“You’re the guy from earlier right?” The guy?
I nodded, keeping my mouth zipped, afraid that if I opened it words would come spilling out. He tilted his head as he pointed at my forehead. I also tilted my head, the same direction as his. Zy's smile grew wider.
“Does it still hurt?” He’s concerned again. That made my heart flutter, it really should not have been beating faster than the average pulse yet here I am being an absolute fool.
Ang tanga mo Mel. Multiple times I’ve swore to myself to move on, why isn't it happening? I know the process of moving on is not going to happen in one day, that’s why it's called a process however I need it to be quicker.
“No,” Krissia was right, I was a master of being a fake nonchalant.
“You’re really a man of few words,” Guy. Man. Is there any other descriptor he can use? Why is it all so masculine I mean I am a dude but if he wants a masculine label there’s also boy….friend. The cornetto is affecting me!
“Mhm,” Continuing on with my mission I scooped up the pile of cookies and cream ice cream making it easier. Every lid contains one of the most corniest jokes known to man. I would not fail this mission because of a boy. Nuh-uh.
After that, we didn’t have any kind of conversation. He also chose a cornetto ice cream and scanned the lid. That was it. The end.
“Do you have a favorite pick up line that you’re trying so hard to find it?” So that wasn’t the end. Got it. Sige, gets ko naman pero let me be calm for once. Please.
“Not really… I just wanted to find the cheesiest one,” I replied calmly.
“Hmm… sayang. There’s no available cheese jokes that would have been the cheesiest,” He faced me. “Hindi nakakatawa?”
He seemed to be sulking. I did not know someone so tall could be this cute. I meant that I felt a pang of guilt when I saw him pout like a baby. I mean I saw him frown and I responded with “Sorry.”
I mentally face palmed, why am I such a loser? Buti talaga hindi siya nakakabasa ng isip o baka sinakal ko na sarili ko sa hiya.
“It’s fine, I’ll just give you my favorite cornetto pick up line instead.”
“What is it?” I asked with child-like wonder, obtaining a humorous smirk from my ex-crush. Yes, ex. I’ve finalized our label.
“Math equation ka ba?”
Zy urged me to ask him the usual reply, “Why po?”
He bit his lower lip seemingly to prevent himself from smiling. He avoided my eyes, the color of dark red tinted his cheeks. He opened his mouth though he didn’t utter a single word. Wala siyang ginawa kundi iwasan ako.
Where’s the punchline? Did he forget?
He coughed. I was not stupid to believe that was real. Perhaps, he failed to recall the punchline. Eventually he made eye contact. The red on his cheeks was getting deeper by the second. He’s most likely embarrassed that it took him so long to recall.
“Can I do that again?” Nahihiya nga siya! I enthusiastically nodded, a warm smile plastered on my face.
“Of course!”
Now his ears were red. He took a deep breath and made another attempt, “Math equation ka ba?”
Ang ngiti ko’y umabot hanggang aking tenga—too happy for my own good. I should use full Tagalog since it’s a Tagalog joke.
“Bakit po?” Ngumiti siya.
“Kasi sa’yo pa lang solve na ako.”
Instead of laughing my breath hitched. Alam ko naman na it wasn’t for me, it was him trying to show me his favorite pick-up line! Still that did not hinder the butterflies from occupying my stomach.
“Why is that your favorite?” I questioned, putting back the cornetto I was holding. I tried to quickly find more and it felt like there was none left.
“STEM. Math. I think you can connect the dots,” Then I achieved another golden smile. This is the best I felt in the past two days, my ex-crush smiled at me. It was directed to me, not just to a crowd I was in.
“Mhm,” Tumigil ako sa pagkuha ng cornetto. Wait, this feels like a scene full of cliches. I’m trying to move on from my crush. He shows up near the place I live. Subsequently, I see him inside Aling Babes sari-sari store and at the moment we’re having a conversation—A full one.
“How about you?”
“Huh?” I was fixated with the cones to even look at him. I really needed to finish my Mom’s request so I can escape this you-can't-move-on hellhole.
“What’s your favorite cornetto pick up line?” Zy’s hands were in his hoodie’s pockets. He was leaning against the freezer as if it could support a huge guy like him.
“That’s hard…” I paused to think. “Oh, I know.”
“Basketball player ka ba?” Out of all the lines cornetto made, I fucking chose that one. Sakalin ko na kaya sarili ko?
“Yup,” He popped the p, was that his habit? Ang cute talaga. Anyways! I pouted at the fact he was laughing even when the joke didn’t land yet.
“Be serious! I asked bakit po earlier, be a kind gentleman and ask it too.”
“Okay, okay,” He held his hands up, surrendering. He might as well raise a white flag if he wasn’t such a green flag. Eto nanaman ako, my mind is wandering.
“Bakit po?” The way he said po had a hint of mockery. This man!
“Wanna go to the ball with me?” I knew that the pick-up line fell short when there was no event to be invited to. I did not have time for regrets, my dumb mouth chose that and I knew the reason all too well.
“Anything you want,” Nanlaki ang aking mga mata, he went still for a bit then his dimples appeared. It was effortless to admit that I would never move on from his grin.
“Sorry, I went with the flow.”
“Ah… that was funny,” I faked a laugh and grabbed another cornetto which had the perfect pick up line.
Bubuyog ka ba? Pwede bang maging honey mo?
My parents’ call sign was honey! It was settled that this was the cheesiest pick-up line for my family.
“Did you find it?”
“Yes!” I beamed. Finally I had some sort of escape from this tragic play.
“Congratulations….?” He clapped. Anticipation was evident on his face, getting a real chuckle out of me.
“Mel.”
“Zy,” I even know your whole name. That sounded stalkerish; I will never be a stalker. Not my fault information about him spread like wildfire in our building.
“What flavor do you like?” This time instead of leaning against the freezer, he had his hands crossed above the freezer. For once, I was not the one looking up.
“Vanilla,” It was a basic flavor. Perfect for me.
He swiftly got another ice cream and stared at the top. Discarded it. Repeat. That occurred a few more times until he smiled, handing me an ice cream cone, “Let’s do an exchange?”
I hesitantly took the ice cream. Stupidly I did not bother to check what was on top because I tried to find an ice cream for him too, “You?”
“Chocolate.”
I gulped when I saw there was only one chocolate-flavored cornetto left. My eyes twitched as soon as I checked the pick up line. I was now sure of it, fate hated my whole being.
“Well, this is the only one left…” I passed it to him. Kinuha niya ito at agad-agad tiningnan ang nakasulat.
“Crush mo ako?” He grinned.
“No, it was the only chocolate left,” Pathetic excuse. He was still grinning as if he didn’t confess to my friend yesterday. Yes, I’m upset with no rights and a fake ex-crush label. Sue me!
“That pick up line is probably the worst,” I voiced my opinion.
“Pizza ka ba? Crust kasi kita,” He whispered near my ear then jogged backwards, smiling. He bought the ice cream and quickly unwrapped it. Napansin kong humingi siya ng tissue para punasan ang nakadikit na ice cream sa lid where it had the pick up line. He threw everything else except the lid.
The short circuit I was predicting earlier finally happened. I forgot what I had to do. The grip I had on the cornetto ice cream he gave me hardened, almost breaking the cone inside.
This wasn’t the distraction I was pleading for; this was a sabotage of some sort.
I purchased all the things I could remember as fast as I could. Umalis ako kaagad ng binigay sa akin ni Aling Babes ang sukli. When I already got out I noticed Zy entered the neighboring house.
“Ma, anong ulam?”
Confirmed. He lived one block away from me.
I walked back to my house, absolutely beat. My parents interrogated me straight away. I brushed off their questions with mundane answers as they ate the snacks.
I was about to open the wrapper, at that moment I made out the words that were written.
Geometry ka ba? Ganda mo kasi sa lahat ng angles.
I blushed. It didn’t even mean anything, it was just a stupid pick up line that he picked. Hold up he picked it personally, he was sifting through all those pick up lines like it was his job!
Then it clicked. I did something embarrassing in front of him, I saw him while walking home, we had a not so common exchange, he lived near me. Aren’t those pretty tropey? Parang lumabas lahat ng ito sa isang libro.
Scratch the fucking thought I had yesterday when I said the only cliche that will happen to me is falling for a straight guy—I already had multiple other cliche by the book happen to me accidently!
What if… what if I plan it? I already have all the instruments that can play a perfect symphony. I just need the last piece, the composition itself—Him. The ending did not need to be romantic whatsoever, it can be perfectly platonic.
In advance, I apologize to my friends who gave me a speech about moving on and I deserve better. They all had really valid points, they reassure me that he’s not the only one, and they will tell me this is an awful plan. I recognize all those words.
“Oh my gosh!” I screamed, startling my parents. They were worried, asking me what happened. I gave them a mundane reply before biting onto the cone once more, a grin slowly creeping on my face.
I can make cliches happen.
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