The Best Mistake (GL)

~ Out, Loud and Proud ~

~ • ~ • ~

Ayen

HAPPINESS definitely brings completeness to your life, only if you know how to keep it along with contentment. It is the very thing that no money can buy, and will certainly make your life colorful. But circumstances can forge a great impact to clear out happiness. And if consistency starts to wither away, changes transpire.

It was the first time that she had been awakened to the fragrant smell. It was as though she slept in a garden filled with sweet-scented flowers and she didn't want to wake up at that moment. But curiosity overpowered her willingness to stay in bed. She yawned as she pulled herself into a sitting position. She gently rubbed her eyes to keep from having blurry vision. As she further opened them, an ear-splitting scream immediately followed. She wasn't expecting someone to be in her room, who reciprocated her shriek with a wink.

"Heathe! Do you want to kill me?" She chastised, yelling.

"Sorry," Heathe uttered, apologetically.

She was at the point of scolding her more when Heathe suddenly handed her a bouquet of flowers. She gaped at it for a moment before looking around her room, which was crammed with various flowers.

"H-how did you...?" She stuttered.

"Good morning, mi amour."

Before she could turn away, Heathe was fast enough to give her a gentle kiss on her forehead. A good morning kiss that almost made her stomach churn due to romantic excitement. But she decided to conceal her real emotions.

"M-my parents probably saw this. What did they say?" She asked in a vain attempt to hide her scarlet face.

"I already have their blessing, darling."

She gasped in surprise as she looked back at Heathe. She couldn't believe what she just said. Her parents were truly kind and there was no doubt about it. However, she couldn't help but be fazed by the truth that they had given Heathe a chance to court her properly.

Heathe smiled, sweetly. "Now, what you have to do is to get ready. We're—" Before she could finish her sentence, they were distracted by the scandalous ringtone on her phone.

She smiled, shyly before reaching for her phone, which was blasting even under the pillow. As soon as she got ahold of it, she answered the call immediately. While Heathe was staring at her intently with the bouquet still in her hands awaiting the receiver.

"Now?! I-I think I can do it. Okay. Bye." She ended the call before turning back to Heathe. She couldn't offer her a genuine smile because she could sense that Heathe would protest once she knew what the call was all about. "Uhh... I'm afraid I have to join a race today."

Heathe's bright aura instantly became dull. "W-what?!"

"I need to get ready." She said, disregarding Heathe's confusion. But she held her arm before she could even move away.

"You can't."

She looked back at her and instantly felt guilty when she saw her rather disheartened.

"We're supposed to go somewhere."

"But I can't cancel this game."

What she had said completely spoiled Heathe's delight. However, it seemed that she was only faking her emotions because she was a good actress.

But she couldn't be mean, especially since Heathe exerted too much effort to lighten her day. She gently caressed her face. "You know that it's not suitable to go on a date at this hour. Don't you think it's romantic during the night?"

"I didn't even say it would be a date," Heathe said calmly while seemingly taking pleasure in her touch.

"Oh, okay! Then it's more like it's not that important because it's not a date." She enounced and was about to turn around when Heathe pulled her back again.

"I'm just kidding. Yes, it's a date. I'm planning to spend the whole day with you. Just the two of us."

She sighed, feeling the growing guilt as she couldn't reciprocate the effort at that moment. Just with the flowers, Heathe had already made her day. However, she could agree on a date after the race. Cole would pay a big time if she bailed on them.

"Would you be comfortable around my friends, Cole in particular?"

Heathe didn't respond right away. She couldn't tell whether it came as a surprise to Heathe or if she was already expecting that she could come but not along with Trinity, most especially, Cole.

"Hold on! Answer me later. They'll be here soon, so I have to get ready."

That moment, she swiftly escaped from her grip, and Heathe failed to do anything to keep her from leaving.

Surprisingly, it was not only her room that was crammed with flowers. Even in the living room, flowers, as well as various plants, were scattered around. Each was placed in white pots.

"Look who's up now!" Her Kuya Kevin exclaimed with a lopsided smile on his face. "I do believe now that we really have a beautiful sister."

She pursed her lips. "Does our house need to be filled with plants and flowers before you can even realize that our mother brought a goddess into the world?" She went on with her brother's taunting, before looking at her parents who were sitting on the sofa and laughing together with their grandfather. "But of course, it's all because we have a gorgeous mother." She strode towards them to give a kiss on their cheeks.

"That's true." Her father agreed.

"Where's Heathe?" Her mom enquired, instead.

"In my room. By the way, is it true that you allowed Heathe to, hmm..." Her eyes moved from her mom to her father, as she tried to construct the right word to continue what she was saying.

But her father filled that in for her. "To court you? Yes."

She let out a soft gasp in surprise. Honestly, she was still confused at that moment.

"Don't worry. You know we're not the kind who carelessly judge people." Her mother beamed.

"It's still up to you if you want to continue getting involved in that relationship. Your happiness is ours. We're just here to support you." Her father affirmed.

Her heart was overwhelmed with happiness after hearing about her family's approval. She gave them a big smile. "I couldn't have been so lucky."

"Agreed! Besides having pretty faces, our family also possesses kindness." Her kuya Goyong proudly stated, which earned peals of laughter from them.

She was indeed fortunate to grow up in a family that retains a broad understanding and had always been thoughtful. She didn't know how she would fight for Heathe if her family were against that kind of affair. Not to mention that she was becoming more impressed with her as the day passed by. Heathe was a real person despite her naughtiness. And being real was the vital thing that she liked to see in an individual.

And if ever, she could be blessed with good luck in her love life.

Heathe

SHE might've had second thoughts but she eventually went along just to spend the entire day with Ayen. Besides, Ayen promised that right after the race, they'd proceed with her plans. Her assurance somehow subsided the annoyance which was unawarely caused by Cole, especially when Ayen decided to stick with her until they reached the venue.

When Cole and Trinity found her at Santiago's residence, their faces went immediately sour. She thought they would start a fuss, but thankfully, that didn't happen.

She had to stay chill even though she was already murdering Cole in her mind.

"Why don't Cole and her friend be the ones to race?" She asked while they were on their way to the location.

"They let me race for the time being because they know that I need to earn money."

She sighed in disappointment. "Do you have to choose the dangerous way? I mean, I think there are other options for you to save up."

"Harvesting? That's not enough."

"Other than that."

"I don't know any other jobs that I'm capable of doing. Besides, my parents won't allow it."

"And they are fine that you could die on your chosen course." She mumbled, frowning.

Ayen turned to her. "Are you worried?"

"Can you blame me?"

Ayen held onto her hand and gently squeezed it. To be honest, she had been noticing how clingy she was today. But she had no intention of complaining about it because she really wanted to feel that Ayen liked her as much as she did.

"All I know is I never have to be scared when I'm with you."

Ayen's statement made her turn her head towards her. The girl had no idea how she wanted to scream out loud due to the intense emotion that was slowly trying to consume her. But peeling the eyes off the road was a huge mistake when driving.

"Heather!"

When Ayen screamed in horror, her hands automatically and strenuously jerked the wheel, which made the car swerve in the process.

Followed by the aggressive honking of horns, her car halted abruptly on the side of the road. Her face was filled with mixed guilt and worry as she looked at Ayen.

"I'm sorry. A-are you okay?" She asked while touching Ayen as she checked her out.

"I'm okay, Heathe. How about you? Did you hit your head?" Ayen counter-asked, tenderly stroking her head.

"I'm fine." She affirmed before turning around to see there were cars that also stopped behind them. She sighed upon noticing that even though they were almost caught in a car accident, nobody seemed to care.

"I just said that I'm safe whenever I'm with you." Ayen joked in an attempt to abate the tension.

She absentmindedly scratched her head, feeling the embarrassment after failing Ayen. "I'm sorry." She chortled, but her rivulets of cold sweat were proof of how frightened she had become.

They decided to spend a little while before they resumed their journey. Ayen even volunteered to take the wheel instead, but she daintily refused.

THE crowd was screaming cheerfully the moment the contenders got to their final lap. She had foreseen the champion, as clear as the day, while at the edge of her seat just as soon as she noticed that someone was almost catching up with Ayen's fast pace. That was when she recalled her first race with Ayen. She almost conquered when the victory was snatched away at that very instant. Ayen possessed a brilliant mind and this race would end in the same way as her first defeat.

Heat crawled up to her head when she saw the other racer dodge Ayen's car, making her deviate from the lane for a moment as a result. Her hands clenched and her eyes squinted at the car to process the details in her mind to make that person pay later.

She was thinking about a scheme that she missed something from the race. Before she knew it, everyone was announcing the winner already.

"...now holds the champion's place." That was all she caught from the announcer.

She blocked Cole and Trinity when they were about to walk past her. "What just happened?"

"Your girlfriend just won, wanker." Cole rolled her eyes before completely dodging her.

A grin immediately plastered on her lips before she followed them. As soon as they got down to the racetrack, Ayen was already surrounded by some folks whom she was not familiar with. Cole, who could not care less about the hoard of nonparticipants, blended in. She followed until she heard somebody ask Ayen a question. She wasn't expecting that some paparazzi would show up in a small race like this.

"One person from the audience was spotted shouting about being number 12's girlfriend. I happened to find that she is Heather La Rivas, our honorable Mayor's daughter. We've never seen her so proud as this. Would you confirm your relationship with her?"

Ayen smiled and her eyes moved in her direction.

"Well, it is not real. Nothing's going on between them."

Her face went instantly sour when Cole intervened. She really had the power to piss her off quickly once she started to open her mouth. Recalling how she mentioned earlier that her girlfriend had just won made her fall into confusion. Yes, she pridefully screamed that number 12 was her girlfriend and she did not want to be pegged as a liar, especially if somebody could attest that it was her.

Additionally, she didn't want Cole to have the satisfaction of humiliating her in front of many people.

She cleared her throat loud enough to get everyone's attention. Cole also turned to her with a frown.

"I just wanna clear things out." She then walked towards Ayen, who seemed to be trying to say something by the way she stared at her. But she ignored it. Instead, she carefully snaked her arm around Ayen's hips. She chuckled discreetly upon noticing how Ayen froze on her feet. "I just wanna say how proud I am of my girlfriend." She affirmed with a broad smile on her lips before glancing at Ayen.

It was never her intention to humiliate Ayen in public. But she failed to restrain herself when she saw that Ayen was about to say something. She assumed that it would be conjoined with lies, therefore, she unhesitatingly smothered Ayen's lips with a kiss. Everybody gasped in surprise.

It was a quick kiss but the taste lingered in her mouth until she moved away. She was expecting to get a smack on the face for exhibiting such a flamboyant act. But Ayen seemed so carried away that she only stared at her momentarily. What was on her mind was something she couldn't flick through. When Ayen's face brightened up with a smile, she knew she wouldn't get herself into trouble.

However, she couldn't beat Ayen when it came to surprises. Shock crossed her face when Ayen suddenly wrapped her arms around her waist as she slightly lifted up onto her toes to reach her ear and whisper, "Naughty."

"Ayen..." Cole uttered behind, but Ayen raised her hand to stop her from speaking further.

Surprised by the gesture, she looked at Cole only to find her frowning in annoyance.

"Yes." Ayen looked at the perplexed people around them before giving them the affirmation, "Heather and I are dating."

Ayen

THE current events were overwhelming. First, she earned another trophy and additional funds for winning the race. It was already enough to make her day. But Heathe's response to the interrogation of one of the press people gave her twice as much surprise as her victory did.

On the other hand, her reaction was more astounding when it was she who gladly confirmed that they were dating.

"Can't believe you said it in front of a lot of people," Heathe uttered as soon as they were settled in her car.

"Me also. I can't believe I said that." She responded, almost stuttering. Her embarrassment was starting to consume her at that moment.

"So, does that mean—"

"Not yet, Heathe." She interrupted as she looked at Heathe. "You still need to court me properly.

"I thought we're already a couple." Heathe chuckled.

She had already expected that Heathe would think that way. It was a good thing that they were clearing it now.

"Do you find it difficult to pursue me?"

Heathe scoffed as if she hadn't anticipated her question. "You know, I'll continue to court you even if we're already a couple. I'll never get tired of showing how much you mean to me every minute possible."

As much as she wanted to keep herself from getting affected, Heathe's romantic lines always hit hard. She nervously laughed and said, "You're really fond of bearing flowery words."

"Don't you like it?"

"Well, honestly, it doesn't feel bad hearing nice words. But I think, purveying butterflies in my stomach doesn't necessarily make me full." She chuckled.

"Oh, yeah!" Heathe blurted as she slapped her forehead as if she had forgotten something. "We're late on our date." She added before getting the car to life.

"Can you tell me where we're really going?"

"Just hang in there," Heathe answered, showing a lopsided smile.

She knew she couldn't force nor trick her to reveal something about their date. Heathe was really careful with what she was saying as they drove to wherever they were headed. She felt excited and exhausted at the same time. If it wasn't for the half-zip racer suit she was wearing, she would've forgotten about the event earlier. Today was not yet through but her energy was shutting down already. Until she unawarely drifted off.

She only got back to consciousness when she felt a gentle tapping on her shoulder while hearing soft whispers in her ear. Her eyes slowly popped open and once her focus adjusted, she saw Heathe smiling sweetly at her.

"We're here," Heathe uttered.

"S-sorry." Her voice broke as she responded while pulling herself into a sitting position. "I didn't know I had fallen asleep. Have we been here long?"

"Not really. I just gave you a little time to prep and I think you're good now."

Her head bobbed in assurance. "Yes. I think I gained enough energy to go through the rest of the day."

Heathe helped her to get out of the car. Her eyes subsequently moved around to scan her surroundings. She had no idea how long they had traveled, but peeking at the sky, which was now colored with red and orange, she knew it was time-consuming.

Apparently, there was nothing more but a tavern in the midst of towering trees, which was illuminated with incandescent bistro lights that added a retro vibe to the area.

However, beyond the magical ambiance, there was a hint of concern that went along with it. It seemed to be an off-the-beaten path. "Aren't we gonna be in trouble here?" She uttered, concealing her fright as she looked back at Heathe.

Heathe appeared to be unbothered when she chuckled at her query. "Of course not. I won't take you anywhere unsafe." She strode towards her. "C'mon. Worrying won't even fill your stomach, chowhound."

Her eyes squinted as her nose flared after hearing Heathe's moniker of her. "What did you just say?"

Heathe ignored her displeasure by laughing it off.

"Meanie." She murmured as they walked towards the hash house.

Heathe

"GOOD evening, Miss La Rivas. This way please." The lady staff who approached them by the door greeted them with enthusiasm. She subsequently handed Ayen a bouquet of red roses.

Ayen gasped in astonishment as she received the roses. "Thank you." She muttered to the staff before throwing a quick glance at her to smile.

She clutched her waist, ushering her in as they followed the staff. Ayen's silence was only making her feel a lot more nervous. Although she knew that Ayen didn't like luxurious things and places, she was still reluctant to see if Ayen found the tavern so much less than what she was expecting on their first date.

This place was not her idea. Her friends made the reservation and all the preparations, which honestly turned out to be fancy. But that was only from her point of view. She needed to impress Ayen and she was growing anxious because of thinking that she'd get embarrassed tonight.

Nevertheless, she had to trust her friends.

"Whoa. This is fascinating."

She went back to reality upon hearing Ayen's comment. She glanced at her to see how amazed she was while looking around. It was then she realized that they had reached an open area where a table was nicely situated in the middle with a sheer white curtain that probably served as a canopy, adorned with string lights. It was as if they were going to have a fancy dinner in a garden.

"Enjoy the night, ladies." The staff stated before leaving them both.

Ayen pulled away from her as she took a closer look at how everything was arranged. She appeared to be in awe while she watched her. When her eyes averted to the huge Narra tree she saw her tree friends hiding behind it. Wide smiles were plastered on their faces. Caddie, who suggested the place, gave her a thumbs up.

She couldn't be thankful enough that she found great friends. On the other hand, she worried that they might taunt her because she had never been this romantic before. Although she was used to their mockery, she still didn't know how to respond to them whenever they involved Ayen.

"Heather," Ayen called as she walked back closer to her.

"Y-yeah?"

Her eyes were sparkling with happiness while having a broad smile on her lips. "Thank you for everything."

She reciprocated the smile as she tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, and whispered, "All for you, mon amour."

~ • ~ • ~