LOVE-NAT, isang makulit na lovestory!

Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde has a deep frown marring his handsome face as he sat alone by the bar. He seemed unaware of the girls giggling behind him, trying to get his attention. Sa totoo lang, he was there with his friends, with Paul, Jerry, Ivan and many other GWAPS students... not to mention, Kate. Yeah, the girl who was with him sa Starbucks indeed has a name, and it was not even close to Annah or Tanya. Her name was Kate, nalaman lang din ito ni Sef when Paul called on her a while ago. Tonight, however, Sef doesn’t feel like socializing with any of them. Mas gusto niyang umupo mag-isa dito sa may bar with his 3rd glass of Whisky.

Hanggang ngayon kasi, he just couldn’t understand a certain, Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan... even from the very first time na nakita niya ito sa Boy’s CR sa MUP noon... he just doesn’t get her at all. Nasabi nga niya noon na isang malaking palaisipan sa kanya ang dalaga.

“Gaddamnit, she’s driving me nuts!!” He hissed despite of himself. Hindi din kasi maalis sa isip niya yung mga pangyayari kanina sa Starbucks... when he was inside his car, watching Ellie together with Max... Gusto niyang bumaba nun at basta na lang haltakin ang dalaga papalayo... “Tsk.” He took the glass of Whisky near his lips, glaring at the bottle of beer the bartender was holding.

Sef has to admit, he never expected things to come to this. He gave out an exasperated sigh as he massaged the bridge of his nose. He called Ellie a Clown because of one reason – She was entertaining enough for his uncontainable boredom. Truth be told, wala lang naman talaga si Ellie sakanya nun ee, yung pustahan sa Tagaytay? Yung mga date nila? Huh. They all mean nothing to him. Ika nga nila, trip-trip lang. He just wanted something.... someone to divert his attention away from Lianne. Yeah, everything he did... it was all about forgetting Lianne.

Lianne. Sef scoffed, slightly smirking. Wow. The name doesn’t seem too heavy anymore...

When suddenly...

“You know what?” A familiar voice then came beside Sef, completely shaking him out of his reverie. “You look like someone I know...” Sef’s eyes narrowed at mas lalo pang lumalim ang kunot sa noo nito ng makita niya kung sino yung lalaking lumapit sakanya. No, it wasn’t Jerry, no, definitely not Paul either nor was it Ivan... mas lalong hindi si Japo. “You’re batman right?”

The guy has short jet black hair, fashioned in a messy kind of way that looked perfect for him. He has a fair complexion, and stood just an inch taller than Sef. He was wearing a black fitted-polo shirt, which was unbuttoned all the way his mid-stomach, completely exposing his chest and a pair of Levi’s jeans. He has silver necklaces dangling loosely around his neck. His eyes were dark, katulad mismo ng kay Sef. Everything about him was irresistibly hot. Tipong bad-boy image.

At ngayong magkatabi pa sila ni Sef sa may bar, hindi tuloy alam nung mga babae kung kanino titingin, ultimo yung barista na babae parang nawala yung concentration ee. Haha.

“What the hell...” Sef cursed, getting more pissed off. “Get lost, Enzo!”

“See?” The guy, whose name appeared to be Enzo, grinned before drinking on the bottle of beer he was holding. “You’re the same old Grinch, huh, Josef?”

“And you’re the same douche bag that I know.”

Enzo gave a smirk, with only one side of his lips turning up. “Now, that is not the proper way to greet a cousin. You don’t want to upset grandpa with your manners, right Miggy boy?”

Sef’s eyes darkened. Enzo knew exactly the right buttons to push. Nobody calls him Miggy boy except his jerk-of-a-cousin. Yeah, unfortunately this is his only cousin! They are not exactly in good terms... kahit noong mga bata pa sila, there has always been a fiery competition between them.

“Ts.” Sef snorted as he finished whatever was left in his glass of Whisky. “Go find someone else who gives a d**n.”

Pero wala pa ring balak na tantanan ni Enzo ang pinsan. Syempre halos six months na din silang hindi nakakapag-kita. Enzo signalled the bartender for another beer, and he winked at her when she handed him the bottle. “Thanks.” The bartender slightly blushed. “Hm,” Uminom agad ito sa boteng kaaabot lang sakanya. “Just curious... Either you’re here crying over some girl... or... was it some guy?” Ngumisi ito sa birong sinabi sa pinsan. “So, which is it?”

Sef glared at him. Yung tipong gustong-gusto na niyang suntukin ang pinsan niya. Maaaring physically maraming pagkakatulad si Sef at si Enzo... they both looked gorgeous, syempre, nasa lahi na nila ee. But there was no way they could be the same when it comes to dealing with women... kaya nga Enzo finds Sef very pathetic...Truth be told, Enzo doesn’t believe in love. Para sa kanya ang mga babae parang... koleksyon lang, tulad ng collection nya ng silver necklaces niya... papalit-palit lang siya.

Sef would have retorted with another insult... Pero may biglang... “Babe,” A long-haired girl came beside Enzo. She was wearing an ultra-mini skirt, yung tipong sasabihin mong ‘Sheet. Nag-palda pa siya!’ Her eyes seemed heavy, halatang nasobrahan na ito sa alak. She laced her long, white arms around Enzo’s neck, also resting her head on his shoulder blades. “Les’ go...” Her words were inviting, tempting.

Sef threw a look of annoyance at his cousin and the woman who was with him. Enzo snaked a hand around the woman’s waist, one hand still holding his beer. He gave an amused smirk, his dark eyes glowing with something Sef knew well. “Guess, I better get goin’ now Miggy boy.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be in London?”

“Pssh.” Enzo waved his hand glued with the beer-bottle in disagreement. “Nah! I’m better off here pissing YOU off. HAHA.” He winked at his cousin.

With that, Enzo, together with his muse marched out the door... and Sef was left alone by the counter... his thoughts freely went back to Ellie once again.

---

Max was lying flat on his bed, one arm rested behind his head. Hindi niya alam kung bakit pero... hindi siya dinadapuan ng antok, maybe because he knew Ellie was just one room away. He settled on watching some documentary from Discovery Channel pampatulog sana when someone knocked on his bedroom door.

“Max?” Ellie poked her head in. Her hair was slightly messed up, she was in her navy-blue pajamas na merong white print ng kung anu-anong salita tulad ng Peace, Love on Earth at mga doodle-doodles ng stars and it was paired with a plain white-sleeveless shirt. His heart fluttered but Max gave nothing away. Sheet. Mas lalong hindi siya makakatulog nito ee.

“Gising ka pa?” Max asked in mild surprise. Kanina kasi he checked on her sa guestroom and he heard her sound asleep. Napa-upo bigla ang binata mula pagkakahiga nito as Ellie jumped off the other side of his bed. Umupo si Ellie ng naka Indian-sit as she grabbed the remote from him, sabay lipat ng channel.

“Hindi ako makatulog ee.” She shrugged. “Bakit naman kasi walang tv sa guestroom niyo?” Pinunta nito sa Disney Channel. Sa totoo lang, Ellie was trying to find anything that would distract her from thinking about her letter and Sef.

“Yaan mo, palalagyan ko.” Max said, trying not to look at the girl beside him. Bakit ganun? Tumanda na si Max ng laging nagoovernight si Ellie sa kanila. Ever since nung elementary sila, they would even share the same bed at alam niya kung gaano kakulit matulog yang kaibigan niyang yan. He knew everything about her... pero bakit ngayon... parang... parang... hindi komportable si Max na nandito ngayon si Ellie?

Tawa ng tawa si Ellie sa pinapanood na episode ng Phineas and Ferb. “Haha. Ang kulet!!” She was saying with much amusement habang nagsasayawan yung mga cartoon charcters sa tv. Max, however, was only aware of Ellie’s very presence.

Gezuz, how I love this girl...

Biglang lumingon sakanya si Ellie, with that same childish smile na sobrang memorize na niya. Biglang nag-panic si Max and he quickly gave a fake yawn, na tila ba inaantok na as he quickly diverted his eyes away. Para siyang nahuli ng prof na kumokopya sa exam ee.

“Max?” Ellie then dropped her back against the soft bed, both arms spread wide up above her head. Kung maka-higa si Ellie kala mo sakanya yung buong kama ee. She has her eyes fixed up the ceiling. There was a long pause before Ellie continued, “Tingin mo ba talaga, no sane person would dare to ask me out?” It was the exact same words na sinabi ni Sef noong pinaka huling away nila sa may MUP bleachers. Actually parang, tinatanong lang din ni Ellie sarili niya, only she was stating the question aloud.

Max felt something got in his throat. Parang nawalan siya bigla ng boses as he felt his blood creeping up his cheeks. Dios ko, kung alam lang ni Ellie... Darren Max Sanchez would do anything to go out with her. Tulad ng maraming nasayang na pagkakataon, Max decided to remain quiet... even though he knew it was his chance to tell her the feelings he has been hiding since then. Iniisip kasi niya, mas maigi ng wag na siyang magsalita hanggang meron pa siyang natitirang self-control.

Ellie’s eyes were still fixed up the ceiling. Her smile was gradually fading, obvious na meron siyang malalim na iniisip. Kahit di niya sabihin... Max knew who it was... and he felt something pierced right through him. “Max, muka din ba talaga akong Clown?” She sounded like a small girl na nagsusumbong lang sa kuya niya tungkol sa mga classmates niya na bully. And before Ellie knew it, she was already saying the things that has been bothering her for quite a while now... everything that comes down to one person, Sef.

How Max hated the pain depicted through Ellie’s eyes. Kung pwede lang burahin sa mundo si Sef, baka kanina pa niya ginawa. Max then sighed and, as usual, pinched Ellie’s nose as though trying to lighten up her mood. She gave a mild laugh as she struggled to remove his hand. Hindi talaga siya sanay lalo na pag hindi naka ngiti ang dalaga. “Sus... masyado kang emo para maging clown!!”

“Naman ee...” She whined, sabay palo sa braso ni Max.“Bahala ka, dito ko matutulog.” She declared, snatching the sheets and quickly covered herself with it.

“Ano?” Max asked in surprise. Hindi pwede!! Hindi pwedeng matulog si Ellie dito!! He was trying to pull the covers from her. “Bumalik ka na sa kwarto mo uyy!!” Ellie now curled herself up to a human ball as she hid beneath the thick sheets, balot na balot siya mula ulo hanggang paa. “Ahh, ayaw mo aa?” She laughed and kicked ng simula na siyang kilitiin ni Max.

“MAX!!” Came the muffled voice of Ellie underneath. She was laughing non-stop. “Okay. Okay. Suko na ko!” She laughed. And what caught Max off guard was when Ellie’s head suddenly popped out exactly near inches away from his. She has a wide grin on her face, completely unaware na naging estatwa na si Max.

Max froze. His heart stopped. Parang nakalimutan niya biglang huminga as he stared down at her. WAG MAX! WAG! But he couldn’t hear what his mind was screaming. He was completely losing himself in her eyes, entirely blocking his capacity to reason ... he was losing the last piece of self-control he has in him as he inched closer to catch her lips...

He’ll kiss her... He’ll kiss her NOW!!

But then again...

“PRRRRRRROOOOT!!”

It was loud and clear.

ISANG MASAMANG HANGIN ANG LUMABAS MULA KAY ELEONOR.

“Oops.” They stared at each other for another second or so, before Ellie actually burst into another fits of laughter as Max moved away, takip-takip ang ilong niya.

SHEET... Max mentally cursed. YOU ALMOST KISSED HER!! BALIW KA NG TALAGA MAX!! GGGRRR...

To be continued.