I stared at the blank page of the paper on my laptop's screen. I had been staring at it for a few minutes already and now my laptop's screen dimmed as if it was mocking my inability to come up with something nice.

I had tried creating an opening line for my speech a couple of times already but I always end up with nothing. The reunion was coming up and I had no other choice but to force myself to write something since Elisa already gave everyone a copy of the program.

"This is impossible," I muttered to myself.

***

7 years ago

I had glanced at my wristwatch before looking back at the empty pad paper in front of me. I had been staring at it for the last seven minutes and I still hadn't come up with an opening line for my article about the celebration of Buwan ng Wika.

I grunted in frustration, propping my elbows on the table, and burying my face in my palms.

"There you are," I heard Vino's voice before someone touched my head, ruffling my hair.

I looked up to see Vino smiling at me.

"The girls told me you were supposed to write an article for the gazette, but when I went to the gazette's office, Jeff told me you left with your stuff," Vino explained as he sat down across the desk. "I knew you'd be here in the library."

"I can't do this. It's impossible."

His eyes flickered to the empty paper on the desk.

"I shouldn't have accepted this task. I'm better off writing sports articles."

He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I knew you're stressed out that's why I bought you something. It's already at the baggage counter."

I sat up straight and noticed his smile. He knew he had piqued my interest.

"What did you get me?"

"Your favorite juice..." he replied slowly. "And I also got those wafer bites you like."

"Thanks. But I still don't know what to do here."

I pulled out my notes under my pink clipboard and flipped the paper to let Vino read them. It was the program and list of awardees during the celebration of Buwan ng Wika last week.

"I can't come up with anything interesting," I complained.

"Maybe you should look at it from a different angle?"

I scoffed and asked, "What? You mean look at it upside down?"

"Okay," he replied calmly, offering me a small smile. "I know you're panicking even if this article isn't due until next week. I know you're in a bad mood so I won't argue with you. I meant maybe you should look at something else."

"Like?"

"This," he answered, handing me his phone. "I asked Jeff for some pictures from last week. Maybe it'll help to inspire you to write your article."

I reached for his phone and checked out the photos. It was a variety of pictures from last week's activities such as the folk-dance competition, larong Pinoy, spoken poetry, and food booths offering Filipino delicacies.

Vino suddenly reached for my forehead and brushed his thumb in the space in between my eyebrows.

"What?" I asked.

"Don't stop furrowing your eyebrows like that and you'll get wrinkles at such a young age."

I rolled my eyes at him, put down his phone, and reached for a pen from my pencil case.

"Did the pictures help?"

"Kind of."

"You're welcome."

I began scribbling on my paper, and I could feel Vino watching me with his chin resting on the heel of his hand.

"What are you doing?" I asked without looking at him.

"Watching you."

"Stop it. You're distracting me."

"Okay. But I'm not leaving you here until you're done," he stated. Then he reached for my pencil case and played with my colored pens, lining everything up on the table.

I was already halfway through my article when I felt Vino staring at me again. I looked up at him only to see him staring closely at me, a smile playing on his lips.

"I can't finish this paper with you constantly staring at me."

"But I made it my life's mission to stare at you."

"What?" I asked. I put down my pen and looked him in the eye.

"I know I'm bad at flirting. On a scale of one to Brian, I think I'm a two."

I laughed and immediately covered my mouth with my hands.

"So, I figured...maybe," he paused, his voice fading at his last word. "I should just stare at you until you fall for me."

"Pffft," I whispered, shaking my head. I picked up my pen, ready to write again.

"I don't want to be hyperbolic but if I have to stare at you forever to get you to fall for me, I will."

"Okay, that's it. You're really distracting me, Vino."

"Alright, I'm sorry," he apologized, but I could still see a hint of a smile on his lips. "I'll keep my mouth shut until you finish your article."

I stared at him with a straight face.

"Oh, you want me to go, don't you?"

"Please?"

He nodded, standing up from his seat. "I'll leave my phone with you in case you still need a bit of inspiration."

"Thanks."

"I'll see you later," he mumbled and ruffled my hair.

I had watched him as he exited the library, and I went back to writing my article. I had been almost done with my article, so I closed the gallery on his phone. I had stared at his phone wallpaper—a solo picture of me sitting in our garden. It was taken last month. I had felt my heart skip a beat, and my jaw hurt from smiling too much.

***

I stood up from my chair and pulled out my copies of the Eastview Gazette's old volumes from the box under my bed. I plopped down on my fur carpet and skimmed through it, reading every article I had ever written.

Maybe I should be looking at something else.