The Princess and Me

TPAM: Chapter 19

Maddy

I woke up staring at the ceiling. I'm not even sure I slept. Those words kept on rewinding in my head.

"I like you."

As a friend? More than friends? I'm not really sure, to be honest.

I didn't say a word after that. The whole trip home was filled with silence. I didn't even say goodbye to him when we've arrived at my house. Hindi ko alam kung paano magrereact sa sinabi niya. He caught me off guard! Pasaway siya!

But then, all the questions I have in my head were somehow answered.

Sa mga sinasabi niya, sa mga kinikilos niya in the past weeks... now I know kung bakit ganon. I guess he really needed that 'vacation.'

Based sa mga kwento nila Nico and Sam, well mostly Nico, Eli never had a girlfriend. Or even liked a girl. Most people would assume na baka bading siya, pero they know him better.

He always say na hindi pa niya nahahanap yung babaeng makakapag-"paamo" sa kanya. That all of the girls he met are the same, na hindi pa pinapanganak ang babaeng worthy to be called his "girlfriend."

Geez. He really is something.

But I understand him. I myself have never been in a relationship.

It's not like I'm looking for the perfect guy, or masyado akong mapili. I don't know, hindi ko lang talaga siya naramdaman pa.

Like I said before, I'm a hopeless romantic. I'm waiting for that someone who can make me feel like the ones in the movies — hear music when you see him, the world turning into slow motion. And for my 18 years of existence, I haven't felt tha—– Wait!

Hindi ko pa ba talaga nararamdaman yun? Or I already did but haven't really noticed it?!

Am I?!

Or do I like Eli?!

Bigla akong napabangon with that realization.

Seriously? Him?! Sigurado ka, self?

I screamed in frustration while burying my face with a pillow.

AYKENATTTTTTTT!

"Maddy!!!! Are you okay?!" I heard Kuya Luke banging on my door.

"YESSSS!!! Don't mind me. I'm just reflecting on my life decisions." I responded while still burying my face under the pillow.

"Okay, what's going on?" He barge in to my room and grabbed the pillow on my face. "Kala ko kung ano ng nangyayari sayo sa pagkasigaw mo."

"Kuya, have you ever liked someone? How did you know? And pano ka nakasiguro na hindi nag-malfunction yung utak mo?" Sunod sunod kong tanong sa kanya.

"Whoa! Where did that come from? At teka, hinay hinay lang. Mahina kalaban." He responded while pausing for a bit. "Yes, I have. But that was a longgggg time ago. I think it was in high school. How did I know? I don't know honestly. I guess I look for her everyday and when she's not around, I feel like my day isn't completely. Like there's something missing. And I'm pretty sure my head didn't malfunction after I knew I like her," he chuckled and then continued on, "At bakit mo naman natanong yan? Meron na ba?" He looked at me teasingly.

"Wala. Masama bang magtanong at maging curious?!" I answered, trying to dodge his impending interrogation.

"No. Pero medyo ang odd lang ng timing ng pagkacurious mo, especially after Eli dropped you off last night and you left his car like a thief who just stole something." Gahd. He really is intuitive. And observant. Kainis. Bakit pa kasi ako nagtanong!