18th Birthday

It took almost one year ang preparation ng birthday ni Kim, after all, this is the last 18th birthday in the Chiu’s family. The debut of the youngest Chiu, the darling of everyone, and as usual it has to be perfect. Since Gerald is one of the important people in Kim’s life, He makes sure that his part of it. Kim & Gerald got closer again; they always see each other, he found a reason to be close to her again. They are freer to see each other, since they are no longer going in same school; they feel that they have more freedom from being seen together, He always pick-up Kim at school.

Gerald: (waiting in his car right at the parking lot, this is how he picks up Kim, trying not to be seen, waving his hand) Kimmy, I’m here.

Ladies :( Kim is standing with her friends) Kim, who’s picking you up? You are so mysterious girl, if you are pick up by your driving……why he is over there?..he is not your driving.. we feel that you’re hiding this guy who ever he is.

Kim: No. of course not, I just don’t want you guys to make fun of me and give any meaning; he is just a family friend.

Empress: Kim, you’re killing me, I really need to see this guy, is he ugly that’s why you’re shy to introduce him to us? C’mon girls I think that’s the guy. OMG Kim, he got a nice car, and OMG again….Kim I hate you, this guy is so cute, got to let him out. Kim…I’m telling you if you’re not going to introduce us to this guy, we’re going to make a scene and we’re going to hate you for life.

Kim: OK, OK, grabe naman kayo, but please behave, he is not my boyfriend, and he’s not even asking me out, just a friend.

Empress: Good, we want to be his friend too. If you don’t mind, amin na lang. Girlfriend grabe talaga, super guapo.

Kim: (went to see Gerald) Gerald, sorry talaga, puede ka bang bumaba, my friends wants to meet you. Sorry talaga akala nila at first boyfriend kita, when they know na hindi, they insist to meet you.sorry talaga.

Gerald: (medyo unhappy sa sinabi ni Kim) so, you told them that, I’m free single and available?

Kim:I just told them that you’re not my boyfriend, just the truth. C’mon I’ll introduce you to them.

After that meeting, Empress got a major crush on Gerald and she is so vocal about it. This is the reason why Gerald doesn’t go to Kim’s school more often.

Gerald: Kim, I’ll pick you up today be there on time, and try to be there without Empress, grabe talaga ang babaeng ‘yon nakakahiya. Your gown fitting is around 6:00 then I can buy you dinner if you want.

Kim: talaga you’ll buy me dinner? How about movie and ice cream?

Gerald: OK ice cream but not movie (Gerald try to avoid, he knows that he can’t have Kim) I need to be home for my big exam tomorrow.

Five more days and the big birthday is coming, Gerald can’t sleep this days thinking what is he going to do, the love of his life is turning to be a real lady and now puede na si Kim tumanggap ng mga suitors. Kung ligawann’ya si Kim, he might loose her dahil ayaw pa ni Kim paligaw, tapos she stay away from Gerald, just like what she did to all the guys na nanligaw sa kanya. He knows that this time he is facing a bigger challenge.

On the other hand, Kim can’t sleep also. Now she got caught in her own principle. How long she can hold on to “NO BOYFRIEND” what if right guy come along, or guys can’t wait. She doesn’t know what to do, on this night she was really thinking hard, until she found a solution to her problem. she ask for a sign, That on her birthday, if any guy who give her a “Butterfly Necklace” tapos manligaw sa kanya, then she’ll consider the guy, until kung magustuhan n’ya he can be her boyfriend. She choice “butterfly necklace” because that the only missing piece from her collections of butterfly jewelry and it’s been a while that she haven’t receive a butterfly gift of any kind. Everyone knows she love butterfly. Only those who pay attention to her would know that a necklace is the last piece she’s missing.

This is the Day:

Gerald: (early morning on the phone singing) happy birthday to you..Happy birthday to you..Happy happy birthday my love. Oh ano perfect na ang day mo? Kasi ako ang first one na bumati sa’yo.

Kim: thank you so much. Sweet naman. Sorry but you’re not the first one, my family is the first kaya second ka na lang.LOL…so are you ready? What time your picking me up?

Gerald: Ikaw, what time you think you're ready? Your party starts at 6:00 pm so I can be there 4:00 pm..it’s ok I can wait forever, birthday mo naman.

Kim: OK be here at 4:00, Kuya Jason can drive us to the hotel and then Fred can drive your car.

Gerald: Kim ok ha, you planned all of this?

Kim: you wish, hindi actually Kuya Jake did. He told me last night; for sure he knows how you think…LOL…

As the night start, the hotel once again is flooded with rich and famous, people Kim not so happy to see, all she want if she has a choice is simple birthday not like this for her like a circus.

Gerald: you’re the most beautiful lady of the night. Just enjoy your moment, you been through this before, you should get used to it….Can you imagine on your wedding day? Sigurado mas subra pa ditto.

Kim: on my wedding day, I just want a simple one and by that time I’ll make sure na ako na ang masusunod, if ever I probably elope.Allergy talaga ako sa big party, after all this years siguro sawa na talaga.

Gerald: you want to elope?...good hindi ako magastosan…LOL

Kim: sira, buti kung papasa ka sa akin.

Gerald: bakit hindi ba?...why I’m ugly?

Kim: actually you’re good looking.

Gerald: so, what’s the problem?

Kim: I don’t want to compete with all your girls…LOL.

Gerald: what do you mean, with all your girls? I don’t have a girlfriend. And I promise kung ikaw, ikaw lang talaga.

Kim: Ge, please stop. Let’s enjoy the night (once again Kim try to avoid this kind of topic with Gerald)

The party starts, the Kim’s dances with her Father and all her brothers. Every young men in the room, mesmerized with Kim’s beauty. Gerald doesn’t want to let her go, he always make sure that he stay with Kim wherever Kim go. As the program continue, dances, speeches, 18 candles and roses, until it’s time for the last dance. Gerald bring Kim to the dance floor for the last dance, the light went down, candles lighted everywhere, and hundred of butterflies flying around the room. As Kim’s was so surprise, she look up and watch the banner came down, a big banner with her picture from baby to present, surrounded with butterfly. They are dancing to the live music, it’s her Brother in-law to be Sam and big brother Piolo who is singing; this two are also a very good singer of the family) “Beautiful in my eyes”

BEAUTIFUL IN MY EYES 
You�re my piece of mind, in this crazy world 
You�re every thing I've tried to find 
Your love is a pearl 
You�re my Mona Lisa 
You�re my rainbow skies 
And my only prayer is that you realize 
You'll always be beautiful in my eyes... 
The world will turn 
And the seasons will change 
And all the lessons we will learn 
Will be beautiful and strange 
We'll have our fell of tears 
Our share of sight 
My only prayer is that you realize 
You'll always be beautiful in my eyes... 
You will always be beautiful in my eyes 
And the passing years will show 
That you will always grow 
Ever more beautiful in my eyes 
And there are lines upon my face 
From a life time of smiles 
When the time comes to embrace 
For one long last wine 
We can laugh about how time really flies 
We won�t say goodbye 
�Cause true love never dies 
You'll always be beautiful in my eyes... 
You will always be beautiful in my eyes 
And The passing years will show 
That you will always grow 
Ever more beautiful in my eyes 
The passing years will show 
That you will always grow 
Ever more beautiful in my eyes...

Gerald:( as they are dancing, Gerald’s in tears, he is so sad to be dancing with the most beautiful girl in his life that he thinks He can’t have; at least not for now, for a little more time).Kim, you got to promise me, now that you’re became a lady, you have to be careful with all the bad boys. Promise me that if you decide to have a boyfriend, I’ll be the first one to know.

Kim: I promise, cross my heart and hope not to die..(Jokingly)...ano ba sobrang drama ka naman, I’ll just turning 18, not getting married and I promise, if I’ll ready to have a boyfriend, you’ll be the first one to know.

Gerald: Kim, you got to listen to me, this is important, I have to tell you this and I want you to take me seriously.

Kim: What is it.

Gerald: Kim, I love you, I always love you ever since and I’m welling to wait. And please don’t say anything. I just want you to hear me and not to answer me.(then he kiss and hug Kim right at the middle of the dance floor where everyone can see them) I want to give you something, I can’t think of anything, I’ve been looking for this for so many years and hoping that someday I can give you this in this perfect moment.

Kim: (thinking about the sign she’s been asking for, she got her finger crossed behind her back, hoping that Gerald would be the guy)

Gerald: (take the small box from his pocket) Kim, I love you and Happy Birthday!

Kim: Thank you. Can I open it now?
Gerald: OK, go ahead.

Kim: (slowly open the box hoping it’s what she hoping for)..A butterfly necklace..Thank you (she say in a whisper tune, as she’s about to cry) Gerald, why this, why did you pick this gift?

Gerald: ever since, all my gift to you is about butterfly, the ring, hair clips, the scarf, if you noticed?

Kim: (then she realized that it is true, Gerald is the only guy that gives her this kind of gift, so why she didn’t remember this, why this is the sign she is looking for? She was so confused and puzzled about everything) is this a sign? Or a destiny (whispering to her self, then just cry) thanks.

Gerald: did you say something? Why are you crying? Let me put it on you.

Kim: nothing, I said thank you. (Then hug Gerald and put her head on Gerald’s shoulder as they continue dancing) you step on my toes it hurts, that‘s why I cried (as she recover and hide her emotion)

Everyone noticed what’s going on between Gerald and Kim. They are just watching the two in the middle of the dance floor, as they dance so romantically as if they are the only people in the place.

Mrs. Chiu: Pa, look (pointing to Kim & Gerald) they’re in-love.

Mr. Chiu: (smiling) I hope so.

Mr. Anderson: Pare, at last mukhang nagkaroon ng pag-asa ang Gerald ko sa Kim mo. LOL..

Mrs. Anderson (exited papunta kay Mama Tessa) Best friend, sana sila na, sana matuloy na tayong maging balae. LOL...I’ll pray for that.

Mrs. Chiu: Me too best friend, I’ll help you pray. LOL.

Roxanne: Jake, look in-love na yata si Kim sa pinsan ko.

Jake: sana naman. I know how Gerald feels about Kim, hindi man n’ya sabihin, alam ko. Sometimes I feel so sorry for him, wala pa kasi sa isip ni Kim.

Everyone in that room are confirmed just from the look of it, they both in-love. A lot of people are happy lalo na ang both families, and a lot of people also are not so happy from what they see. People that are secretly in-love with Kim and of course all the girls that also in-love with Gerald.
As the party about to finish, Gerald as Kim if they can talk outside, at the garden, he just want to make sure that Kim is not mad at him by saying the he loves her.

Gerald: Kim, I just want make sure na hindi ka galit. I don’t want you to get mad at me and try to avoid me. As I said I don’t need you to say something. I just want to be the first guy to tell you that.

Kim: I’m not mad at you, and as I said I’m not ready, this is all new to me. I didn’t realize that you have that feeling for me. Don’t worry, nothing change, you’re still the closest guy in my heart.

Gerald: (as he hears that he comes closer to Kim) Kim, I might kiss you…I want to kiss you.

Kim: I might be bad at it.

Gerald: that’s impossible (then he kisses Kim in the lips, but she is not responding)...Kim, please kiss me. Then he deepen his kiss..() Kim, I love you.

Kim: (she responses to Gerald’s kiss, after a few second, she pushes Gerald) Gerald, please enough, I don’t want you to get hurt. Sorry.

Gerald: sorry, I got carried away. It won’t happen again.

The night ended as one of the most beautiful night in Gerald’s life, now he express his love to Kim and kahit hindi pa handa si Kim, at least she know that He loves her and he is welling to wait for the right time. This is another waiting in Gerald’s life, this is all he does para kay Kim ang mag hintay.
Nothing changes between them, except that Kim becomes more matured and this time she is more sensitive about Gerald’s feeling for her. She acts a little more matured, she is more refined and lady like.