Chapter 1: WHEN THE STORM MEETS THE CALM

THIRD PERSON POV

The music was blasting so hard na halos gumalaw yung sahig ng bar. Lasers lights everywhere, people dancing, shouting, living their best lives. But amidst all that chaos, there was one person who looked like he didn’t belong.

Elian was sitting on the corner booth, holding a glass of iced tea, looking around awkwardly. Suplado? No. Hindi lang talaga siya sanay sa ganitong lugar. Tahimik lang siya, nakatitig sa kawalan, tapos paminsan-minsan ay ngingiti nang tipid kapag may kumakausap sa kanya. Innocent. Ganoon siya. White polo shirt, maong pants, malinis tignan, parang lalaking hindi marunong manakit.

“Bro, uminom ka naman! Birthday mo ‘to oh!” sigaw ng friend niya pero umiling lang si Elian.

“Hindi ako sanay eh. Saka bawal sa akin,” sagot niya nang mahina. Mababa ang boses, malambing pakinggan.

That was when the door opened.

Pumasok si Zara. And just like that, the whole room seemed to stop for a second. She was wearing a black leather crop top and high-waisted shorts that showed off her curves. Her hair was wild, her makeup was on point, and she walked like she owned the place. She wasn’t just beautiful; she was intimidating. Wild.

“Oy! Zara’s here!” sigawan ng mga tropa.

She laughed, a loud, carefree sound. “What’s up, guys!” She walked in, high-fiving everyone, her hips swaying confidently. She was the life of the party, the center of attention. Walang takot, walang hiya-hiya, sinasabi lahat ng nasa isip.

Her eyes scanned the room until she landed on Elian.

Nagkatinginan sila. Elian immediately looked down, kinabahan bigla. Namula pa yung tenga niya. Ang ganda… pero ang tapang tignan, isip niya.

Zara smirked. She liked what she saw. Usually, the guys here were all aggressive, trying to hit on her, trying to act cool. But this one? He looked like an angel who accidentally walked into hell.

Lumapit si Zara sa booth kung nasaan si Elian. She didn’t ask for permission, she just sat beside him. Sobrang lapit, naramdaman ni Elian yung init ng katawan niya.

“Hi,” bati ni Zara, nakangisi. Amoy mamahaling perfume at kaunting alak.

“Uhm… h-hi,” nauutal na sagot ni Elian. Hindi siya makatingin nang diretso. “I’m Elian.”

“Zara,” she extended her hand. “You look so lost here, Elian. Parang hindi ka bagay sa lugar na ‘to.”

Elian scratched his head nervously. “Birthday kasi ng friend ko eh. Pinilit lang ako.”

Zara laughed. “Aww. Ang cute naman. So… good boy ka?”

“Ganun na nga,” mahinang sagot ni Elian. He finally looked at her, and his heart skipped a beat. Her eyes were so sharp, so full of mischief.

“Well, good boy,” Zara leaned closer, bumulong sa tenga niya. Yung hininga niya ay tumatama sa leeg ni Elian na ikinapanikip lalo ng dibdib nito. “Ingat ka, baka mapasama ka sa akin.”

Elian swallowed hard. “Bakit? Anong gagawin mo?”

Zara pulled back, tinaasan siya ng kilay. “Anything I want.”

That night, hindi na nakausap ni Elian ng matagal si Zara kasi pinalibutan agad ito ng ibang tao. But he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was dancing freely, shouting the lyrics to the songs, drinking shots like it was water. She was everything he wasn’t. She was free. She was wild.

At sa maling akala ng lahat, akala nila masama ang impluwensya ni Zara. Akala nila she’s just another party girl with no direction. But Elian saw something else. He saw how she laughed genuinely, how she cared for her friends even when she was drunk, how she didn’t care what other people thought.

Nung pa-uwi na, umulan nang malakas. Walang masakyan si Zara, naka-cross arms pa siya sa labas ng bar, naiinis.

“Uh… Zara?”

Lumingon siya. Nandun si Elian, nakasakay sa simpleng motor. May extra helmet siya.

“Sakay ka? Ihatid kita,” alok niya. Mabait talaga, innocent talaga.

Zara raised an eyebrow. “You sure? Baka pagalitan ka ni mama niyan kung may isasakay ka.”

“Hindi. Saka delikado dito. Tara na,” Elian said, sincere pa rin ang mga mata.

Sumakay si Zara. At nung yumakap siya sa bewang ni Elian, naramdaman niya kung gaano katigas at kainosente ang puso nito. Nanigas si Elian, hindi alam ang gagawin. He was so tense.

“Hinga lang, Good Boy. Hindi ako nangagat… usually,” biro ni Zara sa likod niya.

Dahil doon, napangiti si Elian. Sa gitna ng ulan, sa ingay ng siyudad, dalawang magkaibang mundo ang nagtagpo. Ang wild na si Zara, at ang inosenteng si Elian.

Little did Elian know, this was just the beginning. Zara wasn’t just planning to ride his motorcycle. She was planning to ride his whole world.