Chapter 2

"Jillian!! What is taking you to long?" Neil shouted.

"I'm almost done, you were just impatient!" Ian shouted back.

"Don't shout", Nana said to Neil. "The two of you, making my ears hurt".

Ian went out of her room and glare at him, "Nana, this guy" pointing at his cousin," He started it," Ian explained.

"Oh, no matter who started it, shouting is not a good manner specially when your not that far.You are a woman", Nana preached to her.

"Ok , I won't do it", Ian said with pleading eyes. She glare at Neil. "And you, where are you going?" Ian asked Neil.

"We're just going to watch a contest, because a friend of mine will compete for flaretending", Neil replied to her.

"ohh.. Noah is compiting I would want to watch," Nana said remembering the kid. "Will he just compete alone?" Nana look Neil questionly.

"Yes, he will compete alone, I didn't reach the finals. But its fine atleast one of us reach the finals." He said consolingly to Nana. "And our friend will support him, we will watch with them." Neil said.

"Good to hear that, take care of your cousin Neil, she is still new here." Nana reminding Neil. She told us to leave so that we won't be late.

"All right, Nana, we're leaving", Ian bid goodbye to her Nana. They went out of the gate, Neil's car is outside the gate. Ian was being teased by Neil. Ian feel a bit board because of the silence ,and they were caugth in the traffic. To ease her boredom Ian ask question to her cousin. "Neil, do you know how to flare?".

"Ah yes, I learned from Noah", he replied to me without even looking at her. He is focus on the road.

"Oh, why didn't you make it to the finals?" Ian asked again.

"I encounter good opponent and I am not that expert. I just learned to flare a year ago." Neil explained to her.

"So only Noah, have you been studying flare for a long time?" Ian asked.

"Yes, when were in high school, he fell in love with that." Neil smiled, tho there were glint of envy on his eyes for his friend.

"How he started?" Ian asking again.

"I don't know. Its just one day he just practiced throwing a bottle",Neil answered her.

Ian changed the subject. "Mind if i ask, who are your friends aside from this Noah?"

"My set of friends?, they were my classmate during grade school,and i become close to them around 4th grade. So they were known by Nana, because i would bring them there, to hang out and practice." Neil replied.

"Hhmm..if they are your friends, why can't I see them on campus?" Ian asked.

"Noah and Archie went to different school, but Darril and I attend our school. In the case of not seeing Darril because he took the night class, and you took morning class. The chances of seeing him is slim" he explained to Ian.

"Can i ask another question?" Ian want to know more.

"Yup," he answered her briefly.

"How did you become famous?" Ian asked. 'I'm curious so curious, and can't stop wondering.'

"Ah that! we were discovered by the teacher's during grade school back then,they need a representative in each section, the four of us were selected because we were the most handsome in the class." He laughed. While remebering the past.

"Oh then? Don't hang up with the stories!" Ian told him.

"That's where it all started, every time we have an event or program we perform, we dance while singing, Darril and I will take care of the song choice, Noah and Archie will take the dance step. There are times we will do our own remix". Neil continue.

"Ah that's why you have so many fangirls on campus, I heard you are Mr. Snob." Ian asked jokingly.

"Yes, I don't like shrimp-looking people..and they just want me because I'm handsome .." he jokingly replied.

"Ah Archie, he's a player so be careful with him, Darril, is the serious type kind but he is stick to one..if I'm Mr. Snob.. Noah is very friendly, yet he is called Mr. Mysterious, you can't fathom what he is thinking.. "Neil discribing his friends.

"Wow well describe!" Ian teased.

"Yeah, I just want you to be vigilant to them. I just want you to be careful around them, and do the same at school." Neil warning Ian.

"Hhmm..I okey" Ian replied. "Are we still far from the venue?" Ian asked again.

"We are close" Neil replied to her. Then he heard his phone ringing.

Frozen inside without your touch

Without your love darling,

Only you are the life among dead ..

He answered the call, he spoke loudly. "We are close". He told to the othwr line.

Ian whispered to herself. 'No more hello?'

"Good..it's about to start so hurry up." Said by the person talking to Neil. He just end the call without saying goodbye. They entered a parking area of the stadium. When they were able to park, he handed me an ID and said. "These are special passes, we can enter the backstage." Ian no longer asked question, she put on her neck and followed him. They entered the hall called out his friends through phone. He talked to them, while searching his friends. Neil saw saw his friends location. Then Neil look at her, "Why were you just standing there? Common" he said.

"Ah OK let's go there", Ian replied. Neil hold her wrist walked towards to his friend over. Ian is being drag. She let him. He did not let go of her wrist. Even when they reached to his friends. Neil hold on to her, and his friends notice it. They kept teasing him.

"You came late, and with a beautiful woman?", Said by the guy.

His companion agrees. "Yeah". He? look at her and whisper to Neil, "Archie, spread a rumor. That you have a girlfriend".

Neil hide her in his back, look at them seriously. His friends were shock to his action."Wow, that's new!" They teased.

"Tsk..you guys are noisy.." Neil said seriously.

"Tsk..marking yoir territory? And you look like your about spit fire at any time..well if you don't introduce us, I will introduce myself. Miss I'm John Archie Rivena." Helding out his hand toward to her, and winking at her.

Ian shake her hand with him. Neil lean closer to him and whisper. He is threatening Archie, "don't try to use your charm on her, you can't include her in your collection, she's off limits". Neil said in dangerous tone.

Archie raised both hands in the air, " Relax I will not take her from you".

Darril but in and introduced himself, "hi miss? I'm Darril Aris Mendoza." He said politely.

As a kind person, Ian introduced herself, "I'm Jillian Yu, and he is my cousin". They were shocked by what hear. And they were speechless. So I sitdown, next to Neil.This is our sitting arrangement. Ian sit on the left side of Neil. Then Archie and Darril were seated on his right side. Neil made sure Ian is seated far away from Archie. He is being overprotective to her just like when they were kids. Ian look at the stage, the program has begin. She hear them talking, 'Noah is the one in the middle', she heard. She focuse on him, while looking at him. She got mesmirize, her mind went blank. She forgot everything. As if they were just the two of them in that place. She felt like floating. Her focus is only to Noah. It took sometime before her brain works. She start to question her self. 'We haven't met, yet i feel this way. He look so handsome. She felt, like he have know her all her life. While I have never met or seen him in person or in photos before. But why I feel this'. Ian give a deep sighed.

Neil hear her sigh,he ask her "Ian, are you not feeling okey?" Concerned was written on his face.

"I'm okey. I just wondered, and can't understand what they were doing. How they do those treaks while mixing liqour. They made is delicious and it seems it was so is easy?" Ian lie.

"The liqour mix, it does tastes good. Tho only depends on whether it is cocktail drinks or hard drinks. It might look easy, but it's not..." Neil answered her.

'I was going to ask more questions, but the person I was thinking about was called out to the stage. He started performing..I was just looking at each move of his hand because it was smooth and I couldn't breathe properly. I felt nevous. Danng...it! l was never been this nervous..watching a performance..he took the handkerchief in his pocket and blindfolded himself, my heartbeat is not normal any more!'. Ian was silent but her mind is not. She felt relieve when his performance is over. But her mind is full of question, 'Why Noah's appeal to me is so powerful, i can't even take my eyes of him! yes I will admit he is handsome, even from afar but what he look like from a short distance, oh my! Please give me strenght'. Ian was on the deep of her thoughts she do not understand what the host said.

Neil notice Ian become quite he got worried, "Are you okay?".

Ian felt a touch, she jolt and look who touch her. She notice the worried eyes of Neil, "Yes, maybe I was just overwhelmed by what I saw," Ian replied, to assure him.

Neil talk to her, "Noah win there and would be a celebration, would you like to come at the party?" He asked Ian.

Ian want to come, yet she feel nervous. She lighten her mood to hide her worries. "Of course, I will come. I don't have class tomorrow." They were busy talking, Archie yelled at them, "lets go to the backstage to congratulate him". They went to Noah, Archie was the one in front, Darril, Neil and Ian followed him. Until they reach the backstage. Archie looked for Noah. Ian stayed at the back of Neil.Not because she's afraid. But because he had a different effect on her. Her heart skip its beat as she see his back, and she forgot to breath when he turned around facing them, with wide smile.

Ian called Neil, "Neil! Is that Noah?" Ian pointed at the man with wide smile and looking at them. Neil nod, calling out his two friends. "Bro, we've seen Noah," he said. Neil whispered to her. He is teasing her, "tsk! Your eyes is being clear, is he your typed?". He smirked at her.

Ian turned red, she can't answer. She would have answered but his friends came. They passed through on her. But Darril turned around on Ian, "Ian, come on". He called her.

Ian just nodded and followed them.She was just behind them. The four of were talking. As if they were not with her. 'My dear cousin also forgot that I was with him and did not introduce me', Ian said to herself. The event is over, people are leaving. His friends agreed to celebrate. They all walk to the parking area, they still don't remember Ian was with them.