[MARGARET]

It was a Sunday, but here we were, my dance practice together with Brent was still continuing. It was our truce's fifth day. And yet those five days changed a great deal in my life, whether I admit it or not.

Or at least that was how I felt it these past days. I didn't want to enumerate those changes since I didn't want to end up crazy in the end. I didn't have any plans of ending up like that and I still wanted to do a lot of things in which I would need a clear state of mind.

Me and my partner were in our practice placeーin a room inside the auditorium. I really couldn't understand this jerk. We could practice somewhere else. But he was the one who decided that we should practice here. I admit that the place was quiet and we owned the whole area at the same time. But that wasn't supposed to be the point here.

But okay... I guessed I should let him be. I really didn't want to deal with this person when craziness struck him since I wasn't in the mood to do that.

At the moment, we were only perfecting the transitions that we needed to do, especially when I needed to make a turn. It was dizzying, but I had to bear it. I could only groan when I remembered that I needed to wear a dress appropriate for dancing waltz. And heck! Did the girls really have to wear heels?

To my frustration because of that issue, here I was! I ended up rashly scratching my head. This was really frustrating!

"Hey, you should be careful about scratching your head. I still don't want to see you bald since there's a possibility you'd end up like that if you keep that up. You should vent out whatever frustrations you have to other things," Brent said while he was tinkering the CD player. And heck! He wasn't looking at me and he still had the guts to laugh.

What he going crazy or what?

I frowned when I thought of something. Why should I care if this jerk would even look at me or not? And why did that issue become a big deal to me?

"You should take it slow when you're looking at me like that, Margaret. I still don't want to melt here because of your stares." He faced me as soon as he said that, complete with his flashy smile and amused stares.

All of a sudden, I could feel my blood rushing up to my cheeks that made me avoid my gaze from Brent. What was this? Did I really have to blush like this? And for what reason should I blush, anyway?

I tried to be casual when I faced him again. This guy shouldn't notice anything because if that even happened, I'd be deadーfor real. "You sure are conceited, aren't you? You really think you're that good-looking for you to say that?"

"Why? Am I not?" And this jerk, he even laughed.

Now that I'd noticed it, he'd been doing that a lot right after the event with that heck of a guy I would like to call Oliver Santiago the Jerk. And I haven't even asked this guy about the yellow tulip that was still place on the flower vase of my study table until now.

If only I would've known that the flower would distract me more often than not, I should've thrown it away. But then I also kept on wondering why I couldn't find it in my heart to throw it away.

Yeah, right. As if you still don't know the real reason why was it like that. You still deny that even though there's no use to do that at all.

Oh, shut up, brain! Urgh!

"Margaret, what do you think?"

And as sudden as he called my name, my attention soon focused to Brent... which, of course, I thought was insanely weird.

Oh, seriously! Since when all this weird stuff in my life even disappeared in my life ever since my path crossed with the notorious heartbreaker of Oceanside Rose University?

"Of what?" I asked back to him.

"Of what song are we going to use for the dance practicum," he answered and sat on the sofa without a wordーright beside me, I should add.

"You still haven't chosen anything? I thought the song we usually used during practice was okay. Wait... What was the title of that song again?"

Just great! I've been hearing that song for a few days now because of our practice, I just decided to ask the title now. Honestly, where exactly has my mind been traveling to?

"'What If I Say Goodbye?' by Vince Gill."

Yes, I was only asking for the title of the song from him and he gave it. But why did I suddenly feel something weird because of that? Why was it that the way he said the answer seemed to have a deeper meaning?

So here I was... I didn't know what to say next after that. All of a sudden, I couldn't help feeling awkward. But then, there was no reason for me to feel that way.

Why, oh, why?

"I think I should look at your list. Maybe there are other choices there."

As soon as I said that, I took the paper that Brent was holding without any warning at all.

"Hey, wait! Don't look!"

And he really tried his best to take it back from me? Why? It was just a paper, right?

Of course, I did my best not to lose to that. Ad besides, I was just going to read the songs that was on the list. There was nothing wrong with that. But whether I admit it or not, he was a lot stronger than me.

"What do you mean 'don't look'? Stop being such a killjoy, will you? I just want to see what's on this list." I was trying my best to hide the paper from him but he was also persistent in trying to take it back from me.

"I don't want to show it, okay?"

I hid the paper behind me. "What exactly is this list and you don't want to show this to me, huh?"

"Well, that's for me alone to know, okay?" And once again, he tried to retrieve the paper from me. Well, I just wanted to have a sneak peak of it. Was that wrong?

My curiosity intensified about that paper. What was with that list for him to act this persistent in taking it back so that I won't be able to see it? Did he write something here that I wasn't even supposed to see at all?

But before I could even think of an answer to that question, I wasn't able to comprehend the next events that happened. Our simple tug-of-war with a piece of secretive paper ended up in a "slightly" compromising and suggestive situation.

And because of Brent really doing everything to take the paper from me, we both tumbled down from the sofa that we were seating and we both ended up lying on the floor-with HIM on top of ME.

Finally got the picture?

Yup... Just like the first time we met. Only this time, the way I fell didn't hurt that much at all. But even still, that situation was still something compromising. And here I was, the sound of my heartbeat reached my ears. Our faces were inches close to each other as our breaths brushed our skin.

So tell me if that scene wasn't something you would consider compromising and suggestive at the same time?

"Y-you're okay, right?" he asked concerningly. "You didn't get hurt?"

But then I noticed something. Was it me or did he just stutter?

Wow! For real? The infamous Brent Allen Villaruz just stuttered? And in front of me whom he would always tease and now, his dance partner?

Surely a moment to remember but... this wasn't the time for me to dwell on that thought. "I'm fine. At least there wasn't any stone to injure me this time." And I even laughed at that.

But Brent didn't even laugh at that. He had this guilty look on his face. "I'm sorry... that I caused you to get hurt that day."

Well... I was speechless at that, to be honest. It even looked like he was sincere. And I really needed to do something to break this awkward feeling between us. I'd rather deal with the weirdness I had in my mind because of him than this awkwardness surrounding the two of us.

"Why are you like that? It's all over, okay? And..." I paused since I needed to take a deep breath. It seemed that any minute now, I would be having a heart attack because of the crazy beating of my heart. "...would you mind getting off of me? You're quite heavy, in case you're not aware of that. How many kilos of rice are you eating in a day, anyway?"

The way I said those words had somehow helped, considering the fact that it made Brent laugh even though our position was kind of weird. As much as I didn't want to admit it, but I could also feel that my body was heating up because of that position.

Waah! Don't pester my mind, you damn hormones! I needed to focus! Focus!

I thought this jerk would still had the guts to tease me and had forgotten everything I was saying. It was a good thing that he finally lifted himself up and removed himself on top of me. And he even helped me stand up, without knowing that doing so would make me feel a jolt of electrifying sensation that coursed throughout my body.

My goodness! Why did I have to feel this from him, of all guys?

I wasn't ignorant when it comes to the meaning of what I was feeling. But this was seriously crazy! Nonsense!

"Are you sure you're okay? Anything hurt?" Brent asked me, in which I answered with a reassuring smile--something I would rarely show to him since he would really tease me non-stop.

What kind of day was this, anyway? How come I was feeling speechless, all of a sudden?

"Are you sure?"

That was when my speechlessness disappeared. I faced Brent with narrowed eyes and annoyance. "How many times do I have to tell you the answer, huh?"

"Come on. I was just being concerned here, okay?"

And this jerk, did he really have to pout? What was he trying to do, anyway? Trying to look pitiful or to look cute as a baby?

'You could say both.'

Eww!

And didn't I tell you to shut up, brain?

I groaned in frustration. This was just great. I think I would be the one to end up crazy because of all these thoughts running in my mind at the moment.

"You know what? Let's have one more round of practice and then let's wrap this up. Maybe we could go somewhere and have fun for the rest of the day so that we could rest," he suggested all of a sudden that made me frown.

But then... why not? I already to myself that I would take advantage of this guy's nice attitude before our truce would end between us. I somehow knew he was doing this because of our truce and I kind of accepted that fact already.

And yet.. why was it that there was a part of my heart that disagreed with that thought? That somewhere in my heart, there was an even more reason for him to do all these...

A reason that I guessed I knew but haven't fully acknowledged it yet.

"Listen to this." That was what I heard from Brent that soon made my mind return to reality.

And to my surprise, it seemed that I was having a hard time breathing when I noticed that this jerk suddenly zoomed his face towards me and ended up near my face. Before I knew it, I just found myself wearing earphones from his iPod.

The song that he wanted me to hear soon resonated in my ears. I thought at first that it was ballad. But as I listened further, it appeared to be a country song that has the beat we needed for a waltz music.

And I had to be honest, it was a beautiful song.

I closed my eyes while listening to that song. I did that for two reasons.

First, I wanted to savor the moment as I listened to the song. I wanted to understand the lyrics that went along with that music.

And second, I didn't want to look at Brent that I knew was staring at me intently until that moment. How did I know that? I could feel it as if he was boring a hole into my soul. Seriously, why did he have to look at me like that? Does he have any idea that it was something awkward?

But then, I stopped listening after a certain part. I immediately removed the earphones from my ears that Brent placed there all of a sudden. I didn't know why I did that. He just wanted me to listen to the song, right? Besides, it does have the beat we needed for the waltz.

But why did I feel different? What exactly does he wanted me to learn from this song? It was like... he was saying I haven't actually found the one love I'd been trying hard to look for.

"Why? Is it okay?" Brent asked me in a childishly hopeful tone-at least childish in my perception.

Wait... Was there even a description like that?

But a nod was my only response to that. I don't know. It was like I lost my voice for some reason.

Brent smiled wildly after that. It seemed that he was satisfied with my answer. I just nodded, right?

"Then this is what we're going to use for the practicum." Until I soon noticed that the smile on his face seemed to be fading slowly when I handed the earphones back to him. "Hey, why aren't you talking? You'll end up having a bad breath if you keep that up, you know."

Now I was the one who ended up pouting. "If I was talking, you had a lot of complains. Now that I was being quiet here, you still had complains. Seriously, where should I place myself, huh?"

"In the middle?"

Great! Now he was being philosophical. Should I punch this guy? For real?

Breath, Margaret... Remember the truce. You could still deal with his teasings. Besides, it would only be for a few more days...

Or at least that was what I wanted to say to myself. Only a few more days, huh? Everything about this would soon end.

"Come on. Let's continue so we could finish this early," Brent soon said to me.

I just stared at him for a few moments that I knew he felt confused for. But he didn't comment about that. Instead, he just beckoned me to take his hand.

I soon put those thoughts that bothered me on one side for now. I needed to focus on what was important. I could do those thinking about the things that became bothersome to me later.

I took his hand and we danced once more. Needless to say, that moment was surely stirring up a lot inside of me.

What in the world was happening to me now?