No Label

D-6

It's official. Jill and me. But I somehow can't feel it. Maybe after this day I can.

"Ba't bihis na bihis ka? May date?", komento ni Mama habang sinusuot ko itong boots ko. I'm wearing simple white shirt and black shorts with random chains on it. Bitbit ko lang muna yung leather jacket kasi mainit pa.

"Medyo. Hihi", sagot ko.

But honestly, even on normal days, this is how I dress up. I turned the streets my runway. Wala lang, I just want to look good not for Jill or anyone, I want to look good for my self. Hobby ko na ang bumili ng bagong damit sa online, sa mall o sa ukay-ukay tapos iiyak lang ako kapag wala na pala akong pera. Minsan source of costume na din ako ni Mina. Matagal na akong hindi sumasayaw at sumasali sa mga KPOP competition. Medyo nagiging busy na din ako sa school. Bilib din ako diyan kay Mina eh. Paano niya pinagsasabay ang sayaw at acads? To think na Engineering pa yung course niya.

Nagpaalam na ako sa mga tao dito at sumabay na din ako sa sasakyan ni Tito. Sayang din yung effort ko sa hair styling kapag nag commute ako.  At ito yung first date namin Jill kaya hindi pwedeng haggard.

I'm about to enter the mall nang matanggap ko text ni Jill na nandito na siya. I wore the leather jacket I was holding to complete my outfit. And exactly five more steps, I saw a handsome man standing and smiling at me. It's him. Simple lang damit niya, mga 50% simplier than mine but he still looks---y'all know it.

"H-hi?", I awkwardly greeted. Hindi ako prepared. Bakit mas gumwapo siya?

"You're still a fashionista", he commented scanning me from head to toe.

"This is the best I could grab in my closet for today"

"That's good enough. Bagay sa'yo"

"Thanks"

"You aren't drunk last night right?", that simple question made me blush. Nakakahiya.

"Ahhh... hahahaha...hindi naman. Ano ba nangyari kagabi?"

He is teasing me with a smile "You want to recall?"

"ahhh ... hahaha", I awkwardly laughed again. "I'm hungry. Let's go?"

Buti naman at hindi na niya pinaalala ulit mga sinabi ko kagabi. Ilang minuto din kaming naglibot-libot sa mall kakahanap nang makakain. We didn't talk that much during the walk. Medyo awkward. It's been months na din naman nang huli kaming mag-usap tapos bigla akong nag confess kagabi and now we are awkwardly dating.

Finally, nakapili din kami ng restaurant. Guess where?

"We've been roaming this mall for a half hour tapos sa Jollibee mo lang pala gustong kumain? ", he looked pissed. But it's cute.

"Hehe", pa cute kong tawa. Cute din kaya ako sa paningin nito?

Medyo konti na yung tao dito kasi past lunch na. We sat on the table for two. I told him the food I want to eat because he insisted that he'll order. I was also about to give him money but he refused. "Tanggapin mo na. Ngayon lang tayo nagkita muli, nakakahiya naman kung magpapalibre agad ako", I insisted.

Instead of accepting my money, he just smiled and said "Boyfriend duties", he then went to the counter leaving me dumbfounded. Kinilig ako, potek. Ngayon ko lang na-feel na may boyfriend na ako.

We started eating when our order completed. We didn't chat a bit and just busy eating. Parang wala kaming topic na pag-uusapan.

"How's school?", he broke the silence. He is the only person who asked me such thing. Even my parents didn't.

"Final question?", I asked back. I really love how he looks more handsome when he smiles like that. Yung ngiting mapanglaro. Mapanglaro ng feelings.

"What kind of question are you looking for, Nana?"

"You totally dropped the 'ate', huh?"

"It's awkward to call my girlfriend 'ate'. ", I love how he said that word. Girlfriend.

"So curious ka talaga sa school life ko? Hindi sa love life?"

"I'm not curious about my self", he softly laughed after that.

"Tara na nga, dami mong alam", tumayo na ako.

"You haven't finish your food."

"Busog na ako sa mga banat mo, tss", I grabbed his wrist to make him stand. I was grabbing it until we were out of the store then he shifted it to hold my hand. HE IS HOLDING MY HAND!

I couldn't feel the awkwardness anymore. Parang totoong magjowa na talaga kami. We are walking hand in hand and girls staring at this handsome guy beside me but they cannot cross the line. It's hard and burdensome having a rich and good-looking boyfriend, but it's fulfilling. Fulfilling to think that my charms work on him.

Hindi ko na alam ilang oras na ang lumipas. We were busy playing almost all the stuff here in the arcade. Hindi ko na nga napapansin na maraming messages na ang pumapasok. Sunday pala ngayon at may pasok na naman bukas kaya umuulan na naman ng assignments sa group chat. Mabuti't nagawa ko na yung iba kahapon kaya okay lang na pagala-gala ako ngayon.

"Photo booth tayo", paanyaya ko at sumunod na din si Jill. Ito na lang ata yung hindi pa namin napuntahan sa arcade. Para na din ito sa ipapakita kong ebidensya kay Mina.

He struggled as he went inside this small booth. The negative side of being tall.

We are very close to each other and so my heart is jumping again. We took a photo, four captures. Then I'm the one designing it on the screen. He is laughing as I doodle his face to make him ugly...but I failed. Life is unfair.

The machine printed our photos. "You keep it", he offered.

"Of course. Papakita ko pa kay Mina, 'to? ", fck. Nadulas ako.

"Why? Did she told you to date me? Is this some kind of a deal?"

"Ha? Ah... hindi! Anong deal sinasabi mo? Tss... Eh kasi... sobrang shiniship niya ako sa'yo noon pa, gusto ko lang pakiligin. ", I almost lost my consciousness because of anxiety. Agad na akong lumabas ng booth kasi bigla akong nakaramdam ng init. "Tara na?", I said and hold his hand.

After this day, I realized something. Jill is sweet and charming. He treats his girl differently from his friends. He made my heart pound many times in just one day of being together. But oddly, I cannot call my self inlove with him.

He is just crushable... but not jowable.