She Said, He Said

SHE SAID: I officially declare that he won’t ever give me the light of day.

In that case, I might make a move so that he’d notice me.

Or maybe, I won’t.

I saw him again with that same girl he was with before. It was lunch and it looked like they were going to buy food. And I couldn’t stop myself. I need to talk to him, right here, right now.

–

HE SAID: She was storming at me and my officemate-slash-sister like she’s about to rage war.

“Hi. Excuse me,” she said, and my officemate and I turned to look at her. I was mostly surprised by this, so I was merely stumped. She turned her attention to me, her eyes ablaze. “You said we’re going to have lunch. Can we go ahead?” she said, and I gaped at her.

My friend looked at me, a wide grin on her face. She knew who my biggest crush is. “I thought you said she doesn’t know you? And here we are, devising ways as to how we’d talk to her. You didn’t tell me that you already asked her out,” she said, and I still couldn’t say anything. My friend winked at me, gave a curt nod to the other woman, who was just as stumped as I was, and left me with her.

She Said, He Said

SHE SAID: It was eight in the evening, and I am hungry. I am starting to think who I can ask out for dinner because I have no plans of eating alone, but I am guessing most of my friends have already finished eating their dinner and are probably in front of their TV sets, watching the primetime soaps. And here I am, just heading home from work.

Whatalife.

The elevator dinged open and I allowed it to swallow me. I pressed the ground floor robotically, and waited for it to fast track me to the ground, as it usually does when I go home this late. But it didn’t. It made a stop.

And when it opened, I swear to heavens, all I could do was to hold my breath.

–

HE SAID: It’s her.

What are the odds that in one of the rare moments I do overtime, she’s the one I am going to ride the elevator with?

I entered and she stepped to her left, and we were at the center of the apparatus as it zoomed 15 floors down. I didn’t know what to do—I want to talk to her but I am not sure if she would reply. Since the elevator’s three other sides (the last side being the door) is lined by mirrors, I could see her as she stared at her reflection. Slowly, she bit her lip, and I breathed deeply.

Yes, I will talk to her. Right here, right now.

The moment I opened my mouth was the moment the elevator doors opened.

She gave me a curt nod and exited the elevator.

SHE SAID: It was eight in the evening, and I am hungry. I am starting to think who I can ask out for dinner because I have no plans of eating alone, but I am guessing most of my friends have already finished eating their dinner and are probably in front of their TV sets, watching the primetime soaps. And here I am, just heading home from work.

Whatalife.

The elevator dinged open and I allowed it to swallow me. I pressed the ground floor robotically, and waited for it to fast track me to the ground, as it usually does when I go home this late. But it didn’t. It made a stop.

And when it opened, I swear to heavens, all I could do was to hold my breath.

HE SAID: It’s her.

What are the odds that in one of the rare moments I do overtime, she’s the one I am going to ride the elevator with?

I entered and she stepped to her left, and we were at the center of the apparatus as it zoomed 15 floors down. I didn’t know what to do—I want to talk to her but I am not sure if she would reply. Since the elevator’s three other sides (the last side being the door) is lined by mirrors, I could see her as she stared at her reflection. Slowly, she bit her lip, and I breathed deeply.

Yes, I will talk to her. Right here, right now.

The moment I opened my mouth was the moment the elevator doors opened.

She gave me a curt nod and exited the elevator.

She Said, He Said

SHE SAID: This guy I don’t really like came to pick me up from office today. He brought me cute pink roses, although I would prefer red ones. Pink was my color when I was a kid, during my Hello Kitty days, during the days when everything I would point to—my pencil case, my bag, my clothes—would be pink. But now I’d like blue, yellow or white, but not pink. Purple is cool. Anyway, he picked me up, brought me Ferrero Rocher and those cutsie pink roses.

We were at the lobby when I thought I saw him—him who won’t give me the light of day. He glanced at me, and I thought I saw his eyes narrow when he saw the guy I don’t really like place an arm over my shoulder. But when I blinked, it was gone. He was smiling at one of his officemates whom he was having a cigarette break with. I shrugged the other guy’s hand off my shoulder, nonchalantly passing it off as adjusting my bag on my shoulder.

The guy who brought me the roses gave me a faint smile, and I returned it, as genuinely  and as brightly as I could.

I wish the one I am walking with, the one who gave me the roses and chocolates, is the one who is lighting his cigarette now.

–

HE SAID: I want to crush him with my feet, beat him up into a pulp, and toss him to the streets for the cars to run over.

Who in the world is that guy?!

He brought her pink roses. PINK. Grace, elegance, admiration. Pink roses say thank you, for Pete’s sake. That woman deserves a red rose—beauty, perfection, deep feelings meant to be given to someone who is special. I breathed in deeply as my officemate passed me a cigarette. I watched as the guy placed his arm over her shoulder, and she seemed to have shied away from his touch that she shrugged his hand off. I had to smile at that one. Maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t like him that much.

Maybe I am hoping too much too.

When they passed by me, she didn’t steal a glance like she always does when I am around. She looked up at the guy she was with, gave him a megawatt smile, and I gritted my teeth.

She said, He said

SHE SAID: I saw him the other day. With another girl. They were talking as they walked, McDonald’s take outs in their arms, laughing at each other’s stories. His eyes twinkled when he looked at her, and I wanted to fume. But then again, I wasn’t anyone in his life.

I am just someone who is trying to get his attention, someone who hopes he’d get to notice.

But if he’s happy with another woman, I’ll let him be.

I don’t have a right to care or be hurt anyway.

–

HE SAID: I saw her the other day. While I was talking to one of my officemates who could double as my sister, blood ties or not. We came from McDonald’s where I saw her too, and I bought the exact same thing she ordered: Chicken Nuggets with sweet and sour  sauce, Sprite, regular fries, and a hot fudge sundae. I was in line behind her, three or four persons away, but she didn’t notice me because she seemed distracted.

I wonder why, and I wonder when I can gather up the courage to approach her and tell her that ever since the day I saw her at the lobby of the office building, I look forward to lunch breaks. The first time I saw her, she had a pensive look on her face as she waited for her officemates as they withdraw money from their ATMs, her forehead crumpled in a slight frown, her big, round eyes filled with conflicting emotions. I didn’t know if it was her soulful eyes that captivated me, but I like her. I found myself craning my head every time a tall woman with shoulder-length hair would pass by.

That other day, she looked pained. I want to know why, so that I can keep that pain from hurting her again.