2 The Dating Game

A gravely calm and mellow masculine voice singing filled the evening air.

"I've known you for so long

You are a friend of mine

But is this all we'd ever be?

I've loved you ever since

You are a friend of mine

But babe, is this all we ever could be?

You tell me things I've never known.

I've shown you love you've never shown."

Stunned, gazing on a drop-dead gorgeous face, deep-seated eyes as black and wildly luminous as his hair, tawny skin, and natural thin dark red lips wetted as he slid his tongue and bit his lips. The impeccable shape of a roman nose matched perfectly on his chiseled face. And he is my best friend Ziggy, with his charming smile while singing, he was staring straight back at me.

He and two other men were in line and sat on a stool in front of the stage. They were the wooers or the courtiers. The stage was divided into two, it was cut with a decorated cardboard wall, and on the other side is the lady searcher, who's graciously sat in an elegantly designed armchair. The cardboard will hide the wooers from the searcher's view and vice versa. But mostly, the wooer is aware of who the searcher is, which does not work two ways.

In this game, the searcher should not know who the wooers are, so she will not choose her date based on how he looks. However, everyone on the stage and participants of the game is visible to all the audience. The searcher will ask a few questions for the wooer to answer or let them do something for her, like singing or any other way to help her determine the one she would want to select.

"Wow! Such a lovely song from our wooer number three! Okay! For the sake of our beautiful searcher, we will have a recap. As we remember, wooer number one sang her 'waiting for your love,' then wooer number two sang 'Love me for what I am,' and wooer number three sang 'A friend of mine.' Since our lady searcher can't see our wooers, will she choose her date through their voice or the song they sang? And before we proceed to the next part of this dating game, my co-emcee Cloe will say a few words of gratitude to our sponsors". Dina nudged me after noticing my dreamy expression and passed me the mic, for it would be my turn to speak.

"Huh?" I am startled for a moment, since I had been out of this world for a while, with my eyes still glued on Ziggy, who was also looking back at me with his teasing grin.

"Uh, Oh, yes! I want to say thank you to our sponsors Mr. and Mrs. Deliman, Arnaldo Bakeshop, Serico Family, and Alphabet Merchandise. This show will never be possible without your undying support to our youth."

As soon as I deliver the acknowledgment. I pass the microphone to one of our org. member to substitute me as an emcee. Not that I'm aware of, but I'm not quite myself ever since Ziggy sang that song. I can hardly describe it, but I feel dumbstruck, flooded with euphoria and the chilling sensation of having butterflies in my stomach.

Such a bizarre, the way he sang the song, every word, every melody, and his every breath magnify in slower pace carving meticulously every message on me.

Hold back, I paused, took a deep breath, and composed myself back to reality. I know he sang that not for me, of course, but for the lady searcher, my cousin, Betina. Maybe he really wanted to say it to Betina, and maybe he liked her too. They, also, were friends as we were, and that's possibly why he chose the song "Friend of mine."

Before long, all the questioning and test had been concluded. It would be time for the searcher to choose between the wooer, who to date. Since the organization had collected enough funds from the contributions and donations to finance a simple dinner date. 

Then, an ice skating experience in a mall and a romantic stroll in a park. And of course, some souvenir photo-taking sessions for the organization's documentation on the activity.

"Okay, searcher! Which of the most favored wooer will you choose to be with, in your soon most unforgettable sponsored Valentine date?"

Not a minute later, the thrill and excitement on Bettina's voice flaunt through as she shivered  and as agitated as she announced, "I choose …wooer… number … three!!!"

I want to flop down as I sighed the moment I heard that she had chosen Ziggy to be her Valentine's date. I may be unhappy, but I'm aware that I don't had even a tiny bit of right to feel this way. I was even the reason why this all happened. I forced Ziggy to participate in that dating game.

I even remembered every detail of how I begged him to join.

"I already told ya, I won't! that's so mortifying." Ziggy shook his head to strongly show the unwillingness to grant me the favor.

"OH, come on, Zig… please … We're best friends, aren't we? Don't you even have some sympathy for me? The org. member will look down on me, saying I'm an incompetent leader if I can't even realize the planned Valentine's program to succeed. And, how can I push this through if I lacked one participant, Zig it won't be possible. And Zig, you know it very well, how I really, really need this for my backstory if ever I will run for the Student Govt. right?" I firmly pleaded on Ziggy.

He smirked before he said, "I will agree to do it, in one condition."

"Huh?! What's that?" I asked with my brow furrowed. I thought any condition would do, and I was willing to do it.

"I will only join if you will be the searcher," he answered with sincerity and without hesitation.

I let out a huge guffaw the moment I heard his asseveration, and I couldn't help it. "Hahaha, you're such a nut, hahaha!! If I will be the searcher? Then it's absurd. Where's the thrill? I already know all the wooers. Did you forget that I'm one of the organizers? Hello..!!" As I drew my face closer to his, with some silly distorted look.

He caught me by surprise when he wittily assumed to bite me on the face, verged upon my lips. Taken aback, I move away in lickety-split, and we both burst into laughter at our ditsy actions.

.....

The day after.

Breaktime at school. I spotted my best friend alone at his desk. Eyes buckled down on his books while taking some notes. I approached him unnoticed. "Wow! Did some supernatural phenomenon happen? Otherwise, how did my best friend Zig suddenly turn into a study geek?" I said jokingly to initiate the conversation and get his attention.

"And who says I'm studying?" He looked at me and whispered, "I'm just preparing some cheat sheets," with some cute snicker.

"Whoa, that's bad," I nudged him.

He stopped with what he was doing, and put down the pen. Then turned to face me completely. "No, seriously, I'm really not a cheater; I'm faithful," he said with some solemnity in his words.

My eyebrows knitted with confusion. I replied, "Huh? How on earth with that faithful word got to do with the exam?"

"Actually, it's not faithful; what I truly mean is truthful." He paused with a deep breath and went on. "By the way, I have to tell you something. I don't really want to tell you this, but I don't want you to get mad at me, not letting you know."

"Hmm, What's that?" I asked him while I was rummaging his backpack and I found a hamburger. Without hesitation, I then devoured it.

"You're such a hog. Can't you be modest? Your admirer will definitely get turned off that way and spare me some of that hamburger I'm hungry." He jestingly poked my nose with his finger.

My eyes widened as I beamed. "Really? Did someone get a crush on me? A...re you jealous?" I was just kidding as I said that because I didn't really expect him to be, but his expression suddenly changed from playful to seemingly resolute.

"Yes, he is Nixon, my teammate. He even asks me to be his bridge. Isn't he close with Amabel? The girl whom they say will also run for Student Government president next year?" He looked and sounded dubious while saying it.

However, his mood change didn't bother me. Instead, my eyes glistened with excitement. "Whee! that cute chinito guy?"

Straight away and without a  single reaction or sound,  and while he was bearing his poker face. Ziggy picked up his bag and strode out of the classroom.

"Hey! Zig, wait!" I called out as he walked farther, but he ignored my call and kept ongoing.