#3 You and I

#3



"Hey, you're familiar. Have we met before?" I closed the book I've been reading and look up just to see a pair of eyes staring straight at me. His hair is a mess, like a bird's nest or something like that. I stared at him for a moment. Even though it's pretty obvious that he had just slept probably minutes ago, still, this guy totally looks attractive. Not to mention about the grin on his face which made him looks like a member of my fave band.

Wait, why is he grinning from ear to ear. Is it because he caught me staring? This guy is the kind of guy whom you should avoid. He is the kind of guy whom you would define as troublemaker at first glance. Since I am the good girl here, might as well answer him politely.

"Look, I'm certain we didn't met before, mister," I answered and flip my book open again,waiting for him to go away. But he didn't, he remained silent standing there infront. I ignored him, anyway.

Maybe he is the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Anderson. They had invited us over dinner for being their new neighbor and who are we to turn them down? So we said yes.

"Ah, you're the girl a while ago!" My brow furrowed as I turn to look at him. What is he talking about?

"I said, I don--"

"You're the girl wearing bikini in my dream."

"What the hell?"

He covered my mouth with his hand. "Shhh, I'm just kidding, trying to make you laugh. You seems like a tiger a while ago," he whispers in my ear. I push him away.

"Well, it isn't funny!" I marched towards the door but he held my hand. "Not so fast, lady."

I hear footsteps coming. "Tack, is everything alright?" I hear Mrs. Anderson yell. "Yeah, mom! Everything is fine," he answered back at her while motioning me to shut up. I did. There's something in his eyes which makes me follow him.

Like a good puppy, I remained silent. He smiles at me and who would've thought that I'd fall for that smile? That kind of smile you didn't imagine he would have at first. The kind of smile that sent shivers to your spine and butterflies to your stomach. That kind of smile that would send you flying to the moon and back. That kind of smile he has. No one.

"Sorry 'bout that. I'm Tack Anderson, by the way." he said extending his hand for a hand shake.

"I'm Ve--"

"Precious Vennice Perez? Yeah, I know," Amazed, I look at his face that's turning red. He scratch his nape while trying to explain the reason why he knows me.

"I look at you from my window everytime I arrive from school. I don't know, maybe I just like the way you hold your book while you read or perhaps, I like the way you stay late at night to read under the moonlight? Yeah, maybe." The way he talk about me it's as if he knows everything.

As though he were with me everytime I read books under the moon and stars with my lampshade on. As if he stays with me all night. And for the first time after four years, I found an ally with this guy infront of me.

"Friends?" I'm now smiling looking at how embarrassed he was. "Friends!" I gladly extended my hand to shake with his.

"There you are! I'm glad you finally meet each other," I saw his mom walking towards us from nowhere. "Dinner's ready, let's go?" she asked us both. I nodded. While walking towards the kitchen, Mrs. Anderson started talking.

"My son has this obsession ab---"

"Mom! I thought you're my best friend?" Tack pushes her lightly. He winks at me.

The dinner at the Anderson went according to plan and ended smoothly. My parents, my sister and I went home happily. My sister, Rhianill, found a new friend, Thacy, Tack's sister.

And as for me, well, he asked me out that night. He asked me if someone would kill him if I go out on a date with him and I'd say no. That night was the start of an unexpected friendship of both of our families and that night was also the start of an unexpected romance with Tack.

For a month, we dated each other. He courted me for five months and we've been officially together on his 16th birthday.

And now, we've been together for almost three years and still, I pray everyday for us to be stronger. I don't even know if I can live without him; I know, it's too cheesy. I know some of you might say: You've already tried living without him before and now you're saying you can't live without his presence?

Yes. Life is different without him. Life seems lacking, like something is missing, like you are happy but you can't.

The moment I stepped into the plane, my feet wants to go back to him and just hug him and never leave but I have to. I have to try a life without him because I'm afraid. Too afraid that once the time would come for his feelings for me to fade, I can't go on anymore. Nothing lasts forever but I just do hope he will stay.

"I promise I'll be back and once I do, please stay with me forever," I say looking out the window when I finally took a seat.

I was never the kind of girl who believes in fairytales. I was not the kind of girl who would helplessly fall in love. Yet, everything changes and I am a living proof.

"Hey, have we met before?" A tear escape from my eye upon hearing the same line he used to ask me the first time we met.

How I wish I'd see the same pair of eyes when I turn to my side. How I wish I'd see the same smile, the same person....how I wish.

"I'm certain we haven't met before, mister." It goes like de javú, and when I finally have the guts to turn to my side to see who he was, but the moment I see him, my face went pale. My blood circulation had drained.

He was stunned. I was frozen in place.

Sitting beside me in the plane is no other than my ex-boyfriend, the one who left me hanging, waiting for him. The one whom I've loved before there was Tack. The guy who left me for fame: Kysler.

"Vennice?" he says in recognition. My heart goes dead for a second.