Chapter 12: Kiss Me

"Girl kamusta na!" Sab shrieked as she hugged me.  Maaga akong nakarating today sa class namin for Soc Sci 1 and I opted to sit sa corridor kesa sa loob ng classroom.

"Sab grabe, ang sarap pala." I grinned at her and her eyes widened.

"OHMYGAHD, AYA!" her hands flew to my shoulders and shook me, "Ginawa niyo na agad?!"

"Huh?" Takang tanong ko sa kanya. "O...o?"

"I can't believe you! Shocks! Nakakaloka!"

"Huh? Ano bang sinasabi mo?" Napansin kong nakakakuha na kami ng atensyon sa mga dumadaan at nahiya ako. Ang ingay talaga nitong si Sab!

"Nag-ano na kayo?" she whispered conspiratorially and I swear I blushed to the roots of my hair. I was speechless for a while.

"HINDI YON!" May gahd! Nakakaloka 'tong si Sab! Iniisip niyang ginawa na namin yun... yung ganon? Eh, one week pa lang kami? Nyaaah! Baka silaban ako ng mga kapatid ko!

Her face fell and she frowned at me, "E, ano ang masarap?"

 If it was possible, I blushed even deeper. "Kissing..." I whispered with an embarassed giggle. "Grabe ka Sab, ang fast-forward mo naman. Naloka ako sa'yo."

Binatukan niya ako, "Masarap ka kasi agad diyan, akala ko tuloy kung ano na." She laughed, "Naks, eto na ba ang naudlot na pagdadalaga ni Aya?" I stared incredulously at her.

"Anong naudlot?" Ano ba naman, stunted ang tingin nila sa emotional growth ko? "Sab naman, feeling ko tuloy ang immature ko." I pouted. Nawala tuloy yung dreamy feel ko kanina.

"Oi, bes wag ka na magtampo" she nudged my shoulder, "Ji-no-joke lang naman kita. Ang cute kasi ng expression mo kanina, para kang lutang na ewan diyan. Tapos ginulat mo pa ako sa 'masarap' comment mo."

"Wala na nagtatampo na 'ko," I turned away from her and felt like sulking in a corner.

"Uy sobra ka talaga Aya. Joke nga lang, alam mo namang love kita di,ba?" she pulled me back to face her and hugged me tight, "So masarap nga? Shocks, Aya magkwento ka naman."

I bit my lip and couldn't stop the slow smile forming on my lips, "Tinuruan niya ako nung tunay na kiss kagabi."

Sab chuckled at the look on my face and hugged me tighter, "So he's good? Anong klaseng kiss? May tongue?" I looked at her in horror. My gulay, pwede po bang bumuka na ang lupa at lamunin ako?

"Ayiiiee!!!! Shocks, dalaga ka na talaga!" My hands flew to her mouth. Jusko Lord, bakit po ganito si Sab?    

"Sab, parang awa mo na, wag ka naman masyadong maingay. Mamamatay na ako sa hiya." I whined softly.

"So saan ka niya ki-niss?" She pointed to my lips, "Dito?"

I nodded.

"Dito?" she pointed to my chest. What? Seriously?

"NO!" I shook my head vehemently. "My Gahd naman Sab, konting preno. Hindi ako ganun." She laughed at me.

"Hay, Aya... dadating din kayo dun. Pero bilib ako sa Prince mo ha, ang tiyaga. Other guys walang ganung patience."

"Sabi niya, we'll only do what I feel comfortable with," I smiled sheepishly, "ang awkward minsan pero I don't really want to rush it. Sab, alam mo naman yung principles ko. Ayoko ng rush. Itong relationship nga namin feeling ko sobrang bilis na. Baka mamaya sa sobrang bilis namin, bigla rin kaming mabangga."

"Wow bes, hands-down na talaga ako sa'yo. Kaunti na lang ang teenagers na ganyan mag-isip. Lahat ng social media natin puro automatic na, pati relationships sa text lang nabubuo na. Isang EB lang, ayun sila na at nag-ano na. Tapos sa text din sila maghihiwalay."

 Love ko na talaga si Sab, kahit gaano siya kaingay at kaluka-luka, alam kong she's always there for me. "Ayoko nun Sab, Poof! Koko Crunch yun eh. Sayang naman ang EQ ko." And we both laughed.

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"Hoy Prince, anong nangyari sa'yo at ngingiti-ngiti ka diyan?" naramdaman kong tinapik ako ni James sa balikat. Andito ako sa Eng'g steps at naghihintay ng susunod na klase.

"Naku, tiyak si Aya na naman yan," kantiyaw ni Eric, classmate namin, "wala ng ibang bukang-bibig yan this whole week kundi si Aya. Ginayuma ka talaga n'on no?"

I smiled sheepishly, "Who can blame me? Mahal ko talaga eh."

"Sabagay brod, kung ako rin ang unang nakakilala dun, di ko yun pakakawalan." Nakangisi si James. Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. Tae, gago ka girlfriend ko yun!

He held up his hands, "Oops, sorry. Pero Bro, bilib ako sa'yo, ang tapang mo. Grabe yung mga guardia sibil nun pero ang tigas mo."

I smiled. The things you do for love... last night hindi ko alam kung paano ko nagawang magpigil pero seeing Aya's expression as I taught her how to kiss, knowing na I'm evoking such emotions from her left me with such fulfilment. I closed my eyes and remembered...

' "Goddess, can I kiss you?" Her dark eyes looked large and innocent on her face. We're all alone in my apartment, hanging out and watching DVDs. She was blushing but she gave me a nod.

"C'mere" I pulled her into my lap and slid my arms around her waist. She was biting her lower lip and refusing to look at my face. I pulled off her glasses and put it on the side table.

"Are you okay?" I asked gently. She smiled softly and nodded again, "Sigurado ka?"

"Prince if you want to kiss me, go ahead" She gave me a mischievous smile, "bakit ka ba nagtatanong? Di ba kini-kiss mo naman talaga ako everyday?"

"Ibang kiss yung gusto ko...." her eyes widened and I watched her swallow nervously.

 "Hindi pa ba real kiss yun? May iba pa bang kiss?" I smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. "Basta kiss lang, ha?"

 "Kiss lang", I cupped her cheek and she immediately closed her eyes. "Don't be nervous, baby"

 "Hindi nga sabi," she pouted. "I-ki-kiss mo ba ako o hindi?"

 "Excited?" I couldn't help but tease her. She opened her eyes and glared at me. Hay Aya, ikaw na ang cute.

 "Hus, ikaw nga yung nagtanong di ba? She pouted at me. "Kung ayaw mo sige wag na." She started to stand up but I pulled her back down.

 "Tampo ka naman agad," I chucked her under her chin, " 'Tong baby ko ang bilis magtampo." I rubbed my nose against hers.

 "I love you Aya," I murmured as I started to trace the outline of her lips. My hands sought hers and I placed them around my shoulders. I caught her lower lip into mine and sucked it softly, eliciting a soft moan from her.That soft sound felt like music to my ears. I gave her a moment to catch her breath before I started to kiss her again, deeper...then gentler so as not to scare her.

 "Goddess..." she opened her eyes and looked dazedly at me, her vulnerability naked in her gaze. Her lips are starting to get bruised but I just can't stop myself. Her hands on my shoulders slowly made their way to my nape and I closed the distance between us again.

 I slowly lapped at her lips, coaxing her to open them before I slid my tongue inside. I felt her slowly start to respond by kissing me back, unsure strokes of her lips against mine. Tentative but eager. It was my turn to groan her name when her tongue followed mine inside my mouth. Our dance was slow, sensual and passionate. I slid my hands under her shirt and pulled her closer to my body. Her breathing hitched and I had to fight the sudden urge to push her on the sofa and have my way with her. I slowly started to lift her shirt and the hands on my nape immediately went rigid. She turned her face away and I used the moment to catch my breath.

 "Prince sabi mo..." her voice was a breathless whisper that caressed my cheek. I nodded at her and slid my hands out of her shirt.

 "I know..." I whispered back to her, "Just a kiss." Her hands slid forward to capture my cheeks.

 "I trust you, so don't betray that trust," I nodded slowly as I gazed at her eyes. How can I ever betray her?

 "I love you, Prince." That soft admission felt like a drug, slowing all the blood in my system, filling my heart with indefinable emotions...and I know I would never want to lose her.

 She surprised me by sitting up and pushing me back on the sofa.This time I let her explore, eyes wide, lips parted... her pulse beating an erratic staccato against my chest... She was unhurried in her movements and I let her take the lead in our dance...'

 I shook my head slowly to clear the lingering effects of the memory. Shit, I need to calm myself. Tangna, favourite place ko na yata ang banyo.

 "Grabe 'tol, ngayon ka lang namin talaga nakitang ganyan kalutang. No offense ha, pero dun sa ex mo hindi ka naman ganyan" James muttered.

 I laughed,"Oo iba nga, ibang-iba." I stood up to stretch and felt my phone vibrate. I quickly fished it out of my pocket to check the message.

 What the hell?

 Unknown number: You're mine. We are entwined.

 Weird. Damn, magpapalit na naman ba ako ng number?

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"Walang problema yung lineart mo, kuha mo lahat ng principles ng line value pero that's only half of the story," I traced the lines of her drawing on the surface of the sketchpad that we held between us. Nakaupo kami ni Aya sa grass across the street from the Vargas museum and it's our first lesson on art. She was leaning with her back on my chest as a thoughtful expression came over her face.

 "Okay, so paano ko ilalabas yung realism? Manga is often just simple lines pero I want to capture more emotion."

 "Look at that statue," I pointed across the street, "Tell me what you see?"

 She narrowed her eyes, "Steel, bold lines, rust...?" she wrinkled her nose. 

 "Light and shadow, baby" I turned to a new page on her sketchpad, "the world has parts of light and shadow. Pag puro lines lang, outline lang yun. Clinical. Bland. You need to create drama from how the light falls on your subject." I took the 6B pencil from her hand and started sketching the statue. 

 "See this, Aya? Where does the light come from?" she pursed her lips. Her eyes went from the paper to the real object across us. Ang ganda naman ng estudyante ko.

 "Top right," she answered after a moment. Sobrang seryoso ng mukha niya. This is Aya kapag student mode and I felt really happy to be the one to teach her these things. Ang seryoso niya pagdating sa pag-aaral, parang nawawala lahat ng buong mundo except her and the goal in mind.

 "Very good. Pero hindi lahat ng subject isa lang direction ng light source. You need to be careful..."

"Oi Prince!" I glanced up and saw Joseph, one of my former blockmates sa FA. Aya straightened up and I helped her stand. 

"Kamusta? Tagal na ah," He shook my hand in greeting. 

"Okay lang" I smiled at him, "Si Aya nga pala girlfriend ko" I introduced her. Joseph's eyes widened and he reached for her hand. 

"Oh wow. Nice to meet you Aya."

"Hi." Tipid ang ngiti niya. Mahiyain talaga 'tong girlfriend ko.

"Anyway, may special exhibit kami diyan sa Vargas for the summer workshop. Daan kayo." He invited us.

I turned to Aya, "Gusto mo pumunta Goddess?" she eagerly nodded her head.

"Ano, tara?" Joseph led the way and we crossed the street to go inside the university museum.

Pagpasok namin, nakita ko kaagad ang mga former blockmates kong sila Greg at Sam who greeted me.

"Hoy na-miss ka na namin. Di ka man lang magparamdam sa FA." Greg clapped a hand on my shoulder.

"O nga Prince, one time dumaan ka naman." Sabi ni Sam na kinamayan ako

"Manlibre ka naman brod," Kantiyaw ni Joseph.

I just nodded and smiled at them, "Sige, one time hang-out tayo." I tugged at Aya's hand, "Nga pala, girlfriend ko, si Aya. Aya this is Greg and Sam, former blockmates ko."

Their eyes collectively widened, "Wow, nice to meet you!" They each shook her hand. Aya smiled and greeted them. Nagsimula ang usapan tungkol sa buhay-buhay and Aya tugged at my arm.

"Tingin lang ako, ha?" she asked me and I nodded at her.

"Balik ka kaagad, baby" I kissed her cheek and she blushed, knowing na nakatingin yung mga dati kong classmates. So what?

"Bro, ang ganda nun ah. Freshman?" Nakangisi si Sam. I shook my head.

"Incoming sophomore from UP Manila," at kwinento ko sa kanila kung paano kami nagkakilala sa library.

" 'Takte, hindi nga? Syet tatambay na nga rin ako sa library." Umiiling na sabi ni Greg, "Baka may kapatid pa yan 'tol, pakilala mo naman kami."

"Sorry, nag-iisa lang yan. Puro lalaki kapatid niya," I glanced around and didn't see her. "Wait lang, hanapin ko lang si Aya." I walked away from them and went inside the gallery to look for her. I passed by some people who greeted me before I saw her.

"Goddess..." I immediately knew something was wrong. Her hands were covering her face and her whole body screamed distress. What the hell? Umiiyak siya? My feet brought me close to her side and I gently took her hands away from her face. Confirmed, umiiyak nga.

"Aya anong problema? Bakit ka umiiyak?" Teka anong nangyari dito? Shit! Hindi kaya..?

"Get me out of here..." she whispered softly, refusing to look at me. I cupped her cheeks and used my thumbs to wipe her eyes.

"Goddess, ano yun? Bakit ka umiiyak? Please, wag ka umiyak." I pulled her into my arms but she remained rigid.

"Prince, bitawan mo ko, gusto ko ng umuwi." Madiin ang pagkasabi niya and I looked at her bewilderedly.

"Aya hindi kita bibitawan hangga't di mo sinasabi kung anong problema." She raised tearstained eyes to me, before shifting her gaze to the wall at my back. I followed the line of her gaze and felt all the blood drain from my face. I swallowed hard as I took in my nightmares come to life.

Entwined with my Prince

48.00X56.00X1.50

Oil on Canvas

March 17, 2014

Melanie Elaia Hernandez 

"Light and dark, pain and pleasure, we are entwined. Eternity means nothing for me and my Prince."

"Sweetheart?" I closed my eyes as I heard that familiar voice and felt Aya try to push me away but I held on to her firmly.

"Sabi ko na hindi mo ako matitiis eh..."

-End Chapter 12-

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