Ma. Nicolette Vergara
Hi, So this is a story about my life, More like love life! Hahahaha
Actually I don’t know how or what I can say about my love life but.. I never would have thought that all my life I have been in love with just one person.
What? Only one? Shocking isn't it? Well, me too. I don't even know how that happened. Haha
Okay, so here's the story.
One morning,I was sleeping peacefully not until my mother woke me up.
"Nicolette, gising! may bisita tayo sa ba ba, bagong kapitbahay natin. Dali!” My mother said, While shaking me as I eventually opened my eyes.
“Oo na, ma…” I mumbled, still half-asleep. I dragged myself out of bed, knowing my mom’s lecture me if I didn’t. She went downstairs, and I followed her. As I entered the living room, I saw unfamiliar faces sitting on our sofa for the first time.
Mother did say may bagong kapitbahay so I assume sila yon.
“Oh gising na pala anak mo.” Sabi ng babae na naka salamin, tumingin siya sakin at tumayo.
“Hello po” I went to her and blessed.
“Ang cute at ang poganda naman pala anak mo, Maria!”
“Syempre mana sakin eh” My mom chuckled. “Her name’s Nicolette, Youngest sa mga anak ko” Then, my mom started to walk away and continued her work in the kitchen.
“Hi! Nicolette kami pala yung bagong neighbor niyo, your mother and I were friends noong high school that’s why I visited to see how she is!”
She kept on rambling. I nodded at all the things that she said and listened. Madaldal. That was my first impression of my mom’s friend.
Then, an unfamiliar voice suddenly spoke.
“Mama? Who is she?”
Who?
A girl suddenly peeked out from behind the woman standing.
I froze.
I didn’t know there was someone else in the room. Or I didn’t just notice it?
“Oh anak, si Nicolette pala, she’s your ate. And she’s also your neighbor from now on too.” Her mom was holding her hand and making her move in front.
I looked at her.
A girl wearing a yellow dress, her hair was half braided and it was decorated with red ribbons, she was also holding a panda plushie.
“Hello!! I’m Mary Loi Yves Ricalde! You can call me “Maloi” in short”
She gazed at me with eyes that sparkled bright, a smile danced upon her lips, soft and light. She then reached out her hand. I hesitated for a moment before reaching out, my small fingers meeting hers in a gentle shake.
“My name’s Ma. Nicolette Vergara, Nice to meet you.” I smiled.
There was a brief silence, the kind only kids would find comfortable, before she grinned wider.
“I hope we can be friends, Nico!” Maloi spoke brightly, her gaze shifting from our hands to me.
I remained quiet, showing no reaction, though inwardly, I was a bit taken aback by the energy, it was something I wasn’t used to. Still, it didn’t make me uncomfortable; I was fine with it. As I sat in silence, my gaze lingered on this girl, Maloi. Her mother seemed to notice the moment, observing both of us as it unfolded.
Her mom chuckled, “Ang cute niyo!”
She then pinched our cheeks, making Maloi and I pull away, both of us holding our cheeks from the pain.
I glanced at Maloi, who was wincing in pain. She noticed me looking, she met my gaze, and we looked at each other.
She simply smiled.
Oh?
She simply smiled, yet here I am. Why do I feel so warm?
I smiled back.
Suddenly, everything in this moment froze.
At the age of 9, I met her.
Maloi and I grew close as time went by.
2 years have passed.
I’m not sure how or why it happened.
It was probably because Maloi kept coming to our house after our first meeting, always inviting me to play and talk with her.
And with her bright, radiant smile. At first, I felt irritated or even annoyed with it. I was an introverted child. I didn’t want anyone to ruin my peace.
All I wanted was to read and play music in my room, sometimes my mom would even scold me and tell me to go outside.
But now…
I was neither annoyed nor pissed off. I let it be now.
“NICOOOO!! LET’S PLAY” Maloi shouted as she barged in my room.
I was surprised and accidentally dropped the book that I was reading.
“Jeez Yves, stop doing that, it’ll give me a heart attack” I said, holding my chest.
I stood up, picked up my book from the floor, and placed it on my shelf.
“Heart attack? Aren’t you too young for that?”
“Whether I’m young or not, you might give me a heart attack someday, dummy.”
Maloi laughed and crossed her arms. “Ang oa mo Nico! Tara let’s go outside and play with Mr. Pandaaa~”
I rolled my eyes.
“Please?” She pouted, using her puppy eyes.
I shook my head, in disbelief and let out a sigh. “Oo naaaa, wait ka langg, I’m just gonna put my glasses on my table para hindi mawala.”
As I began to take off my glasses, Maloi suddenly grabbed my hands to stop me. There she was, staring directly into my eyes.
For a moment, we just gazed into each other’s eyes.
I broke off the eye contact.
“Anong ginagawa mo baliw?” Sabi ko.
“Ang pogi mo pala nico kahit babae ka.”
“Ano?” I raised an eyebrow and gave her a puzzled look. She was grinning and smiling.
“Sabi ko ang pogi mooo!! hehe” She then hugged me, “Pogi Pogi” she murmured.
I frowned as she hugged me, and I placed my reading glasses on the table. I looked at her, still holding me. “Aren’t you going to let go?”
She then nuzzled into my neck. “Ayoko” Maloi didn’t want to budge, and was getting comfortable
I shook my head and sighed. “Baliw ka talaga” I then hugged her back. We ended up hugging for about 2 minutes.
Even though she did annoyed me, I became comfortable enough to hug her back. Last year, I would have just let her hug me without even reacting.
We were standing in the middle of my room hugging. Silent took over. I was getting used to this, Maloi being clingy, Maloi being talkative, Maloi annoying me, Maloi smiling at me brightly like the sun.
She was getting used to it.
That Maloi had become her ray of sunshine.
The hug finally ended.
Maloi pulled away first and I did too.
“Ang comfy mo e hug Nico, sana meron pa sa susunod~” Maloi grinned, hands on her hips, standing proudly.
I rolled my eyes from what she said. “There’s no next time Yves, come on. Let’s go outsid—“ Before I could finish my sentence, she planted a kiss on my cheek.
Ah
“Pogi mo talaga” she chuckled, then pinched my cheek.
She ran out the door, leaving me in my room, lost in thought about what just happened.
I touched my cheeks, and felt something warm. “Wha”
Am I blushing?
At the age of 11 I felt it.
Woah Woah Woah!
Indenial stage pala ako noon! Haha.
—-
At the age of 14. I accepted it.
Maloi and I have been going to the same school for as long as I can remember since it’s close to our house. We’ve even been classmates since the beginning. We were best friends, that's what all the other people say, we were always together, anywhere any time.
One evening, during lunch at school, we were eating in our usual spot in the school garden, a place not many students went to. As we were halfway through our lunch, Maloi suddenly asked, “Nico, do you have a crush?”
Her question caught me off guard, I ended up choking on my food. I quickly grabbed my water and drank it fast to clear my throat. My face turned red from the question.
Maloi was looking at me with seriousness, her hand resting idly on her lunchbox. The usual lighthearted atmosphere between us faded into a tense silence.
I let out a nervous laugh, waving my hand dismissively. “W-what kind of question is that?”
Maloi tilted her head slightly. “Wala lang curious lang ako, e kasi matagal na tayong kaibigan. Don’t friends tell each other crushes?”
She said it so casually, like she was just asking about the weather. No teasing, no pressure—just pure curiosity. But somehow, that made it worse.
I cleared my throat, stalling for time. “Eh… hindi naman required, ‘di ba?”
Maloi shrugged, taking another bite of her food. “Hindi naman. Pero usually ganun.”
I stabbed at my rice with my spoon, suddenly very focused on my meal. “Wala naman akong crush,” I mumbled, hoping she’d drop it.
“Hmm,” was all she said. She didn’t press, didn’t question further—just kept eating like it was nothing.
After that, the bell rang, and we finished our food before returning to our classroom. Later, as usual, we walked home together. I dropped her off at her house first, and as she went inside, she waved and said, “See you later, Nico!”
And here I am, lying in bed, tulala sa nangyari kanina, looking at the ceiling and sighing.
Time passed, It was my 14th birthday.
My family had gone to the beach to celebrate, and you told me you couldn’t make it because your other friends had invited you to a sleepover. At first, I felt a wave of disappointment, but I shrugged it off, trying not to let it show. I wasn’t the possessive type of friend who would selfishly say, “You shouldn’t go.” After all, you had already come to my birthday countless times before.
The day went on, and my birthday turned out okay. I still had fun, despite the absence of your company. We were staying at the beach until nightfall, and Mikha, Gwen, and Jho were there with me. I had hoped they could meet you, but in the end, I had a good time with them anyway.
By the afternoon, we were all playing games—competing in swimming races and making sand sculptures. My mind didn’t wander to missing you. It didn’t even occur to me that maybe, if you were here, you’d be teasing me or trying to drag me into the sea, like you always did.
As we played in the sand, I found myself joking around, burying Gwen with sand and shaping it into a ridiculous boob sculpture. She shot me an annoyed look, furrowing her brows. “Tangina mo talaga, Col,” she muttered, but just as I was about to respond, my friends suddenly turned their heads. I heard someone running toward us.
“Nico!!”
I spun around, and there you were—Maloi, running toward me. Everything around me seemed to freeze in that moment, like the world slowed down, and all I could focus on was you. My heart skipped a beat. My eyes widened, my lips parted slightly in shock.
You were dressed simply in a red t-shirt and shorts, but to me, you looked absolutely stunning. Your hair, looking so soft as it bounced with every step you took, your face lit up by the sunlight, and the smile that made everything feel a little warmer. That’s when I had this hunch, like I knew something I hadn’t let myself realize before.
By the time I snapped back to reality, you were already standing right in front of me. I was staring, lost in the moment, when your voice broke through.
“Hello?” you called softly, tilting your head slightly, “Nico? Okay ka lang?”
You waved your hand in front of my face, a concerned expression creeping onto yours. I blinked, snapping out of my trance, feeling my heart still racing in my chest.
“Ba’t bakit ka nandito? Kala ko ba mag-ssleepover ka sa kanila Sheena?” I asked.
“Eh…” She scratched the back of her head, looking a little embarrassed. “Kasi… birthday mo eh,” she said, her voice almost innocent, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
I stared at her for a moment, still processing what she had said.
My heart started to beat a little faster.
“Hindi mo naman kailangan gawin ’yun,” I said, trying to sound casual, but my voice betrayed me, soft and unsure.
She shrugged and smiled, her eyes sparkling in the sunlight. “Eh, birthday mo nga, di ba? Gusto ko lang sana makasama.”
I felt a strange warmth in my chest, and for a second, I didn’t know what to say. There was something about the way she looked at me, so genuine and kind, that made me forget about everything else.
“Well, I’m glad you came,” I finally said, a little awkwardly. “It’s nice to see you here.”
Her smile widened, and my stomach did a small flip. “Sana nga matagal pa,” she said, settling down beside me, her presence somehow making everything feel lighter.
We didn’t say much after that, but in the quiet between us, I couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, she was more important to me than I realized.
“Happy birthday, Colet! Wala akong gift ngayon, pasensya na, bawi ako this week!”
Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around her in a sudden hug, catching her off guard. The world seemed to slow down, and for a brief moment, it was as if we were the only two people in existence, despite the crowd around us, despite my friends’ eyes on us and, maybe, even my family in the distance.
“Thank you, Maloi,” I whispered, holding her just a little tighter, a wave of warmth flooding over me. It felt strangely safe, like nothing could harm me in that space we shared. My cheek rest gently on her head, and I spoke softly, “It’s okay, I don’t really care about gifts. As long as you’re here, that’s enough.”
My heart began to race, thudding against my chest as if it had a life of its own.
Maloi didn’t pull away; instead, she snuggled closer, resting her head against my neck. I realized I was still drenched from swimming, my wet shirt clinging to my skin and transferring the coldness to her. But she didn’t pull back, didn’t complain. “Okay, Nico,” she murmured into my skin, her voice so gentle it sent a shiver down my spine.
“Ayiee!”
“Naks naman!”
“Mhm, grabe”
Our moment was shattered when my friends, unable to hold back, started to chuckle and tease us. Their laughter echoed in the air, pulling me back into the reality of the world around us, but for a second, I didn’t care. I had felt something real, something I hadn’t fully understood until that moment.
I slowly started to pull away from the hug, and she did the same.
“I—I didn’t mean to do that,” I stammered, panic creeping into my voice. “Sorry, nabasa ka.”
What was I even thinking?
She glanced down at her shirt, then back at me. Her expression was calm, not angry, not sad—nothing. Then, she simply smiled, that bright, effortless smile of hers.
“It’s okay, Nico,” she said softly.
“Okay lang daw, Colet. Ano ka ba, sus, nagc-chancing ka lang eh,” Jho teased, and I turned around to see them all crossing their arms, smirking at us.
“Gago ka ba?” I shot back, trying to act unbothered, but I could feel my cheeks burning.
They laughed, clearly enjoying the moment a little too much. Mikha raised an eyebrow. “Sige, sige, umamin ka na lang, Nico. Alam na namin.”
I rolled my eyes, but inside, I was a mix of embarrassed and frustrated. Maloi, on the other hand, just chuckled, shaking her head like she was used to this.
“Okay lang ‘yan,” she said, glancing at me with a playful smile. “Wag mo na sila pansinin.”
I shot her a grateful look, relieved that she wasn’t bothered by all the teasing. But my mind was racing, and my heart? Still doing that crazy fast thing.
“Tara na nga, hayaan na natin yang mga neknek na yan!” I said, grabbing her hand as we walked toward the cabin where both our families were already gathered.
When we reached the cabin, our families noticed us right away. I glanced down and realized our hands were still together. I blushed and slowly let go, feeling a bit awkward. As I pulled my hand away, I saw Maloi glance at me, giving me a soft, knowing smile that made my heart race.
Before I could process what had just happened, her mom spoke up first.
“Nicolette! Happy birthday! Sorry, ngayon lang kami nakarating. Si Maloi kasi, biglang tumawag sa amin, sinabi niya pupunta siya dito kahit nasa bahay na siya nila Sheena. Gustong-gusto niyang pumunta, kaya wala kami choice, baka magalit pa kung hindi namin siya pinayagan,” she said, laughing lightly at her daughter’s persistence.
Her mom’s words made me smile, but I felt a little embarrassed with all the attention. I quickly glanced at Maloi, who was smiling shyly, clearly not bothered by the situation. It was obvious how much she wanted to be here, and somehow, it made the moment feel even more meaningful.
May answer na ako sa tanong mo, Maloi
Oo. May crush nako.
Tangina, gusto ko siya.
Gustong gusto ko siya.
Gusto kita, Maloi.