Falling In Love with Cinderella's Prince

Chapter 3

Continuation

“Hurray!” Janice and Xyria popped again at her back.

“What did my kuya say?” Janice giggled. “He will be kicked if he rejected you!”

Napasinghap si Eunice. “He already got a prom date.”

“Oh, who is it,” tutop ni Janice ng bibig. “He never mentioned something to me.”

“And guess who?” she said with sheer irritation, almost fuming and scathingly. Baka may masasabunutan siya mamaya sa bahay.

CINDY WAS JUST HUMMING A song, she loves to sing and sometimes she plays the guitar by her window. But today, she is humming a song while cutting colored papers for her project ng bigla na lang lumamba ang pintuan sa likod niya.

Her sister, Eunice, can be seen glaring at her from behind.

“You didn’t tell me, Cindy?” a voice, bitter and scathing hovered over her.

Napalingon siya, she has never seen Eunice this upset. “Is everything okay, Eunice?” kurap niya. Inalala niya kung ano na naman bang mali ang nagawa niya sa kapatid, dahil kung hindi araw araw ay may isusumbat itong pagkakamali niya na ipamumukha nito sa kaniya.

“Adrian, he invited you to the prom?” it appeared like she wanted to grab her hair and turn her upside down in the floor. Eunice never hurted her in any physical way, but Eunice can hurt her in a more deeper way, in an emotional way that still haunts her until now. It was the reality that Eunice never saw her as a real sister.

Napatahimik siya, her cheeks blushed a little over the thought of the handsome Adrian. Kalalabas lang niya ng klase kanina at mag-isa siyang kumakain sa bench ng lapitan siya ng binatilyo. He outright asked her to be his prom date. Ano pa bang masasabi niya, alangan namang hindian niya?

“Nagulat nga rin ako,” paliwanag niya, “pero nakakahiya kasing tumanggi.”

“Well you can decline the offer if you don’t want to.” Eunice aired. “Unless crush mo siya, hindi ba Cindy?” her sister probed.

“Everyone has a crush on Adrian,” pasubali niya, trying to catch her own sister, “ikaw rin, hindi ba Eunice?”

EUNICE FELT HER SKIN suddenly prickle, and she stepped back, unbelieving at what Cindy has just asked her.

“Hindi ba’t crush mo siya?” ulit pa nito. Nakangiti ito sa kaniya na parang anghel.

“Him?” she snickered. “Why would I even have a crush on him?” eksiharada niyang tawa. “Well, I just heard about the news, nagkausap kami saglit after his basket ball game. He even kissed me on my cheeks and he told me I’m beautiful.”

She saw how Cindy’s lips turned to a curve and then momentarily hanged open.

“Yes,” Eunice nodded. “He kissed me on my cheeks, ano sa tingin mo, may crush ba siya sa ‘kin? Kaya ka ba niya inaya sa prom date para mapalapit sa ‘kin?” She was slowy enjoying this one, watching her sister’s face na para ba itong nakalunok ng kung anumang mapait.

“T-then you shouldn’t be angry at me, Eunice, kung iyon ang tingin mong dahilan kung bakit inaya niya ako sa prom.”

“Well,” kibit-balikat niya. “I just wanted to make sure you know what happened. Besides, don’t you think he is too good for you?” she clicked her shoes and gave out a triumphant smile before leaving her sister’s room.

Napatahip ang dibdib niya paglabas. Ang totoo, masakit sa kaniya kasi na pati ba naman kay Adrian, para bang mas matimbang si Cindy. Ever since Cindy came, that’s when her feeling of being left out started to grow, na para bang may kakompetinsya na siya sa atensiyon ng mga magulang niya, o kahit sino na makasalamuha nila.

She was independent and a bit of sarcastic as a child, hindi katulad ni Cindy na malambing at laging nasasabihan na isang mabait na bata. Unang tapak nila noon sa classroom sa klase ay buong akala niya ay hindi mapapansin si Cindy, para sa kaniya ay maganda din naman ang bagong kapatid niya, ngunit simple lang ito. Lumaon ay marami itong napabilib dahil matalino ito sa klase, may angkin din itong galing sa art at musika. Boys would hover over Cindy because of her beautiful singing voice.

Madalas iyong kinatutuwa ng mga magulang niya, they would go on school musicals kung saan parte si Cindy. They both attended piano recitals ngunit si Cindy iyong pinalakpakan ng mga tao. Cindy would write letters for her mom and dad, and even do small surprises for them like making her dad’s lunch box kasama ang mommy niya…and suddenly she felt confused who the real daughter was.

Doon nagsimula ang tuluyang pagkakalayo ng loob nila ni Cindy. Lalo na noong minsan ay pinagalitan siya ng daddy niya dahil na-late siya sa pag-uwi. Yes, she did break the curfew rules at napasobra ang gala nila Xyria, ngunit minsan noong ma-late din ng uwi si Cindy ay hindi naman ito pinagalitan ng daddy niya.

Dahil puring-puri ito ng lahat, pati ng mga magulang niya ay hindi maiwasang maghanap siya ng pagkakamali nito. She was tired being the one always picked upon, that sometimes she hopes they can see Cindy’s flaws too. 

But she didn’t know when it will happen. Her step-sister is too good for this world. And maybe in Adrian’s eyes too, Cindy is the only good in this world.

This thought made her more berserk. She slumped in her bed.

KINABUKSAN, HINDI NIYA INAASAHAN ANG dinatnan niya sa locker. Kung puwede lang ay tumakbo siya o kaya‎‎‎‎’y lamunin na siya ng lupa. There he was, Adrian, standing just beside her locker door, guarding it with fierceness. Xyria and Janice seemed transfixed too. They have never seen Adrian lounging around their locker.

“Naunang umalis si kuya dahil ang sabi niya may pupuntahan siyang importante,” bulong ni Janice sa kanila at napatango-tango sila.

“I want to talk to Eunice, if that’s okay with you guys,” Adrian announced.

Halos itulak siya ni Eunice at Janice papunta kay Adrian. “It’s okay,” the two hurriedly bid goodbye, grinning like idiots. And there she was, dazed and confused.

Napatikhim si Nathan, still looking intently at her. “Do you know what everyone is talking about in the group chat this morning?” diin nito.

She was still perplexed, her eyelids fluttered. “What?”

“Did you tell Cindy that I have a crush on you? Na inaya ko lang siya para mapalapit sayo?” mas naging matiim ang titig ni Adrian sa kaniya, and she has never seen him like that, his eyes like a ball of fire ready to burn her.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, and then suddenly, in awe and shock, na para bang nag-replay ang eksensa sa utak niyang muli, that night with Cindy. Oh god, she’s doomed.