II

It's until later that night that I woke up. It was already early afternoon that we arrived, so it wasn't unexpected for me to wake up in the middle of the night. I got used to my night hunger strike that I didn't even need the light to navigate my way to the kitchen.

As I reached my destination, I yawned as I open the refrigerator and took out a bowl of cold pasta. Still sleepy, I moved towards the microwave, put the bowl inside, turn it on and set it for a minute. I brought up my hand over my mouth, and was about to yawn once more when I saw Ali in the dark entering the kitchen. The light from the moon, seeping through the double sliding door at the side, provided enough vision for me to recognized Ali.

If she was pretty and cute in the light, she seemed more womanly under the moonlight. She looked gorgeous, out of this world... a soft epitome of a goddess.

I internally shake my thoughts away and cleared my throat. I brought down my hand and lean properly on the tabletop near the microwave. "Hey," I greeted.

I saw her faintly smiling through the crescent light before greeting me back, "Hey, Seal." She started calling me Seal when she learned that my real name is Segundo Miguel, a little alteration of Se-uel from both my names. "Glad you're awake now." She walked towards the island bar and sat on one of the high chair, facing me.

"Well, I was beaten up by traffic. Funny how I lived here all my life, but I can't seem to get used to it." I walked towards her and lean on the table top. "So, what can I do for you my lady? Any reason why you're down here?"

"Can't sleep, so I'm trying to find some milk." I can't help but smiled when she pouted. "I also still have jet lag and having problems about the time zone."

"Hmm... One glass of milk, coming up! Do you like it cold or hot?" I asked as I took out the milk from the refrigerator

"Cold will do," I heard her softly said.

I took a glass out and silently poured milk in it. I took the milk back in the refrigerator, then slid the glass towards her. "One glass of cold milk, all yours." I smiled which she enthusiastically returned. Right on time, the microwave's timer set off. I pulled out the food and sat in front of Ali.

That night, we were both engulfed in a peaceful silence, had no need to say anything to each other, other than enjoy each other's presence. It's something I didn't expect from a gorgeous woman I just met, very far from the awkwardness I thought we'll undergo as we sat close to each other alone. Guess being around her isn't really bad. And she's also no near bitchy and bratty we expect her to be. I guess, nothing would be better than this.

The next day, I managed to wake up before lunch, but still missed breakfast. When I walked pass down the living room, I saw Ali awkwardly sitting on the couch with my ever-so-comfortable sister beside her. She was looking around, trying to find someone, I guess, who could save her from her doom. Her whole face lit up when she saw me on the doorway.

"Seal! Good morning!" she greeted with a big grin in her face. My sister looked up from the tv for a moment before focusing once again on her favorite drama.

"Hey, good morning," I looked at Ate Prim, "Morning, Ate." She mumbled a reply, clearly lost at her favorite show.

I was about to leave, as I was on my way to the kitchen when Ali stood up. Ate lost focus and looked up to her. "You going to the kitchen, Seal?" Ali asked hopefully. I could almost hear her pleading for me to take her with me.

"Yup. Wanna come?" I can feel Ate looked at me before looking back to Ali.

"Are you hungry, Ali?" she asked, oblivious to Ali's intentions.

"Uhm, kinda. I'm just craving some toasts," Ali said and smiled awkwardly.

I tried hard not to laugh, but a smile escaped from my lips. "Come, I'll help you with your toasts." Ali bid a goodbye to Ate before almost sprinting towards me. We walked side by side and the moment we are out of Ate's eyesight and hearing, she immediately jumped on me, kissing me on the cheek before giggling. "Thank you!" she squealed.

"I see, you hate watching Telenovelas," I teased her. She rolled her eyes in return as she sat on the high chair she was seating on last night as we arrived in the kitchen.

"I'm more of a sporty girl. I like staying outdoors than indoors. I love Primo, in the short time we met. It's like meeting my old lost sister. But I was really bored a while ago. She won't even talk to me, and I don't want to be rude and leave her just because I'm not fond of TV dramas." She pouted before laying her forehead against her forearms that are on the table. "She seemed lost at it," she said and chuckled, voice muffled.

"Well, that she took from Mom." I said as finished setting up the toaster. "They're both drama queens addicted to anything that's heavy in drama. Sometimes, I feel like the only normal person in this house."

She chuckled as she lifted her head. "Yeah? How about your Dad and your brothers?"

"Well, if it's not evident in our names, Dad's weird especially when he's all relax and stuff. He gets pretty childish and a pain on the bangs. Third's too arrogant and gets easily irritated especially when he loses in sports. You should see him when he plays online games. He shouts like a madman. Four- Well, you know about it." The first day Ali was first, yesterday, poor young Four fainted.

Four had always been cold and detached, or so he seemed to others. But everyone in this house knows that Four is just a shy 15-year-old kid who appreciates his personal space and privacy. He's reserved and likes to keep to himself. And when he meets strangers for the first time, he gets overly-nervous. He also faints, most of the time, when he felt like his personal space is being invaded due to his social anxiety. We never really addressed it in the house and let Four have his personal bubble and his own decision about social interactions and stuff (except with Ali's case). We (They) also explained it to Ali because she was guilty and worried yesterday. As of now, still not used to Ali's presence in the house, Four was not seen outside his room since his scene yesterday. He even ate inside his room to lessen his interaction with the stranger in the house.

"Fair point. But how can we be sure you're as normal as you say? You might as well be as weird as your father, for all we know," she insisted.

"I guess you'll just have to know by sticking with me." I winked at her before facing my back towards her as I readied her toast. We continued talking about my family and each member's quirk throughout our mini brunch. Didn't took long before Nana Lily, our old maid slash nanny, came to the kitchen to reheat the food they had cook earlier for lunch. She kicked us out and asked as to call my siblings for lunch.

I assisted Ali and toured her around the ground floor of our house before walking towards the nearest intercom that connects to every room in the second floor. I also called Ate Prim as we walked pass her again in the living room on our way towards the dining hall. She grunted, clearly not finished with what she's watching. But we know better than not eat together when Nana's cooking. She likes seeing us, family, enjoy her food together, always saying something about family bond and stuff. Well, we usually eat together anyway, when Dad and Mom's present, so no big deal.

After lunch, Ate Prim and I decided to company Ali in shopping for her school supplies. I was the designated driver once again. We even dropped Nana to her house, just a couple of lot away from the subdivision.

"Bacoor is a better choice, Ate. The traffic's bearable," I said as I maneuvered the car around Bayan.

At the end, we still end up stuck in the traffic on the way to Pala-pala, as my sister argued that the mall is a better choice if we need school supplies. I held out my tongue from saying she just wanted to shop for clothes and accessories.

Didn't took longer than an hour stuck at the road, I was finally greeted by the slight cold temperature of the inside of the mall. As it was a few days before school, weekends, the mall is jampacked with people. One of them seemed to recognize the girl beside me, for a person I never had expected. I guess I am losing my touch.

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