Chapter 9 Vidalio

I hugged the sketchbook with one hand, which I also hadn't touched for a long time, while only a pencil was in my right hand.

I slowly peeked inside to see if he's already there, but his presence is nowhere to be seen. I slowly entered and looked around the room. The sheer curtain was dancing in unison due to open glass door. Some papers fell out and I immediately covered them up and returned them to where they came from. I slid the tips of my fingers on the smooth table it was clean, well, and organized.

"It's still early, didn't I say you would rest first?"

Quickly at 4 o'clock I turned to the source of that voice. I smiled at him and bowed every second our eyes met. I can't look at his eyes knowing that the excitement in my eyes are vivid.

Maybe what else would he think of me. I heard him sigh and he walked in and turned around the table to sit in the main chair ruon. I didn't know what to do so I stayed with him and followed his every move. He opened the laptop that is laying on the top of the table and when he opened it he faced it to me. My mouth went agape when I saw some pictures of architectural designs and none of my own sat in the chair in front of that table.

"D-did you make them?"

I was just facing him as his two arms rested on the table while his eyes were staring.

"No. These are some of the projects that I've done."

He said without leaving my eyes. I smiled sparingly and nodded at what he said. He's an engineer, why would I ask that? I see a variety of modern designs of houses and tall buildings, these structures are unusual, different from the ones I see in the show and magazines here in the mansion. I can't help but to unintentionally said some amazed kind of sounds because my blood seems to be alive with the designs I see.

Seeing these want me to do more. Want me to dream more. I saw a different architectural building, it is not typical and unique in the designs here.

I touched the monitor and my hands almost trembled as I did. It is very high because it overtakes other structures around it.

"This is how Manila is."

I nearly whispered saying those words.

"You haven't been there?"

He grabbed my attention because I could feel the heat of his breath when he spoke. I met his deep dark brown eyes, his thick brows that is perfectly place on where it is right now and I didn't even realize the small gap between us, not until now.

"Not yet."

I'm also not sure if I wanted to say that to him because I seemed to be the only one who heard the weakness of what I said. I shivered again and again as the air came from the window. This feeling, this unfamiliar feeling that warms my heart yet I know I can't still pinpoint what it is. His stares seemed to make me intoxicated even though I didn't really know that feeling. He raised his right hand, and reached for the strands of my hair that was loosen on my ponytail due to the strong breeze of air.

His touch was an electric shock at this moment. I could no longer find the words in my mind because I seemed dizzy at his stare and for a moment his skin touched mine.

"Vidalio," he spoke "My family's group of hotels."

It seems like he read my mind because maybe my eyes were suddenly surprised. He focused his gaze on the earlier structure that I admired. Vidalio. I seem to have heard it, but I just can't determine where.

Maybe it's because I read so much newspapers and magazines that I can't remember it. And family's group of hotels? The amazement was unending just now. I know that he is not just an ordinary person, because the Solidads know him but I don't think that this person is that big and tall. I felt even more that I didn't know him, and he was a stranger here in Mar De Vena. And how he talks to me now that he's a scoundrel and nothing, I don't know either.

In that span of 2 hours he did thought me some basic lessons about Architectural Genre and kinds. That's when I realized that what I was doing was Modern Architecture. I often make buildings I have never really seen in real life. Often I only see them on television.

The thought of those blocks being aranged perfectly as high as a skyscraper amazes me. So maybe they are very much alive in my mind. For some inexplicable reason, I feel like I can't reach the heights of everything I want. And first, getting the course that I want, apart from the Solidad family, now it's the buildings I've been drawing for a long time.

Suddenly I thought of the words my classmate Mariel had left to me. I was ambitious. Maybe he's right, I feel like I'm turning into someone who's ambitious enough to wish for something that is nearly impossible to happen.

"So your friends are coming today."

"Yes. But, I-I'm not all friends with them."

He frowned at what I said.

"Group mates."

I happily said.

"You know that don't you?"

I smiled while continuing my sketch.

He chuckled, "Of course I knew that."

"Jomar is my only friend among them. He's the only one who talks to me in all of them."

"Jomar? Is he the boy you're with last time?"

I paused for a moment and thought about what he was referring to and for a moment I also realized that.

"No,"

I shake.

"That's Oli. He's not my classmate. He's been my friend for a long time."

I still look at him.

"Is that so?"

I just nodded in response and he didn't look back. I love drawing so much because of what he showed me.

"Why is that Jomar was your only friend? Don't you have girl groupmates?"

I turned to her again and saw her eyebrows meet.

"There is, but I feel like they don't like me. I understand because I'm not part of their friendship. I was lucky and Jomar included me in their group."

I heard no answer from him but I could still feel him staring at my actions.

"Did he say that he wanted to be friends with you?"

I stopped and thought carefully about what he had asked if there had ever been a chance that Jomar had said that to me. I pressed the tip of the pencil to my lower lip to search the minds of those Jomar and I had talked about.

"Ah, nothing. But he asked me if Oli was my boyfriend. And he said if it's okay."

I went back to drawing.

"Can I?"

"Hm-hm. I think that's what he wanted to ask, if we can be friends because Oli and I are also friends."

I confirmed to him. He probably didn't know what Jomar meant either, even though I also thought a few times what Jomar meant when he said that to me. I heard him cleared his throat.

"And what did you say to him?"

I turned my attention to him again because I didn't know what he was referring to because a few seconds had passed and when I thought about what I had said earlier I just gently shook my head at him. I just stared at him because I felt like he still wanted to say something but a knock grabbed our attention.

"C-come in."

Levi said firmly and I turned around as the door opened. An elegant man peeked through the cracked door and I had never seen it. I don't know him, I thought we were the only two here.

"Sir, excuse me. There are young people looking for Ms. Cyreese outside."

My eyes have gone curious and when I met Levi's dark almond eyes I realized.

"They're here! Jomar!"

I heard him uttered some words but I didn't hear him because I hurriedly walked to the door to get out.