“He’s starting to care for her as a pen to its paper. But the pen is always afraid to commit mistakes. So he instead chose not to write even a single to the paper in order to preserve its purity.”

He liked her from the very start they met. He’s holding a camera that time while she is modeling in the stage with the crowd cheering. After that, he asked her for a picture in the backstage. And then everything started.

They started changing thoughts and sharing perspectives in life. They started jiving with the same principle. He also started helping her with her minor problems in school.

It’s happy and sad as they get more time for each other. He also started feeling the particular fear inside him. She is a good driven person when it comes to her studies and telling her that he’s starting to care and love her more than he’s allowed to could be destruction. And end of their good times together.

He tried to look as if everything is normal between them every day. He tried to avoid things that will bring up what he truly feels for her. He prepared his self for consequences.

And then the time when they have to part their ways came. He graduated first, went away and tried to carve his real life, without fairy tales.

That was eight years ago. Now, he’s stable and everything about his dreams turned into reality. Part of it is seeing her in a beautiful wedding gown. But the sad part is that he’s not the one waiting at the altar.

He is standing outside the church and savoring his cigarette. He’s not supposed to be here but he wanted to see her even if it will sting like hell. And he deserves it. He never told her.

It’s not that she’s been his inspiration in making his goals turn into reality, but still, she is the missing part. And she will always be his missing part as he heard the exchange of “I dos.”

He blew the smoke in the air and went into his car. Maybe, just maybe, he will be able to write “Hey Rich” again, someday.

—
Written by:
Regine Aguilar
Sta. Maria Integrated High School