"I can't believe I'm wasting my Saturday on that guy," I whispered to myself as I stared at my own reflection in the mirror, trying to see if my pastel pink sundress and side-swept fishtail braid looked good on me.

"Wait, makeup!" I gasped when I realized how pale I looked kaya naman dali-dali akong tumakbo patungo cabinet ko. Tamang-tama kasi hindi ko pa nagagamit ang makeup na bigay ng balikbayan kong ninang.

As soon as I felt like I was good to go, I quickly grabbed my white crossbody bag and new white shoes, putting it on as fast as I could. 

I checked my phone as I walked out of my room. However, as I began to make my way down the stairs, I heard my Mom giggle as if she was talking to someone . . . and then, I heard it. Another voice. A familiar, gentle-sounding voice.

"Blueberry?" I gasped. I will never not recognize my favorite voice.

I ran down the stairs and, to my shock, Blueberry was really sitting in our living room couch, chatting with my mother like they're friends or something.

Bluberry looked so cute in his white hoodie and faded jeans. Sumakto pa talagang magkakulay ang mga damit namin.

"Sumasali po pala si Katrielle ng pageant noong bata pa?"

"Aba, oo! Nanalo 'yang 'Barangay Ms. Bulilit' noong bata pa! Lagi rin 'yang naiimbitahan noon tuwing Flores De Mayo kaso ayaw niyang sumali kapag wala si Carri. Teka, kilala mo rin si Carri 'di ba? Sanggang-dikit 'yon ni Katrielle ko. Alam mo ba? Minsan pa 'yan silang sumali sa talent show dito rin sa barangay."

"Talaga po? Ano naman po ang talent nila?"

"Tingnan mo diyan sa huling page ng album!"

Nagulantang ako sa pinag-uusapan nila, pero tuluyan akong nagimbal nang mapagtantong nakalatag sa coffee table ang mga photo album ko.

"Mama!" Halos lumipad ako pababa ng hagdan. "Blueberry! Isara mo 'yan!"

"Blueberry?" Mom turned to him with an amused smile on her face.

"Tree!" Natatawang napatingin sa akin si Blueberry at saka itinuro ang album na nakapatong sa ibabaw ng kanyang hita. "Ang cute mo pala noong bata ka."

"Cute ako hanggang ngayon! Isara mo na nga 'yan!" Halos mangisay ako sa sobrang kahihiyan. Sa kabila nito, hindi ko mapigilang matawa. Pakiramdam ko rin ay para nang sinisilaban ang pisngi ko dahil sa sobrang init nito. 

"Mama naman, e! Ba't mo nilabas yan?! At saka, ikaw Blueberry? Anong ginagawa mo rito?! Paano mo nalaman saan ako nakatira?! Ma, ba't mo siya pinapasok?!" Hindi magkanda-ugaga ang isip ko. Kung sino-sino na sa kanila ang tinuturo at pinapaulanan ko ng tanong.

"Pagpasensiyahan mo 'tong unica hija ko, ha? Mahiyain lang talaga 'to," Mama said apologetically and let out a demure chuckle. She then side-eyed me, twitching her lips like she was scolding me.

All I could do was gasp. I couldn't believe how my mama was acting. And I couldn't believe Blueberry was in my house. Kung alam ko lang na darating siya, dapat naglinis ako ng bahay! 

"Naku, wala pong problema." Blueberry laughed softly. It was so weird how he behaved so respectful yet friendly toward her. Lalo akong bumilib sa kanya. Magaling makisama sa lahat ng tao.

"Mabait naman sa 'yo 'tong anak ko 'di ba?" Mama asked. She was still laughing, but I could tell she was in her interrogation mode. 

"Sobra po," sagot naman ni Blueberry, ngiting-ngiti at may kasama pang pagtango. "Kahit sino po ay tinutulungan niya, tuloy, ang dami niyang mga kaibigan."

I wanted to hurl over Blueberry's words.

"Sabagay." Mama giggled and shrugged. "Hindi nga naman liligawan kung hindi mabait.

"Liligawan?!" Napasigaw ako nang wala sa oras, laglag ang panga.

Blueberry suddenly chuckled, earning my attention. As soon as our eyes met, his eyes began twitching—or was it just his futile attempt to wink rapidly?

"Anak, okay lang." Mama turned to me with a smile from ear-to-ear. "Hindi mo naman kailangang itago na may nanliligaw sa 'yo. Mas okay nga 'tong ginawa ni Bryan na personal ka talagang pinagpaalam sa akin."

"Pinagpaalam . . . " My lips almost couldn't utter the word.

Napatingin ako kay Blueberry at sa pagkakataong ito'y pakurap-kurap na talaga siya, tila ba nakikiusap sa aking sakyan na lang ang kung anong pinagsasabi niya sa mama ko.

"O siya sige, baka ma-late pa kayo sa date n'yo." Mama clasped her hands together, letting out a loud sigh. "Basta Bryan, ha? 5PM pa lang, dapat nasa bahay na ang Katrielle ko."

"Ma?!" bulalas ko sa sobrang gulat. Anong date?! I mean, yehey, but what the fuck?!

"Okay fine." Mama rolled her eyes, grinning. "6PM"

Napako na lamang ako sa kinatatayuan, gulat na gulat sa mga nangyayari.

Bryan stood up, still smiling sweetly and brightly toward my mother. "Maraming salamat po ulit sa pagpayag. Asahan n'yo po, hindi lalagpas ng curfew si Katrielle."

Before I could say anything, Mama turned to me again. "'Nak, medyo malamig pala ang hangin sa labas. Suot ka ng jacket?"

"'Yong jacket ko na lang ang gamitin mo," Blueberry suggested innocently.

Nanlaki bigla ang mga mata ni Mama. "Sa 'yo ba 'yong bagong denim jacket ni Katrielle?"

Sa takot na ba kung ano pa ang masabi ni Blueberry, nagtatakbo na ako pabalik sa kuwarto upang kunin ang jacket niya.

***

"Siraulo ka ba?! Bakit ka pumunta sa bahay at bakit mo sinabing magde-date tayo?!" pabulong kong bulalas nang tuluyan kaming makalabas ng gate at naglalakad na patungo sa sakayan ng jeep.

Bryan shrugged, still smiling like the world is all sunshine and unicorns. "Ayaw mo no'n? Hindi ka na mag-aalala na pagagalitan ka ulit? Hindi ka na rin magsisinungaling kung saan ka ba pupunta?"

Nahinto ako sa paglalakad at agad siyang hinarap. I couldn't help but cross my arms and raise an eyebrow. "Wait, is this really a date?"

He tilted his head as his smile turned into a naughty one. "Do you want this to be a date?"

And just like that, I was at war with myself.

Should I speak my truth and just say yes? Should I play coy and say no?

Sa huli, kusang lumabas ang mga salita mula sa bibig ko. "Saan tayo magde-date? Libre mo ba?"

Blueberry's eyes suddenly widened. In a snap, the confident, naughty grin on his face disappeared. He looked flustered, so I ended up getting flustered too.

Masyado bang creepy ng dating ko?! Did I freak him out?!

"Joke lang!" bawi ko na lamang sabay hampas sa balikat niya, patawa-tawa pa. "Ikaw, lakas mong magbiro, pero titiklop pala kapag bibiruin pabalik."

Sa isip ko, gustong-gusto ko nang magwala dahil sa sobrang kahihiyan. Kung may undo option lang talaga ang buhay.

"M-May bagong bukas na arcade malapit sa park? Doon tayo?" bigla niyang sinabi, dahilan para ako naman ang matigilan.

Lord!!!

***

I had no idea what was going on or how I survived being alone at the backseat of a taxi with him. All I know was that I didn't to make it obvious how I was so into him, so I kept telling nonsense shit that made him laugh—o baka kunwari na lang siyang natatawa, pero deep inside sobrang gusto na niyang takpan ng tape ang bibig ko?!

"Ikaw? Anong worst superpower ang gusto mong ibigay sa kaaway mo?" tanong ko.

"Wala akong kaaway," natatawa niyang giit.

"Kunwari nga lang!" giit ko naman, hindi matanggal-tanggal ang ngiti sa labi.

"Hmmm . . . " He looked up, laughing as he tried to think.

Kung pwede lang talagang tumigil ang oras para matitigan ko nang walang sawa ang kanyang mukha.

"Magne-poo!" He snapped his fingers as he lowered his head to look at me again.

"Magne-poo?" Kunot-noo man, hindi matanggal-tanggal ang ngiti ko.

"Magne-poo!" He smiled proudly and nodded. "Parang si Magneto ng X-Men, pero imbes na magnet ang na-a-attract niya—"

"Nooo!" Napasigaw ako nang wala sa oras, tawang tawa. Kahit ang driver ng taxi ay natatawa na rin sa amin. "Tingnan mo, o! Pati si Kuya, diring-diri na sa 'yo," biro ko na lamang.

"Pero totoo namang worst super power 'yon 'di ba?" pagmamalaki pa ni Blueberry.

Kahit nang makababa na kami ng taxi, panay pagmamalaki pa rin siya sa worst superpower na naisip niya. Sa lakas ng tawanan namin, napapatingin na tuloy ang mga nakakasalubong namin sa daan.

Nahinto lang kami sa pagbibiruan nang tuluyang makapasok sa building kung saan naroroon ang arcade.

I couldn't help but smile at the sight of the neon lights all over the place, especially the different machines that let out loud music and sound. 

"You like it?" he asked, almost yelling because of how loud the entire place was.

"I nodded." Smiling uncontrollably. "Bata pa yata ako nang huli akong pumunta sa isang arcade."

"Ha?" he asked, lowering his head and moving his face closer to mine.

My heart felt like it was going to burst, but I decided to enjoy every waking moment.

"I said, wanna do something cliché?" pabiro kong paghamon.

"Bring it! I'm good at everything!" pagmalalaki niya naman.

***

No wonder couples in movies would always do this. Masaya naman pala talaga! More like, masayang makita ang kasama mo na para nang mababaliw sa sobrang stress dahil hindi niya makuha-kuha ang gusto niyang laruan.

"Ayusin mo kasi! Isipin mo, kamay mo ang claw! Be the claw!" pang-aasar ko kay Blueberry habang matiyaga niyang sinusubukang kunin ang isang kulay baby blue na bunny stuffed toy mula sa claw machine. Hindi ko na mabilang ilang token na ang nawaldas niya para lang sa isang stuffed toy.

Blueberry was already biting his lips and squatting as he maneuvered the the claw to the toy's direction. "Kaya ko 'to! Kaya ko 'to! Be the claw!"

Tawang-tawa na lamang ako sa kanya. I almost forgot that he was an athlete his entire life kaya normal na sa kanyang maging competetive.

Biglang tumayo nang maayos si Blueberry, naniningkit ang mga mata. He's trying to look annoyed, but he just couldn't stop his adorable smile from showing. "Sige nga, ikaw nga!"

"No way! Mas masaya ako na pinapanood ka—" Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang mapagtanto ang sinasabi.

"Ano 'yon? Mas masayang?" Lalong lumawak ang ngiti sa mukha niya. Humakbang pa siya palapit sa akin at bahagyang yumuko para ilapit ang tainga niya sa mukha ko.

"Mas masayang ipakita sa 'yo na mas magaling ako!" bawi ko na lamang at dali-daling kumuha ng token mula sa maliit na cellophane—sa dami ng binili ni Blueberry na token, binigyan na talaga siya ng staff ng malalagyan.

As soon as I maneuvered the claw, I almost cursed with how stubborn it was. Mukha lang madali sa unang tingin pero nakakagigil kapag oras nang dumukot.

"Hangin ba ang dinukot mo?!" Tawang-tawa si Blueberry sa akin nang hindi man lang dumampi ang claw sa kahit ulo ng ni isang stuffed toy.

"Blooper lang 'yon! Psh!" I flipped my hear and grinned, trying to look cool even if deep inside, nanggigil na ako sa lecheng claw machine.

Blueberry smirked and grabbed a token from his stash. "Okay, show me the real deal now."

I smirked back and jokingly rolled my eyes at him.

***

Token after token after token . . . I just couldn't get the hang of it. Habang gustong-gusto ko nang magwala, si Blueberry naman ay panay lang sa pagkantyaw at pagtawa. 

"Ito na talaga! Makukuha ko na talaga 'to! Confident na ako rito!" I tried chanting over and over again, trying to convince the universe to let it happen.

"Talaga lang ha?" pang-aasar niya sa akin. "Parang sinabi mo na 'yan kanina, a?"

Tawa man nang tawa, pinilit kong mag-concentrate. I held on to the controller and maneuvered it as swiftly as I could. However, from my periphery, I suddenly noticed that Blueberry was holding up some object.

"Hoy, nagpi-picture ka ba?!" Nagulat ako nang makitang nakataas ang cellphone niya sa direksiyon ko. May malawak pa siyang ngiti sa mukha na para bang tuwang-tuwa sa kanyang kinuha.

"Hindi, a!" aniya, hindi nagtatanggal ng tingin sa kanyang cellphone at ni hindi man lang gumagalaw mula sa kinatatayuan. "Ka-text ko si Braylee. Kanina niya pa ako kinukulit. Gustong humabol rito—Tree, nakuha mo!"

"Ha?" Pagtingin ko ulit sa machine, nagulantang ako nang makitang unti-unting inaangat ng claw ang isang stuffed toy ni 'Elsa' ng Frozen.

"No! Huwag si Elsa! Sandali! Huwag si Elsa!" Nagsisigaw ako nang wala sa oras. "'Yong iba lang! 'Yong iba lang! Huwag si Elsa!"

"Let it go! Let it go!" Meanwhile, Blueberry began chanting while clapping his hands. He laughed so hard over his own joke that I ended up laughing out loud too.

Sa sobrang ingay at tawanan namin ni Blueberry, napatingin na sa amin ang mga staff at iilang customer sa paligid. Kaso sa huli, para lang kaming nagkaroon ni Blueberry ng sariling mundo.

We laughed, cheered, and messed with each other. In that short amount of time, I felt both of us were genuinely happy.

***

"Seriously, para akong mapapaos sa sobrang ingay natin," Blueberry slumped on his chair as soon as we entered a garden-themed restaurant, which was just right across at the arcade. Nakakatuwa kasi parang nasa isang indoor garden lang talaga kami na may mga mesa.

"Natin? Ikaw lang, uy! Kahit si Madam Elsa, naingayan sa 'yo!" biro ko sabay angat ng Elsa stuffed toy na kaisa-isa naming nakuha mula sa machine.

"Si Elsa ba 'yan na napinsala ng matinding global warming?" Blueberry joked, pointing out how pale and undetailed the toy looked compared to the animated thing.

Napapikit ako bigla nang mariin, nangangatog ang labi. "Leche ka, Blueberry. Natatawa ako sa sobrang korni ng joke mo."

"Natawa ka pa rin, panalo pa rin ako!" pagmamalaki niya naman.

I opened my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to compose myself dahil pakiramdam ko'y nagmumukha na akong tanga sa kakatawa. 

"Uy, nagpipigil ng tawa?" Blueberry teased, grinning as he cocked his head sideward.

I pressed my smiling lips together and crinkled my nose, shaking my head as I tried to regain composure again. "Seryoso na. Mag-order na tayo ng pagkain dahil nagugutom na ako. Nga pala, ako naman ang taya rito tutal ikaw ang bumili ng sandamakmak na token kanina."

"Nah, leave it all to me." Blueberry shook his head, closing his eyes momentarily as he flashed his very sweet smile. "Ako ang taya buong araw."

"Yaman mo, ah?" biro ko. "Generational wealth?" 

I was joking, but deep inside, I was worried. Ayokong gumastos si Blueberry lalo't may mga treatments pa siya. Plano ko ngang bigyan na siya ng malaking discount sa serbisyo ko.

"I've been working part-time since high school," he said and fetched out his phone.

Nang iabot niya sa akin ang cell phone niya, nagtaka ako nang makita ang isang audiobook website sa screen.

"Audiobooks? You mean you narrate audiobooks?" I asked, completely puzzled.

Blueberry grinned and raised his pointing finger up his lips, asking me to keep it our little secret again.

"Wow! You never run out of surprises, huh?" I couldn't hide how amazed I was over the discovery. 

I mean, what are the odds of basketball star Blueberry working part-time as an audiobook narrator?

"Lalo kang bumilib sa akin?" aniya, may halong pagyayabang sa tabas ng ngisi at angat ng kilay.

I nodded earnestly. "Mas bibilib ako sa 'yo kung bibigyan mo ako ng mga kopya. Consider it your payment for the rest of my services."

"Ayos, a? May fan na ako?" Humalakhak siya at pabirong kumindat. "Check your email tonight."

"Wait, isn't that breaking one of our rules?" Napaisip ako bigla.

Confident siyang umiling. "Nope. I never mentioned email. Nope."

My heart hammered once again. Scared that he'd notice, I quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, you can make Elsa speak," I said.

"Huh?" Agad nakunot ang kanyang noo.

"You really can make her speak!" Natatawa kong inangat ang ang stuffed toy na Elsa. "Kanina, habang nagpapa-convert ka ng tokens, nasabi sa akin ng isang staff na may recording mechanism pala ang bawat toy doon sa machine. Mga 10 seconds lang daw ang puwedeng ma-record at medyo choppy pa, pero I think it has great use. For example, you can give this as a gift to your ex-girlfriend. Say what you want, and you know . . . Just let it all out."

"Ha?" Natawa bigla si Blueberry nang pagkalakas-lakas. "Kung ganon, boses ko ang lalabas mula kay Elsa?"

In the end, both of us ended up laughing. 

***

While waiting for our orders, still sat on my chair, I looked around the restaurant and admired the plants and flowers surrounding us. However, I realized that we were sat right next to a large mirror. I was about to point it out, but I suddenly noticed how Blueberry was just sitting still like he was lost in his own deep thoughts. I couldn't help but worry.

"You okay?" I had to ask.

Blueberry looked at me, clearly taken aback.

"Everything alright?" I asked again and smiled.

He nodded and smiled back at me. "Yeah, I was just thinking about something . . . "

I wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but I didn't want to seem like I was prying, so I decided to just swallow hard and accept it as it is.

"'Yong family friend namin . . . sabi niya kahapon, gawin ko na raw lahat ng gusto ko ngayon," Blueberry blurted out. This time, I was the one who was taken aback.

Parang piniga bigla ang puso ko. Sa kabila nito, pinilit kong manatiling nakangiti sa harapan niya. "So do it . . . Start doing what you really want and don't waste your time here with me. If you can't figure out what you want to do, I'll help you brainstorm and list stuff."

Blueberry shook his head, his eyes staring back at mine. 

"I'm already doing what I want right now." He smiled.

//