Chapter 5

"Anyway," I said, closing my planner like it could protect me from my own feelings. "Crush ko lang naman siya. Hindi naman ako desperada."

No one asked. Pero kailangan kong sabihin para kumbinsihin ang sarili kong hindi ako ilusyonada.

Tahimik.

Alam mo 'yung tahimik na hindi lang tahimik kundi judgmental?

"Lokohin mo yang kipay mo, te," sabi ni Bambi, sabay irap habang sinisipsip 'yung last layer ng yelo sa milk tea niya. Sumuko na siguro to sa pagpapaalala saakin.

Lana sipped her frappe. "Speaking of crush, may band tryouts daw mamaya. As in, Thorne's band is looking for a new sub-vocalist."

I looked up. "Huh? Akala ko siya lang yung vocalist?"

"He is," She said. "Pero parang may bagong segment sa band nila. New concept. Open call."

Updated ang loka since kapatid niya si Hana isa sa mga members ng banda ni Thorne. Bale nagsisimula pa lang talaga silang buuin 'yung buong lineup nila since apat sila originally; Hana, Debris, Steven and Thorne. Chaos Band ang name ng banda nila pero they planning to change it since naghahanap na sila ng sub-vocalist.

Gusto din nilang baguhin ang theme nila from rockstar to contemporary songs since nakikita nilang mas patok yun ngayon kasi maraming gen z na nakakarelate at nagrerelapse sa kanta palang.

Ever since naman, music na talaga ang passion ni Thorne since marami rin siyang original songs na ginawa that went viral, kaya no wonder na todo push siya. Wala siyang pake sa acads, music lang ang mundo niya, period.

"Ow! Speaking of you, Liora..they're actually looking for a makeup artist," dagdag pa niya. "Since si Thorne mismo ang nagpopondo sa banda nila, may mga gigs na rin sila. Baka gusto mong pumunta mamaya to offer?"

Makeup kit? Nasa bag.

Class? In 30 minutes.

Opportunity? Right there.

I could offer my makeup services backstage, 'di ba? Dagdag kita rin 'yon! Alam n'yo namang hindi kami mayaman, may scholarship lang ako pero half lang ng tuition ko kaya ako nakakapasok sa school na 'to. At oo, sumasideline talaga ako sa pagma-makeup. Naging hilig kona rin siya kasi practical.

Kaya nga kumuha ako ng BS Cosmetics and Wellness Management. Second choice ko talaga to. Masaya naman na ako sa course ko ngayon since hilig ko naman siya simula high school palang.

Oo, akala ng iba pang-spa lang 'to or puro facial-facial, pero hello, this is serious business. Ang goal ko? Magkaroon ng sarili kong makeup studio one day yung level na ako ang CEO or kahit maging official makeup artist ng mga local artists muna. Baby steps. Basta makatulong nalang at makaahon sa hirap.

Atsaka ano pa ba? Para mapansin ni Thorne.

Lana raised a brow at the scheming glint in my eyes. "Oh no. She's plotting."

"Who, me?" I gave her my sweetest grin. "Naisip ko lang na... oo nga, I should offer my skills sa event. You know, opportunity."

Bambi squinted. "opportunity to stalk?"

"Parang 'di mo kilala yang talandi na yan," sabat ni Lana. "Support lang kami, baks. Pero 'wag kang maiyak kapag hindi ka nanaman niya pinansin, ha?"

"Hmp. Grabe kayo. FYI, hindi ako clingy, okay?"

Sabay-sabay kaming napatingin sa phone ko... kung saan naka-open ang Thorne Appreciation Album full of candid shots ng kalahating mukha niya sa cafeteria.

"AHHH! AKIN NA YAN!" I screamed.

"TOO LATE!" sabay sigaw ni Bambi at Lana when they grabbed my phone, halos mamatay sa kakatawa.

NAKAKAHIYA!

**

Habang paakyat ako sa Org Hall kung saan may band auditions, I muttered a prayer.

"Lord, kung bibigyan niyo po ako ng chance na magka-moment kami ni Thorne, sana wag po sa harap ng maraming tao or mabaho man ang hininga ko. Baka po magkiss kami sayang naman ang opportunity."

I peeked inside the room.

And there he was. Strumming a guitar, head bobbing to the beat, singing like he wasn't failing all of his subjects and skipping math tutorials.

He didn't see me.

Kahit ako pa 'yung nagtiyagang turuan siya sa Math nung Senior High at tutor niya every saturday sa calculus, parang hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin niya alam na buhay ako. Ako kaya reason bakit pumasa siya sa calculus! Sa calculus nga lang.

And that should've been fine except I tripped over a speaker cord and knocked over a mic stand.

Everyone turned.

Thorne looked up.

He smirked. AGAIN.

"Ay puke!" sigaw ko sabay takip sa bibig ko.

Tangina bakit kasi bigla bigla nalang ngumingisi?

Here we go na naman with that damn smirk! Alam na alam niya kung paano ako paikutin, e—char lang, pero hindi. Hindi yan yung pinunta natin dito, kaylangan ko ng extra income!

My soul left my body. I wanted the ground to open up, swallow me whole, and spit me out somewhere preferably inside a volcano.

"Uy, okay ka lang?" A random guy helped me up while holding back laughter. I nodded, clutching my makeup bag like it could protect my dignity. It couldn't.

Then I heard it. The laugh that was low, amused, and laced with just the right amount of smugness; unmistakably, it was Thorne Silva's laugh, one I could never forget.

I turned to him slowly, like a scene from a horror movie. And there he was, leaning on his guitar, one eyebrow raised like he was both amused and deeply confused by my existence.

"Buhay ka pa naman?" he asked, chuckling.

Okay. Wow. Pinagtawanan ako ng loko pero hindi niya alam halos ikamamatay ko na ang tawa niya.

Pero...

Napansin niya ako. Napansin niya ako mga ate ko!

Sa kahihiyan nga lang.

My brain screamed, Say something cool. SAY SOMETHING COOL.

So naturally, I said, "Uh... mic test po...Ano ito langgam? wow nagkikiss..." sabay tingin sa floor at dampot sa dalawang langgam na napaka clingy sa isa't-isa at tinataas pa ang mga ito. Nice. Smooth. Nakakahiya ka talaga, Liora!

He blinked. Then smiled.

OH NO.

His dimples made a guest appearance. The audacity. "Hindi ka ba late sa stand-up comedy audition? Mali ka ng napuntahan miss." he said, lips twitching like he was trying not to laugh again.

I mentally punched myself in the throat.

"Nope," I managed to say. "Late lang ako sa klase hehe.. Pero makeup artist po ako. For the auditions."

"Ah," he said, nodding slowly. "Makeup Artist. Kaylangan nga namin niyan, may drummer kaming mukhang wala pang tulog since 2005." sabay tingin kay Steven.

Someone snorted behind him. Probably the drummer.

"Tangina mo, Thorne!" reklamo niya.

Tumawa lang siya at humarap saakin.

Dang! slow-mooo!

"Pero bago ka mag-start, ayusin mo muna 'yang sarili mo—you look pale," he said with a smirk that made it hard to tell if he was teasing or testing me.

I forced a smile. "Sige po, I'll just, um... set up somewhere na hindi delikado sa wiring."

"Good," he said.

Lord, why? Bakit ang gwapo nito? Isang buwan moba itong ginawa? Unfair naman talaga.

I scurried off to the corner like a cockroach in heels. Breathe, Liora. You're not here to flirt. You're here to work.

As I unpacked my brushes, I heard his voice again.

"Nice bag."

I looked up. Thorne was pointing at my beat-up, sticker-covered makeup case. It had Hello Kitty and SpongeBob.

Busted.

"Oh. Uh... sentimental value," I said.

"Cool," he said. "Vintage?"

"Sure. Kung 'vintage' means galing sa divisoria noong 2015."

He laughed. Again.

STOP LAUGHING LIKE THAT. I'M TRYING TO STAY ALIVE.