Rainbows After the Rain (Published Under Pop Fiction)

11.

Protect

Walkin' the streets with you and your worn-out jeans
I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be
Laughing on a park bench, thinking to myself
Hey, isn't this easy?

The music in my room was loud but the sound of my electric guitar was louder. Nakapikit ako at nakatingala habang kinakalabit ang gitara.

And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town
I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down
You say your fine, I know you better then that
Hey what you doing with a girl like that?

Fuck it!

I was doing an electric guitar cover of You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift. It was dedicated to the person in the comment section who requested it.

I've been doing several covers in my YouTube channel. I had millions of subscribers. Sa simpleng libangan kong ito ay kumikita rin ako.

She wears high heels, I wear sneakers
She's cheer captain, And I'm on the bleachers
Dreaming about the day when you wake up
And find that what you're looking for has been here the whole time!

My brows are furrowing while aggressively strumming my guitar. Fuck. Kagat ko nang mariin ang ibabang labi, sa sobrang diin ay nalasahan ko na ang dugo.

Pilit kong pinakalma ang galaw ng mga daliri ngunit sa tuwing naaalala kong binlocked niya ako sa Facebook ay bumibilis ang galaw nito, galit na galit, ang gitara pa ang napagdiskitahan.

If you can see that I'm the one who understands you,
Been here all along so why can't you see..
You belong with m—

"Fuck!" I muttered when my index finger got tangled with one of the strings.

I opened my eyes to look at my finger. Uminit ang dulo ng daliri ko nang mahiwa ito at dumugo.

Binitawan ko ang guitar pick at pinahid ang dugo sa itim kong pants. I shoved it in my mouth and sucked the wound so it would stop bleeding.

I paused the recorded video in my iPad and close it instead. Bukas ko nalang gagawin. Ang dami ko pang nakapending na request pero wala talaga ako sa mood ngayon.

Binagsak ko ang sarili sa couch at pinatong ang braso ko sa noo. Wala naman akong ginawa buong araw pero pagod na pagod ang katawan ko. Wala akong gana o lakas na kumilos.

Marahas akong bumuga nang hangin. I closed my eyes and plucked my fingers in the strings of my guitar slowly, while thinking, creating a slow rhythm.

"Kuya!" bumukas ang pinto at pumasok ang nagmamadaling si Killian.

Naramdaman ko ang pag-akyat nito sa couch. Mabagal kong ginalaw ang ulo paharap sa kaniya at binuksan ang mata para makita nito.

"Hmm, baby?" I whispered  sleepily.

"Please, help me with my assignment po! I need to draw a house po and I don't know how to draw..." nilapag niya ang notebook sa mesa ko.

Umayos ako ng upo at binaba ang gitara ko sa mesa. I unplugged it too before facing my younger brother.

"How about we make a deal?" I proposed while playing with the yarn in his notebook.

"What deal po?"

"Say...if you perfect a quiz or your assignment, kuya will give you a reward. Anything you want."

Namilog ang mga mata niya. He dramatically covered his mouth and giggled.

"Really po?!" He excitedly asked.