Heaven

"Your face looks so round. And gosh, it's so oily. Ayusin mo naman yang mukha mo, Ballerine," the voice beside me was loud enough for me to hear my insecurities.

Kitang-kita ko sa salamin ang pangit na mukha sa aking harapan. No matter how many times I put on concealer and foundation, it still wouldn't change the fact that my face was full of scars... physically and emotionally.

I lost ten kilos in a snap after the operation. I was already skinny as hell... and yet, I still had no confidence in myself. Hence, never akong nagka-boyfriend.

Kaya naman ngayong college ay iibahin ko ang istoryang ito. I'd make sure that no one would belittle me anymore...

"Bee, bilis na! Maglalaro na sila ng 7 minutes in heaven. Join tayo!" The high-pitched tone of my classmate, Melody caught my attention as she pulled my hand out of the washroom.

Nasa isang party kami ngayon kung saan in-organize ng isang sorority ng Fotheringham University. Kakastart pa lang ng school year at wala pa akong masyadong friends from other departments kaya naman naisipan kong sumama sa party kahit na first party ko ito ever.

"Bee, dito tayo!" Melody tapped the seat next to hers as she squatted on the floor along with other people.

Umupo na rin ako sa tabi niya habang inaayos ko ang palda kong pilit na tumataas sa aking hita.

"Okay, guys! Ready to play?" A girl standing in the middle of the room announced, raising a bottle of beer and waving it in the air.

"YES!" Everyone shouted, kaya nakisabay na rin ako sa hype ng crowd.

First time kong maglaro ng drinking game. But, I knew how "7 minutes in heaven" works. Maybe this time I would finally have my first kiss.

As soon as the bottle stopped in front of me, a surge of excitement and anxiety rushed over me. Panay ang hiyawan ng mga tao sa aking paligid, lalo na noong huminto ulit ang bote sa harap ng isang lalaking nakasuot ng kulay pulang varsity jacket.

My eyes stopped at the guy being teased by his friends.

Tanned skin, toned arms, chiseled jaw... Even just standing there in the corner of the room, strobing lights hitting his emotionless carved face, he still looked mythical... like a God of some sort.

Lorenzo Reigan Maxwell...

The infamous cleanup batter and baseball captain of Fotheringham University, MVP for two consecutive years, and the guy who used to make fun of me because of my weight and my looks.

My nightmare was suddenly in front of me. Who would've thought that we'd meet again?

"Bee, go na!" Melody pushed me to the side, prompting me to stand up.

Inayos ko ang aking sarili bago ako tumayo at naglakad patungo sa kung saan nakatayo ang lalaki.

"Okay, first couple, you only have 7 minutes to enjoy inside the room. You're free to do whatever you want..." sabi pa ng babaeng MC habang tinutulak na kami papunta sa hallway kung nasaan ang silid.

With heavy steps, I entered inside the dark room first. Rinig ko ang pagsunod ng lalaki sa aking likuran. Turning around, the room lit up as soon as he switched on the light inside the room.

And right there, standing more than six feet tall in front of me was him.

"Hey," unang pagbati ng lalaki sa akin. His eyes glinted hazel up close and I swore my heart skipped a beat for a second. It shouldn't. He's my freaking nightmare.

"Hi, you can call me Bee... or baby," I finished with a curve up my lip. It was my attempt to flirt and make him fall for me.

"Logan," he simply answered, not even looking at me. Instead, nilibot niya ang kanyang tingin sa maliit na kwarto kung saan may mga kahon sa gilid. It looked like we were in an attic of some sort.

I cleared my throat to catch his attention and he did. "So, saan mo gustong gawin?"

The guy stiffened his face at me. "Ano?"

I let out a nervous chuckle. "Oh come on, Saint Maxwell! Nahihiya ka pa ngayon?"

But deep inside, I was already sweating in bullets. Bakit ba ako kinakabahan? Hinanda ko na ang aking sarili ng ilang taon. Tapos ngayon pa ako kakabahan?

When the guy took a step towards me, my brain malfunctioned. Gagawin ba talaga namin dito? In seven minutes? I had never even kissed a guy before. What was I thinking?

"Baby," he hushed in a gentle, yet unsure tone. Tilting his head, he suddenly reached for my cheek and traced my jaw with his finger.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang mas mainit. Yung kamay ba niya o ang katawan ko?

"Ballerine, just go. Hindi ba gusto mong magka-first kiss?" My weak heart yearned.

"No, he was your nightmare. You should make him suffer." My inner thoughts reminded me.

I swallowed hard, shaking those confusing jitters away. Ito na ang chance para makaganti ako sa kanya.

"So? Gagawin mo ba o hindi?" paghamon ko sa lalaki habang nanginginig na ang buong kalamnan ko.

The guy stopped gliding his finger on my cheek, studying me again with his hazel eyes. "Why do I feel like I've seen you before?"

Oh, shit. Nakilala niya ba ako?

I was wearing my usual heavy makeup to cover the blemishes on my face, so it was impossible for him to recognize me. I was so sure that he wouldn't recognize my ugly face.

"Saan ba kita nakita?" The guy questioned himself, his eyes still fixated on me.

I laughed his remark off. "I'm sure hindi mo pa ako nakikita. I'm a first year at FU Conservatory of Music, Theater Department."

The guy smiled, as if he knew what I was going to say. "Ah, naaalala ko na. Ikaw yung umiyak sa men's cr last year."

Akala ko naalala na niyang binully niya ako noong elementary. Pero tama naman siya. It was just a different kind of memory for him.

A year ago, I came back here in the Philippines to process my college transfer from the States. That was the time when my dad left us, and my mom barely surviving the shock of it all.

As someone who was used to my dad being my protector and my shoulder to cry on, I was close to taking my own life. I needed more than just distraction. I needed a reason to continue breathing.

That was how I ended up meeting Logan again for the first time in years.

I still remembered how he gave me his handkerchief when he saw me crying inside the men's bathroom. Yes, I mistakenly went inside their bathroom. He didn't recognize me at all.

But, I recognized him at once, even when he wasn't wearing any shirt.

"Sasakit lang ang ulo mo kakaiyak mo diyan," Logan's exact words to me. "Alam kong narinig mo na 'to pero hindi titigil ang mundo para sa'yo."

Those weren't the most comforting words to say to someone crying, but to me, they were... dahil siya lang ang nag-effort na pumansin sa akin kahit hindi niya ako nakilala.

Since then, I couldn't get Logan Maxwell out of my mind... for all the right and wrong reasons.

He was my nightmare. And at the same time, he was my savior.

How ironic, right?

"Tama ako, hindi ba?" The guy pressed on, looking at me with the most serious face I'd ever seen.

I nodded. "Yes, that's me. You still remember pala?"

Logan gave me a wide smile. "Paano ko naman makakalimutan ang babaeng nakakita sa akin ng hubo't hubad?"

My cheeks instantly burned upon hearing his sarcasm. "What? Wala kaya akong nakita."

"Sabi mo eh." He just shrugged his shoulders, taking few steps away from me.

I finally let out a huge breath. Parang akong nabunutan ng malaking tinik sa aking lalamunan.

"Bakit ka ba umiiyak nong araw na 'yon?" biglang tanong ng lalaki.

I snapped my head at the guy, who was now busy looking at the shelves full of book dust and empty vinyls. "Why do you want to know?"

He sniffed. "Wala lang. Gusto ko lang i-check kung isa ka sa mga fangirls ko na gusto lang magpapansin sa akin."

My jaw fell flat on the floor. "Excuse me?"

Logan chuckled and in that moment, the bully Logan flashed back in my mind. Hindi pa rin pala siya nagbabago. Bully pa rin siya.

I composed myself, keeping my anger in a tight fist. "Ibahin mo ako sa mga fangirls mo. I'm not like them. I don't follow a jock and certainly, I don't date one."

Napatigil ang lalaki sa paglakad at binalik ang tingin sa akin. Ilang segundo siyang nakatitig na parang may gustong sabihin pero walang lumabas sa kanyang bibig.

Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay. "Ano? Tutunganga lang ba tayo dito?"

The guy flexed his neck to the side as he slowly made his way towards me. Bumilis ang pintig ng puso ko sa bawat yapak niya palapit sa akin.

When he finally reached me, his hand crawled at the small of my back, pulling me closer to him. "Close your eyes," he instructed.

Kinunot ko ang aking noo para ipaalam sa kanya ang pagkalito ko. "Why?"

"Basta ipikit mo lang," inulit pa niya gamit ang pangalan ko kaya naman hindi na ako nakipag-argue pa.

The moment I closed my eyes, I felt his lips wetting my eyelids, making it flutter. "W-what the hell are you-"

"Angel kiss," he mumbled, kissing my other eyelid this time.

Then, I felt his nose rubbing against my nose gently from side to side. "Eskimo kiss."

I was too stunned to speak, but I managed to let out, "A-Ano'ng ginagawa mo?"

But, he didn't answer me. Instead, his lips travelled down the side of my cheek and ended on the sensitive side of my neck. He stayed there for a while, as if sucking blood right out of me.

"Hmm.." I let out a soft moan. Was that even a moan? I wasn't sure, but I knew it felt good.

"Vampire kiss," the guy finally released his sucker lips away from my neck. "That's all I can give you, baby."

Napamulat ako ng aking mga mata na kanina pa pala nakapikit. I instantly saw Logan's face grinning at me in victory. Binubully na naman ba niya ako?

"Naghihintay ka ba ng French kiss?" Humalukipkip na siya habang nakatingin sa akin. "Or quickie?"

I was right. Binubully nga ulit ako ng lalaking ito. What the hell was I thinking? That he will change for good?

No! He was the same, old, Lorenzo Reigan Maxwell, who bullied me to the point where I didn't want to go to school because I was scared to see him.

"No offense ha. Pero, pinaka-ayaw ko sa lahat ay mga babaeng makapal ang makeup," he finished with a stone cold expression painted on his face.

Lahat ng galit na kinimkim ko ng maraming taon ay gusto nang lumabas mula sa aking katawan. He just clicked a button that he wasn't supposed to trigger, making my head throb even more.

But, I can't let this guy win this time.

Fighting my resolve, I lifted my hand in the air and slapped Logan Maxwell's cheek until my hand felt numb.

SLAP!

In that same moment, bumukas ang pintuan kung saan nakatingin sa amin ang mga kasama namin kanina sa sala. Nakaawang ang mga labi nilang pinagmamasdan kami.

With all the anger bursting inside me, I yelled, "Go to hell, Maxwell!" And then, I dashed out of the room.

I ignored the mumbles of the people around me, but there was one thing I couldn't ignore...

The sound of my heart calling Lorenzo Reigan Maxwell's name.