Gossip Girl: Beauty and the Beast

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Previously:
Blame It On Me

Once upon a time in a land called the Upper East,

a beautiful girl met a handsome Beast.

He put a spell upon her

a spell of love and wonder.

"What???? You shopped AGAIN????" Vackie exclaimed.

"Have you not heard of retail therapy?" I answered back. "It's either I shop or I eat and I'd rather be poor than fat. Besides, there's nothing like a pretty dress to perk a girl up."

"Hahahaha. Well, having pointed out the choices, I suppose shopping is the more preferable option," V said. "So what did you buy??"

"Oh ... Well, I may have gone overboard."

"Hahaha. Todo ka!!! Hay. You okay honey?"

"I am trying," I said, giving him a quick smile.

"Hay. You miss him, don't you?" V asked softly.

Gino and I have not seen each other for a while. We were having dinner to celebrate Christmas and catch up a little. I looked in his eyes if anything had changed since the last time I saw him. He was still as effervescent and bubbly as before, excited to tell all his stories, and we were having fun. Just like the way we used to.

The meal was ending, and an uncomfortable silence descended upon us. We had only agreed upon dinner, and we both didn't know what to do next. Christmas Eve was approaching and he told me he was going to be spending it alone.

"So anong plano mo after?" I asked him.

"Wala naman, ikaw ba?"

"I'm gonna see sina E. They invited me to spend Christmas at their home."

I knew he was waiting for me to invite him. But … I wasn't sure if that was a good idea. After all, I was trying to detach myself from him.

"Puede bang ibigay mo na lang sa akin ang Pasko, Kane?" he said quietly.

Sigh. What can I do? Just this once. Nobody should be alone on Christmas, I told myself.

Gino tells me he misses me, that he cannot understand why we cannot talk and see each other. He tells me he cares for me but he just isn't ready for a relationship, that he cannot be monogamous.

"Gusto mo ba yung malalaman mo na yung boyfriend mo nakikipagsex sa kung sino sino?" he says. "Hindi ako yung guy that you deserve Kane."

In his mind, the unasked question is: Why did you have to fall in love with me? I wanted to ask back: Why can't you love me?

"I know what you need," V told me. "You must find your true love's kiss to break the spell."

"My God … ang pressure naman. True love talaga? Can't I just shop my sadness away?" I said. "So I really should stop seeing him again huh."

"Perhaps it's for the best."



One upon a time in the land called the Upper East, 
a beautiful girl fled from a handsome Beast.

She tried to break a spell upon her

A spell of love and wonder.

And across the river, in a land far away

A mysterious young man was making his play.

"Kane, this is James," my friends said, introducing me to a guy.

"Hi," I said tentatively.

James and I chatted a little, we had fun talking, and we agreed to meet again next week.

"Here," he said taking out his phone, "give me your number. I gotta go soon. Got to pass by the office."

"Do you want to come with me?" he suddenly asked.

I thought for a moment. I was tired … but

"Sure," I said.

The next day

"So I met a really nice young man last night," I told Vackie.

"So did you and this really nice young man hook up? You shameless girl you," V teased me.

"Noooo!!! There is no shame," I said. "He and I just talked."

"Ooohhh. And does this chatty insomniac have a name?" V said.

"His name is James," I said. "He actually seems pretty nice. The kind of boy you bring home to your mother."

 "Ahhh…  but honey, the real question is, are you?" V said.

 "Hahaha gago. I am!"

"Really? Because it doesn't seem that way with your … uhmmm, recent indiscretions," he said.

"Well I am trying to change," I said. "But it seems people like you won't let me."

"Are you now … I've seen this before," V said. "I'll hold my judgment when I actually see it. But really honey, are you going to stop being the fun girl and be the relationship girl this year?"  

Some fairy tales end where the girl gets her prince. And then there are those where the prince turns back into a frog.

But don't worry, my Upper East Sider friends. This story isn't ending. We're just at the start of a brand new chapter ... of a brand new year.

But too often the new year brings with it old habits. Habits that often makes us feel we're reliving the past. But it looks like K's wanna be starting somethin'.

XOXO

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