Ta La La

The deafening sound of the alarm clock beside my bed continued to ring so I slowly stretched my hand to reach it. The morning rays of the sun were brightly shining through my window blinds. “Ugh! Too early to rise! It’s Monday again!” I really wanted to stay in bed for another minute but I remembered, I had to attend the DOTA tournament after class so I immediately got up from bed and had my morning routine.

I am Jason, a typical junior student of a private school in our town. Like the other normal students, I believe in one common reason we attend school – just to finish high school and go to college. In my school, I am called Jay (short for Jason). I am tall, a basketball varsity player, well-built, tan, and quite handsome. I can’t say I am from a wealthy family but I am living a comfortable life. I am not academically excellent but I am witty.  I do like reading but I don’t talk often. In short, I am just your ordinary teen age boy.

They say attending high school is the best chapter of a man’s life. Yes, it is somehow true. My friends would tell me that this is the perfect time to start experiencing extra ordinary things- vices, girls, sex or even drugs. I just shake my head. I have a private life. My life is simple. I go to school, listen to boring lectures, jot down some notes, go home then go in front of my computer. I am a computer addict. I play online games, I spend my free time surfing the net, I visit a lot of social networking sites and I love to chat with my friends.

I don’t have any girlfriends but I have a lot of flings. People always tell me that I am young to have a lot of flings but who cares? I am good looking and girls like and want me. I just had my first experience five months ago but it didn’t happen with my girlfriend! It happened with a girl I just met in a drinking spree during my best friend’s birthday. The moment was ecstatic and crazy. The girl wished to have me as her boyfriend but that didn’t happen. I am not into relationships. Relationships are bullshit. I personally can’t handle it.

July 8^th. It was one lazy Monday at school. Our Chemistry teacher was patiently talking about ionic and covalent bonds when suddenly there were soft knocks on the door. Our teacher stopped talking and gave the person on the doorstep a sweet smile. I took a glimpse of who that person might be and I there I saw, one lovely girl, in her pink dress, her hair was neatly combed and tied up. I heard loud whispers from my classmates as they anxiously waited for the teacher to tell everyone what was happening. The girl gracefully moved in front of the class and then she started to speak.

CHERRY

The room was filled with wondering faces. I thought that these students were waiting for me to talk in front of them. I was a little nervous. Honestly, I am shy and timid. I don’t talk a lot. Well, I just talk when I am asked. My knees were a little bit wobbly when I started to move my feet. My lips were dry and my throat needed generous amount of water to soothe it. I clutched my small purse, slowly held my head high and started to speak.

“Good morning everyone.” I muttered.

“Ahhh hheeemmm!” I heard someone at the back clearing his throat. I looked at him and he grinned at me. He wore his typical high school uniform but his hair was sloppily combed.

“I am Cherry and I am a transferee.”

“Ohhh! Cherry! Delicious name!”  Again, that remark came from the same boy. I ignored him and continued my speech.

“My mom had to open her franchised business in this town so I have to move also. I am looking forward to have fun with you guys.”

There was silence in the room. The girls in front gave me a sharp look while the boys at the back were smirking at me. I looked at the teacher and he was smiling at me. That was my compliment. At least, someone gave me a sweet smile.

“Nice to meet you, Cherry! Ok, I hope you will be nice to her, guys. Hmm, Cherry, you can the seat at the back for the meantime.”

I looked at the direction where the teacher was pointing. Good heavens! The only vacant seat in the room was beside that sloppy-haired boy at the back. I walked on the right alley and carefully sat on the chair.

“Hi! I’m Jason.” He said arrogantly.

“Cherry.” I softly answered.

“Nice to meet you! I am pretty sure we will be having a good time together here.”

I didn’t give a response. I glued my eyesight to the teacher who was talking in front and in the corner of my eyes, I saw Jason staring at me but I ignored.

Months passed and eventually, I had already adjusted myself to my new school. I gained new friends. Jason was becoming more serious these passed months. He admitted he was into me but I said no. I made a promise to my mom that I had to finish high school without causing her trouble. That wasn’t clear to Jason. He said we could have a discreet relationship and have a good time together; still, I said no.

One afternoon, my girlfriends and I were busy chatting in one of the nipa huts of the school when suddenly..

“Hi, Cherry, can I get you a drink?”

It was Jason.

“No, thanks. I am still full.”

“Oh common, I know you like lemon soda.”

“I said I’m full.”

“You know what Cherry, you look more beautiful when you curl your forehead.”

“I don’t need your compliment, Jason.”

“But why? I am just telling you the truth!”

“The truth? Well, the truth is, I feel more beautiful without you in my sight!”

“Ouch! That really hurts, Cherry!”

“Those are just words, Jason!”

“Ok! Fine! What would you like me to do?”

“Stop hitting on me. I would really appreciate that!”

“But…”

“No buts!”

Jason left with a face of disappointment! Honestly, I wouldn’t like to do that. Jason was really nice to me, except that he was sometimes arrogant. I understood him that he was doing his best for me but as promised, I didn’t like to give my mom some troubles. My girlfriends once told me that I should give a shot. I kept thinking about that but my mind said no. I started to feel something for Jason but my mind was shouting loudly that my heart got scared to talk. I saw Jason joined his friends. He looked back at me and gave me a soft and sad face.

JASON

I didn't give up. I got Cherry’s number and started sending sweet quotes to her. I endured two months getting no response from her. This girl was really amazing. I thought I was not into relationships but I swallowed my own words. I added her on Facebook and luckily, she accepted my request. I didn’t let a day passed without visiting her profile and looked at her lovely pictures. At first, my only happiness was to see my comments to her posts being liked by Cherry. That was heaven for me. After such time, I mustered enough courage to click her name on my chat list and sent her a smiley emoticon. There was no answer. The next day, I sent one smiley emoticon again. Suddenly, I saw my chat box with her name typing a message. She sent me the same smiley emoticon. The feeling was euphoric! I involuntarily smiled and my heartbeat became faster. I kept telling myself it wasn't love but it turned out, it was love after all. I insisted it was just infatuation but I was fooling myself. I fell in love with Cherry!

CHERRY

February was fast approaching. My girlfriends were super excited because of the anticipated JS Promenade. Well, I was not. JS prom was just an ordinary program. What would I be excited for? The cotillion dance? The speeches? The coronation of the JS Prom King and Queen? Bah! Nonsense. My mom told me that she would buy me a new dress for the prom but I said it would be really impractical to buy a very expensive dress for a night.

February 14^th. It was the general practice of the seniors and juniors for the JS Prom. It was exactly two hours ago since our dance trainer called us. However, nobody listened to him because of the other students’ excitement. I was just around the corner, not minding the people around me, waiting for my partner in the cotillion to arrive and scanning my inbox on my phone. There were a lot of valentine messages on my phone. Most of them came from my old acquaintances in the city. I felt soft pain in my heart when I suddenly remembered how we cried together when I finally told them that I was leaving. My old friends were crazy bitches, and I love them for being real.

I was about to close my inbox when a name caught my eyesight. Oh! It was Jason’s! He had a lot of text messages. I opened his messages and re-read them all. Jason was sweet. My girlfriends told me that they saw some changes in him since we met. I didn’t want to believe them but I could even prove it. Jason and I became closer and should I say, more intimate? Well, I really wanted to give a shot but I was really afraid of what my mom would tell me.

The cotillion participants were finally on the stage. The trainer started playing the music and we went immediately to our places. There I saw Jason, holding her partner. Alice, her partner showed me a face of joy. I pretended not to notice that but I suddenly felt soft twinge inside me. Why was I feeling that way? Have I fallen for Jayson? Dear God! No! I held my partners hand and followed the routine. The middle part of the dance was exchanging of partners. After five consecutive male partners, Jayson was finally in my hands. He gave me a soft smile and whispered:

“I saw jealousy on your face a while ago.”

“Me? Jealous?”

“Yes. I am sure you didn’t want Alice to be my cotillion partner.”

“I don’t care, Jayson. Be with whoever you want to be in this cotillion. I don’t really give a damn.”

“Really? But your eyes say something else.”

“Something else what? And what do you exactly want me to say? ‘Oh, Jason, I want you to be my partner. I want you to hold my hands and dance in the moonlight!’ Is that what you want to hear?”

“Nope, but I guess that is what exactly you want to tell me. And by the way, Happy Valentine’s Day.”

I couldn’t say a word. Yes! Those lines were the exact lines I wanted to shout at his face. But I couldn’t! And I was afraid. 

A minute passed and I just saw myself dancing with my original partner and Jayson was finally with Alice.

February 15^th. The day of the not so anticipated JS Prom. It was 7:00 PM and the make-up artist whom my mom  hired was giving me his final retouch. After which, my mom gave me a tight hug and told me, “Cherry, you are so beautiful! Enjoy your night.” I thanked her and gave her a big hug in return. Her eyes welled with tears but I told her it would ruin my mascara if I was going to cry. She called our driver and asked him to send me to the venue. I bid my mom goodbye and rode in the car.

I finally arrived at the hall. I guess I was kind of early because the chairs were half empty. My two girlfriends were already there and gave me a high wave. I went to greet them and joined their table. My girlfriends were talking about their dresses but my eyes and mind were wandering. Where’s Jason?

Thirty minutes passed and the attendants were almost complete. The emcee finally had a roll call. But Jason wasn’t in the hall yet. Where the heck is he?

After five minutes, there he was, Jason in his black tuxedo. He was holding a bouquet of red roses and dear Lord. He was heading towards me. I pretended not to see him and looked at my girlfriends.

“Hi, Cherry.”

“Oh, Jason. Hi!”

“This is for you, Cherry.”

“For me? These roses?”

“Yes, for you.”

“But! What for?”

“Hmmm, nothing. Just want to give this to you.”

“Oh, Jason. You shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s okay, Cherry. Hope you like it.”

Before I could give an answer, Jason was gone. He was already with his boyfriends. My girlfriends, on the other hand, were shouting with joy. Well, I felt happy too. Jayson was thoughtful and sweet. He was so perfect. But. There were buts. I faked my smile. How I wish.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Seniors and Juniors, before we eat our prepared food for tonight, we will give you this moment to choose your dance partners and you can enjoy dancing at the middle of the hall. We are only giving you thirty minutes for this part.”

Crap! But why do we really have to do this?  My girlfriends were already on the dance floor with their partners enjoying the sweet music in the air. I was left alone in the table. I brought out my smartphone and took some pictures.

“Aren’t you going to dance, Cherry?”

That voice was familiar and it came from my back. I felt a sudden rush in my vein.

“Jason! Why are you there? Aren’t you going to dance?”

“I’m asking you the same question.”

“Well, I was about to dance, you know.”

“Really? But you were taking photos on your smart phone.”

“Uhh! Hmmm, after taking photos…Hmmmm…”

“Well, can I have this dance?”

“Ohh..Hmmm…Sure sure.”

There I was, holding Jason’s hand and heading towards the dance floor. My girlfriends were smiling at me and I knew they were even more excited than I was. Jayson slowly held my left hand and wrapped his right hand on my back. I was trembling. Sweet Jesus! I was not comfortable. Jason was staring me in the eye and I couldn’t see him in his eyes. I knew inside me that he was smiling but I was not looking at him.

“Is everything OK, Cherry?”

“Yeah!”

“You don’t look like you’re OK though.”

“I am not used to dancing like this, Jayson.”

“Haven’t you danced with a guy yet?”

“I have. But this is unusual.”

“Unusual?

“Yes, I don’t know.”

“Hmmmm, Cherry?"

"Yes?"

"I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Hmmmm.. I guess I have gathered enough courage to tell you this. Cherry, I think I’m in love with you.”

There it was. The line I was really afraid of. I became mute. I couldn’t say a word. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him but I really couldn’t. I looked him in the eye and softly said:

“You know my situation, Jayson. I am so sorry but I really couldn’t answer that.”

“I know, Cherry. By the way, I went to your house a while ago to check you out but your mom said you left already. Your mom was nice. She even invited me in and gave me a glass of iced tea.”

“Did you talk?”

“Yes, we did.”

“What did you tell her?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Yes, nothing.”

“That’s why you were late.”

“Yes. That’s the reason. And by the way, she gave you a note. She told me she forgot to give this to you a while ago.”

Jayson handed me a note written on a gold something paper. And it read:

Cherry,

          First, I want to say sorry. Sorry because I was not always there for you. And sorry because I was meddling your things in your room and I saw your diary. I read it and I found out that you were afraid to be with someone because of me.

          Cherry, dear. You have proven me a lot of things. I think you are now free to do whatever you do in return to my lacking. I am your mother. I will always be happy if I’ll see you happy also.

          Follow your heart, child. Be happy and enjoy the rest of the night.

          Good luck to you and Jason.

                                                                                                    Mom

I couldn’t believe what I read. I folded the note and gave it a sweet kiss. My tears were rolling down on my cheeks and I couldn’t help myself than to give a soft sob. Jason was silently staring at me. I could hear my classmates cheering and laughing while dancing. I looked at Jayson and he was smiling. That was monumental. I leaped towards him and gave Jason a tight hug. I knew he was shocked. And I softly whispered in his ears..

“I love you, Jayson.”