The Girl Who Hides Magic

Chapter 21 | Stop it, Pauline

Chapter 21 | Stop it, Pauline

Pauline Cynthia Zunino’s Point of View

“I’ll have to stop by a toy store first,” sabi niya pagkatapos niyang basahin ang message sa phone niya.

Nasa mall na kami. He said he’ll take me somewhere but I still don’t know where. Ayaw niya sabihin at kahit naman sabihin niya hindi ko pa din alam kung saan ‘yon.

My forehead knotted. “Someone asked you to buy a toy?”

He nodded, his face dark and annoyed. “It’s for my cousin. There’s a new limited toy released yesterday.” 

Mas lalong nag-salubong ang kilay niya. “There will be a long line for it and we have to fall in line. He’s such an asshole.” He grunted.

Hinampas ko siya sa braso sa gulat. “You call your younger cousin an asshole when he just wants to have a toy?” Gulat kong sabi, sinasamaan siya ng tingin. “That’s really bad, Warner!” Suway ko.

Tumigil siya sa paglalakad sa mall at tumingin sa’kin habang nakakunot ang noo. 

Saglit niya ‘kong tinitigan hanggang sa bigla siyang tumawa at napatango. I looked at him in confusion.

Anong nakakatawa?

“My cousin is a twenty-one-year-old man.” He chuckled, nagsimula na siyang lumakad ulit.

Napatitig ako sa likod niya habang ina-analyze ang sinabi niya sa’kin.

I snapped back to reality and ran a little bit so I could catch up with him. “Matanda na pinsan mo pero mahilig siya sa laruan?” I asked in confusion.

Kaagad kong tinikom ang bibig ko nang ma-realize ko na nakapasok na kami sa toy store na sinasabi ni Warner. It was packed with grown up men and a few women lining up for the limited edition toy in front. 

Sabay-sabay pa silang lumingon sa’kin at tinignan ako in a weird way.

Warner chuckled before grabbing my left-hand and leaned on my shoulders. “You should tone your voice down a bit." Natatawa-tawa niyang bulong.

I felt an electricity charge when he whispered on my ear. I tried to brush it off by ignoring it but I can’t. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang init ng hininga niya sa tenga ko to the point na para akong lalagutan na naman ng hininga. 

“My cousin really likes superhero collectibles. He has a room dedicated for it,” he explained as he falls in line at the back, me at his side and him, still holding my hands tightly.

Imbes na tanggalin ay hinayaan ko na lang siya.

This is the last, right? I will stay away from him after this, I promise.

“He likes it so much? Superheroes?”

He nodded. “He really likes them. He even told me that if he ever has a serious girlfriend, he wants her to like superheroes, too.”

Tumawa ako. “Did he? May nahanap na ba siyang girl na mahilig din sa superheroes?” I asked.

The sides of his lips went up. “I guess, but she doesn’t like him back,” kuwento niya bago tumawa na akala mo ay nakakatawa ang nangyari sa pinsan niya.

Umirap ako pero hindi pa din mapigilan ang mapangiti.

I noticed that Warner is usually pissed off at Axel but I also noticed that the two of them are close. Siguro ay ganun talaga siya mag-show ng closeness nilang magpipinsan. Though, he’s sweet and gentler when it comes to Addie.