The Rebound Girl

I Am the Rebound Girl

February 14, 2011. I have marked that day too many years ago.

               Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt like I was trying to spin my life in my own hands. I’m a little nervous but I won’t back down. Not now. Not when I have mustered all my strength to pull all the strings just to make this day possible.

               I heaved a sigh before I examined myself. I didn’t want to look too made up. I blended gold, chestnut, and brown for my eyes and traced my lash line with khaki black gel liner to get a warm look, used Estee Lauder Pure Color Blush to get rosy cheeks, and used a light peach on my lips to compliment the feminine hues for the dainty damsel look I so tried to achieve. I asked Livie to do French twist my hair which I added a crystal-embellished headband to so though my hair has this unkempt look, the loose hair won’t keep falling to my face.

               My dress was also the perfect match to my look. I chose Lesley Mobo’s pristine white sleeveless dress with a beaded-detail and electric pleated skirt. It falls just right on my knees. I also wore my gold layer necklace and a pair of midnight blue patent Mary Janes with a cute bow in front.

“Are you sure you won’t regret this, Maddie?” Livie said, sounding so much like a worried mother.

“Yeah. I’m sure I won’t. Whatever his answer may be, I’d accept it with all my heart. I just want to try. I really don’t want what ifs, Livie,” I stared at her in hopes of reassuring her.

She simply nodded.

“Let’s go?”

               And off we went to the battlefield.

               It was our school’s Student’s Day and the council had prepared a special, romantic evening for everyone. Well, it was V-day after all.

               We arrived at the school grounds at exactly 6 in the evening. There were a lot of people going in and out of the Samuel McClintock Hall. Everyone was all dressed up to kill.

               I turned around and just realized that even Livie looked gorgeous in her scarf-printed bodycon dress with black panels at the side which she oomphed up with magenta skyscraper heels.

“You could break hearts with what you’re wearing, Livie,” I said with a wink.

“Shush. I’m nervous.”

“It’s okay, Livie. Everything’s going to be fine,” I gave her my sweetest smile.

I was ready to be crazy for him.

We went inside and scanned the crowd. But I couldn’t find him.

               My heartbeat kicked fast.

“Will he be here?” I thought to myself.

I had been asking myself that a million times after I sent him the letter in peach paper.

“I can’t find him,” I whispered to Livie.

“I’m sure he’s here somewhere.”

               I hoped he did show up. No matter how crazy my plan was for tonight, I was real serious about really doing it. I was not going to back out.

               Then, as we were about to head to the refreshments table to get some juice or something, I saw the door open from the corner of my eyes and saw him enter. I swear my jaw dropped with his dashing white suit.

“Livie, this is it.”

               I forgot about the juice and smiled.

               He really couldn’t cease to amaze me. And I was even happier to realize that Peyton wasn’t with him tonight.

               “This is just perfect.”

               Because my plan for tonight had to wait until the dancing starts, I had to sit and fidget as the parts of the program unrolled. I kept glancing at him and I swear, I caught him looking my way twice.

               “Did he realize that it was I who sent him the anonymous letter?”

               Bah!

               It’s going to be now or never. We’re graduating in two months’ time and I had let too many years passed without even telling him how I really feel. I mean, I know, it’s too forward but I badly wanted to give it a shot. Anyway, if ever he rejects me, I’d be out of this university after two months for good. I’d just fly back to Bacolod and have all my “what ifs” erased.

               I don’t know what got into me but when I cooked up this plan two months ago, I just had a good feeling about this.

               I slipped into the lady’s room for a while to check how I looked when I heard a noise from the far corner of the lavatory area. My curiosity kicked in so I followed where the giggle came from. I thought at that moment that the voice was achingly familiar. I slowly walked towards the far corner and stopped dead on my tracks when I saw no other than Tyler Monteron and Peyton Jimenez kissing each other. My hand instinctively flew to my mouth to stifle my gasp and scurried out of that area.

               I never realized that I was holding my breath until I reached the table I shared with my best friend and a few other batch mates.

               My face must have looked badly stricken because Livie asked if I was okay.

               When I was just a breath’s away from her ears, I whispered, “I saw Peyton and Tyler kissing.”

               She snapped her head back. Shocked as I was.

“What?!” She looked disbelievingly at me.

               Everyone in our table looked our way. We both answered them with an awkward smile and a whispered apology.

“You are shitting me, Mads. Really? I mean really?”

               She lowered her voice again before saying, “Peyton and Tyler? Like Peyton Jimenez the girlfriend of Nathan Ong?”

               I just nodded.

“Livie, I think, this is a sign. My plan’s just right, Livie.”

“Mads, wait. What if Nathan knows about her cheating on him and what you’re planning is just going to make him pissed?”

“Well, let’s find out.”

               Just when I said that the emcee announced that the floor was open for dancing.

“Mads!”

               She called out to me but music just drowned her next words. My heart, at the same time, was doing a wild dance of its own. But I tried to brush away my worries, stood straight, and plastered the best and sincerest smile on my lips. I headed towards Nathan’s table and just as I was about to open my mouth to ask him if I could have this dance, he grabbed me by the wrist and answered me with a nerve-racking kiss.

               My world stopped turning at that moment. It seemed like time stood perfectly still as my shock started to scamper away from my system and I realized that it was really happening. My wildest dream came true before I could even put my plan into motion.

               After a 10-second brain-shattering, heart-pounding kiss, he pulled himself away from me and did the next best thing. He held my hand tightly and pulled me away from the crowd, out of the hall, and into his car.

               I couldn’t say anything even after a minute had passed when he dragged me into his car. My heart was still hammering in my chest and I still couldn’t believe everything that had just transpired.

               After another minute passed, he broke the silence.

“You were the one who sent me the letter.”

               It was not a question.

“I-I..a-ahh..,” My words seemed to have hidden perfectly away from my reach.

“Why?”

               He didn’t look at me. He just sat there and stared at the black grounds of the school.

               I took a deep sigh before I laid my heart out to him.

“I-…you see, I like you. Since when we were still in high school, I already like you. And I thought that since we’re graduating in two months’ time, I must as well, tell you about what I feel before it’s too late and not deal with “what ifs.”

“Haa. What courage you got there!” He still was not looking at me.

               I shied away from him. I knew my face was turning beet red. Good thing it was dark inside his car.

“Well, I-I…before I go, can I ask you something?”

               He briefly looked at me.

“Wh-why did you do wha-what you just did a while ago? Wh-why did y-you ki-kiss me?”

               Gosh! I was fidgeting and stuttering like crazy.

               It took him a while before he answered.

“I don’t know,” a sigh accompanied his words.

               I knew I couldn’t squeeze out any other answer aside from that, so I just decided to leave it at that and carry those sweet seconds to my treasure chest.

“O-ok. I-I think..I sh-should go.”

               I fumbled for the door handle and was about to move it when I felt his hand brushed my arm then, held my hand to halt me from opening it.

“No. Don’t go. Stay.”

               And that was what it all took for me to shuffle back to my seat and let him decide what becomes of my night. He turned the ignition and drove out of the school. At first, I thought he was just driving aimlessly but when we reached N. Escario St. then took a left to Gorordo Avenue, I realized that he had some sort of destination in mind.

“Ahm…where are we actually going?” I dared to ask.

“Somewhere we can talk,” he answered sullenly.

               I sealed my lips. The least of my worries right now was for him to turn into a r****t and a serial killer and have my body left at a roadside. I’m sure he’s not that kind of guy.

               As crazy as it sounded, I trusted him to be the gentleman I knew he was.

               After another 30-minute drive, we reached Cebu Transcentral Highway and went inside Serenity Cafe. He led me to a viewing platform which was empty except for a lone couple on the opposite side where we were. We were away from the bustle of the city with solitude, peace, and the breathtaking panorama of the city to accompany us.

A cool gust of wind assailed me that I hugged myself automatically. Although it did only a little to fend off the cold I stayed like that as I looked at the dancing lights of the city. My skirt was bellowed suddenly and my thighs were exposed. I let out a shocked scream that made him turn. My eyes rounded as I pull the hem of the skirt down with both hands as fast as I could. I didn’t know if he saw anything but I swear I saw a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

               So as I slowly trudged back to where he was, my right hand was keeping the front skirt down while my other hand held the back part.

               “This is so not good. I wish I’d have seen this coming.”

               But who would have guessed that my night would unfold like this?

               I heard him sigh as my teeth started to chatter. It was really cold out here.

               He looked at me and took off his white tux. Without saying a word, he placed it on my shoulders.

“Here. Wear this.”

“Th-thank you.”

               Gosh. The coat gave me warmth and his smell.

               “Golly! He really smells so good.”

               I didn’t realize that I had closed my eyes and started sniffing his smell off his coat. His question startled me that for a second, I let go of the front hem of the skirt which the wind immediately caught up.

               I yelped as I heard him giggle. When I looked up, he wasn’t looking my way but there was a ghost of a smile on his lips.

               I closed my eyes and cursed myself.

               “I’m really making a fool out of myself in front of him.”

               Then, I realized that the coat reached a quarter of my thigh which meant that if I wear it properly and close it, it would help keep the skirt in its place while the wind continues to blow. So I did what I just thought. It sure helped me a lot. His smell on my skin and dress was the bonus.

“You don’t mind staying here?”

“Oh..n-no. O-of course not. I-I’m fine actually.”

               “I’ve dreamt of this a million times, Nathan. You just didn’t know,”  I also wanted to add but restrained myself.

               Or did he?

“Good,” he said too calmly.

               Then, he held my hand and I swear a thousand jolts of electricity shot up from my hand to my head and I swear I could die right here, right now.

               He led me to a wooden bench which I didn’t notice until now.

“You’ve been here before?”

               I asked after we sat ourselves down the wooden bench.

“Yep. I come here when I need to clear my head.”

               I let a few minutes of silence pass before, I asked, “Is this about the letter I sent?”

“Yes.”

               I swallowed hard.

               But why would he have to clear his head when it’s not that big of a deal compared to P-peyton’s—oh! Snap! Peyton! Should I tell him about what I saw?

As my mind debated about whether to tell him or not, he talked about my crazy idea.

“You came to me to confess. Am I right?”

               My heart felt like joining a marathon. I swear it would win with the pace that it’s going.

“Y-yeah. I-I think.”

               Should I regret my plan now?

               But before I could even process the “regret” I was planning on, his next words took me by surprise.

“Then, my answer is yes.”

“H-huh?”

My mind was suddenly spinning.

“Yes. I’m saying yes to your proposal,” he said calmly.

               How the hell did he know about that? But does it even matter now? He said yes! Yes!

“You heard me, right?”

“B-but..w-why? I-I mean, h-how about Peyton?”

               I saw his face change from the bland to a mixed expression of hurt and anger.

“We’re done. So, I’m saying “yes” to you.”

Everything seemed to be happening so fast. I don’t know how to process his response.

Does he really mean yes?

“S-so, you knew of her a-affair with—”

My hands immediately flew to my mouth.

Me and my big mouth.

               His face hardened and I saw his hand forming into balls of fists.

“Let’s not talk about that. Aren’t you happy?” he asked without any tinge of emotion.

“Y-yeah. I-I think.”

               I should be happy, right?

               But I knew what this meant. I was the rebound girl.

               Did I choose to be it? The rebound girl?

               I asked myself that a countless times even when I reached my house and was on my bed that night.

               I am the rebound girl.