prologue

Simula

League

I held onto the colors of time, it offered me hope and warmth. Warmth that I gave into when I met him. The first strum of his guitar and the swing of his hips, I remember it clearly as it were yesterday. I buried my hands in the snow. The cold numbing my senses.

"Hate!" sigaw ng kapatid kong si Demeter. "Halika na daw sabi ni mama! Dali na't baka mapagalitan ka na naman!" Aya niya sa'kin.

Lagi nalang ganto, simula nung dinala ako dito sa Canada. Hindi ako umuuwi madalas. Nasa labas ako, pumupunta sa mga clubs dito. 'Di rin naman ako masisi nina mama, kaya hinahayaan nalang nila ko. Pero minsan sumosobra na, kaya ako napapagalitan.

Hinaplos ni Demeter ang aking balikat. "Hate, if you don't stop thinking about him you're gonna die of stress!" I looked up at her.

How can we know if it really is the right person... yet we met them at the wrong time? Fate is cruel and vile. It allows you to meet the person you've thought to be your's. Why do they allow it when there's no way for us to be together. My parents despised my love for him, for all the wrong reasons.

"I won't die of stress, I'll just die of pain and misery." I sunk my feet deeper in the thick snow that littered the ground. "He left, Dee." Lumingon ako sa kawalan.

My eyes followed a snowflake that lands gently on the point of my nose. "Hay naku! Ang kulit kulit mo talaga, ha. 'Pag si Papa nagalit sa'yo 'wag mo kong idadamay jusko ka!"

Malaki ang takot ni Demeter kay Papa, sa kadahilan siguro na tumataas ang boses nito at lumalaki ang mata. Napapadalas rin ang pagsalita ni Papa ng arabic pag galit ito. I could care less what my Papa would say. What they all say. Maybe I was obssesed, maybe I was hurt or just in love. I've never went against my parents before, I was the obedient prim and proper daughter. I payed heed at their every command. Attending dance recitals, taking up piano lessons, and watching soap opera with my Mama even if it was against my will to. Sinunod ko naman sila sa mga gusto nila, but why can't they let me be with the man that makes me happy?

Tumayo na 'ko dahil hindi ko na kayang marinig pa ang ngawa ng kapatid ko.

"Darling, why are you so upset?" Tanong ni Mama. "Is it because of that boy toy of your's? What was his name... Demeter."

My sister jumped at the sound of her name. "Yes mama?"

"Ano nga ba ulit ang name no'ng lalaking iyon?"

"Vortigern po." She glanced at me before proceeding to tell her his name. "Vortigern Khyrsoar Zacarías." I stood up, dropping my table napkin on the table.

"A Zacarias, you don't need those men in your life. You're better off—"

"I'm not hungry." tumayo na ako at tumakbo paalis sa dining room.

Inignora 'ko ang mga mura sa'kin ni Papa't mama. Dumiretso ako sa kuwarto ko para magbihis ng damit pang gabi. My friends were already expecting me at the club. I snuck out my window, in a short red dress.

"Niamh!" A guy calls out. Hinila niya ako palapit sakanya at inakbayan ako.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Helios, I told you not to call me that."

I didn't want anyone calling me by my first name. It carried a sentimental feeling with it, I don't want to remember. I never wanted to feel it again. Umupo na ako sa couch na kinuha ni Helios. Nandito na rin ang iba naming mga kaibigan. In-offeran ako ng shot glass, agad ko naman ito nilagok.

My eyes wandered to the stage up front. The DJ cut the music off resulting the amount of groans of complaint. Kinuha nito ang mic at nagsimulang magsalita.

"Alright, alright! Tonight, we're going down the sentimental road." He announced.

I swirled the transparent liquid in my glass. A hand presses on my stomach, I turn to Helios with a skeptical look. "Wanna go?" His hand snaked it's way around my waist.

And I'd give up forever to touch you

'Cause I know that you feel me somehow

Napatigil ako sa tono ng kanta. "Hate, ayos lang ba ikaw?" Helios asked in his broken tagalog.

I'm taken back to the days of where it all began, this song... This song was played at the start of our school fair. A single tear squeezed out of my wild eyes. An ache formed around my chest.

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be

And I don't want to go home right now

"Ano ba naman 'to! Ba't ganto pinapatugtog nila?" Reklamo ng kaibigan kong si Maeve. "Broken ba 'to? My goodness!" inis niyang sambit. The song One Last Cry by Biran Mcknight played sa speakers.

'Di ako umimik at nagpatuloy nalang sa pag lagay ng lipstick sa aking labi. Patapos na sana ako nang hablutin ito sa aking mga daliri. Maeve swiped it on her lips, ang kanyang mapupulang labi ay mas lalong tumingkad.

Maeve and I were not the best of friends. We only tolerated each other. Since everyone else is so jealous of us, we decided to stick together. Kilala kaming dalawa sa school namin dahil sa ganda namin. Well, it's all thanks to my foreign blood.

I shrugged her off and just fixed my appearance. Curling my thick lashes and dusting a bit of blush on the apples of my cheeks. I rarely put on mascara and eyebrow product. Inheriting my father's genes and a bit of my mother's, I was blessed to have a pristine face. I glanced at Maeve.

Maganda ito, mapula ang kanyang labi at matangos ang ilong. Ang balat niya'y kulay kayumanggi at makapal ang kanyang buhok na itim.

Hindi kami pinapayagan mag make-up sa school, ngunit hinahayaan lang kaming dalawa dahil takot sila sa ama ni Maeve na nagmamay-ari ng eskwelahang ito.

"Tara na." aniya habang nilalagay ang lipstick sa bulsa niya.

Our school was painted with festive colors, the halls crowded with students going in and out of booths. May mga seniors din na inaalok kami na bumili sa mga paninda nila. It's the fourth day of our school fair. Madami ang dumadayo na taga ibang schools, madalas ang pakay ng iba ay para maghanap ng guwapo.

"Dito ka," utos ni Maeve sa'kin.

Nandito na kami ngayon sa auditorium, it's mandatory for us to watch the variety show prepared by the senior high school students. Dagdag grade rin kasi ito. The show opened with a song number. Lights danced around the spacious area. Music boomed the colossal speakers.

"Oh 'em gee!!" tili ng isang babae. "Si Vortigern 'yung naggigitara!!"

"Hala, oo nga! Tara do'n tayo sa harap!"

"Nexus na oh my gosh! Woooooh!"

Chants of the female students perked up my interest. Nexus? What was that? Who the hell is Vortigern? I'm pulled back into reality when a hand clasps down on my shoulder.

"What up?" Helios greets. "Em, you haven't been answering my calls."

Tinarayan lamang ng kaibigan ko si Helios. "Hate, look. 'Yan ang bagong banda sa school. The girls are going crazy for them!"

"How come I've never heard of them?" tanong ni Helios nang tumabi siya sa'kin.

Maeve's eyes widen. "They're transfers! Sa laki ba naman ng school na 'to... Do you honestly think that you can know everyone here?" Irap niya.

Agad naman itong sinuyo ng uto-utong si Helios, hindi ko na sila binigyan pansin at itinuon na ang buong atensyon ko sa bandang ngalan ay Nexus.

"And I'd give up forever to touch you. 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow." A deep voice wreathes the whole area.

And like that, it was as if the whole world disappeared. His dark hair swayed with him, the strum of his guitar, and his whole demeanour captured me. I was in a trance. One only he can break.

"And I don't want the world to see me," He sang. "'Cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am."

The crowd went wild, so did my heart.