Valentine Girl

February 8, 2012

February 8, 2012

Dear Diary,

You know what's sweeter than cake?

It's the person who eats that sweet cake you baked for him even though he hates anything sweet.

And of course, I'm talking about David Altamonte.

Love,

Vera

~*~+~*+~*~

Dahil sweet ako sagad, ipinag-bake ko ng chocolate cake si David. Of course, excited akong pumasok sa school habang dala-dala ang chocolate cake na ini-bake ko for him kaya pagtapak na pagtapak ko pa lang sa campus ay dumiretso na ako sa SG office.

Nadatnan ko siya sa loob ng office alone while punching on his laptop.

"Good morning, David!" masiglang bati ko.

"Anong ikinaganda ng umaga?" he asked, not looking at me.

Ang sungit niya talaga! Inangat ko 'yung dala kong cake. "Ito! Ito ang ikinaganda ng umaga bukod sa akin!" I replied excitedly.

He glanced up and saw the box of cake. "Ano 'yan?"

Naman! Asking the obvious? "Cake! I baked it for y—I mean, para kainin natin this morning!" sagot ko.

"Thanks, but I already ate breakfast," he said while going back to whatever man 'yung tina-type niya.

Grr. "Eh dessert naman ito eh," I protested. When he didn't answer, inilapag ko iyon sa meeting table at naghiwa ng isang slice. I put the slice of cake sa isang maliit na paper plate at kumuha ng plastic fork from my bag. Of course prepared ako, right? Right.

"Oh," I said, holding up the plate in front of him.

He looked at it. "Vera, busog pa ako," he replied.

Inilapag ko sa harapan niya ang plate. Ayaw kuhanin eh! "Try it lang, sige na," pagpupumilit ko. "One bite."

He gave the cake a glance and then shook his head. "Hindi ako kumakain ng chocolate cake," he muttered.

"Ha? Bakit?" gulat kong tanong.

"Hindi ako mahilig sa kahit anong pagkaing matamis," he replied.

What!?

Ano ba 'yan!? Kung anong ikinahilig ko naman sa matatamis eh mukhang siyang ikinaayaw naman niya!

"Eh anong hilig mong pagkain?" tanong ko. OMG lang, sana hindi putahe dahil kahit marunong akong mag-bake, hindi ako marunong magluto ng kahit anong putahe! Then again, puwede ko namang matutunan, pero...

He gave me a weird look. "Bakit mo tinatanong?" he asked.

I blinked. "Wala! I mean... wala lang!" dali-dali kong sagot.

"Wala pala eh," he muttered as he went back to whatever he was doing.

Grr. Double grr. Grr sagad. Ano bang gagawin ko para mapansin ako ng taong yelo na 'to!?

"Wow, cake!" came a familiar voice.

It was Donnie. Kasama niyang pumasok sa office ng SG ang iba pang mga officers. Lumapit silang lahat doon sa cake.

"Kanino 'tong cake?" tanong ni Paul.

I wrinkled my nose.

Kay David sana eh, kaso ayaw niya.

"That's mine. I baked it for you guys. Kainin niyo na," sabi ko. "Anyway, I'll go ahead muna."

After I said that, I went out of the office. Dinig ko ang masisigla nilang mga boses dahil sa libreng breakfast slash dessert daw.

I sighed. Mabuti pa sila, naa-appreciate 'yung cake ko. Bakit kasi iyon pa ang hindi hilig ni David eh! Speaking of which... ano ba kasi ang mga hilig niya!?

Umupo ako sa bench na malapit sa SG office. Nagsimula nang magsidatingan ang iba pang mga estudyante. I crossed my arms and racked my brains kung anong Plan B ko since hindi gumana ang Plan A.

"Anong iniisip mo?"

I gave a little yelp and almost fell from the bench. 'OMG. David! Nakakagulat ka!"

He gave me a funny look and held a paper plate in front of me. "O."

"That's my cake, ah?" nagtatakang tanong ko habang kinukuha iyon from his hand. "Bakit dinalhan mo pa ako?"

"Ayaw mo? Nakipag-agawan pa ako kina Donnie para diyan. Akin na nga at ibabalik ko sa kanila," he said.

Aabutin na dapat niya 'yung cake, but I held it away from his reach. "OMG, you're so sweet naman, you remembered me!" kinikilig kong sabi.

May pag-asa!

"Sweet? I'm not. I dislike anything sweet," he muttered.

"Eh anong like mo?" I immediately asked.

Ako, ako, ako! Ako sana!

"Spicy food," he replied.

Uh-oh. Bakit 'yun pa? Mahina ang tolerance ko sa spicy dishes!

"Kainin mo na 'yan," he suddenly said while handing me a fork.

OMG, he is so sweet sagad! Sabi ko na eh! Sabi ko na, may pag-asa!

Sinimulan kong kainin 'yung cake. "Ayaw mo talaga? Kahit isang bite lang?" tanong ko.

He shook his head. I ate in silence at akala ko eh malapit ko nang makalimutan kung anong ibig sabihin ng salitang sound dahil sa sobrang katahimikang nanghari sa aming dalawa. Then he suddenly spoke.

"Do you like baking?"

My eyes lit up. "Yes! Kaya I want to take up HRM," sabi ko.

He narrowed his eyes. "Sa pagkakaalam ko ay may pagluluto sa HRM at sa pagkakaalam ko, hindi ka marunong magluto," he muttered.

OMG, paano niya alam 'yun? Ang dyahe. Bawas ganda points tuloy ako.

"Well, I'm going to try harder para matuto," masiglang sabi ko.

He nodded until I noticed he was staring at my lips.

Oh. M. G. Don't tell me... may Round Two 'yung eksena namin sa office noong isang araw!?

Is he going to kiss me!?

Dahan-dahan siyang lumapit while ako naman ay nagpa-palpitate na sa sobrang kilig, kaba, excitement, panic, at... well, mas nangibabaw ang kilig.

Kaunting inches na lang ang pagitan ng mga mukha naming dalawa kaya napapikit na ako.

Suddenly, I felt something on my lips. Malambot iyon, pero sigurado akong hindi niya lips ang dumampi sa lips ko.

I opened my eyes and saw him holding a handkerchief. "May tsokolate sa bibig mo," he said, shrugging.

OMG, fail! It's so dyahe! Akala ko hahalikan niya ako, 'yun pala eh may tsokolate ang bibig ko!

"Bakit ka nga pala nakapikit?" he suddenly asked.

"Nothing!" mabilis kong sagot. Inangat ko ang tinidor na may cake to immediately change the subject. "Ayaw mo talaga? One bite lang. Para ma-try mo lang 'yung ini-bake ko."

He looked at me for a long time until he sighed. He opened his mouth to take a bite of the cake.

"Well?" I asked nervously.

He looked at me for a long time again before finally saying, "I don't really like anything sweet, but I guess I like this."

~*~+~*+~*~