brighter than sunshine

i didn’t believe in destiny/i look up you're standing next to me/what a feeling

he is sitting on one of the stools in Seattle’s Best, waiting for his drink to arrive. he sees my reflection walking towards him and for some reason, he chokes on his saliva.

"so," i say as i hand him a glass of water. "i take your breath away, huh?"

what a feeling in my soul/love burns brighter than sunshine/let the rain fall/i don't care

the following afternoon he picks me up from my house. it’s raining. "brighter than sunshine" plays in the background on the way to the Fort, where we were gonna shop for more college-looking clothes. "you're an accident waiting to happen," he told me once. he doesn't say it, but i bet he's thinking it when i step into a puddle in flip-flops.

i'm yours and suddenly you're mine

i slip on my first top.
"do you have a mirror?" i ask the salesman.
"no, sorry. ask your boyfriend, o! he's the best mirror."
our eyes simultaneously widen.
"he's not..." i begin.
"i'm not..." he continues.
we look at each other and pause.

i never saw it happening/i'd given up and given in/i just couldn't take the hurt again/what a feeling

he shopped in Rockwell and toured Makati Cinema Square alone for the three and a half hours i was in rehearsals. i feel guilty. and hungry. i apologize when i see him at the lobby of the building.

"it's okay anns! i made friends with Ronald."
"Ronald?!"
"McDonald!" he says and he hands me McDonald’s fries, a bottle of water, and DVDs of Rent and Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind. two movies i’d been itching to watch but somehow misplaced at home.

i didn't have the strength to fight/suddenly you seemed so right/me and you/what a feeling

after dinner in Polo Club, we head for Starbucks Madrigal. over Tazo tea and a caramel macchiato, my long-term memory kicks in.

"hey, we were here before. a long time ago."
"yeah, and you were teasing me that i had hidden desire for you."
"i was?!"
"yeah!"
"omigod! that is so me to say something like that. that turned out to be true, didn’t it?!"
"..."

truth is, it was actually i who had hidden desire for him because i had a crush on him the moment we met.

love will remain a mystery/but give me your hand and you will see/your heart is keeping time with me.

we made it through the month-and-a-half in constant trepidation. i don't know if we'll ever take that leap of faith. he and i never talk about what "we" are until alcohol makes us. i don't want to demand for labels. not just yet. while others ask for a Happily Ever After, i’m alright with Happy Right Now.