by M.G. Marquez
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
MAGGIE
I just lost my first kiss. And it was lost in a not so romantic way, in a not so romantic place, and to a not so romantic person. I can’t imagine myself telling this to my grandchildren, geez.
We pretended like nothing happened back in the car, hoped that the driver saw nothing. We talked casually like we used to and we’re still SB and BD but less the virginity of our lips. Damn. I was planning to lose my first kiss on my wedding day. Screw Guji.
“Let’s fix things up between the two of us,” I heard him say. “I’m getting tired of shouting at you every minute of the day. I deserve some rest,”
“Okay. Let’s have a War Limit.” I nodded at my own idea. “We won’t be fighting at 11 am to 1 pm, 6pm to 8pm, and –”
“Hey hey hey!” He stood in front of me and barred my way. What’s his problem now? “Why are you the one who’s setting the time? Don’t you think that both of us should set the time? Not all of the things you wanted will be granted –”
“PSSSSSSSSSSSH.” I covered his mouth in complete annoyance. “We will talk about it, Master BD. What do you want?”
He slapped my hand away and looked up. “Starting from 6 in the morning up to 6 in the evening, that’s the only time we’ll fight. And this,” he took out his phone and played a tune which I understand as alarm. “When you hear that sound that means we’re on War Limit. Sounds good?”
“Fine.”
When we reached the porch of his Grandma’s house, he insisted that I wrap my arm around his. I went hysterical.
“DON’T TOUCH ME.” I complained as he tried to catch my hand.
“GIVE ME YOUR EFFING HAND.”
Then he caught it. He made it wrapped around his arm and held it firm. “Don’t take this off of here – HEY!”
“They’ll think that we’re on a relationship. GEEZ GUJI. We’re not like that!”
“THAT’S WHAT WE’RE HERE FOR, YOU STUPID.”
“I DON’T WANT TO!”
“Ji?”
Guji and I exchanged nervous glances when we heard someone called out. I understood that she’s pertaining to Guji when she said Ji. Such a cute nickname for someone as despicable as him, I find it inappropriate.
“Ji, why are you still outside?” The old woman came down the stairs to give us a better view. This must be Grandma. I blinked in utter fear. “Why don’t you introduce me to your ah, companion?”
I could feel that Guji was trembling at my side so I held his hand and squeezed it tight. I smiled at him and told him mentally that I am going to kill him if his Grandma starts to give me death threats, too.
“Good evening, Grandma.” He said, trembling. I have to laugh at his cowardice, but I kept it to myself. “This is Janella. My girlfriend,”
“Hello Grandma,” I waved at her and she smiled eventually.
Grandma took 10304803283841 steps towards us and hell yeah, my knees are trembling. I could smell her ‘ol Granny cologne and I’m suffocating not in her cologne, but still in utter fear. Guji took me by my hand and shook me awake. He told me don’t sweat.
But I am. Excessively.
I saw him took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the sweat all over my face. He was laughing, I saw it. I elbowed him for that.
“So, hi. Welcome to the Villanueva Family,” she reached out for me and I took a step closer for her to hug me. I hugged her back. “It’s good to finally meet you,”
“I am, too.” I’m glad to meet myself, thanks.
“Thank you for accepting my grandson for who he is,” she told me when she let go. I turned to Guji and gave him a give-me-a-break look. He stuck out a tongue at me.
“He’s not that bad,” I lied. “He’s sweet and gentle,” I lied, but not totally. Only 20% lied. “And he’s great to be with,” 100% lied.
“I just hope that you two stick together longer,” she beamed at me. Oh, I remember the marriage part. I prayed to God that she isn’t serious about that. “And if you ever split, I’m afraid you have to do it the hard way,”
Then I saw her took out a whip from behind and she’s smiling evilly. And I had this sudden urge to cough so as to distract myself from fearing this Granny.
Guji whispered I should protect him.
I whispered he should protect me first.
She invited us inside and we followed her shadow. Guji and I were both shivering at our sides but the moment we stepped into the light, we composed ourselves. And we smiled formally to all of the guests.
This is it.
The place was full of poised people. They talked more about businesses and they disregarded me for a second. When they saw me walking by Pres. Song Hyun’s side, they seemed to give me some credit. I’m a social climber, I predict they would say.
“Hi,” one of the two Barbie dolls greeted when they approached me. Guji was out talking to some people’s business and so I was left all by myself. “So… we heard that you’re Guji’s girlfriend. How was it?”
“How was what?”
“Well, Guji. Which part of him do you like best?”
Part? Does she mean body part? Oh, I like his arms best and his abs and oh oh oh, his– OH MAJ DON’T BE SO RIDICULOUS. She wasn’t pertaining to a body part, stupid!
“Uhm well,” My hands moved from the top of the whisky glass to its bottom before I could say, “His personality. I liked his personality. He could be such a dumbass sometimes – ugh no – most of the times, but who am I kidding? He’s sweet. Cute when he’s worried. And his smile is sunshine.”
I saw the two of them smiled their brightest but those smiles turned into a grin. Barbie No.2 leaned in close to me. She covered the side of her mouth with the back of her hand and said, “And you know for a fact that he’s super rich, I mean rich like a million times rich, right?”
Blast that. I’m a gold digger now? I’m so much better than that, excuse me.
I leaned in close to them and said, “Hey, guys. I don’t really need his riches and stuffs. I do have riches of my own. All I need is… him. Him alone.”
Pretty cheesy, yuck.
I don’t know where I got this Theatrical Princess talent, but I’m sure I’m so good at it. They seemed to buy it. Ha! Great.
“That’s just so sweet of you, darling!” Oh wait. She called me darling? “I like you. I really do. I’m Vivien by the way,” Barbie No.1 held a hand out for me to shake. I took it.
“And I’m Leslie. We could be friends!”
“Cousins, too!”
And we lived happily ever after until the Demon arrived and collected me from my going-to-have-friends moment. How many more moments does he have to ruin before he could say, “Yeah, I reached my quota. You could live peacefully.”
I rolled my eyes at him.
He patted them.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me.” He seemed stressed out already. He was just gone for thirty minutes and he became like that already. I became worried. “Don’t stare at me like you’re worried. You’re not like that.”
“But I am worried.”
“You’re not.” I saw his hand ran through his hair. God, he’s gorgeous. I have to look away before I could even attempt to write our love story on my mind. I never want to have a love story with him.
Why?
He’s a friend.
When I did look away, my eyes passed by so many faces only to stop at a certain one. I locked eyes with him and he’s staring back at me. Staring, I mean staring at some target in an archery class and it’s freaky. I think he wants an arrow straight into my forehead.
Like he wanted me dead.
I squeezed Guji’s forearm.
He asked me what my problem was and all I said was, “Someone looks at me strangely. Is he your cousin?”
“I don’t know any of my cousins and I don’t want to know any of them,”
I decided I should not pay the man any more attention.
He led me up to the stage so he could introduce me to all of the guests. Ugh,
I don’t want attention.
“Don’t worry, Janella. They’ll forget about you by tomorrow.” He grinned. I smashed his face with the back of my hand.
The host of the party introduced Guji and me, as his girlfriend – with no name. Thank you, Host. I love you.
Guji stood at the center, with me by his side. I’m so amazed by how steady he looked from here, while I looked so crumbly, flaky, like an epic fail crust. Goodness, please send me an ounce of confidence.
“Good evening everyone,” he said through the mic. “Recently, I became 19 and as promised – Hi Grandma,” he waved at her from afar. “I will introduce a girl that made my world stop for a moment, and in that specific moment,”
He looked at me, straight into my eye I think I died inside. I blinked. He didn’t.
He’s piercing right through my soul.
Oh please, Guji. Don’t do this to me.
“I fell in love.” He said.
CRAP. I know we’re faking this, but what the hell I’m deeply affected. Like it’s true. “I want you to meet, Maurice Janella Ponce. The first and the last girlfriend I will ever have,”
The audience went crazy over that like teenagers over Daniel Padilla. Like I do over Paramore and Super Junior’s Siwon Choi. Like he does over soccer and Big Mac burgers.
My heart went crazy just like that.
They even shouted, “KISS! KISS! KISS!”
I mean, seriously? “You don’t mean to do what they want, do you?”
“I have no choice. Grandma’s watching,” then he leaned close to me and kissed my cheek.
SHIT.
DON’T DO THIS TO ME.
By the time the whole introducing thingy ended, I rushed to the buffet table and checked if there’s something I could drink to wash away all these crazy red blushes all over my cheeks. I felt stupid. Going to this party with him was a huge mistake.
“Where’s your boyfriend?” Someone asked behind me. I turned around and saw a tall, dark, and not so handsome guy grinning at me. His hands were on his pockets and I think I need to be nervous.
I am nervous.
“Somewhere,” I muttered.
“So then, can I talk to you?” He asked, closing so much space between us than necessary. When my back was already touching the edge of the buffet table, I know I’m trapped. I nervously looked past his sides to look for Guji.
Damn you, Guji. Don’t be such a jerk and show up by my side right now. LIKE RIGHT NOW.
“Who are you searching for? We’re all alone here,” I used my hand and touched his chest. I tried pushing him back but he was so much stronger than me. I swallowed hard when he had put both of his arms on either side of me. Oh yeah Maj, you are so trapped.
My fear of no escape, it is coming.
“I h-have a boyfriend…”
“Shh… be quiet.” He held my jaw and made me face him. He’s touching me. He’s touching my skin. My back. The back of my neck. My face. And he’s touching my butt. I wanted to scream my lungs out and push him away the best I could but I just can’t.
Something unreachable inside of me was creeping from a very small space into my whole body and I could feel it. I could feel it while it poisons every single atom of my body and it kills my muscles, layer after layer. And I am trembling.
I am trembling because that unreachable monster got a great hold on me now.
That unreachable monster called Fear.
“Don’t touch me.” I said in tightened jaw. “Don’t touch me!”
“I won’t hurt you –”
“DON’T TOUCH ME!”
Guji. Guji. Guji. Guji. Guji. All I could think about is his name. His two-syllable Japanese name. Guji. Where are you, Guji.
Guji, help me.
Then I got confused.
The next thing I saw was moving bodies in blurred motion. My eyes were out of focus and I could hear shouting and punching and falling bodies on the floor. I put my hand on the edge of the buffet table for support because sure as hell, my world’s spinning.
I closed my eyes and opened it to refocus.
Then I saw reality.
The music died down. No one’s speaking, or dancing, or having fun. Everybody’s on a circle around us – me, Guji, and the Guy. I could see Guji all flushed up, heaving, and the Guy was lying on the floor, beaten.
I think I destroyed the party.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” Guji demanded.
“We were just talking!”
“Talking? YOU CALL THAT TALKING?! You son of a bitch! You’re touching her everywhere!” He lunged on him and took him by the collar. Guji’s choking him to death. I wanted to speak. I wanted to shout stop. I wanted to grab him by the arm and tell him that it’s okay, don’t hurt himself by trying to kill somebody because of me.
But I couldn’t. I’m mortified and afraid.
“Boss, just stop it!” Fred and the gang rushed to his sides and restrained him. “Just let him go! He just wants attention, that’s all!”
“Let him go? Fred, are you listening to yourself? This stupid being harassed our friend, and you want me to let him go? Shit! I want to kill this one!”
“Ji, enough of this commotion.” All of us turned to where Grandma was. She was as composed as ever. “Go home.”
“Bet we will.” Guji freed himself from his friends’ grip and walked toward me. I couldn’t even look at him in the eyes.
He’s angry.
He took me by my hand and told me that we’re going home. He held me like he had never held me in forever. It felt like it was his first time and he never wanted to let go.
I needed that hold.
