“Why do you feel so nervous?” Johnson asked.
“If it’s another man, I wouldn’t feel so shy but you are like a brother to me. Of course, that would be awkward at first.” Alice said defensively.“What? You would rather kiss a stranger?!” he said incredulously.“It’s not what I mean!” she exclaimed. “It’s just that those actors are just co-workers for me and I guess they are used to those kinds of scenes but you are different!” She can’t look into his eyes.“Oh, it’s like you are saying I am special?” Johnson asked her.“Of course! You and Odette are special to me since we have known each other all our lives!” she blurted. ‘I know your secrets but you don’t know mine yet.’ She thought sadly.“I see.” Even if Johnson is not really happy with her answer, he is excited about helping Alice to practice especially the romantic scenes. They continued practicing and during the last kissing scene, Johnson got carried away and kissed Alice for several minutes. It seems that Alice got carried away too and she let him lay her on the bed. Just as Johnson’s hand started to go under her shirt, she was shocked and gently pushed his hands.“I-I’m sorry I got carried away.” He sat up from the bed and slapped his palm on his forehead.“It’s okay, it seems that I got carried away too.” Alice blushed profusely.“Don’t be like that with actors in the future.” Johnson said softly.“I won’t. I just got carried away because it felt so natural.” She was ashamed of what happened.“I will go back to my room now so you can rest.” Johnson pretended it was just nothing but deep inside, his heart was somersaulting in his chest. He went back to his room and lay on the bed. His mind is filled with scenes that happened earlier.He doesn’t know if he will tell her about his feelings or be a coward and just remain friends forever. The first time they met when they were just kids, he would always try to provoke and tease her whenever there was an opportunity just so she would notice him. She was aloof at first and but then Alice decided to beat the crap out of him so he tried another approach by enrolling in the same martial arts school with her.Since they were neighbors, he would always go over to practice with her until they became friends. Their parents and Odette’s parents are all friends so they often visit each other’s families especially if there’s an occasion. There is just one thing that he observed with Alice.She seems to have a secret that she can’t share while Odette and Johnson are so transparent. Odette shared the story to them about her first kiss with a classmate during elementary, Johnson shared the story about how he sneakily attended a party when he was in freshman, about how Odette cheated on her exams, among other secrets that their parents didn’t know about but Alice never told them anything about her secret.
‘Maybe she is just a good daughter with no secrets to share. She is smart and doesn’t need to cheat to get perfect scores in the exams.’ He knew that it was a fact, but still, he felt there was something but he didn’t want to ask her directly. He will wait until she is ready to share something about her. Odette doesn’t mind if Alice doesn’t want to share her secrets though, as long as they treat each other very well, then there would be no problem.The next morning, Odette got up early and barged into Alice’s room, “Rise and shine my sunshine!” she shouted while getting the remote control so that the roof would be covered with the blinds that were set up before the sun shone hotly.“So early…” Alice complained while trying to cover her ears with the pillow.“Hell no, girl! It is already six in the morning and your call time is at ten!” he tried to grab the pillow from Alice. Then continue making a lot of noise.“Oh my God! I set the alarm for 7 AM and you are earlier than the alarm clock!” she covered her head with the comforter.“Remember! The early bird catches the early worm!” Odette tugged at the cover.“What worm are you talking about? Is Corey your worm?” Alice answered sleepily.“Yes, yes! He is my worm and I want to catch him early.” She said excitedly.Alice has no choice but to roll out of bed and wake herself up forcefully. She is not a morning person and she prefers to sleep until noon. She grumpily went inside the bathroom.“I will prepare breakfast in the kitchen so we can eat before we leave.” She said when she saw Alice fully awake.“Okay, okay!” Alice answered from inside the bathroom.Alice prepared slowly and eat slowly just to kill some time. Her manager will pick her up at 8:30 AM with a coaster where her outfits will be ready. The make-up artist and the PA will be on the coaster as well and she doesn’t have to wear a lot of makeup so they spend just a little time on hair and make-up. Her face is breathtakingly beautiful even without makeup.They arrived early at the set and some of the small actors and actresses are already there. It is only 9:21 AM and there is still so much time. Of course, Odette took the advantage to talk to a lot of people and easily get along with them. She is trying to find Corey but he is not yet on the set.“Hey, when would Corey arrive? It is almost 10 AM.” Odette whispered to Alice.“I don’t know, this is the first time that I will work with him.” She whispered back.“Look! There is Jennifer McClaughlin and Tony Jacobs!” exclaimed Odette. She is talking about the main actor and actress in the movie.“Shhh…don’t be so loud or the director might kick you out if you make a fuss. Just act normally.” Alice advised her friend.“How can I? We’re talking about Jennifer and Tony here, I will ask for an autograph later and a groupie with them!” she danced excitedly. The two artists are at the top of the country and they are also international stars and very famous.
“Behave yourself, Corey might be turned off if he sees that you are so star-struck.” Alice is still whispering.Odette suddenly acted like it was just normal for her to see the two stars when she heard Corey’s name even if she already wanted to run and pester the two main casts.When Corey arrived, Odette almost fainted on the spot but she tried to calm herself and pretended to be a demure and reserved lady, she pinched herself just to make sure that she was not dreaming.Corey just swept the set with his gaze and sat on a chair to read the script. He noticed that there seemed to be a lot of aspiring actors and actresses on the set playing roles as extras. He noticed Alice but pretended that he was ignoring her.He is familiar with her because of advertisements and her pictures in famous magazines. He knew that he would play opposite her and this was her first big role as a supporting actress and plans were already formed in his mind before they even started shooting.
‘Her looks are so refreshing.’ He said to himself. He began to fantasize about things that they would do once she gained her trust.Alice’s manager told her that she needed to get along with Corey so they approached him and were introduced to each other. “Hello Corey, this is Alice. She will be your girlfriend in this movie” Alice offered her hand and Corey shook hands with her pretending to be aloof but professional.“It is nice to meet you, Alice.” He said while still holding his script in his left hand.“Same here, Corey.” She felt Odette nudge her gently. “This is my good friend, Odette.” She added.“It’s nice to meet you too, Odette.” He also shook hands with Odette.“The pleasure is all mine.” She said blushing slightly. “Are you guys going to practice with each other?” she turned to Alice.“I don’t want to bother Corey, I already practiced last night.” She answered. She knew that her friend wanted her to practice with him so she could have more opportunities to be near him.“It is a great idea! Why don’t we do that so we can be more familiar with each other?” Corey said to Alice after giving Odette a dashing smile. It seems that he doesn’t need to exert too much effort and she can use this girl to get closer to Alice.The two of them are practicing their dialogues and Odette keeps on giving comments and encouraging them when the director of the movie calls out to them. Finally, it is time to shoot their scenes. During this scene, the two of them are walking and see that the lead actress is being bullied by a group of men.“Stop it right there!” Alice followed what was written in the script.“Mind your own business young lady!” said the thug leader.“Maybe she wants to join the fun, boss!” the other tug laughed coldly.“Let’s play with both of them!” Said the other.As she was about to run forward to slap the perverts, Corey intercepted her and said, “Allow me...” the dialogue is still according to the script but the action is different, instead of putting out his arms in front of her to touch her arms, it landed on her chest.“I will beat the crap out of these morons!” he whispered to her ear and continued acting as if nothing happened. Alice just went with the flow and continued acting too.“Alright, I’ll give you an hour to beat them all, if not, I will be forced to help you.” She nodded and ran to help the lead actress from the ground.
The two girls watched the fighting scenes on the side just enough to be seen on the camera. “Cut! Perfect, perfect!” the director shouted and clapped his hands.“Well, what do you expect? It is indeed Corey Ward, no need to take two when it comes to the fighting scenes.” Corey’s manager said proudly.Alice's next scene is with the lead actress. In this scene, a friendship is established between the two of them. Corey’s next scene is at night so he is about to go to the refreshment area when he hears a voice, “That is so amazing Corey! Here, have some refreshments first.” Odette offered him a fresh pineapple juice.“Thank you.” He reached for the juice and drank it thirstily.“I watched all of your movies and I know that you are good but you are just perfect in person.” Odette didn’t hold back anymore and gave Corey the impression that she was his fan. She stared at her and thought that she was also beautiful but not as beautiful as Alice who looked like a goddess of beauty.“Really? Did you watch it with your friend? He glanced at Alice while saying this.“I watched it with my other friends, Alice is too busy to watch movies,” she said embarrassed.Corey held her hand, “Don’t be so shy around me, we can be friends too you know.” Naturally, Odette was instantly on cloud nine when she heard this. She started blushing nonstop while smiling.“I did not expect that you would be so friendly.” She’s hoping they would be more than friends.“Why don’t you accompany me to my van so we can chat while we are resting.” He invited Odette and gave her his famous smile that made girls almost faint on the spot.Of course, Odette was rooted on the spot and very elated that she was being invited by him. She will grab this opportunity and try to get close to him as soon as possible.“Hey, are you okay? It’s fine if you don’t want to…” Corey snapped his fingers in front of her.“Wait, I want to go! Let’s go now!” she exclaimed happily.“Okay let’s go.” He said while guiding her to where the van is. His manager just glanced at them. He is used to Corey bringing girls inside his van to ease the boredom while waiting for the shooting of his next scene. As long as the girls are not clingy and will ruin his career, that would be fine for him. Once Odette and Corey entered the van, Odette was instantly amazed. “Oh, this is so cool! I love customized vehicles! It looks like a home away from home.” She said and noticed that the bed on the back of the van looked so comfortable. Corey followed her and said, “It is very convenient to have that, especially if the set of the movie will be far away or while waiting for the shooting of my next scene. Do you want to try it?” he headed to bed. “Sure!” she was flattered and immediately sat on the bed beside Corey. When Corey lay on the bed, he prompted her to lie beside him. “Try to feel how comfortable it is.” He patted the space beside him. “It is easier to chat while we are
Alice woke from the noise outside the house, there’s the sound of a rooster giving everyone a warning that it was already dawn. She sat up on the bed and felt a slight headache. She realizes that she is sitting on a bunk bed made of bamboo wood and beside her is Odette still sleeping. Johnson is also sleeping on the other side of the room lying on a single bed also made of bamboo wood. “What the…!” she looked at herself and saw that she was wearing an old printed skirt reaching her mid-calf and a cotton blouse with a round neck design. She looked at Odette and she was wearing the same design as her outfit. When she saw Johnson, he was wearing a shirt that looked like a polo shirt without a collar and old trousers. She looked around and instead of her room, she found that they were in a different room and it was made of wood as well. She heard people talking outside the room. “I am afraid that the Japanese will occupy the whole country and the Americans can’t do anything about it.” a
Once the family stepped outside, Odette and Johnson started bombarding her with questions. They asked a lot of questions at the same time, one after another. Alice didn’t know what question to answer first and who to answer so she raised both of her hands in surrender. “Wait, wait. I will ask you first. What is the last thing that you remembered before both of you woke up?” She looked at Odette first. “We were in your room and you are about to tell us something about the secret that you are saying.” She answered. “Yeah, you said that you will share ‘your’ secret but then you suddenly looked so shocked and started to cry. That’s the last thing that I remembered.” Johnson added. “Right, I will now tell you what really happened because it has something to do with this.” She felt ashamed of herself for not telling them before about her ‘powers’. “I’m sorry to both of you, it’s not that I don’t want to share my secret but I don’t want you to think that I am a freak, it is necessary for
“Supper is ready!” Rosa shouted from the kitchen. “Is it going to be rice again?” Odette asked the young men. “Of course, there will be rice every meal.” Pedro answered. “It is the main food here in the Philippines, either rice or corn and sometimes potatoes or sweet potatoes.” Isagani informed them. “It’s all carbs, I don’t want to get fat!” Odette looked horrified while imagining herself eating all these carbohydrate magnet foods. “Carbs? What is it?” Pedro asked her. “Uhm…I mean, isn’t all that food going to make you fat?” She said embarrassedly. “We balanced our food with fruits and vegetables, and with a lot of things going on right now, it’s impossible for us to get fat! Hahaha!” Pedro laughed at her reddened face. “Besides, you are not fat. Anyone who said that you are fat must be blind!” he added while stealing a glance at Odette’s body from head to toe. Odette’s face became as red upon hearing those flattering words from this young man. “I know, right!” she laughed an
Miraculously, Alice woke up very early. She was sandwiched between her two friends. Odette’s feet are on top of her lower legs and Johnson’s arm is wrapped around her waist. She got up and her friends stirred so she walked quietly outside and found Ramon sitting on the wooden bench in the living room. “Good morning.” She greeted Ramon. “Good morning, Alice. If you will take a bath, you can do so after Rosa comes out of the bathroom.” He said to her. “Yes, where is the bathroom please?” she asked. “It is outside the house in the backyard, Isagani and Pedro are also outside.” He answered. She went outside and found Isagani and Pedro taking a bath by the artesian well. “Good morning guys.” She said while looking at the two young men. She noticed that they have a great physique. “Good morning!” they answered in unison. “Where is the bathroom?” Alice asked them. They pointed at a small cabin beside the house. It is just like a square box made of bamboo wood about five square meters
Johnson looked helplessly at Alice while the females were surrounding him. Alice shook her head and smiled at the males around him. “We need to continue with the training.” She told them. Alice clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Let us continue everybody!” she said loudly. “Go back to your places!” Johnson jogged to Alice’s side with a relieved expression on his face. “Thank God, you saved me from being harassed.” He whispered to Alice. Everybody went back to their places including Odette and Fernando. “Make sure that your arms and hands are firm while punching your opponent!” Alice told the group. She noticed that the people who are training have strong bodies and they learn the techniques quickly so she decided to start training them on how to throw a powerful kick. “Let us add the kicking technique today, Johnson here will show you how to balance your body and keep the proper posture while kicking.” She gestured to Johnson to give a demonstration. “Let’s do some s
“Oh my, this is a beautiful place!” Alice exclaimed when they arrived at the lake located in a secluded spot. “This is like a paradise!” Odette said loudly and looked at Fernando. “I love it!” she said. Pedro and the other men ran to the lake and jumped after removing their shirts while the girls hesitantly walked to the side of the lake and tested the temperature of the water. Some of the men climbed up to reach the top of the waterfalls and jumped to the lake below. “Hmph! Show-offs!” one of the girls said while laughing at the two men who jumped from the top. Alice looked around and saw that there was a path upward going to the falls, she went to the pathway and decided to join the others in jumping but she saw a row of trees with fruits that looked so delicious. ‘I wonder what those fruits are, they looked tasteful.’ Alice said to herself and went near to the tree. This tree is the rambutan tree with a fruit that is similar to a lychee but the outside of the fruit is kind of
Johnson caught Alice before she went underneath the water. He wondered what she saw but he knew that she saw something again. He carried her in his arms as if he was just carrying nothing. The people around them looked at Alice and were shocked to find her unconscious. Pedro and Isagani came forward and helped Johnson. “What happened to her?” Pedro asked. “This is nothing, she just spent too much time under the water and she lost consciousness but she will be fine.” Johnson answered. “Are you sure she is okay?” Isagani asked. “I’m sure. You can go back there and have fun first. I will bring her home.” Johnson told the two men.” He continued carrying Alice and went in the direction of Ramon’s house. Pedro and Isagani scratched their heads and looked at each other. “I guess she is alright if he said so.” Pedro said. “I hope so.” Isagani muttered. They went back to the lake and their friends asked them a lot of questions. The two men assured the group that Alice was fine and would