, meaning something or someone people think about constantly. And if you ask my friends what my "Roman Empire" is, they'll smirk and say his name-Khali.

Si Khali, ang first high school crush ko. Isa rin siya sa una kong naging kaibigan. How could I forget him when my friends always manage to weave his name into every conversation? At paano ko kakalimutan ang taong pilit kong nilayuan-dahil alam kong the closer I got, the harder I would fall.

I thought it was just a simple crush, one that would fade as quickly as it came. But I was wrong. The feelings I tried so hard to bury refused to stay dead, haunting me for over a decade.

For years, I avoided him. I convinced myself that the distance was enough to erase him from my heart. But the moment his name came up again, those long-buried emotions rushed back-faster than a blink, stronger than I ever expected.