"HINDI ka nakikinig, Moana," ani Vince na isinara ang libro ng Trigonometry dahil wala naman doon ang pansin ng kaharap. "Nakatitig ka sa akin pero wala sa sinasabi ko ang iniisip mo."
"Vince..."
"What?" Naiiritang tanong nito.
"Do you find me pretty?"
Nabigla si Vince sa tanong na iyon, nagsalubong ang mga kilay. "Of course you are pretty. Not just pretty but beautiful, too, Moana. Pero ano ang kaugnayan ng itsura mo sa Trigo?"
Nasiyahan siya roon. Hindi pinansin ang huling sinabi nito. "Eh, sino ang mas maganda sa amin ni... ni... Veron?"
Tumingala sa bubong ng swing si Vince kasabay ng pag-iling. "Women!"
"Sige na nga, huwag mo nang sagutin. Alam kong mas maganda si Veron..." naroon ang resignation sa tinig niya at wala sa loob na binuklat-buklat ang libro.
"You are the prettiest in all of San Ignacio, Moana Marie," seryosong wika nito. And you have the most sensual face I've ever seen. And that single flirtatious dimple is driving me mad. Pinigil ang sariling idagdag ang nasa isip.
Biglang nag-angat ng mukha ang dalagita at nakitang nakatitig ng matiim sa kanya ang binata. But she's too young to read what was written there.
"You mean that?" Kumislap ang mga mata niya.
"Cross my heart and hope to die," nakangising wika nito kasabay ng pag-kurus sa dibdib.
"Then...then it's possible for you to...to like me?"
Bumuntong-hininga si Vince at muling binuksan ang libro. "I like you, Moana, I really do. Now let's get on with this..."
"Then kiss me, Vince..."
He stiffened. Then slowly raised his eyes. "I'll pretend you didn't say that..." at isinara ang libro. "I don't think you're really interested to learn so—"
"I am serious, Vince. I want you to kiss me."
Hindi malaman ng binata kung maiirita o matatawa sa kaseryosohan sa mukha niya. "You don't know what you're asking, Moana..."
"Of course, I do," giit niya. "You're every woman's dream, Vince. Pinag-uusapan ka ng ibang mga classmates ko. Some of their elder sisters were your ex-girlfriends kung hindi man nagkaroon ng matinding crush sa iyo. They said you kiss nice and—" bumaba ang mga mata niya sa may sinturon nito.
"Moana Marie!"
"You don't have to shout at me," she said pouting her lips. "I only want you to kiss me. Really kiss me. You see, all the boys that I went dating with had kissed me, you know," sa mga figures sa libro siya nakatingin kaya hindi niya nakita ang mariing pagkakadikit ng mga kilay ni Vince. "And yuck! I hated it that I broke it off with them after the first date. Iyong sinasabi mong boyfriend ni Clem na naging boyfriend ko... well, he was an improvement kaysa sa iba, still hindi ko alam kung saan ko ibabaling ang mukha ko. Naiipit niya ang ilong ko that I couldn't breath!"
"You didn't come here to ask me to give you a kissing lesson, did you?" Nasa tinig na nito ang babala at iritasyon.
She pushed her luck. "You said you like me. So what's wrong if you kissed me?"
"Shut up! I don't kiss little girls with braces, damn it!" Pagalit itong tumayo at nauga ang swing.
Bigla rin siyang tumayo at nameywang, nairita sa sinabi nito. "I am not a little girl anymore, Vince! And don't worry about my braces dahil ipatatanggal ko ito bukas din. Ang Mommy lang naman ang may gusto nito, eh!"
"Oh, lord!"
VOUS LISEZ
Sweetheart Series 4: My Knight In Shining Armour (COMPLETED)
Roman d'amour"Shut up, Moana, I don't kiss little girls with braces!" Moana Marie was fifteen and had this stupid crush on Vince Saavedra, cool and drop-dead gorgeous. But her feelings for him was way out of line. Walong taon ang tanda nito sa kanya, may girlfr...
