Chapter 6
1876 Words
MARA'S POV
"Good morning!"
I froze on the staircase as soon as I saw who was greeting me – Denver. He looked so fresh and certainly didn't seem like he'd been down with a fever just yesterday.
I hesitated, torn between approaching him or making a mad dash back to my room. After all, I had just rolled out of bed, resembling a total mess. I hadn't even had a chance to comb my hair, my glasses were crooked, and I was barefoot. I continued down the stairs, assuming it was just Denver and elderly Samuela in the house.
Both my parents had jobs, and they left early to avoid the morning traffic. My father managed a bank, while my mother was the head supervisor at a big department store.
They had these positions since I was a child, and I'd often heard them complain about the lack of promotions despite their dedication. I witnessed their hard work, but I also knew how corporate politics work. Besides, they never believed in sucking up to the boss.
"G-good morning, Prof—I mean Denver. Wait, I have to—uh, I'll just go back to my room," I stammered and quickly ran back upstairs.
I rushed to fix myself up, tying my hair into a messy ponytail and brushing my teeth in my bathroom. I also applied some baby powder to my face.
As I was about to go outside, my eyes fell on the lipstick my sister Bella had given me, which had remained untouched on top of my drawer.
I picked it up, applied it to my lips, but then hastily wiped it off. Why was I suddenly so self-conscious about my appearance? I used to face Denver confidently, no matter how I looked.
I started to feel this way after I kissed him at the university. But I refused to acknowledge the truth since I was committing a sin against my own sister by hoping that Denver would begin to feel attracted to me.
No matter what I did, I knew I could never compete with my sister Bella. Besides, she was the only one Denver found attractive.
It was embarrassing because I was secretly competing with my unsuspecting sister.
I walked out of the room and found Denver at the dining table, engaged in a conversation with Nanay Samuela.
"I'm having breakfast here again, Mara," he said, glancing at me.
"Mara, c'mon. I'll make you some milk," Grandma Samuela said.
"No, let me do it, Grandma Samuela," I replied, walking toward the kitchen counter.
While I was preparing my milk, Denver suddenly joined me, taking a mug and making his own coffee.
"I'll be returning to university tomorrow," he mentioned.
"That's good," I responded.
"By the way, when is your stage play?" he asked.
"Two weeks from now."
Denver nodded. "You seem a bit down today," he remarked.
"When have I ever been cheerful?" I sighed.
"Is there something bothering you?" he asked with concern.
I wanted to say, 'It's you and this foolish heart of mine!' but held back.
"Nothing, really," I replied instead.
"But it seems like there's something different about you today," Denver observed.
"You're just imagining things," I said, turning away while carrying the milk-filled mug.
He hurriedly finished making his coffee to catch up with me. "By the way, thank you for cleaning the whole house. I'd like to treat you. Where would you like to go? Or what would you like to buy?"
"It's Sunday today, I'd rather stay home and have a movie marathon," I replied.
"Good idea. I'll join you!" Denver suggested.
"But—" I began.
"Come on, I don't have anything to do!" he appealed.
"Up to you, Denver, I'll be watching Walt Disney," I conceded.
"No problem," he said with a grin.
Before heading to watch a movie, we had our breakfast first with the maid and Grandma Samuela. We had grown up under our parents' guidance, who taught us not to treat household help differently. We also helped with household chores.
"Eat a lot, so you'll become even smarter," Denver encouraged, adding a piece of bacon to my plate.
"You sound like Mommy," I mumbled. "You should eat more."
I grabbed an extra plate and served myself more bread, noticing that Denver had only coffee. I wanted to fill his plate, but doing so would make me look like a caring wife.
After eating, I stood up and left. I let the maid clear the table and headed to our small garden. I swept first before turning on the faucet to water the plants. It had become my daily routine whenever I didn't have classes at the university.
In my peripheral vision, I saw Denver approaching me.
"I really admire how you take care of the plants," he said. "Is this the one you bought last time? I thought it wouldn't survive."
I remembered how my family and Denver had laughed when I brought those plants. They withered because they were newly planted and exposed to the sun's heat, plus they were still in plastic pots. Since I spent my money on the plants, I walked through our subdivision to get home.
They told me I was wasting money and that it was impossible for the plants to survive. They had no faith in my green thumb and my love for plants and flowers. But look at my collections now; they were thriving.
Aside from my interest in robots, I also had a passion for plants and flowers. Instead of going out and enjoying my teenage life, I took care of my garden as a pastime. This way, I could give my parents peace of mind.
I was the exact opposite of my older sister, Bella. As introverted as I was, Bella was outgoing and social. Due to her profession as a ballerina, she was always exposed to parties and people, especially those in the country's high society.
Denver watched me as I watered the plants. Then he suddenly flicked the Hello Kitty-designed hair tie I had.
"Cute!" he said.
"Ouch!" I complained as he removed the hair tie.
"I just wanted to see your face without—" He didn't finish what he was saying because my hair suddenly bounced back. His hand, which held the hair tie, remained in the air as he stared at me, transfixed.
It was as if he had just woken from a trance when I slapped his shoulder.
"Sometimes, Prof, you can be so annoying!" I exclaimed, snapping the hair tie from his hand. I turned away as I fixed my hair. But I felt his hand grasp mine to snatch the hair tie again from me.
I froze in place as he took it upon himself to tie my long hair. I couldn't tell if it was ticklish or a sensation I felt as his fingers brushed against my nape. I swallowed hard, struggling to resist the urge to face him.
"Alright, that's enough, it hurts!" I complained, trying to cover up the excitement I was feeling.
"Done!" he declared proudly, as if he had just created a masterpiece. He even took out his cellphone to snap a picture.
I touched my hair, realizing it was tied slightly askew. I frowned. "You're turning me into a clown."
"But you look cute," he said.
"I don't know about you!" I hissed.
I excused and ran to my room. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I appeared like a twelve-year-old girl, especially with my Hello Kitty pajamas.
Removing the hair tie, I was surprised when I saw my reflection in the mirror. I also removed my thick glasses.
It seemed that loose hair suited me. I felt like I was becoming more like my older sister, Bella. However, instead of resembling a simple yet elegant woman like her, I saw a teenager full of insecurities and lacking self-confidence.
I jumped when I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I quickly opened it, and there stood Denver.
"Are you angry?" he asked.
"No. Am I a child to get upset over nonsense matters?"
"I agree, you're no longer a child," he said. "So, are we having a movie marathon? Shall we start to watch as many movies as we can?"
"Alright."
We headed to the cinema room. Even though my family was considered middle-class, my parents had made an effort to create such a room. It was small, with eight cinema chairs and a couch for those who wanted to lie down. The TV, which my sister Bella had bought, was as wide as the wall.
"Netflix?" I asked.
"No, I want to watch a classic movie," he said, rummaging through the DVDs.
"Don't bother choosing. Here it is!" I said as I inserted the special DVD into the player.
"How many times have you watched that?" he asked.
"More than twenty."
"Don't you get tired of it?" Denver was surprised.
"Nope. This is my all-time favorite!" I said, pulling down the curtains to darken the room and create a cinematic atmosphere.
The movie was "The Notebook," a favorite of our entire family, so it had a special rack.
The movie began, and I settled onto the couch. I didn't care where Denver would sit. But I was surprised when he arranged the seat beside me and sat on it.
For a while, we didn't acknowledge each other, both engrossed in the movie. I hugged a throw pillow, burying my face in it during the emotional scenes.
I stiffened when the movie led to a kissing scene. I had forgotten that there were so many of those in this film, and Denver was here with me.
While a small pillow had been handy for wiping away tears during sad scenes, now it served a different purpose during the kissing scenes.
Denver laughed. He messed up my hair. "It's over," he said.
I lifted my head, but to my surprise, the passionate kissing scene was still on the screen. I immediately hit his shoulder, and he burst into laughter.
I didn't stop hitting him.
"Enough, Mara," he said, restraining both my hands.
I stopped, not because he was holding my hands, but because of the awkward position we were in. He had leaned back to avoid my hits, and I had almost landed on top of him.
We both froze, gazing at each other.
"Mara..."
"I'm so -" I couldn't finish my words because he kissed me without warning.
My eyes widened in surprise, and I was momentarily speechless. But as seconds passed, I closed my eyes and gently tangled my fingers in his hair. I had been longing for this passionate, real kiss. At this moment, I forgot that he was my sister's boyfriend.
Our kiss deepened even further, and it felt like neither of us wanted to break away. I was overwhelmed with emotions that I couldn't quite explain. I was happy, yet it felt like my heart was being torn apart.
Slowly, Denver released my lips, but our foreheads were still pressed together, and our faces were just inches apart.
"Mara..."
"Denver..."
"I'm so s-sorry if I forgot," he stammered.
I nodded, my tears held back but threatening to spill over.
- Writer
