Novel-novel oleh Jill

“Oh my God! Did we just kiss?” Mandy said to herself touching her lips. She couldn’t recall a time when a kiss had been that good. Her first kiss was forgettable. It did not live up to the hype that everyone was saying about first kisses.Time did not stop. There was not much fireworks and gosh, she wanted so much for sparks to fly when their lips met. She closed her eyes real good. She felt his lips, every part of it on hers and that was it.Not that Mandy was an expert on kissing. That was not that at all. She only had a few boyfriends and the kiss had always been a barometer as to whether the relationship had some sort of potential.“Huh, when was the last time I have felt like this over a kiss? Wow, that was a long time ago… Oh my God!” Mandy suddenly felt embarrassed thinking about how she chased Herbie’s lips for more kisses. “But he was chasing my lips, too.” She laugh

Herbie was fidgeting as he and Annie waited for their turn to board a bus. He was biting the nail on his thumb, too.Annie, on the other hand, was watching Herbie at the corner of her eyes. She was controlling her smile. She was seeing Herbert, her boyfriend in college, the way he would fidget and bite his nails when he was nervous. But he looked much more handsome than he was back then. All the success that he had at work was adding a lot to his character. But part of his charisma was that - his old fidgety and nervous self.“I see you haven’t changed a bit!” Annie spoke as she bumped her shoulder lightly at Herbie.“Wh-what?”“I meant that!” she replied using her eyes and lips to point at the finger that was still attached to his mouth.“Oh.” Herbie suddenly felt embarrassed and hesitantly stopped the biting.Herbie placed all their bags at the compar

For a few seconds the world stopped for Herbie and Mandy. They both let go for that brief moment. The rules, the inhibitions, the fear, all gone. It was not Herbie, her sister’s ex kissing her. It’s just Herbie, the man that he trusted with all her heart. His kiss brought her the same electric energy she felt the first time their lips met. And she was holding his face, prolonging the kiss.Everything that he wanted to do the first time they kissed Herbie was doing that moment. His hand behind her head pressing her lips harder onto his. His other arm supporting her back, caressing her there.Then his phone vibrated, startling them both. He chased her lips again when the vibration stopped. But then it jiggled again. Foreheads together, they laughed looking at each other’s lips that already looked swollen. Their lips met one more time then parted for good when the phone received a message this time.Herbie did not want to look at the message nor t

Herbie was pacing the floor of their apartment’s lobby. He was nervous and excited at the same time. He was shaking his limbs because he felt like his nerves were taking over his body.“Herb!” Mandy called as she was entering the lobby.Herbie kept on looking at the elevator and was surprised that the person he was waiting for was be coming from outside.“Mandy!… You look…” The words in his head were beautiful, gorgeous, stunning but he instead said “different.” which he regretted. He could normally say those words to her but now that the tickle in his heart had grown into a full-blown flame, he was afraid things would be more awkward between them than it already was, at least on his end.“Wow, thank you, Herbie. I’ll take different. Although I’d love it if you’d say gorgeous or stunning.”“Well, you are stunning.&rdqu

Mandy pushed Migs away. She didn’t expect that kiss at all. She would’ve slapped him on the face if she hadn’t thought about the job that she badly needed.“You didn’t like it?”Mandy answered him by gesturing how tired she was and that she wanted to sleep.Upon closing the door behind her…“Oh my God! What was that? Did I do something to give him the idea of kissing me?”Mandy knew Migs liked her. He wouldn’t spend all this time with her if he didn’t. It was not part of his job as an editor to tag along in her photoshoots and it’s not part of his job to pick her up or bring her home.She was already the toast of the office. She even overheard some women calling her “Mig’s flavor of the month.” Some would even say she just got the job because Migs was smitten. She was psyching herself to endure. The job that she wanted entailed a lot

The night was getting deeper and none between Herbie and Migs wanted to leave first.“Hey, look at that, it’s almost one in the morning!” it was Mandy who spoke. “You, too, have got work to do later so you better both get going.”“Oh yeah! So Herbie, why don’t you go first.” Migs suggested.“Oh but…” Herbie wanted to object but he saw Mandy gesturing for him to go ahead and so he did.It only took Herbie a few seconds to get inside his apartment but that night, he walked really slowly because he was trying to see whether Migs was leaving also.Herbie stayed by the hallway for a while listening to the sound inside unit 1204. He was glad he heard footsteps because that could only mean Migs was also on his way out. He heard the doorknob turn. Herbie immediately entered his unit but did not lock the door.“What’s taking him so l

Heartworm was a cruel disease. Terry had read about it before, but she never knew what cruelty really meant until she saw it stealing Popo’s strength day by day. He had always been the calm one, the steady soul among her dogs — the one who never fought for attention, who simply waited patiently for love to come his way.But as the days went by, Popo’s ribs began to show, and his once shiny coat lost its glow. Still, when Terry called his name, his tail would wag, faint but full of loyalty. Even as his body weakened, his love stayed strong.Feeding him became an act of devotion. When he could no longer eat on his own, Terry used a syringe to feed him soft food and water. Each drop felt like a prayer — a tiny act of hope that maybe tomorrow would be kinder. Money was tight, yet she never missed a single medicine schedule. Even when she skipped meals herself, she made sure Popo got his care. Love has a way of making sacrifice feel like second nature.For a month, they fought side by side

The mornings had grown quieter.Popo, once the first to bark for breakfast, now took longer to rise. His once-bright eyes seemed dimmer, his steps slower. Polly noticed how Terry would linger by his side, her hand resting on Popo’s back a little longer than usual.“Good morning, my good boy,” Terry would whisper. Her voice carried a softness Polly couldn’t quite understand, but he felt it — like a tremble beneath the calm.Popo still wagged his tail, but it was slower now, gentler, as if every motion had to be borrowed from the past. Polly watched from the corner of his crate, his heart unsure of what he was seeing. Popo had always been strong — the wise one, the patient one. He was the one who let Polly share his crate, the one who never snapped when food was scarce, the one who stood between him and Bantay when they used to argue over bones.But now, Popo slept more than he barked. Sometimes, he coughed. Other times, he stared at nothing, as though remembering something far away.Te

Polly lay in his crate, pretending to sleep as Terry’s footsteps echoed faintly from the kitchen. He could smell her scent—soap and bread and the faint trace of something floral that clung to her clothes. It was the kind of smell that felt like home, and that terrified him.He didn’t want to get used to it.He had been used to things before—warmth, love, safety—and each time they were taken away. The last time it happened, the ache almost killed him. He had promised himself: never again. Never let the heart lead. Never love too much.But love had a way of sneaking in through the cracks of caution.“Polly!” Terry’s voice called from the back door, bright and lilting. “Come here, boy!”He tucked his head under his paw. Maybe if he stayed still, she would think he was asleep.“Polly?” She stepped closer, kneeling by his crate. Her face appeared between the bars—soft eyes, lips curved into a smile. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s stretch those legs.”He turned his face away.Tagpi, lounging a

The morning air was crisp, and sunlight poured into the yard, painting the kennels gold. Terry’s footsteps echoed on the concrete as she carried bowls of food. The dogs stirred to life. Bantay barked once, Tagpi’s tail thumped, and Popo pushed his nose eagerly through the bars. Patsy leapt gracefully from the porch railing and landed near her feet, meowing as if he owned the place.Polly stayed in the back of his crate, quiet, his eyes fixed on her. He had learned to wait—always last, always careful. He didn’t want to seem like he was pushing his way forward. Still, when Terry’s eyes met his, his chest tightened.She knelt, slipping bowls inside the kennels. “Good boys,” she murmured, stroking each head in turn. When she reached Popo, she bent lower, pressing her cheek against his fur. Popo wagged his tail proudly. Bantay barked, Tagpi licked her hand, Patsy rubbed against her leg.Then her gaze drifted to Polly.“Polly,” she said softly, as if testing the name again.He lowered his h

The yard was quiet that evening when Polly heard it.“Polly… Polly…”The voice was faint, drifting through the gate. He lifted his head, ears pricking, heart pounding.“Polly! Polly!”Two heads appeared in the fading light. Martin. Bruno. His old packmates.“Martin? Bruno? Am I dreaming?” he whispered.But they didn’t answer. Their eyes were unreadable, their tails stiff. Without a sound, they turned and vanished into the night.Polly pressed his nose to the bars, desperate to hold on to their scent, but the wind carried it away.“Who were they?” Popo asked, rising to sit beside him.“My friends. Before I came here, I ran with them in a pack,” Polly said quietly. “Maybe they came for me.”Popo’s brow furrowed. “If they do, it won’t be simple. This place already has its order. New dogs bring fights. I’ve seen it.”“Power struggle?” Polly tilted his head.“Exactly. Bantay and I once nearly killed each other over it. It wasn’t worth the blood. Terry’s the only reason we’re still here. Sh

It was tiring hopping from one situation to another. Polly missed the certainty that his mother and brothers brought to his life. It was truly a roller coaster ride for him since he was left alone.“Polly! Polly!” Polly heard voices calling his name in nothing short of a whisper. He looked around but saw no one.“Polly! Polly!” the voices called again. He stood up on all fours inside the closed crate. Polly looked at Tagpi and Bantay. It seemed like they were hearing the voices, too but preferred to just ignore it. Popo seemed to be doing the same.“Over here,Polly!” slowly he two heads started to appear from the left side of the front gate.“Martin? Bruno?…Am I dreaming?”The two dogs did not respond. They walked away.“Who’s Martin? Who’s Bruno? Popo asked.Polly sat before answering. “They are my friends.