by M.G. Marquez
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
MAGGIE
Grandma’s throwing a party at the mansion and she wants me there. I’ve not totally moved on with what happened to me back there, and she expects me to be there again? Unbelievable.
Grandma greeted us at the entrance. She apologized to me for what happened last time and promised not to let that happen again. Of course, I nodded. She turned to my right hand that has been bandaged tightly. I placed that behind me. I don’t want Grandma to think that Guji caused this. Well, he did. Sort of. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t get angry and crush a glass with my bare hand.
“Ji, did you do this?” Grandma asked Guji, putting out her whip behind her. I gulped.
“Grandma, it’s her own stupidity. She crushed my glass and poof –”
“Why did you let that happen in the first place?”
“I didn’t know that she’s that stupid – OUCH!” I watched the both of them shout at each other as Grandma whipped her grandson. Wow, I see love. “GRANDMAAA!”
After the show, Grandma led us inside. I saw familiar faces, while the others were new. From a distance, I saw two girls rushing toward me. I had a hard time knowing who they were since everything else were blurred. Until they’re standing in front of me.
Vivien and Leslie.
“Janella, I am so thrilled to see you!” Vivien exclaimed as Guji and I took our seats. “Hey, I saw this magazine on the supermarket and oh my gosh, I can’t believe what I just saw,”
She handed me UFashion Mag which cover was us. I think I’m blushing.
“When I browsed your pictures, I mean all of it, I got this sudden obsession to plan your wedding,” Leslie blurted out.
“Then I’ll be the one to design your gown! I have friends in the fashion industry and they can help me make this phenomenal, perfect wedding gown just for you!”
“We will take care of everything, we promise!”
“Don’t excite yourselves. You might get disappointed,” Guji said, bored. Vivien and Leslie both glared at their cousin. “What? I’m just 19, and she’s 17. Isn’t it too early to talk about marriage? And for Pete’s sake, she’s not even legal to marry me. Besides, I might get tired of her,”
Get tired of me? I frowned at the thought.
“Stop cursing, Ji! You don’t get to have a girlfriend often so don’t say that,”
“I can have a girlfriend any time I want to,” he winked at me. Bastard. I will kill him. “’Cause I’m charming and awesome. She won’t be my last,”
“You won’t be my last, either.” I spit it out like it’s venom on my tongue.
After the dinner, the two girls told the whole Villanueva clan about our photos. All of them were so thrilled that they’re pressuring us to settle down as soon as possible. Grandma thought the same.
I felt uncomfortable.
“Will you please stop frowning? You’ve been like that the whole time,” Guji whispered while we’re dancing. I told him, “This is nothing. This is normal for me,”
“Come to think of it, you’re mad at the world when I met you,”
“LOOK WHO’S TALKING –” he hushed me with his finger and said, “We’re on War Limit. Have you forgotten?”
I licked my lip and pursed them. I looked for the words I’ve been trying to compose into sentences since dinner time. Then I found them.
“Hey, in case you don’t know, I was hurt by what you’ve said,” I said sheepishly. “I might get tired of her blah blah. What kind of shit is that, huh?”
“That’s why I said ‘might.’ You can never know,”
“FINE. SHUT UP. DIE.” I was about to break away from him but he pulled me back. I trembled by the mere fact than we’re a few inches apart and he’s beyond gorgeous. He leaned in so that his face was next to my ears. “Forget what I said. I was only making fun of you. The truth is…”
I exhaled.
“You won’t be my last. You aren’t my first either,” he whispered. My grip on his suit went tighter. “You are my infinity.”
Infinity.
We danced under the chandelier’s light, our heads touching, and our hearts beating wildly. I remembered my English teacher telling us that, “Love is always in the present tense.”
I believe her.
