章 2: I
I woke up pretty early the next day. Spent an hour running around the yard before taking a shower and locked myself in my room playing games until I'm called for breakfast.
The intercom tinged and I finished the game quick. I, then, walked down the hall and down the stairs, on my way towards the dining area. Today is Friday, so a couple of our maids, including Nanay Hilda, is still here. I walked towards Nanay Hilda and kissed her a good morning after doing so to my sister and greeting my brothers. After that, we all ate in silence.
"I'll just take a shower quickly and then we'll hit the road immediately, 'kay?" my sister told me after the meal. I nodded, still wiping my lips before replying a, "Sure."
After breakfast, I got up and change my clothes, browsing through my phone and my social media accounts, checking for my mates.
Supposedly, my sister should be the only one picking up the 'Aliyah' girl. But she's a world-class clutz that we can't really trust her behind the wheel. God knows how many times have we all received a call from the hospital, telling us my sister was in an accident because she forced herself to drive– SOBER. After she broke her arm and almost feel into a coma, my parents had enough of it and didn't let her take the driver seat again, even with her oh-so-called 'puppy-eyes'– which she mostly use against our parents to get what she wants– what we call her 'My Way'.
Hence every time she needs to go out on weekends, which is usually the day-off for every personnel (except security guards), including the family drivers, I am automatically assigned as her personal driver– and I can't even say 'no', which sucks.
Today is still Friday, but all of our drivers had called early day-off so I'm stuck driving for her again. It's not really that, since I get to also have a day off my phone. However, sitting all day, gaping at the traffic, waiting for the cars to move, makes me exhausted. Unlike when I uses phone while laying on my back, I can't really move around or do other things while I'm on the front. I can't sleep through the traffic either, because I'm the designated driver. Makes me more mentally tired than physically.
It didn't take long before Ate Prim gone down the stair, on her 'porma' mode with what she wears. I'm not really the one for describing, but she's wearing a sleeveless crop top, paired with high-waisted short shorts. Her hooded thin jacket that covers her supposedly bare arms is open. She finished her get-up with a stylish cap, black sunnies, watch and low-cut running shoes. The looks look good on her, and as usual, her clutz aura is decreasing when she goes 'porma' mode.
Her 'porma' varies from overdressed casual, to overdressed formal. I say overdressed because she has a lot of things she put on her body. She'll uses hoodies, flannel jackets even sweaters to highlight whatever looks she is after. When I am just wearing a simple loose statement shirt and stylish fitted jeans, paired with a high cut boots, she'll make me put a couple of chains around my jeans. I guess it works good on me as a lot of people double-looked at me. Still, I like to keep my clothes and looks simple, while Ate just go for it.
Thank goodness she wasn't giving attention to what I'm wearing now. Or we can't leave until she gets satisfied.
I didn't comment anything anymore and just asked if she's good to go and walked towards the garage. I took the SUV out and waited for Ate outside the house. I opened the door when she walked down the porch holding some kind of paper and a small shoulder bag.
I immediately hit the pedal and circled around the fountain before driving through our property's gate.
It still confuses me how we got to have a mansion and yard this big when my parents both don't own a company. Though they do work in one of the biggest group of companies around the world, but it's still a subsidiary company. We don't even know what position they hold, but they must've been somewhere on top because they're always out for business trips. I just hope it's not something illegal, though I doubt my father would go that low and threaten our family's reputation. Afterall, my grandfather's one of the most famous politician on his days before. My father didn't follow his path though.
And I appreciate it. Because if we're in politics, I can very much see our life pretty fucked up, like my friend's life. Maybe why Dad didn't pursue politics.
Ate Prim and I had a few small talks about schools and my friends as we go through the traffic. When we pretty much entered Manila, she got bored and blasted music. I don't particularly hate her song choice, so I let her be and lightly banged my head along the beat. I even tap my fingers on the wheel like I'm playing my drums.
"Hey, what do you think of her?" I looked at Ate Prim when she suddenly spoke, as we wait for the cars in front of us move.
I shrugged before changing gears and move along the speed the traffic lets me. "Can't really say anything until I see her. Let's just hope she's not a bitch."
"You know what, sa'yo kamo nakukuha ni Third 'yung mga salitaan niya. Fix your vocabulary, Seig." I rolled my eyes on what Ate Prim said.
"Ate, he's already 15. He can pretty decide on his own. My vocabulary has nothing to do with this. If you want to point on someone, go with his friends. I'm not with him most of the time, like his teammates, for me to actually influence him like that." The rest of the ride was filled of her nagging on me and me ignoring her. Geez.
When we reached the airport, we're pretty much a couple of minutes late, thank goodness, the flight was also late. We waited for until half an hour before the plane arrived– I pretty much rested through the wait.
While I'm holding the cardboard Ate Prim brought (Ate said I'm taller than her so I should hold it), that has Aliyah Jane de Guzman on it, Ate suddenly had the urge to use the bathroom so I was left alone. I was about to get irritated because the Aliyah girl was taking long to come and the writings on the cardboard is too big to miss for her not to see me, when I felt someone gently tapped me on my shoulders.
I looked back and almost gaped.
What the heck?!
Yes, what the heck?!
It might sound gay, but what the heck?! How can a girl look this… this… pretty?!
Her face is heart-shaped, a little on the fluffy-side with her puffy cheeks, but I can faintly see that her jaw is a bit prominent. Her features are soft, but her eyes are fiery blue, the most beautiful shade of blue I had ever seen. Her eyes are not too big, but it's big enough to be adorable. Her eyelashes are long, softening the look in her eyes. But it contradicts her wild untamed eyebrows. Her nose is small and cute, but still high. Her lips are plump and a little pouty, but small enough to fit her small face shape. She has dimples on both her cheeks, and she's just really cute… and pretty… and beautiful… and gorgeous… but more on the pretty side. She's not runway model type-ish of girl, but she's still a head-turner, something like what I call these days, 'simp worthy'. Damn, those smiles.
"Hey, ahm… you're Mr. Lopez? Errr, no. He's like forty or something. Ahm, hey I'm Ali de Guzman. May I know who are you?" Even her voice is soft and very 'simp worthy'.
Fuck. What the hell is wrong with you, Segundo Miguel Lopez. Fucking get a grip, man.
I sighed before offering her a handshake. "Dos Lopez, I'm Ysmael Lopez's son. Pleasure to meet you, Ms. De Guzman," I said, almost thanking God aloud for not stuttering like I thought I'll be.
"Just Ali, please. And ditto."
"Ow, hi. I'll take it you're Ms. Aliyah de Guzman. I'm Primo Lopez, Prim for short. Nice to meet you." Like some superhero, Ate Prim arrived just in time to save me from an awkward conversation with Ali. I haven't recovered, and still out of myself. So, I can't really find a word or a topic to talk to her, so having Ate Prim back is like a damn blessing for you. What a good savior she is.
I took the cart from Ali and ask if she wanted me to carry her backpack for her, that she declined, after the introduction. My sister and Ali immediately hit it off, my sister mostly doing the talking. As we reached the parking lot where my car is parked, I already have respect for Ali for lasting this long hearing Ate Prim's voice talking just about everything. The girl has patience. Lot of it.
Ate Prim immediately sat in the back seat with Ali when we settled her baggage at their back, keeping her backpack on her lap.
"So, we have this names that run along us siblings. We are named after numbers, me being the oldest is named Primo, next is our driver, Segundo," I looked behind my shoulders and jokingly saluted at them, trying to regain my control over myself and my reaction on Ali's presence. "next are the twins, Third and Four."
"Cool!" Ali exclaimed and explained that she's an only child so it's cute that we are named like that, because she doesn't really have special bond like common or categorized name that runs along the family. Ate Prim saved the atmosphere by changing subject and telling stories about the twin. Ali's mood got better after the change of topic and they started mumbling about things that I finally lost interest and just zoned out along the conversation.
The traffic didn't help, as I felt like a real driver with them sitting at the back and only talk among themselves. Girls. I slightly shake my head. I feel so out-of-placed and bored as hell. Fortunately, my buddy, Limuel. We talked about school that's coming around the corner and his love of his life, Nana. He was courting her, told me about how he's feeling she's about to say 'yes'. Being a supportive friend, I congratulated him and told him that I should be the first one to know if she ever did say 'yes'. He joked about me being his only friend and had no one else to tell first if ever she will.
Somewhere around Imus, the two must've remembered me and let me in with their talks.
"Nothing's really going on in school. The professors are cool, well, most of them. The rest are just pretty strict. Most of them are young, that's why. Though the teachers are still strict if I'll compare it to American professors, but they're cool, really. Just no phone, no sleeping, no eating inside the class, no talking, especially loud, except if the prof's kind enough to let you all do that." We continued talking about school, telling her she can stick to me until she settled down and meet new friends. She said it's cool and I am deeply appreciated. We also told her about most of the school rules, the uniform schedule, the guards and the gates, which food stall or cafeteria is near which building and stuff. I even jokingly told her how to easily cut classes.
When we reached the house, I'm pretty much beat and tired. We told a maid that saw us arrive to call the twins down as we take care of her baggage. When we entered the lounge, the twins were already down the stairs. They all looked at the girl behind me, probably didn't know what to do.
"Ali, that's Third and Four. Black hair's Third, Brown's Four. Twins, Ali," I introduced them as short as possible.
I chuckled when Ali bended her knees a little to match their height (they're not small, in fact, they're two of the tallest among their batch. Just that, Ali's pretty tall on her own) and Third blushed when he realized how near their faces are to each other. My arrogant l'il brother, blushing over a girl much older than her. Wow, a sight I never knew I need to see.
They started to familiarize themselves to each other as I signed to Ate Prim that I'll go rest upstairs. The maids already took Ali's baggage to her room, so I don't really have anything to do. As I walk up the grand staircase, I even saw Ali pat Four's head like a child. The way the back of his ears and neck blushed didn't go unnoticed to me. How cute, these two.
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