There are times when Leni would just sit on their bed and write on her navy blue notebook about Risa to help herself fall asleep. The fifth letter goes like this:
040528
I never understood the meaning of instant attraction, until I met you.
Well, sure. Maybe I said that Piolo P(a)scual is one of my celebrity crushes, but that's just it. It was different with you. It feels like your beauty hit me like a thunder and electrified my body. Whenever I visit your office and see you working from afar, you barely smiled because you were too focused.
But during the campaign, there were those moments when I would catch you looking at me, and you would flash your smile.
It's not a secret to me that you have different types of smiles. There are smiles that are forced, like when news anchors would interview you about your private life. There are smiles that are half-hearted, almost as if ayaw mo talaga ngumiti but you can't. There are the bright sweet smiles, the smiles that occur when you're really having a good day. But of course, my favorite is your secret smile.
I had never understood falling hard and fast, until even while I was awake, I'd dream of you.
Matagal na tayong magkakilala at kaibigan, it was only natural to know everything about you. They always say na we have our own little world kapag magkasama tayo, talking about ourselves, our likes, dislikes, favorite things, you know that. The usual things na pinag-uusapan ng magkaibigan.
Not until that night happened.
We were sharing a room after a campaign rally, they ran out of hotel rooms kaya I offered mine nalang for us to share. We were sitting at the bed, half lying next to each other. You showed me the gift that you got from a supporter, looking at it as if you got a precious toy.
"Lens, let's play a game or you're sleepy na?" you asked, waiting for my answer.
"No naman, sige. What game?"
"Ano lang, tanungan lang. Ganun."
The so called game went on and on, you even wondered what more we could possibly ask each other, ano pa nga ba hindi mo alam tungkol sa akin? We've been friends for years already. Eventually, you asked for help with the question, and I answered, sinabi ko sa'yo kung ano yung una kong naisip.
You looked me in the eye, and said the sentence that changed everything.
"Sumagi na ba sa isip mo ang humalik ng babae?"
I still remember my reaction that night. I laughed at you because of the out of nowhere question.
"Ikaw ah, gusto mo ko halikan 'no?" I stopped laughing and I felt a tension, I noticed you were still looking at me. I remember my gaze drifting to your mouth, my eyes stared at the curve of your upper lip and your plump bottom lip. You were biting it, something you always do when you're nervous. Then I noticed, I was nervous too. Hindi naman ako ganito dati.
The tension between us changed, the defeaning silence consuming us to the point where we can't take it anymore. So, I leant forward, placing my lips on yours.
I never understood the concept of sneaking around, until I needed you.
Elections ended, you won and I lost. But we had prepared for that, we knew it was coming. But atleast we tried, we fought together.
