Perfect Mismatch

CHAPTER 9

"Thomas, wake up, wake up," someone lulled and I felt someone tickle my nose. "Thom-Thom, gising."

I am not dreaming and I am so sure that someone is playing with my face. I stirred and tried to flick that someone's hand. I turned my back at that someone faced the other way.

Whoever you are, leave me alone. I am still catching my sleep.

"Aw!" I exclaimed when I felt someone hit my arm. My triceps definitely felt the hand striking over it.

The pain made me got up and when I turned I found who was the suspect.

"Sorry! Kanina pa kita ginigising ayaw mong magising eh," Ara said with an apologetic face.

I wanted to scream at her but I retracted. Her morning apologetic face is illegally cute. An angel in the morning... I thought. I wouldn't mind waking up to this.

"Huy! Why are you smiling?" Ara waved her hand in front of my face as if trying to get my attention.

"What?" I dumbly asked.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked again.

"W-wala," I stammered. "Why are you here?" Where's Kieth?"

Kieth and I are in the same room while the girls are in the other. This is the condition that Kasey's parents asked from us before leaving.

And the last time I checked, I am with Kieth and not Ara.

"Kieth called me. He's in the bathroom, pinapagising ka nga sakin. Meeting muna tayo before the big night later," Ara informed.

"A-ahh," I uttered.

"I was looking for you earlier, I thought you're going for a run. But Kieth said you're still sleeping when I passed by here. So, I ran on my own instead," Ara told me and sat at the end of my bed.

"I was really sleepy," I reasoned.

"Really? Early naman tayong natapos mag-night swimming ah," Ara commented.

Because you did not allow me to sleep, I wanted to say in front of her but did not. Really, I barely had sleep last night.

Okay, I have a secret to tell.

I can't stop thinking about Ara last night, everything about her, her monstrous appetite, her cuteness, her smart mouth, her wit, the amazing body and the sweetest smile.

Her different faces were playing on repeat in my head. They all didn't let me sleep.

"Isabella won't sleep. We were face-timing ," I lied.

"Ahhh," Ara nodded. "You're close to your sister?"

"Sisters and brothers," I corrected. "We're a close bunch. Isabella is our baby princess. Nobody can say no to that one."

"Aww Sweet Kuya ka naman pala eh," Ara smiled.

Her smile is brighter than the morning sun.

I replied with a smiled then changed the topic before Ara finds out I'm lying. "So what's the agenda of this meeting."

"We'll try to figure out how we can preoccupy Kasey while the two of us are setting up," Ara said.