TEASER

It's already midnight when I felt the vibrating sound of my cellphone in my pocket. Tumayo ako at umalis muna sa harapan ng lamesa kung saan nag-i-inuman ang mga kaklase ko.

I bring out my cellphone to see who the hell is calling me in this late of night. It was my sister, nag missed-call lang ito na sinundan naman ng isang text message which I didn't bother to open. Alam ko na'rin naman kung ano ang sasabihin niya and I'm sure it's not worth my time kaya de-dedmahin ko na lang.

I was about to go back when I suddenly heard something. Napalingon ako sa may puno ng molave na malapit sa kinatatayuan ko. I blinked my eyes multiple times to make it adjust from the darkness of the night, alam kong medyo naparami na'rin ako ng na-i-inom na alak pero sigurado naman ako na nasa tama pa ang pag-iisip ko.

"Sinong nandiyan?" I asked to the silhouette of a person under the tree. Medyo nagco-compliment kasi ang pigura nito sa mismong anino ng puno kaya mahirap aninagin kung sino ang nandoon.

Nagsimula akong humakbang palapit dito habang pinakiki-ramdaman pa'rin ang buong paligid. Inilabas kong muli ang aking cellphone at inihanda ito.

"Shit–what the hell are you doing here?!" I almost screamed as I saw a paled-face of a person from the backlight of my phone. He was sitting on the bermuda grass while holding a bottle of beer.

"You know you can't be here in this ho–wait umiyak ka ba?" Tanong ko dito habang sinusuri ang kanyang itsura.

I leaned closer to him, placing my other hand on my knee, just wanted to see if I'm not mistaken. Pero bigla na lamang itong tumingala sa akin na siyang ikinagulat ko.

"What are you talking about? B-baliw ka ba?" Garalgal ang boses nitong tanong habang nakatitig ng diretso sa aking mga mata.

His eyes were red as well as his cheeks down to his almost perfectly-shaped lips. I suddenly felt something hot inside my body. Something burning. And as the cold wind blew–a familiar scent of a sweetened lemon lingered up to my nostrils. It was so addicting and satisfying. And I didn't even know that a simple faint light coming from my phone will make him so attractive.

He then suddenly shifted his eyes to my lips. The hot sensation keeps on burning.

I felt an unknown attraction that makes me want to close the gap between us.

I felt the urges. The desires.

Pakiramdam ko ay biglang bumagal ang oras.

And the last second I remember was my face closing next to him.