A Piece of You
By: Abba Marie Moreno
1 -- When We Were There.
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The first time they met wasn't exceptional. It was the clockwork "Hi 'name', this is 'name'." sort of thing. It was a bright and clear sky they were under in. A sky of about 12.30 pm or 1.00 pm. It was a few degrees hotter than usual but the day was fine. It has been almost four years since that day.
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Getting ready for work--while printing her due paper--while fixing her purse--while brushing her hair--while doing all the things she was supposed to be doing last night, Anna scurried through her apartment as she was almost late for being early at work. [She loves punctuality.]
As she was stepping out the door, she grabbed her phone that was lying on the end table. She hurriedly got into a taxi and sighed as she sat down. "Whew, what a tiring morning. I should really remind myself not to put off such things." she thought. She picked up her phone, "No messages, huh." She paused for a minute, then quickly punched in letters onto her phone and pressed send.
It read: "Good morning."
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Lax and carefree, John got ready for work. He ate breakfast, took a bath, got dressed and drove off. In ten minutes time, he was already at the company. Out of the car and walking, he got his phone. "Two messages, for what this time?" he thought.
One read: "Goodnight."
And the other: "Good morning."
He smiled for a second and continued to walk to the office.
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2 --- 5 cm/s
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It was a normal day in work. Anna had fun with her friends and was able to reorganize her work place. While placing sticky-note reminders on the documents, she glanced at John. "He's quiet, i wonder if he's alright. He hasn't talked to me today--OHHH. Why do i bother?" She stuck the sticky-notes and walked off with Cy and Patrick.
She had fun being with her friends' company and went back to the office. She picked up her things and was about to go home. She said goodbye to everyone in the office. They goodbye-d back. She said goodbye to Him.
"Bye." he uttered.
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She paid the cab driver and went to her apartment. Was she frustrated or angry or disappointed? She did not know.
"Okay. How do i react to that? This guy that told me he liked me, is ignoring me and not replying to me and------ One word, he tells me one word, and it's B-Y-E. DAMN!"
She grabbed the container full of cereal and took out her frustration into the sweet packets of carbohydrates.
"Ohhh, i just can't understand it. Even though he acts like i'm a nobody most of the time, and sometimes he's just the greatest jerk in the world. Why do i bother sending Goodnight's and Goodmorning's, even though he won't reply?" she sighs.
===========FLASHBACK==============================================
She looks back, Why the hell do i like this guy? It was mid-September, she was working late into the night in the office. It was a big company event, the boss relied on her to organize the schedules for the exhibit and to finalize everything. Everybody was counting on her. 10, 11, 12... the hours just went passing by.
She wasn't even done yet. She felt so alone.
Her knees were trembling, she was about to cry. Tears were about to roll down her cheeks, suddenly, there was a knock on the door. She quickly put back her resolve and started working again. It was John- a guy in the office. He passed a folder of the missing documents and asked: "Aren't you done yet?"
She stared at him with a lour: "Does it look like i'm done?"
He chuckled, "Sorry, sorry, it was a standard question. Here's the last batch of the files you were waiting for. Surely, you must be done now?"
"Good, now i'm almost done! i just have to doublecheck these and i'm off. You going home now?" she asked.
"It depends. Are you?" He replied.
"Nah, not yet. i'll try to finish this, and sleep tomorrow at the exhibit." she smiled. "You should get some rest."
"You sure?" he insisted.
"Actually, i do want someone to wait up for me." she said. now, this was the real her.
He turned around, went back to his desk. He popped in some earphones and sat down.
She stared at him for a few seconds and got back to work. "I never really noticed, he's quite cute. Is he going to wait up? Wow."
She finished at about 2am. She poked him and both went home. He drove her home and told her to get some good and well-deserved sleep. He turned around and went to his car.
That night/morning or whatever, she got into bed smiling. He wasn't just some guy in the office anymore.
================FLASHBACK OVER====================================
"Gah! Why did i have to fall for that?" She smiled. It was the opportune moment to catch a workaholic-and-independent-type like her. There had been encounters like the flashback. Both already know that they "like" each other [nothing more--they had said it in one of their conversations]. In some days, he would be tickly-sweet. but in some, he was totally indifferent. He acted like she was invisible. Well at least, that's what she felt.
Even though he was like that, she was liking him more and more. They would talk when they were alone. They would eat together, once in a while. She found a haven in him; in the darkest hours, he was there. but recently, he hasn't.
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3 --- Seventh Period is a Secret
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She found herself crying the past weeks. The weight of all the pressures she has been coping with has finally fallen into her. She needed him more than ever. But he seemed busy at work. I should probably stop myself. He has more important matters to attend to.
Everytime she tried to talk to him, he just seemed to push her away. She felt terrible about it--liking him and needing him. Instead, she found refuge in her friends and two guys that have liked her before. When she was available, other guys were comforting her, it wasnt him. In the times that she was expecting that he would be there, some other guy would fill his shoes.
There are many guys out there that would be happy to have me, but why the heck do i want to stay with somebody like him? Does he really care? Does he? He told me before that he would never leave me, is this even true? She felt terrible. Maybe he didn't like her the way she thought he would. Who was she anyway?
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4 --- His and Her Circumstances
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Half an hour past 6pm, Anna approached John. She said goodbye and asked him if they could talk. He said sure, smiling. Not knowing that something is wrong. They went to a place where their colleagues couldn't see or hear them.
"John, what--wh--what do you feel towards me?" she asked with a trembling voice and a sad look on her face.
"Huh? Why are you asking me that?" He replied surprised to hear the question.
"I mean, sometimes i just dont feel like you care. Well, you're not supposed to or something but---uhhh." She couldnt finish what she was saying.
"Okay, i get it." He replied.
"Do you?! Really?" Her voice was now laced with a hint of anger.
"I want to talk to you, but you're not there. I PM you but you sign off or dont reply. I text you but you don't reply either. There are so many things i want to tell you, but i can't. You make me feel like--like--- uhhh. nevermind. I just want a piece of you and it seems that you can't even give me that." she went on. She was already stopping her tears, but she wanted to stay firm in what she said. She glanced at him, he looked shocked.
She turned around. She started to take steps. She prayed to God that he would tap her shoulder and talk to her. He didn't. She walked away crying.
He was left alone.
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5 --- Doubt
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She had already walked away. He didn't even bother to ask her to stay.
"Idiot. Idiot." he told himself. Maybe she would be happier if someone better than me would take care of her.
He looked down on his phone. He opened his inbox, true, there were short messages of concern from her. He looked back at the times that he didn't reply to her messages in IMs.
From his inbox, he went to his Drafts folder. They were filled with the messages he didn't have the guts to send. Some read "Goodnight.", others "Goodmorning". He looked back at the times, where he wanted to reply but didn't. Why didn't he? Was he afraid so much of rejection? What if she didn't like him back?
he scrolled down to see the very last message in the Drafts folder. It read:
"I love you."
He looked away. He stood up, picked up his phone and walked away. She was nowhere to be found. He went home.
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He ate dinner and got ready for bed. Can i even sleep tonight? He turned on the TV. Infomercial, commercial, infomercial--wait wait--a movie in HBO.
Runaway Bride. This the part where the man proposes...
"...But I also guarantee, that if i dont ask you to be mine, i'll regret it for the rest of my life. Because i know in my heart... that you're the only one for me."
WHOAH. totally had an epiphany. I love her.
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WAS IT TOO LATE? :)) napagod na ako. three hours making this. i'll make a part two. sometime maybe tomorrow. :D quite long. it's not exactly uh, great like the last ones, but trust me, i just want to write this. :)
