Chapter 1
#HeatedDeceptionsWP
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Chapter 1
North Dominic Alvarado was my brother's classmate-slash-bestfriend. Our families were also friends, and because of that, madalas na pumupunta si North sa bahay namin to spend time with my brother. And sometimes, our family invited the Alvarados for dinner and vice versa. Madalas ko tuloy nakikita si North dahil doon.
I had no idea when my feelings for him started. At first, I was just curious about him. He seemed so quiet and serious while my brother was friendly and a happy-go-lucky. I was curious as to how such a serious person like him could be friends with my brother. Their personalities were total opposites.
My curiosity made me watch and observe their friendship, especially when North was in our house. I wanted to witness how a serious guy and a happy-go-lucky guy could bond with each other. Gusto kong makita kung paano sila mag-spend ng time—if my kuya ever felt bored with North or if North felt irritated with my brother's personality.
Until I realized na si North na lang ang pinapanood ko at hindi na ang friendship nila.
While watching North, I just became more and more curious about him, at mas nagiging deep pa ang curiosity ko as time went by.
I let out a heavy sigh as I rested my head on my desk, using my right arm as a pillow. Wala ako sa mood to do anything today which was so unusual for me. And my friend, Andrea, noticed it.
"Oh? Bakit mukhang 'di ka yata excited na lunch break na?"
Umayos ako ng upo and she sat on the chair in front of me, body turned to me. The whole room was busy as some of my classmates were talking about what they were going to eat for the lunch. Ang iba ay nauna nang lumabas pagka-ring pa lang ng bell, signaling that it was already lunchtime.
"Wala. I'm just not in the mood." I sighed again.
"Lunch and you're not in the mood? Usually, hinihila mo na ko palabas para, quote unquote, maligaw sa college department."
"Iyon na nga, e. Quote unquote, naligaw na 'ko sa college department kahapon. It would be really weird if two consecutive days akong, quote unquote, maliligaw roon."
"Kahit isang araw lang, weird pa rin naman," she mumbled but I still heard it. Hindi ko na lang pinansin.
I knew naman na weird ang maligaw ang isang high school student sa college department unless sasadyain talaga nila! Like what I was doing!
"You don't get it," I said with frustration in my voice that I almost stomped my feet. "Nakarating kay mommy 'yon. I bet Kuya Zoren told her."
Andrea grimaced. Her expression told me that she understood why I was acting like this.
"So what now?" she asked. Mukhang nakikiramdam lang siya sa gusto kong gawin. "I guess we're not going to, quote unquote, maliligaw sa college department today?"
I nodded sadly. "Yeah..."
She jerked her head towards the back door of the room. "So let's go and eat at the cafeteria na lang?"
I nodded at her. Wala rin naman akong choice kundi ang kumain ngayon. If mom ever found out that I didn't eat my lunch today, she might get mad at me, then my day would be totally ruined. Hindi na ko na nga nakita si North, mapapagalitan pa ko ni mommy.
Sabay kaming tumayo ni Andrea at lumabas ng room para pumunta sa cafeteria ng high school building. North was probably having his lunch at the college department so it was really impossible na makita ko siya ngayon.
Bakit kasi kahit ang cafeteria ay magkabukod sa bawat department?! It wasn't like we were kids that would make a riot around college students!
I sighed at my thought. Yeah...I was thinking nonsense things. I just hope na pumunta ulit si North sa bahay mamaya para makita ko man lang siya ngayong araw—at si North lang sana, hindi na kasama ang mga babae kagabi o kahit sino pa 'yan.
It was really a good thing for me that North was a quiet and serious type of guy. I rarely saw him talking with girls, and that meant less rivals for me. Kagabi lang talaga ang first time na nakita kong nakikipagusap siya sa isang babae na gano'n katagal.
"Anong bibilhin mo?" Andrea asked me when we entered the cafeteria. The whole place was packed with high school students having their lunch.
"I'm not sure... kahit anong mayro'n na magustuhan ko."
Sinusubukan kong tanawin ang food warmer habang naglalakad kami ni Andrea palapit doon so I wouldn't consume much time thinking of what to buy. Hindi rin ako magtatagal sa pila kung ngayon pa lang ay makakapili na ako instead of waiting for my turn, but it was so hard to see when there were so many students around blocking my view.
I was even tiptoeing while walking and trying to look at the food warmer. While doing so, someone bumped into me that I almost lost my balance if he wasn't quick enough to support me and hold both of my shoulders. I was able to catch the scent of the cologne he used and it was enough to make my mind cloudy with that scent.
Mabilis akong lumayo sa lalaki and my eyes landed at the most familiar face for me in the cafeteria na kasama lang n'ong nakabangga sa akin.
"Kuya!" My eyes widened when I recognized who he was. Pagkatapos ay napalingon ako sa katabi niya, 'yong lalaking nakabangga sa akin—at mas lalo pang nanlaki ang mga mata ko. "North!"
Oh my gosh? Was this really true? Was I dreaming? Was North really in front of me? At siya ang nakabangga sa akin at ang may-ari ng panlalaking pabangong naamoy ko kanina?
Kaya pala amoy pa lang, parang ang gwapo na!
"Finally!" Kuya Zoren suddenly exclaimed, making me look at him. "Tinawag mo na ring 'kuya' si North!"
I immediately frowned. There was no way I would ever do that! The last thing I would do was call the man that I liked 'kuya' and be treated like a little sister!
"No way! I was actually looking at you at first before I looked at North!" I looked at North and tucked my hair behind my ears, waving a hand at him. "Hi, North."
He nodded at me in recognition. "Be careful."
Ramdam ko ang mga pasimpleng pagkurot ni Andrea sa tagiliran ko. It stung so much but I held it in, kaysa naman mapahiya pa ko sa harapan ng crush ko if I made a scene!
"Why are you here? This is the high school department's cafeteria."
"Mia wanted a banana pie. Wala sa cafeteria namin kaya rito na kami naghanap." It was Kuya Zoren who answered pero hindi ko inalis ang mga mata ko kay North na saglit lang sinulyapan si kuya at ibinalik din ang paningin sa akin.
I could feel my heart starting to beat erratically the longer North stared at me, but I just couldn't take my eyes off him.
Gosh, this man looked so good and I just wanted to stared at him the whole day! Hinding-hindi ako magsasawang titigan siya!
"Ah...I thought n-naligaw din kayo, e."
Gosh...Did I just really stutter? That was so lame!
"Ikaw lang naman ang naliligaw from one department to another," I heard one of the girls behind North say and they even snickered. Pareho sila ng uniform ni Mia so I guess classmates sila...?
Kanina pa ba sila eo'n? Hindi ko napansin na kasama rin pala sila nina North at kuya. I was just so busy staring at North that I forgot all the people around us!
"Go and have your lunch, Rylee. Babalik na kami," sabi ni kuya at napanguso na lang ako.
So my time with North was ending na, huh?
I nodded without taking my eyes off him who was starting to look confused with my actions. Siguro nagtataka siya dahil kanina ko pa hindi inaalis ang paningin ko sa kanya.
"Okay!" I said with a bright smile, pero nakatingin pa rin naman ako kay North.
"Alis na. Medyo nakakasawa na kasi mukha mo. Pati ba naman dito sa school, makikita kita?"
Nawala kaagad ang ngiti ko sa sinabi ni kuya. Napatingin ako sa kanya at sinimangutan siya. "Back to you!"
How dare he say something like that in front of North?! Parang ako rin naman nagsasawa na sa mukha niya, ah? Tapos palagi pa niyang kasama si North!
Kuya Zoren just smirked at me. Inakbayan niya si North at isinama sa paglalakad paalis ng cafeteria.
"Bye, North!" Malaki pa ang ngiti sa mga labi ko habang kumakaway sa kanya, but he didn't even look at me.
It was fine, at least I got to see him today! He even talked to me kanina and reminded me to be careful!
The girl named Mia smiled at me when she walked past me, while the two girls with her eyed me from head to toe. They both snickered after. Hindi ko na lang pinansin.
My smile immediately left my face nang makalabas na ang grupong iyon sa cafeteria. I looked at my friend, horrified.
"Oh, bakit?" she asked. Halatang-halata siguro ang expression sa mukha ko kaya mukha rin siyang magpa-panic na para sa 'kin kahit hindi niya pa naman alam kung bakit ako ganito. "You saw your crush but you don't look so happy."
"Iyon na nga, e." I almost cried out of frustration. "I saw him! With this—" I pointed at my face. "—Look!"
"Anong masama sa itsura mo?"
"How do I look, then?" I challenged her.
Andrea eyed me from head to toe. "You look..." she trailed off. "...Okay."
"What's with the pause?!" mangiyak-ngiyak kong tanong.
I was now starting to regret why I hadn't gone to the comfort room first to take a look at myself before going here to the cafeteria. Hindi ko naman gawain ang ganoon but if only I knew that I was going to see North, then I should've at least made myself presentable in front of him! I knew that I looked so terrible right now!
Malay ko bang pupunta si North sa cafeteria 'to para lang sa banana pie ng Mia na 'yon?
But then...kung dumaan muna ako ng comfort room kanina, baka hindi ko na rin siya naabutan dahil paalis na rin sila nang dumating kami. But he still saw me in this state! Hindi ko tuloy alam kung matutuwa ba ako na nagkita kami ngayon o hindi!
Parang kanina lang malungkot pa ako dahil hindi ko magagamit ang alibi kong 'maligaw' sa college department para makita siya, but now that I saw him, I just couldn't be happy!
"Rylee...you look fine," Andrea said when she saw that I was in the verge of crying out of frustration. "Magulo lang ang buhok mo but you still look pretty."
Mabilis akong napahagod sa buhok ko. I tried to straighten it which I immediately knew was not a good idea. Mukhang ginugulo ko lang ang buhok ko dahil nakikita ko na mas lalo lang napapangiwi si Andrea sa bawat paghagod ko sa buhok ko.
"I should look beautiful in North's eyes!" I whined. Tinigilan ko na ang buhok ko. "Did you see those girls with them? They all look beautiful!"
"You're cute, Ry..." Andrea tried to fix my hair getting to my face. She tucked some of the strands behind my ears. "And that's okay with our age. You don't have to force yourself to look like them when it's so obvious that they're much older than you."
"But I want North to find me pretty. I want to grow up quickly so he would stop seeing me as his little sister."
What North said to me yesterday hurt me so much. Hearing the guy I liked telling me that I was just like a little sister to him almost made my heart ache. Halos hindi ako nakatulog dahil doon dahil paulit-ulit na nag-re-replay sa utak ko ang mga sinabi niya. And my lack of sleep last night just added as to why I looked so terrible today! I didn't even know if I had those dark circles under my eyes! I really must've looked so terrible—and North saw me like this!
I mean, I was glad that he was friends with my brother. I got to see him kapag pumupunta siya sa bahay kaya kahit wala kaming pasok ay nakikita ko pa rin siya. I bet Kuya Zoren was his closest friend. Palagi ko pa silang nakikitang magkasama kahit sa school.
But because he was friends with my brother, he saw me as his little sister too. Hindi ko rin tuloy alam kung magiging masaya rin ba ako na magkaibigan sila ni Kuya Zoren at madalas ko siyang nakikita o hindi 'cause he was treating me as his little sister.
Oh no...would North ever like me back? I sighed. He saw me in a terrible appearance today as well.
"Who are those girls, by the way?" Andrea asked. Pumunta na kami sa pila para makabili na ng pagkain for our lunch.
"I don't know...but I'm sure they aren't their classmates. They have different uniforms from North and Kuya Zoren. Mia was wearing a white uniform."
"So they're med students?"
I shrugged. "Maybe?"
"Don't worry, Ry...mukhang wala namang gusto si North sa mga babaeng 'yon."
Nakapila si Andrea sa likod ko so I had to turn around just to look at her. Nakita ko pa ang babaeng nakapila sa likod niya na mukhang nakikinig sa usapan namin but I paid her no attention. Mas interested ako sa sinabi ni Andrea!
"You think so?" I asked with a smile, showing my braces.
Andrea nodded.
"Nasa likod ni North at ng kuya mo 'yong mga babae kanina, 'di ba? Hindi man lang tiningnan ni North, not even a glance, 'yong mga babaeng 'yon. Mas tinitingnan ka pa nga niya kaysa sa kanila."
Mas lalo pa tuloy lumawak ang ngiti sa mga labi ko. I probably looked like an idiot right now, smiling so widely like this despite the long line just to buy food.
"North likes me?" I asked then giggled.
Andrea looked at me as if I'd grown a third eye on my face. She looked so confused and lost at the same time, pero maya-maya ay napailing na lang siya.
"You really have a different way interpreting my words, huh?" she said, almost laughing. "I didn't mean it like that!"
I just giggled and faced front again. Umandar na ang pila so I had to catch up, skipping as I walked.
I knew Andrea didn't mean it like that, but it gave me hope. Mas tinitingnan pa ako ni North kanina kaysa sa mga kasama niyang mga babae! Hindi ko na napansin ang tungkol do'n as I was busy staring to him as well! So there was a chance that North likes me too!
It might not be real but I'd make sure that it would come true.
North will like me too.
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