SAPPHIRE was done preparing dinner before sunset. And now that everything is set, she stood by the front porch, waiting for Hapi and his mother to come.
“It’s only six, Sapphire. You said they will come at seven. Are you that excited?”
She turned to her mother, who was now behind her.
Sapphire crouched in front of her. “Do I look like I’m excited, `Ma?”
Her mother cupped her cheek and smiled.
“Yes, you are. As if Hapi would ask your hand in marriage,” her mother teased.
“Mama… we’re too young for that. We need to finish our studies first, and work hard for our future.”
“What I am excited about is that you’ll be reuniting with your friend again.” Sapphire smiled widely. “Isn’t it nice?”
“Hm…” Her mother nodded.
Sapphire rose and stood up beside her mother, who was sitting in her wheelchair. They both waited for their visitors to come.
Minutes passed by, and soon Hapi’s car pulled over at their front lawn. His mother got off the car immediately and ran towards them with so much excitement.
“Raquel,” Mommy Hazel squealed as she hugged her friend.
Sapphire watched the two hug each other while crying. She could not help but shed a tear too. She was happy for both of them. At least now, her mother would not be bored in life.
Hapi snaked his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek.
“They’re too emotional for this, don’t you think?” he whispered near her ear.
“Can’t blame them, though,” she mumbled.
“Okay, enough of this drama,” said Mommy Hazel. “Why don’t we catch up over dinner?”
“Yeah, that’s a great idea,” Sapphire’s mother agreed.
Mommy Hazel pulled her mother’s wheelchair, and they went inside the house.
She then turned to Hapi. “Let’s go inside.”
But when they were about to follow their mothers, his phone rang.
“Ah, wait… I’ll answer this first,” he told her.
“Sure.”
Hapi let go of her and answered the call.
“Hello—what? Okay, okay… just calm down.” Sapphire did not like what she saw in his eyes when Hapi turned in her direction. “I’m… coming.”
“W-what’s the matter?” she asked anxiously.
“I’m sorry, Sapphire… but I have to leave.”
“What? Why?”
“Amethyst needs me—”
“What the hell, Hapi!” Sapphire snapped, cutting him off.
“Sapphire…” He tried to hold her, but she shoved his hand away.
“It’s Amethyst again?!” Her fists clenched. She was trying her best to contain her anger, but she could no longer do that. Sapphire had enough. “I can’t let this one pass, Hapi. What does she need from you? Why does she always interfere with us? Why, Hapi? Why?!”
Her tears welled up.
“Sapphire, I’m sorry… but Amethyst needs me now,” he said.
“What’s with Amethyst? Tell me, Hapi… because I can’t understand why you have to choose her over me! For heaven’s sake, I’m your girlfriend now!”
“I will explain everything to you later on. But now, I need to go…” Hapi looked at him as if he was begging for forgiveness in advance. Then, he walked to his car.
“If you leave me now, we’re over!” she yelled.
Hapi halted from opening the car’s door and looked at her. But after a few seconds, he turned his back on her and hopped inside his car.
Her chest tightened.
She was hurt...
She had gone mad...
Sapphire plopped down on the front porch as she watched his car speed away.
“W-what happened?” Mommy Hazel appeared on the porch. “Where’s Hapi?”
But Sapphire did not know what to say. She just cried.
“ARE YOU going to school or not?”
She heard her mother’s voice just outside her bedroom, but Sapphire did not move an inch. She remained under the comforter, hugging her knees.
She locked herself inside her room since last night when Hapi left. All she did overnight is to cry for her broken heart. Sapphire could not hate Hapi enough because she loves him so much. However, she hates her cousin so much that she was willing to hire a witch to curse at her.
“Sapphire, open the door or I’ll throw myself at the staircase!”
She drew a breath and ran to the door after hearing her mother’s threat. God, she really knows how to make her come out.
“Oh, Jesus… you cried a lot. Look at those puffy eyes…” Her mother beckoned her to come down.
She kneeled and buried her face on her mother’s lap. Sapphire cried her heart out. The tears that she cried last night seemed to be not enough to appease her broken heart.
“What happened to you and Hapi, hmm?” She felt her mother’s hand caressing her head.
Sapphire raised her head. She was about to tell her mother what really happened when Danna appeared.
“Sapphire, you have a visitor,” she informed her.
“If it’s Hapi tell him that I don’t want to see—”
“Can we talk?”
Amethyst emerged behind Danna.
She marched towards her cousin and dragged her out of the house.
“What are you doing here?” she said through gritted teeth. “You’re the last person that I would want to see.”
Amethyst crossed her arms and looked at her with an arched brow.
“I came here because I need to tell you something about me and Hapi,” her cousin said.
Sapphire wagged her hand. “You’ve hurt me enough. Please don’t hurt me even—”
“We’re cousins, Sapphire,” Amethyst snapped. “So, stop throwing a fit each time Hapi would come to me. Because it doesn’t make any sense if you always get jealous about it. there I said it.”
HAPI’s classmates were shocked when she suddenly bust into their classroom. Good thing the professor still hasn’t come in.
“Where’s Hapi?” she asked.
“He’s not here yet,” one of Hapi’s classmates said.
She went to his house, and he was not there. Sapphire also saw his car parked at the parking lot when she arrived at the campus. And then, she thought of a place where he could have gone to. She tried calling him, but he won’t answer. Ah, he was copying her moves. If they weren’t the perfect match, Sapphire did not know what to call them.
Then, she went to Hapi’s favorite place inside the campus.
This time, she finally found him.
Hapi was holding a net. He was busy catching the butterflies that he freed again and again.
Seriously, what is he doing?
“Hapi!” Sapphire called.
And just like in the movies, Hapi turned to her slowly.
“Hey…” he said lazily.
She strode towards him. “You seem busy.”
“What are you doing here?” He snorted.
“You’ll skip your class just to play with the butterflies?” She went to his front.
Hapi drew a breath and threw the net away.
“I’m sorry, Hapi.” He met her gaze. “Instead of trusting you and what you feel for me, I doubted you. I chose to believe that there’s something between you and Amethyst… I didn’t mean to break up with you last night. It’s just that… my jealousy and insecurities consumed me. Breaking up with you hurts me even more…”
Sapphire bit his lower lip. He was just staring at her. Not a single word escaped from his lips. Was he mad at her too for doubting him?
Is it really over?
“Please… Hapi…” She started crying. “Come back to me. I’d do everything just to be your girl again…” Sapphire said desperately. “If you want me to be your slave—”
She did not have the chance to finish her sentence. Hapi pulled her close to his body and claimed her lips.
Sapphire felt something in her heart again… that fairytale feeling that Hapi always made her feel each time they kiss.
And then, suddenly, their kiss was cut off by his ringing phone.
She rolled her eyes. Damn that phone for ruining such a beautiful moment.
“Who’s calling you?” she asked with a knot in her forehead.
She could not believe it when Hapi turned off his phone and kissed her again. But she pushed him away.
“You didn’t answer my question,” she said with an arched brow.
“It’s Amethyst. But please, don’t get—”
“I won’t get jealous again. I already know that you two are cousins.”
Hapi’s eyes widened. “Who told you that?”
“Amethyst came to my house this morning and told me that you two cousins.”
“She told you our family’s top-secret…”
“That only means one thing…” Sapphire wagged her brows. “You have to make me your family too.”
Hapi laughed heartily and hugged her. “Soon, Sapphire… We’ll get there…”
“I’ll wait for that day… patiently.”
He distanced himself a bit and looked at her. “I hope you and Amethyst will start to get along well…”
“I won’t promise, but I’ll try… for you.” She sniffed.
“And please do the same with Ruby and Acqua because—”
“Because they’re your friends’ girlfriends?”
Hapi patted her temple. “Because they’re your cousins…”
“Well, I’m not the problem. It’s them. It’s just a matter of law of motion, you know…” Sapphire said with pouted lips.
“What about us?” he asked, grinning.
“What?” Her brows furrowed.
“I love you, and you love me. Can we call this a law of attraction?”
Sapphire’s mouth dropped open. “I’m not good at Physics.”
“It’s fine. Chemistry matters.” Hapi wagged his brows. “But on the other hand, I think Biology fits us—”
“Were you a corn in your past life?”
Hapi burst into laughter.
“Sapphire… what am I gonna do with you?” He hugged her again.
“Just love me, like you always do…” she said as she buried her face in his chest.
THE END