A Fairytale Story (Written For One Of My Gal Friend)

Once upon a time, there was a 15 year-old-girl who was deeply infatuated with a 21-year-old guy. They met one summer in a play, where the girl was one of the lead actors and the guy, the assistant director. Weeks before the show opened, the actor playing opposite the girl backed out and the guy volunteered to take his place. However, the director replaced the guy with another actor at the last minute. The girl was disappointed, to say the least.

The guy had always been the girl's fantasy-an unattainable one at that. The guy was what girls would call a "catch"- he was charismatic, charming and he came from a de buena familia-so it was not surprising that girls swooned at his presence. And the guy loved girls almost as much as they loved him.

Unfortunately, the girl witnessed the guy switch from one girlfriend to the next- this week it was a reed-thin model, the next it was someone he met at a bar- just as if he were changing shirts.

The guy also somewhat made the girl feel she meant nothing to him but a kid sister, as if careful not to give her even a glimmer of hope. One time, the girl thought she overheard him say he would never go out with kids. Perhaps the guy intended those words to reach the girl's ears, sensing her crush on him. Or perhaps the girl was just paranoid.

But when the guy was not playing the tough I'm-older-than-thou act, he was sweet to her. He saw to it that the girl was taken care of, and he provided her the most stimulating of conversations. At those times, she prayed he didn't see her as the kid. She thought he was very cute too.

She considered the times hanging out with him as one of her best. Occasionally they'd eat out (with the other theater people, of course), go to bars, or stay at the girl's house until the wee hours of the morning, talking, goofing around, and filming silly commercials together- commercials directed by the guy and acted out by the girl and some of their friends.

One time, after filming at the girl's place, they decided to take a dip at the pool at 3 a.m. The others didn't care for swimming, so it was just the two of them-the girl and the guy- chatting the night away. They stayed submerged in water till dawn. In a way, the girl was satisfied with just that. But of course, a kiss wouldn't hurt.

When summer-and their play-ended, their days together came to an end as well. They rarely saw each other after that, which saddened the girl a lot. But what did she expect? A few months later, the girl threw a party at her place, as an excuse to see him. And come he did, towing his new girlfriend along. The girl never threw a party for his expense again.

Time came when the girl no longer clung to her fantasy, although she never forgot the guy. She knew she had to be realistic, so she moved on to boys her age. From time to time, the girl would bump into the guy-at the mall, at a club, at a party thrown by a common friend. When that happened, she would act cool, calm and collected, as if the sight of him didn't affect her at all. She could be a very good actress when she wanted to.

Two years later they met again. This time during the funeral of the guy's relative. The girl was 18 now, and the guy was 24. The girl was happy to see him, and quite surprised that the sight of him didn't set out butterflies in her stomach anymore. Time erases a lot of things-or does it really?

The girl noticed something different about the way the guy acted towards her that night, but she couldn't really put a finger on it. Before the girl left, the guy asked for her number. They were in contact regularly after that.

The guy would ask the girl almost everyday how she was doing. They'd joke about things, exchange stories and talk about old times again. Guy would sometimes flatter her using sugary words, and she would ride on with it, assuming nothing. One day, the guy surprised her with a Chinese quote. He would sometimes refer to the girl as Chinese because she resembles one, but since she wasn't, she had one of her Chinese friends translate the quote.

"It means 'I love you,'" explained the girl's friend. To say the girl was startled was an understatement. But it did explain the way he was acting the past few weeks. He couldn't be serious, the girl thought. It was so sudden, so soon. It seemed that she got what she had always wanted, what she had always craved for.

But why did she feel that familiar sinking sensation at the pit of her stomach? She recalled the guy's long line of girlfriends during their theater days. That was not what she wanted to end up being- just one of those girls he'd get and discard quickly.

She couldn't bring to ask him about it. But she didn't have to because the next night he told her again, this time in plain English. She didn't say anything. They never talked about it again.

The guy suddenly stopped contacting her. In a way, the girl was relieved. The guy was a past chapter in her book, as far as she was concerned. But deep down, she knew she still liked him. But she told herself it was better that way. She wanted none of the pain, none of the complications that went with liking him.

Soon, the girl heard the guy had a new girlfriend. She didn't feel a thing this time--no stinging, no churning of the stomach. He would contact her from time to time to say "What's up?" to which she would obligingly reply "I'm fine. You?"

Then a year later, after months without contact, the girl received a call from the guy.

Guy: You doing anything later?

Girl: I'm doing stuff for work. Why?

Guy: I want to go out. But not alone...

She gave it a long thought. She knew she wanted him, wanted him still. But what he could give her was not enough. She wanted what her fantasy promised her-the whole deal. She wanted him for keeps. But she knew he couldn't give her that because he still hasn't changed-he was the same person she knew at 15. She knew what she had to do, although she wished she could be weak and not say...

Girl: Sorry I can't. Still have a lot to do. I have a deadline soon. Rain check?

Guy: Sure.

Both girl and guy knew there was no rain check. The guy got the hint. Still they played along, talked a bit about their lives and reminisced about old times again, both aware it may be their last time to do so.

They haven't spoken since.