WORTH A SECOND LOOK

Chapter One
"Hoy, andyan na si Sir!" someone yelled.
There was a commotion as everybody rushed to get back to their seats... Kanya ka
nyang tulakan para makarating sa upuan agad; habang yung iba todo hanap ng mapap
agtaguan ng balat ng kinakain nila. Bawal kasi ang kumain pag class hours, pero
sa klaseng ito, walang bawal-bawal... lalo na pag gutom.
Ngunit dahil Homeroom time na at any minute now eh parating na ang adviser nila,
heto sila at nagpapakabait, dahil alam nilang hindi sila kukunsintehin ni Sir M
ar. As everyone settled down and tried to look innocent, the classroom door open
ed.
A stocky, big-bellied man entered, looking serious and composed. As usual. Tumin
gin tingin siya sa mga estudyante niya, as though spotting something wrong with
their all-too-angelic expressions.
"Guys, if you think na napapaniwala niyo ko sa saintly act niyo, you're very mis
taken. Lalo na't nangangamoy ang sky flakes."
Natawa naman ang mga estudyante ng Fourth Year Integrity sa sinabi niya.
"Anyway, andito nga pala ako kasi may gagawin tayong importante."
Taasan ang mga kilay. Ano nga naman kaya yun?
"Ano ba. Palitan na ng seating arrangement. Say your tearful goodbyes!"
"Oh, tumayo na kayo... anong hinihintay niyo?" sabi ni Sir Mar. Tayo naman silan
g lahat, at nagsimula na si Sir na magtawag ng mga pangalan...
Ria's POV:
Kanina pa akong nakatayo dito, and my muscles were seizing up due to a lack of m
ovement. Ano ba naman yan, anong petsa na, hindi pa ako tinatawag...
Pati braso ko nangangalay na. On my left arm were my books, on the other was my
bag, which was still half-open, nakalimutan ko nang i-zipper. Tiningnan ko yung
mga hindi pa natatawag... yung mga taong most likely na makakatabi ko...
I saw Maffy, my best friend, standing at the very end of the line. She smiled at
me and I did the same, hoping na sana, siya na lang ang makatabi ko.
"Ria."
"Po?"
"Dun ka. Third row sa may aisle."
Tumango ako to acknowledge that I had understood; tapos pumunta na ako sa bago k
ong upuan.
"Angelo... take the seat beside Ria."
One of the jocks in class went and carried his bag with him. Tiningnan ko siya a
s he passed by... I wondered how the next quarter would go. Wala akong kahit ano
ng idea kung anong klaseng tao si Angelo... pero dahil popular siya sa campus, I
didn't think too well of him, or any of his other peers for that matter. Ayoko
sa grupo nila, ang yayabang kasi, wala naming maipagmamalaki. Mga gwapo nga, ang
tatamad naman, minsan sobrang slow pa. Well, ayoko talaga sa kanila... maliban

siguro sa isa, yung kababata ko, si Liam.

Nag-creak yung upuan sa tabi ko, cutting into my thoughts. When I looked, he smi
led at me. Ngumiti din ako para hindi naman masabing bastos ako.
"Paano ba yan. Kopyahan tayo ha?" sabi niya sa akin in a low voice.
I went like, "HUH?" Was he expecting me to laugh?
Kakaloka naman. Sa lahat ng seatmate na pwedeng i-assign sa akin, ito pa? Wala n
a ngang kwenta humirit, nangongopya pa? Sheesh. Napakaswerte ko nga naman.
Angelo's POV:
Man, was that a laugh? Huh
Ang wirdo naman ng buhay kahit kailan. Honestly, that was my best attempt at bei
ng friendly. Darn, I don't get girls!
Hmm, hindi naman pala lahat...
But as it's Ria Antonio... well, I shouldn't have expected anything less.
She was known for being hardcore-suplada. Especially sa mga friends ko. Ayaw niy
a sa amin, ewan ko ba. Kahit sa mga girls na sikat sa campus, masungit siya. Ang
labo, eh kung tutuusin, sikat din naman siya dito. Ay, never mind. Aamo rin yan
.
I just slumped my arms and put my face right in it, feeling extremely sleepy. Na
puyat ako kagabi kakalaro ng RO with my friends. Nag-away kasi kami ni Elle, at
ang pinayo nila saken maglaro at i-vent ang frustrations ko sa computer. It work
ed naman, coz by 2 am, I completely forgot about Elle. My friends really do know
their remedies... IBA NA NGA PAG EXPERIENCED.
May sinasabi si Sir Mar pero hindi na ako nakinig. Wala namang tulong sa buhay a
ng mga tinuturo nila. Siguro kung magtuturo sila kung paano tratuhin ang mga cli
ngy girlfriends, makikinig ako. But otherwise...
Nako, grabe na ang antok ko AMP. May isang subject pa... Physics... Kelangan ng
pampa gising... Makapag chewing gum nga.
Wala kasing kape, kaya gum ang pampagising ko...
Napatingin ako sa bago kong katabi. Nagbabasa siya ng Physics book... wow. Napak
a-worthwhile. Alukin ko kaya ng gum? Baka sakali.
"Gum?" I offered.
Tiningnan niya ako na para bang ininsulto ko siya sa nasabi ko. Tinaasan niya ri
n ako ng kilay...
"We're not allowed to chew gum in class," Huh she said coldly.
"Wala pa naman tayong teacher."
"Kahit na. She's due to come any minute now." Roll Eyes Helpfully, our P.R.O. (a
ka taga-tawag ng teachers) chose that moment to announce:
"CLASSMATES! Wala daw si Ma'am Pearlie!"
Napangiti ako as I watched her facial expression change. She rolled her eyes, na
para bang it was a gesture of admitting defeat. What she did next shocked me to

no end.
"Thanks," she said, breaking into a wide smile. kinuha niya yung isang gum na na
sa kamay ko, tas binuksan niya.
"Bazooka? Brilliant, I haven't had one of these in ages," Cheesy she said, final
ly crumpling the wrapper up. Grabe, parang bata pala tong taong to. Natuwa ba na
man sa bubble gum? Huh I thought it would take more than that para mapaamo si Ri
a. May kababawan din pala siyang nalalaman. Akalain mo yun? Grin
"Saan mo nabibili yan? I thought kasi phased-out na yan sa groceries," she asked
me, still chewing.
"Sa kapitbahay naming tindahan. Phased out? Talaga?" Huh
"I just heard. But I never found out if it was true... I haven't been to the gro
cery lately."
"Ria, pwede favor?"
"Anong favor?" she asked, puzzled. Shocked
"Wag ka na mag-english. Dinudugo ilong ko eh." Grin
"Sige ba," she replied, giggling Grin. Ang cute niya. Bungisngisera pala to eh.
Napatingin ako sa binabasa niya... Speed,velocity, acceleration, at kung ano ano
pa. Lalo yatang duduguin ang ilong ko.
"Bakit mo binabasa yan?" I asked her.
"Ha? Di mo ba narinig si Ma'am Pearlie kahapon? Sabi niya may quiz daw tayo ngay
on. Eh kaso nga hindi naman tayo sinipot..."
"Makikinig... ako? Hah. Tingin mo ba ako yung tipong nakikinig sa mga ganun?"
"Bakit naman hindi. Pero somehow... hindi ka ba natatakot na bumagsak?"
"Sus, kahit naman nakikinig ako, hindi ko rin naman naiintindihan." Wink
"Wow, napakaoptimistic mo naman. Eto," she said, putting the book on my desk, "T
uturuan kita."
Ria's POV:
His face registered an expression of both bewilderment and apprehension, but he
was trying to smile as he scratched his head.
"Ah... eh... wala ako sa mood mag-physics eh. Wala nga si Ma'am Pearlie, ikaw na
man pumalit?" Undecided
"Ano ka ba, madali lang to. Promise! Ganito lang yan
I went on talking; Gelo did not protest. (well, it's
rin) To my delight, he was actually listening to me,
concentration to comprehend what I was saying, then
he opened his mouth to interrupt.

oh, kasi ang speed..." and

not like he had a choice. G
with his face screwed up in
after a couple of minutes,

"Wait, mali," he said. I looked at him.

"Huh?"
"Two thousand three hundred fifty-two kilometers divided by forty-nine seconds,
diba? Bakit thirty-nine kilometers per second lang? Dapat forty-eight diba?" he

said all these very quickly. I got amazed and I could not help but stare. Shocke
d
"Diba?" he repeated, almost with a puppy dog pout.
"Oo nga. Ang bilis mo naman mag-compute," Smiley I said. He smiled.
"Parang sira naman itong physics book natin... naturingang may doctorate degree
yung author mali mali naman yung example na computation... Why are you giggling?
" he demanded.
"Wala. Natatawa lang ako. Oh, I thought you didn't want to speak in English?" I
asked him.
"Saying I don't want to doesn't mean I can't," Angry he snapped. I was quite tak
en aback. Pa-moody effect si kumag. Cheesy
"Pikon."
"Hindi ako pikon."
"Eh bakit nagalit ka agad?" I said, fighting the urge to laugh.
"Tinatawanan mo kasi ako, ano bang tingin mo saken, illiterate?" Angry
"Whoa, whoa... dude, I didn't say that."
"Implied but not stated."
"Fine, I'm sorry!" I finally said. The expression of his face was infathomable.
And then...
"Galing ko umarte noh?" Cheesy he said, the ends of his boyish grin almost reach
ing his ears. At that moment, I could have given anything to punch him.
"Umayos ka nga!"
"Sorry na po."
"Mukha mo!" I said, turning back to my physics book.
"Wah pikon... Aww, she's gonna cry na!"
"Shut up, Gelo." Angry
"Fine. Ano, meryenda tayo mamaya? My treat."I looked at him, almost unable to be
lieve that I was sitting with Angelo Fontanilla, laughing, having fun, and now b
eing invited to merienda, na akala mo naman ang tagal na naming magkakilala. I t
hought for a moment and shrugged.
"Sige ba."
Chapter Three (A)
Angelo's POV:
RIIIINNNNGGGG!!!
Dismissal time! I ducked and got the books under my chair, choosing the ones I t
hink I should bring home. I never really read at home, and since there aren't ne

w lessons yet (hello?! Halos kakastart lang ng third quarter!) I decided to just
chuck everything inside my locker, leaving nothing to put in my bag. I closed m
y bag and stacked my books untidily on my desk.
"Gelo," I heard Ria say.
"Ano?" I asked, facing her. She was going to take our physics book home. Poor th
ing, her idea of bedtime reading is Physics?!
"Dadalhin mo yan pauwi?" I asked incredulously.
"Oo, advanced reading."
"Para kang si Hermione."
"I'll take that as a compliment. Teka, ano nga pala yung sasabihin ko...? Ayun!
Isama natin si Ate Maffs."
"Sige ba."
"Salamat!" she replied, smiling widely. Natawa ako.
"Anong salamat? Ikaw na sasagot sa pagkain namin. Ikaw naman yung promotor."
"Naman eh!" she said, pouting. Grabe, para talagang bata.
"Oo na, sige na ililibre ko na rin. Una na ko sa locker. Kita na lang sa may gat
e."
"Saan mo ba kami ililibre?"
"Ok lang ba kung kay Manong Fishball na lang?" I asked.
"I was hoping you'd say that. I'm in the mood for kwek kwek," she said reassurin
gly. I smiled at her.
"Sige, baba na ako. Sabihan mo na lang si Ate Maffs."
"Okay."
Ria's POV:
Finally, I finished stacking my books neatly on
omics and Physics book inside my bag; I haven't
y bag over my shoulder and tucking my remaining
te Maffs' new seat. It hadn't been that hard to
re in a heartbeat.

my desk. I put our History, Econ

read them in a while. Swinging m
books in my arms, I looked for A
locate her, though, so I was the

"Ate Maffs, sama ka naman saken."

"Saan?" she replied, not looking up; she was busy deciding if she's going to put
her History book inside her bag.
"Dalhin mo na pauwi, we might get a surprise test tomorrow about 14th and 15th C
entury British Monarchs," I suggested. Shrugging, she chucked it along with her
Physics textbook to join the rest of her backpack's contents.
"Saan tayo pupunta ulit?" she asked.
"Meryenda daw tayo kay Manong Fishball, sagot ni Gelo." To my surprise, Maffy lo
oked at me suspiciously, as though she didn't hear me properly.

"Gelo?" she repeated.

"Yeah, Gelo. Gelo Fontanilla." I told her, wondering if she's got short term mem
ory or Alzheimer's already. Her lips curled into the smile that infuriated me mo
st: the knowing smile, as though I have just let something slip or something.
"Kailan mo pa siya tinawag na Gelo?" she asked me, swinging her bag over her sho
ulder as I had done.
"Kanina lang. Ano, sasama ka ba?" I asked her, keen to change the subject. We st
arted walking towards the door.
"Hindi kaya magalit sa atin si Elle niyan?" she asked me. I rolled my eyes at he
r. Nag-init ang dugo ko nang marinig ko ang pangalan ni Elle. First day pa lang
yata kaming nagkita nung kindergarten may mutual dislike na talaga. Ewan ko ba.
Basta talagang hindi kami nagkasundo, kaya lagi kaming nag-aaway. But well, bein
g the starfish that she is, barado siya palagi pag humirit na ako.
"Bakit naman magagalit si Elladora?" I said, putting a particular stress on the
name so that it would sound as mabantot as possible. Elladora was Elle's full na
me.
"Duh, they're dating!" she replied, trying not to laugh. She always cracks up wh
en I use Elle's full name.
"And so? It's not like we're going to rape him. And for God's sake, he's not eve
n my type!"
"Language, Ria."
"Sorry. Bakit? Ikaw ba? Type mo ba si Gelo?" I sdeep at her, smirking.
"Gaga. You know who I like."
" Of course I do! So ano, sasama ka ba o hindi?"
"Well, Ria, it's not like I have a choice... And besides, hindi ako tumatanggi s
a grasya." she told me.
Angelo's POV: (lockers)
The corridors were, as usual, chaotic and crowded with students. May mga gradesc
hoolers pa nga na naghahabulan, nakakabangga, tapos sila pa yung galit. Kanina l
ang may bumangga sakin na batang hanggang bewang ko lang yata. When I turned to
say sorry, the kid flashed the finger at me and ran away. Akalain mo yun? Wala p
a sigurong Grade Three yung bata ang galing nang magmura (at non-vocal ha, beat
that!). Man, the midget's a walking advertisement for birth control! I shook my
head and realized that I was in front of my locker already. As I was fumbling fo
r the key inside my pocket, I heard an all-too-familiar voice.
"Dude!" it said, and then there was Liam Woods, offering me the usual high five.
"Oh, pare... sino na-assign na seatmate mo?" I asked him, punching his hand. Big
la siyang sumimangot.
"Hay naku. Si Abby," he said, and I understood. Liam absolutely abhorred the SS
members.
"Ay hindi, si Zoe pala yun. Teka yun nga ba? Ewan, basta taga-SS na soooobrang a
rte," he said, looking absolutely displeased.

"Grabe ka, maga-apat na taon na natin silang classmate, you still can't distingu
ish them from one another?" I asked him, finally finding my key, and stuffing it
on my padlock.
"Ewan ko ba. Ang tingin ko kasi sa kanila magkakamukha na. Kasi naman noh, pare
pareho ng ayos ng buhok, ng kakapalan ng makeup, ng bags, pati yata pabango," he
said. Natawa ako ng malakas sa huli niyang sinabi.
"INAAMOY MO?" I almost yelled.
"Tange, hindi! Well you can't blame me bro, kahit naman ikaw I'm sure amoy na am
oy mo pag dumadaan sila ng sabay sabay. Ang sakit kaya sa ilong! Can you imagine
how much worse it is for me ngayong katabi ko na yung isa sa kanila?"
"Easy, bro. Ang laki pala talaga ng galit mo sa SS," I told him, still unable to
make my padlock budge.
"Ay sorry, nakalimutan kong SS nga pala si Elle. Speaking of whom... bakit di mo
siya kasama?" he asked me. I continued opening my padlock as though I had not h
eard him.
"Sh*t, dude. War na naman kayo?" Again, I chose not to answer.
"That's the reason why I vowed never to date a Starfish. Well maybe not unless I
want my head cracked open from stress every other day," he declared, leaning on
the lockers. My padlock finally gave way. Pulling the locker open with more for
ce than I intended, I knew I could not hold it in any longer.
"Naku pare, sobrang gusto ko na kaya i-break! Natutulili ako sa boses, nabubuwis
it ako kasi laging late sa usapan namin, daig pa ang bangkay sa funeraria sa kap
al ng makeup, tapos ang daldal! Ang gusto magkuwento ka kahit pagod ka or wala s
a mood. Pag hindi ka nagkwento, nakalimutan mong tumawag, hindi ka nag-goodnight
sa text, giyera na. At kamo, mas malakas pang uminom kaysa saken. Sabihin mo ng
a saken, Gawain ba ng matinong babae yun?!" I told him, seething, throwing a boo
k inside my locker with each complaint. Liam was close to laughing, but out of b
rotherly respect he restrained himself from doing it, although it looked like it
was taking him a lot of effort.
"Wow, dude. Alam mo, pag nag-collaborate tayo, we can hit millions with a bestse
ller. REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T DATE A STARFISH. Naku, talo nun si Dan Brown sa
New York Times," he said, his eyes glinting. I rolled my eyes at him. Roll Eyes
"Tang*na naman pare. Seryoso ako eh!" I hissed.
"Ako rin naman ah. We're talking about a fantastic sum of money, dude. It's gonn
a sell like pancakes if the customers learn that one of the authors have first-h
and experience. When do we start?" he asked eagerly.
"Ewan ko sayo. Isulat mo mag-isa kung gusto mo," I said, walking away.
"Chill out pare, I was kidding!" I sdeep him a sharp look as he offered another
high five.
"Sama ka samin magmeryenda?"
"Naku, hindi pwede dude. Naghihintay si Jill sa labas." I looked at him, puzzled
, carefully phrasing what I wanted to say next.
"Jill?" Huh I repeated.

"Oo, bakit?" he asked.

"Akala ko your girlfriend's name was Winona?" I asked him. It caught him off gua
rd, then he slapped his forehead.
"Oh Sh*t! I always mix names up!" Angry
"Bahala ka nga dyan. Sige na pare, una na ako."
"Wait, I heard you say 'sa amin'. Sino kasama mo?"
"Si Ria saka si Maffy."
"Ah, ganun ba? ... Sige, baka sumunod ako," he said, then he turned and went tow
ards the opposite direction.
Chapter Three (B)
Maffy's POV:
We were already in the school quadrangle, and people were walking and running al
l around us. I was texting when I heard Ria laugh.
"What's funny?" I asked her. Sinundan ko ng tingin yung tinitingnan niya... si I
rish. The ring leader of the SS who shares the title with Elle was standing near
by, seemingly in deep conversation with her alipores. Irish was also a spoiled b
rat, and as far as I'm concerned, it's absolutely hard to decide kung sino sa ka
nila ni Elle ang mas nakakairita. Pero kahit ganun, mabait naman sila sa akin. P
inapabayaan ko na lang ang mga kalokahan nila.
"Katabi mo siya diba?" she asked me, wearing her familiar evil grin.
"Oo. Sus, pagtiya-tiyagaan ko na. Total isang quarter lang naman."
"Kaya mo siyang tiisin ng ganun katagal?" she asked me disbelievingly, her eyes
wide.
"Bakit naman? Besides, there's nothing I can do," I told her.
"Saludo na talaga ako sayo Ate Maffs."
"Saludo ka diyan. Huwaaaah! Huhuhuhu." I said, faking a big crying tantrum. Sa k
akatawa ni Ria, napa-snort siya na parang baboy. Natawa na rin tuloy ako.
"RIA! ATE MAFFY!" someone yelled in the crowd. We both turned and saw Gelo halfwalking, half-running towards us.
"Ui, you're just in time!"
"Just in time ka dyan. Kanina ko pa kayo hinahanap."
"Lul! Nakita ka namin sa may lockers kausap mo si Liam," I said, scolding him.
"All right, nabuko na ako... Oh, bakit parang nag make up pa kayo, eh kay Manong
Fishball lang naman tayo pupunta?" he said.
"Hindi noh, maganda lang talaga kami. Hoy Gelo ha, ang lakas lakas mong mang-asa
r, sa fishball stand mo lang naman kami ililibre."
"Hay, sigurado naman mapapamahal ako kahit mura lang ang tinda niya, sa inyong d

alawa pa lang, mapapakyaw na yung tinda niya."

"Ang kapal mo!" said Ria, tapos pinalo niya si Gelo sa braso.
"Ok lang yan, mapapasaya mo naman si Manong Fishball. Biruin mo, dahil sa inyong
dalawa malilipat yung entire contents ng wallet ko sa wallet niya? It's a noble
cause, you know!" replied Gelo. I laughed and went so I can slap his arm too, b
ut Ria got there first.
"Aray... Ria... Aray ko... ARAY KO NAMAN RIA, ANG PINO MO MANGUROT!" said Gelo,
his face contorted; madiin talagang kumurot si Ria.
"Oops, sorry, I got carried away. Oh my goodness, namula?"
"Ikaw kasi eh! Pasa na naman to!"
"Ay, sorry na oh..."
"Sadista ka!"
I trailed behind a little bit so I can watch them. Ang cute nila, sweet sila ng
hindi nila nalalaman.
"Patingin nga," said Ria, carefully placing her hand on the red spot on his arm.
"Ayan oh, ang sakit kaya... aray naman! Dahan dahan lang kasi!"
"Sorry naman! Ay wawa si Gelo... Grabe ang nipis ng balat mo."
"Syempre balat Kastila ako noh! Mestizo! Kaya sensitive!"
"Hindi manipis ang balat mo, talaga lang madiin mangurot si Ria."
"Asus, inggit ka lang Ate Maffs."
"Edi ikaw na nga foreigner."
"Inggit ka lang, balat kalabaw ka kasi!"
"Aba! Gelo?" said Ria in a dangerously sweet voice, "Gusto mo kurutin kita uli?"
"Ay, hindi, sige... ayoko..." Gelo retorted in a falsely angelic voice. He looke
d positively frightened. "Sige na... hindi na kita aasarin... Now do me a favor
and get as far as you can from me..."
"All right," said Ria. Grabe ang cute talaga nila, parang si Justin at si Jessie
.
Ayun, in a few seconds andun na kami kay Manong fishball. Nakipagsiksikan kami d
oon, kasi ang daming tao.
"Tatlong kwek kwek nga Kuya," said Gelo.
"Tatlong piraso?" said Manong Fishball. Gelo looked at us exasperatedly and scra
tched his head.
"Kuya naman, tatlong order." Manong fishball simply smiled, chuckling at his own
joke. Parang sira talaga tong si Manong, may sariling mundo. Tahimik naman si R
ia at si Gelo, yung isa nagtetext, yung isa tinitingnan yung arm niya, kung saan
visible pa rin yung spot na kinurot ni Ria. Maya maya ok na yung kwek kwek nami
n, sinerve na ni Manong Fishball.

"O Ria, alam ko gutom ka na, dahan dahan ha? Baka sa katakawan mo mapaso ka," sa
id Gelo naughtily, momentarily forgetting his kurot.
"Wow, nakaka-touch naman ang concern mo, kahit roughly phrased. Eto sawsawan Ate
Maffs oh," said Ria, after pouring some of the sawsawan on her kwek kwek.
"Bakit ako hindi mo binibigyan?" said Gelo. At nagpakyut pa ang kumag.
"Kasi may sawsawan naman dyan sa tabi mo," Ria snapped, stuffing a whole quail e
gg into her mouth.
"My God, Ria. I didn't think you could get any lower. There you are, snacking on
kwek kwek like some cheap squatter, even eating it whole... Kadiri ah?" said a
voice that pissed me to no end. I turned sharply to find myself face to face wit
h Elle Reyes herself, with Irish and Denise on either side of her, all three of
them looking daggers at my best friend, who looked absolutely oblivious to what
she has just heard.
"Ango ba ngausap ngo?" said Ria, her words indiscernible because she was talking
with her mouth full. I thought she had done it on purpose to irk Elle, but I fi
gured out that she didn't... her mouth was just really full. Well, siguro that g
ives her an advantage, she's not on the losing side...
"Yuck, you're so proving it... konting table manners naman, Ria? Or baka naman h
indi ka talaga tinuruan?" Elle hissed, with one of her brows arched. Ria finishe
d chewing her kwek kwek and looked calmly at Elle.
"Wala naman kayang table dito," Ria pointed out. I laughed, but could see an Ell
e tantrum coming up. It was time to intervene.
"Elle, kumain ka na lang, gutom lang yan."
"Eeeww! I don't eat kwek kwek, yuck, magka-hepa pa ako noh? Oh, andyan ka pala G
elo. Did you see where my boyfriend's gone?" Elle asked, turning to Gelo instead
. He chose not to react. Ang daming taong tumingin sa amin pagkatapos ng sinabi
ni Elle. Grabe, anak mayaman na palingkera... malamang pinagtinginan talaga.
"Did you hear me? Tinatanong kita, hoy! Wag kang bastos. Fine, sige, let me just
ask another question... Why do you think my boyfriend ditched me to have a supe
r baduy merienda with a super baduy girl?" said Elle, throwing Ria a dirty look,
now positively fuming. Kulang na lang mamula siya sa galit.
"Ria, it's time to go," I whispered.
"Siguro kasi mas tolerable ang baduy kaysa sa maarte," I heard Gelo say. Ria, wh
o had been acting as though she didn't hear Elle, finally sensed the tension. Sh
e pulled out her wallet and brought out a 20 peso note. But before she could han
d it to Manong fishball, Gelo pulled her hand.
"No, treat ko to diba? Sige umuwi na kayo," he told us. Elle was looking at thei
r hands, fuming more than ever. Ria pulled her hand from his, and with a last no
d from Gelo, we left without another word.
Chapter Four
Angelo's POV:
Takte. Napahiya sina Ria at Maffy dahil saken. Sa amin. Hindi tama yun, pati sil
a nadamay sa kadramahan ni Elle. That was the last straw, ayoko na. Elle is a ho
peless case; I had been foolish to assume na ako ang makakapagpabago sa kanya. I

brought out my wallet to pay.

"Ulitin mo nga yung sinabi mo kanina, Angelo," said Elle. I looked at her, amuse
d.
"Wow. Hindi ko akalain ako pala ang makakapagpatuwid ng dila mo," I said, tapos
inabot ko yung sinkwenta pesos ko kay Manong Fishball.
"Tago mo na yung sukli, Kuya," I told him while he was fumbling to find change;
I did not wish to remain there any longer. Masyado nang maraming attention ang n
apunta sa akin ngayong araw na to.
"Hoy! Pilosopo! Bastos ka! Don't you make talikod when I'm talking to you!" I ig
nored her and started to walk away.
"Hey, come back here! We're not done yet!" she screeched. I stopped in my tracks
, faced her, at ngumiti nang pang-asar: I put on my most awful smirk.
"Oh, talaga? As far as I'm concerned, we're over and done with, Elle. Done."
With that I left. She shouted and shouted but I didn't care. Hindi ako ang napap
ahiya kundi siya. Somebody caught up with me... it was Liam.
"Wow, dude. Pwede mo ipa-copyright yun ah," he said. He was clutching his left c
heek, which looked red, parang kakalapat lang ng sampal.
"What happened to you?" I asked.
"I called her Jill," he said shortly. I laughed.
"Hey, do you think I'd let you make layas without something to remember me by?"
said a voice behind me. Curious, Liam and I turned around.
Ria's POV:
Nakarating kami sa street namin without talking to one another. Sobrang gusto ko
ng lumingon kanina, pero I didn't. Naguguluhan ako sa sarili ko; I was feeling t
oo many emotions at the moment. First was guilt. Alam kong kahit hindi ako yung
nag-aya, it was still my fault kasi sumama ako. Dagdag pa yung fact na hindi ko
pinansin yung sinabi ni Maffy. Sana nakinig na lang ako. STUPID ME! >.< At ayun
na nga. If they break up, I'll be the one to take the blame.
And here comes shame. Sobrang nakakahiya yung nangyari kanina. Ako yung lumabas
na mangaagaw. At hindi lang yun, sinigurado ni Elle that no one would forget it
in a hurry. Grabe, what the heck... ano kaya ang mukhang ihaharap ko sa kanila b
ukas?
But the feeling that boggles my mind the most is.... Yun. The one I felt when Ge
lo pulled my hand. Ewan, ano ba yun? It did send it shivers up my spine. Sh.t! K
ilig ba yun? My God, NO!!! Hindi pwede!
No. No! I'm not kinikilig. I'm not I'm not I'm not!
"Ria sino kausap mo?" Maffy asked me. I looked at her. Man, was I saying all of
that aloud?!
"Wala, Ate Maffs. I'm... just... ehrm. Singing..." I said. Sheesh, that was just
about the lamest excuse I came up with!
Fortunately, she didn't push it further. But what was I thinking? Syempre hindi
ako kinikilig noh?! Bakit naman ako kikiligin kay Angelo Fontanilla? Eew! Kakasa
bi ko nga lang na hindi ko siya type eh! Sheesh, how could I have possibly thoug

ht na kikiligin ako dun?! He's a jock, he's lazy, he's -...

"Ria!"
"What?!"
"Isn't... Isn't that Jonathan?!" Maffy said, pointing to a guy sitting in front
of our house. He was wearing our school uniform, his hair was ruffled, and his c
ollar is turned up... Yes, there was no mistaking Jonathan Figueroa.
But what's he doing here? And I couldn't see why Maffy sounded so upset, but bef
ore I could ask she had broke into a sprint towards him. I followed her, and saw
what had gotten Maffy's knickers in a twist... Jon was smoking again.
Jonathan's POV:
As I blew that first puff of smoke I had in weeks, I knew I'd be a complete liar
if I said I didn't miss it. It brings me to a one-of-a-kind high that makes me
forget everything... with the clouds of smoke that come out of my mouth, there a
lso goes my troubles, vanishing into thin air, just like that. I liked the sensa
tion; there was nothing like it. Numbing myself from all those pains for a while
doesn't hurt. The drawback is that it's a lot, lot worse when I am finally forc
ed to face it.
I was in front of my cousin's house, my only refuge during times like these. The
y treated me like their own; something my mother hasn't managed to do properly s
ince the day I was born. Hardly feeling the love that she says she has for me, I
grew up cold and distant from her. We hardly got along well. She left me with N
anay (her mother) when I was barely a year old, saying she has to go abroad to w
ork and to avoid all the rumors that had come up when she got pregnant with me;
see, she was very young (not a year more than nineteen), and naturally those nos
y people labeled my mom as a disgraced sl*t. My father wanted to marry her but N
anay got in the way, saying she does not want any more damage to the family's re
putation. But didn't she think that I'd be the one to suffer, the innocent, fath
erless b*stard? My father, though, insisted that he wants me to use his surname.
Nanay agreed, but my father was forbidden from seeing me ever again.
The family I knew and trusted were the ones who lived inside the house behind me
. I hardly had friends; but then again who would want to be friends with me? Hah
. I knew only one person who ever wanted to do such, and that was Ria. I wondere
d how she could put up with my stupidity. Maybe she just has the patience and un
derstanding of five people put together... I mean, how else would she be able to
put up with me and Denise at the same time?
Then there's Maffy. Everyone's friend, yes, she could tell everyone that we're f
riends without ever having the desire to throw up. She's one of the sincerest pe
ople I know, but sometimes she could get a tad too concerned. I can almost see i
n my head how she'd react once she sees me sitting here, smoking again... She lo
oks angry, and she's running towards me... and she's going to remove my yosi out
of my mouth.
Whoa, turns out I was not imagining it after all... someone had appeared out of
nowhere and she had just pulled the poor little white stick off. Not content wit
h that, she crushed it with her foot.
"What the hell, Jonathan?! I thought we've talked about this already!"
"I'm sorry, Maffy. Won't happen again," I muttered, standing up, for I felt stup
id sitting there while she's watching. She's seen enough of my not-so-glamorous
moments (not that I intended her to see those), but sana hindi na madagdagan yun

kasi ayokong maalala niya ko as just a drunkard and a chain smoker. Oh, I meant
ex-chain smoker.
"That's what you said the last time I caught you!" she said. I was touched but s
he was mollycoddling me too much.
"That was three weeks ago, Maffy," I pointed out. Fortunately, Ria caught up wit
h us.
"Jon, were you and your Mom fighting again? Kaya ka nag-smoke?" she asked. Bingo
, the magic question. I knew she was going to save the day.
"Well, yeah," I told her, watching Maffy, who was clearly struggling to keep her
face stern, but her efforts proved futile as her expression softened.
"Dito na lang ako kakain, ha Ria?" I said. I hated how pathetic I sounded. But I
'm not going to go home, not now.
"Oo naman, kaysa naman sa tindahan kita makita na kainuman yung mga tambay," she
told me. We heard footsteps and saw Denise running towards us. Grabe, hanggang
pagtakbo, maarte pa rin.
"Ria!" she gasped, stopping in front of us to catch her breath. Kung bakit kasi
kailangang tumakbo?
"What - the hell - were you - thinking - kanina?" she asked in between sharp int
akes of breath. Ayan na naman siya sa Taglish niya. Kainis pakinggan. Ibang iba
na siya ngayon, sobrang naninibago ako. The three of us literally watched each o
ther grew up, so I'd say I had a pretty good idea of who Denise Lopez was as a p
erson. But that was before she met Elle Reyes and the rest of those Starfish gir
ls... kaya ngayon hindi na rin ako close sa kanya. I looked at her with dislike.
"What are you talking about?" I asked her.
"Ria didn't do anything wrong, Denise," said Maffy.
"Hanessly, Ria, making landi with Gelo? I didn't except you could get so insensi
tive, the guy has a girlfriend kaya?!"
"You mean expect?" Maffy asked, with a trace of derision in her voice.
"Gelo? Sinong Gelo?" I asked, totally lost.
"Kanina! She was eating with Angelo Fontanilla, the boyfriend of my friendship E
lle, in that cheap and uber kadiri kwek kwek stand. Because of that, Elle and Ge
lo made away, and Gelo brook up with her! AND-..."
"Huh?! They broke up?!" Ria asked, looking guilty.
"I was with them, so I couldn't see why Elle had to make a whole load of bull cr
ap about that!" Maffy said heatedly.
"Denise, it's not Ria's fault na masyadong malisyosa si Elle. Honestly I don't b
lame Angelo for doing that, Elle is-..."
"STOP!" said Denise dramatically, holding up her hand palm so that she looked li
ke a traffic aid with too much make-up.
"I'll say what I want to say about Elle, Denise," I said coolly.

"Hindi. Tama si Elle, Ria, hindi ka dap-"

"Stop taking the crap out of Ria, Denise, if you don't want me to take it out of
you," warned Maffy.
"But Elle said-"
"Elle ka na nang Elle! Leche, you call yourself Ria's best friend? Eh mas kinaka
mpihan mo pa yung Elle na yun kaysa kay Ria... Parang si Elle ang nagpapakain sa
yo ah!"
"That's enough, Jon!" said Ria. She had always been keen to be polite about the
fact that it was her parents who were shouldering Denise's expenses.
"But Jon, I'm not making her kampi-..."
"Tigilan mo nga yang Taglish mo, mukha kang tanga," I said. Denise opened her mo
uth to talk but no sound came out. She cried, stormed away and went into the hou
se.
"That was below the belt, Jonathan," Ria told me.
"No, it wasn't. It served her just right," said Maffy, whom I have never seen as
angry as she was right now.
"Look, I'm touched with both of you taking my side and all, pero hindi niyo dapa
t ginanon si Denise."
"Mas lalo yatang hindi ka niya dapat awayin ng dahil lang sa Elle na yun," I poi
nted out.
"Sige Ria, sanayin mo, i-tolerate mo, kaya namimihasa eh," Maffy said heatedly.
"Let's just forget it. Elle isn't worth this, nag-aaway away tayo dahil sa kanya
. Tara na nga," Ria said, and we just went inside. Sinalubong kami ni Tita Elize
sa living room.
"Ano nangyari sa inyo? Bakit mga sambakol yung mga mukha niyo?" she asked.
"Nothing, Mom, just teenage crap," Ria replied, planting a kiss on her mother's
cheek. Maffy and I did the same after her.
"Ma, dito na lang sila kakain ha?"
"Oo naman. Si Liam kasama niyo ba?"
"Hindi po, bakit?"
"Binilin siya sakin ng mommy niya, dito rin siya mag-dinner."
"Bakit, nasaan si Tita?"
"Out of the country. Hintayin na natin si Liam ha? Hindi pa rin naman luto yung
ulam."
"Ok," the three of us said in chorus.
Ria's POV:
The three of us were watching TV, but my mind wasn't on the movie we were watchi

ng on HBO. Naawa ako kay Denise kanina, feeling niya siguro pinagkaisahan namin
siya. Pero nasaktan din ako na inaaway niya na naman ako nang dahil kay Elle. I
was her best friend, after all, so why was she being a b*tch? Nakakainis.
But as the movie droned on, I was starting to forget Denise... Liam suddenly cro
ssed my mind and I wondered where on earth was he. Seconds were turning into min
utes, and in two hours I was getting fidgety. Seven-thirty PM na... where the he
ll is Liam?! I stood up and as if on cue, the doorbell rang.
I was first to run outside. I bolted the gate open and let him in.
"Saan ka ba nagpunta?! Kanina ka pa namin hinihintay ah? Akala mo ba-..."
"Galing akong clinic. Kaso nakarating pa ako ng hospital," said Liam, who looked
unusually gloomy.
"Hospital? Bakit... anong nangyari sayo?!" I asked.
"Hindi ako. Si Gelo."
Chapter Five
Liam's POV:
"Hindi ako. Si Gelo."
"Oh my-Anong nangyari sa kanya?" Ria asked me, her voice high and shrill. She lo
oked so worried, which is funny kasi ilang oras pa lang silang "close". If the s
ituation hadn't been serious, I would've laughed at her.
"It was Elle, she lost her temper. Kinuha niya yung kawali ni Manong Fishball na
puno ng kumukulong mantika, lumapit sa amin then she aimed the contents at us.
Buti nakailag si Gelo, kundi his face would have gotten the full blast of it...
pero hindi pa rin, naabot pa rin yung more than half ng left forearm niya. Ayun,
I brought him to the clinic, where he was given first aid. Kaso sabi ng nurse k
ailangan na daw dalhin sa hospital kasi his burns need much more advanced medica
tions. Ok na si Gelo, nakauwi na siya. Tumatawa pa nga si g*go, malayo naman daw
sa atay," I finished, remembering how incredibly well had Gelo handled the situ
ation. Ria was shaking her head.
"Grabe si Elle."
"Oo. She's a psycho... I'm serious, she needs a fix. Ganoon kasamang magalit? Hi
ndi na normal yun diba?" I asked her. She was looking into empty space, in deep
thought. Dumating sina Maffy and Jonathan at syempre kinailangan kong ulitin sa
kanila yung kwento. Kung anong tahimik ni Ria, siyang dami nilang tanong.
"Has she been reported sa Admin?" Maffy asked.
"Well, technically speaking none of us had to do that. The Assistant Principal w
as passing by the moment na halos ihagis ni Elle sa amin yung kawali. Last thing
I heard, she'll be facing suspension not less than two weeks."
"Serves her right. Grabe, ang sakit nun ah. Daig niya pa Crispy Pata," Jonathan
said. I laughed but stopped at the look on Ria's face.
"Ano ka ba, ok na si Gelo. Masakit nga lang daw talaga pero apart from the pain
ok lang daw siya. Pinapasabi niya wag mag-worry," I told Ria, but she didn't loo
k reassured. Alalang alala talaga siya, and I felt a twinge of annoyance as I wa
tched her na hindi ko maintindihan kung saan ba nanggaling. Parang hindi naman k
asi siya ganyan mag-worry. Naiisip ko tuloy, kung ako kaya yung napaso, ganito r
in kaya siya madi-distraught? Hindi kaya gusto niya si Gelo?

Ngek, ano ba naman yung pinag-iiisip ko. Concerned lang yung tao, hindi lang kay
Gelo, pati sa akin. Nawala yung annoyance ko when I do think and remember how s
he had yelled at me pagkabukas niya ng gate. Oo, concerned rin siya sa akin. Nat
uwa naman ako. But of course, she's supposed to be worried and concerned about m
e, we're friends!
We had dinner, and we were all quiet. Dati, during times like these, ang gulo-gu
lo namin, siguro kaya ganito kasi nandoon si Denise. Naiinis ako sa presence nun
g Starfish wannabe na yun, but I felt that I wasn't the only one who was feeling
that way. Hindi na ako nagtanong kung anong nangyari, kasi siguro kaya ganun eh
sa kanila ibinunton ni Denise yung sama ng loob niya kanina. Paano ba naman kas
i, pati si Denise minumura ni Elle kanina, even saying she comes from a family o
f sl*ts with no manners. In spite of myself, naawa ako kay Denise. She's maarte
but I don't think na kasing-lala siya nung ibang SS members na kulang na lang ma
g all out sa mga parties na pinupuntahan nila every other night. Ibang klaseng p
ressure ang pinaparamdam sa kanya ng friends ni Elle, pero ang hindi ko naman ma
intindihan eh kung bakit ipinipilit niya pa yung sarili niya doon, eh panay panl
alait, insulto and kung ano ano pa ang inaabot niya kina Elle at Irish araw-araw
.
I knew that the reason why they're doing it is that she's Ria's cousin, kasi the
y heartily disliked Ria for being as popular as they are and for refusing to be
a part of their clique. Pero unfair naman kasi kay Denise yun. Lahat na lang gin
agawa nung tao para tanggapin siya pero until now wala, futile pa rin yung effor
ts niya. Pero hindi ko masisi ang SS, kasi sa totoo lang nakakabwisit yung pagig
ing TH ni Denise. Yung pagta-taglish, na mali naman ang words at kadalasan mismo
ng yung sentence eh walang sense, at yung pagpipilit niyang sumali sa cheerleade
rs kahit mukha naman siyang kalansay na sobrang tigas sumayaw. (She could even p
ass for Kim Chiu in that wretched commercial.)
Hay naku, biruin mong lahat ng yun eh napapansin ko?! Ayun sa kakaisip ko ng kun
g ano-ano nakarating na ako ng bahay namin, andun na pala ako sa kwarto ko. Napa
tingin ako sa bedside table.
Ang daming pictures doon, kasama ng bunton ng mga books na nakakalat lang doon..
. pictures ni Mommy, Daddy, ng bangag kong kuya na si Toff, si Maffy, si Jon...
Si Ate Danna na ate ni...
I got hold of the picture that showed me and Ria pulling stupid faces at the cam
era, which was taken last year sa intrams. Parang ang saya saya, but then again,
masayahin naman talaga yun. Matagal na kaming magkakilala. I could still rememb
er the first time I saw her, kakalipat lang namin sa tabi ng bahay nila.
*flashback
"Mommy!!! MOMMEEEEE!!!"
"Waah, ahaha! Nadapa! Iyakin! Hahaha! Wawa ka naman beh beh beh behlat!"
Nadapa ako nun kasi na-excite ako masyadong mag-bike. Binababa at inaayos ng mga
lipat bahay guys yung mga gamit kaya hindi na nila ko naintindi. Si Jonathan yu
ng lumapit at nandidila sa akin. Saka siya dumating...
"Jon! Bakit ka tawa-tawa diyan?"
"Haha, nadapa yung bata, iyakin! Haha!"
"Ano ba, tulong mo!"

"Ayoko! Ahaha! Iyakin!!!"

Si Ria yung lumapit sa akin. Naka-pigtails pa siya noon, pink shirt na may lace,
ribbons tapos jumpers. Ang cute niya nga, naiimagine ko pa, napapangiti na lang
ako. Pero palagay ko pag nakakita siya ng picture na ganun ang itsura niya, hin
di na niya gugustuhing tingnan.
She held out her hand.
"Ok ka?" she asked. Hindi ako makasagot. Singhot lang ako ng singhot noon, so I
hope she doesn't remember any of it...
"William! William!!!" my Mom yelled.
"William pala pangalan mo? Ako si Ria. Siya si Jon."
"Oh, Liam, you've got a new friend! Hello, hija."
"Hello po. Welcome."
"Wow, you're such a sweet girl. What's your name nga?"
"Ria po."
"Call me Tita Yolly. O Liam, say thank you."
"Thank you, Ria." *singhot*
Yuck, kadiri talaga itsura ko noon. Pero sobrang tandang tanda ko pa lahat ng de
tails na yun. Ewan ko ba, but I think I'll cherish that memory for the rest of m
y life.
Yuck, kadiri talaga ako. I put the picture back on my desk, when my phone beeped
. Aba, 1 message received, from Gelo. At nakakapagtext pa pala si kumag.
Ui, thnx dw sb ni Mom.
Wla un, 'sup dude?
Ok lng pare. Kso balot na balot un braso q. Shoot, dude, I dnt think I'll be abl
e to play soccer.
Tange, at soccer pa ang inisip. You're lucky she didn't get ur face.
Wel, if she gt my face ok lang, nd na niya ko hahabulin.
Kpl m dude
Haha! Jst fulin arnd. Ei, ngtnong b cna Ria bt dun?
Uu dude. Alala cla sau.
O? Ano sb ni Ria?
Ayun, n2lala nga eh.
TLG?!
O bt gnyn k mkreact?
Wla. Cge dude buks nlng.
Aba?! Ang labo nga naman ni Gelo. Kaka-break lang kay Elle eto na naman, kung an
o ano na naman ang tinatanong. Hmm. Hay naku, kung ano ano iniisip ko. Makatulog
na nga, maaga pa ako bukas.
Angelo's POV:
Darn, this stupid burn on my arm is proving to be more than I had anticipated. K
akainis, masagi ng konti ang sakit. Amp. Ang hirap tuloy magbihis, kumain, and I
am starting to forget how incredibly convenient my life was before Elle had giv
en me her gift. Buti na lang, hindi kaliwa ang panulat ko. What a send-off. But
well, it completely fulfilled her purpose. I would never forget her, ever. How s

weet of Elle.
Kakapasok ko pa lang ng gate, andun na yung mga barkada ko, led by Liam. Wow.
"Pare, ok ka lang?"
"Gusto mo upakan natin si Elle?"
"Gag0, babae yun!"
"Kahit na! Psycho naman!"
"She's suspended na, ok nay un. Saka wala to, pare... ARAY!" I yelled, when one
of them had touched it.
"O akala ko ba wala?" said Liam, and they all laughed.
"Mga gag0 kayo, I said don't mind it, hindi ko sinabing testingin niyo kung maga
ling na!"
"Oh, hinay lang pare. Baka marinig ka, ikaw isunod na isuspend."
Tss. They're such jerks, laughing at me like that. It's not easy, dagnabit!! But
after that, they were generally nicer to me, even helping me with my things. Um
akyat na kami sa class, konti pa lang yung tao. Yes! Andun na si Ria. Hmm. Pa-ka
wawa effect nga ako para mapansin niya...
"Gelo!"
"Huy, Ria," I said gloomily. Wow, I have to get an Oscar for this!
"Ehrm... Are you all right?"
"Ok lang, pero mahirap." Hala, ang hirap, nagsisimula na akong matawa.
"Halika nga dito."
"Huh?" I asked, but I still went and sat on my chair.
"I have something for you."
Chapter Six(A)
Gelo's POV:
"I have something for you."
Lapit naman ako while she was fumbling in her bag.
"Found it! Cheesy" she said happily, and she handed me a plastic tub of what loo
ked like"Lotion? Huh" I said in a funny tone. She was looking at me with a rather amused
expression on her face.
"Uhm, ah... well ehrm. Thanks," I said, wanting to sound more grateful than curi
ous than I really was.
"Aren't you gonna ask what it's for?" she shot at me. I raised a brow, wondering
what she was up to.
"Well, I was, but I was trying not to seem as tagabundok as I look."

"Your attempt isn't working," she said shortly. I was about to open my mouth to
argue when she held up her right fist and asked,
"Anyway, do you see anything on my hand?"
"Erm, wala naman. Pero ano naman ang koneksyon ng kamay mo dito sa lotion?"
"Okay. When I was five, idinikit ko lang naman itong kamay ko sa plantsang nakaon. So naturally natuklap yung balat ko, you know, all those first and second de
gree burn stuff and complications. My Dad, who's working as a doctor, was told b
y his colleague about this uber mega-amazing ointment-slash-lotion that is capab
le of completely healing burns and even eliminating the possibility of the appea
rance of scars. We tried it, and here's the proof na effective talaga siya. It o
nly took two weeks to heal and look ma, no scars!" she finished. As she had said
all this very quickly, I chose not to make her say it again kahit wala halos ak
ong naintindihan.
"So you want me to use this," I simply said. She rolled her eyes.
"Oh no, I want you to throw it away, Roll Eyes" she said sardonically.
"Pilosopo. So ipapahid siya?"
"Well depende sayo kung gusto mong inumin."
"Ano ba?!" Angry
"Eh bakit mo pa kasi tinatanong, alam mo namang wala pang naiimbentong lotion na
pwedeng inumin!"
Shocked"Hindi, what I mean to say is, how many times a day should you use it?"
"Mukha ba akong user's manual?!" Huh
"Ay, sorry ah." Ano ba yun, pag-awayan ba daw? Tiningnan ko yung directions sa l
abel. Oo nga naman, bakit ko nga naman siya tatanungin kung may directions sa bo
te?
"Thanks. That's very thoughtful of you," I told her, trying to sound sincere.
"Nah. Don't mention it," she told me, smiling.
Ria's POV:
It's recess time, so ayun punta naman ako sa lockers so I could get the books I
need. Maffy was somewhere organizing something for her org (The School Chorale),
so she told me she'll just be seeing me in class later. Nakakaloka nga naman an
g org activities nila. I think they're going to have a recital or something like
that. Hay, mapapanood ko na naman si Maffy. I wanted to join the org to pero"Hi!!!"
Nabitawan ko yung mga hawak kong libro sa gulat.
"Liam, anak ka naman ng-?! Hmph."
"Sorry naman," he said, crouching down to get my books. I didn't bother to help
him with it, it was his fault anyway.
"Ano namang emergency ang meron ka at binubulabog mo ko dito?"
"Ang sungit, PMS?" he asked, grinning. I smacked his arm with a book.
"My menstrual cycle is none of your concerns, ok? So anyway, what brings you her
e?"

"Ah, well, Maffy told me they'd be practicing until 8 pm, so she asked me kung p
wede kitang ihatid pauwi."
"Oh, she did?" I asked absentmindedly.
"Oo, patanga tanga ka daw kasi sa daan," he said, and this time I aimed for his
face.
"Ang sama ng ugali mo!" I said, sunod sunod ang palo for each word.
"Ok, ok, I take it back!" he said, and I stopped the assault. I spared him a gla
re as he handed me my books.
"Oh, wag na magalit. Papangit ka niyan, ang ganda mo pa naman today."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Kailan ba ko nagsinungaling?"
"Well, let me think. Yeah, about 101 per cent of the time?"
"Ewan ko sayo. Sige, see ya dude," he said, walking away. I stared at his retrea
ting back and shook my head. Dear Old Liam.
"Oooh, look. It's the boyfriend stealer flirting again," said a voice. I looked
up and saw Irish Beltran standing a few meters away from me.
"Oooh," I said, doing a fairly good imitation of her annoyingly lofty voice, wit
h matching shoulder and kembot action.
"What a surprise. Didn't think you could actually survive without Elle," I said.
"Well, it's hard, you know. Elle and I were, like, you know, inseparable." she s
aid, heaving an absolutely dramatic sigh.
"Yup. Hindi ko nga akalaing one hemisphere could actually survive without the ot
her." Roll Eyes
"Hemisphere?" Shocked Huh she said, as though contemplating if it was an insult
or not. Dude, ang slow naman talaga oh.
"Well, I thought you and Elle would not be able to survive without each other. L
ike the brain's hemispheres. Kasi from what I've heard, you were only given half
a brain each."
"Aba! Ang thick ng face mo! Angry Who do you think are you to say that? You make
that bawi, or I'll...!"
I didn't even bother to look at her. I simply closed my locker and said,
"You'll what?" Huh Roll Eyes It was when I noticed that she wasn't looking at me
, but at a point over my shoulder. Lingon naman ako. Nandun nakatayo si Jonathan
at yung isa niyang kaibigang chinito at SUPER tangkad. I raised a brow and shoo
k my head, leaving Irish there with her mouth open, looking intently at that Chi
nito guy.
"His name's Lance, diba?" she asked me. Tiningnan ko si Irish, amused.
"Ewan. Di ko siya kilala," I said, shrugging. Iniwan ako ni Irish para puntahan
sina Jon, at ang loka, parang ganun lang kadaling nakalimutan ang insulto ko. Ka
kainis naman. Ang ganda na nung hirit ko eh.

Tiningnan ko ulit yung Chinito. Sus. Di naman gwapo.

Chapter Six (B)
Ria's POV:
"Ano next subject?" Gelo asked me.
"Values Ed."
"Hoy Ria, alam mo ba kung anong tawag sa anak ng mantika?" Natawa ako. Para nama
ng kasing sira to si Gelo, natapunan lang ng mantika, naadik na.
"Hindi."
"Edi, baby oil!!!" Tiningnan ko siya na pang-asar, pero sa totoo lang natatawa a
ko sa itsura niya. Parang ineexpect niya talaga akong tumawa.
"Oo na, corny na. Yabang mo ah! Sige nga ikaw!!!"
"Hmm. Sige. Kung pacorny-han lang ang laban, anong bansa ang laging nauuna?" I a
sked. Tumaas yung isa niyang kilay. Haha, si kumag napaisip.
"Ano?"
"Edi, Persia..."
"Ngek. Mas corny ka pala sakin eh," he said, but he was laughing.
"Eh bakit ka tumatawa kung corny?"
"Masama?!"
"Gelo!"
Tingin naman kami dun sa parang kabute na lumitaw sa harapan namin.
"O bakit?"
"Palit tayo upuan."
"Sino may sabi?"
"Wala, ako lang. Sige na, bro, wala naman paki si Sir Joseph sa seating arrangem
ent."
"Eh may nakaupo kaya sa upuan mo," Gelo said. True enough, sitting on Liam's sea
t was Irish, who was talking to Liam's seatmate, Zoe.
"Edi dun ka na lang sa upuan ni Irish, katabi mo pa si Ate Maffy," said Liam. Ge
lo looked at me, then at Liam, and scratched his head. He looked a bit annoyed,
but he gave in.
"Sige na nga," he said. Tumayo na siya at naglakad papunta kay Maffy.
Gelo's POV:
Grabe naman itong si Liam. Talagang pinaalis ako eh. Kung saang seat pa ako itin
aboy. Eto namang si Ria hindi man lang nag-object. Ganun ba ako ka-corny na kata
bi? Kakainis.
Umupo ako sa tabi ni Ate Maffy at pinanood silang dalawa. Aba, at naghaharutan p

a. Enjoy na enjoy ang itsura ni Ria habang pinapalo niya sa braso si Liam. Ano b
ang feeling nila, nasa Koreanovela sila? Hmph. Bwiset.
"Uy, Gelo, musta yung paso mo?" I heard Maffy ask.
"Ah? Eto? Paso pa rin."
"Pero ok ka lang?"
"Oo naman Ate Maffs. Malayo to sa atay."
"Asus, bakit iba yung narinig kong sinabi mo kay Ria kanina?"
Napatingin ako kay Maffy sa sinabi niya. Oo nga, bakit kay Ria kanina nag-iinart
e ako? Nagpapapansin nga ba ako? Hmph.
"Hindi. Wala, nagpapatawa lang ako kanina."
"Alam mo, if looks could kill, kanina pa siguro namatay si Liam."
Shoot! Ang labo naman oh. Bakit nga ba ako naiinis kay Liam eh pinalipat niya la
ng naman ako ng upuan? Ang LABO pare.
"Selos ka??" Maffy asked casually, as though it was just a chemistry problem she
wanted to clarify. I forced a laugh.
"Ate Maffs naman, bakit naman ako magseselos?" I asked her. At hindi ko rin maiw
asang itanong yun sa sarili ko...
Wala akong ginawa nung Values Ed period kundi panoorin silang dalawa. Nagbubulun
gan sila, nagpapass notes pa. I even caught myself wishing that Sir Joseph would
scold them and make Liam go back to his seat. Maya-maya, I felt someone tap my
shoulder.
"Gelo, uwian na," said Maffy, and only then had I become aware of the dismissal
bell that was going off like mad.
"Ah, thanks, Ate," I said. I stood up, frowning, and then one of my friends came
up to me.
"Dude, DoTA daw, clan match, Integrity versus Sovereignty. Ano, game ka?" he ask
ed me. Naku, sovereignty, section pala nung mayabang na Lance na yun yun ang kak
alabanin namin.
"Kasama si Signal Number Four?" I asked.
"Oo naman. Yun pa," he said. I smirked. I never said no to a match against them.
Especially not when Signal Number Four is out there waiting to be flattened.
"Count me in, and they're good as dead."
FF:
Ang tagal naman ng mga yun. Dalawa pa lang kami dito sa may gate, hinihintay nam
in yung iba naming kaklase na sasama daw. Meron pa nga daw manonood. Ewan, pero
sabi nila dahil daw yun alam nilang kami nina Lance aka Signal Number Four yung
maglalaban. Akalain mo yun? Tsk tsk.
Dumaan na siya kanina, akala mo kung sino na naka-smirk pa. Grabe kung nakakatan
gay yung hangin niya siguro nakarating na ako sa bahay namin. Tumapat ba naman s
a akin tas ngumisi nang pang-asar. Tss. Ang yabang.

"Dude, sasama ba si Liam?" I asked.

"Ewan ko," my friend replied. Hindi ko pa nga nakikita si kumag, simula nung nag
-bell. Luminga linga ako para hanapin siya pero wish ko lang kung nasaan man siy
a, hindi niya kasama si Ria.
Huh? Ano ba yung pinag-iiisip ko?! I shook my head and just waited patiently.
"O, ayun na pala si Liam eh!"
Napatingin naman ako dun sa tinuro nung kaibigan ko. Sure enough, there was Liam
walking towards us.
And wow, surprises of all surprises, look who he's with!
"Wui, pare, DoTA versus Sov, sama ka?"
"Sorry bro, pass muna. Ihahatid ko pa si Ria."
"Whoa dude, masosolo mo si Ria ah!"
"Lul! Umayos ka ah!"
I was speechless. Ewan ko kung bakit. Tumingin na lang ako sa malayo, for lookin
g at them gave me a rather strong desire to kick something. Pero hindi ko rin na
iwasan, nung tumingin ako uli nagsalubong yung tingin namin ni Liam. Pinilit kon
g ngumiti para hindi halata na nabadtrip ako. Tumango na lang ako sa kanilang da
lawa kasi my throat was kind of dry. Ano bang nangyayari saken?!
Sinundan ko na lang sila ng tingin habang papalabas sila ng gate. Deretso ang la
kad ni Ria at may nakita kong papadaan na kotse...
I saw Liam put his arm around her shoulder and pull her towards him so she'd be
out of the car's way. Amp yan. Lakas ng tsansing ah. Iba na talaga pag expert. B
ADTRIP!!!
Liam's POV:
Ba, muntik na si Ria dun sa g*gong driver na yun ah?
"Sira ulo!" I said, my arm still around her shoulder.
"Hayaan mo na," she told me. Then lumingon siya.
"Bakit?" I asked.
"Nothing."
I know for a fact that it wasn't just "nothing". Siguro napansin rin niya yung n
apansin ko kanina.
"Dude, yung arm mo," she told me.
"Ay, sorry."
Inalis ko yung pagkakaakbay ko sa kanya kahit hindi ko naman gustong alisin. Aft
er that napaisip din ako. Naghahallucinate ba ako o talagang sumimangot si Gelo
kanina nung nakita niya kami?

Which reminds me...

"Ria, ano yung binigay mo kay Gelo kaninang umaga?" I asked her, trying not to s
ound obvious.
"Ah, yun ba? Tanda mo yung ginamit ko dito sa kamay ko dati? Nung napaso ako?"
"Ah, oo. Yun ba yun?"
"Yup. Para hindi siya magkaroon ng scars."
"Wow, concerned ka kay Gelo?" I asked. Natawa siya.
"Ako? Sira ka ba? Hmph. Selos ka lang eh!" she said, laughing.
"Oo noh, selos ako. Pag ako yung napapaso hindi mo naman ako binibigyan maski co
lgate."
"Balat kalabaw ka naman kaya ok lang."
"Ang yabang mo! Tss. Basta selos ako." I told her. Natatawa pa rin siya. Buti na
lang dense siya, hindi niya halata na hindi na pala ako nagbibiro.
"Pare, alam mo namang hindi tayo talo. Lalake ako, remember?" she said. I laughe
d at her, though I found it difficult not to look at her for longer than necessa
ry. Ang tagal tagal na... pero tuwing tinitingnan ko siya, naaalala ko pa rin na
siya yung humila ng kamay ko nung nadapa ako, na siya yungBEEEEEEEP!!!
@#$%! Ano ba yun, kung makabusina, parang walang bukas! Tumingin ako sa likuran
namin. Aba, at muntik na pala kaming masagasaan! G@GO to ah!!!
"HOY!" I yelled, at nilapitan ko yung window nung driver. Sumunod sa akin si Ria
. Ibinaba nung driver yung windshield.
"Easy lang, bro. Nanggigiyera ka agad eh!" the guy said. Nanlaki ang mata ko nan
g makilala ko yung nakasakay.
"KUYA?!"
Chapter Seven
Liam's POV:
"KUYA?"
Sabi ko na eh. I knew that annoying smirk. But what the heck are they doing here
? They're supposed to be continuing their Masters' Degree in New York University
!
"Ano bang hinihintay niyong dalawa diyan? Pasko?" asked my older brother.
"Dalian niyo, we might get towed," said the other familiar face from the front s
eat.
Binuksan ko yung likod ng car, at sumakay na rin ako pagkatapos ni Ria.

"Wow, Liam, are you actually walking my little sister home?"

"Ate Danna!" said Ria from beside me. Naku, at eto na naman kami.
"Pinasamahan lang siya saken ni Maffy."
"Husus, kunwari pang napilitan."
"Oo noh. Edi kasalanan ko pa kung mapahamak yan, patanga-tanga pa naman sa daan.
"
"Kanina ka pa ah!"
"Ang sabihin mo, concerned ka lang talaga!"
"Shut up Kuya!"
"Eh bakit ka nagba-blush?" sabi pa sa akin ni Kuya sabay lingon sa amin sa likod
. Amps talaga tong Kuya ko, ang lakas humirit!!!
"Toff, may truck," Ate Danna warned.
"Yan kasi. Eh kung sa daan ka na lang kasi tumitingin eh, diba Kuya?"
"No, I swear, Liam was blushing!"
"Kuya, I told you to shut up!" I said heatedly. Tinawanan lang nila ako ni Ate D
anna.
"Wow, baligtad na pala ngayon. Si bunso ang nag-uutos kay Kuya."
"Eh bakit defensive ka, ha Liam?"
I chose not to reply. Hindi ko alam kung matatawa ba ako o ano. Kasi naman itong
mga kapatid namin, tuwing magkikita kita na lang kami, kinakarir ang pagma-matc
hmake sa amin. Nahihiya na tuloy ako kay Ria. Buti na lang hindi siya nag-iisip
ng kung ano.
"Sabi ni Mommy, magpa-deliver na lang daw tayo sa North Park kasi she's not in t
he mood to cook," sabi ni Ate Danna, hawak ang cellphone at dina-dial ang number
ng resto.
"Asan nga pala sila?" tanong ni Ria, who seemed to be keen to change the topic.
Napangiti ako. Naniwala kaya siya na nag-blush ako?
"Asus, nasa Duty Free. You know how they get, hindi pwedeng bababa sa tatlong or
as ang pamimili nila," said Ate Danna.
"Iuuwi daw nila yung buong Duty Free. Teka, nakakahalata na ko sa inyong dalawa
ah. Iniiba niyo yung usapan!"
Hindi na lang ulit ako sumagot. Para hindi na makahirit si Kuya. Ayun nagkwentuh
an na lang silang tatlo about sa biyahe nina Kuya kanina hanggang nakarating kam
i sa bahay namin. Napagkasunduan namin na doon na lang kumain kina Ria para mala
ki yung table at mas maaliwalas. Tinamad rin kami na ibaba yung mga gamit nila k
aya sabi namin mamaya na lang pagkatapos kumain. I noticed na nagsesenyasan sina
Kuya Toff at Ate Danna. Ano na naman kayang binabalak ng dalawang ito?!
DING! DONG!

"Ria, that must be the delivery guy. Let's go fix the table."
Hinila na ni Ate Danna si Ria paalis ng salas. After that nagsenyasan uli sina K
uya at Ate. Asus, buti na lang, akala ko pagtitripan na naman kami ni Ria. Gusto
lang pala ako kausapin ni Kuya ng sarilinan.
"Bro, long time," sabi ni kuya, offering me a high five.
"Oo nga Kuya eh."
"So ano, ano nang update?"
"Update saan?" I asked him, though I think I have an idea of what he's talking a
bout.
"Duh, dude?! You, and her... update? anything?" my Kuya demanded. Napa-scratch a
ko ng head. Hindi ko alam kung anong sasabihin ko kay Kuya.
"Me... and her? Ayun. Ganito pa rin." Napa buntunghininga si Kuya sa sobrang exa
speration. I can tell that he's really frustrated. Kung sa bagay, sino nga naman
g kuya ang hindi maiinis sa akin, yung tipong tuwing magooverseas call eh isang
problema lang ang ikinukwento?!
"Liam, anong petsa na?! You've been into her for the past decade... Saka ga-grad
uate na kayo ng High School! It's about time you made your move."
"Kuya, believe me, kung meron mang may gusto na magawa ko na yun... no one wants
it more than me."
"Eh bakit ba hindi mo magawa-gawa?"
"Look, it's not as easy as you think it is."
"Not as easy?" Kuya Toff said gloatingly. "Kaya pala naka-tatlong girlfriends ka
na." nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi ni kuya...
Paano niya nalaman yun?
"Sino nagsabi sayo nun?"
"Si Mommy. Nagdala ka daw ng babae dito, tatlong beses. And yes, she swears they
're not the same person."
Anak ng tipaklong. Si Mommy naman talaga oh. Sinabi ko nang wag sabihin kay Kuya
eh.
"Iba kasi si Ria eh. Ewan ko ba... pag siya na, hindi ko na alam... pero siguro
darating rin yung right time... Undecided"
Kuya seemed to be restraining himself from rolling his eyes with difficulty.
"Dude. Tell me, have you been watching chick flicks lately?"
"Hah? Paano tayo napunta sa chick flicks?"
"Right times... yang mga cliche junk na yan... they only exist in chick flicks,
fairytales, teleseryes. You, on the other hand, exist in the real world. One thi
ng you have to accept, in the real world, walang scriptwriter na mag-aarange ng
convenient coincidences. Walang right time right time, that's bullcr*p. In the r
eal world, the story will depend on whether you're ready and gutsy enough to tak
e the necessary risks. Ikaw din... pag naunahan ka, ewan ko kung ano gagawin ko
sayo."

Natauhan ako sa sinabi ni Kuya. Totoo nga naman yun... sino bang niloloko ko? RI
GHT TIME?! WTH diba?
"Ikaw din... pag naunahan ka..."
Those words echoed in my head like mad. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero nung naisi
p ko na may mauuna sa akin na manligaw kay Ria, si Gelo agad ang pumasok sa utak
ko. Praning na ba ako or what?
"You're right Kuya. Now comes the hard part."
"What d'you mean? Sasabihin mo ngayon?"
"Why not?"
"G*go ka ba? Planuhin mo naman!"
My mind went horribly blank at the prospect of imagining the perfect scenario.
"Any suggestions? Na mental block ako."
"I have an idea."
Chapter Eight
Ria's POV:
"Ate. ATE! Tanghali na!"
Ate Danna opened her eyes.
"Bakit, may pasok ba? It's a Saturday, isn't it?" she asked me sleepily. Naku, a
ng bruha, nakalimutang wala naman siyang papasukan!
"Yeah, it's a Saturday... Pero pinapagising ka na ni Mommy. Sa kabilang bahay ta
yo kakain ng breakfast."
"Ha? Tinatamad na naman ba si Mommy magcook?"
"Hindi..."
"Kayo na lang. Inaantok pa ko."
"Ikaw bahala. Magprepare pa naman si Kuya Toff ng favorite mo... I did hear him
say na magluluto siya ng Eggs Benedict."
I knew it. The moment I said the words Eggs Benedict, mabilis pa sa kidlat na bu
mangon sa higaan si Ate.
"Whoa, Eggs Benedict... I'll be there in a sec!" she said, all traces of sleepin
ess gone. Natawa na lang ako, kasi muntik pa siya madapa sa pagmamadali niyang m
akapunta sa bathroom.
In three minutes, tapos na siya maligo. Grabe naman tong Ate ko... Habang hinaha
lukay niya yung maleta niya para maghanap ng damit, may pumasok sa kwarto... Si
Denise.
Dating gawi, walang paa-paalam or anything, kinalkal niya yung lalagyan ng bag a
t sapatos ko. She picked out the bag that Ate Danna gave me for my birthday. Nak
u, patay..!

"Hey! Where do you think are you bringing that?" Ate Danna said in a dangerous v
oice. Denise looked like she had just only noticed her.
"Ate Danna! Umuwi ka na pala!!!"
"I said, where are you bringing that?"
"Sa school, I'm going to meet my friendships kasi..."
"So you just pick that bag and go, without asking permission from Ria?"
"It's okay lang naman daw for her."
"How do you know? You didn't even ask. Give me that," sabi ni Ate Danna.
"Ate hihiramin ko lang naman eh..."
"You think I'm just gonna let you do that? Look, I didn't buy that Chanel bag fo
r 2000 dollars, six months' worth of savings, para lang basta mo makuha sa close
t ng kapatid ko without permission na hihiramin mo. I sent that to my sister for
her to use."
"I said I was just making hiram, hello? Didn't you make me rinig?"
"I'm not deaf. What I'm saying is, magpaalam ka man lang. You do know what etiqu
ette means, do you?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Well just knowing it isn't enough. Put it into practice. That way you're going
to do us a favor."
"I'm just making it hiram!"
"It's not the bag I'm fussed about. Ang akin lang, wag kang bastos. Matuto kang
magpaalam."
"Fine. Sa inyo na yan. Ang fugly fugly naman niyan eh. Hmph," sabi ni Denise, an
d with that she left the room. Ate Danna looked ready to kill.
"Tingnan mo yun! Bastos! Pinintasan pa yung bag hindi naman niya afford! At naki
kitira lang siya dito noh?!"
"Hayaan mo na Ate. Pinapatulan mo pa kasi. Halika na, hinihintay na tayo nina Ku
ya Toff."
I noticed Ate's frown vanish.
"Husus. Ang sabihin mo, gusto mo na makita si Liam," sabi niya, sabay takbo. At
hinabol ko naman.
"ATEEEE!!! Pag nahuli kita LAGOT ka talaga saken!"
Gelo's POV:
RIINNGG!!
Anak ng tipaklong. Ang aga mambulabog. Sino kaya to? BADTREEP.
"Hello?"

"GELO!!!"
Amp. Nambulabog na nga, naninigaw pa!
"SINO BA TO?!"
"Hoy dude, ang aga pa ang sungit na ah!"
Lintek! Nangulit pa!
"SINO KA NGA?!"
"Si Kuya Toff to!"
Anak naman ng--!? Mangti-trip na lang si Kuya Toff pa ang ginamit?!
"Engot ka ba?! Nasa US yun! Pwede ba kung wala kang magawa wag mo kong idamay sa
kagaguhan mo!"
Sabay bagsak ko ng telepono. BWISET!
RIIIIINGGGGG!
Ano ba! Uupakan ko na to eh! Bumangon na nga ako.
"DIBA ANG SABI KO--"
"Ano ba! Ang sakit sa tenga!"
"LIAM?! Bakit mo sinabing si Kuya Toff ka?"
"G*GU! Si Kuya Toff yung kausap mo kanina!"
"Weh, hindi nga?!"
"Oo, kagabi lang umuwi. Iimbitahan ka daw sana niya mag-almusal dito, kasi alam
niya daw na baka noodles na naman ang kakainin mo dyan, gagawa siya ng Eggs Bene
dict--"
"EGGS BENEDICT? Sabihin mo andyan na ko!"
"Nagbago na daw isip niya."
"Lul! Punta na ko diyan!"
Dali-dali akong nagbihis. Loko tong si Kuya Toff ah! Umuwi na pala si kumag. Namiss ko rin yun, parang totoong Kuya ko na rin yun eh! At syempre pinaka na-miss
ko yung Eggs Benedict na specialty niya!
In less than five minutes nandoon na ako sa bahay nina Liam, ewan ko kung talaga
ng malapit lang ba o mabilis lang akong tumakbo. Knowing them, pwedeng pwede nil
a akong maubusan pag hindi ako nagmadali. At syempre wala nang pasintabi, pumaso
k na lang ako. Nakita ko si Kuya Toff sa kitchen counter, nakatalikod sa akin at
may hinihiwa.
"KUYA!"
Harap naman siya saken. Ngumiti siya at nag-high five kami, and a short hug.

"Bro, monster ka pala pag bagong gising."

"Haha. Oo nga eh. Pasensiya na. Tagal pa ba yan?"
"Hindi, konting hintay na lang."
"Hoy Gelo! Langya ka, sira eardrums namin ni Kuya," said Liam, who appeared out
of nowhere. He looked so decent for someone who just woke up. Ako kasi, nagpalit
lang ng damit. Nakalimutan ko na nga magsuklay, nasilaw ako sa prospect ng masa
rap na breakfast. Tagal ko na rin kasing hindi nakakakain ng matinong breakfast.
"Sorry naman bro. Bagong gising."
"Sus. Pasalamat ka injured ka. Kungdi inupakan ka na naming magkuya."
"Injured?" tanong ni Kuya Toff, sabay tingin sa bandages sa braso ko. "Ano nangy
ari diyan? Nabali?"
"Nabuhusan ng kumukulong mantika."
"ANO?! Paanong--"
"TAO PO?" said an unfamiliar voice. Then came three knocks on the door. A pretty
girl of about Kuya Toff's age came into view.
"Girlfriend mo, Kuya?" I asked.
"Tange, hindi."
"Ate ni Ria yan, classmate ni Kuya sa NYU." Ate ni Ria? Kaya pala maganda.
"Ate Danna, si Gelo nga pala. Kaklase namin ni Ria," pakilala sa amin ni Liam.
"Nice to meet you."
"Hi guys!"
Shoot! Si Ria!
Teka, bakit ba ko natataranta? LABO.
Shete, ni hindi nga pala ako nagsuklay!
"O, Gelo, andito ka pala," she said, smiling at me. I tried to do the same but t
he muscles in my face seemed to have forgotten how to do it.
"Good morning," I said. Lechugas. Ano ba yung nasabi ko? Para naman akong guard
sa mall nun! Amp. Hindi na ako nagtaka na natawa siya sa akin.
"Ang formal mo ah, in fairness," sabi niya matapos ilagay yung thermos na hawak
niya sa table.
"Gutom lang yan, Gelo. Kuya ok na ba yan?"
"Ok na ito... o kunin niyo na yung mga plato niyo!"
Ayun, masunurin kaming mga bata kaya ayun, kumain na kami. Masaya naman sa table
, nagkwentuhan lang kami ng kung ano-ano. Matagal na pala silang magkakakilala k

aya medyo nahihiya hiya pa ako. Dagdag pa yung fact na parang ako lang yung nasa
table na hindi pa naliligo.
"Hey, is it true na may band kayo?" Kuya Toff suddenly said, cutting into my tho
ughts.
"Oh, yeah," was all that I had managed to say, my mouth was kind of full.
"Cool! Sino vocals?" asked Ate Danna.
"Ako, syempre. Este kami pala ni Gelo."
"Wow, marunong ka pala kumanta?" Ria shot at me. At kamusta naman, nabulunan ako
! Halos dagukan ako ni Kuya Toff para tumigil sa kauubo.
"Oo naman. Kahit mukha akong ewan may talent din naman ako," sabi ko.
"Pareho rin kaming marunong sa guitars, acoustic and electric, pati bass. Kaya p
wede ang band kahit wala yung isa sa amin."
"That's cool. Anyway, a friend of ours just finished building a bar and grill th
ingy near here. And he's looking for bands, kaya sabi niya tanungin ko kayo if y
ou're interested."
"Oo naman," sabi ni Liam.
"Yeah, that will be great," I said.
"Yung grand opening is like, next next Saturday. I can ask him to let you do the
front act."
"Wow, cool yun Kuya!" Liam said excitedly.
"Uy, Danna, Ria, both of you have to be there," sabi ni Kuya Toff. "Especially i
kaw, Ria. Liam would need a confidence boost."
HUH? Ano yun?!
"Kuya, tigilan mo nga yan!" sabi ni Liam.
"Hindi rin, Toff. Baka nga lalong kabahan yan pag nanood si Ria!" hirit ni Ate D
anna.
"Ate shut up nga," sabi ni Ria.
Bakit parang affected siya? At bakit kanina pa silang nililink nina Kuya Toff at
Ate Danna sa isa't isa? Is this one of their 'usual' habits? At kung usual na l
ang to, bakit parang apektadong apektado sina Liam and Ria? Ibig bang sabihin nu
n, may something talaga?
At higit sa lahat, bakit pati ako... parang naaapektuhan sa naririnig ko?
Or maybe... I'm not sure... Apektado ba yung right term? o naiinis?
Chapter Nine
Jonathan's POV:
Humahangos akong pumasok sa loob ng locker rooms. Soccer Practice starts 8 am, i
t's already a quarter past 8. When coach gets a hold of me, patay na naman ako.
I'd hit the jackpot if he catches me yet again; I was an hour late last week.

"Late again," said a voice as I rushed inside. I got a bit nervous, but when I l
ooked at the person who had said it, nawala ang nerbiyos ko.
"Lul. Akala ko ikaw si coach."
"You're lucky. Wala pa siya," Lance informed me.
"Good," I replied, proceeding to change my shoes.
Lance de Rivera, aka Signal Number Four. Well, totoo namang mayabang siya. Imagi
ne, hindi na basta hangin, bagyo na, pinakamataas na signal pa. Kaya nga siguro
kami nagkakasundo, pareho kaming sobra ang self-confidence. Hindi ma-gets ng kar
amihan, but it's all a joke. At sa lahat ng tao sa team, siya yung parang kapati
d ko na.
"Bakit ang tagal mo?"
"Parang hindi ka naman sanay."
"Hindi rin... pero hindi nga? Ginising ka ba ng mom mo?" tanong sa akin ni Lance
. Kaya naman kasi ako na-late nung isang Saturday kasi hindi ako ginising ng Mom
ko.
"Oo. Bati na kami, bro."
"Buti naman. Kaso wala pa rin. Bagal mo kasi eh. Buti pa ako, early bird. Masunu
ring bata."
"Ang yabang."
"Yeah, that's me. I'm Signal Number Four, remember?" he said, smirking.
"Kunsabagay."
We proceeded to the grandstand, where my teammates were already running and kick
ing around. On the sidelines were the cheerleaders. I spotted my cousin, Denise,
her arms full of what looked like bags, water jugs and face towels. Napailing a
ko. Inaalipin na naman siya ng mga Starfish.
"I don't get it. Paano niya nagagawang pagtiyagaan yung ginagawa sa kanya ng mga
yun?" sabi ni Lance. Doon din pala siya nakatingin.
"Ewan ko ba, I don't get it either," sabi ko. Tiningnan ko na lang siya habang p
abalik-balik siya sa bleachers, getting face towels, and whatever else na inuuto
s sa kanya.
"Paano ba yan? Kulang na ng isa yung cheerleaders ng Integ."
Napaisip ako sa sinabi ni Lance. Binilang ko sila.. oo nga, labing-isa lang. Sus
pended nga pala si Elle. At kahit babalik siya after two weeks, I don't think th
ey'll welcome her back. Hindi ko naman sila masisisi. Sino ba ang hindi matatako
t sa psycho na nambubuhos ng kumukulong mantika kapag galit?
"Sino kaya kukunin nila?" I asked. Ang dami kasing magaganda sa Integrity.
"Ewan. Pero they gotta find one soon. Ang lapit na ng intrams."
"Sus, ok lang din. At least panalo na ang Sovereignty by default."
"Ipaubaya na natin yung trophy ng cheering sa kanila. Sa atin na naman yung Cham

pionship sa Soccer."
"Wow. Ang humble mo pare."
"Ano ka ba. I'm perfectly entitled to brag."
"Ehrm. Bakit? Sige nga," I said, challenging him. Ginulo niya yung buhok niya at
nagsimulang maglakad papunta sa pitch.
"Syempre. I'm the next David Beckham."
"LUL!"
Irish's POV:
OMG! Team Sov!!!
I watched as Lance and Jonathan joined their teammates on the field. They're def
initely the hottest guys on their team, hands down. If only I weren't from Integ
, siguro nagtitili na ako.
"Denise! Ano ba, where's my face towel! You're so effing tagal!"
"Oo, sandali lang..."
I was jerked back into reality as I looked back at my girls. In spite of myself,
I took pity on her. Lately naiisip ko nang hindi tama yung ginagawa namin sa ka
nya. Utos kaliwa't kanan. Snide insults.
But it's her fault too. If she wasn't pushing herself on us, she wouldn't be suf
fering like this. I could still remember Elle telling us to just let her in and
take advantage. After all, Denise said she was willing to do everything to fit i
n. At first I thought it was pathetic but comical.
I saw one of my friends stick out her foot as Denise walked by. Denise landed fl
at on her face, and there was a roar of laughter.
"Denise!" I said, helping her up.
The girls looked shocked at what I did; the expressions on their faces changed f
rom malevolent amusement to mixed astonishment and disbelief. Kahit ako, I could
n't believe it myself. Before, I was the one who keeps tripping her up in corrid
ors. Actually, it wasn't just me... It had been me and Elle who made sure that D
enise was kept as miserable as humanly possible.
Well, don't blame us; it wasn't our fault that the situation had been so ironic.
Denise Lopez happened to be Ria Antonio's cousin, and here she came, wanting to
get along with us. Elle heartily hated every fiber of Ria's being, and for her,
treating Denise like some slave is a good way of getting even.
"Thanks," sabi sa akin ni Denise. Naguluhan ako kaya tumango na lang ako. Lumapi
t sa akin ang isa sa mga kaibigan ko and she pulled me away.
"What's happening to you?" she asked me in a low voice, so Denise wouldn't hear.
"I don't know. Let's start..." I said, keen to change the topic.
"Are you kidding? We're one cheerleader short."
But before I could think of a sensible retort...

"MISS BELTRAN!"
I looked behind me and saw our cheerleading coach approaching us.
"Walang practice today."
"What? But why?" the girls said in unison.
"One of your captains has been suspended, in case you didn't notice. You're all
free to go, except for you, Irish."
The girls left with whispered groans. Hindi kasi matutuloy ang pagpapa-cute nila
kina Lance at Jonathan.
"Miss Beltran, I won't pretend that Elle's suspension wasn't a blow. I need you
to find me a replacement as soon as possible."
"Ma'am, as soon as possible? But... I don't know..."
"Oh, sorry, I have phrased it incorrectly. I already have someone in mind, and I
want you to talk to her this instant."
Gelo's POV:
Alas dos na, pero ayos lang ang sikat ng araw, hindi gaanong mainit. Sandali kon
g pinanood ang laro ng Sov, at ayoko man na aminin sa sarili ko, kahit paano I g
ot intimidated. Lalong gumagaling si Signal Number Four pati si Jonathan. Naku.
Malaki-laking challenge ang haharapin namin ni Liam sa Intrams.
Speaking of Liam, naabutan ko siya sa locker rooms, prepared na prepared na. Nag
si-stretch pa nga si kumag.
"O! Bro!"
"Bihis na agad ah."
"Syempre naman. Teka, bakit nandito ka na?"
"Ha?"
"I mean... diba? May paso ka... pag nasagi yan, ikaw din."
"Sus, hindi. Halos magaling na nga eh," I replied, even showing him my arm, whic
h is now free of bandages. May naiwan pang marks, pero hindi na siya masakit or
anything. I saw Liam spare my arm a look. He looked like he was carefully trying
to contemplate what he wanted to say next.
"So. Ok na pala... Ginamit mo yung binigay ni Ria?"
Tiningnan ko siya. Amp. Ano bang tanong yun? Kung nasa korte siguro ako, I would
've raised an objection. Para kasing meron siyang gustong palabasin. Dagdag yung
fact that his glance was more accusatory than curious. Pero teka, bakit ba? Ano
naman ang masama kung ginamit ko diba? Ang gulo ng buhay.
"Oo. Astig nga, three days ko pa lang na ginagamit. Tamo, talo yung Olay!" I sai
d, trying to be funny. His facial expression didn't change.
"Yeah, kita mo nga yung kamay niya. Wala ng bakas ng paso diba?"
"Alam mo pala yung tungkol dun?" sabi ko. But right after that, I realized how s

tupid the question was.

"Oo naman, magkababata kami eh."
"Cool. I gotta thank her, I owe her one," sabi ko habang nagtatali ng shoelaces.
"Enjoy siyang kasama, noh?" Medyo nagulat ako, akala ko tapos na yung usapan.
"Oo naman. Ang kulit kaya nun. Hindi ko nga akalain na masayang katabi yun. Biro
mo, napaamo ko? Eh diba ang taray taray nun?"
"Pansin ko nga, kasundong kasundo mo."
"Eh mabait naman eh, bakit hindi, diba?"
"Nakikita ko nga, wala kayong ginawa kundi tumawa."
"Paano kasi, ang babaw. Eh alam mo naman yung tawa nun, nakakag*go."
"Tapos halos magkapalit kayo ng mukha pag math saka physics..."
"Nagpapaturo kasi ako. Ang galing niya nga eh, mas naiintindihan ko pa pag siya
yung nagtuturo kaysa kay Ma'am Pearlie o kay Sir Mar."
"Wow. Such a development, huh? Considering na you've only known each other for a
bit more than four days?"
Aba. Iba na yung tono nun ah. At teka lang... lahat nung binanggit niya... napan
sin niya lahat yun? Ibig bang sabihin nun, pinapanood niya kami?
LABO!
But a nagging voice in my head said:
Bakit? Eh nung nagkatabi rin naman sila nung isang araw, pinapanood mo rin.
"Kung ano-ano pinapansin mo. Tara na nga," I said, deliberately ending the conve
rsation. Hindi na kasi ako kumportable. Tumayo na ako.
"Dude, sabihin mo nga saken...
nagkakagusto ka na ba kay Ria?"
Chapter Ten
Ria's POV:
Nako. Monday na naman. I'm not in the mood to start another week; I don't think
I felt the weekend properly. Ate Danna and I weren't even able to go shopping (s
he promised pa naman to buy me that dress I've been eyeing in Topshop for ages)
because I had to do all those homeworks. Pssshh. BUMMER. I should've "Ouch!"
I found myself now sitting on the floor of the school's entrance lobby, with my
bag about three feet away from me. I got so absorbed in my thoughts that I forgo
t to look at where I was going. I stood up and opened my mouth to say sorry when
"Sorry, are you all right?"

Imagine my shock when I realized that it had been Irish who said that. Well, she
wasn't exactly polite (even civilized) all the time... and at bumps like these,
she's more likely to yell a whole paragraph of swearwords at me than say sorry.
"Yeah, thanks..."
She gave me a curt nod and walked away, leaving me resisting the urge to ask whe
re she was going. I mean, why ask? Ano yun diba? Feeling close?
"Hoy, may balak ka bang pumasok, ha?"
I turned to face Maffy.
"Tell me, was that really Irish?"
"Uhh. Yeah. Bakit naman?"
"Wala lang. Well, you know, she's not the type who'd say sorry to me, diba?"
"Oh come on. Buti nga yun, nagiging ok kayo eh. And besides, she's not as bad as
she looks."
"Oh-kay... If you say so."
Umakyat na kami sa classroom. Nag-stay ako sandali sa tabi ni Maffy kasi wala pa
akong makakausap, wala pa kasi si Gelo.
"Kinakamusta ka ni Ate Danna."
"Oo nga eh, punta sana ako nung Sabado kaso may org meeting the whole day."
"Sobrang busy na yata kayo?"
"Oo naman, ang lapit na kaya nung program?"
"Kungsabagay. Three weeks na lang noh?"
"Hindi. Four weeks. Na-move yung date."
"Bakit?"
"Ano ka ba, na-set na yung retreat natin."
"Wow, cool!"
"Yup, excited na ko. Sabi ni Ma'am magkaka-culminating activity daw tayong batch
this week, parang preparation sa retreat."
"Pagsasamahin ang Sov at Integ?"
"Yup."
"Goodluck sa tin. Haha."
Narinig kong bumukas yung pinto, pumasok si Gelo. Napatingin siya sa amin, and I
smiled at him. Ngumiti rin siya ng tipid tas dumeretso sa upuan niya.
"O, wala na siyang bandages oh," sabi sa akin ni Maffy.

"Oo nga noh?"

"Tara, puntahan natin."
Lapit naman kami...
"Hi Gelo."
"O. Hi."
"Ok na pala yung braso mo?"
"Ah. Oo. Salamat dun sa lotion ha?"
"Sure thing. Astig, wala na halos traces... patingin nga..." I said, coming near
er as I went to check his arm, but he pulled it sharply out of my grasp. I was s
hocked at what he did. And judging by the look on his face, he was, too.
"Sorry," ang sabi ko na lang. Hindi ko maiwasang ma-offend sa ginawa niya. I als
o noticed that he was careful not to look me in the eye. Nakakainis naman. Ano n
angyari dito? Just this Saturday morning we were getting along well... what's he
doing playing the prat?
"O, bakit parang diring-diri ka yata saken ngayon?"
"Wala." sabi niya, and with that he left. I looked at Maffy, who raised her brow
.
"Nag-away ba kayo?"
"Ha? Hindi naman..."
"Eh anong nangyari doon?"
"Hindi ko rin alam, Ate..."
Gelo's POV:
Nakakainis naman eh. Pakiramdam ko talaga na-offend siya doon sa ginawa ko. Sa t
otoo lang hindi ko ginustong gawin yun. Kaso... baka kasi makita na naman ni Lia
m...
Pang-asar naman kasi eh. Sabi nang iiwasan ko na muna siya eh. Hindi ko muna kak
ausapin. Kahit tingnan lang, nagi-guilty ako eh. AMP! LABO!
Flashback:
"Dude, sabihin mo nga saken, nagkakagusto ka na ba kay Ria?"
Natigil ako sa paglalakad palabas ng locker room. I saw this coming, pero hindi
ko ine-expect na ganun ka-straightforward. As in point-blank.
"Anong sabi mo?" sabi ko, at humarap ako sa kanya. He smirked mirthlessly.
"Ang sabi ko, kung nagkakagusto ka na ba kay Ria..."
Natulala ako sandali. Tinatanong ko rin sa sarili ko yung tanong na yun nitong m
ga nakaraang araw. Nalito ako. Hindi dahil hindi ko alam kung ano ang isasagot,
kundi dahil I wasn't sure kung magugustuhan niya yung sagot ko.
"Ha? Sus. Ano ka ba," sabi ko. I felt guilty kasi matagal na kaming magkaibigan,
at ni minsan, hindi ko pa nagawang magsinungaling. Pero ngayon, lying felt much
safer.

"Hindi nga."
"Bakit ba?"
"Ewan ko. Na-sense ko lang kasi. Lagi mo rin kasi siyang nababanggit."
"Ano ka ba, nagiging close lang kami. Wala yun."
Hindi na siya nakasagot. Nagkibit-balikat na lang siya.
"Ikaw ba?" tanong ko. Hindi ko alam, pero ni hindi ko pinag-isipan yun, lumabas
na lang ng kusa sa bibig ko. Matagal tagal rin ang hinintay ko bago siya nakasag
ot.
"Oo. Noon pa."
Ayun na. Nasabi niya na. Bata pa lang pala sila, ganun na. Kaya pala ganun na la
ng sila asarin nung mga kapatid nilang nakakatanda.
Somehow, na-sense ko na hindi niya sinabi sa akin yung just for the sake na mala
man ko. I mean, kung gusto niyang sabihin saken, edi sana noon pa diba? After al
l, we're supposed to be best buds.
It was clearer than I thought it was. He didn't tell me because he wanted me to
know. He told me because he thought I was moving in and he wanted me to fcuk off
and stay away from her. Ganun naman yun diba?
Self-explanatory. It's all a matter of respect. The first one who gathers the co
urage to say something, which is never easy under any circumstances, gets the ri
ght to make the move. Everyone else should back off.
And I had let him win.
Nice one, Liam.
Chapter Eleven
Gelo's POV:
"Huy."
Grabe. Ang hirap umiwas pag ganito kakulit. Vacant period ngayon. 3 days ko na s
iyang pinipilit iwasan. Determined talaga siya. Kainis. Pag ganito nang ganito h
indi ko na talaga siya matitiis.
"Ano ba, Gelo, kakainis ka naman eh! Ibalik mo na kasi yung ballpen kong hiniram
mo nung Friday! Porket ayaw mo nang ibalik, ayaw mo na rin akong kausapin." sab
i niya. Napatingin naman ako.
"Weh? May hiniram nga akong ballpen sayo?" tanong ko. Tiningnan niya ako na para
ng naiinis siya saken. Tapos, biglang ngumiti.
"Hay sa wakas, pinansin mo rin ako. Wala noh. Bakit ba hindi mo ko kinakausap si
mula nung Monday?"
Langya... ang lakas ng gimik ah.
"Tss. Ewan ko sayo."
Tumayo ako sa kinauupuan ko. Pinuntahan ko si Liam at nakipagpalit ng upuan. Hin
di ko ugali ang makipagpalit ng upuan, pero ayoko na kasing natutukso akong kaus
apin, tingnan at harutin si Ria. D*mn, shutting feelings out is a frickin hard b
usiness.
Pero ang nakakainis pa dito, nafo-force akong panuorin sila habang sila yung mag
kausap at nagbibiruan. Para akong nanonood nang teleserye, but unlike those who
watch those crap, hindi ako naeentertain. Hindi ako naeexcite. Yung mga tao kasi
sa paligid nagsimula na silang pagtsismisan, na akala mo mga artista. Sabagay,
pareho naman silang popular sa school. Palagi na nga naman kasing magkausap, mag
kasama, tapos sabay pa umuwi. Lagi pang dala ni Liam yung gamit ni Ria pag bumab
aba sila sa lockers.
"Dun na naman siya nakatingin..." said a voice. I looked beside me and saw Irish
, who looked equally gloomy.
"Ha?"
"Bingi."
Tss. Parang ewan naman tong taong to. I chose not to reply.
"Ang sabi ko, dun ka na naman nakatingin," she repeated. I got a bit surprised.

Bakit hindi na nagtataglish to? Makausap nga.

"Andito ka pala ulit."
"Oo, dito na ko, remember? Diba, nung isang araw, napikon na si Sir Mar sa pag-a
away nina Zoe at Liam, so dito na ko nilagay, tas andun na si Zoe sa tabi ni Maf
fy."
"Ah, ok. O, kumusta na nga pala yung best friend mo?" I asked.
"Best friend?"
"Duh, si Elle."
"Ah. Yun ba? Ayun, ganun pa rin, tuwang tuwa sa suspension niya. Nakapagbakasyon
. She's in Hong Kong. But I talked to her just the other night... Teka, bakit mo
nga pala tinatanong?"
"Wala."
"Nami-miss mo?"
Natigilan ako. Ang usisera naman nito. Close ba kami?!
"Well, I didn't think you would. After what happened to your... Oh my..."
Napatingin ako sa kanya, sa tono kasi ng boses niya parang gulat na gulat. I saw
her looking at my arm.
"Oh your what?"
"Your arm! I thought this was nabuhusan ng mantika, why is it almost fully heale
d?" she asked, looking closely at it.
"Ah, ito ba? May nagbigay kasi saken ng astig na ointment. Ayun, gumaling na," s
agot ko. Natulala na lang ako, naalala ko na naman kasi. AMP. Nagiging madrama a
ko ah.
"Bakit nagdilim yang mukha mo?" tanong niya ulit.
"Wala. Eh bakit ikaw din?"
"Ah. Yun ba... ano kasi... wala na ko sa Starfish..." she replied, staring at th
e floor.
"Anong nangyari?"
"Hindi kami magkasundo eh... hindi ko na kasi gusto yung ginagawa namin... nila.
.. kay Denise. Pati nga si Elle galit din sa akin just because I voiced my opini
ons out," she said. Naawa ako sa kanya, at the same time namangha. I never thoug
ht she actually had a conscience.
"Turning over a new leaf, huh?"
It was her turn to get silent.
"Buti ka pa, nagbabago. By that, I mean nakikita yung conscious effort. Nung nag
ing kami ni Elle, sabi niya pipilitin niyang magbago. Pero wala eh. I got quite
disappointed, I thought I was enough to make her do it."
"So you really did like Elle."
"Oo naman. Did you think I was just playing with her?"
"Yeah."
"Well, it was nothing complicated. I liked her, she liked me, I thought it was t
hat simple."
"And you found out that it wasn't."
"Yeah. Good thing I didn't fall that hard."
"But you just have."
"Huh?" I asked, puzzled.
"Gelo, Gelo, Gelo. I'm not blind. Nor am I stupid. If you think I couldn't see i
t, you're very much mistaken," sabi niya, casting a significant look at Ria's di
rection.
"Wow. Observant ka pala."
"Yeah. To the point na para nang chismosa."
"Hindi naman, konti lang."
"Ang cute mo."
"Thanks. Pero alam ko na yun."
"Pity she couldn't see it," she said. Hindi ko alam ang gusto niyang palabasin.
Nang-aasar ba to or what?
"That's not the deal," I simply said.
"What's the real deal, then?"

"Sure you wanna know?"

"Of course. You're my ex best friend's ex, so yeah."
"It can get boring," I warned her, kahit I desperately wanted a listener.
"I'll get through it."
Ria's POV:
Uwian na naman. Hindi na bumalik si Gelo sa tabi ko simula nung nakipagpalit siy
a kay Liam kanina, before lunch pa yun ah. Ano kaya nangyari dun? These past few
days, grabe. If guys had monthly periods, I would have blamed it on that. But h
indi eh. Ano kaya nangyari dun? Nagalit kaya saken?
Kasi ayaw ako kausapin, ayaw ako tingnan. Kinulit ko na nga ng kinulit. Wala pa
rin. Kahit nga nung kinuha niya yung gamit niya dito sa upuan, hindi talaga nama
nsin. Sinundan ko siya ng tingin, pinuntahan niya si Irish. Nagtatawanan pa nga
silang lumabas ng classroom. In fairness, sila rin yung magkasama kaninang lunch
. Feel na feel pa nga ang kwentuhan. Mukhang nakakarelate talaga sila sa isa't i
sa, na ikinagulat ko kasi ang alam ko sobrang ayaw ni Gelo sa mga Starfish. Well
, I shouldn't be wondering... after all, the Queen Starfish had been his ex.
"Psst. Katuraaay, tara na."
"Ok," I said.
"Himala, you didn't protest."
"Like it's of any use. You never listen anyway."
"Aww. Tampokulangot?" Natawa naman ako.
"Ayan. I just love it when you laugh."
"BOLERO."
"No, it's true."
"Whatever."
"You never believe me. Am I not credible enough?"
"Are you seriously asking me that question?"
"Yeah. I'm serious as hell."
"No, you LOOK like hell."
"Yabang mo! Ang gwapo ko kaya."
"Sinong may sabi?!"
"Nanay ko bakit?!"
At nagtawanan kami ng malakas sa corridor.
"Liam, may practice daw ng soccer," sabi ng teammate niya as he passed by.
"D*mn it," I heard Liam say under his breath.
"Ano ka ba, ok lang yun."
"Eh paano ka, mukha pa namang pabuhos yung ulan oh," Liam told me.
"Ok lang ako. Punta ka na dun, magpalit ka na. Mapagalitan ka pa ni Coach."
"Pabayaan mo siya, halika na."
"Gusto mo nito?" I asked, clenching my fist in front of him.
"Whoa, Pacquiao, hold it..."
"Sige na, go. Chupi!"
"Hoy katuray, wag mo kong machupi chupi, hindi ako askal!"
"Oo na, sige na! Male-late ka na! Babay!!!"
I watched him as he turned his back and left. I turned on the spot and bumped in
to something solid... yet again.
"Okay ka lang?" I asked. It was Irish. Ulit.
"Yeah, yeah... wow, we do seem to be bumping into each other a lot."
"Err. Yeah. Hehe. So sige... Gotta go..."
"Hey, wait. Actually, kanina pa kita hinahanap."
"Huh? Bakit naman?"
"I was gonna ask you something."
"Erhh. Yeah?"
"Si Ma'am Vicky kasi. She wants me to ask you if you can fill in as Elle's repla
cement."
Hindi ako nakasagot. Tama ba yung narinig ko?!
"Haha. You're serious?" I asked, smirking lightly.
"Actually, yeah."
"You do know how ironic that is, don't you?"

"Yeah I do. But sana wag mong isipin na... well, kasi Ma'am Vicky chose you as t
he most appropriate person for the job. And I do think she made the right choice
... that's why I'm here, asking you."
"Oh. Is that so? Tapos ano? Gagawin niyo akong plaything na aapak-apakan niyong
mga Starfish sa practice?" I asked her, unable to restrain myself. She smiled bi
tterly, which had been quite unusual.
"No. I'm not going to make a plaything out of you. And yeah. Hindi na ako Starfi
sh."
Whoa. That was a bomb. Or baka this is another one of her pranks?\par
But no. Irish was never a very good actress. I don't think she could have pulled
this facial expression off kung hindi naman totoo yung sinabi niya.
"I wouldn't expect you to believe me. But in case you change your mind about joi
ning, you can come and tell Ma'am Vicky."
"I... I'm sorry about that," I said.
"Nah, don't be. And to be honest, I don't blame you for thinking that I'm bluffi
ng. I've been such a b*tch all my life."
"Well, I won't contradict that. Pero everyone deserves a chance."
"You think I do?"
"Yeah, why not? I mean, if they could give out paroles to convicted murderers, b
akit hindi pwedeng bigyan ng chance ang mga... erm..." I said, unable to find a
tactful term.
"Raving, monstrous, and uncivilized slutty-?" she asked.
"That's rather harsh."
"But it's true," she said. Nagkatinginan kami. Hindi ko akalain na makakausap ko
si Irish ng ganito. Pero gumaan ang loob ko.
"So... yeah. I think it's time to bury the hatchet. Truce?" she asked me, extend
ing her hand for me to shake.
I went and took it. Like her apology, her hand was warm.
"Oh, sige. Andito na yung sundo ko..." sabi niya, pointing to an approaching car
.
"Bye. Ingat," I said, letting go of her hand and waving. She waved back, and got
into the car. Ako naman bumaba na sa front steps. Naglakad lakad na ako, wonder
ing if that had really happened. Have I really just made up with Irish Beltran?
I felt a heavy drop on my face.
But heck, I'm not crying... Am I? Ang emotional ko naman... nakipagbati lang sak
en si Irish, naiyak na ko?
Oops. Gaga. Hindi pala.
Bigla lang palang bumuhos ang malakas na ulan. Hmph. Ngayon pa mandin, ang layo
na ng nalakad ko e! I fumbled inside my bag and..
FUDGE.
WALA AKONG PAYONG.
Chapter Twelve
Ria's POV:
Anak naman ng-?! At ngayon ko pa talagang natiyempuhang makalimutan ang payong k
o sa bahay?! Lechugas naman, akalain ko ba naman kasing bigla na lang bubuhos ng
malakas yung ulan, eh ang init init kaninang umaga? Malayo na tuloy yung nalaka
d ko...
Kumaripas ako ng takbo pabalik ng school, kasi wala akong mahanap na ibang masis
ilungan. Grabe, basang basa na ako pag-abot ko doon. Wala rin si Manong Guard...
Patay ako..
So paano ako?! Stranded until the rain stops pouring?
No... I can't do that... Teka?
Maffy... she's in the other building. Lalo akong mababasa kung pupunta pa ako do
on. Kung hihintayin ko naman, hanggang 8:00 pm pa...
Liam? Soccer Practice. Hanggang 8:00 din yun, at mas grabe pa ang aabutin ko pag
dun ako pumunta... maliban sa mababasa ako, papagalitan pa ako ni Coach kasi ay
aw na ayaw niyang may pumupunta sa players pag practice.
Jonathan... nako, sigurado nakauwi na yun...
Ah! Si Ate Danna! Magpapasundo na lang ako!
Sabay hugot ko ng cellphone sa bulsa. Teka, bakit nakapatay? Hala! Ayaw mag-on!

Shiyet... nabasa pala! NOOOOOOO!

"Ria?"
Lingon naman ako.
"Bakit basang basa ka?" sabi ni Gelo, sabay lapit saken. Aba, himala, kinakausap
na ako ulit. Hindi ko nga pinansin. Kailangan ko pa palang magmukhang basang si
siw para lang pansinin niya ako ulit.
"Oo nga pala, nakausap mo ba si Rish?"
"Rish? Sinong Rish?"
"Si Irish. Hinahanap ka kasi niya kanina," he said, looking around, possibly hop
ing that his beloved Rish is still somewhere. Lalo akong naasar. Imbis na tulung
an ako o pahiramin man lang ako ng payong o cellphone, eto siya, naghahanap kay
RISH.
"Oo, nakausap ko si Rish," I said, putting a rather ugly emphasis on the last wo
rd. Nagkatinginan kami. Parang nagulat siya sa tono ng pananalita ko, tapos kumu
not yung noo niya.
"Nakauwi na siya?" tanong niya. Shete, isang tanong mo pa, naku!
"Oo, kanina pa. By nicknames na pala kayo?"
"Yeah," he said, shrugging.
"Mukhang talagang enjoy ang pagiging seatmates," I said.
"Yeah, the same way na na-eenjoy niyo ni Liam kanina. Hindi naman pwedeng kayo l
ang, diba?" he said heatedly.
Nagkatinginan kami ulit.
"Yeah. Oo nga naman!" I said with a lot of sarcasm. "Pero wala naman kasing ibig
sabihin yun, 'cause we've known each other for years!"
"Oh really? So just because Rish and I haven't known each other as long as you a
nd Liam did, ibig sabihin may malisya na yun? Is that what you're trying to say?
"
I threw him a nasty look.
"Well, ikaw ang nagsabi nun, hindi ako," I told him, satisfied at the look on hi
s face.
"That's nothing, compared to the pet names you and Liam have, diba, KATURAY?"
"Aba-?!"
"HOY! Nag-aaway ba kayo?"
Lingon naman kaming pareho sa biglang pagsulpot ni Manong Guard out of nowhere.
"Hindi po. Ang sweet nga namin ni KATURAY eh."
"YOU SHUT UP!"
"Tigilan niyo nga yan."
"Manong Guard, baka naman pwedeng makahiram ng payong nang makalayas na ko sa lu
gar na to?"
"Naku, hija, nahiram nang lahat, wala na rito."
@#%^! Paano yun?!
"Ako, may payong sa locker," sabi ni Gelo.
"Hindi ko tinatanong kung may payong ka." I said. He shrugged and walked away. H
ah. Serves him right.
"Sundan mo na. Para bati na kayo," sabi ni Manong Guard, na tonong nang-aasar pa
. Sinimangutan ko lang siya habang nag-iisip ako kung paano makakaalis.
"Nagseselosan pa kasi eh."
"Excuse me, Manong Guard, hindi selosan yun. Kadiri noh."
"If you say so."
Abah, sosyal si Manong Guard. Ka-liga na ni Inday. I shook my head and sat on th
e bench beside the Guard's Desk.
"O, eto na oh."
I looked up and saw Gelo handing me an umbrella. I was speechless. I didn't real
ly hear him come back. Nilapag niya sa tabi ko yung payong\
"Sige ha, pagagalitan na ako ni Coach. Ingat ka," sabi niya, and then umalis na
ulit. He was a long way already when I found my voice back.
"TEKA! HOY! MAY GAGAMITIN KA BA?"
Kumaway lang siya. When I looked again, wala na siya dun.
Chapter Thirteen

Jonathan's POV:
RRRRIIIIINNNNGG!
SA WAKAS! Natapos rin!
Lunch time na, at dahil Friday ngayon kasabay namin ang Integ. Hmm, mahanap nga
si Lance para maka-bonding naman nina Maffy...
O nasaan na yun?
Nawawala na naman?
Pambihira.
"JON!"
Lingon naman ako.
"O, Maffs!"
"Sabay ka sa amin?"
"Oo naman."
"Sinong hinahanap mo?"\par
"Si Lance. Pasabayin ko sana saten."\par
"Eh nasaan ba?"\par
"E kung alam ko hindi ko na hahanapin. Si Ria ba nasaan?"\par
"Ayun oh," said Maffy, pointing over her shoulder. I looked and saw Ria, who was
standing behind Maffy. She was staring into empty air, apparently unconcerned o
f what was going on.\par
"Hi cuz!" sabi ko, trying to jerk her back into reality. She just looked at me a
nd forced a smile. I pulled Maffy aside.\par
"Ano yan? Emo?" I asked in a low voice so Ria wouldn't hear.\par
"Hindi ko rin alam."
Pumunta na kami ng canteen, bumili kami ng food at umupo na.\par
"Ria, ok ka lang?"\par
"Ah? Eh, ok lang."\par
"Kanina ka pa tahimik."\par
"Ah. Nagi-guilty lang ako."\par
"Bakit? Anong ginawa mo?" I asked, and Maffy poked me with her elbow to shut up.
\par
"Hindi, kasi pinahiram ako ni Gelo ng payong kahapon. Wala na pala siyang payong
na iba, ayun siya yung nabasa. Siya tuloy yung maysakit."\par
"Ngek. Eh hindi mo na kasalanan yun, hindi mo naman siya pinilit na ipahiram say
o yung payong niya."\par
"Kahit na. Ang dami tuloy niyang na-miss na lesson."\par
"Pero in fairness ah, kahit alam niyang wala siyang ibang payong, pinahiram niya
pa rin sayo... Iba na yata yun mare..."\par
"Tumigil ka nga, Maffy. Mas mababaliw yang si Ria sa pinagsasabi mo."\par
"Bakit, eh totoo naman eh? Ikaw nga, kung malakas ang ulan tas wala ka nang iban
g payong, ipapahiram mo pa ba saken?"\par
"Oo naman!"\par
"Ipokrito!"\par
"Hindi noh!"\par
"At bakit?"\par
"Mahal kaya kita?!"
I don't know why, but I think I'm getting delirious. Is Maffy blushing?
"Ayan na naman kayong dalawa, parang ewan... ano, puntahan ko kaya?"\par
"Puntahan? Ok ka lang? Ang pangit naman yatang tingnan..."\par
"Ang dumi ng isip mo!"\par
"That's not what I mean."\par
"What exactly do you mean, then?"\par
"Duh, mare... He means Liam," sabi ni Maffy.\par
"Ano ba, bakit ba naniniwala kayo sa tsismis na nililigawan ako nun? Saka kung t
otoo man yun, wala naman siyang karapatang-..."\par
"Ssshhh!" Maffy said suddenly.\par
"Bakit?"\par
Maffy used her mouth to indicate that someone was coming. And true enough, there
was Liam, approaching us. Agad akong lumipat sa tabi ni Maffy para makaupo si L

iam.
"O! Kamusta?!" he said in a ridiculously loud voice. Nakipag-high five pa sa aki
n.
"Ok lang..." sabi ni Ria.\par
"Ang hyper mo yata ngayon?" tanong ni Maffy. Tiningnan ko siya and I noticed tha
t her cheeks were still pink. Ano kaya nangyari dun?\par
"Oo naman! DVD Friday kaya ngayon?! Ang tagal na kasi nating hindi nagagawa yun.
.. tas ngayon eto na naman tayo! Isn't that cool?"
Nga naman. Simula kasi noong umalis sina Ate Danna at Kuya Toff para mag MA stud
ies sa NYU, hindi na namin ulit nagawa yun. Noon kasi, halos linggo linggo kamin
g pumupunta sa bahay nina Ria para lang manood ng kung ano ano. Hindi pa nga DVD
s noong mga unang beses eh, Betamax pa yata.
"So ano? Tuloy tayo ha?" sabi ni Liam. Nakakahawa naman ang energy nito. I looke
d at Ria, expecting her to say something, but she didn't. I almost breathed a si
gh of relief.
"Oo naman," Maffy said, sparing me a look. I can tell na pareho kami ng iniisip.
Palagay ko, ayaw niya ring makita ang magiging reaction ni Liam once he finds o
ut that Ria has other plans...
Especially when those plans concern that Gelo guy. Just the other day, he told m
e about his plans of finally asking Ria out after those looong years, and that h
e's afraid that Ria might have fallen for Gelo instead.
I remember telling Liam not to fret because Ria would know better than that. Per
o sa nakikita ko ngayon kay Ria, mukhang hindi yata tama yung sinabi ko. Talaga
yatang dapat kabahan si Liam. Since nasa harap namin sila, I chose to just text
Maffy.
Ui, nu ggwn ntn??
At mukha kaming ewan. Magkatabi pero magkatext.
Bkt? Ewn ko dn.
Pnu pg tnuloy n Ria pgpnta dn?
D \'f1a 22loy un. Pgilan ntn..
Cge b...
Bhla n mmya.
Nako patay. Ang quintessential 'bahala na'. Hindi pa naman dependable ang mga 'b
ahala na' ni Maffy..
Gulo talaga to pag nagkataon.
Nadala ko yung kunsumisyon hanggang sa classroom. Nakalimutan ko nga ring usisai
n si Lance kung saan ba siya nagpunta.
Hanggang sa dumating ang uwian, at mabilis pa ako sa Ferrari na pumunta sa tapat
ng classroom ng Integ. Sakto namang lumabas si Maffy.
"Si Ria?"\
"Nauna na... Ang bilis nga eh! Hindi ko na napigilan!"
"Ano?! Shoot! Halika na dali!"
Fast Forward... Bahay nina Ria..
"ATE DAN?"
*ding dong*\
"Oh! Aga niyo ah. MAFFY!!!" said Ate Danna, who ran and hugged Maffy. Ngayon lan
g kasi sila nagkita simula nung umalis si Ate Danna.\par
"Teka, bakit hingal na hingal kayo? Saka Jonathan, bakit ganun ka makatawag, for
a while I thought some psycho was chasing you or something. Pasok nga muna kayo
."\par
Hindi naman ako nakapagsalita kasi nga medyo hinihingal pa ako. The moment I ent
ered the living room, I caught a strong waft of what smelled a lot like Clam Cho
wder soup.\par
"Ang bango, Ate. Si Ria ba yung nagluluto?"\par
"Oo. Siya nagluto."\par
"Asaan siya?" I finally said.\par
"Umalis sandali. May dala pa ngang isang malaking bowl ng soup..."\par
"HA?!" Maffy and I exclaimed together.\par
"Bakit?"\par
*ding dong*

"O, andito na rin si Liam!" said Ate Danna, who ran to get the door.\par
"Shoot! Paano yun?"\par
"Ewan ko!"\par
"Pagtakpan mo na lang pag nagtanong!" sabi ko.\par
"Sh!t ! Goodluck saken!"\par
"WOW! Ang bango! Si Ria nagluto?" sabi ni Liam, who appeared out of nowhere. Muk
hang talagang na-attract siya sa amoy ng soup...ni hindi kami napansin ni Maffy
at dumeretso sa kitchen.\par
"Sino pa nga ba. Si Toff nasaan na?"\par
"Papunta na. Pahingi ako ha?" said Liam.\par
"Oo naman."\par
"Uy!" sabi sa amin ni Liam habang papunta naman ng dining table na dala dala pa
ang umuusok na bowl.\par
"Pasensya na, gutom na ako..." sabi ni Liam, at kahit mukhang kumukulo pa ang ki
nakain niya eh dere-deretso ang subo.\par
"Asus, kahit naman hindi ka gutom nakikipagpatayan ka sa pagkain niyan."\par
"Syempre, luto ni Ria eh! Asaan na nga pala yun?"\par
"Ah si Ria-..." started Maffy, but Ate Danna was too quick for her.\par
"Naku, umalis lang sandali. Ibabalik lang daw yung hiniram niyang payong kahapon
," sabi ni Ate Danna. Maffy and I exchanged looks of horror as we saw Liam stop
midway through his umpteenth spoonful.\par
"Ha? Talaga?" sabi ni Liam, his eyes wide.\par
"Oo. Nagdala nga rin ng soup eh. Nagkasakit daw kasi yung hiniraman niya. Paano
ba naman kasi, wala namang extra, pinahiram pa. Ayun, siya yung naulanan. Kumust
a naman, nakonsensya yung kapatid ko. In fairness, ang bait nung tao ah. Kaya sa
bi ko naman, aba dapat lang na dalhan niya ng food. Ang bait sa kanya eh!"\par
Naman Ate Danna! Ngayon ka pa nagkwento in detail!\par
Maffy and I watched Liam drop his spoon.\par
"O, bakit?"\par
"Ah. Sorry Ate. I- I kinda lost my appetite."\par
And with that, he left. Binalingan ni Maffy si Ate Danna, who was smiling smugly
.\par
"ATE! What were you thinking?"\par
"Ano ba. Kung hindi tayo kikilos, he won't move forward."\par
"Ate naman, nagalit nga eh! Paano pa yun?"\par
"I just made him realize na hindi pwedeng ganyan siya ng ganyan. Hindi lang siya
ang lalaki sa mundo kaya anytime, pwedeng agawin sa kanya ang kapatid ko."\par
"You think making him jealous is bound to make him realize all that?!" I said in
credulously.\par
"You'll see."
Chapter Fourteen
Ria's POV:
Ito na ba yun?\par
Wow. Ang laki grabe! Siguro pag pumasok ako, maliligaw ako sa loob.
Pero bakit ganun, iba yung aura ng bahay... elegante siya, pero malungkot. Walan
g kahit anong traces ng warmth. Sabi nga nila, a 'cold palace'..
Siguro nga... if Grimmauld place had a real-life counterpart, this would have be
en it.
"TAO PO?" sabi ko, remembering the reason why I came here. Walang sumagot. Tumin
gin ako sa may gate, at asus! May doorbell naman pala!\par
Makailang beses kong napindot yun pero wala pa rin talagang lumabas o sumigaw ma
n lang. Pero imposible naman yatang walang tao.\par
Naku, bahala na. Tiningnan ko ng mabuti yung gate and I realized that it wasn't
even locked. Aba! Adik pala ito eh!\par
Sa laki ng bahay na ito, anytime pwede silang pasukin ng magnanakaw, tapos ganit
o at hindi naka-lock!\par
Jusme, edi kung magnanakaw pala ako edi patay na! Malilimas ko na lahat ng kayam
anan nina Gelo!\par
I closed the gate behind me and went straight to the front doors. Pagpasok ko, I
realized I was in the living room. It was kinda dark, and the only light in the

room was coming from the gigantic television set, which was left open.
On the couch in front of it was a curled up creature na balot na balot ng kumotsi Gelo!
Naawa ako sa itsura niya. Nung lumapit ako, he looked much worse. Sobrang putla,
even his lips were devoid of color.\par
Nilagay ko yung kamay ko sa noo niya. SHETE, nag-aapoy sa lagnat si kumag!\par
Nako, at mukhang tulog na tulog talaga siya, ni hindi naramdaman yung kamay ko s
a mukha niya...\par
Gusto ko siyang gisingin para tanungin kung kumain na ba siya or uminom man lang
ng gamot...\par
Pero nitong mga nakaraang araw, hindi kasi naging maganda yung pakikitungo niya
sa akin, something na talagang hindi ko maintindihan. Ano naman kayang nagawa ko
sa kanya? Wala naman akong matandaan na nagawa or nasabi kong masama...\par
Napatingin ulit ako sa kanya, at hindi ko napigilang titigan siya ng matagal. Ma
tagal ko nang alam na gwapo siya, pero hindi ko kahit kalian na-appreciate yun.
Dahil nga siguro sikat siya and all that. Dati, akala ko, kapareho siya ng mga k
aibigan niya. Puro mababaw. Mayabang.\par
Pero sobrang mali... Naging super judgmental pala ako...\par
Buti na lang, I looked again. Kung hindi...\par
OH SH!T.\par
Nagising siya!
Gelo's POV:
Oh darn. My head's throbbing like HELL. Hindi ko mabukas yung mata ko.\par
Gabi na?\par
Naririnig ko pa yung TV, nakalimutan ko na palang patayin. Nakatulugan ko na yun
g panonood...
Finally, namulat ko ang mata ko.
My gawd. I must be dreaming. Or perhaps I'm just delirious.\par
Ang gandang panaginip naman nito!\par
But wait. It's real!\par
DARN! I LOOK LIKE HELL!
"What are you doing here?!" I asked in total horror. She simply stared at me.
"HA? Ah, eh... i- ibabalik ko lang sana yung payong mo..."
Grabe yung kaba ko. Hindi ko alam kung kaba lang ba talaga, eh parang halo-halo
na! Dumagdag pa yung fact na balot ako ng kumot, magulo ang buhok at may muta pa
yata!
"Ah, teka, kumain ka na ba?" tanong niya bigla. Na-touch naman ako. Concerned si
ya sa akin?
Damn. I feel myself blushing..
"Hindi pa... bakit mo natanong?" sabi ko, finally standing up.
"May dala ako... sobra kasi yung naluto... wala, naisipan ko lang..." sabi niya,
sabay turo nung bowl sa table.
"S-salamat ha?" sabi ko. "Pasensya na ha, makalat."
"Ok lang. Mag-isa ka?"
"Oo eh. Umalis yung maid. Saka wala si Mommy."
"Iniwan ka dito? Eh maysakit ka?!" sabi niya. Napatingin ako sa kanya.
"Ah... sorry ha... pakialamera ba?"
Nginitian ko na lang siya. Hindi ako makapaniwalang totoo palang nandito siya sa
harap ko.
"Hindi naman. Buti nga andito ka..." I said, unable to restrain myself.
"Kasalanan ko naman kung bakit ka nagkasakit eh."
Nalungkot naman ako sa sinabi niya. So ibig sabihin... na-guilty lang siya...?
"Ikaw naman kasi... wala ka naman palang ibang payong, binigay mo pa saken."\par
"Eh pano kung ikaw yung hindi nakauwi, sige nga?!"
Natahimik kami ulit...
"Tsaka akala ko kasi may masasabayan ako noon kaya binigay ko na lang sayo," sab
i ko. Hindi naman sa ayaw kong magpa-obvious. Totoo namang dapat eh susunduin ak
o ni Mommy noon. Kaso hindi na ako sinipot...
"Ganoon ba?" sabi niya na lang. Napansin kong pilit na lang yung ngiti niya pagk

asabi ko noon.
Nasaktan din ba siya?
Did she want me to say na concerned ako sa kanya?
Kasi... sa totoo lang... yun din ang gusto kong marinig..
"Ok lang ba kung dito ka na lang muna?" tanong ko. Tiningnan ko siya, silently b
egging her to stay. Right now, wala akong ibang gusto kundi makasama siya... san
a pumayag siya...
"Oo naman..." sabi niya, at ngumiti siya sa akin.
Sobrang natuwa ako. I felt the overwhelming urge to hug her... pero pinigilan ko
ang sarili ko... the mere act of asking her to stay with me was already like a
betrayal kay Liam... ayoko nang madagdagan. Tama na siguro yung kasama ko siya d
ito.
"O, akala ko ba, kakain ka?" sabi niya. Oo nga pala.
Sinamahan niya ako sa dining table.
"Ikaw nagluto?"
"Oo naman." Sabi niya. Nakita kong napatingin siya sa braso ko.
"Hey, about the other day... sorry ha?" sabi ko, having been reminded of how I h
ad acted towards her the other day.
"Ok lang yun... Kalimutan mo na."
"I owe you one."
"Don't mention it."
"Clam Chowder ba to? Ang bango!" sabi ko, taking a sip.
"Yup," sabi niya. Ang sarap niya magluto
"Grabe. Para kang si Liam kung kumain."
Natigilan ako. Whoa, I must admit I didn't see that coming.
"Ganun?" sabi ko, faking a laugh. I saw her eyes wander over the picture frames
nearby. Napatagal ang tingin niya dun sa isang pinaka-kakaiba sa lahat
"Nagtataka ka ba kung bakit putol?" I asked her.
"Erm... yeah. Sorry... didn't mean to... I mean, if your don't wanna-"\par
"Talk about it?"\par
"Sorry."\par
"Don't say sorry. I'm cool with it. You see... hiwalay na parents ko."\par
I carefully avoided her eyes dahil sigurado akong awa ang makikita ko doon.
"Maraming nagtaka kung bakit pagdating ko ng High School, nagsibagsakan ang grad
es ko. I wouldn't think you were one of them-..."
"No, no. I wondered. Yun ba yung time na... alam mo na?"\par
"Oo. My mom got kind of tired. See, dad was only forced to marry her because he
had gotten her pregnant. He had a girlfriend then. My mom hoped he'd learn to lo
ve her through the years, but unfortunately... hindi nagawa ni Dad yun. And then
my mom discovered na my dad was still seeing the other woman..."
"Oh my god."
"And he even had a daughter with his old girlfriend. Kaya pala they kept seeing
each other. My mom didn't get the whole point, said she was tired and she couldn
't stand it, so she chucked him out of the house. He went to the States. I never
saw him again..."
"Galit ka ba sa Dad mo?"
"Kung sasabihin kong hindi, ipokrito ako. Pero nabawasan na. Hindi na galit yung
nararamdaman ko. Tampo na lang siguro. Sinusuportahan niya ako financially. Per
o ni sulat, e-mail, tawag... wala."
"Have you tried to contact him?"
"No. My mom forbade me to do so."
Katahimikan.
"Can you promise me not to tell anyone?"
"Of course."
"Ikaw pa lang ang pinagsabihan ko. Kahit si Liam hindi niya alam."
"Talaga?"
"Oo naman."
"Thanks... for trusting me with it..."
"Well I know it's safe with you."
I looked at her as though I could never look at her properly enough... I never t

hought*BEEP*
Cellphone niya. Shete, panira ng momentum.
"Ohmigosh."
"Bakit? Something happened?"
"Hindi. Nakalimutan ko... DVD Friday namin nina Maffy ngayon. I-... I gotta go."
Kainis naman itong si Maffy. Hay.
"Sige... una ka na..."
"Ok ka lang dito?"\par
"Oo naman. I'll be alright, don't worry about me..."\par
Syempre... ok na ako... nakasama na kita...\par
"Sure ka?"\par
"Oo nga sabi. Umalis ka na nga. Baka magbago pa isip ko."\par
"Sige ha. Wag mo kalimutan yung gamot mo."\par
I watched her hanggang makalabas na siya ng pinto namin. Hindi ko na siya maalis
sa isip ko pagkatapos noon...\par
I felt I couldn't play the martyr any longer.\par
I can't let her go just like that...\par
Hindi... Hindi ko kakayaning ipaubaya na lang siya ng ganoon lang.\par
Sabihin na ni Liam ang gusto niya... Wala na akong pakialam.\par
From now on, hindi ko na siya iiwasan. Hindi ko na itatago yung feelings ko. Sab
ihin nang g@go akong kaibigan pero mahal ko si Ria.\par
At sa ngayon, THAT is all that I care about.\par
Chapter Fifteen:\par
Ria's POV:\par
"Well I know it's safe with you."\par
I looked up at him, and our eyes met.\par
I felt my heart racing... Which was really weird. I never felt such a thing befo
re... except with-\par
*BEEP*\par
My phone!\par
Oh shoot. Why now?!\par
It was Maffy.\par
Wer u? Nklmtn m ba, DVD mrthon ntn ngayon!\par
"Ohmigosh."\par
"Bakit? Something happened?"\par
Oh yea, something did... they've just ruined my moment with you!\par
WHAT?! Ano ba naman itong pinag-iiisip ko...!\par
"Hindi. Nakalimutan ko. DVD Friday namin nina Maffy ngayon. I-... I gotta go," I
said, trying not to sound so depressed about leaving. I just wanted to be with
him right now... and I want it BAD.\par
"Sige, una ka na." he told me. I can't help but think... did he really want me t
o leave?\par
"Ok ka lang dito?" sabi ko, secretly hoping he'd tell me to stay... to beg, even
...\par
I felt sick of myself! How could I possibly-\par
"Oo nga sabi. Umalis ka na nga. Baka magbago pa ang isip ko."\par
Aba, at tinaboy pa ako! Bahala siya!\par
I managed a smile...\par
"Sige ha. Wag mo kalimutan yung gamot mo."\par
Malayo-layo na ang nalakad ko nang magtext ulit si Maffy.\par
Oi! Mgrep ka nman!\par
I'm comin. Nearly ther.\par
Ngtmpo n c Liam. Umlis n.\par
HUH?! Anu drma nun? Amp.\par
Blisan mo n kce!\par
Anak ng tipaklong! At minadali pa ako.\par
Binilisan ko na ang lakad. Napakadalang magtampo ni Liam... But all of them had
sensible reasons.\par

Pero ngayon? Magwo-walkout just because I was late? I've got to make him see som
e sense!\par
Well, sa totoo lang naman, hindi naman ako manhid eh. Alam ko na yung panunukso
sa amin nina Ate, may ibig sabihin...\par
Childhood crush ko si Liam, at alam ni Ate yun. Pero simula nung nalaman kong pa
reho kami ni Denise na may soft spot kay Liam, medyo tinigilan ko na. Hindi nama
n sa super martir effect ang gusto ko, pero ayoko nung ganung may 'kaagaw', baka
magkagulo pa pag nagkataon. Tapos nung naging sikat pa si Liam sa school, I rea
lized na mas marami pang magkakagusto sa kanya and I have a rather slim chance n
a mapansin niya...\par
Hindi ko rin naman totally na-eliminate yung feelings ko for him. Hindi naman ma
dali kasi lagi kaming magkasama, at ang lakas pa magpa-cute nung kumag na yun. D
agdag pa yung fact na ginagawa kaming loveteam ni Ate Danna at ni Kuya Toff.\par
Nakakahiya na nga eh. Baka super obvious na ako, at iniisip niya super patay na
patay ako sa kanya! Kunwari na lang dedma, kahit sa totoo lang maloka loka na ak
o pag tinutukso kami sa isa't isa. Syempre hindi naman maaalis sa akin na isipin
yung possibilities...\par
But even if he doesn't ask me out, kuntento ako sa fact na super close kami. Som
ehow, takot din akong magbago yun, kasi yung friendship naming dalawa is somethi
ng na I really cherish, and talagang hindi ako papayag na masira yun... kaya as
much as possible hindi ko pinapakita na may natitira pa akong feelings sa kanya.
\par
I got my phone and started to text him.\par
Liam, wer u? Ppnta nq s bhay... b there, aright? I'l c u... ; )\par
Out of nowhere, pumasok na naman sa utak ko ang pagmumukha ni Gelo...\par
Ano ba naman yung kanina. Nawindang naman ako. Ang gulo gulo.\par
Natawa ako nang naalala ko yung hirit ni Maffy about Gelo. Well, hindi ko naman
din maiwasang isipin na baka totoo nga yun, pero sabi naman ni Gelo kanina akala
niya may masasabayan siya kaya binigay niya na lang sa akin. So that might as w
ell be a giveaway na wala lang talagang ibig sabihin yung pagpapahiram niya nung
payong na yun. Mahirap din naman kasing maging feelingera... lalo na kung wala
naman talaga.\par
Siguro nagi-guilty lang ako. Guilt naman talaga yung dahilan kaya nagsimula to e
h... una yung nabuhusan siya ni Elle ng isang kawaling kumukulong mantika. Ngayo
n, eto naman... my excessive concern was perhaps due to the fact that I held mys
elf responsible for all those things that had happened to him. Ako naman talaga
yung parang nasisi sa away nila ni Elle, at hindi naman siya dapat na magkakasak
it kung hindi niya pinahiram saken yung payong.\par
Pero hanggang ngayon palaisipan saken yung pag-iwas niya. Mood swing lang kaya y
un? But I haven't heard of a mood swing that lasted for four days... or was he p
erhaps a rare case?\par
Ang nakakainis lang eh yung fact na may pakialam ako na iniiwasan niya ako. Dati
-rati naman, bago kami naging magkatabi, hindi naman talaga kami nagpapansinan.
Minsan dumadaan ang mga schoolyear na hindi ko matandaang nakausap ko siya or an
ything.\par
Siguro dahil nga iba na ngayon. Magkaibigan na kami. Kahit sino naman kasi ang u
miwas saken na kaibigan ko, maski si Denise, si Maffy, si Liam or si Jon syempre
may pakialam ako.\par
Oh my gosh... I've just realized... am I rationalizing my own feelings?!\par
Ang labo naman kasi talaga. Gusto ko lang namang linawin sa sarili ko kung ano b
a talaga...\par
Pero ano ba yung kilig-like thing na naramdaman ko noon? Nung hinawakan niya yun
g kamay ko? Nung sinabi niyang he knows that his secret is safe with me...? Nung
nagkatinginan kami?\par
What the hell. I can't possibly-\par
"RIA! Ano ba, anong petsa na, ang bagal mong maglakad!"\par
Jusme, sa kakaisip ko, hindi ko namalayang andoon na pala ako sa street namin, a
t nandoon na pala si Maffy sa tapat ng bahay at nagsisisigaw...\par
"Andyan na ako!!!"\par
Babaitang yun!\par

Well, kaya lang naman ganoon si Maffy kasi ayaw niya nung nagkakatampuhan kami.
Matagal na kaming magkakaibigan at siya yung voice of reason namin kapag nagkaka
roon ng tension. At ang gusto niya, however big the quarrel was, ma-resolve agad
para daw hindi na lumaki. Kaya siguro ako pinagmamadali para makausap ko na aga
d si Liam...\par
"Asaan na siya? Hindi pa ba kayo nag-start?" tanong ko.\par
"Paano kami mag-start, eh tatlo pa kayong kulang?" sabi ni Jonathan, who was sta
nding beside Maffy. Mukha ngang kanina pa nila ako hinihintay.\par
"Bakit naman kasi ang tagal mo? Eh ang aga mo daw umalis dito sabi ni Ate Danna.
"\par
"Si Gelo kasi eh, wala siyang kasama... sinamahan ko muna..."\par
"Gelo ka na ng Gelo diyan... Eh kung dun ka na kaya tumira?!"\par
HALA. Pati si Maffy nag-drama na!\par
"Tigilan niyo na nga yan, tara na sa loob," sabi ni Jon, obviously sensing na na
gkakainisan na kami ni Maffy.\par
"Sige na, pupuntahan ko lang sandali si Liam..."\par
Punta naman ako sa kabilang bahay para na rin magpalamig ng ulo. Galit na nga sa
akin si Liam pati itong si Maffy nakikigulo rin. Pang-asar! Visit lang naman yu
n kay Gelo nagiging super BIG DEAL! D@mn it!\par
Deretso naman ako sa loob ng bahay nina Liam. Nakita ko si Tita Yolly sa couch.\
par
"Tita, si Liam po?"\par
"Ha? Andoon sa taas, kasama ng Kuya niya. Puntahan mo na."\par
"Thanks, Tita!"\par
Saktong papunta ako sa stairs when I heard footsteps.\par
Oh. It's just Kuya Toff, midway through the steps.\par
"O, Ria, watcha doin' here?"\par
There is something absolutely peculiar with the too-cool tone of his voice, so I
immediately sensed na something was up.\par
"Papunta na ako dun, tara sabay na tayo."\par
"Kuya, si Liam?"\par
"Ah?" he asked, and then he was looking at a particular spot above his head.\par
"Naku, tulog na. May soccer practice pa daw kasi bukas."\par
Damn. Kuya Toff, you are the worst liar, ever!\par
"LIAM! I know you're there!" I yelled, walking towards the stairs,\par
"Ria, tulog na siya! Wag kang maingay!" said Kuya Toff, alarmed.\par
"LIAM! GET DOWN HERE OR I'LL-..." I started, but Kuya Toff was quick to cover my
mouth.\par
"Shut up!"\par
"Hija, MAG-HUNOS DILI KA! Nag-away ba kayo?!" said Tita Yolly, who came running
from the living room.\par
"Wala ma, LQ lang nila ni Liam, we'll manage!" said Kuya Toff as I struggled to
talk. He was too strong and in no time he had dragged me outside.\par
"What the BLOODY HELL were you thinking?! Magigising ang buong street!"\par
"Damn it, Kuya! Why's he playing the drama king!?"\par
"Ria, let's better not force it. Mas mag-aaway kayo kung pipilitin mo!"\par
"And who are you to tell me that?!"\par
"Stop yelling!"\par
"Fine! Yeah, gang up on me, all of you! First it's Liam, then Maffy... You do se
em to have developed a particular liking on hating me, haven't you?!"\par
"Stop it! We're not ganging up on you! Listen-...."\par
But I have turned my back on him. He followed me and he was talking fast... I di
dn't bother to listen.\par
I went straight to my room without dinner and without talking to anyone. I got t
he feeling that they were all talking about me... but I don't really give a hoot
about that right now.\par
Basta. Kakausapin ko si Liam bukas, and I won't let him get away!\par
Chapter Sixteen(A)\par
Liam's POV:\par

"Oh? Ano pa ginagawa mo dito, tara na!"\par

Wow. A la sais y medya na pala. Ang bilis, parang kanina lang andoon ako sa kabi
la at kumakain ng soup... thirty minutes na pala ang lumipas.\par
Tiningnan ko lang si Kuya. Binagsak ko yung backpack sa kama at pinigilan ang sa
rili kong ipagtatapon ang lahat ng makita kong gamit.\par
"Sige, kayo na lang..."\par
"Problema mo?!"\par
"Wala. Leave me alone."\par
"Wag ka ngang umabsent! Wala pang umaabsent sa atin tapos ayan ka, nagi-emo mode
?! Pwede ba, cut it out."\par
I threw myself on the bed and shot him a nasty look.\par
"Sige ka, magkapartner kami ni Danna... tapos si Maffy at si Jon... Kawawa naman
si Ria, mag-isa..."\par
"KAWAWA?! She's not even there!"\par
"Huh? Baka naman male-late lang?"\par
"No, I know where she is..."\par
"O, eh alam mo naman pala kung nasaan, hintayin mo na lang kasi."\par
"I don't think you get it, Kuya... she's with Gelo."\par
I watched his facial expression change.\par
"Gelo?"\par
"Yeah, how many other Gelos do we know?"\par
"Don't tell me-..."\par
"I won't tell you, then," I snapped.\par
"Ooooh. Not very friendly."\par
"Kuya, will you shut up?" I said, turning my computer on. Konting RO lang siguro
to, wala na.\par
Sh!t, pati yung mouse gusto kong ibato kay Kuya!\par
"Ayos ka rin eh noh? Sa lahat ng taong pagdududahan mo, si Gelo pa."\par
"Well it's not like wala akong basehan."\par
"Eh ano naman kung pinuntahan siya? Duh, she's here almost every day! Sabay pa k
ayo umuwi lagi!"\par
Natigilan ako...\par
"Tsaka jusko, pag ikaw yung maysakit laging andyan siya agad, may dalang kung an
o-ano. Baka naman kasi na-guilty lang talaga."\par
Tiningnan ko si Kuya.\par
"You seem like you know everything."\par
"Do I?" he said, chuckling. "Hindi naman."\par
"May alam ka bang hindi ko alam, ha Kuya?" I asked. Tiningnan ko siya at nakita
kong ngumisi na iba ang ibig sabihin.\par
"Naku, Liam. Marami."\par
"Kaya ba kampante ka?" tanong ko. Tumawa siya ng malakas.\par
"The more time you waste, the more reasons you will get para ma-paranoid," sabi
niya sa akin.\par
Bumalik yung inis ko in full measure.\par
"G@go ka ba Kuya?! Ang sabi mo sa aking plano, hintayin ko until the gig para dr
amatic, tapos ngayon you're telling me I'm wasting time?!"\par
"Sige, magmura pa. Lalo kitang pabayaan diyan makikita mo."\par
"KUYA NAMAN EH!"\par
"If you think it's time for you to move, hindi mo kailangang isipin kung anong i
pinayo ko o ipinayo ng kung sino."\par
"So you think it's time to move?"\par
"Aba, eh hindi naman ako ang napaparanoid at naghihinala kay Gelo, bakit ako ang
tatanungin mo?!"\par
"Ewan ko sayo Kuya!" sabi ko, sabay concentrate sa computer. Sasagot na lang ng
maayos hindi pa magawa!\par
"Parang may narinig ako sa labas ah..." sabi ni Kuya, sabay lakad papunta sa bin
tana. Pinabayaan ko lang siya.\par
"Mukhang galit si Maffy ah? Hala ka bro, papunta na dito si Ria!" sabi ni Kuya,
at palabas naman siyang tumakbo.Napasunod naman ako...\par
Pakshet, anong gagawin ko?! Kakausapin ko ba? SH!T!!!\par

"Tita, si Liam po?"\par

Oh, shoot! Don't tell her I'm here!\par
"Ha? Andoon sa taas, kasama ng Kuya niya. Puntahan mo na."\par
"Thanks, Tita!"\par
PATAY!!! Tinulak ko si Kuya at sinenyasan siyang pigilan si Ria sa pag-akyat.\pa
r
"O, Ria, watcha doin' here?" narinig kong sabi ni Kuya. "Papunta na ako dun, tar
a sabay na tayo."\par
"Kuya, si Liam?"\par
"Ah?" sabi ni Kuya, at tumingin siya sa akin. I frantically signaled him to tell
her na wala ako, mouthing, WALA, TULOG!\par
"Naku, tulog na. May soccer practice daw kasi bukas," sabi ng Kuya ko. I breathe
d a sigh of relief, akala ko ibebenta niya ako.\par
"LIAM! I know you're there!"\par
"Ria, tulog na siya! Wag kang maingay!"\par
"LIAM, GET DOWN HERE OR I'LL-..."\par
"Shut up!"\par
Narinig ko na ang boses ni Mommy, at nagkagulo na sila... wala na akong maintind
ihan sa mga pinagsasabi nila... I can tell na talagang naaasar si Ria... I never
really saw or heard her lose control before...\par
Ano bang gagawin ko? Pucha. Nabubuwisit na ako sa sarili ko... Parang gusto ko s
iyang kausapin na hindi...\par
Hay naku... bahala na nga!\par
KINABUKASAN...\par
Ria's POV:\par
Pak! Alas siete na ng umaga!\par
Tanghali na, kainis talaga halos hindi ako nakatulog sa magkahalong confusion at
inis. Makailang beses kumatok sina Maffy pero hindi ako lumabas, wala ako sa mo
od...\par
Bakit?! Akala ba nila sila lang ang marunong magdrama?! PWES AKO RIN!\par
Takbo ako sa kabilang bahay... Saktong labas ni Tita Yolly...\par
"Tita, I'm so sorry to bother you this early... but is-..."\par
"Hija, Liam left early. You might find him in school... you're going to cheerlea
ding practice as well, right? Liam told me you were asked to join."\par
OMGLOL. Oo nga noh?!\par
Chapter Sixteen (B)\par
Ria's POV:\par
Dali-dali akong nagbihis ng shirt at jogging pants, kagaya ng suot ni Denise kap
ag umaalis ng Saturday mornings. Nagkanda leche leche ako kasi nga male-late ako
, 8 o clock pala ang call time palagi! Shyet talaga!\par
"O? Ang aga pa? Saan ka pupunta?"\par
"Cheerleading."\par
"Ha? I thought you didn't want to join?"\par
"I thought so too..." I said while tying my shoelaces. "Can you give me a ride?"
\par
"Syempre... hey... about last night, Maffy and Toff-..."\par
"Oh. I'm so sorry about last night. I got so worked up about Liam."\par
"They kind of understand. Si Maffy kasi, alam mo naman... At si Toff..."\par
"Nakakahiya nga, nag-eskandalo ako sa bahay nila..." I cringed nung naalala kong
nagsisigaw ako kagabi sa harap ni Tita Yolly.\par
"Ok lang yun. Si Liam din naman kasi yung may kasalanan. Kabastusan din naman ka
si yung hindi siya humarap diba?"\par
"Oo nga... Pero kahit na. Kakausapin ko siya and I swear I won't let him skive o
ff again."\par
"You do have an idea why he acted that way, don't you?"\par
"No I absolutely don't. Kaya nga I'll go talk to him."\par
"Kailangan mo ba talagang mag-join ng cheerleaders para makausap siya?"\par
"Hindi naman ako papapasukin sa court pag hindi ako cheerleader noh," I said. At
e rolled her eyes.\par
"Ang swerte naman ni Liam... ikaw pa ang gumagawa ng paraan."\par

"Ano naman yang pinag-iisip mo Ate?"\par

"Kasi naman. Nakakainis. Parang napakalaki ng kasalanan mo sa kanya."\par
"Yun nga pinagtataka ko. Pinuntahan ko lang naman si Gelo... Wala namang masama
dun diba?"\par
"Hindi naman kasi sa masama... Kasi naman noh, eh kung hindi siya babagal-bagal
diba... hindi ka parang ewan na walang alam-..."\par
"Huh? Ano bang dapat kong malaman?"\par
"OMG. Wala. I didn't say a thing. I'll wait for you sa car, aright?"\par
"ATE!"\par
But in a flash, she was gone. Lechugas, ano na naman yun?!\par
Hindi ko tinigilang kulitin si Ate hanggang pagsakay sa sasakyan, but it looks l
ike she's mastered the art of playing deaf. Hanggang sa tumirik ang sasakyan ni
ate...\par
"Damn! We're out of gas!"\par
"Ate naman! Kung kailan naman malapit na eh!"\par
"Saglit, tatawagan ko si Toff..."\par
"Haynaku ate! Sige na maglalakad na lang ako!"\par
I had just started walking when...\par
"Ria!"\par
I spun around and saw familiar people approaching... but I barely had time to lo
ok at who it was; one of them had just LITERALLY thrown herself at me.\par
"YAY! You're joining us!"\par
Susmarya. Si Irish pala! May kasama siyang kaklase naming babae, who was looking
at me, smiling.\par
Ang weird. Starfish to eh! Tuwing makikita pa naman ako ng mga to kulang na lang
kainin ako ng buhay kasi ang sama ng tingin saken palagi.\par
"So it's true... you'll be Elle's replacement?" sabi nung kasama ni Irish, whose
name (I think) was Zoe.\par
"Ehhrm... hindi replacement. Pagbalik niya naman tatanggapin siya ulit eh."\par
"I don't think so."\par
"Ohmigosh. I can't believe this, " said Irish, who could barely contain herself.
She looked happy. I can't help but think that the world's gone MAD....\par
"Tara na. We're late."\par
It felt really strange walking with these people. Dati I don't go anywhere near
them... Ganito ba talaga pag wala si Elle? May mga nangyayaring milagro?!\par
"Oh, Ria... I'm so sorry if sobrang short notice... My birthday party's set for
tonight. Can you come?"\par
"Don't worry. Elle isn't invited," dagdag ni Irish.\par
"Ah... sige tingnan ko."\par
"Oh come on, Ria. We're not having a prank ready for you or something."\par
Well, yun naman talaga ang nasa isip ko... baka pagdating ko doon biglang may ku
ng anong bangungot silang nakahanda.\par
"OMG, of course she doesn't know... Ria... the SS is gone."\par
"HA?" I said, my eyes wide. Grabe, that was quite a shock.\par
"Yea. We followed Irish's lead. Puno na rin kami..."\par
"WHOA."\par
"Gulat na gulat ka ah," said Irish, and they burst out laughing. Natawa na rin a
ko... siguro sobrang bumilog din yung mata ko kanina\par
Mukhang totoo ngang wala na ang SS. Lahat ng cheerleaders, ang warm ng welcome s
a akin. I even had a great time... parang hindi nila ako ino-OP gaya ng inasahan
ko. Hindi na rin sila Taglish, and best of all, hindi na nila inaalila si Denis
e.\par
After a while, pumito si Ma'am at sumenyas ng break. Salamat naman. Hilo na kasi
ako sa GUTOM...\par
"Oh, si Coach yun diba?" I heard Denise say.\par
"Uuuy. Sabay silang kakain!" said Irish, which made me laugh to pieces.\par
Bumili kami ng pagkain sa friendly kapitbahay na MiniStop at bumalik rin agad ka
si wala nang table. Sakto naming pagdating nang nag-announce si coach.\par
"Girls! Punta daw kayo sa audi, sabi ng Ma'am niyo."\par
Sunod naman kami.\par

"Audi? What's going on?"\par

"Ewan ko din."\par
"Ano kayang trip ni Ma'am?"\par
"Have you ever held your practice sa Audi?" I asked.\par
"Nah, never."\par
"Nakakapagtaka naman."\par
Pumasok kami sa madilim na audi, walang ilaw maliban doon sa projector na puro b
lue screen naman ang nakikita ko...\par
Out of nowhere... a song started to play...\par
"What the-?"\par
Suddenly, the blue screen was replaced by a white background where words were fl
ashing one by one...\par
I know I've been a total prat...\par
Ma'am? Anong kalokohan ito?!\par
And I'm sorry about last night...\par
Hala. At si Ma'am dito pa yata nagpalabas ng kalandian nila ni Sir...\par
I guess I just can't handle it any longer...\par
This is SICK... Asan na kasi si Sir?!\par
I decided I have to let you know...\par
Yeah, and I have to get out of here before I start to barf!\par
I turned around to go... and bumped into something solid.\par
"Where are you going?!"\par
"What're you doing here?! " I asked, totally surprised to see him.\par
"Duh?! Letting you know?" he said, gesturing towards the screen.\par
"Anong-?!"\par
I really like you, Ria...\par
Will you be my girl?\par
I blushed furiously and turned to face him again. I was speechless. The sound of
my heart banging was louder to me than the song playing.\par
"Oh my GOD, Ria. Please say something." Liam pleaded.\par
Chapter Seventeen\par
Maffy's POV:\par
"Anong oras ka na naman ba umuwi, ha Francesca?"\par
I looked up and saw my dad, bihis na bihis na naman at kunot ang noo... mukha tu
loy siyang chewing gum na nginuya ng dalawang araw!\par
Teka... Sabado ngayon ah? Aalis na naman siya?\par
Pfft. Parang hindi naman ako sanay...\par
"Ah, kagabi po? Mga past midnight... I don't have a curfew anymore, diba Dad?" I
said, hoping to remind him that he had told me I'll be free to go home anytime
I want on my last birthday.\par
"Saan ka ba nagpunta?" he asked, sitting down. Our maid handed him the newspaper
.\par
"Kina Ria po, DVD marathon."\par
"Bakit doon pa? You have a flatscreen and a DVD player in your own room."\par
"Dumating po kasi si Ate Danna galing States."\par
"Danna? The one taking her MAs in NYU?"\par
"The very same."\par
"Oh, really. Bakit hindi mo gamitin sa mas worthwhile na bagay ang oras mo? Inst
ead of staying up late watching movies, bakit hindi ka na lang nag-aral? Kailang
an mo ng mataas na grades, just look at Ria and Danna-..."\par
Eto na naman siya. Kinukumpara niya na naman ako kay Ria. He's made a habit out
of comparing me to other girls... pinsan ko, anak ng kumpare niya... kay Ria...
I can't help but wonder if he'd be happier if he had Ria as a daughter instead..
.\par
But no... Ria wouldn't like that, no one would, for that matter. I mean, who wou
ld want a father who'd treat them like some plain business asset or a trophy to
show off for everyone in the world to see?\par
"Kasama niyo na naman ba yung pinsan niyang delingkwente?" said Dad, jerking me
out of my reverie. D@mn, it stung like MAD. Si Jon, delingkwente? Dad, how dare
you-?!\par

"He is not a delinquent, Dad." My voice was calm but firm.\par

Katahimikan.\par
"So how would we call him? A good chain smoker? A well-behaved drunkard? Honestl
y, from what I've heard from your teachers, he's no good. You'd do well if you s
tayed away from that sleazy bastard."\par
There was a tinkle of metal; I had involuntarily dropped my spoon. I felt myself
shaking. Sinara ko ang mga mata ko and prayed to the heavens para bigyan ako ng
strength in biting back my retort. Tumayo ako with more force than I had intend
ed and left. Mabuti na yun. Kahit ganun, ayoko pa ring bastusin ang Dad ko hangg
a't kaya kong pigilin.\par
"Where do you think you're going, Francesca?" tanong niya. I sensed the all-toofamiliar cold fury in his voice... but I don't really care anymore. If I stayed,
it'd get much worse.\par
"Org meeting, Dad. See ya later."\par
Naburaot talaga ako sa sinabi ng Daddy ko. Insulting ME is one thing, but my fri
ends?! This has to be too much.\par
Hindi naman kasi kasalanan ni Jon na lumaki siyang walang ama. Hindi niya rin ka
salanan na nagkulang ang mommy niya sa disiplina habang pinapalaki siya.\par
Ano kaya ang mas mahirap? Yung sitwasyon kong may tatay nga, pasaway naman... o
yung wala na lang talagang tatay?\par
Naku. Nakakainis naman talaga.\par
I drove myself to school. Buti na lang andyan ang mga kaibigan ko na siguradong
magpapakalma sa akin mamaya...\par
Speaking of friends, medyo nagkagulo kami ni Ria kagabi, and I HAVE to say sorry
mamaya. I miss her already...\par
Sana lang maging okay kami.. sana sila rin nina Liam. Hindi kasi ako sanay ng ma
y tampuhan o kung ano pa mang kaguluhan sa amin.\par
Sa totoo lang kasalanan ni Liam eh. Ang arte kasi! Kalalaking tao, maarte pa sa
dilang maarte! Wala naman siyang dapat ikagalit!\par
Oh, mali pala. Wala siyang KARAPATANG magalit. Aba, feelingero siya ha... Bakit
sila na ba?! Eh manligaw nga hindi niya magawa!\par
I reached school in less than ten minutes. Wala naman kasing traffic. Pagpasok k
o, mga taong nagchichismisan agad ang nabungaran ko. Ano ba naman itong mga ito.
.. ang aga aga pa, chismax to death agad! At wag ka, may mga lalake pa!\par
Naku, dumeretso na nga ako sa tambayan namin. What I didn't expect was Jonathan
hanging around in there. Pagkakita niya sa akin, sabay takbo niya na parang gust
o akong yakapin sa sobrang tuwa. Ano ba nangyari sa taong to? Pero wag ka, sana
nga yakapin niya ako!\par
"Ang tagal mo naman dumating Maffy, kanina pa kita hinihintay!"\par
Hinihintay daw? Aba't kinilig ang Lola Maffy niyo.\par
"Bakit? Ano bang meron? At bakit ang daming tao sa labas? Teka, ano rin ang gina
gawa mo dito? May practice ka diba?"\par
"Ang dami mo namang tanong!" sabi niya sabay tawa. Ang kyut niya, amp!\par
"Hindi nga?"\par
"You won't believe this, but-..."\par
"I'll try."\par
"Si Ria na saka si Liam!"\par
Ha? Ano daw?\par
"Kelan? Paano?"\par
"Kanina daw... sa audi!"\par
Ohmigosh. I can't believe it! Ang bilis!\par
"Paano... teka, bakit nagawi si Ria dito?"\par
"Sumali sa cheerleaders."\par
JUSKO. Balita overload\par
"Maffy? Still there?" sabi ni Jon, sabay kaway ng kamay sa mukha ko.\par
"Ok ok. I am. Na-shock lang ako. Nasaan ba sila?"\par
"Hindi ko rin alam. This calls for a celebration! Inuman tayo mamaya?"\par
Naku, eto na naman si lasenggo!\par
"Ay, gagu... oo nga pala. Party ni Zoe tonight... punta tayo?"\par
That completely got my mind off Ria and Liam. Did Jon just ask me to go with him

? OMGLOL!\par
----------------Irish's POV:\par
Oh my God. Panic mode!\par
The chismosos and chismosas of Belletown High had a field day kanina...\par
What happened sa audi was naturally the talk of the whole town!\par
Happy ako para sa kanila. Sana lang, one day, may dumating na guy para saken na
ganun ka-romantic, diba? Aww. Daydreams...\par
Back to REALITY!\par
Hay. I really can't decide on what to wear to Zoe's party... which is like ten m
inutes from now! Shete, I haven't even started on makeup yet! Paano ba ito?\par
Hala. Bahala na nga!\par
Nandoon daw ang buong batch... I HAVE to look good! Kamusta naman, kaliwa't kana
n ang text!\par
Rish, sby ka smin? (si Ria, nagtext.)\par
Nah. Wg n, pra solo ka n liam!\par
Gaga! Hala, c u nlng mamya, aright?\par
Sure.\par
Sa wakas, nakapag makeup ako at nakapagbihis.\par
Hala, baka pagdating ko tapos na?! OH NO!!!\par
I got into my Kuya's car (which he kindly lent me) and ignited it.\par
Brrrrrrrr.\par
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.\par
BRRRRRRRRRRR.\par
Damn, it doesn't start!\par
OMG OMG. What am I gonna do? Walk? Gawd, I'm in my new stilettos for crying out
loud!!!\par
BEEEP! (malakas na busina.)\par
Lintek! Grabe makabusina, WALA NA BANG BUKAS?!\par
"Rish! Thumb a ride?"\par
"Gelo?! I thought you were sick?"\par
"Nah. I'm ok now. Hop in!"\par
Dahil masunurin akong bata, sakay naman ako sa Honda Civic niya. Wow, soshalin n
aman talaga ang mga tao, in fairness! Ayos siya mag-drive, hindi kaskasero gaya
ng ibang kilala ko...\par
"Ang bilis mo gumaling ah! What happened?"\par
"Guess who dropped by to visit me last night?"\par
Aba, at nasa mood magkwento si kumag. Ang cute niya naman. Ngayon lang yata ako
nakakakita ng guy na kinikilig. At susme, pa guess who pa ito...\par
"Si Ria, sino pa nga ba?"\par
"Yup!" he said, smiling, and his face lit up, as though hit by the purest ray of
sunlight. Inlove na talaga itong friend ko\par
"O? Anong nangyari? Uhmmm... Did you-...?" I asked, teasing him.\par
"Sira ka talaga Rish!"\par
"Haha! I was kidding. Hindi, seryoso. Kamusta?"\par
"Ok lang. Ang sweet niya nga, dinalhan ako ng soup... at grabe ang sarap niya ma
gluto!"\par
"O? Tapos?" I said, genuinely interested. Grabe ang kilig ni Gelo, nakakahawa!\p
ar
"Ayun, nagkakwentuhan kami. Tingin mo, andun siya ngayon?"\par
"Oo, ininvite siya ni Zoe eh! Naku, kaya pala gwapong gwapo ka!"\par
"Syempre!"\par
At nagtawanan kaming dalawa. Ang kulit niya ha.\par
Hindi ko akalain magiging ganito kami ka-close. Kahit nga noong sila ni Elle we
barely talked. Grabe, ang bango niya. He reminds me of someone... hindi ko lang
maalala.\par
"Alam mo, na-realize ko kung gaano ako ka-g@go this week."\par
"Uh-huh?" I said absentmindedly. Parang may nakalimutan yata ako? I checked my p
urse...\par
"Naku, basta. Hindi ko na siya iiwasan. I'll fight for her, Rish."\par

Tinigil ni Gelo yung kotse. Grabe, andito na kami?! Ang bilis!\par

Ano ba yung nakalimutan ko?\par
"Hoy! Nakikinig ka ba?"\par
"Yeah! Pero paano yan... baka mag-away kayo ni Liam?"\par
Oh shoot! Yun ang nakalimutan ko... si LIAM!\par
"Bahala siya. Hindi naman ako dapat pumayag ng ganun ganun na lang... ikaw pa na
gpayo nun saken diba?"\par
"Oo... Hindi! Umuwi na tayo... Ngayon na!" I said, positively panicking.\par
"Ha? Kakarating lang natin! Bakit ba?"\par
"Basta. I get the feeling na may mangyayaring hindi maganda."\par
Naku, hindi talaga magandang makita mo si Liam... dahil paniguradong magkadikit
sila ngayon ni Ria!\par
"Ano ka ba, tara na!" sabi ni Gelo, at lumabas na siya ng kotse. I followed suit
.\par
"Hey! Gelo! I'm having a tummyache!" I said, wildly inventing an excuse.\par
That was lame... but I can't let him go in!\par
"May CR dito! Halika na nga!"\par
"No, I have to go home, seriously... Gelo! WAIT!!!"\par
Grabe, mukha na kong tanga sa mga padating na bisita... pero bahala na! I'll kee
p him outside as long as I could!\par
"Ano bang nangyayari sayo?!"\par
"Kumain ako ng talaba kanina... OMG, nagrerebolusyon yung tiyan ko!... OH SH!T!"
\par
Hindi na arte yung huling swearword na lumabas sa bibig ko. Wala pala sa loob si
na Liam at Ria... nakikita ko na silang papalapit! Kakarating din lang nila!\par
Pucha, pag sineswerte nga naman! Magka holding hands pa sila... Anak ng-?! Hindi
pwedeng makita ni Gelo ito!\par
"Ano ba?! May CR sa loob!" sabi ni Gelo, na mukhang naiinis na. Pucha, mas lalo
kang maiinis kung hindi tayo uuwi!\par
I saw Ria glance in our direction... shete! Wag kang lalapit dito!\par
Unable to think properly, I threw my purse aside.\par
"Ouch! Grabe... Gelo? Can you get my purse for me?" I said in utter desperation.
Masunuring bata, yumuko siya at kinuha ang purse ko... Shete, Ria, pumasok na k
ayo dali!\par
"Hi! Pasok kayo!" said a loud voice. Si Zoe!\par
Inabot sa akin ni Gelo yung purse ko...\par
"O, ayan na pala si Zoe... tanungin mo na kung saan ang CR..." sabi niya, and be
fore I could stop him, humarap na siya sa may gate. In horror, I watched him fre
eze on the spot. His eyes fell on Ria and Liam's clasped hands...\par
Hindi na nila kami napansin at pumasok na sila.\par
On that moment, I wished I could use a Memory Charm on him so he'd forget...\par
I couldn't stand looking at the expression on his face nung humarap na siya sa a
kin...\par
he looked numb with shock.\par
But I would have given anything in the world para hindi ko na lang narinig ang s
umunod niyang sinabi...\par
"Please tell me that wasn't real..."\par
Chapter Eighteen\par
Liam's POV:\par
"O, bakit ka nagmamadali?" tanong ko sa humahangos na si Ria.\par
It was a pretty good Monday morning. Until now I still can't quite believe na ka
mi na. Iba talaga yung pakiramdam. I mean, with my past girlfriends... parang wa
la lang. Pero ngayon, ang saya.\par
We even went to Zoe's party together, where we danced, ate, talked, and had fun
like there's no tomorrow. Sana laging ganoon...\par
"It's quarter to eight, you retard... which means we're running late!"\par
Haha, retard daw? What a pet name... KILIG AKO.\par
"Ano ka ba, ang lapit lang ng school..."\par
"Kahit na! Lunes ngayon!"\par
"Ria! Hindi ka pa kumakain!" sigaw ni Tita. I gave Ria an exasperated look, tapo

s hinila ko siya papunta sa bahay nila.\par

"Ano ba?! Sabing late na eh!"\par
"We're not going anywhere pag hindi ka kakain!"\par
"Aaaw. Kilig naman ako."\par
\par
Naku, si Ate Danna pala.\par
\par
"Kumain ka na kasi, Ria. Si Toff na bahala magpalipad ng kotse mamaya so you'll
get there in time."\par
"Tama yan. Magkampihan pa kayo..." Ria said grumpily, taking her seat on the din
ing table.\par
"Ganyan talaga... Diba bayaw?" sabi ni Ate Danna, elbowing me hard on the side.
I can feel my face reddening.\par
"Pagpasensyahan mo na. PMS lang yan."\par
"MOM!!!" said Ria, her mouth full. Ang cute parang bata!\par
\par
"Nag-aaalala lang naman kami, Ria. Paano kasi baka pag nagutom ka si Liam ang ka
inin mo."\par
"Hoy tama na nga yan Ate. Lunes na Lunes nabubwisit si Katuray ko."\par
"Don't call me that, YOU SKUNK!"\par
"I love you too!"\par
\par
At nagtawanan kaming lahat.\par
\par
"Hoy, easy on the PDA sa school ha. Conservative ang school natin."\par
"PDA? Sakalin ko yan eh!"\par
\par
Nakarating naman kami sa school just in time. Pinagtitinginan nga kami ng mga ta
o pero dedma. Inggit lang siguro yun! Haha!\par
\par
Pagpasok namin ng classroom, andoon na si Sir.\par
\par
"See ya mamayang recess " sabi niya, smiling. Pumunta na siya sa upuan niya.\par
"Liam!"\par
\par
Napatingin ako kay Sir. Katakot naman. Ano naman kayang ginawa ko?\par
\par
"Saan ka pupunta?"\par
\par
HUH?!\par
\par
"Doon ka na uupo. Sa tabi ni Ria."\par
"Po?" I said, hardly daring to believe it.\par
"Oo. Ayaw mo?"\par
"Hindi po! Gusto!"\par
\par
Dali dali naman akong pumunta sa tabi niya. Did she actually ask for this?\par
\par
"Pinalipat mo ko?" I whispered.\par
"Huh? Hindi ah! I thought it was you!"\par
\par
TEKA...\par
\par
"Eh sino?"\par
\par
Bumukas ang pinto; sabay na pumasok sina Gelo at Irish. Napatingin sila sa amin
panandali... tapos dumeretso si Gelo sa dati kong upuan. Ni hindi nagtaka o ano.
..\par
\par
Parang kilala ko na tuloy kung sino ang nagpalipat...\par

Nagkamabutihan na yata itong dalawang ito? Lately napansin kong lagi silang magk
asama... Sila na rin kaya?\par
I couldn't resist breathing a sigh of relief.\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
Wow. Hindi lang pala kami ang bagong couple : ) At wag ka, nagpalipat pa ng upua
n... Sweet diba? Buti na lang si Liam ang nagkataong katabi ni Irish : )\par
I felt quite happy for Gelo. Pero ewan, na-miss ko agad siya. Di bale, kausapin
ko na lang siya mamayang break time... at least ngayon ok na, alam kong ok kami
at mood swings lang talaga yung drama niya nung isang linggo.\par
\par
Ang saya naman ng start ng week\par
\par
\par
RECESS TIME...\par
\par
\par
"O? Bakit ang tamlay mo Den?" Zoe asked. Oo nga naman. Kanina pang tahimik si De
nise.\par
\par
"Are you ok?" I asked her.\par
\par
"Oo naman," she said reassuringly, though I wasn't altogether assured. I can't h
elp feeling guilty... Dahil kaya sa amin ni Liam? After all, sobrang tagal na si
yang crush ni Den.\par
\par
"Wag kang mag-alala, Ria. It's not what you think."\par
\par
"You've read my mind?" I asked, smiling.\par
\par
"Sabi ko naman sayo psycho ako."\par
\par
"You mean psychic?" Zoe corrected her. Nagtawanan lang kami.\par
\par
\par
Pero sa totoo lang kanina ko pang napapansin na nag-iiwasan ng tingin sina Liam
at Den. Nako, kailangan ko kausapin itong mga to mamaya.\par
\par
\par
"Teka, si Maffy asan?"\par
\par
"Ewan. Wala pa siya?"\par
\par
"Hindi ko pa rin nga nakikita."\par
\par
"Baka maysakit?"\par
\par
"Hangover kamo. Naglasing siya nung Sabado eh."\par
\par
\par
Nakaupo na kami sa Caf nung dumating si Maffy.\par
\par
\par
"Dumating ka pa?" Liam said jokingly.\par
\par
"Nako, ewan ko ba. Bwisit kasi yung kumpare ni Daddy."\par
\par
"Huh? Bakit?"\par
\par

"Nagpa-tour dito sa school. I-eenroll daw kasi yung anak niya. Susmarya, ginawa
akong tour guide!"\par
\par
"Sinabi mo bang may class ka?"\par
\par
"Oo naman! Eh si Daddy kasi eh, wag ko daw iinisin kasi bestfriend niya daw yun!
Bwiset!"\par
\par
"Sige na, kumain ka na lang."\par
\par
\par
"OH MY-..."\par
\par
\par
Nagulat kami kay Zoe, who was staring at the door on the other end of the cafete
ria. Para siyang natakot na nainis.\par
\par
Tumingin din ako doon...\par
\par
Wow. Hindi lang pala si Maffy ang fashionably late ngayong Lunes na ito.\par
\par
\par
"Wow. What's with the long faces? Aren't you all glad I'm back?" said Elle in he
r most dangerous voice. Nagtinginan ang mga tao sa table namin.\par
\par
"Elle-..." started Zoe, standing up. Denise followed suit.\par
\par
"Oh, shut up, you ungrateful little skank. I see you've all turned your backs on
me."\par
\par
"Elle, hindi ganun... Ayaw na naming maging Starfish pero hindi ibig sabihin nun
-..."\par
\par
"And who said I'm including you in that? You were never a Starfish, Denise. You
were just a big heap of crap whose mission in life was to be our faithful alalay
."\par
\par
"Elle, that's below the belt."\par
\par
"Aba. Wag ka ngang painosente diyan. You keep calling her alalay behind her back
..."\par
\par
\par
Nanahimik si Zoe.\par
\par
\par
"But I shall be dealing with you later... Ang priority ko ngayon ay ang bago nat
ing cheerleader. How about a fresh welcome?" said Elle, turning to face me.\par
\par
\par
I saw her hand move quickly towards the milkshake that Zoe was holding.\par
\par
\par
Pumikit ako and I simply waited for the cold, icy feel of the drink on my skin..
. but it didn't come. Pagmulat ko, I saw Denise standing in front of me, drippin
g wet.\par
\par
\par
"Oooh. Looks like I had a splash," said Denise calmly. Ngumiti siya kay Elle ng
pang-asar. I looked at her, amazed. Elle was wide-eyed, but she quickly regained

her composure.\par
\par
\par
"Playing the hero now, huh, Denise?" she said, sneering.\par
"Well. Tama lang, para makabawi ka sa kanya... I myself would feel the need to d
o that, you know. After what you did to her over the weekend?"\par
\par
\par
Denise grew pale. Anong-?!\par
\par
\par
"HOY, umalis ka dito kung ayaw mong mabuhusan ng lugaw!" said Maffy, coming to D
enise's rescue.\par
\par
"Maswerte ka pa rin, Denise. Pero I swear to God, malalaman at malalaman nila."\
par
\par
Chapter Nineteen\par
\par
Irish's POV:\par
\par
"Alam mo, kung nakakapagsalita ang pagkain, kanina ka pa minura niyan."\par
\par
Napatingin si Gelo sa sinabi ko. Totoo naman. He's been pushing his food around
his plate for the past ten minutes; ni wala pa ngang bawas. Nakahalumbaba pa siy
a at nakatingin sa kawalan.\par
\par
Kaya nga dito ko siya sa quadrangle dinala, inisip kong pag sa caf kami pumunta
eh mawawalan lang siya ng ganang kumain. Susmarya, kung alam ko lang na ganoon d
in naman ang kalalabasan...\par
Kainis naman to. Nahahawa tuloy ako sa senti mode niya.\par
\par
"Ikaw naman kasi, hindi ka nakinig saken," I went on. "Ang kulit mo rin eh."\par
"Bakit na naman ba?"\par
"Eh kasi, nagpalipat ka pa ng upuan."\par
"Mas madali na yun. At least hindi ko na nakakausap o ano."\par
"Ayan! Palayo layo ka pa, dun ka rin naman lagi nakatingin. Tapos magdedepress-d
epressan ka diyan."\par
"Hindi ah. Ang saya ko nga eh," sabi niya, sabay ngiti na sobrang plastik.\par
\par
Ano bang gagawin ko dito? Hindi ko alam kung tatawanan o babatukan ko eh.\par
\par
"Kainis. Hindi ba pwede magpalipat ng section?"\par
"Hoy, ang OA mo ha."\par
"Ay wag na. Mas mababanas nga pala ako, andoon si Signal Number Four," he said a
bsentmindedly.\par
"Umayos ka ah! Ang bait bait nun eh!"\par
"Ay, sorry. Boyfriend mo nga pala yun."\par
\par
I blushed and punched him on the arm.\par
\par
"G@gu!"\par
"Hoy wag yan!"\par
\par
Oo nga pala. Ang natamaan ko yung paso niya. I quickly tried to find a new topic
; it'll surely remind him of Ria na naman kasi...\par
\par
"Hoy hindi ko boyfriend yun."\par
"Kaya pala nagkikita kayo pag breaktime nang patago."\par
"We're just going out. Teka masama ba yun?"\par

"Wag ka ngang defensive. Halata ka lalo eh!"\par

"Ano ba? Tsaka hoy, bakit mo alam na nagkikita kami pag breaktime? "\par
"Bulag lang ang hindi makakakita."\par
"Ang sabihin mo, tsismoso ka!"\par
"I'm just looking out for you, silly. Wala akong tiwala sa pagmumukha nung INTSI
K beho na yun. "\par
"Ang protective mo naman, kuya. Baka tumanda akong dalaga niyan."\par
"Ganun? D'you think I'd make a good kuya?"\par
\par
Napaseryoso bigla.\par
\par
"Oo naman ano. Bakit mo natanong?"\par
"Ah. Wala lang. Naisip ko lang kung anong mangyayari pag nagkita kami nung siste
r ko... Pag nakasama ko siya..." I can see the longing in his eyes.\par
"May sister ka? "\par
"Yeah. But I never saw her. I think she's with my dad."\par
\par
Oo nga pala. Nakwento niya saken yung story ng family niya.\par
\par
"O, bakit nakiki senti ka na rin diyan?"\par
"Wala. Naisip ko lang... Hay naku. Never mind. Kainin mo na nga yan!" I said, ro
lling my eyes. He looked slightly more cheerful as he took his next bite.\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
"Ice cream?"\par
\par
Liam was offering me an ice cream cup. Nasa High School Quadrangle kami, nanonoo
d ng practice ng org nila Maffy.\par
\par
"Thanks," I said, taking it. Tiningnan ko siya, thinking of how I should ask him
about the questions that were boggling my mind...\par
\par
"Bakit?"\par
"Umm... I was wondering..."\par
"Tungkol saan?"\par
"Kasi... si Denise kanina. Actually-..."\par
"Iniisip mo ba yung sinabi ni Elle?"\par
"Syempre napaisip ako. Pero ayokong mag-isip ng masama..."\par
\par
I looked away, wondering on how the bloody hell I was going to tell him na baka
siya ang dahilan kung bakit nagkakaganoon.\par
\par
"But well, alam mo naman kung anong klaseng tao si Elle diba? She's not someone
who should be taken seriously..."\par
\par
May point nga naman siya dun. Hindi na ako sumagot.\par
\par
"Tell me, are you feeling guilty?"\par
"Guilty?" I repeated, smiling faintly, still unable to look at him.\par
"Yeah. I mean, do you regret ever getting into this relationship?"\par
"Of course not, you retard. It's just that..."\par
\par
My voice trailed away into nothingness.\par
\par
"Hindi ka dapat ma-guilty. She's known it all along."\par
"Kahit na. It would've been a blow, all the same. She liked you..."\par
"Eh ano gusto mo? Ligawan ko?"\par
\par
Sinuntok ko siya.\par

\par
"G*gu. Wag naman."\par
"Bakit hindi? Eh pinapamigay mo naman talaga ako."\par
"Hindi kita pinapamigay. Ang sabi ko lang, naaawa ako kay Denise."\par
"She'll get over it."\par
\par
Grabe. Ganun na lang kung idismiss niya yung feelings nung tao...\par
But I didn't push the matter any further. Baka totoohin niyang ligawan si Denise
, kawawa naman ako...\par
\par
Nakita ko si Gelo na dumaan papunta sa lockers. Tumingin siya sa amin, kumaway a
ko...\par
\par
Ngumiti naman siya, tapos umalis na.\par
\par
"Tingin mo? Sila na siguro ni Rish noh?"\par
"Ewan. Siguro. Lagi magkadikit eh. Super close na."\par
"Good for him. Sana lang si Rish pag nagagalit hindi nambubuhos ng mantika diba?
"\par
"Oo nga," said Liam. He was staring at the spot where Gelo had vanished.\par
\par
Grabe, nabakla ata kay Gelo ang boyfie ko! xDD\par
\par
"Bee?"\par
\par
Bah. Bagong pet name? KILIG overload\par
\par
"Anong bee? Sinong Bee yun ha?"\par
"Ikaw!"\par
"Hindi! Katuray ang tawag mo sa akin eh! Sino si Bee?"\par
\par
Tinawanan niya lang ako.\par
\par
"Gusto mo ba, sa gig namin sa Saturday, yun ulit kantahin ko?"\par
"Alin? Yung kanta ng Red Jumpsuit Apparatus?"\par
"Oo. Yung sa audi?"\par
"Ayoko."\par
"Bakit? Ayaw mo ba yung kanta?"\par
"Hindi. Gusto ko saten saten lang yun... diba?"\par
"Hmp. Sige na nga. Iba na lang."\par
"Surprise me. Nako, sige, punta muna ako ng locker. Nakalimutan ko yung libro ko
sa math."\par
\par
Lakad naman ako. Hindi ko pa kasi natatapos i-review yung homework ko...\par
\par
"Paanong-?"\par
"That's my business, Gelo. Ang dapat mong problemahin... kung paano, kailan at s
aan mo sasabihin sa kanya."\par
\par
Kilala ko yung mga boses na yun ah...\par
\par
"Pero... kaibigan ko si Liam..."\par
"Don't be so STUPID. You know you love Ria... and you know you deserve her more
than he does!"\par
"Oo naman... Pero-"\par
"There! That should make you desperate enough para gawin mo yung sinasabi ko! I
know you can't stand them being together..."\par
\par
I froze.\par
\par

"I don't think she'll fall for it. I mean..."\par

"Oh come on. Use your charm. She'll fall for it... I know what I'm doing, you'll
see."\par
"Tell me what to do..."\par
\par
I quietly went away, unable to stand any more of it.\par
\par
Gelo's conniving with Elle. It just made me sick to my stomach...\par
But at least alam ko na... at kung ano man yung plano nila, alam ko na kung anon
g gagawin kung sakaling they'll put it into action.\par
\par
Akala ko iba ka, Gelo. I thought you were much more than what you actually seeme
d...\par
\par
Turns out the second chance I gave him was such a huge mistake after all.\par
\par
Chapter Twenty\par
\par
Gelo's POV:\par
\par
Sana, ako na lang yung katabi niya...\par
\par
Those were the words that were playing over and over in my mind as I walked alon
g the corridor. Kumaway siya saken kanina at magkakahalong emotions ang nararamd
aman ko, to the point na sasabog na ako kasi para akong flask na pinuno ng combu
stible chemicals.\par
\par
Ano ba tong nangyayari saken?\par
\par
BLAG!\par
\par
Aray! Sa kakaisip bumangga na pala ako sa isa sa mga lockers. Ang sakit ah sa sa
hig ako naglanding...\par
\par
"Do watch where you're going, pighead."\par
\par
I looked up and saw Elle standing in front of me, sneering.\par
\par
"Thanks. What a fat lot of help you are."\par
"Still sarcastic, eh Gelo?" she asked, offering me her hand. I took it para hind
i masabing bastos.\par
\par
"Nothing changed much, really. So what're you doing here?"\par
"Oh, that. I was looking for you."\par
"Hinahanap mo ko? Bakit, hindi ka pa ba kuntento sa-..."\par
"About that... yeah. I wanted to apologize."\par
\par
What? Si Elle ba itong kausap ko? Hay. Ewan. The world's gone mad...\par
\par
"If you say so," I said, shrugging.\par
"We're okay?"\par
"Yea... I guess."\par
\par
"I wanted to show you something."\par
"Ano naman yun?"\par
\par
She took something out of her pocket; a picture.\par
\par
"Recognize her by any chance?"\par
\par

I looked at the picture intently, racking my brains.\par

\par
"Oo. She's Liam's ex. Bakit? Are you hunting her or something?"\par
"Winona Santillan, senior. Seton High School. Editor-in-chief of their School pa
per..."\par
"Did your research, huh?"\par
"Pinsan ko siya. She dumped Liam two weeks previously. Then we discovered... thi
s," she said, handing me a digital camera.\par
\par
Si Liam to ah... May kaakbay na babae... (!) According sa date and time sa baba
ng pic, this was taken last Saturday afternoon...\par
\par
"That girl you're looking at is named Jill Mendoza. A junior from Divine Light A
cademy High School. Captain ng DLA Women's volleyball team."\par
\par
Jill? Teka...\par
Yun yung tinawag ni Liam kay Winona nung araw na nagbreak sila... (!)\par
\par
"Press that red button on the right... there's the next picture."\par
\par
Anak ng-?!\par
Si Liam ulit... Pero iba na yung ka holding hands... This time, ang date and tim
e eh nung Sunday afternoon..\par
\par
"That's Abby Ramos. College Freshman, UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe member."\par
\par
I looked at her, lost for words.\par
\par
"Those were three different girls with different schools and interests. How conv
enient for Liam to date them all at the same time without anyone knowing, diba?\
par
...\par
\par
Scroll mo ulit."\par
\par
A familiar pretty face greeted my eyes...\par
\par
"Ria Antonio. Senior, Belletown High School. The latest member of his collection
."\par
"Sabay sabay sila ngayon?!" tanong ko. Hindi ko akalain...\par
"From my extensive research, Liam hasn't broken up with either Jill or Abby yet.
Kung ganoon, it must mean na ginagago niya si Ria ngayon, just like the other t
wo."\par
\par
I was quickly consumed by my fury; pinipigilan ko lang ang sarili ko na durugin
sa mga kamay ko yung digicam ni Elle, which was proving to be a hard effort.\par
\par
"And that's not all. Scroll again."\par
\par
I pressed the red button for a last time...\par
\par
"Denise?!"\par
"Yes. Denise Lopez and Liam Woods, locked by the lips at Zoe's party."\par
"Paano nangyari?! Ria must have seen them!"\par
"She didn't. Pagkahatid niya kay Ria, bumalik si Liam kina Zoe at nalasing. Deni
se took advantage, I dunno if she was drunk..."\par
\par
I was burning with questions. Nakuha niyang lahat ito?!\par
Sinusundan niya si Liam? Teka, eh ni hindi siya invited dun ah?\par
\par

"Paanong-?"\par
"That's my business, Gelo. Ang dapat mong problemahin... kung paano, kailan at s
aan mo sasabihin sa kanya."\par
\par
"Pero... kaibigan ko si Liam..."\par
"Don't be so STUPID. You know you love Ria... and you know you deserve her more
than he does!"\par
"Oo naman... Pero-"\par
"There! That should make you desperate enough para gawin mo yung sinasabi ko! I
know you can't stand them being together..."\par
\par
"I don't think she'll fall for it. I mean..."\par
"Oh come on. Use your charm. She'll fall for it... I know what I'm doing, you'll
see."\par
"Tell me what to do..." sabi ko. My mind was racing but I didn't have a single c
lue... hindi pwede to.\par
\par
"Sayo muna yang camera ko. Ikaw na bahala kumuha ng tiyempo but you have to do i
t, aright? And oh, one more thing..."\par
"Ano yun?"\par
\par
"Wag mong sabihing sa akin galing niyan."\par
\par
Napatingin ako sa kanya. Oo nga naman... Si Elle, gumagawa ng kabutihan...? Mala
ki nga namang kalokohan kung papakinggan mo...\par
\par
"Why're you doing this?" I shot at her. She smiled; the first true smile I have
seen from her.\par
"If there's one thing I hate, it's players. Ayoko na nung may ginagagong babae..
. Why are you looking at me like that?"[/b]\par
\par
"Wala lang. I didn't think you'd care. Especially ngayong si Ria yung isa sa mga
involved..."\par
\par
She laughed mirthlessly.\par
\par
"Don't you think I've done enough damage to her this year? To all of you? Pagod
na rin siguro akong manggago..."\par
"Sana magtuloy-tuloy yan."\par
"Yup. And if pwede mong isingit... Tell her I'm sorry about what happened in the
caf," she said, and with a smile she left.\par
\par
Hindi ako mapakali nung bumalik ako sa classroom.\par
Stupid! Bakit kasi nakipagpalit pa ako ng chair?!\par
\par
"Ok ka lang?" Rish asked me while copying the Physics lecture on the board.\par
"Honestly, hindi."\par
"What happened?" she asked, curious. I took Elle's digicam from my pocket and sh
owed it to her discreetly; baka kasi ma-confiscate...\par
\par
"Oh my God. Where did you get this?"\par
"I'll explain later."\par
"Are you going to tell her?"\par
"Syempre. Ayokong nagmumukha siyang g@go."\par
"Anything I can do to help?"\par
"No. Pero salamat. Just wish me luck..."\par
"She'll listen to you, I'm sure of that. Don't worry..."\par
\par
Gusto kong paniwalaan yung sinabi ni Rish...\par
Kinakabahan ako. Makikinig nga kaya siya sakin? Anong mangyayari pagkatapos niya

ng makita yung pictures?\par

Baka umiyak pa siya sa harap ko... ayoko nun...\par
Kasi kung magiging masakit sa kanya, edi lalo na sakin diba?\par
\par
Naku, bahala na.\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
Buti walang nakakapansin, pero sa totoo lang buraot pa rin ako hanggang ngayon..
. Tumityempo ako ng tingin kina Elle at Gelo, at naku ang mga walanghiya... Akal
a mo mga inosente!\par
\par
Kung di ko pa alam...\par
\par
RRRRRIIINNNGGGGGGG!\par
Dismissal na naman?\par
\par
"Sa field na lang tayo magkita ha? Samahan ako nina Zoe magpalit," I told Liam.\
par
"Aaaw. Hindi mo ko sasabayan sa locker?" he said, pouting. "Sige ka, pag sinabay
an ako ni Denise..."\par
"Edi sumabay ka... Ako pa tinakot mo," I said, glaring at him. Finally, natapos
siyang mag-ayos ng gamit at humarap saken. He smiled at the expression on my fac
e.\par
"Ikaw naman. Joke lang," he said, and out of nowhere, he swooped down and kissed
me. He pulled away after half a second. (binilang?! )\par
\par
"I love you!" he said, then he ran away, smiling.\par
\par
Napatingin tingin ako sa paligid, buti na lang sina Zoe at Maffy lang ang tao. N
ako, kaya pala malakas ang loob ni kumag...\par
\par
Feeling my cheeks burn, I went and approached my friends, whose faces were annoy
ingly smug.\par
\par
"Don't worry, Ria. We didn't see it," sabi ni Maffy.\par
"Oh shut up," I snapped, blushing.\par
"Grabe pala ang kiss ni Liam, instant blush-on!" hirit ni Zoe.\par
"ZOE!!!"\par
\par
We were laughing all the way to the lockers, tapos humiwalay na sa amin si Maffy
papunta sa org niya. Dumeretso na kami ni Zoe sa CR para makapagpalit.\par
\par
"Oh sh!t! Naiwan ko sapatos ko!"\par
"Balikan mo na, dali! Baka ma-late tayo!"\par
\par
Tinakbo ko na yung pagbalik... ang stupid ko talaga!\par
\par
I was just about to get my shoes when-\par
\par
"Ria!"\par
\par
I looked and felt a fresh rush of fury... Gelo was running towards me.\par
\par
"I was looking for you-..."\par
"Sorry, I'm in a terrible hurry," I said, slamming my locker door and starting t
o walk away.\par
"Please, I really need to talk to you."\par
"Bukas na lang, aright? Bye."\par
"But this is important. You need to hear me out. Ria... it's about Liam..."\par

\par
Here it comes, I thought.\par
\par
"Oh yeah?! What about him?" I said with my brow raised. I stopped walking and tr
ied to appear interested.\par
\par
"I don't know how to put it in a better way..."\par
"You're wasting my time," I said coolly, and I turned on my heel.\par
"HE'S CHEATING ON YOU!"\par
\par
Oh, a likely story!\par
\par
Nilingon ko siya, trying to keep my face expressionless. Hindi ako nagsalita.\pa
r
\par
"Of course you don't believe me... But I-..."\par
\par
He was taking something out of his pocket, but I decided I could not take any of
this crap any longer.\par
\par
"D'you honestly think I'm that fcuking gullible?" I shot at him, and he froze.\p
ar
\par
"Let me tell you something. If I wanted to have someone yelling bullcrap at me I
would've called you. And yea... What Liam and I have right now is something ver
y special, and I cherish it beyond all telling. If you think na isang kagaya mo
lang ang makakasira nun... Pwes I'm sorry to disappoint you but it won't. Now if
you don't mind, I have a lot of more important things to be getting on with."\p
ar
\par
And with that I left him dazed.\par
\par
Chapter Twenty-One\par
\par
Irish's POV:\par
\par
"Asan na yung iba?!"\par
\par
Hayun na't nagsimula nang magsisigaw ang coach ng soccer team ng klase namin. He
had enough reason to be angry; more than half of the team hadn't turned up yet.
\par
\par
Nasa soccer field na kami; halos palaging sabay ang practice ng teams. Ang cheer
leaders din hindi pa kumpleto...\par
Pareho pang wala sina Gelo at Ria dito... magkausap na kaya sila ngayon?\par
\par
Nagulat ako nang ipakita sa akin ni Gelo ang mga pictures sa camera ni Elle kani
na. Hindi ko akalaing magagawa pala ni Liam yun. Sana lang hindi magkaroon ng aw
ay dito pagdating ni Ria mamaya...\par
\par
Speaking of Ria...\par
\par
Dumating siyang kasabay ni Zoe. I knew there was something wrong; her face was e
xpressionless and she looked perfectly calm as she walked towards us. Teka, kung
nandito na siya, nasaan si Gelo? Nasabi niya kaya?\par
\par
"Ria, can I have a sec?"\par
"Sure."\par
\par
Iniwan kami ni Zoe. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Liam emerge from the lock

er rooms...\par
\par
"Nakausap mo na ba si Gelo?" I asked. She looked at me with one brow raised.\par
"Why do you ask?" tanong niya. Ang taray... hindi maganda to...\par
"He was looking for you. I- I think he said he was going to tell you something i
mportant..."\par
"Anong alam mo doon?" she asked me. Iba na ang tono ng boses niya...\par
"I can't believe it. Pati pala ikaw," she said, and with that she walked away.\p
ar
\par
Pati daw ako?\par
WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?!\par
Bakit galit siya? Ngayon niya lang ulit ako tinarayan ng ganoon. May mali talaga
dito.\par
\par
I knew I had to find Gelo. FAST.\par
\par
Ten minutes din akong nag ikot ikot bago ko sila nakita ni Elle na magkausap sa
may lockers. It was Elle who noticed me coming.\par
\par
"Rish, you're here..."\par
\par
Nagulat ako nang lumapit siya at niyakap ako.\par
\par
"Whoa... whoa Elle! Akala ko ba galit ka? Ano ka ba, sinasapian?"\par
\par
She laughed.\par
\par
"Hindi. Sira lang talaga ang ulo ko. Come here. Someone needs us."\par
\par
She led me towards Gelo, who was looking numb with shock. Tulala siya at naawa a
ko sa itsura niya...\par
\par
"Gelo? What happened?" I asked him. He looked at me, smiling bitterly.\par
"Oh. Hi Rish," he replied.\par
"Nasabi mo ba?" asked Elle, sharply jerking him back into reality.\par
"No. She didn't want to hear a word..."\par
\par
Nagtinginan kami ni Elle.\par
\par
"Eh yung pics, napakita mo?"\par
"Hindi," sabi niya. Elle seemed to be restraining herself from rolling her eyes
with difficulty.\par
"Eh anong nangyari? Bakit para kang pinagsakluban ng langit at lupa?"\par
"Ok lang sana yung nilayasan niya ako eh... pero yung sinabi niya bago siya umal
is..."\par
"Ano ba kasi yun?" asked Elle. I wanted to cover her mouth so she can shut up, I
didn't think Gelo would like to tell us about it.\par
"Well she told me na special sa kanya si Liam at yung kung ano man ang meron sa
kanila. Sabi niya hindi lang isang tulad ko ang makakasira nun."\par
\par
Elle's jaw dropped. So did mine.\par
\par
"SHE SAID THAT?!"\par
"Yeah."\par
"Anak ng-?! Ikaw na nga itong concerned sa kanya, ginanon ka pa?!"\par
"Well she has a reason to doubt him. I mean, she's known Liam for years. She's b
ound to trust him more than she trusts us."\par
"Kahit na! Hindi niya dapat sinabihan si Gelo ng mga ganun!" Elle exclaimed indi
gnantly.\par

"Eh ano gagawin natin?"\par

\par
It was Gelo who answered me.\par
\par
"Pabayaan natin siya."\par
"Pero-..."\par
"Choice niya yun, diba? Gusto niyang magpaka-g@go kay Liam, then go! Sino bang m
asasaktan? Diba siya?"\par
"Sira ba ulo mo?!"\par
"Gelo's got a point."\par
\par
I looked at Elle incredulously, my mouth still half-open.\par
\par
"Pero hindi natin pwedeng basta palampasin yun."\par
"What do you mean?"\par
"Ibig kong sabihin, we'll still do it. Ibubuking pa rin natin ang kalokohan ni L
iam. Only this time, we're not doing it for Ria's sake. We'll do it to get even.
"\par
"Get even?" I repeated.\par
"Yeah. Para dun sa sinabi ni Ria kay Gelo... hindi niya dapat ginawa yun. Kaya n
gayon, ipapaalam natin sa kanya hindi para ma-shield siya kay Liam kundi para ma
saktan siya. I want her to get hurt, BIG TIME."\par
"Are you freaking CRAZY?!" I asked her. Akala ko ba mabait na ito?\par
"What do you have in mind?" Gelo asked her casually.\par
\par
Aba, at si kumag makikisali pa yata?!\par
\par
"Something brilliant, of course."\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
"Si coach o, tinatawag ka pa yata..."\par
\par
Liam and I were standing just outside the field when I heard their coach's voice
.\par
\par
"Sige... punta lang ako doon sandali ha?"\par
\par
He left his bag beside me. I stood there, following him with my eyes. Ok lang na
man sigurong maiwan akong mag-isa, mamaya lang andito na rin naman sina Maffy.\p
ar
Sumagi na naman sa isip ko si Gelo. Nainis at naawa ako sa kanya at the same tim
e; nainis dahil sa plinano nila ni Elle against me and Liam, naawa dahil nasobra
han ata yung sinabi ko sa kanya kanina. Kung totoo yung narinig kong sinabi ni E
lle na mahal niya ako, he would've been really hurt.\par
\par
Not that I meant it, pero sa totoo lang-\par
\par
RING!!! RING!!!\par
\par
A cellphone was going off like mad somewhere. I recognized it as Liam's ringtone
, so I quickly rummaged into his bag so I can see it, baka kasi si Tita Yolly yu
ng tumatawag...\par
\par
But it wasn't Tita Yolly. It was an unregistered number flashing on the screen..
.\par
Sasagutin ko ba?\par
\par
And before my mind could argue on whether I should take the call for him or not,
the ringing stopped. The screen changed and I was taken aback by what I saw.\pa

r
\par
8 missed calls\par
\par
Feeling reckless, pinindot ko to see who had been calling him.\par
It was all from the same unregistered number!\par
\par
"I'm back!"\par
\par
I looked at Liam who was approaching.\par
\par
"Someone called?" he asked, seeing me holding the cellphone.\par
"Yeah. Nakaka 8 missed calls na nga..."\par
\par
And then there was a flash of what looked like panic in his eyes...\par
\par
"Unregistered yung number," I said, handing it to him. "Nare-recognize mo ba yun
g number? Mukhang kailangang-kailangan kang makausap eh."\par
"No. Hindi ko alam kung sino to..."\par
\par
I don't know why, but I get the feeling that he's trying to keep something from
me. He avoided my gaze. Sino kaya yung tumatawag na yun?\par
\par
Pero bago ko pa maisip kung ano ang pwedeng itago sa akin ni Liam, dumating na s
ina Maffy at Jon. Sabay sabay na kaming umalis ng school at naglakad pauwi.\par
Natatawa ako sa set-up namin. Para kasing double date.\par
\par
Actually, matagal nang gusto ni Maffy si Jon, and I'm more than sure that Jon's
feeling the same way. Syempre pareho ko silang ka-close, alam ko kung may ibig s
abihin ba yung actions o wala, so kahit hindi nila pareho i-declare yun sa buong
mundo, alam ko na.\par
\par
"Guys, tara meryenda tayo sa MiniStop..." said Jon. Oh, good may nakaisip na kum
ain. Gutom na rin kasi ako...\par
"Ha? Ayoko."\par
"Bakit? Bibili lang naman tayo."\par
"Naku, baka maabutan na naman ako ni Dad saka nung officemate niya."\par
"Itatago kita," sabi ni Jon. Naku kinilig naman si Maffy.\par
"Sa payat mong yan, maitatago mo ba ko eh ang lapad ko?"\par
"Sino may sabi sayong mataba ka? Ang payat mo na nga Maffs eh. You're sooo sexy
Maffy!"\par
"ULUL! Shut up!"\par
\par
Nagtawanan kami at pumasok na nga sa MiniStop.\par
\par
"Katuray ano gusto mo?"\par
"Coke Light."\par
"Sandwich gusto mo?"\par
"Sige. Yung-..."\par
"Ham and cheese?"\par
\par
Natuwa naman ako. Alam niya pa rin pala\par
\par
"Sige. Diyan ka lang ha?"\par
\par
Umalis na sina Jon at Liam para bilhan kami ng food ni Maffy. Naghanap naman kam
i ng mauupuan...\par
\par
"Naku, kilig naman ang Lola Maffy."\par
"Ssshhh. Wag ka nga maingay diyan Katuray. Oras na ikwento ko kay Jon yung nangy

ari sa classroom kanina lagot talaga kayo samin."\par

"Uy wag naman!"\par
\par
Sandali lang at lumitaw na sina Jon at Liam na maraming dala, pero hindi pa rin
kami nakahanap ng upuan. Jusko, puno kasi ng estudyante...\par
\par
"Thanks," I told Liam as he handed me the plastic bag. He was about to open his
mouth to say something nang may humila sa akin patalikod-\par
\par
WHAPAKK!\par
\par
Halos matumba ako sa lakas ng sampal. Napatingin ang lahat ng tao sa akin. Gusto
ko sanang tingnan kung sino ang gumawa nun pero hindi ko na makita dahil sinabu
nutan niya naman ako...\par
\par
"You SLUT! How DARE YOU-..?!"\par
\par
Somebody pull us apart, please! MAKAKALBO AKO!!!\par
Fortunately, I felt someone grab the back of my blouse... Napaghiwalay nila kami
. The other girl was being held by another... sino kaya to?\par
\par
I looked her in the face at nagulat ako; hindi ko siya kilala. Aba't?! Sino siya
para ganunin ako?!\par
\par
"And who the BLOODY HELL are you?!" I yelled, losing control. Bumitaw ako sa pag
kahawak ni Jonathan, wanting to beat the crap out of that fugly little palingker
a, but Maffy got there first-\par
\par
TUGSH!\par
\par
Maffy had punched the girl right in the face, and in mixed delight and horror I
saw the girl's nose bleed.\par
\par
"Subukan mong saktan ulit ang best friend ko, makikita mo ang hinahanap mo!!!"\p
ar
\par
The girl glared at us, but when her eyes caught Liam she looked even angrier...\
par
\par
"SCREW YOU ALL!" she shouted, at kumalas siya sa umaawat sa kanya. She walked ou
t of the store, leaving us all shocked. I sharply turned to face Liam.\par
\par
"You know her, don't you?" I hissed. He couldn't look me in the eye...\par
\par
Sabi ko na eh! He's keeping something from me, and I'm sure it has something to
do with that girl in her DLA uniform!\par
\par
"Damn it, William! Answer me!"\par
\par
Chapter Twenty-Two\par
\par
Liam's POV:\par
\par
"Damn it, William! Answer me!"\par
\par
Those words rung out in my head a thousand times, like some bell in a church tow
er that's going off like mad. Hindi ko siya matingnan. I felt sick of myself; af
ter all, kasalanan ko pa rin talaga ito.\par
Screw Jill. Why the HELL did she have to do that?!\par
She could have hurt me instead... I would have deserved it.\par

\par
"Tara, dun tayo sa labas mag-usap..." sabi ni Jon. I suddenly became fully aware
of the fact na napapaligiran kami ng napakaraming usisero.\par
Maffy led Ria outside, at sinundan namin sila ni Jon. Sa paraan pa lang ng pagti
ngin sakin nung dalawa pa, alam kong pati sila masama rin ang loob sa akin. I co
uldn't blame them for feeling that way. Malayo-layo na ang nalakad namin nang na
glakas-loob akong i-open yung usapan.\par
\par
"Ria," I said, mildly pulling her by the arm. She paused and glacrimson at me bu
t said nothing. Tumigil din sina Maffy at Jon... na-sense ko ang tension sa pali
gid ko. Lahat sila ngayon sa akin na nakatingin.\par
\par
"Ok, I knew her. She was my ex."\par
\par
*Flashback, Saturday afternoon*\par
\par
"Jill, listen... we can't see each other anymore."\par
\par
Nasa mall kami, kumakain. She froze halfway through that spoonful, her eyes wide
and fearful. I had been screwing up my courage all day to tell her that... Na-a
nticipate kong hindi magiging madali.\par
\par
It's not like she had enough reason to hold me back; after all, we're not offici
ally / exclusively dating.\par
Ganito rin ang setup ko with two other girls; Abby and Winona, pero sa kanilang
tatlo, si Jill ang naging talagang attached sa akin. Minsan, parang kinakalimuta
n niya talaga na ganun lang ang sitwasyon namin... pinaalam ko naman sa kanya, p
ati na rin kina Abby at Winona, yung feelings ko about Ria. Hindi ko naman sila
inask out or kung ano pa man; it was them who had insisted na subukan naming mag
-date and see how things would turn out. Parang wala lang, go out on dates pero
nothing serious... just mere, plain dates.\par
\par
"What did I do?" tanong niya.\par
"Nag-usap na tayo beforehand about this... I mean, about us... about Ria..."\par
"Bakit, kayo na ba?" she asked.\par
\par
Tumango na lang ako. Nahalata kong nalungkot siya and she was on the verge of te
ars. I carefully avoided her eyes; nagi-guilty ako.\par
\par
"Kailangan ba talaga? I mean... it doesn't mean na pagbabawalan kita sa kanya...
"\par
"Jill. Alam mo yung feelings ko para kay Ria. Ayoko siyang lokohin... ayokong pa
gsabayin. I told you there's no one else I like."\par
"Ok lang sakin maging number two," she said shamelessly, her voice breaking.\par
\par
Shoot. How pathetic.\par
\par
"I'm sorry."\par
\par
For a while I thought she was going to punch me... pero she just grabbed her bag
and scampecrimson away.\par
\par
*end of flashback*\par
\par
"Ex? Are you sure na alam niyang break na kayo? Halos patayin ako kanina eh... A
lam mo kung number two or number three mo lang ako, sabihin mo na agad. Ayoko sa
lahat yung nagmumukha akong tanga," said Ria firmly. There was a certain fierce
ness in her eyes that kinda scacrimson me... nagkakaganon lang siya when she's r
eally upset.\par
"No. Really. Wala na yun, I swear," I told her.\par

\par
Naasar ako sa sarili ko. Ang daming naiipit... ano ba naman kasing kalokohan yun
?! Why did I ever think that toying with girls is a tolerable business?\par
\par
Oo nga, wala na kami ni Jill... tapos nakipaghiwalay na rin ako kay Abby nung Su
nday... Winona's ditched me two weeks ago.\par
So that means ok na. I'm exclusively for Ria na lang... So honestly, I don't fee
l the need to tell her about the other three. But I still feel guilty kasi I cou
ld tell she would go ballistic if she ever found out...\par
\par
Ako na yata ang pinakamalaking jerk sa buong mundo. Damn. I HATE THIS.\par
\par
"Sa susunod kasi, ipaalam mo na agad sa amin kung may ex ka sa paligid. Para ala
m namin kung itatago na ba namin si Ria o ano..." sabi ni Jon in an attempt to l
ighten the mood. Ria and Maffy grudgingly laughed.\par
\par
"Tara na ngang umuwi..." sabi ni Maffy.\par
\par
We started walking when we noticed na may nakatutok sa aming malakas at nakakasi
law na headlights. Napalingon kami at nakita ang isang luxury-type SUV na papala
pit. Tumigil siya sa tapat namin at nagbaba ng bintana.\par
\par
"Francesca? Is that you?" said a male voice from the driver's seat.\par
\par
Napatingin kaming lahat kay Maffy.\par
\par
"Oh, hi Tito Danny," Maffy said tentatively.\par
"How come hindi ka pa nakakauwi?"\par
"Ah. Org practice po, alam naman ni Dad."\par
"Oh, all right. So pauwi na kayo?"\par
"Opo."\par
"Sakay na kayo."\par
"Ay, wag na po. Malapit lang naman..."\par
"Ano ka ba hija, isang jeepney ride din yun. Tsaka dumidilim na, ang dami pa nam
ang mandurukot diyan."\par
"Pero tito, out of way po kayo..."\par
"Sa terminal ng tricycle ng BF ko na lang kayo ibababa. Ok lang. I insist."\par
\par
Tiningnan kami ni Maffy, and we all simply shrugged. Hindi naman kasi mukhang ki
dnapper yung kausap niya, lalo na't sa isang Toyota Land Cruiser nakasakay. Haha
, para makasakay na rin sa luxury car kahit isang beses lang\par
\par
"Thanks Tito," sabi ni Maffy, tapos pinagbuksan niya kami para makasakay.\par
\par
Wow, ang lamig sa loob, astig! May tumutugtog na classical music na para bang na
ka-surround sound. Grabe. This man's FILTHY RICH!\par
\par
"Ewan ko ba diyan sa dad mo, Francesca. If I were your dad, ipapasundo kita araw
-araw."\par
"Hindi po, ako naman yung may gusto ng ganito," said Maffy.\par
\par
Totoo naman, mayaman talaga sina Maffy. Ayaw niya lang nung ganon, iniisip niya
parang pagsho-show off. Parang si Elle dati, ang lapit lang ng bahay, hinahatid
pa ng driver niya sa kung ano-anong mamahalin ding kotse.\par
\par
"Oh. What a nice kid you are. A rare find these days, if you ask me. Are they yo
ur friends?"\par
"Ah, opo. This is Ria, that's Liam, this one's Jon."\par
\par
Lumingon sa amin yung Tito ni Maffy, tapos tumigil yung mata niya kay Jon. Kakai

ba makatingin. Kung ako si Jon magpapababa na ako... katakot eh\par

\par
"Nice to meet you po," sabi namin in chorus. When Maffy's Tito looked ahead, nag
katinginan kaming apat. Nagpigil akong matawa sa itsura ng pagmumukha ni Jon, pa
ra siyang natatawa at nasusuka at the same time!\par
\par
For the rest of the ride, tahimik kaming lahat. Sa wakas nakarating din sa termi
nal ng BF...\par
\par
"Thank you po!" sabi naming sabay sabay, pagkatapos umalis na yung tito ni Maffy
.\par
\par
"Kaano-ano mo yun, Maffs? You didn't mention na may kapatid ang dad mo..."\par
"Hindi yun kapatid ng dad ko. Yun yung bestfriend niya... siya yung dahilan kung
bakit na-late ako. Siya yung nagpa-tour sa school."\par
"Jusko, akala ko nung una ikaw yung type kasi namilit pa talaga. Yun pala si Jon
yung type," sabi ko, which made Ria elbow me hard in the ribs. Nagtawanan kami.
\par
"Nagulat nga ako eh. Ang wirdo makatingin."\par
"Haha! Sugar Daddy!"\par
"Ang sama mo! Buti nga pinasakay tayo, nakatipid tayo ng 10 pesos sa jeep."\par
"Pero alam mo, may point kayo... tingin ko nga bading yun. He's 45 years old and
walang asawa... Pero sabi niya may anak..."\par
"Baka anak lang ng iba niyang fafa... pero nevertheless... Sh!t, Jon, you've hit
jackpot!"\par
"ULUL!"\par
"Naks, Jon, hindi lang pala babae naghahabol sayo... looks like you've got compe
tition, Maffy!"\par
"Heh! Inggit ka lang! Ikaw kasi hindi bakla at babae ang humahabol, panay matron
a!"\par
"Gagu! So ano ibig mong sabihin, matrona ako!?"\par
\par
Narindi na siguro sa amin yung mga tao sa paligid sa lalakas naming tumawa. I co
uld not remember a happier moment in my life than this...\par
\par
I guess finally being with Ria made all the difference.\par
\par
THE NEXT MORNING...\par
\par
Gelo's POV:\par
\par
Amp. Papasok na naman. Lalo akong tinamad nitong mga nakaraan. Kung pwede lang h
indi na pumasok...\par
\par
"Good morning," bati saken ni Rish pagkaupo ko sa upuan ko.\par
"Ano namang good sa umaga na ito?"\par
"Ang sungit mo, kahit kelan ka," sabi ni Elle, who was sitting on my other side.
\par
"Hoy ikaw. Kung may binabalak ka diyan wag mo na ko isama ha. Wala na kong pake
dun."\par
"Asus... chicken... ang sabihin mo, ayaw mong saktan ko siya..."\par
"Hoy Elle! Konting awat naman! Ang aga-aga ang lakas mong mambwisit diyan," sawa
y ni Irish, saving me from the need na sumagot.\par
"KJ niyo. Paano ko ba namang hindi kukulitin ito, eh sambakol yung mukha. Para k
ang chewing gum na nginuya ng isang linggo."\par
"Tumigil ka nga diyan."\par
"Trust me. Whatever I'll do, it'll be for her own good," Elle said with a wink.
Hindi ko na lang siya sinagot, sakto naman kasing dumating ang English teacher n
amin, first class ng Wednesday sched...\par
\par

"Good morning class! We're going to have a major activity on Friday, so please l
isten carefully. This has a lot to do with your grade for the third quarter, pat
i na rin sa fourth pag sinwerte kayo..."\par
\par
Nagtinginan kami nina Irish. Bihira akong mabahala sa mga ganito, pero activity
na pati 4th quarter grade eh maaapektuhan? I gotta listen to this.\par
\par
"I currently am looking for prospective leads for this year's Interschool Play C
ompetition. We're holding auditions pero wala pa akong nakikita. So naisip ko, d
ito ko na lang kukunin sa batch ng 4th year, through this activity.\par
\par
Ang pinakamagaling dito, exempted sa 3rd quarter periodical examination, at pag
nanalo tayo sa IPC, pati sa 4th quarter exempted na siya..."\par
\par
There was a hush. 2 exempted exams? Too good to pass up! Everyone was now listen
ing...\par
\par
"We're going to have a reenactment of some scenes from various plays, movies, mu
sicals, et cetera. I wanted to have various scenes kasi we haven't finalized kun
g ano ang gagawin naming play for the competition. Here I have with me are the c
opies of the scenes..." she held up a thick wad ng bond paper, "And I am going t
o pass them..."\par
\par
Napansin kong inuna niya ang mga babae bago kami...\par
\par
"In this activity, gusto ko full efforts. By that I mean, gusto ko practice-in n
iyo mabuti at maayos ang costumes niyo. Descriptions of costumes are right in th
ose papers, you just have to read them...\par
\par
Oh, did I mention? All of those are heavily emotional dialogues."\par
\par
DIALOGUES?!\par
\par
"I gave copies to boys and girls separately," sabi niya, and finally natapos siy
ang mamigay ng scripts. I looked at mine... it said Moulin Rouge.\par
Anak ng-?!\par
Ang daming lines nung male part! AMP!\par
\par
"Kung sino ang kapareho niyo ng script, siya ang partner niyo. Now when I call t
he title of your piece, raise your hand and say Ma'am. Moulin Rouge?"\par
\par
I raised my hand...\par
\par
"MA'AM?"\par
\par
Chapter Twenty-Three\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
"Ma'am?"\par
\par
Oh SHEESH. Not him?!\par
Lumingon ako kay Angelo, who also looked at me. He seemed horrified by the dilem
ma...\par
Aba! If there's someone na may karapatang magreklamo, ako yun! FEELINGERONG TO!\
par
Damn it. I didn't think I could get so lucky. Sa lahat ng lalaki sa 4th year Int
egrity, itong kumag na to pa talaga ang nagkataong na-assign saken! ASARR!\par
\par
Nagkatinginan na lang kami ni Liam, and judging by the expression on his face, h

e couldn't seem to understand why I seemed so upset. Well, hindi naman kasi niya
narinig ang usapan ni Elle at ng pinakamamahal niyang best friend na si Angelo.
\par
I never told anyone about what I had heard, not even Maffy. Ayoko nang palakihin
, at siguradong pag nakarating yun kay Liam, he'd go ballistic.\par
\par
"O, what are you all waiting for? Puntahan niyo na yung partners niyo!"\par
Jussme, tapos na pala niyang sabihin yung partners, di ko na namalayan!\par
\par
Nagtayuan ang mga tao maliban sa akin. Liam looked at me curiously.\par
\par
"Huy, tumayo ka na nga diyan... baka mapagalitan ka pa, ikaw din," sabi niya. I
hesitated, then I stood up grudgingly, hindi para puntahan si Angelo kundi para
kausapin si Ma'am...\par
\par
"Ma'am... I don't- ehrm... Can I change my piece?"\par
\par
Our teacher surveyed me carefully before answering.\par
\par
"Why? Is something bothering you, Miss Antonio?"\par
\par
"Ehrrm..." I stammered, trying to locate something wrong with the piece of paper
I was holding. "I- I don't like this piece, Ma'am. Parang wala naman akong gaga
win. Tignan niyo po oh, three or four lines na nga lang, puro phrases pa..."\par
\par
"Hija, before I chose those pieces, I made sure that those would bring out your
acting capabilities. Sa totoo lang hija, you're lucky to get that piece. Mas maeemphasize ang talent mo in acting kasi you would have to act without lines, and
that's immeasurably more difficult."\par
\par
"But Ma'am..."\par
\par
"Kung kakulangan lang ng lines ang pinoproblema mo, Miss Antonio, I suggest we e
nd this conversation now. Aarte ka, ACTING ang gagawin mo, hindi declamation, ka
ya the absence of lines is hardly a significant issue. Please proceed to your pa
rtner," she told me. She didn't look too happy with me anymore but since this is
a rather desperate situation, I decided to push my luck.\par
\par
"Ma'am, hindi lang po yung lines. Ehrm..."\par
\par
"What is it this time?"\par
\par
"Yun pong... costume. Hindi po ako makakapaghanap ng ganitong klaseng costume be
fore the presentation on Friday," I said, quietly congratulating myself; I knew
I had just hit bull's eye. She would not be able to dismiss that as 'insignifica
nt', sinabi niyang malaking factor ang costume...\par
\par
Tiningnan ko si Ma'am, at hindi ko maintindihan kung natatawa ba siya o naiinis.
\par
\par
"Hija, don't you remember?"\par
\par
Ano daw?!\par
\par
"Your older sister, Danna, has played the role of Satine sa Interschool Play Com
petition three years ago. I'm pretty sure she would still have her costume; and
since I don't think na malaki ang difference ng pangangatawan ninyong dalawa, eh
you wouldn't have a problem in borrowing it."\par
\par
DAMN!\par

\par
"Ma'am-..."\par
\par
"I'm sorry, my dear, but your pieces and partners are FINAL. Ngayon, if you don'
t want to get a failing grade in this activity, puntahan mo na ang partner mo."\
par
\par
"Thank you, Ma'am," I said, kahit hindi naman talaga yun ang gusto kong sabihin.
What I wanted to say was-\par
%^%$&! you Ma'am!!!\par
\par
Grabe! Ang sarap magmura!!! BADTRIP!\par
\par
I dragged my feet towards the place where Angelo was sitting. Nakatingin siya sa
akin ng pang-asar, naka-smirk pa.\par
\par
NAKU! Kung pwede ko lang dukutin ang mata nito, ginawa ko na!\par
\par
"O, kamusta? Hindi pumayag?" he asked in a nasty tone. Hindi ako sumagot, umupo
na lang ako sa tabi niya, trying not to look at him.\par
\par
"Hah. Paano ba yan? Mukhang talagang minalas ka at ako pa ang nakapartner mo...
Well, guess what, Ria. It's not my pleasure to be your partner either."\par
\par
Abah, feelingero talaga! Hambog na to!\par
\par
"Wow. I guess we've made that very clear, Angelo," I said, putting a sinister em
phasis on his name. His smirk grew, if possible, even wider.\par
\par
"You bet we have, Adrianna."\par
\par
I glared at him; alam niya ang full name ko at sigurado akong alam niya rin na a
yokong tinatawag ako ng ganoon. Naku, sinasagad ako nito ah!!!\par
\par
"What? You're not telling me that you don't like the sound of your own name?" he
said. "Bakit, Ria? Dahil ba mabantot?"\par
\par
"Of course not, Gelo. I'm actually pretty FOND of my name. In case hindi mo alam
, I share the same name with one of the most famous supermodels in the world, Ad
riana Lima. And I think that's cool," I replied calmly. Ayokong ibigay sa kanya
ang satisfaction of knowing na napipikon ako.\par
\par
"O, wag kang masyadong mayabang. Kapangalan mo lang yun, wag kang mag-ambisyon n
a magiging kagaya ka ni Adriana Lima."\par
\par
Anong-?! Talagang nang-iinsulto!\par
\par
"Oh, you think so?"\par
\par
"Alam mo kasi, being a model- that's pretty much out of your league, Ria. Kasi a
lam mo, ang models, magaganda. PERFECT ang features. But don't fret, actually, m
alapit lapit ka na sana dun eh. Kung hindi lang sana sobrang laki ng mata mo at
sana rin, hindi masyadong malapad ang noo mo na para nang blackboard."\par
\par
Langya to ah!\par
\par
"IF YOU THINK-..."\par
"Is there a problem?" our teacher said, popping out of nowhere. Mukhang masyado
kaming nag-enjoy sa usapan naming kaya hindi na naming napansin na nasa harap na
namin si Ma'am.\par

\par
"No, Ma'am. We're getting along really well with this!"\par
\par
"Good. Galingan niyo ha."\par
\par
"Syempre Ma'am. Gagalingan namin, diba, Adrianna?"\par
\par
"I'll be expecting a lot from you two. Napansin ko lang kasi... Sobrang bagay ka
yo," she said.\par
\par
\par
ANO DAW?!\par
OMG. I gotta go throw up here somewhere!\par
\par
\par
"Sige ha, tigilan na ang pag-aargue. Sayang din yun, exemption sa periodicals...
!" she said, as though taunting us, and with a wink, she left. I turned to glare
at Gelo... it was then that I noticed that his cheeks had turned bright pink.\p
ar
\par
Ang cute... rosy cheeks...\par
Sh!t! What did I just-...?! Sheesh! KADIRI!!!\par
\par
"O, ano tini-tingin tingin mo dyan ha?" he snapped.\par
\par
"Wag ka ngang feelingero! Ikaw nga diyan may pa blush blush pa!"\par
\par
"Parang ikaw hindi ah! Ano, kinilig ka noh?"\par
\par
"Wag kang mangarap ng gising. It's broad daylight, delusional!"\par
\par
"At least the daylight's not as broad as your forehead!"\par
\par
Tumingala ako at pumikit, praying hard to the heavens.\par
Pigilan niyo ako... MAPAPATAY KO NA TALAGA TO!\par
\par
Liam's POV:\par
\par
"Ano bang nangyari? Akala ko ba ayos na kayo?"\par
\par
We were in the caf having lunch with Maffy, and Ria had just been telling us abo
ut Gelo. Nagtataka talaga ako, ang alam ko kasi ok na sila, tapos biglang ganito
yung kinukwento niya?\par
\par
"Kahit naman siguro sino ang magsabi sayo na mukhang blackboard ang noo mo, maga
galit ka diba?" Ria said, fuming. Mukhang talagang napikon siya.\par
\par
Ang wirdo naman, bakit nga ba sasabihan bigla ni Gelo ng ganun si Ria? Lately ng
a akala ko nagkakagusto na siya kay Ria tas bigla niyang pipintasan ng harapan?
Ang gulo talaga ah!\par
\par
"Grabe naman kayo, baka naman may sinabi ka ring hindi niya nagustuhan?" tanong
ni Maffy, looking concerned.\par
\par
"Wala ano!"\par
\par
"Eh bakit ba parang galit na galit ka sa kanya kahit before pa kayo mag-usap? Na
kipagpalit ka pa daw ng partner eh. May pinag-awayan ba kayo, ha?"\par
\par
\par

She looked at me and said nothing. I get the feeling na may tinatago siya saken.
..\par
\par
\par
"Ano ka ba Liam, para kang NBI diyan. Teka nga, maiba tayo para malimutan ni Ria
yung unggoy na yun... Sino partner mo?"\par
\par
"Si Denise."\par
\par
\par
Sumagi na naman sa utak ko yung nangyari sa amin ni Denise noong party ni Zoe. K
ainis. Ayoko siyang maalala. Lasing ako nun, for crying out loud. That didn't me
an anything...\par
There you go, said a nagging voice in my head. May tinatago ka rin kay Ria.\par
\par
\par
"Anong piece?"\par
\par
"Miss Saigon. Si Thuy at si Kim."\par
\par
"Wow. Good luck."\par
\par
"Back to the topic, baka naman pwede niyon ayusin yan? Alam mo kasi, saying yung
grade kung sakaling papalpak kayo dahil lang diyan sa away niyo, diba?"\par
\par
"Ako?! Ako mag-aayos?! Bakit, ako ba ang nagsabi na may noo siyang mukhang black
board?!"\par
\par
"Ria, it's for your own good, you know. Kahit sa period lang ng preparation for
this, maging maayos kayo sa isa't isa. Kahit ilang araw lang kung talagang hindi
kayo makatiis."\par
\par
"Makipag-bargain ka kasi. Sinasabayan mo kasi yung pang-aasar niya eh."\par
\par
"Takte! Bahala siya!"\par
\par
"Mabait naman si Gelo eh, he'll come around. Malakas lang siguro yung topak."\pa
r
\par
"Wag na nga natin pag-usapan yun! Teka, sa Sabado na yung gig niyo diba?"\par
\par
"Yup. Ang hirap nga mag-schedule ng rehearsal..."\par
\par
"Ilang kanta ba gagawin niyo?"\par
\par
"2 or 3. Ideally, tig-isa kaming solo tas yung isa parang duet na."\par
\par
"Kakanta nga pala yun. Goodluck, diba? Sana hindi bumagyo."\par
\par
"Huy, tama na nga yan Ria. Ayan ka na naman."\par
\par
"Bakit, ang sabi ko lang naman-..."\par
\par
"Heh! SHUT UP!" I said, fed up. Nakakatulili na yung arguments nila ni Maffy.\pa
r
\par
"Shina-shut up mo na lang ako ngayon, ganun?" Ria shot at me.\par
\par
"Ang kulit niyo kasi e! Nakakatulili na."\par
\par

"Ewan ko sayo!" sabi niya, tapos tumayo siya at umalis.\par

\par
\par
Naku, mukhang BUMINGO ako kay Ria...\par
\par
\par
Gelo's POV:\par
\par
\par
I watched her walk away, with Liam and Maffy closely following her.\par
\par
"Yigee! Nag-away sila!!!" Elle said happily.\par
\par
"Para kang ewan diyan."\par
\par
"Kunwari ka pa, kung di ko pa alam eh ikaw yung tuwang tuwa."\par
\par
"Hoy hindi ah. Pakialam ko dun."\par
\par
"Wala daw pakialam pero dun naman nakatingin..."\par
\par
"E ano naman?"\par
\par
"Aminin na kasi!"\par
\par
"Bahala nga kayo diyan, pinagkaisahan niyo na naman ako."\par
\par
\par
They both broke into hysterical laughter.\par
\par
\par
"Ano bang nakakatawa? ..." I asked angrily.\par
\par
"Uyy... napipikon..."\par
\par
"Napipikon daw, asus! Nagpipikon pikunan lang yan para makapagwalkout din siya a
t masundan niya si Ria!"\par
\par
"LUL! Kayong dalawa tigilan niyo ako ha, pagbubuhulin ko kayo diyan!"\par
\par
"AWW. Takot ako."\par
\par
"Maiba ako, kayong dalawa, wag kayong mawawala sa Sabado ha?"\par
\par
"Sabado? Ano nga pala ulit meron?"\par
\par
"DUHH. Gig nila, ng Fourth Wall. First ever gig."\par
\par
"Naman. Ang bummer. Hindi ako pwede eh."\par
\par
"Ano ba. Isama mo na lang kasi si Lance."\par
\par
"Nga naman, nang makaliskisan namin!"\par
\par
"Anong pinagsasabi niyo diyan? Hindi naman si Lance yung kasama ko..." sabi ni R
ish. Napansin kong biglang lumungkot ang facial expression niya.\par
\par
"O? Bakit nagdilim yang mukha mo?"\par
\par
"Ewan ko dun. Ang labo niya."\par

\par
"Sheesh. Bakit ang putla mo?"\par
\par
\par
Napatingin ako sa sinabi ni Elle. Oo nga...\par
\par
"Ok ka lang Rish?"\par
\par
"Yea. Medyo nahihilo lang ako."\par
\par
"Ano, gusto mo samahan ka namin sa clinic?"\par
\par
"Wag na. Tara, baka ma-late pa tayo sa Math."\par
\par
\par
Habang naga-afternoon classes kami, binabantayan ko nang palihim si Rish. Mukha
talaga siyang malungkot, tas parang masama pa yung pakiramdam niya. Ewan ko ba.
Nag-aalala na ko dito, hindi naman siya ganyan...\par
\par
\par
Something tells me it has something to do with Lance. Naku, pag nalaman kong siy
a may kasalanan patay siya saken!\par
\par
\par
"Uy! Ano hatid kita pauwi?" I offered pagdating ng dismissal.\par
\par
"Wag na. Kasama ko si Lance."\par
\par
"Pag may problema ha -..."\par
\par
"Oo naman, ipapabugbog ko agad sa inyo ni Elle," sabi niya, smiling. Na-reassure
naman ako sa sinabi niya kaya pinabayaan ko na lang.\par
\par
________________________________________\par
\par
\par
"Anong sabi?" Elle asked habang naglalakad kami palabas ng campus.\par
\par
"Ok lang daw siya. Sasabihin niya naman daw sa atin agad kung sakali eh."\par
\par
"Ewan ko Gelo ha. Pero wala akong tiwala sa pagmumukha nung Lance na yun."\par
\par
"Bakit, ako ba meron? Wala rin."\par
\par
"Oh well. Basta ba talagang sasabihin niya saten eh di -..."\par
\par
\par
"HEY!!! GELO!!!"\par
\par
\par
Lumingon kami ni Elle. Tumatakbo si Ria na parang hinahabol kami.\par
\par
\par
"Oh, good luck Gelo, bye!" sabi ni Elle sabay alis.\par
\par
\par
AYOS AH.\par
\par
\par
"We need to talk."\par

\par
"Tungkol saan naman?"\par
\par
"Itong... hay naku. I want a truce."\par
\par
\par
HIMALA. Ano kaya pumasok sa utak nito?\par
\par
\par
"Talaga?"\par
\par
"Oo naman. Tigilan na natin to. It's driving me mad. I mean, we're ok and all, r
ight?"\par
\par
"You think so?"\par
\par
"Oh, PLEASE? Kahit dalawang araw lang? Just for this activity? Come on. We both
need a high grade in this."\par
\par
\par
Aba, at dahil lang pala sa grade kaya siya nakikipag-ayos?!\par
\par
\par
"Wow, I didn't realize ganun ka. Makikipag bati ka saken dahil sa GRADE?"\par
\par
"Hindi sa ganun-..."\par
\par
\par
She was still talking pero iniwan ko na siya at tumawid na ako sa kabila. Pang-a
sar talaga to!\par
Naku, Gelo, palpak ka talaga sa babae kahit kelan... Una, si Elle, ngayon ito!\p
ar
\par
\par
"HEY! IT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" she yelled from the other side of the road. Hindi
ko siya pinansin.\par
\par
\par
"GELO-..."\par
\par
\par
And then there was a screech of brakes, followed by drawn-out screams that rent
the air with the force of a speeding bullet...\par
\par
\par
Napalingon ako, wondering what on earth could have caused it...\par
Right in front of a white SUV was a huddle of eager and anxious onlookers, surro
unding something I couldn't see...\par
\par
\par
It was then that I realized...\par
Ria was nowhere in sight.\par
\par
Chapter Twenty-Four\par
\par
Gelo's POV:\par
\par
Ria was nowhere in sight.\par
\par
A different kind of dread pulled at my insides like a powerful; invisible hook.\

par
Without thinking, tumakbo ako papunta sa grupo ng taong nasa harap nung sasakyan
na nagco-cause na ng hold up doon sa kalsada...\par
\par
Kabi-kabila ang tunog ng busina, but I hardly minded; at that moment, walang iba
ng nasa isip ko except for the desire na makita kung ano yung napapaligiran nila
...\par
\par
With a scream of mingled fury and relief, I saw Ria get on her feet.\par
\par
"What the HELL were you thinking?! Ano ka ba, nagpapakamatay?!"\par
\par
She looked at me like I was an alien or something. Saka ko lang napansin na may
akay siyang bata na umiiyak at tulo na ang uhog mula sa ilong. Hindi niya ako pi
nansin at nag-crouch siya para kausapin yung bata...\par
\par
"Ok ka lang?"\par
"Mama... *singhot* "\par
\par
Saktong may lumapit sa amin na babae.\par
\par
"Naku, ano ka ba naman anak!" sabi niya, sabay sunggab at yakap doon sa bata. "B
akit ka naman kasi tumawid!"\par
"Akala po yata niya iiwan niyo siya."\par
"Sinabi ko naman sa kanyang may kukunin lang ako sa kotse eh! O, tahan na. Miss,
salamat ha?"\par
"Sige po."\par
\par
Tinitigan ko si Ria as though I have never seen her before...\par
\par
I saw cuts on her hand and a huge purple bruise on her arm, but she didn't seem
to mind habang nagbababay siya doon sa mag-ina. Nag-alisan na rin yung mga tao k
aya hinila ko na siya pabalik sa school.\par
\par
"ARAY naman!"\par
\par
She sharply pulled her hand out of my grasp, tas tiningnan niya yun... may malak
ing sugat tas dumudugo talaga...\par
\par
"Ikaw naman kasi, sinundan mo pa ko!"\par
"Tonge! Hindi ikaw yung sinundan ko, yung bata!"\par
"Eh kung ikaw yung nasagasaan, sige nga?!"\par
"As if naman may pake ka!"\par
"Syempre meron!"\par
\par
Natigilan kami pareho sa pagsisigawan.\par
\par
"Tara na nga."\par
\par
Sabay kaming pumunta sa clinic, but no one spoke the whole time. Pinanood ko lan
g habang ginagamot siya nung nurse.\par
\par
Hindi ko akalain... kaya niya palang gawin yun...\par
Badtrip! Eto na naman ako... I'm falling even deeper...\par
\par
Saka naman may humahangos na pumasok sa clinic...\par
\par
"Ano nangyari?!"\par
\par
Agad tumabi si Liam kay Ria, na tipong kulang na lang eh hugutin yung kamay niya

...\par
\par
"Hoy! Dahan dahan naman, may sugat pa kaya yung kamay niya!"\par
\par
Napatingin silang tatlo saken, pare-parehong wide-eyed at tipong gulat. Kungsaba
gay, kahit naman ako nagulat. Siguro nalito yung nurse kung sino ba talaga sa am
in yung boyfriend ni Ria...\par
\par
"Diyan muna kayo, may kukunin ako," sabi nung nurse bigla, tas umalis na.\par
\par
"Ano ba kasi nangyari sa kanya?" tanong ni Liam na para bang ako yung sinisisi n
iya.\par
"Liam, wala siya kinalaman doon. Siya pa nga nagdala saken dito. May tumawid kas
ing bata, ayun hinabol ko kasi masasagasaan nung Prado. Kawawa naman diba?"\par
"Bakit kasi hinabol mo pa?"\par
"Eh anong gagawin ko? Papanoorin?"\par
\par
Sige pa... mag-away pa kayo...\par
\par
Bumalik na yung nurse, may dalang benda, tapos binalot niya noon yung kamay ni R
ia.\par
\par
"O ayan. Bukas bumalik ka dito, papalitan na natin yan."\par
"Sige po, thanks," sabi ni Ria, tapos bumaba na siya dun sa kinauupuan niya, wit
hout looking at Liam.\par
\par
"Thanks sa pagsama."\par
"Ok lang. Alis na ko."\par
"Hey wait!"\par
\par
Nilingon ko naman.\par
\par
"Ano, truce na?" she said, offering her uninjured hand.\par
"Oo naman. See ya sa English class bukas," I said, shaking it.\par
\par
Nginitian ko na lang siya tapos umalis na rin ako.\par
________________________________________\par
\par
Maffy's POV:\par
\par
"Ayoko pa umuwi."\par
\par
Nakaupo kami ni Jon sa swing sa park, nagkukwentuhan lang.\par
\par
"Ako nga rin eh."\par
"Dito na lang tayo matulog."\par
\par
Tiningnan ako ni Jon. Nawindang ata sa sinabi ko.\par
\par
"Eto naman. Joke lang. Para namang rereypin kita noh!"\par
\par
Natawa ko kay Jon, namula ba naman kasi!\par
\par
"Haha. Papayag naman ako eh."\par
"Gagu! Sira talaga tuktok mo!"\par
"Tagal na. Kaya nga maraming ayaw saken eh."\par
\par
Wow, biglang serious mode?\par
\par
"Ano ba, matagal ko nang alam yun."\par

"Hindi ah. Andito naman kami nila Ria eh, kaya hindi ka dapat nagda-drama diyan.
"\par
"Kung wala siguro kayo, nabaliw na ko. Teka nga. Bakit ba hindi kayo magkasundo
ng dad mo?"\par
"Ewan ko din. Siguro same reason na hindi kayo magkasundo ng Mom mo."\par
"Ang galing noh? Pareho tayo ng situation. Meant to be?!" sabi niya, sabay tawa.
\par
\par
Natawa na rin tuloy ako. Siguro, para sa kanya nakakatawa. Pero sa akin...\par
\par
"Uy, alam mo ba? Napaniginipan ko na naman Dad ko kagabi. Nagkita raw kami, kaso
wala siyang mukha."\par
\par
"Wala ka ba maski picture?"\par
\par
"Wala ano. Sabi ko naman sayo, lahat ng traces ng Dad ko inalis ng Lola at Mom k
o. Kung pwede nga lang na mismong existence ni Dad eh alisin, siguro ginawa na n
ila. Ang alam ko lang talaga, surname. Pero goodluck naman sa akin, kung pupunta
han ko lahat ng Figueroa sa mundo eh siguro matanda na ko ni anino hindi ko pa m
akikita."\par
\par
"Gusto mo ba talagang makita ang dad mo?"\par
\par
"Oo naman. I'm sure mas itatrato niya akong tao kaysa kay Mom."\par
\par
"Palagay ko naman, hinahanap ka rin nun."\par
\par
"Paano mo naman nasabi yun?"\par
\par
"Wala lang."\par
\par
"Pinapalakas mo lang naman yung loob ko."\par
\par
"Jon-..."\par
\par
"Ano ka ba, I appreciate it. Ang akin lang... siguro kung talagang naghanap siya
, noon pa kami nagkita diba?"\par
\par
Natahimik kami. Minsan lang siya magsabi ng nararamdaman niya kaya hinayaan ko n
a lang muna siyang mag-open ulit.\par
\par
"Tara na nga. Kasalanan ko pa pag nagsermon na naman yung Dad mo."\par
"Oo nga. Ewan ko ba dun, bakit nag business man. Mas bagay naman sa kanya ang ma
gpari..."\par
"Sira! Inaway pa yung tatay niya! Tara na nga," sabi niya. Tumayo kami tas inakb
ayan niya ko.\par
\par
I felt safe.\par
\par
Jonathan's POV:\par
\par
Ayos, nakalusot na naman ang the moves ko\par
Masaya ako ngayong kasama ko siya. Sana ganito kami palagi.\par
\par
Katakot nga lang... Paano ko ba liligawan ito?\par
Baka sabihin niya sinasamantala ko friendship namin. Ayokong masira yun.\par
Naku... kailangan ko tulong ni Ria...\par
\par
"O, dito na ko ha," sabi niya, street na kasi nila.\par
"Samahan na kita hanggang inyo."\par

"Ano ka ba. Wag na, baka magalit pa Dad ko... Sige na, good night!"\par
\par
Ayoko sana bumitaw sa pagkaakbay ko kaso siya na yung kumalas. Kumaway na lang a
ko tas dumeretso sa bahay nina Ria para doon na lang makikain.\par
\par
"Tita Elize! Makikikain po!"\par
"Ay pasok na, eto talaga nagsasabi pa!"\par
"Sina Ria po?"\par
"Andun sila ng Ate niya sa taas. Puntahan mo muna, sabihin mo bumaba na kasi mal
uluto na to."\par
"Sige po!"\par
\par
Masunurin naman akong bata kaya akyat naman ako. Narinig ko mga boses nila, mukh
ang andoon sila sa kwarto ni Ate Danna.\par
\par
"Ate ano ba to..."\par
"Bakit? Kasya naman ah?"\par
"Ang luwag kaya!"\par
\par
Kumatok ako.\par
\par
"Sino yan?"\par
"Si Jon."\par
"Pasok ka!"\par
"Huy wag! Magbibihis muna ako!"\par
\par
Ngak! Ano ba meron dito sa mag-ate na to?\par
\par
"Ano ka ba, si Jon lang yan. Para makita na rin niya. Jon! Halika nga dito!"\par
\par
Binuksan ko yung pinto at pumasok ako.\par
\par
Whoa.\par
Nakita ko si Ria sa harap ng salamin, nakasuot ng bestida na mukhang kulang sa t
ela. Kita ang midriff niya.\par
Nako, siguradong luluwa ang mata ni Liam dito...\par
\par
"Ano yang suot mo?"\par
"Costume niya."\par
"Anong itsura?" tanong ni Ria, looking conscious.\par
\par
Nag-isip ako panandali.\par
\par
"Kulang sa tela."\par
\par
Nagtawanan kami.\par
\par
"Eto talaga si Manong Jonathan. Pero ok naman sa kanya diba?"\par
"Medyo maluwag nga," I said honestly, kaya pinalo ako ni Ate Danna.\par
\par
"Hayup ka! Anong ibig mong sabihin, mataba ako?"\par
\par
"Bakit? SAYO YAN?!"\par
\par
"Oo!"\par
\par
"Eh mas mataba ka naman talaga saken eh!"\par
\par
"Kapal mo! Anorexic ka kasi!"\par
\par

"Hoy! Tigilan niyo nga yan! Bakit mo naman naisipang bumili ng ganyang damit, ha
Ate Danna? Bugaw ka ba?"\par
\par
"Gagu, hindi! Costume ko yan sa IPC noon. Gagamitin niya kasi Moulin Rouge din y
ung nabunot niya sa English class."\par
\par
"O? Sino nga pala partner mo?"\par
\par
"Ah, si Gelo."\par
\par
"Uuuuy. Si Liam sino partner?"\par
\par
"Si Den. Naku, papasikipan ko to kay Mommy. Baka mahubaran ako sa Friday..."\par
\par
"Asus! Ang sabihin mo ipapa-fit mo para mas sumexy ka sa harap ni Liam!"\par
\par
"Shut up Ate!" sabi ni Ria, tapos lumabas na siya ng kwarto, siguro para ipakita
yung suot niya kay Tita.\par
\par
DING!\par
\par
"Uy! May nag-message kay Ria!"\par
\par
Pinuntahan ni Ate yung laptop ni Ria na nakalagay sa kama, may nag-message nga s
a YM. Naku, usiserang ate\par
\par
"Tingnan natin, dali! Baka si Liam..."\par
\par
But it wasn't Liam at all.\par
\par
Gelo Fontanilla: Ei. Musta na kamay mo? Pasensiya na kanina ha.\par
Goodluck saten. See ya tomorrow.\par
\par
Pasensya na kanina?\par
Ano yun?\par
Kakaiba naman yata ito.\par
\par
"Uy, kayong dalawa, kakain na daw," sabi ni Ria, sabay dungaw sa pinto.\par
\par
Naunang lumabas si Ate Danna, pero bago makasunod si Ria kinalabit ko siya.\par
\par
"Bakit?"\par
"Patulong naman."\par
"Saan?"\par
\par
Nagkamot muna ako ng ulo...\par
\par
"Saan nga?"\par
"Kay Maffy."\par
\par
Her eyes widened, her jaw dropped, and she broke into a wide smile.\par
\par
"As in?"\par
\par
Tss. Tama bang mas na-excite pa saken.\par
\par
Chapter Twenty Five\par
\par
Elle's POV:\par
\par

\par
"O, tapos?"\par
\par
\par
Gelo has just been telling me about how his practice with Ria had gone. Pinagpra
ctice kasi lahat ng pairs kaninang English, eh pinaghanap kami ng mga secluded n
a places para hindi nga naman ma-distract lalo na sa line delivery. Well, since
secluded at wala silang ibang kasama...\par
\par
\par
\par
"Kailangan ko bang ikwento lahat ng detalye?" tanong niya, taking a sip from his
coke float. Nasa McDo kami ngayon, ang pinakamalapit na tambayan sa school nami
n.\par
\par
\par
"Bakit? Maliban ba dun sa kwinento mo meron pa?" I asked. He scratched his head.
\par
"Ang kulit mo. Ano bang iniisip mong ginawa namin dun?"\par
"Malay ko. Ano ba nangyari, ha? PG-13? R-18?"\par
\par
\par
Binato niya ako ng French Fries.\par
\par
\par
"Ang dumi ng isip mo."\par
\par
\par
"Ano ba, joke lang naman. Alam ko namang gentleman ka eh."\par
\par
\par
"Malamang, dapat alam mo yun, diba? Ex?" sabi niya, nang-aasar.\par
\par
\par
"Don't remind me. Isang napakalaking error yun sa buhay ko. Anyway," I said, cut
ting him off as he opened his mouth to protest, "Sure kang yun lang?"\par
\par
\par
"Oo. Wala naman akong ginawa kaninang practice na wala sa script. Bakit ba kasi
kailangang himayin mo pa yung kwento ko?"\par
\par
\par
"Well, I need to know every detail. I'm a girl, remember? So I'll be able to int
erpret kung may hopes ka pa ba kay Ria. Baka kasi super obvious na, di mo pa hal
ata, diba? Mr. Dense?"\par
\par
"Hindi ako dense. Ayoko lang ng kung ano ano yung iniisip natin tas hindi naman
pala dapat lagyan ng ibig sabihin."\par
\par
"I don't think you get it, Gelo. This is a matter of grave importance!" I exclai
med. He laughed hysterically.\par
\par
"Elle, at this very moment may mga taong binobomba sa Iraq, maraming taong nagug
utom sa Pilipinas, and we are on the verge of re-hiring an impeached president..
. tapos ang pinoproblema mo, lovelife ko?! What's wrong with you?!"\par
\par
\par
It was my turn to laugh.\par
\par
\par

"Well, wala naman po kasi akong magagawa sa mga social phenomenon na yan diba?"\
par
\par
"Para namang sa problema ko eh may magagawa ka."\par
\par
"OUCH, ang sakit nun ha," I said, acting mortally offended.\par
\par
"That's not what I meant, naaapreciate ko naman kayo ni Rish..."\par
\par
"I know, silly. Pero bakit ba kasi ang bilis mong mag-give up diyan?"\par
\par
\par
He played with his drink's straw, sinking into silence.\par
\par
\par
"Si Rish kaya, kamusta na?"\par
\par
\par
Waw, ayos ang pag-layo ng usapan ah.\par
\par
Oh, which reminds me... absent nga pala si Rish. Kalungkot tuloy, wala akong kak
amping mang-alaska kay Gelo. Nung isang araw pa yun nahihilo-hilo eh.\par
\par
"Ewan, di pa nagtetext."\par
\par
"Baka tulog. Sige hayaan na muna natin..."\par
\par
"Don't worry, she'll be okay."\par
\par
\par
Isusubo ko na sana yung French fries sa bibig ko nang-\par
\par
"Oh my gosh, they're here!"\par
\par
"Anong meron?" said Gelo, turning his head to look, but before he could do so I
got his face into my hands.\par
\par
"Don't look, it's them!"\par
\par
"Eh ano naman? Tsaka Elle, yung mukha ko..."\par
\par
\par
I quickly let go of his face.\par
\par
"Remember, don't look," I said, putting my hand on his arm.\par
\par
"What do you think you're doing?!"\par
\par
"Wala. I just want to see the look on her face kung sakali..."\par
\par
"You're leaning too close!"\par
\par
"Shut up or I'll kiss you!"\par
\par
\par
His eyes widened, looking revolted. Gaah, I couldn't care less, really.\par
\par
\par
Lalo na ngayong dito nakatingin si Ria.\par
\par

\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
"Alam mo, kahapon ka pa."\par
\par
I gave Liam a nasty look habang papasok kami ng McDo. Nauna na sina Maffy at Jon
sa loob, at medyo nagpaiwan ako so I can reprimand him, kanina pa siyang nakasi
mangot and it irritates me to no end.\par
\par
Napatingin ako sa isa sa mga tables sa dulo. Andun si Elle, and she was sitting
with someone who looked a lot like-\par
\par
\par
"Kahapon pang ano?"\par
\par
"Ganyan. Gloomy, emo, whatnot. Meron ka ba?"\par
\par
"Why, is it illegal?"\par
\par
\par
Napairap ako sa sobrang inis. Ang arte nito kahit kailan oh! Totopakin na lang,
ngayon pa!\par
Naku, wag niyang sinasabayan ang toyo ng utak ko ha, magwo-world war to!\par
\par
\par
"Wag na kasi tayo dito," sabi niya bigla.\par
\par
"Ano ba, nakikisabay lang naman tayo kasi nag-aya si Jon. Wag kang saken mainis
kasi hindi naman ako yung nag-aya dito."\par
\par
"Sinabi ko bang sayo ko naiinis?"\par
\par
"Hindi mo nga sinasabi, eh kung maka-ngalngal ka dyan eh parang ako pa sinisisi
mo. Pasalamat ka nga nililibre pa tayo eh."\par
\par
"Hindi ko naman pinilit si Jon na isama tayo dito. Sa Starbucks na lang kasi."\p
ar
\par
\par
ABA! Ang arte naman talaga! Baklitang to!\par
\par
\par
"Well, SORRY ha, hindi kasi mayaman yung family namin, hindi kagaya nung iba, ap
elyido pa lang tunog milyones na... Zobel, Ayala, at lalong hindi tunog FORENJER
na parang Woods, diba?" I told him, completely losing control.\par
\par
"Ang konti lang ng sinabi ko, ang dami mo nang nadugtong. Bakit ba ayaw mong uma
lis dito? Dahil ba nakita mo nandito rin si Gelo?"\par
\par
"Gelo na naman?! MY GOD, Liam. GROW UP! I can't see why you have to get all work
ed up about him like that..."\par
\par
"Well it's not like you're giving me no reason to get worked up about him being
here..."\par
\par
"REASON?" I said, giving out a horribly fake laugh. "Binibigyan kita ng rason to
be unreasonably jealous? What reasons?"\par
\par
"I saw you practicing, and I could hardly describe that as perfectly innocent."\
par

\par
"It's in the fcuking script, Liam!"\par
\par
"Well you didn't have to follow it to the letter! Kulang na lang..."\par
\par
"Kulang na lang ano?" I dared him.\par
\par
"Don't you get it? He's using it! He's using the fcuking script to get to you, a
nd I can't stand that! At eto ka naman... honestly, I'm starting to think you're
leading him on!"\par
\par
\par
WHAPAKK!\par
\par
\par
I had slapped him before I could stop myself. I've never been so angry in my ent
ire life. That was an insult; I felt like vermin.\par
\par
"I NEVER dreamed na ganyan kababa ang tingin mo saken."\par
\par
"I'm sorry. Nabigla ako..."\par
\par
"Kung gusto mong mag-Starbucks, magkape ka mag-isa mo," I said, and with that in
iwan ko na siya at pumasok na ako. He didn't even follow me.\par
\par
\par
Pagpunta ko sa table, nagtaka ako sa mga itsura nila Jon at Maffy.\par
\par
"What happened?"\par
\par
\par
Napatingin si Jon saken, as though signaling me to shut up.\par
It was then that I saw the tray in front of Maffy, kung saan may mga salita whic
h were spelled using French fries.\par
\par
\par
DAMN! I was ruining their moment!\par
Pero di ako makaalis. Matagal ko ding hinintay to noh!\par
\par
"Seryoso ka?"\par
"Mukha ba kong nagpapatawa?"\par
\par
Then, Maffy did something incredible.\par
She rearranged the fries... I couldn't read it properly...\par
\par
But Jon did. He simply smiled widely, his cheeks burning red, then said...\par
\par
"Kanino ulit yung Cheeseburger meal?"\par
\par
\par
Chapter Twenty Six\par
Maffy's POV:\par
\par
"Huy! Ano ba?!"\par
\par
I looked at Ria, trying to get myself out of reverie.\par
\par
"Ha? Ano nga ba yun?"\par
"Tanong ko, kung ok lang ba?" she asked, taking another spin sa harap ng salamin
.\par

\par
Ano ba naman tong babaeng to. I don't think she realizes how beautiful she's loo
king while wearing that midriff-baring costume. She didn't look too confident ei
ther, but siguro dahil lang yun sa fact na hindi siya sanay magsuot ng mga ganun
g klaseng damit.\par
\par
But honestly, kung ako sana ang ganun kaganda at ka-sexy-\par
\par
Nah. Never mind.\par
\par
Today is our big English presentation slash Initial IPC Audition day. Maya-maya
lang siguro, kakailanganin na naming bumalik sa classroom, 15 minutes lang kasi
ang binigay sa aming preparation time (which is nowhere near sufficient).\par
\par
"Hindi lang okay, silly. You're GORGEOUS! Eh ako?" I asked, habang sinisimulan k
o nang iligpit, este, itapon lahat ng makeup ni Ria sa vanity kit niya.\par
"Oo naman noh. Buti ka nga, hindi mukhang taga-perya. Teka, bakit ba kanina ka p
ang tulala?" she asked, now looking at her skirt's loooooong slit, which was sho
wing off her legs.\par
\par
I hesitated. I wanted to tell her everything, but I didn't really know if I shou
ld.\par
\par
"May gusto ka bang i-share saken?" she asked, pulling a funny face, the one she
wore everytime she thought na alam niya kung anong iniisip ko.\par
But truth is, she doesn't know even half of it.\par
\par
Siguro iniisip niya, may gusto akong ikwento tungkol kay Jon...\par
But this isn't about Jon at all.\par
\par
*Flashback*\par
Dismissal Time, Thursday\par
\par
Nasa ground floor ako nun, papunta sa gates. Dun kasi naming napag-usapang magki
ta-kita, manlilibre daw kasi si Jon. Abah, samantalahin na, diba?! Sobrang bihir
a yun!\par
\par
Wala nang gaanong tao sa corridor, kaya halos pati footsteps ko para nang nag-ee
cho...\par
Teka, may naririnig ako...\par
\par
"-what about what happened at Zoe's party?"\par
"Kinalimutan ko na yun, Den. Frankly speaking, I think you should do the same."\
par
\par
Teka, sina Liam at Denise yun ah.\par
Zoe's party? I gotta listen to this.\par
\par
"Kalimutan? Naging special saken yun. You can't possibly expect na kaya kong kal
imutan yun ng ganun ganun na lang!"\par
"For heavens' sake, Denise! Get a grip! It was just a kiss!"\par
\par
JUST A WHAT?!\par
\par
"Just a kiss? Liam, you don't just kiss every girl you know ON THE LIPS!"\par
\par
\par
\par
"Don't be stupid, hindi ibig sabihin na hinalikan kita eh gusto na rin kita. I w
as drunk, remember? I didn't have a clue on what I was doing."\par

\par
"So ano yun, wala lang? Playtime?! Ano ako, manika na hahalikan mo tuwing nalala
sing ka?" Denise screeched, her voice breaking. I felt an awful mix of pity and
resentment for her.\par
\par
"Den, you know about me and Ria. Ikaw, buong mundo. Alam niyong lahat how much I
love her."\par
\par
"OH PLEASE. Don't you hit me with that one. Pwede ba! I know for a fact that you
're kissing other girls behind her back, at nasisikmura mong sabihing you love h
er?! She may not know about it, but I do! That girl from Seton, that Salinggawi
member, and even that Volleyball captain from DLA!"\par
\par
DLA?! So ang ibig sabihinm yung girl nung isang araw-\par
\par
Umalis na ako. I didn't think I could hear any more of that...\par
\par
*End of Flashback*\par
\par
I wanted to tell her about it kahapon, but Jon completely drove it out of my min
d.\par
SCREW HIM!\par
\par
"Tara na, we're LATE!!!" said Ria, panicking. Kinuha niya lahat ng paper bag in
sight.\par
"Ria... ano yung pinag-awayan niyo kahapon?" I asked her, intending to bring the
topic up. HEAVENS help me.\par
\par
"Oh. Just some bullcrap Liam was making about Gelo. Honestly, he's getting so un
reasonable."\par
\par
"Pinagselosan na naman niya si Gelo? " I asked, my voice higher and angrier than
I had intended. Paano ba naman kasi, ang KAPAL ng mukha ni Liam na mag-accuse n
g kung ano ano, eh kung tutuusin, siya tong may ginagawang milagro!\par
\par
"Ewan ko ba, he always finds reasons para lagyan ng malisya yung mga ginagawa na
ming ni Gelo. Kinakabahan nga ako ngayong performance... baka mag-inarte na nama
n."\par
\par
Naku, MAMATAY na yang boyfie mo, Ria!!!\par
\par
Sh.t! Ano, sasabihin ko na ba?\par
\par
It's NOW or NEVER, Maffy...\par
\par
"Oh sh.t..." Ria said very suddenly in a low, shocked whisper.\par
"Bakit?" I asked, thinking she's forgotten or dropped something.\par
\par
Pero hindi. She was staring at a point about ten meters away ahead of us...\par
\par
There stood a tall figure who was looking crisp and elegant in a white polo, bla
ck vest and slacks.\par
\par
"Oh my GOD. Ang gwapo niya," said Ria, as though she was about to faint.\par
\par
Gelo's POV:\par
\par
Badtrip naman itong nahiram kong costume! MUKHA AKONG WAITER!\par
\par
Ang init pa. Siguro pag nalaman ni Ewan McGregor na siya yung ginagaya ko, maiin

sulto yun! Amp naman talaga. Bakit ba kasi hindi ako pinanganak na James Bond ma
terial?! I'd be happy to get all those girls...\par
\par
But then again... isa lang talaga ang gusto ko... but she's the one I could neve
r-\par
\par
\par
\par
I could never have imagined that she could be this beautiful.\par
\par
Natulala ako. She's taken my breath away.\par
\par
My heart was banging like crazy against my ribs. Much like an old, black-and-whi
te, Casanova-type movie, I took a slow, tentative step and made sure I wasn't se
eing things.\par
\par
The funny thing was, natigil din siya sa kinakatayuan niya.\par
Nakatingin din siya saken...\par
\par
"Huy! Ano bang tinatanga mo diyan?" said a voice. It was Elle, standing on my le
ft. Nandun siya sa pintuan ng classroom namin, nakadungaw.\par
\par
Si Ria kasi eh. Hindi ko tuloy na-realize na nandun na pala ako.\par
\par
Lumabas si Elle, who was also wearing her costume, para tingnan kung ano man yun
g tinitingnan ko, habang nagsimula na ring maglakad papunta samin sina Maffy at
Ria.\par
\par
"Whoa, Ria, you look GREAT!" said Elle, on whose face was a look of genuine admi
ration.\par
"Thanks."\par
\par
Nagkatinginan kami ni Ria.\par
I opened my mouth to try and tell her how beautiful I think she was, but no soun
d came out...\par
\par
I felt stupid, standing there with my mouth half-open.\par
It was her who broke the silence.\par
\par
"So... ano, ready ka na?"\par
"Ah- ehh- oo naman."\par
\par
"Wow. Ang ganda ng porma natin ah?" said a voice mula sa likod ko.\par
\par
Si Liam pala. Nakacostume na rin siya para sa piece nilang Miss Saigon, pang-sun
dalo. Nakangiti rin siya na parang nang-iinis.\par
\par
"Alam mo, dude, tray na lang saka bow tie ang kulang, pwede ka nang waiter."\par
\par
Nag-init agad ang ulo ko.\par
\par
"Liam-..." started Ria, but I cut her off.\par
"Thanks bro. Pero mas ok na siguro yun kaysa sa mga taong kahit bihisan mo nang
pang-sundalo eh LAMPAYATOT pa rin naman ang labas."\par
\par
Elle laughed hysterically, at kahit sina Maffy at Ria di nakapagpigil.\par
\par
"How smart," Liam said, looking more than ready to kill me.\par
\par
"What are you guys doing here in the corridor? Get your butts in there!" sabi ng

teacher namin, who appeared out of nowhere.\par

\par
Masunurin kaming mga bata at pumasok na sa room. Syempre, kelangan tabi kami ni
Ria...\par
Haha, salamat kay Ma'am.\par
Araw ko ngayon, Liam.\par
\par
Gusto ko na tuloy magperform para lalo siyang mainis. Kakaririn ko na to!!!\par
\par
Kainis, ayaw pa kami tawagin ni Ma'am. Ihuhuli pa yata kami e.\par
\par
Badtrip, nakaka-pressure tuloy. Ang gagaling nila. Kahit sina Denise at Liam, ka
hit ayoko aminin, na-intimidate ako. Marunong palang umarte yung pilipit ang dil
a na yun?\par
\par
Hayup yan. Di kami pwedeng basta magpatalo sa dalawang lampayatot na yun!\par
\par
"Gelo and Ria? You're next!"\par
\par
I looked at Ria, who looked nervous.\par
\par
"Game ka na?"\par
"Di pa eh."\par
"Let's go beat them up," I said, at pasimple kong hinawakan ang kamay niya to re
assure her, at the same time making sure na walang nakakita.\par
\par
Tumayo na kami at pumunta sa harap ng classroom. I went for the far corner, whil
e si Ria naman doon sa gitna.\par
\par
Kanina, lamig na lamig yung kamay ko.\par
But when Ria smiled at me, I felt like I can conquer anything. Even the waiting
audience.\par
\par
"Go!"\par
\par
I walked slowly from the corner of the room, while she faced me at kunwari nagul
at siya.\par
Everyone was quiet. Ayos! It must mean we look convincing!\par
\par
"I've come to pay my bill," I said, looking straight into her eyes and nothing e
lse...\par
She raised her chin up, in a perfect imitation of her character...\par
\par
"You shouldn't be here, Christian. Just leave," she said, tapos naglakad siya na
parang paalis.\par
\par
I mildly pulled her arm, but her acting made it look like I had done it sharply.
\par
Brilliant. I can see Liam's face in the crowd.\par
\par
"You made me believe that you loved me. Why shouldn't I pay you?"\par
\par
Takte. Muntik pa mabulol.\par
She attempted to break free from my grasp.\par
\par
"Why can't I pay you like everyone else does?" I hissed, pulling her closer so t
hat our faces were just mere inches apart.\par
\par
Someone in the crowd gasped.\par
\par

"Christian, there's just no point. Just leave," she said, pleading.\par

"No! Let me pay!" I said, now holding her by both arms.\par
\par
Haha. Ang audience na-carried away\par
\par
"Tell me it wasn't real."\par
"Just go!"\par
"Tell me you don't love me!"\par
\par
She looked away, pretending to be in tears. I shook her.\par
\par
"TELL ME YOU DON'T LOVE ME!"\par
\par
Ayos. Tingin kami sa audience para masignal yung curtain thingy sa movie. Then,
I pulled her tas pinabayaan ko siya sa floor.\par
\par
A sense of recklessness came and took over. I went and looked for Liam... this w
ould be appropriate.\par
\par
"This woman is yours now."\par
\par
I tried to pull a wad of fake money out of my pocket.\par
Hala. Ayaw matanggal. Antutcha, talagang kailangan ng blooper!\par
\par
YES!\par
I managed to pull it out, then I threw it at Ria.\par
\par
"I've paid my wh.ore."\par
\par
Nagtinginan ulit kami, gaya ng napagusapan sa practice.\par
The audience was holding their breath while Ria was there, staring at me.\par
Her facial expression was incredible.\par
Halos makalimutan ko yung next line...\par
\par
"Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love," I said, tapos na
glakad ako ng konti papunta sa aisle.\par
\par
"Ok, FREEZE!" our teacher yelled, much like what she did dun sa ibang nag-perfor
m.\par
\par
What she did next shocked me to no end...\par
She stood up and started clapping.\par
\par
Nagpalakpakan din yung classmates namin but wala namang tumayo.\par
Biglang bumalik yung kaba ko in full measure. Ang ginawa ko na lang, binalikan k
o si Ria para di halata.\par
\par
I offered her my hand para makatayo siya, and she took it, smiling.\par
\par
"Galing. Pang-Oscars!" she whispered.\par
"Ikaw din!" I said, smiling. Napatingin kami ulit sa audience.\par
Grabe, di sila napapagod pumalakpak!\par
\par
AYOS TALAGA TO!!!\par
\par
"Ok. Calm down, guys. I'm gonna make an announcement. I said SHUT UP, everyone!"
\par
\par
Tumahimik...\par
\par

"Good. On Monday, to be held in the School Auditorium, are the FINAL Auditions.
I am going to choose three pairs from this class, at kailangan niyong pumunta sa
Audi sa Monday after classes. From those six pairs, 3 from this class and three
from the other, I am going to choose who will represent our school in the IPC.
Ready?"\par
\par
"READY!"\par
\par
"Ria and Gelo, you're obviously in."\par
\par
There was a fleeting moment of clapping.\par
\par
"Jamie and Leo, so are you!"\par
\par
Palakpakan ulit. Sino kaya yung susunod??\par
\par
"And last but not the least...\par
\par
\par
\par
\par
LIAM AND DENISE."\par
\par
Chapter Twenty Seven\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
"Lintikan naman eh! Hindi ka ba babangon diyan?!"\par
\par
Naku patay. Nagmumura na si Aling Danna.\par
\par
"Ate naman, saglit lang. Mabilis naman akong kumilos."\par
"Mabilis?! Lokohin mo lelang mo. Magbihis ka na, male-late na tayo sa gig nina L
iam."\par
\par
Naman itong si Ate, walang konsiderasyon. Kita nang galing ako sa cheerleading a
t pagod sa kakasayaw maghapon, eto siya at mangungulit. Naku naman...\par
\par
"Bakit ba nagpapa-delay ka pa diyan? Ayaw mo ba mapanood si Liam?"\par
"Ano ka ba. Ginawan pa ng isyu o."\par
"Di nga? Balita ko nag-away kayo eh."\par
"Kanino mo na naman nasagap yan? Kay Jonathan?"\par
"Kanino pa? Haynako, iniiwas mo naman eh..."\par
\par
Kainis naman, ayoko pa naman pag-usapan. Ewan ko ba. Ang weird, naaasiwa kasi ak
o. Basta, maalala ko lang si Liam, kakaiba... Magkahalong asar at inis ang narar
amdaman ko...\par
\par
"Girls! Andyan na si Toff, dali! Sumabay na kayo!" sigaw ng mommy ko from downst
airs.\par
\par
"Bakit pa tayo sasabay sa kanila? We have our own car!" I said indignantly. At t
hat moment, wala ako sa mood na umupo sa iisang sasakyan na kasama si Liam. I'm
so sick of him.\par
\par
"Ano ba! Edi magtricycle ka kung gusto mo! Ang arte mo ha!"\par
\par
Bihira kaming magkainisan ni Ate, pero kasi naman. Pati ba naman yun, kailangan
niya pang pakialaman?!\par
\par

Hindi na ko bata...\par
\par
"O, okay lang ba kayo?" tanong ni Kuya Toff habang papasakay na kami ng kotse.\p
ar
"Wala. Tara na, asan ba si Liam?" tanong ni Ate, still sounding irritated.\par
"Nauna na, nagmamadali daw eh," sabi ni Kuya, casting a curious glance at me.\pa
r
"Meron bang-..."\par
"Toff, tara na!" sigaw ni Ate, saving me from the need to answer. Sumakay na lan
g ako at nagpasalamat na hindi ko muna kakailanganing harapin yung boypren kong
EWAN.\par
\par
Pagdating namin sa Rave (yun pala ang pangalan ng disco-bar thingy na yun) maram
i-rami nang tao, karamihan taga-school namin, yung mga taong nagtitilian kapag m
ay game sina Liam. Nakaset up na rin yung stage... asan kaya si Gelo?\par
\par
"Hi! Can I sit here?"\par
Tumingin ako sa nagsalita; si Elle pala. I hesitated. Tatabi siya saken? Baka ma
buhusan ako ng mantika o ng kung ano mang mainit nito...\par
\par
"Pretty please?" she asked sweetly. Tumango na lang ako at nagpumilit ngumiti.\p
ar
\par
"Are they going to start na?"\par
\par
Grabe naman to. Ang daldal.\par
\par
"Uhm, ewan. Sabi six o clock daw ang start eh."\par
"It's five past six... Oh well," she said, taking a look at her expensive-lookin
g wristwatch. Grabe, bihis na bihis siya ngayon. Pati makeup full effect. Nagpap
acute na naman kaya siya sa ex niya?\par
\par
ASA KA PA, ELLE!\par
\par
Oops. Saan galing yun?\par
\par
"Nga pala, congrats for making it sa final auditions. Sana mapili kayo," she sai
d. Naasar ako sa sarili ko for noticing na she sounded sincere. Si Elle ba talag
a itong katabi ko? Parang hindi.\par
"Thanks. Sana nga."\par
"Alam mo ba, ako yung nag-suggest ng kakantahin ni Gelo tonight?" she said. Naas
ar ako sa tono niya. Ano ba gustong palabasin nito? Sabunutan ko to eh.\par
\par
"Talaga?"\par
"Yup. You should wait and see. It's SO appropriate."\par
\par
Buti na lang, biglang nag-dim ang lights, kundi siguro, napansin niya na tiningn
an ko siya ng masama.\par
\par
Pero bakit ba ako maiinis? Eh kung para kay Elle nga yung kakantahin ni Gelo, an
o naman yung pakialam ko doon diba?\par
Eh bakit ba kasi kailangan niyang ipamukha saken?! LINTIKAN naman eh!\par
\par
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE RAVE'S GRAND OPENING NIGHT! WILL YOU PUT Y
OUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR OUR FIRST ACT, FOURTH WALL!" said a booming voice from th
e speakers.\par
\par
Nagdilim na lahat ng ilaw maliban doon sa mga spotlight sa stage. Four people ap
peared, three of them holding guitars; the last one was holding drum sticks.\par
Nagpuntahan na sila sa mga designated places nila...\par

\par
I immediately caught Gelo's eye. He smiled at me, and I did the same.\par
\par
Then, they started playing a tune... (click here for the first song)\par
\par
It was Liam's voice that came next...\par
\par
"I'm not a perfect person...\par
There's many things I wish I didn't do..."\par
\par
Natulala ako. His voice rang with emotion...\par
\par
"I never meant to do those things to you...\par
And so I have to say before I go...\par
That I just want you to know...\par
\par
I FOUND A REASON FOR ME...\par
TO CHANGE WHO I USED TO BE..."\par
\par
Who he used to be?!\par
Ano yun? May ibig sabihin ba yun?\par
Dapat ko bang lagyan ng ibig sabihin yun? O talagang nagsosorry lang siya?\par
\par
"That's why I need you to hear...\par
I found a reason for me....\par
To change who I used to be...\par
A reason to start over new...\par
And the reason is you..."\par
\par
He was looking at me and I didn't like it. He looked guilty.\par
Way beyond the level he should be in for being immature...\par
\par
"I never meant to do those things to you..."\par
\par
Those words rang over and over in my head, and I was confused...\par
Hindi ko talaga gusto to...\par
\par
Natapos na yung kanta. There was clapping, and I halfheartedly joined in.\par
Iniisip ko pa rin...\par
Badtrip naman. Kung ano ano ang sumasagi sa utak ko...\par
\par
"OMG. Gelo's next! GO GELO!!!" yelled Elle from beside me. I was jerked back to
reality. I tried not to get annoyed with Elle's screams. Grabe, para siyang fan
na patay na patay...\par
\par
I turned to watch Gelo instead, and my heart skipped a beat.\par
HE WAS LOOKING STRAIGHT AT ME.\par
(click here for Gelo's song)\par
\par
"I shouldn't love you, but I want to..."\par
\par
My jaw dropped...\par
\par
"I shouldn't see you, but I can't move... I can't look away.\par
And I don't know how to be fine when I'm not...\par
\par
Coz I don't know how to make the feeling stop...\par
\par
Just so you know, this feeling's taking control of me\par
And I can't help it...\par

I can't sit around, I can't let him win now...\par

Thought you should know...\par
I've tried my best to let go of you...\par
But I don't want to..."\par
\par
SH.T...\par
Ano bang ginagawa mo?!\par
Lintikan. Lalo tuloy akong naguguluhan...\par
\par
\par
Gelo's POV:\par
\par
She was avoiding my eyes, pero ok lang...\par
Sabihin nang nananadya.\par
Pero wala namang masama diba?\par
\par
"It's getting hard to be around you...\par
There's so much I can't say...\par
Do you want me to hide the feelings\par
And look the other way?\par
And I don't know... how to be fine when-..."\par
\par
Biglang may umalingawngaw na ingay mula sa speakers; ang pangit. One of our guit
ars must be malfunctioning; one of them was out of tune.\par
\par
It was then that I saw Liam who was banging on his guitar like crazy, doing a di
fferent song that had a much faster tune... there was a manic glint in his eyes
as he reveled on the fact that he was sabotaging my performance...\par
Then I realized he was actually doing our last song... but what the fcuk? I'm no
t even finished yet!\par
Pero para hindi na magkagulo yung performance, hinayaan ko na lang. Sinundan ko
na lang yung pagtugtog niya nung sumunod na kanta...\par
\par
Nawala na ako sa mood kaya hindi ko na siya sinabayan kahit dapat eh duet kami.
Mukhang flabbergasted yung mga nanonood. Saan ka nga naman nakakakita ng mga ban
dang nagbabastusan ang vocalists?\par
\par
Time flew and it was time for us to go backstage.\par
Padabog kong nilapag yung gitara ko dun sa sofa doon, habang galit din yung drum
mer namin at nagsimulang pagalitan si Liam.\par
\par
"What the fcuk were you doing?! You sabotaged it! Nakita mo ba mga itsura nila?
Ano ka ba?!"\par
\par
Liam wasn't talking. He simply looked at me na parang gusto niya akong patayin i
n the most brutal way possible.\par
\par
"Ganyan na yata ngayon e. Harapan nang bastusan," sabi ko, without thinking.\par
\par
Sinugod ako ni Liam, grabbing my shirt's collar.\par
\par
"Ako pa bastos ngayon?! Sino kaya ang mas bastos sa ating dalawa?!"\par
\par
Inaawat kami ng mga tao, pulling us away from each other.\par
\par
"Nakatingin ka sa girlfriend ko habang kumakanta... hindi ba mas malaking kabast
usan yun?!"\par
"Tingin?! Bakit, anong masama kung tingnan ko siya?!"\par
"She's MINE, you son of a b.tch, so get the fcuk off her!"\par
"Don't you talk about her like that!" I yelled, pushing him. "Hindi mo siya pag-

aari!"\par
"I'll do whatever I want to do with her, at wala kang karapatang pakialaman yun!
"\par
\par
"So... ganun na yun? Wala siyang karapatang tingnan ang ibang guys, habang ikaw
eh perfectly entitled na makipaghalikan sa iba while she's got her back turned?!
"\par
\par
His eyes widened in horror. Pati yung mga bandmates naming umaawat sa amin, nagu
lat at napatingin sa kanya.\par
\par
Then, out of nowhere, his knuckles came in hard contact with my face.\par
\par
I fell and saw stars in front of my eyes. Hindi ako nakatayo agad, nahihilo pa a
ko.\par
He must be really angry. Tatlo nang tao ang nakahawak sa kanya para pigilan siya
ng makalapit ulit saken...\par
\par
"What's the matter, Liam?" I asked, wanting to agitate him even more. "Does the
truth hurt?!"\par
\par
May nagdatingan ulit sa backstage kaya naging mas crowded, and in that sea of bl
urred faces, I saw Ria's features swim in and out of focus.\par
\par
She should've come earlier... she should've heard it... dapat narinig niya...\pa
r
\par
Inilabas na nila si Liam, at ang natira lang, yung ibang staff nung bar, yung dr
ummer namin, si Ria at ako.\par
Bakit kaya nandito pa siya?\par
Could she possibly be worried about me?\par
\par
"Gelo..." she said, helping me stand up. "Ok ka lang?"\par
"Yeah. I'm ok," I said, looking at her.\par
"Can you do me a favor?" she asked, unable to look me in the eye.\par
"Ano yun?"\par
\par
\par
\par
\par
\par
...\par
\par
\par
\par
\par
\par
"Please don't do that again."\par
\par
Napatingin ako sa sinabi niya. It hurt like mad.\par
I tried to smile.\par
\par
"Don't worry. I won't," I said, tapos tinalikuran ko na siya.\par
\par
I heard footsteps, and when I looked again she was gone.\par
\par
Chapter Twenty Eight\par
\par
\par
Maffy's POV:\par

\par
"Weh? Maniwala ako sayo, barbero ka."\par
\par
Jon has just been telling me na kasali siya sa final auditions ng IPC mamayang h
apon. Di talaga yata ako makapaniwala. I mean, itong mokong na to, isasalang mo
sa stage? Pwede ba?!\par
\par
"Mukha ba akong nagpapatawa?!" he asked indignantly, his mouth full of hamburger
. We were in the caf eating lunch.\par
\par
"Haynako, basta. Kelangan nandun ka mamaya."\par
"Syempre naman noh. Saka andun din naman si Ria kaya hindi rin ako pwede mawala.
"\par
"Oo nga pala no? Eh teka, asan na ba yung asungot na yun?"\par
"Ayun, kasabay ni Liam."\par
"So ibig sabihin bati na sila?"\par
"Kahapon pa."\par
"O bakit parang di mo ata trip na bati na sila ngayon?"\par
\par
Napatingin ako sa sinabi ni Jon. Ewan ko ba, pero naaasar talaga ako kay Liam eh
. Di niya pa kasi sinasabi kay Ria o sa kahit kanino sa amin yung tungkol kay De
nise.\par
\par
"O? Natulala ka na naman?"\par
\par
Tiningnan ko si Jon, weighing my options. Kung sa kanya ko kaya sabihin?\par
Kaso baka magkagulo na naman. Sigurado akong magagalit si Jon nang todo kay Liam
; kapatid na kasi ang turing niya kay Ria and there were even times na naging ov
erprotective siya at nag- a la Kuya na pag kumilos. I can hardly imagine kung an
o ang pwedeng mangyari...\par
\par
"Huy! FRANCESCA!"\par
"Ha? Sorry. May iniisip lang ako."\par
\par
Nainis ako sa sarili ko.\par
Bakit ko ba kasi tinatago? It would benefit everyone pag nalaman na nila...\par
I'm SUCH a coward...\par
\par
"May tinatago ka ba saken, ha Francesca?" he asked, now looking unusually seriou
s.\par
"Ano ka ba?!" I hissed, trying to sound offended para tumigil na siya. "O, akala
ko ba sasabayan tayo nung friend mo ngayon?"\par
"Nge, ewan ko ba dun. Badtrip kasi yun kanina e. Paano ba naman kasi, yung girlf
riend niya pumasok sa school na iba ang kasabay."\par
"Iba? Sino naman?"\par
"Ayun o!" sabi ni Jon, sabay turo sa likod niya.\par
\par
Nakita ko sina Gelo at Irish na magkatabi sa isang table, nag-uusap ng seryoso.\
par
\par
"Grabe yang kaibigan mo ha. Serial mangaagaw. Nung una sina Ria at Liam ang ginu
gulo, ngayon si Lance saka si Rish."\par
\par
Hindi naman ako nakaimik.\par
Ang labo naman nito ni Gelo o. Nung sabado lang, si Ria ang kinakantahan, ngayon
ito?\par
Has he developed a taste for girls who are taken?\par
\par
"Naku ha, subukan niyang umaligid sayo, makakatikim siya."\par
"Ano ka ba naman, kung ano ano pinag-iisip mo."\par

"Eh bakit? Diba panggugulo naman talaga yung tawag doon? Tss. Ewan ko. Banas tal
aga ako dun."\par
\par
Jon has been talking about Gelo like this simula pa nung Saturday. Nabanas talag
a siya dun sa ginawa ni Gelo. It's not like hindi reasonable, pero nakakabastos
nga naman. Pero kung alam kaya ni Jon yung mga ginagawa ni Liam, would he still
take Liam's view of things?\par
\par
My thoughts got interrupted again when the bell rang, signaling the start of aft
ernoon classes.\par
\par
________________________________________\par
\par
Hay salamat, After 48 years natapos rin. If boredom was fatal, kanina pa kong na
matay.\par
\par
Sabay sabay kami nina Jon, Ria at Liam na pumunta sa audi. Sweet na uli sila at
lalo naman akong naiirita kay Liam. Akala mo inosente! BWISET!\par
\par
Naku naman kasi, Maria Francesca, bakit ba ang duwag duwag mo?!\par
\par
Halos wala pang kalaman-laman yung audi noong dumating kami, maliban siguro kay
Ma'am na nandoon na sa stage at may binabasang papel.\par
\par
"Saglit lang ha, hahanapin ko lang si Denise," sabi ni Liam, at umalis na siya u
lit.\par
\par
Just moments afterward, dumating naman si Gelo at tumabi sa amin.\par
\par
"Wala namang sinabi si Ma'am na dalhin yung costume nung Friday diba?"\par
Umiling si Jon at sinamaan ng tingin si Gelo, who fortunately didn't notice anyt
hing.\par
\par
"Bago ang bag ah," bati ko. Inirapan ako ni Jon.\par
"Ah, oo. Dala ng Dad ko."\par
"Umuwi na Dad mo?"\par
\par
Natahimik kami at napatingin kay Ria, who suddenly blushed.\par
"Oo. He arrived Saturday night."\par
"That's cool," said Ria, forcing a smile. Ang awkward...\par
akita na namin si Ma'am na pumunta sa podium. She grabbed the microphone...\par
"Guys, listen carefully. Kaya ko kayo hindi pinagdala ng costumes is because we'
re going to-..."\par
\par
Biglang nawala yung sound. Sira yung mic?\par
She tapped it again and again pero wala pa rin.\par
\par
Then, out of nowhere, namatay lahat ng ilaw.\par
Bumukas ang projector, which was flashing big, red words...\par
\par
Get to know this year's MOST VALUABLE PLAYER...\par
\par
"Anong-?!"\par
Put your hands together for LIAM WOODS!!\par
"Oh, !@#$, Elle!" I heard someone whisper in the dark.\par
Now, why don't we take a closer look at our fave PLAYER'S life?\par
May nag-flash na picture, and there was a collective gasp.\par
Parang paparazzi shot lang, except na si Liam ang nandoon at may kasamang babae.
..\par
May dalawa pang sumunod na picture, pero ibang babae ulit...\par

SH.T! Ito na yung sinabi ni Denise!\par

LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST...\par
The crowd groaned in utter disgust. On the screen were larger-than-life versions
of Liam and Denise, looking like they were glued by their mouths.\par
I heard a distinct, muffled sob that pulled at my insides, and then a scuffle of
footsteps. Nang bumukas na ang mga ilaw, I caught a glimpse of Ria habang kumak
aripas siya ng takbo palabas ng auditorium.\par
Instinctively, Jon, Gelo and I stood up and came running after her. The crowd wa
tched us unofficially break Olympic records as we rushed through the aisles...\p
ar
Pagkalabas namin ng audi, nauna na sa amin si Gelo; ang bilis niyang tumakbo. Sa
na maabutan niya si Ria...\par
Papatakbo na sana kami ulit ni Jon nang-\par
"Maffy! Jon! Ano nangyari?!"\par
Without giving me time para mapigilan siya, mabilis na hinarap ni Jon si Liam...
\par
"Bro, what-?!"\par
The next thing I heard was the sickening crunch of Jon's fist against Liam's jaw
.\par
Natakot ako. Hindi ko pa siya nakitang magalit ng ganoon.\par
He pointed a shaking finger at Liam, who was cowering on the floor, clutching hi
s face.\par
"Don't you DARE come anywhere near her again!"\par
"MR. FIGUEROA!" said a voice that echoed through the corridors.\par
Nakita kong papalapit at terorista naming Guidance Counselor.\par
TANG*NA. NALOKO NA.\par
"Go to the office with me this instant!"\par
Numb with shock and terror, sumunod ako sa kanila.\par
!@#$, she was leading us to the Principal's office... I can't believe this. A hu
ge nightmare was unfolding right before my very eyes.\par
And yet, Jon looked composed, not abashed in the slightest. He didn't seem scare
d of the fact that he might be facing expulsion.\par
It's all my fault. Sana sinabi ko na noon pa...\par
Nang bumukas ang pinto, lalo akong nawindang. I felt like my head's crumbled to
pieces.\par
Ang gulo...\par
"Tito Danny? What are you doing here?"\par
The School Principal stood there, smiling at us.\par
"Oh. I'm sorry for the unfortunate circumstances, Sir. I intended this to be mor
e... ah... dramatic."\par
What the bloody hell was she talking about?!\par
"I'm sorry ma'am. But I thought..."\par
"Thought we're going to expel you? No, dear. Not in front of him, anyway."\par
"Him? What's he got to do with me?"\par
\par
Tito Danny cleared his throat.\par
\par
"Everything, Hijo. Let me introduce myself first..." he said, at lumapit siya ka
y Jon. "Jonathan, I'm Daniel Luis Figueroa. Your long-lost Dad."\par
Elle's POV:\par
Rave Disco Bar\par
"I want to go home."\par
"Now? Are you kidding?! Alas otso pa lang!"\par
Punyeta. I'm bored to death. This guy Zoe's set up for me is no good.\par
"Why don't you have another drink?" he asked.\par
"No thanks. I'm goddamn smashed."\par
"So anong gagawin natin dito?" he asked angrily.\par
"Here's an idea, why don't you get your ugly little face outta here before I cho
p your head off?"\par
"B.tch!" he said loudly, and he stalked off.\par

I came in here hoping to calm myself after what had happened this afternoon, but
what the hell. It's only gotten worse.\par
I seriously am starting to regret what I had done sa Auditorium, but I think Lia
m got what he deserved. Yun nga lang, pati si Ria napahiya...\par
But it was her fault too. Gelo tried to tell her, pero anong ginawa niya?\par
Hah. Magsama sama sila.\par
Pumunta ako ng CR, umiikot ang paningin ko and I think I'm gonna throw up...\par
I tried to walk but everything was spinning. Hayup ang tama nung inumin na yun a
h. Sanay akong uminom tapos ganito?\par
Lintikan. I gotta reach that goddamn CR soon...\par
Along the way, I saw a lot of familiar faces, one of them even having a three wa
y dirty dancing thing going on with these two hot guys. Grabe yung babaeng yun a
h. Malakas na rin siguro yung tama...\par
\par
It was then that something clicked into place inside my head, jerking me back in
to full consciousness.\par
Even the spinning stopped as I stood there, groping for my cellphone inside my p
urse.\par
Panicking, I dialed the first name in my phonebook...\par
"Hello?"\par
"Gelo? Oh my god..."\par
"Elle? Bakit? Are you all right?"\par
"Gelo, SOS.\par
Si Ria, andito sa disco bar, nagwawala..."\par
Chapter Twenty-Nine\par
Gelo's POV:\par
PRRRRRRRRT!\par
Ampota. Kung kelan ka naman nagmamadali oo!\par
Ba't kasi ngayon pa naisipan ng tukmol na traffic aide na to na patigilin yung m
ga tumatawid?!\par
Sh.t. Di ko na yata to mahahabol! Ang layo niya na!\par
"A-ano... n-naha-b-bol mo?" tanong ni Elle, hinihingal. Nakitakbo rin pala siya.
\par
"Malamang, hinde! Ayun na o!" sagot ko. Gusto kong pilipitin yung leeg nitong tr
affic aide. AMP talaga. Ang mga tao nga naman ngayon, panay wrong timing!\par
"Teka nga pala, bakit di mo sinabi saken na ngayon mo pala gagawin yung plano mo
?"\par
"Aba, natural. Alam ko naman kasi hindi ka papayag e!"\par
\par
I glared at Elle, tapos tumingin ulit ako sa kabilang kanto... wala na siya...\p
ar
\par
"Ano ba, ang tagal na natin tong plano, tas ngayong nagawa ko na, nag-iinarte ka
dyan!"\par
"Hindi ako nag-iinarte. Ang akin lang, you should have given me at least an idea
... Hindi yung pati ako na-surprise."\par
She was trying not to roll her eyes with difficulty; the expression on her face
was half- exasperated, half-sympathetic. Naglakad na lang ako pabalik ng school,
she followed me.\par
"Look. I know she was hurt. BIG TIME. If you think I did that to get even or wha
tever, you're wrong. I don't want her hurt as much as you do."\par
I looked at her and saw the sincerity in her eyes.\par
"Alam ko naman yun e."\par
Natahimik kami.\par
"Ang tigas talaga ng mukha ni Liam. Isipin mo, nag-audition pa rin kahit binu-bo
o siya ng audience."\par
"Talaga? Hah. Hindi na bago yan..."\par
"At wag ka. Siya yung napili. At oo nga pala, yung bag niyo ni Ria andoon pa sa
audi. Ikaw na lang mag-uwi nung kay Ria, na-office kasi sina Jon at Maffy."\par
"Ha? Bakit?!"\par

"Jinombag ni Jon si Liam eh. You should've seen it," said Elle with an awful, tw
isted smile that told me she was delighted.\par
"Serves him right," I said.\par
"Sige na, mauna na ako..."\par
DING! DONG!\par
May lumabas na middle aged woman na nakasuot ng apron at cooking gloves.\par
"Hi hijo. May I help you?"\par
"Good evening po, andyan na po ba si Ria?"\par
"Naku, wala. Umalis."\par
\par
Sunod na lumabas si Ate Danna.\par
\par
"Gelo? What're you doing here?"\par
"Dinala ko lang itong bag niya. Naiwan niya kasi sa school kanina."\par
"Gelo, alam mo ba kung ano nangyari sa kapatid ko?" tanong ni Ate pagkakuha niya
nung bag. "Parang umiiyak kasi siya kanina. Hindi nagsasalita, tapos nagbihis a
t umalis..." She sounded so worried but I decided I'm not the right person to te
ll her that.\par
"Hindi ko rin alam, Ate. Di bale, hahanapin ko siya. Pag nakita ko ihahatid ko n
a lang dito."\par
"Naku naman," sabi ng mom nila, "Asaan na ba yung anak ko? Tsaka teka, hindi ba
niya kasama si Liam? Hindi na ikaw yung dapat na naaabala dito..."\par
"Ok lang po yun. Sige po, tuloy na ako..."\par
Umuwi ako sa bahay para magbihis, tapos bahala na kung saan ako magsisimulang ma
ghanap...\par
"Angelo?" I heard someone say. I saw my dad in the dining room, may hawak na pla
tter ng ulam.\par
It was then that I noticed na naka-set for three people ang table namin.\par
"Bakit po?"\par
"Halika na. Sabay sabay na tayo kumain."\par
Mag-isang kumilos ang mga paa ko papunta sa dining table. Everything else was dr
iven out of my head, I got all too excited about the prospect of the three of us
eating together again...\par
LIKE A REAL FAMILY...\par
"At anong drama na naman ito, ha Ricardo?" said a harsh, rasping voice. It was m
y mom, who had just entered the room holding a glass half-full of brandy.\par
DAMN IT. She's drunk again.\par
"Trying to win us back?" she asked, bursting into a hysterical, scathing laughte
r. My dad's expression was suddenly wooden.\par
"No. Just sit down and let's eat. We haven't done this in a long time."\par
\par
"Oh, just how incredibly smart of you. But do you realize whose fault it was? Th
at we're not- you know," she said, smiling twistedly, "that we're not a perfect,
normal family?"\par
"Mom-..."\par
"Shut up. I wasn't talking to you, son."\par
"Can't you at least try to act civilized in front of your son?"\par
"Civilized?" she said, throwing my Dad a hard look, "And who're you to lecture m
e about being civilized?"\par
"STOP IT!" I yelled. I found myself on my feet, though I was unaware of standing
up. I was shaking like mad. I've never been so angry in my entire life.\par
"Having a GO at each other every SINGLE time... don't you ever get tired of it?!
Bakit hindi pa kayo magpatayan nang matapos na?!"\par
My mom's derisive expression was all but gone, and she was now staring at me wit
h wide, fearful eyes. My dad massaged his forehead with his fingers, his reflex
action whenever he gets stressed. For a few moments, no one spoke.\par
"I'm sorry, son," sabi ng mom ko, then iniwan niya sa wine counter yung baso niy
a tapos umupo siya (though uneasily) sa tabi ng Dad ko.\par
It was then that my phone rang.\par
"Hello?"\par

"Hello? Gelo... Oh my god..."\par

It was Elle. She sounded so worried.\par
"Elle? Ok ka lang ba?"\par
"Gelo, SOS. Si Ria, andito sa bar, nagwawala..."\par
My mind went blank with shock.\par
"Sh.t. Saang bar?"\par
"Dito sa Rave..."\par
"Sige, I'll be there in a sec," I said, hanging up.\par
"Anak? What was that?"\par
"Dad, I need the car," I said firmly.\par
Understanding the tone of urgency in my voice, he gave me the keys and I rushed
to the garage. In what seemed like no time at all, I was hitting the road at 100
kph. Kaliwa't kanang busina at mura ang natanggap ko but I couldn't care less.
All I wanted was to reach Ria at the soonest possible time...\par
After parking, I dashed inside the bar, looking for Elle and Ria.\par
"Nice shorts, Dude!" sigaw sa akin nung babaeng lasing. Two tables behind her, I
saw Elle helping Ria into a chair. Agad ako lumapit sa kanila.\par
"Get off, dammit," Ria was saying. "Kaya ko tong mag-isa!"\par
Elle patiently helped her sit properly, as though she had not heard a thing.\par
"Elle..."\par
"Oh thank goodness, you're here..."\par
"Is she okay?"\par
"Masyado siyang maraming nainom. Those DLA jerks got her into it."\par
Napatingin ako kay Ria, and the state she was in made me crumble to pieces. It w
as pity and hurt at the same fcuking time.\par
Her face was tear-streaked, her hair was disheveled, clothes unkempt. One of the
straps of her top was hanging loosely on her shoulder and I adjusted it right b
ack. Her eyes, only half-open, focused on me.\par
"Tara, sayaw tayo," she said, pulling my hand. She didn't appear to recognize wh
o I was.\par
Every fiber of my resolve dissolved into nothingness. My eyes stung but I blinke
d the tears right back, not wanting to look so pathetic.\par
GOD. I couldn't look at her... it hurts.\par
"Ria, we're going home."\par
"AYOKO NGA! Bakit, nanay ba kita para pauwiin mo ko?! Sino ka ba?"\par
"Ria, it's me. Elle."\par
"Elle? Wala akong kilalang Elle. Di kita kilala. Get away from me!"\par
"Screw Liam," said Elle as we struggled with Ria, who was fighting to get back o
nto the dance floor.\par
"Hey, did you just say Liam?" Ria asked thickly, her face changing into a blank
expression. She suddenly stopped flailing, her mouth breaking into a hopeful gri
n.\par
"Is he coming for me?" she asked.\par
SH.T. Di ko na kaya to...\par
"That son of a b.tch. I loved him. And this is what I get," she whispered.\par
"We'll get to him. Let's go home, Ria. PLEASE," I said, pleading.\par
"Sayaw muna tayo," she said, standing up. She swayed left and right, tapos napas
ubsob siya saken. She looked up at me.\par
"Wala na siyang pake saken... he doesn't care at all... But you..." she said, ja
bbing my chest with a finger.\par
"You do care, don't you?" she asked, and I wasn't able to hold back that single
tear that fell down my right cheek. Elle looked at me pityingly.\par
"Yeah, I do, Ria. I care for you." I told her, my voice broken.\par
"Great to hear that," she said, attempting to stand up again. "Oh, teka, before
I forget... What's your name again?"\par
But she didn't give me time to reply. She went dizzy and with a great sway, she
landed facefirst on my chest, her eyes closed. She had passed out.\par
I furiously wiped my face, then secured one arm around her waist, the other on h
er legs, then I carried her palabas ng bar, with Elle following us.\par
I laid Ria on the backseat, and Elle got in after her. I got my jacket that was

tucked into the small compartment on the dashboard and handed it to Elle.\par
"Cover her up."\par
Elle did as she was told and we sped off.\par
We were quiet for the rest of the journey. Once in a while I gave Elle a small s
mile as she cuddled Ria like a sister, her arm protectively wrapped around Ria's
shoulder.\par
DING! DONG!\par
Si Elle ang nagdoorbell habang binubuhat ko si Ria palabas ng kotse.\par
"Good evening po..."\par
"And what sort of devil brings you here?"\par
Lumapit ako, and Ate Danna's face immediately changed.\par
\par
"Oh my god! What happened?"\par
"Naglasing siya. She passed out. Marami na siyang nainom."\par
"Elle came to her rescue, then she called me para mahatid ko."\par
\par
Ate Danna was considerably warmer towards Elle after that.\par
"Mom, Jon and Maffy are still out trying to find her. Would you mind bringing he
r upstairs?"\par
"No, not at all."\par
We went upstairs and Ate Danna led us to Ria's room. Pagdating naming doon, nila
pag ko na si Ria sa kama niya. Then I covered her with a blanket.\par
"Naku, wag na wag magpapakita sa akin yang si Liam," sabi ni Ate Danna as she sa
t in the side of the bed. Nagkatinginan kami ni Elle.\par
"Alam mo na?"\par
"Yea. Jon told me."\par
I felt guilty about not telling her.\par
"Ate, I-..." I started, but she cut me off.\par
"Oh, don't be silly. You're not supposed to say sorry... it's bad enough na naab
ala ka namin..." she said, lapsing into a thoughtful silence. We all watched Ria
sleeping peacefully...\par
"Sige Ate, tuloy na kami. May pasok pa bukas," sabi ni Elle.\par
"Wait," said Ate Danna. She stood up and gave each of us a short hug.\par
"Thanks a lot. Kung wala kayong dalawa... kung saan na siguro pinulot tong si Ri
a..."\par
"That's ok," said Elle, looking heartily relieved.\par
"Alam mo, sana ikaw na lang naging boyfriend ng kapatid ko. She's so much better
off with a guy like you..."\par
\par
Natameme ako.\par
\par
"Oo nga Ate eh. Sana lang..."\par
"Tara na," sabi ni Elle.\par
"Hatid ko na kayo palabas..."\par
\par
\par
Chapter Thirty\par
\par
Gelo's POV:\par
\par
"Buti nandito ka na ulit. Sayo lang kasi nakikinig yan e."\par
\par
I could smell the mushroom soup na kumukulo na dun sa kaserolang hinahalo ng Mom
ni Irish.\par
Hapon na, kakagaling ko lang ng school. Absent na naman kasi si Rish and I decid
ed to pay her a visit. Actually, pareho sila ni Ria na hindi pumasok kanina, but
I kinda felt that Rish's need was greater just now.\par
Baka pag may time pa mamaya, puntahan ko rin si Ria.\par
Hindi ko kasi alam kung gusto niya rin akong makita...\par
\par

"Bakit po?"\par
"She's mad at me."\par
"Dahil... dahil doon?"\par
\par
Irish's mom gave me an oddly significant look and nodded.\par
\par
"Ayaw kumain. Ayaw ng gamot... she wouldn't even talk to me. Not even to... eh..
. kahit pinuntahan na nga siya dito..."\par
\par
We fell quiet yet again.\par
\par
"Ang tigas ng ulo niyan, ewan ko ba. Si Lance din nga, nakailang punta na e... a
kala ko pa naman ok sila. Ayun, ni hindi hinarap. Nahihiya na nga ako dun sa bat
a. Nag-aaksaya ng gasolina tapos ganun pa yung madadatnan. Kausapin mo nga, baka
matauhan."\par
"Sige po, ako na bahala."\par
\par
Dinala ko na yung tray upstairs. Second Door to the left...\par
Kumatok ako. Wala.\par
\par
"Rish?"\par
"Lance, I am NOT in the mood for-..."\par
"No Rish. It's Gelo."\par
\par
Then there were hurried footsteps, the door flew open and she almost threw herse
lf at me, only noticing the tray I was holding at the last moment.\par
\par
"Ok, save it. Ayoko pang malapnos ulit."\par
"Sorry," she said with a laugh, and she let me inside her room.\par
\par
It was warm and welcoming; there was a bit of sunlight seeping in through the pa
rtly-open window. I laid the tray doon sa study table niya, where a wide variety
of things were untidily stacked; books, papers, pens, pictures. Plastered all o
ver her mirror were more polaroids; of her, Elle, her mom and Lance.\par
\par
"Pumunta daw dito si Lance ah, di mo daw hinarap."\par
"Eh sa ayoko eh," she said, sitting on the bed and crossing her arms. I stared a
t her, trying to make myself look stern.\par
"He's your boyfriend, stupid. He's supposed to be worried about you. Pasalamat k
a nga naiisipan kang dalawin dito kahit wala naming napapala."\par
"Oo, dadalaw nga, mangangamusta... makikipag-usap... tapos ano? Aawayin na naman
ako..."\par
"Away? At anong kalokohan naman ang pinag-aawayan niyo?"\par
"Ikaw."\par
\par
I exasperatedly let out a sigh.\par
\par
"Ako."\par
"Oo. Ang kitid naman kasi ng utak nun. Pinipilit sabihin na hobby mo ang mang-ag
aw ng girlfriend kaya I should stay away from you."\par
"Ano ka ba. Malamang. Di naman kasi niya alam. And honestly speaking, kung ako n
asa lugar niya, mababaliw din ako kakaselos."\par
"Hay nako. Bahala siya. Kamusta na school?"\par
"Change topic much?"\
She threw me a pillow.
"Ano ba!"
"Eh kasi naman e! Musta na nga kasi sa school?"
I spared her a glare
"Ayun. Ganun pa rin. Di nga pumasok si Ria e."
"Balita ko binugbog daw ni Jon si Liam dahil ke Ria..."

"Sinuntok lang naman ng isa."

"Sus. Ang dapat kay Liam binibitay."
"Trust me, I'm going to do that one day."
"Well at least. Wala nang sagabal. Liam's out of the way and you could move in."
"Buti kung ganun lang kadali yun. You should have seen her face. I couldn't get
it out of my head."
"You mean you can't get HER out of your head."
Binato ko pabalik yung unan sa kanya.
"Dude! Maysakit ako! You're not supposed to throw pillows at me!"
"Lul!"
"Haha. Nakakamiss ka rin pala."
"Miss mo ko ng lagay na to?"
"Oo naman. Wala kasing makausap dito sa bahay."
"Bakit kasi ayaw mo daw kausapin yung mom mo?"
She threw me a dirty look.
"Are you seriously asking me that question? Alam mo naman ang sagot."
"Pero bakit ako, kinakausap mo?"
"Shungaks ka pala e. It wasn't your fault that she lied to me."
"That doesn't change the fact na involved pa rin ako sa sitch na to."
"Yes, you're involved. Pero hindi kita kelangan idamay."
"Halika nga dito," sabi ko, at hinila ko yung chair ng study table niya para dun
na siya umupo at kumain. Masunurin naman siya at lumapit.
"They have just been looking for the right time. The right chance."
"Siguro, kung di pa nagkaganito..."
"Sshhh," I said, and I locked her into a hug.
"Don't know what I'd do without you, Gelo."
"Basta. Andito lang ako lagi."
Ria's POV:
"Ria! Yoohoo!"
Jon had been knocking on my door for the past 5 minutes. I was trying to seem li
ke I'm asleep.
"Come on, open the door! You can't hide forever!"\
Haha. He must be really worried about me. Napapa-english si Jonathan ng di oras
"Sayang, may dala pa naman akong peanut butter donuts! Sige ka, kakainin lahat t
o ni Maffy saka ni Ate Danna!"\par
"Shut up, Jon!"\par
"Yeah, shut up!"\par
\par
Naku, at hindi pa pala siya nag-iisa dun sa labas. Tatlo pa sila.\par
\par
"Ria! Please come out. Ang init dito sa hallway noh!"\par
\par
I stifled a laugh and got my big butt out of bed. I looked in the mirror and saw
how terrible I looked. Siguro, kahit si Gelo pa ang makakita saken ngayon, he'd
go running as fast as he can in the opposite direction.\par
\par
Ang gulo ng buhok ko, my eyes are swollen, and I'm in my lousiest set of pajamas
. Ang nagpalit pa pala saken kagabi pagkahatid saken ni Gelo at Elle eh si Ate.\
par
\par
I wondered how people would think of me pagbalik ko sa school. I bet my little e
scapade sa Rave is something Elle would sensationalize. Siguro, may pics pa siya
ng pinakalat. Much like how she had showed everyone those pics of Liam and all t
hose girls...\par
\par
Liam. That jerk. I hate his guts.\par
\par
It was then that I realized na naka-post all over my mirror ang pics naming dala
wa.\par
Tiningnan ko lahat yun. Pati sa bedside table ko, may picture din kaming naka-fr

ame. Grabe... Hindi ko talaga akalain...\par

\par
But it wasn't as painful as it was yesterday.\par
After all, it was just two weeks. TWO MEASLY WEEKS. Can you believe it? Two meas
ly weeks of false bliss.\par
One by one, I tore those pictures away. I knew I had to.\par
\par
"Hoy Jon! Wag mo nga kainin yan!"\par
\par
Natawa ako sa kanila as I threw the pics into the trash bin. For a moment, I had
this crazy urge to get them back...\par
\par
"ADRIANNA, we know you're awake. If you don't open this, we WILL."\par
\par
Teka lang. kilala ko yung boses na yun ah.\par
Pero hindi pwede... I gotta open that door!\par
\par
"DAD! Oh my-?!"\par
\par
I immediately went to hug him. I couldn't believe it.\par
\par
"Haynaku Dad, kung alam lang namin na ikaw ang makakapagpalabas diyan..."\par
"Sorry guys... Dad, What're you doing here?!"\par
"Well, my friends and I had decided to take a little vacation, nauna lang sila..
. Maraming delays... Pero sakto din lang pala ang dating ko. They've told me my
little girl needs me."\par
\par
Little girl. Oh how I missed that.\par
\par
"Yeah, you bet I do, Dad."\par
"O, you knew you needed help, ni hindi mo pinagbuksan tong mga to. Dumayo pa nga
itong si Jon sa malayo para lang ibili ka ng paborito mo."\par
"Sorry about that..."\par
\par
Bumaba na kami sa living room.\par
\par
"Akala namin di ka na lalabas."\par
"Well I was asleep until Jon came knocking."\par
"Aba, natural bubulabugin na kita. Eh kung hindi ka na nagising, edi-..."\par
"Jonathan!"\par
"Oh come on Maffy, he was kidding!"\par
\par
At nagtawanan kaming lahat.\par
\par
"So. What do you want me to do with Liam?"\par
"Nah. I'm not interested."\par
"I could give him a good old wedgie..." Ate Danna suggested.\par
"OR we could ignore him for the rest of his life."\par
"Yeah, him and Denise."\par
"What's Denise got to do with this?"\par
"Oh nothing. Jon, you funny little guy..." I said, sabay kurot.\par
"Fine, if you don't want to tell me... Oh well, Danna's just been telling me she
's taught you how to drive."\par
"Yea."\par
"And she's such a fast learner, Dad."\par
"We'll see about that. How about you take that little baby outside for a drive?"
tanong ng Dad ko, handing me a key.\par
\par
Dali-dali akong lumabas. Outside the gates was a brand-new Mazda 3.\par
\par

"Oh MY-... akin na to?"\par

"Ayaw mo?"\par
"But... hey, my birthday's like three months from now."\par
"And so? It's never too early. Go put on a jacket or something. I don't think th
ey allow people to drive around in their PJs."\par
"Oh thanks Dad!"\par
"Dalian mo! Sasama kami!"\par
\par
Well it took me less than a minute to find a decent jacket, and in moments we we
re off.\par
\par
"Jon, bakit ka ba pinanganak na madaldal?!"\par
"Sorry, I thought your Dad should be in with us."\par
"Well he is. But when he finds out, Denise'll get chucked out of the house."\par
"Believe me, that would make us MUCH better off."\par
"Ate!"\par
"Well it's true, Ria! I mean, I can't even imagine how you could still defend he
r like that! Kung ano ano ninanakaw niya sayo... She steals your clothes, your b
ags, your shoes, and now she's nicked your boyfriend."\par
"Correction: EX-boyfriend. And to be perfectly honest, I don't even care anymore
. They can do it in front of me and I'll go watch them while munching on popcorn
."\par
"Parang totoo."\par
"Maffy-...!"\par
"Ria, we're on the wrong lane!"\par
"Sorry."\par
\par
Then out of nowhere, may lumabas na black na kotse, which, I was sure, would be
crashing right into us in less than ten seconds sa sobrang bilis.\par
\par
"SH.T! I told you we're in the wrong lane!"\par
"He's overspeeding!"\par
\par
I quickly steered my car out of the way, and succeeded in bringing it to a full
stop. Sabay sabay kaming lima na sumubsob paharap...\par
\par
"Sorry, are you guys okay?"\par
"Yea. We're alright..."\par
\par
And then we heard a distant crash.\par
\par
"Oh sh.t!"\par
"Teka lang, kilala ko yung kotse na yun ah!"\par
"Tara puntahan natin dali!"\par
\par
Dali-dali kaming lumabas at pumunta sa kinaroroonan nung black car. Someone fami
liar stepped out of it, cursing loudly.\par
\par
"Sabi ko na nga ba e... Lance!"\par
\par
Lance looked up at us, with his signature angas, nose-in-the-air look. He was we
aring aviator shades.\par
Sheesh. Wala na namang araw naka-shades pa.\par
\par
"Jon, were you the one driving?" he asked furiously.\par
"No."\par
"I was the one driving. Sorry," I said half-heartedly. Damn. I detest him.\par
"Nice PJs. Bagong gising? No wonder you were on the wrong lane."\par
\par
Pucha! G.go to a!\par

\par
"Well I'm sorry. I'm not exactly an expert driver. Well hindi pa ganun ka-expert
para mag-over speeding sa loob ng subdivision."\par
"Oh how smart! Tell me, anong mas illegal? Mag 90 kph sa subdivision o magdrive
sa maling lane? Yeah, have I mentioned wearing PJs while driving isn't exactly l
egal either?"\par
"My pajamas are none of your business."\par
"Don't get me wrong, dearie. I'm not trying to make a business out of them; they
're horrible."\par
"OKAY! Stop it, both of you."\par
"Pano na to?"\par
"Malamang, dalhin mo sa talyer!"\par
"Talyer?! Are you kidding?! Can you see all this damage?!"\par
\par
We went to look; yung harap lang namang part ng kotse niya yung medyo nagasgas.\
par
How gay, ang liit nung gasgas and he was whining like a grandma.\par
\par
"Samahan ka na lang namin sa repair shop."\par
"Wag na. Baka lalo akong madisgrasya!"\par
\par
And with that he went back to his car and drove off.\par
Tss. Buwisit.\par
\par
\par
Chapter Thirty One\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
"To the C, To the A, To the V-A-L-I-E-R-S!\par
To the -..."\par
\par
PRRRRRRRRT!!!\par
\par
Napatigil kami sa gitna ng routine, akala kasi namin, si Ma'am yung nag-whistle.
Napatayo si Ma'am sa kinakaupuan niya.\par
\par
"Girls, what -..."\par
\par
"DAMN IT, LIAM! PAY ATTENTION!"\par
\par
Napatingin kami lahat sa isang spot malapit sa goal net na tinuro ni Coach, and
there was Liam, sitting on the ground, clutching his face. A huge, violently pur
ple bruise on his jaw was visible. It looked like the ball had hit him right in
that spot of his face na sinasabi nilang tinamaan ng suntok ni Jon nung isang ar
aw.\par
\par
Hah. I couldn't care less.\par
\par
As Ma'am Vicky signaled a water break, some of us went outside the stadium, haba
ng ang iba naman nagpaiwan na lang. Hindi pa rin tumatayo si Liam habang papunta
ako sa bag ko para kumuha ng tubig. Sumenyas na rin si Coach na magkakaroon din
ng break yung soccer players.\par
\par
"Liam, clinic. Now," he ordered. I saw Gelo, who was also standing near the goal
post. Nilapitan niya si Liam at inoffer niya yung kamay niya para makatayo.\par
\par
Liam threw him a look of disgust and stood up on his own. He stormed away from t
he stadium habang hawak pa rin yung panga niya.\par
\par

Napailing na lang ako.\par

\par
AY SHOOT, bakit wala ng laman yung jug ko?\par
Naknampatola naman o. Ang layo pa nung bilihan ng inumin e.\par
Oh well, parang wala naman akong choice.\par
\par
"Hey," I heard someone say. I turned to face who it was, and saw Elle standing i
n front of me, handing me a bottle ng Fit and Right.\par
\par
Wow, ayos. Apple flavor, favorite ko. I looked at the bottle longingly, not sure
if I should take it or not.\par
\par
"Oh come on, take it. Hindi ko naman yan nilagyan ng lason," said Elle, smiling
slightly.\par
"Thanks," sabi ko, tapos kinuha ko yung inaabot niya. Nagkatinginan lang kami ta
pos tumalikod na siya.\par
\par
I hesitated, but my brains got the better of me.\par
\par
"Hey," sabi ko, taking a tentative step towards her. She paused for a moment, as
though she was expecting it, tapos humarap siya saken, trying to keep an impass
ive face.\par
"About the other night... I- I wanted to say thanks," I said, stammering.\par
"Ah, yun ba? Well... that's aright. I mean, pambawi lang for everything I did, y
ou know."\par
"You've more than made up for it. And... thanks din kasi... walang nakaalam na k
ahit sino."\par
"As it's me and Gelo, hindi mo naman talaga dapat asahan na instant celebrity ka
pagbalik mo ng school. You don't seriously think ipagsasabi namin, diba?"\par
"Of course not."\par
\par
And then it was like the world's gone mad. As though on instinct, both of us pul
led together for a hug. I felt that the wall between us, supported by years of m
utual animosity, had melted just like that.\par
\par
"Kausapin mo rin si Gelo ha," she told me as we pulled away.\par
"Oo naman. I owe him one."\par
"O, ayun na o, puntahan mo."\par
\par
May tinuro siya sa likod ko, and sure enough there was Gelo, naglalakad palabas
ng stadium. Sinundan ko siya.\par
\par
"Hoy, Gelo," I said as I caught up with him. When he saw me, his face broke into
a wide smile.\par
"O! Musta?"\par
"Pwede mo kong samahan sa locker?"\par
"Oo ba!" he said, looking delighted. He punched my shoulder.\par
"Ok ka na ba? I mean... Eh..." sabi niya, tapos parang nagsisi siya na sinabi ni
ya pa yun.\par
"Oo naman, ano ka ba. Tamo nga, in fighting form na ko ulit e. Go Cavs!" I shout
ed, my voice ringing into the corridor.\par
"Pansin ko nga, todo sayaw ka kanina, kahit ang tigas-tigas ng katawan mo."\par
\par
Pinalo ko siya ng malakas, and the next thing I know, we were laughing hysterica
lly.\par
\par
"Yabang mo ah."\par
"Ano ba, nagbibiro lang ako. Ang galing galing mo nga e."\par
"Sus."\par
"Dude, para ka namang ewan e. Pintasan kita ayaw mo. Praise kita, ayaw mo pa rin

. Alam mo, sala ka sa init, sala ka sa lamig."\par

"Yeah that's me. Sala sa init, sala sa lamig. And more often that not, patanga-t
anga rin."\par
\par
An awkward silence fell between us.\par
\par
"Nga pala. Gusto ko nga pala mag thank you..."\par
"Sus, wala yun."\par
"Alam mo, kung wala kayo ni Elle, ewan ko kung saan na ko pinulot."\par
"Basta wag mo na uulitin yun ha?"\par
"Oo naman. Ano ba pinag-gagawa ko dun?" I asked him. He looked at me, his face a
bit pale.\par
"Eh, teka... may natatandaan ka bang kahit ano nung gabing yun?"\par
"Wala naman... Kaya ko nga tinatanong e," sabi ko. To my astonishment, he looked
deeply relieved.\par
"Eh... well, hindi ka naman sobrang nagwala e..." he said, though his face said
otherwise. I knew he was just saying that to make me feel better.\par
"Sigurado ka?"\par
"Oo. Teka ano ba kukunin mo sa locker?"\par
"Yung jacket mo."\par
"Ay oo nga noh?"\par
\par
\par
Tahimik kami until we reached my locker. Kinuha ko yung jacket sa loob and hande
d it to him.\par
\par
"O, nilabhan saka plinantsa ko pa yan ha."\par
"Ikaw mismo naglaba?" he asked.\par
"Oo. Bakit?" I asked, curious. Para kasing natutuwa siyang ewan.\par
"Ha? Eh... wala lang. Akalain ko bang marunong ka palang maglaba."\par
"Ewan ko sayo. Ah, teka, if you want mauna ka na sa stadium. I need to go to the
ladies' room."\par
"Sige. Thanks ha?"\par
"Thanks din."\par
\par
Then, naglakad na ako papunta sa CR. Pagliko ko sa isa pang corridor, I heard an
gry voices.\par
\par
"Hindi ka pa ba uuwi?"\par
"Sabi ko naman sayo, wag mo na ko hintayin e."\par
"Eh sa gusto ko e, bakit ba?"\par
\par
I heard another angry sigh.\par
\par
"Alam mo, umuwi ka na, kaysa binubuwisit mo ko dito."\par
"Eh sino maghahatid sayo pauwi? Ganun, porke nandito si Gelo di mo na ko kailang
an..."\par
"Lance, ayan ka na naman, tigilan mo nga ako."\par
"Why, isn't it true? I know he's the reason why you're acting so effing weird al
l of a sudden. It's like you're trying to make yourself distant or something. Ar
e you doing it on purpose?"\par
"There you go with your stupid conclusions. Eto piso. Maghanap ka ng kausap mo h
a?"\par
"Damn it, Rish. I don't get it."\par
"Then don't! It's too much for your brain to process, isn't it?"\par
"What did I do to you?!"\par
"Just, UGH! Just leave me alone, damn it!" shouted Rish, walking away. Lance fol
lowed her.\par
"You know what, if you simply want out because you want someone else, you could
just tell me. Nagmumukha akong !@#$ nito e!"\par

\par
Rish turned sharply to face him, her face livid.\par
\par
"You know what, I think that's a brilliant idea."\par
\par
My jaw dropped. Natulala ako sa expression ng mukha ni Lance habang naglalakad p
alayo si Rish.\par
I couldn't help but think that he really deserved it. His inflated ego was just
too much for anyone to handle.\par
Sa kakaisip ko, hindi ko napansin na humarap na pala siya saken. His expression
changed, and as I tried to walk away...\par
\par
"HOY!"\par
\par
I went on walking. Ang kapal ng mukha nito ha, pa hoy hoy pa!\par
\par
"Dude, I'm talking to you!" he yelled.\par
"Oh yeah? I was under the impression that a chimp had just gone loose and starte
d to shout hoy."\par
"Very smart."\par
"I didn't hear anything, okay?" I said, but the guilty screech in my voice gave
it all anyway. His lips curled into the smirk I SO hated.\par
"It's not that. I mean, I'm so used to people talking about me and my life anywa
y."\par
\par
ABAH! Takte, kapal ah!\par
\par
"So what're you trying to-?"\par
"Remember what you did to my car the other day?"\par
"To your CAR? Oh damn, from what I remember, I wasn't the one driving it."\par
"Oo nga, but it was all your fault. And YOU KNOW IT."\par
"Whatever."\par
"Hey! You HAVE to pay me, dude!"\par
"Pay you?" I said with an awful laugh. "For what? Do those scratches cost a mill
ion bucks each?"\par
"Hindi lang basta gasgas yun. The rim was super damaged, and those scratches you
saw, they were just a fraction of it."\par
"Eh ano ngayon?"\par
"Dude, the repairs cost me 10 thousand bucks. And I couldn't take it to school k
asi hanggang ngayon nasa talyer pa rin."\par
"Kawawa ka naman, pero alam mo kasi, hindi naman nakakamatay ang mag jeep at mag
trycicle e!"\par
"That's not the point."\par
"No, actually, I got the point clearly. And my answer is NO, I'm not paying you
back."\par
\par
And after that, nilayasan ko na siya.\par
\par
Gelo's POV:\par
\par
Sa wakas, dinismiss din kami. At ang masaya, kasabay namin dinismiss yung cheerl
eaders. Nilapitan ako ni Elle habang nag-aayos ako ng gamit.\par
\par
"O? Nagkausap na kayo?"\par
"Oo."\par
"Ba't parang kilig na kilig ka?"\par
"Malamang. Tingnan mo o, nilabhan niya yung jacket ko."\par
"Oh-kayy."\par
"Grabe, ang bango. Alam mo, ipapa-frame ko to."\par
"Sige. Tas i-display mo sa museum ha?"\par

"Eto naman," he said, pouting.\par

"Hey, may ikukwento ko sayo."\par
"Ano naman?"\par
"Kaninang lunch... Liam tried to win Ria back."\par
\par
Kinabahan ako bigla.\par
\par
"O? Ano nangyari?"\par
"Well as usual, Liam was working the charm. Kumpleto with the luhod effect."\par
"Anong sabi ni Ria?"\par
\par
Ngumiti si Elle.\par
\par
"O bakit parang kabang-kaba ka?"\par
"Naman e! Nambibitin pa!"\par
"Well, Ria said she was touched and all."\par
"And?" I asked, hoping na may karugtong pa.\par
"She was touched and all. Pero sabi niya rin, kung ayaw daw ni Liam na madagdaga
n pa yung pasa niya, eh magsimula na daw siyang tumakbo palayo."\par
\par
I laughed, feeling relieved.\par
\par
"So ano? Ihahatid mo na si Rish?"\par
"Oo. Sama ka?"\par
"Wag na. Makaistorbo pa ko," she said meaningfully. She shot me a significant lo
ok.\par
"Is there something you two are not telling me?"\par
\par
I avoided her eyes.\par
\par
"Sus. Ano ka ba, tara na nga."\par
\par
Chapter Thirty Two Part 1\par
\par
Maffy's POV:\par
\par
"Huy! Dalian mo! Ayan na yung mga bus!"\par
\par
Woo! Retreat na namin. As usual, eto na naman kami, sinisigawan na naman ni Ria
si Ate Danna na nagda-drive. Papunta pa lang kasi kami sa school.\par
\par
"Bakit ka ba atat? Hindi naman kayo iiwanan niyan!"\par
"Kahit na, nakakahiya kaya yung ikaw na lang ang hinihintay!"\par
"Sino naman ang may sabi sayong ikaw lang? Ayan si Maffy o, dalawa kayo."\par
\par
Natawa na lang ako sa sinabi ni Ate. Si Ria mas sumimangot at hindi na lang nags
alita. Pag kasi si Ate Danna ang kausap mo, talagang namimilosopo.\par
\par
"Tsaka si Denise, diba iniwan natin sa bahay? Kung may maiiwan man ng bus, siya
yun," added Ate Danna with a sly smile.\par
"Bakit mo ba kasi iniwan? Kasya naman tayo."\par
"Eh sa gusto ko e? Saka baka ma-flat pa tong kotse ko. Ang laki-laki pa naman ng
pwet non."\par
\par
This time hindi na napigilan ni Ria na humagalpak ng tawa.\par
\par
"O, tandaan mo bilin ni Daddy ha?" sabi ni Ate Danna habang inaabot sa amin yung
mga gamit,\par
"Di bale, di ko naman yan papabayaang maligaw sa boys' bedrooms eh."\par
\par

Pinalo ako ni Ria.\par

\par
"As if naman pupunta ako doon."\par
"Malay ba namin, baka sa galit mo kay Liam mapatay mo siya sa halik."\par
"Kadiri ka! Ang sabihin mo, ikaw ang dapat kong bantayan. Baka mamaya ikaw yung
mahuli nung madre sa kwarto ni Jon noh!"\par
"Hoy! Sino ba sa amin ni Jon ang mukhang mang-gagapang?"\par
"Ikaw!"\par
"Hay naku, tara na nga!"\par
\par
Ayun, sakto, pagpunta namin sa may gym, saktong pumipila na yung section namin p
apasakay ng bus. Ayos! Nakalusot kami sa inspection, hindi mahuhuli yung iPod ko
!\par
\par
"O? Bakit ngayon lang kayo?" tanong sa amin ni Elle pagka-approach namin ng pila
.\par
"Si Ria kasi, dinala yung buong bahay nila."\par
"Lul! Sino roommate mo?"\par
"Si Zoe. Kay Maffs si Ma'am kasama mo. Ikaw roommate mo si Rish."\par
"Ok lang."\par
"Malas ng roommate ni Denise."\par
"Huy! May makarinig sayo."\par
\par
Sumakay na kami ng bus, syempre konting harutan habang naghahanap ng upuan. We f
ound a place na malapit sa likod. Nauna na akong naglagay ng gamit ko sa taas, t
as umupo na ako sa may bintana dahil ayaw ni Ria doon, nahihilo daw siya.\par
\par
BLAG!\par
\par
Nagulat na lang ako ng makita kong nabitawan ni Ria yung isang buong bag niya na
punong puno pa mandin. Parang natulala siyang ewan. Tinulungan ko siyang itaas
ulit yung gamit niya, wondering why she was acting so weird.\par
\par
I turned to look at the thing she was looking at.\par
Muntik ko na ring maihulog yung bag.\par
\par
On the seats behind us was Gelo, his arm protectively placed around Rish.\par
\par
\par
As though adding insult to injury, nakita kong suot ni Rish yung jacket na kakab
alik lang ni Ria kay Gelo nung isang araw.\par
\par
Chapter Thirty Two Part 2\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
Ano yun?\par
\par
Totoo ba yung nakita ko?\par
I do hope na hindi...\par
Sinenyasan ko si Maffy na umupo na para makaupo na rin ako. Pero kahit di ko na
sila nakikita, andun pa rin. Alam ko pa rin na andun sila ngayon sa likod ko. Th
e truth was eating away at my insides like a great carnivorous worm. It was righ
t in front of me and I simply refused to stare at it. Like a wall, it was there,
irrevocable. Denying it seemed to be the only solution, but then again, that wo
uld only make it worse...\par
\par
I noticed Maffy looking at me, worried. Have I been that obvious?\par
\par
"Bakit?" I asked her, trying to keep my face blank.\par

"Nothing," she said, looking at the window instead. Siguro she sensed that I did
n't really want to talk about it. Yet.\par
\par
Or did I?\par
\par
Well, sadly, I am not entitled to the right to be concerned about the matter in
any way. They, after all, have their own lives and I've got mine. I could even r
emember telling Gelo to stay away... and he did exactly as I have told him.\par
\par
I thought I didn't want him with me. And now eto na...\par
\par
Para naman akong baliw nito e. Ewan ko ba. Ginawa lang naman nung tao yung gusto
ko. Or at least, kung anong akala naming pareho na gusto ko.\par
\par
Grabe, everything seems to be happening all at the same time. Para akong nahihil
ong masakit ang ulo na nasusuka tas hindi makahinga. Parang umiikot din yung pal
igid ko. An invisible hand had somehow found its way inside me, clasping its col
d, rough fingers around my heart and wringing it with such a force that it made
me want to scream my lungs out.\par
\par
Sinubukan kong matulog pero di ko rin magawa kasi tuwing pumipikit ako nakikita
ko ulit silang dalawa, na para bang naka-glue na sa isip ko yung picture at hind
i ko talaga maalis. Kainis. O baka naman pag nakatulog nga ako eh sila rin yung
mapaniginipan ko. Grabeng bangungot yun. Oh well, at least kung bangungutin nga
di na ko magigising, at yung bangungot na yun na yung huling beses na makikita k
o silang dalawa...\par
\par
Siguro nga noh? Sana mawala na lang ako. Para happy ending na sila ni Rish. At h
indi na rin magi-guilty si Denise sa ginawa nila ni Liam.\par
\par
Naramdaman ko na lang na kinalabit ako ni Maffy.\par
\par
"Ria, andito na tayo."\par
\par
I numbly nodded tapos kinuha ko na ulit yung bag ko sa taas, habang sinusubukang
di sila tingnan ni Gelo. Nagmadali na akong makababa, ang dami ko ngang nasagi
habang nakikipag unahan akong makaalis ng bus. Naiwan ko na nga si Maffy, paglin
gon ko di ko na siya makita. Nasita pa nga ako ni Sir Mar sa pagmamadali kong bu
maba. Sinabi ko na lang na kailangan ko na ng CR...\par
\par
Lance's POV:\par
\par
Hay, salamat, andito na kami. Ang pangit kasi ng amoy nung bus. Namimiss ko na y
ung kotse ko. Pucha, ang bummer talaga pag sumasakay ng public transport.\par
Haynaku, asan na ba CR?\par
\par
I quickly got out of the bus and went to look for the nearest CR. Nakita ko na y
ung stairs na papunta sa building-\par
BLAG!\par
\par
I had bumped into something solid. Napaupo na lang ako sa lakas ng impact.\par
Pero maswerte pa pala ako, yung nabangga ko, nalaglag sa may stairs, 2 or 3 step
s lang naman, pero I rushed to help na rin. Napakalat kasi yung mga gamit niya.\
par
\par
"You aright?" I asked, bending over to pick her stuff up. When she looked up, I
was flabbergasted.\par
\par
"YAN, PATANGA-TANGA KA KASI E." I said, pissed. Ewan ko ba, tuwing nakikita ko t
ong babaeng to naaasar ako.\par

\par
And then I heard a funny little sound nung iaabot ko na sa kanya yung isa niyang
bag.\par
\par
It was then that I realized that what I heard was no ordinary sound.\par
\par
She was sobbing.\par
\par
In spite of myself, naawa ako habang pinanonood ko siyang umiiyak. Siguro nasakt
an talaga siya sa pagkadapa niya. I went on looking at her, unsure of what to do
. Saka ko lang nakita yung kamay niya. May sugat na malaki. Para bang dati nang
tinahi yung sugat na bumuka lang ulit.\par
\par
Tinulungan ko siyang tumayo tapos hinila ko siya papasok sa building. Di naman s
iya nag-object o ano. Aba, dapat lang no. Dinala ko na rin yung bag niya, ang bi
gat pa naman. Dala yata nito yung buong bahay nila!\par
\par
Buti na lang may nakakita sa aming madre. Dinala kami sa isang office kung saan
may first aid kit.\par
\par
Pinagmamasdan ko lang siya habang ginagamot siya nung madre. Hindi ko akalaing m
angyayari to. The great Ria Antonio. Umiiyak na mukhang batang kinawawa. Sumisin
ghot pa.\par
\par
Sa totoo lang nakakaawa naman talaga. Kahit sino naman siguro mapapaiyak sa laki
nung sugat na yun.\par
Pero nakakagulat pa rin, ha. Sa pagkakaalam ko kasi sa babaeng to di mo to basta
basta mapapaiyak e. Nakwento pa nga saken ni Jon na nakipagsuntukan pa daw to n
oong Prep pa lang sila dahil may nang-aasar ng "mataba" kay Maffy. Ano kaya nang
yari dito? Hay ang wirdo talaga ng buhay o.\par
\par
Pagkatapos siya gamutin nung madre, lumapit siya saken.\par
\par
"Salamat ha."\par
\par
Tiningnan ko siya ulit. Grabe nakakaawa talaga.\par
\par
"Ok lang yun. Pasensya na kanina ah."\par
"Totoo naman e. Patanga tanga talaga ako."\par
\par
Si Ria Antonio ba itong kausap ko?\par
Bakit ganito? Hindi masungit? Hindi naninigaw? Hindi sarcastic?\par
I wanted to ask her who she was and what she has done with the real Ria Antonio,
but decided against it.\par
\par
"Hindi ah. Wag mo na kasi intindihin yung sinabi ko. Tara na nga, hahanapin na t
ayo nung mga yun."\par
"Akina yang bag ko."\par
"Para namang kaya mong dalhin."\par
"Kaya ko!"\par
"Gusto mo bang bumuka ulit yang kamay mo?" I asked her irritably, unable to keep
my voice down. Parang napasigaw akong ewan and I saw her recoil na parang natak
ot siya saken... I regretted the outburst instantly.\par
\par
"Sorry. Ikaw kasi e! Wag ka na kasing makulit. Tara na nga."\par
\par
Chapter Thirty Three\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par

Bah. Akalain mo.\par

\par
Sibilisado rin naman pala tong Intsik Beho na to kahit papaano. In fairness sa k
anya ha. Ang bigat nung bag ko e parang wala lang siyang dala.\par
\par
Tinitingnan ko siya habang naglalakad.\par
\par
His shoulders were perfectly square, his back magnificently straight, making him
look like such a prince in everyday clothes. For the first time, na-prove ko na
totoo nga palang ramp model to. Nung una kasing chinismis yun saken, ayokong ma
niwala. Paano, hindi kasi ako nagagwapuhan sa kanya, plus asar pa ako kasi alam
kong sobrang yabang niya. Di ko nga magets kung bakit naging best friend to nung
pinsan ko. Kung sabagay. Mahangin rin naman si Jon paminsan minsan.\par
\par
Nakabalik na kami doon sa Main Lobby nung Retreat House. Lahat ng tao busy sa pa
gchecheck at pag-aayos ng gamit kaya I was secretly relieved. Pag kasi nakita nu
ng mga chismosa na magkasama kami ni Intsik Beho kung ano ano pa ang isipin.\par
\par
"Lance!"\par
\par
Nakita kong papalapit sa amin si Irish and as though on cue, nag-init yung dugo
ko. Akala ko ba kasama niya si Gelo ngayon? Tas eto siya, pa slow motion pa ng t
akbo papunta dito sa Intsik na to? Takte. Matinik ka rin sadilang matinik ha!\pa
r
\par
"Hi,Rish."\par
\par
"Akina yan," sabi ko. Binaba ni Lance yung gamit ko sa tabi ko.\par
\par
"Salamat," sabi ko na lang. Nararamdaman kong nakatingin saken si Rish.\par
\par
"Nabangga ko kasi siya kanina. Nasugatan yung kamay niya kaya tinulungan ko na l
ang," paliwanag ni Lance.\par
"Ah, ganun ba... Ok ka lang ba?" tanong saken ni babaita.\par
\par
Bwiset. FAKER.\par
\par
"Ok lang ako."\par
\par
"Eto na nga pala yung susi natin, inabot na saken ni Ma'am kanina. Akala ko nga
kung nasaan ka na. Natakot ako, akala ko mawawalan ako ng roommate."\par
\par
Oh talaga? I was tempted to answer. Kairita talaga boses nito. Bait-baitan pa, a
kala niya siguro mabibili niya ko sa ganun.\par
\par
"Sa room 124 daw tayo. Isang CR assigned sa dalawang room. Kahati natin sa CR si
la Maffy saka si Ma'am. Ano, tara na?"\par
"Sige, mauna ka na, pupuntahan ko pa si Maffy."\par
\par
Nag-shrug lang ng shoulders si bruha tas umalis na kasama ni Intsik. Irita talag
a!\par
Kinuha ko na yung bag ko using my uninjured hand, which was proving to be a diff
icult task.\par
\par
"Ria."\par
\par
Naku, isa ka pa. Papainitin mo rin yung dugo ko.\par
\par
"Ano nangyari sayo?"\par
"Pake mo?"\par

\par
He looked taken aback. And I really couldn't care less.\par
\par
"Tulungan na kita."\par
\par
"No thanks. I can get on it very well on my own."\par
\par
"Yeah, I can see that," he said in a sarcastic tone.\par
\par
"Kita mo naman pala e, ano pa ginagawa mo dito?"\par
\par
"Ano ba problema mo? "\par
\par
"Mind your own business!" I snapped, and with that I left him. Hah. Serves him r
ight.\par
\par
Nakakainis talaga tong taong to. Porke't pinagsawaan siya ni Rish at nagdecide n
a iwan siya para kay Intsik Beho, saken naman siya eepal. Ano ba tingin niya sak
en, spare tire?\par
\par
"Watch where you're going, pothead," sabi saken ni Elle, smiling. Nabangga ko na
pala siya na di ko namamalayan dahil sa kakaisip ko kay bwiset na Gelo.\par
\par
"Sorry."\par
\par
"Ano nangyari sa kamay mo?"\par
\par
"Nabangga ako ni Signal Number Four. Este ni Lance kaya nahulog ako sa stairs."\
par
\par
"Buti hindi ka hinangin pabalik ng Manila. "\par
\par
"Elle!"\par
\par
"Sorry."\par
\par
"Tinulungan nga ako e."\par
\par
"Talaga?"\par
\par
"Iba pala effect ng Tagaytay sa mga tao noh? Sina Liam at Denise kaya, tatalaban
?"\par
\par
"Elle, umayos ka nga," saway ni Maffy, tas nagsimula na kami maglakad papunta sa
mga kwarto.\par
\par
\par
"O bakit nakabusangot ka diyan?"\par
\par
"Malas e. Nalipat na roommate ko si Denise dahil di makakarating yung totoong ro
ommate ko."\par
\par
"Sus naman Elle. Ako nga si Ma'am ang roommate e!"\par
\par
"Wala namang mas mamalas pa saken noh," sabi ko. Maffy gave me a meaningful look
. Elle's expression was suddenly blank.\par
\par
\par
"Sorry. Friend mo nga pala yun."\par
\par

"No. It's aright. Nakita mo rin ba yung sa bus kanina?"\par

\par
"Oo naman. Andun kaya kami sa harap nila."\par
\par
"Nagtataka na nga ako sa dalawang yun e. Laging-..."\par
\par
"Naku sige gatungan pa!" sabi ni Maffy.\par
\par
"Hindi, ok lang. Elle, you were saying?"\par
\par
"Wala. Kasi diba lagi ko silang kasama? Parang may tinatago talaga sila saken eh
. And I hate it, I've got the feeling na hindi maganda yun. First and foremost,
may Lance si Rish."\par
\par
"At may Adrianna si Angelo."\par
\par
"MAFFY! " I said hotly.\par
\par
"Kahit na. I mean, come on, Ria. Kita naman ng lahat yun. Like, remember everyth
ing that's happened these past few weeks?"\par
\par
"Yeah," I said absentmindedly.\par
\par
"I wonder what's up."\par
\par
"Pabayaan na natin sila. Buhay nila yan."\par
\par
"E bakit galit ka? Selos ka noh?"\par
\par
\par
I looked at Elle, trying to look angry, but she looked remotely unabashed.\par
\par
\par
\par
"I knew it! " she said triumphantly na akala mo nanalo sa lotto. Kahit yung mga
tao sa hallway napatingin samin.\par
\par
"Elle, shut up!"\par
\par
\par
Hanggang sa nakarating na kami sa mga rooms namin. Malapit lang din yung room ni
na Elle at Denise. Pagpasok ko sa kwarto, nadatnan ko si Rish na nag-aayos ng ga
mit sa closet habang yung mga laman ng maleta niya eh nakasambulat sa kama.\par
\par
"Namili na ako ng bed. Ok lang ba dito ako?"\par
\par
"Andyan ka na e," I snapped. She looked at me, confused, tapos binalikan niya yu
ng mga gamit niyang nakakalat. She seemed to be looking for something. Tapos may
nasagi siya at may bumagsak na mabigat na plastic container. Nagkalat sa floor
yung contents nung container, kung ano ano palang assortment ng mga gamot.\par
\par
\par
"Ano ba yan, " sabi ko, at sinimulan kong pulutin yung mga nahulog.\par
\par
"Sorry," she said apologetically.\par
\par
\par
Nagulat ako sa dami ng laman nung container. I tried to count them and lost trac
k of it; masyadong madami. She seemed to have noticed.\par
\par

\par
"Pasensya na ha? Kasi everytime na nag-a-out of town ako dinadala ko talaga yung
medicine box sa bahay. Alam mo na? Kaya pag sumakit ang ulo mo or may naramdama
n ka whatsoever, sabihin mo lang saken ha?"\par
\par
\par
Yeah right. Malason pa ko diyan.\par
\par
\par
Liam's POV:\par
\par
Bumukas yung pinto at tumingin naman ako habang naglalabas ng mga gamit sa bag.
Natahimik, tapos umiwas na ako ng tingin ulit.\par
\par
Of all people na pwedeng ma-assign bilang roommate ko, talagang si Gelo pa ang k
ailangan nilagay.\par
\par
Narinig kong sumarado yung pinto at nilapag niya yung bag niya.\par
\par
Tahimik pa rin.\par
\par
These past few weeks, hindi pa kami nagkakausap. Parang hindi kami magkakilala.
Wala na yung inis at angasan pero iba pa rin.\par
Simula nung final auditions, nawala na lahat, si Gelo pati yung teammates ko. Pa
rang galit saken yung buong senior population ng school namin.\par
\par
Kundi ba naman kasi ako g@go.\par
\par
Bumukas ulit yung pinto. Si Sir Mar, yung adviser namin.\par
\par
"O, ok lang kayo diyan?"\par
"Yes Sir," sabi naming sabay.\par
"Wag kayo magulo ha. Kilala ko kayo," sabi ni Sir with a knowing look tapos sina
ra niya na yung pinto. Hindi rin kasi nakarating sa faculty yung issue kaya sigu
ro di niya alam na napaka-slim ng chances na magiging magulo ang occupants ng kw
artong to.\par
\par
\par
Nakikita ko naman yung efforts ni Gelo na magkabati na kami ulit. Pero ewan ko.
Masyado siguro akong ma-pride. Buti nga hindi siya nabubwisit, kasi sa totoo lan
g naman ako talaga yung may kasalanan tapos ako pa tong malakas ang loob na mags
ungit.\par
\par
Maya maya natapos din ako mag-ayos.\par
\par
"Bro, meryenda na daw pagkatapos mag-ayos ng gamit, ano sama ka na?" tanong ni G
elo. Di ko alam kung ano sasabihin ko.\par
\par
Well, siguro, it's about time.\par
\par
"Oo ba."\par
\par
Pagbukas namin ng pinto, andun si Denise, nag-aantay.\par
\par
At dahil nga galit saken ang buong population ng 4th year sa school nitong nakar
aan, si Denise na yung naging companion ko. Wala na rin namang choice, and to be
completely honest we seemed to have found solace in each other.\par
\par
Mas nakakaawa nga si Denise e. At least ako dinededma lang ng mga teammates ko.
Siya kung ano anong insulto yung natatanggap kung kani kanino. Buti nga si Elle

nagbago na e. Kung sakali siguro, kay Elle siya pinakamaraming matitikmang pangiinsulto.\par
\par
Minsan nga naabutan ko na lang siyang umiiyak. Paano kasi pagbukas niya ng lapto
p niya para magcheck ng email at multiply niya, puro hate mail yung laman. Mahah
abang letters na puro mura, at yung iba glitter font pa that spells the words SL
UT, !@#$, SKANK, at kung ano ano pa.\par
\par
I'm sure hindi si Ria yung nasa likod nung mga to, but since popular si Ria, mar
aming friends, while Denise on the other hand was seriously despised by a lot of
people for her trying hard manner, Denise's haters seized the chance para ma pu
t down nila yung tao. They had the excuse na iginaganti lang nila si Ria, pero D
enise knew better. Buti na lang, na-handle niya ng maayos. With my help, of cour
se. Ngayon, since nag die down na yung issue, nag-subside na rin yung hate mail
ni Den.\par
\par
"O?" was the only thing she managed to say nung nakita niya kami.\par
"Tara na," sabi ko na lang.\par
\par
Habang naglalakad kami papunta sa kainan sa retreat house, nakausap ko ulit si G
elo na para bang wala naman talagang nangyari. And dude, it was cool.\par
\par
Sana yung ibang tao maging mabait na rin saken ulit.\par
\par
Lalo na si Ria.\par
\par
Chapter Thirty Four\par
Liam's POV:\par
\par
"Wow ang bango!"\par
\par
Ayun na, nakita ko nang nakahain sa buffet table yung pasta. If I'm not mistaken
, seafood carbonara yun. Sa tabi nung bandehado nung pasta, garlic bread naman s
aka kung ano ano pa. Grabe, parang sa hotel lang a!\par
\par
\par
Pumunta na kami nila Gelo at Denise doon para kumuha ng plato. Biglang na-excite
din siguro yung mga bulate sa tiyan nila.\par
At nang lumapit ako sa pagkain na naghihintay na lamunin ko, natigilan ako nang
makita ko kung sinong nasa harap ko sa pila.\par
Si Ria.\par
She didn't appear to notice me. Well kahit naman sa school, she never appears to
be aware of my presence at all.\par
I gulped. I wanted to say something to her. I wanted to talk to her, to apologiz
e, to say everything that has been left hanging and unsaid.\par
But it was too late. I would NEVER win her back.\par
And then napatingin ako sa likod ko. I saw Gelo na pasimpleng nagnanakaw ng ting
in kay Ria.\par
An idea sprung into my head.\par
"Bro, mauna ka na," I said.\par
At masunurin nga itong si Gelo na pumunta sa harap ko.\par

Siguro, sa paggawa ko ng mga simpleng paraan para mapunta si Ria sa taong yun wh
o truly deserves her, makabawi ako sa lahat ng ginawa kong kagaguhan sa kanya.\p
ar
"Hoy, kausapin mo," I told Gelo.\par
"Ha? E sinusungitan ako e."\par
"Basta. Kulitin mo. Tingnan mo, di rin siya makakaiwas."\par
"Sigurado ka?"\par
Napailing ako sa sinabi ni Gelo. Parang ewan talaga to o.\par
"Gusto mo ako lumapit diyan?" I said.\par
"Is that a threat?" asked Gelo, looking half-amused, half-pissed. I shrugged.\pa
r
"Ay naku, bahala na!"\par
Narinig kong bumuntung hininga si Gelo, as though bracing himself.\par
"Hi Ria!!!!!!!"\par
Napatingin sa kanya yung mga tao sa cafeteria. Ang lakas kasi ng pagkasabi niya.
But out of brotherly respect, nagpigil ako kahit gustong gusto ko tumawa. Para
kasi siyang nangangapang ewan.\par
Ria was looking at him with her eyes wide. I know that look on her face. Alam ko
ng nagpipigil din siyang tumawa gaya ko. People went back to eating. Denise and
I exchanged looks.\par
"Hello," sabi ni Ria.\par
"Ok ka lang ba?"\par
"Bakit mukha ba kong maysakit?"\par
"Di naman. Parang bad mood ka kasi e."\par
"Talaga? Hindi, sayo lang ako bad mood. Sige ha, alis na ko, bago ko mawalan ng
gana," sabi ni Ria, tapos umalis na nga. Gelo looked at me and Denise with an in
credulous look on his face.\par
"Kita niyo na?"\par
"Ano ba kasi ginawa mo?"\par
"Ewan ko! Kanina pa yun e!"\par
"Isipin mo mabuti. Di naman yun basta basta nagsusungit e."\par
"Hoy! Hihintayin pa ba namin kayong matapos magkwentuhan bago kami makakain? Ina
abot na kami ng siyam siyam dito a! " sabi ng isang tao sa likod ni Denise.\par
Bah. Si Signal Number Four.\par
\par
\par
"Sorry a, " sabi ni Den.\par

\par
\par
Nakita kong tumingin si Gelo sa direction nila.\par
\par
\par
"What are you looking at? " Lance shot at him.\par
\par
"Hi Rish," sabi ni Gelo, sabay kaway sa tao sa likod ni Lance. Kumaway din naman
si Irish. Hah. Pahiya si yabang.\par
\par
Tapos nun kumuha na kami ng pagkain at naghanap ng table.\par
\par
"Bakit ang laki ng galit sayo ng mga tao? Si Ria, si Signal Number Four..."\par
\par
"Inggit saken yun cuz I'm so hot. "\par
\par
\par
Denise gave a fake cough.\par
\par
"Parang alam ko kung bakit."\par
\par
"Huh?"\par
\par
"Pansin ko kasi. Lagi kang kasama ng girlfriend niya, kaya malamang-lamang e..."
\par
\par
"Ano ba, lagi ko lang kasama e, bakit gagawan niya pa yun ng malaking ewan?"\par
\par
"Well, being with a girl most of the time is one thing. But being with her and l
etting her wear\par
your jacket..."\par
\par
"Bakit, pinahiram ko lang naman!"\par
\par
"Katabi mo pa sa bus kanina."\par
\par
"Anong masama doon?"\par
\par
"Dude, you don't let just any girl in the campus wear your clothes AND sit with
you in a bus."\par
\par
"Oo nga. Dalawa pa lang yung pinagsusuot mo niyang jacket na yan. And the other
one's Ria pa."\par
\par
\par
Gelo gave an exasperated sigh.\par
\par
\par
"Look, special sa akin si Ria. At special din sa akin si Rish."\par
\par
"Special sila pareho sayo?"\par
\par
"Oo!"\par
\par
"Edi inamin mo rin!"\par
\par
"Inamin? What the fu-?!"\par
\par
"Fine. Then define special."\par

\par
"Iba yun! Special saken si Ria, and you guys know that. Special naman saken si R
ish dahil best friend ko siya."\par
\par
"Best friend? Please..." sabi ni Den, unable to restrain herself from sounding s
o derisive.\par
\par
"Gasgas na yan," I muttered.\par
\par
"Ewan ko sa inyong dalawa!" Gelo said hotly.\par
\par
\par
Nagtinginan kami ni Den. Even without words, by the look on her face, I could te
ll na pareho kami ng iniisip.\par
\par
\par
Knowing Gelo, Rish's being special to him could mean something else. Noon nga, n
agkakagusto na siya kay Ria di niya pa rin alam sa sarili niya.\par
\par
\par
Parang nauulit lang kasi kay Rish yung sitwasyon ni Gelo kay Ria noon...\par
\par
\par
And the idea isn't pleasant.\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
\par
Nagtinginan saken yung occupants ng table namin pagkaupo ko. Para silang natataw
ang ewan.\par
\par
\par
"What?! " I asked. Nagtawanan sina Maffy at Elle.\par
\par
"Nakakainis kayo!"\par
\par
"Sorry. Can't help it."\par
\par
"Nakakatawa kasi si Gelo e."\par
\par
"Ano nakakatawa dun? Nakakahiya tuloy," sabi ko, sabay tingin sa nearby tables.\
par
\par
\par
"Alam mo, sa inasal niya kanina... Feel ko wala ka na dapat ipagselos kay Rish."
\par
\par
"Who said I was jealous?" I asked defensively.\par
\par
\par
Maffy and Elle:\par
\par
\par
"Fine. Let's pretend Maffy and I are both blind and stupid."\par
\par
"Elle!"\par
\par
"Okay! I'll shut up now."\par
\par
"Sige, ipagpalagay nating nagseselos nga ako- stop rolling your eyes!"\par

\par
"Sorry."\par
\par
"Kung nagseselos nga ako, why must I think na wala akong dapat pagselosan kay Ri
sh?"\par
\par
"Dude, sayo lang nagkakaganon si Gelo no. Did you notice? " Maffy told me, as th
ough I was a kindergarten student.\par
\par
"Nahahawa ka na kay Elle," saway ko, half-smiling.\par
\par
"Can I help it if I'm that great?" tanong ni Elle, tapos nag high five sila ni M
affy.\par
\par
"Ok ok napupunta na naman sayo yung usapan. Kasi naman no. Kahit kayo siguro mak
akita nung nakita ko sa bus kanina..."\par
\par
"Look. Gelo's been so obvious AND transparent na para na siyang plastic cover na
walang kino-conceal. His nervousness, yung pag-fidget niya pag nandyan ka, yung
pag-blush niya... Those are already dead giveaways! And in case you didn't noti
ce, di siya ganun kay Rish."\par
\par
"Oo nga! And that's another bad thing, diba? It should mean na mas comfortable s
iya kay Rish kaysa saken!"\par
\par
"Hindi comfort ang issue dito. And his being comfortable with Rish- that could o
nly mean that he doesn't have any special feelings for her."\par
\par
"Pero bakit pinahiram niya rin ng jacket?"\par
\par
"Ewan ko sayo! Pinapakumplikado mo pa e!"\par
\par
"Kainis ka! Kung meron man dito na gustong gawin tong simple, ako yun! To remind
you, ako po kasi yung involved dito eh, diba? Saka, ayoko maging assuming. Ayok
ong isipin nang isipin na ako pa rin yung gusto niya tapos biglang si Rish na pa
la!"\par
\par
"Fine. But remember, Ria. Pessimism's never won any battle yet," said Maffy, spo
oning some of the pasta into her mouth.\par
\par
"Kumain ka na lang. Feel ko may maganda mangyayari mamaya," sabi ni Elle, winkin
g.\par
\par
Napabuntunghininga ako.\par
I could hardly imagine kung anong magandang pwedeng mangyari.\par
\par
Chapter Thirty Five:\par
\par
Denise's POV:\par
\par
"Class of Fourth Year - Integrity, please proceed to the conference room. Fourth
Year Sovereignty, proceed to the veranda. You have ten minutes."\par
\par
Wow kumusta naman yung ugong ng boses na yun. Parang si Big Brother\par
\par
Kung sa bagay, parang PBB rin naman yung atmosphere dito sa Retreat House. Excep
t na buong batch yung magkakasama at hindi lang 14 or 15 na tao. Day Two na nami
n, at kakatapos lang namin ng breakfast. Kasabay uli namin si Gelo sa table.\par
\par
Teka, ang cheesemax saken nila Zoe, magkakasama daw ang 2 section sa retreat mee

tings. Bakit kaya pinaghiwalay?\par

\par
Tumayo na kami ni Liam para ilagay yung mga plato namin sa hugasan. Nagpaiwan si
Gelo kasi uubusin niya pa daw yung pagkain niya. Sayang daw eh\par
\par
Habang naglalakad kami, napatigil si Liam sa paglalakad. Para siyang natulala.\p
ar
\par
Sinundan ko yung tingin niya and sure enough, andun si Ria, palabas na ng cafete
ria. She was too busy chatting with Elle and Maffy to even notice na may isang t
aong nagngangalang Liam palang tumigil bigla ang takbo ng mundo dahil sa kanya.\
par
\par
Tumingin na lang ako sa ibang lugar. I couldn't take the fact that Liam still is
n't over her .\par
\par
Andito naman ako...\par
\par
Finally, Liam got a grip on himself and went on walking. I followed him naman.\p
ar
\par
"I saw that."\par
"Saw what?"\par
"Duh. Ang tagal mo kaya tumitig doon."\par
"Hanggang titig na lang naman kasi ako."\par
\par
Natahimik. Para akong sinikmuraan sa narinig ko.\par
\par
"Ok ka lang?"\par
"Oo naman, ano ka ba."\par
"Parang namutla ka kasi."\par
"Tange. Tisay lang talaga ako."\par
"Ewan ko sayo. Tara na nga, mapagalitan pa tayo e."\par
\par
Pinilit kong sumabay sa kakatawa niya about my joke. Well it feels good na I can
make him laugh. But making him smile out of the blue would be a totally differe
nt story.\par
\par
Pagpasok namin ng conference room, nakatabi sa sides ng room yung mga monoblock
chairs. Yung facilitator at si Sir Mar, nandun naman sa harap at tahimik na naguusap. Eventually, dumating na rin lahat ng tao. Yung iba, halatang tinanghali n
g gising kasi nakapantulog pa rin. Nung sinubukan naming kuhanin yung mga monobl
ock chairs, sinaway kami kasi daw yung activity namin eh dapat gagawin namin na
nakaupo sa floor.\par
\par
FINE.\par
\par
"Good morning kids!" sabi nung facilitator naming laging sobra sobra ang energy.
We responded with a faint good morning din.\par
\par
"Settle down. Sa floor muna kayo while I explain this morning's activity."\par
\par
People buzzed with excitement as we all took our seats. Nagform ng dalawang rows
yung class. Tumabi ako kay Liam tapos nagkataon naman na nasa harap namin nakau
po sina Ria. Nag-focus na lang ako sa sinasabi ng facilitator para hindi ko na m
akita si Liam na nakatitig sa tao sa harap niya.\par
\par
"Does anyone have an idea what an open forum is?"\par
\par
A babble of talk broke out, but one voice rang above all others:\par

\par
"Is it some game where we talk to people in the vicinity and tell them how we fe
el about their guts?"\par
\par
The facilitator smiled slyly at Elle's manner.\par
\par
"That is partly correct. Sorry, I didn't get your name, hija..."\par
"It's Elle."\par
"As Elle here had said... what we're going to do today is to, err- tell everyone
here how we feel about the people in the class. Only, we're doing it discreetly
."\par
"Don't you think the word discreet violates the very essence of an OPEN forum?"\
par
\par
Elle strikes.\par
\par
"Sorry, hija. I just used the term to give you an idea. What we're going to do t
oday is very similar to an open forum, except that what we're gonna do is much m
ore discreet. That way, walang mapapahiya. Sounds good?"\par
\par
I saw some people glance towards me na para bang sinasabi nilang pasalamat ako a
t hindi Open Forum yung gagawin kundi ako yung pupukulin at ipapahiya nila.\par
\par
"You are thirty-six in the class, if I'm not mistaken?"\par
\par
There was a general murmur of assent.\par
\par
"Great. Even number. Walang male-left out. Tutal naman, nag-form na kayo ng two
rows... will you guys please align properly?"\par
\par
Umayos naman kami ng upo. Kinabahan ako, nung umayos kasi, akala ko si Ria sa ha
rap ni Liam na nasa kaliwa ko...\par
TADAH... eto na siya sa harap ko...\par
\par
"So guys in the first row, ang una niyong kakausapin eh yung nasa likod niyo. Oh
, wag muna kayo mag about face, excited kayo e! In the event that you get tongue
-tied, maybe you can just tell the person what you admire about them, what you d
on't really like about them and yadda yadda. You are given three minutes per per
son. Okay? On my signal, people in the first row. One, two... three!"\par
\par
At dahan dahang humarap sa akin si Ria.\par
\par
For the first few seconds, nagtitigan lang kaming dalawa. Ewan, natatakot ako. S
he has every right na sumbatan, sabunutan, suntukin o sampalin ako. And to be co
mpletely honest, I think I would totally deserve that.\par
\par
"Hey," I finally said, wanting to break the ice. Mukha kasi kaming tanga. Lahat
nag-uusap na, kami hindi pa.\par
\par
Naisip ko rin, kung may tamang chance na mag-apologize, siguro ito na yun.\par
\par
"Hi. Parang hindi nagkikita sa bahay e noh?" she said, smiling. Natigilan kami u
lit. I took a deep breath and-\par
\par
"Ria... you know what, kahit sumbatan, sabunutan, suntukin o sampalin mo ako nga
yon, ok lang saken. I totally deserve it."\par
\par
I said all that very fast. She might not have understood every single word, pero
yun lang kasi yung paraan para mai-unload ko lahat ng nararamdaman kong guilt.\
par

\par
Her face was blank, then tumingin siya sa floor.\par
\par
"Den... d'you really think I wanted to do that?"\par
\par
Kinabahan ako tas tiningnan ko siya. Hindi naman siya mukhang galit.\par
\par
\par
"Well, weeks ago... I did want to do that. Pasalamat ka nakalimutan ko na," she
said. At pareho naman kaming tumawa.\par
\par
"Look, tapos na yun. Let's just leave it all behind. Balik sa dati. Ok ba yun?"\
par
"I'd like that."\par
"Great. So maybe, a new start?"\par
\par
I smiled at her. I held out my hand, as though nagpapakilala.\par
"Camilla Denise Gonzalez Lopez. You are?"\par
"Adrianna Elizabeth Lopez Antonio. Pleased to meet you."\par
\par
We shook hands, then laughed hysterically.\par
She must have realized how stupid it was. But man it felt good.\par
\par
"Guys, your three minutes are up! Space out a bit, then move counter-clockwise a
nd exchange partners!"\par
\par
Naghiwa-hiwalay na yung magkakausap.\par
Counter-clockwise? So that must mean...\par
\par
\par
\par
Gosh, Liam. Good luck.\par
\par
Liam's POV:\par
\par
Shooot. Ito na.\par
I saw Ria throw me a nervous glance habang magkaharap pa rin sila ni Denise, who
egged her on. Ria took tentative steps towards me, as though she was approachin
g a monster.\par
\par
"Your next three minutes start now!"\par
\par
I noticed na halos lahat ng tao sa amin nakatingin imbis na mag-usap. Lumingon a
ko sa kinakatayuan ni Gelo. Mukha siyang nag-aalalang ewan.\par
Well there isn't anything to be worried about. I'm sure of that.\par
\par
"MOVE!"\par
\par
Since Ria seemed to be glued to where she was standing, ako na yung lumapit sa k
anya. Pero pagdating naman doon, di ko rin siya matingnan sa mata. I contented m
yself with scratching my head and glancing at her every now and then.\par
\par
"Hey. Um, what did she say about getting tongue-tied again?" Ria asked.\par
"What you admire about the person."\par
"Ok. Well what I admire about you... You're smart, talented. Mabait na rin. A go
od friend. And you can make anyone laugh."\par
\par
I didn't know what to say. Natuwa lang ako na naisipan niya pa ring magsabi ng m
agagandang bagay tungkol saken.\par
\par

"What I don't like about you? ... Haha, well... I don't think I have to say that
. Do I?"\par
"No."\par
\par
We looked at each other for a moment and...\par
\par
"Ria... I've been wanting to tell you this... I'm sorry."\par
\par
I apprehensively looked at her. She gave a little smile.\par
\par
"And you didn't have to say that either. Ok na yun."\par
"Really?"\par
"Yea. Now I'd like you to give me a favor."\par
"Ano yun?"\par
"Before you asked me out, all was well. We were best buds. Gusto ko, maging ganu
n ulit. Hindi natin magagawa yun agad agad pero I guess, in time... it's possibl
e."\par
\par
\par
\par
"Talaga? I mean..."\par
"Bakit? Ayaw mo maging bbf tayo ulit?"\par
"Syempre gusto ko!" I said, breaking into a wide smile.\par
"High five naman dyan!" she said, holding her left palm up.\par
\par
APIR!\par
\par
And after that, without thinking, I went and hugged her.\par
\par
Napatingin ako bigla kay Gelo.\par
The look on his face made me let go of her.\par
\par
"Sorry."\par
"That's ok, PARE. Wala namang malisya, remember?"\par
"Right."\par
"So paano? Exchange partners na daw e."\par
"Sige. smell ya later, PARE."\par
\par
At that moment, I was perhaps the happiest person on earth.\par
\par
\par
Chapter Thirty Six\par
\par
Elle's POV:\par
\par
"Tsk, Kainis..." Gelo whispered, taking his place in front of me. Hay sa wakas,
nagkatapat na kami ni kumag, and guess what- Ria's just two persons away from us
, which means...!\par
\par
"Tsss. Bwiset talaga."\par
\par
"O, ayan nagmumukha ka na namang chewing gum. Umayos ka nga," I scolded him. "An
d you know what, that won't help you win Ria back."\par
\par
"As if I still can."\par
\par
"It's your fault, dumbass. If you weren't sitting around with your arm around Ri
sh's neck for all the world to see, Ria wouldn't be sulking."\par
\par
\par

He turned to face me so suddenly that I think I heard his neck snap.\par

\par
\par
"You mean she's-...?" he said, leaving the sentence hanging, as though hoping I
would be the one to finish it. Hearing the hopeful tone of his voice was downrig
ht hilarious.\par
\par
"I wasn't trying to imply anything..." I said in a singsong voice para lalo siya
ng mapikon.\par
\par
"Nakakainis ka!"\par
\par
"I know right. But if you really want to know, you'd ask her for yourself."\par
\par
"But she won't even talk to me."\par
\par
"Ano ba kasing klaseng drama ang meron sa inyo ni Rish?" I shot at him.\par
\par
Haha. Dear old Gelo, cornered. Elle's surprise attack, in action.\par
My prey was caught off guard, just like how I'd want it. Kaso, it looked like hi
s reason was catching up fast with his shock.\par
He avoided my eyes and stared at the floor instead. Kunot pa rin yung noo niya,
but he looked determined not to answer me.\par
Fine. Use another tactic, Queen Elle.\par
\par
\par
"Alam mo kasi, wala ka sa lugar eh. Ang lakas lakas mo magselos, bakit, kayo na
ba? At saka, bakit ikaw? Pwede kang umakbay at tumabi kung kani-kanino sa bus, t
apos siya, di niya pwedeng yakapin yung guy best friend niya? Ano ka ba?"\par
\par
"Di ko naman sinabing hindi pwede e!"\par
\par
"O, e ano pang pinuputok ng butse mo dyan? Tsaka ang obvious mo ha. Eww."\par
\par
"Fine, tell me what I should do, Mistress Elladora." he said, folding his arms.
I know that look on his face: he was daring me.\par
\par
"Call me Elladora again and I'll flay you alive."\par
\par
\par
He gave a laugh and unfolded his arms. Lumapit siya saken ng konti para walang m
akarinig.\par
\par
\par
"Come on, Elle. Alam mo namang ikaw lang pag-asa ko e. Dali na. Please?" he said
, now positively pleading.\par
\par
"Yan, sige namimihasa ka. Gagawa-gawa ka ng gulo, tas saken mo ipaaayos."\par
\par
"Kinonsensya pa ako."\par
\par
\par
"Guys! Exchange partners!"\par
\par
\par
"Ayan kasi! Ano na gagawin ko?" he asked me, looking desperate. Kulang na lang s
abunutan niya yung sarili niya\par
\par
"Edi magdasal!" I told him as I moved towards my new partner. Haha. Lagot ako ma
maya nito\par

\par
\par
I was so preoccupied laughing at Gelo's face that I didn't really notice where I
was heading. Paatras akong naglalakad and then I felt myself bumping into somet
hing solid.\par
\par
I turned around to face who it was and felt my smile vanish into nothingness. Si
Denise pala ang susunod kong partner.\par
Grabe. Ang bilis nga talaga ng KARMA.\par
\par
I raised a brow at her and she recoiled, as though I had hit her with a whip. Ha
h. Iba na ang powers ng Elle glare\par
\par
Pero bakit nga ba abot-sky pa rin ang inis ko sa babaeng to? Nakita ko kanina, n
agbati na sila ni Ria. And I'm supposed to be mad at Denise because of what she
did to Ria. Now that Ria's forgiven her, am I really supposed to do the same thi
ng?\par
\par
And then, the most wonderful idea came into my head and I couldn't resist smilin
g.\par
\par
Tumingin ulit ako kay Denise at parang nabuhayan ulit siya ng loob nung nakita n
iya kong nakangiti. Hindi na siya mukhang batang naghahandang umilag sa palo ng
nanay niya.\par
\par
"Come here," I said, stretching my arms wide.\par
\par
To my delight, lumapit siya saken at yumakap. As her arms closed at my back, my
hands found the hem of her blouse and with a great tug, I had successfully pulle
d it over her face.\par
\par
I backed away, admiring my handiwork as Denise struggled, her arms outstretched.
.. umikot siya ng umikot on the spot habang unti-unting natuon sa amin yung atte
ntion ng mga tao. Some started laughing but still, none of the facilitators noti
ced anything.\par
\par
And with a loud, splendid thud, she fell on her butt.\par
\par
There was another shout of laughter as Denise finally managed to fix herself up.
Ang sakit na ng tiyan ko kakatawa. Denise looked all around her with tears in h
er eyes, and then she stood up and stormed from the room.\par
\par
DRAMA QUEEN.\par
\par
And then I felt a small tap on my shoulder.\par
\par
"Office. Now."\par
________________________________________\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
HALA!\par
Grabe naman to si Elle o! Di nakapagpigil! Diba dapat nga sa activity na to magk
abati bati? Tapos ganun pa yung naisipang gawin. Naku, pagkatapos ng sermon sa k
anya sa office, humanda siya, ako yung susunod!\par
\par
"Class, go to the lobby, I would like a word!" sabi ng adviser namin, and withou
t another word he rushed off and went outside.\par
\par
Hindi maganda to.\par

\par
Sumunod naman yung klase. I can't help but think, suspended na ba yung activity?
Naman o, ang dami ko pang hindi nakakausap e. Nahanap ko si Maffy sa crowd tapo
s nilapitan ko siya.\par
\par
"Maffs, paano na yun? Di na tuloy yung activity?"\par
\par
"Ewan ko nga eh. Ano bang Satanas ang sumapi kay Elle at naisipan niya yun?"\par
\par
"Malay ko."\par
\par
"Sayang. Isang tao na lang pagitan niyo e..."\par
\par
"Ha? Nino?"\par
\par
"Nino pa. Edi ni Fafa Gelo."\par
\par
"Hala, oo nga no?" I said, tapos lumingon ako. Nakita ko si Gelo na nakatingin d
in saken, katabi ni Liam.\par
\par
"Kasalanan ni Elle to. Ay naku, lagot saten si baklita mamaya!"\par
\par
\par
Pagdating namin sa lobby, pinaupo kami ulit sa floor.\par
\par
\par
"Class, all I want to say right now is how disappointed I am. That activity was
organized for all of you to fix all of your issues before you go on your separat
e ways in college, tapos ganito pa."\par
\par
My insides squirmed in protest. Bakit pati kami nadamay sa kalokohan ni Elle?\pa
r
\par
"This is a big embarrassment not only for your class but for the whole school. A
t ang pinakanakakahiya, sa facilitators. Hindi ko alam, but they may consider bl
ack-listing the school sa retreat house na to for life. Never in my whole sixtee
n years as a teacher have I experienced this kind of thing. And since na-violate
na naman yung essence nung activity, at kulang na kayo ng dalawang tao kaya sob
rang wala na lalong kwenta, I want you guys to go back to your rooms for now. Ma
tulog kayo, makipagkwentuhan kayo, ewan kayo bahala, pero please lang, wag niyo
nang dagdagan yung kahihiyan na dinulot ni Elle kanina. Off you go, I have to go
to the office," sabi niya, tas tumalikod na at umalis.\par
\par
Sumunod naman ulit yung klase, at tahimik kaming bumalik sa mga rooms namin. Hay
, nakakainis naman talaga o.\par
\par
Nasa mood na akong kausapin si Gelo e. Hay naku! Dapat ngayon kausap ko na siya
e! And what's worse, I'm stuck with Rish the rest of the afternoon!\par
\par
Talk about bad luck.\par
\par
"Dun ka muna sa room ko. Wala naman panigurado si Ma'am Pearlie, di pa naman tap
os yung Sov," sabi ni Maffy, as though she had read my mind.\par
\par
"Yaan mo na. Ayoko mapagalitan. Dun muna ko sa room at matutulog. Di ako nakatul
og kanina. Aynaku, pag nakita mo na si Elle, pakibatukan ng isa ha?"\par
\par
\par
Maffy laughed, tapos dumeretso na ko sa room ko. Pagpasok ko, naka-curl up sa si
Rish under her blanket. Hah. Salamat naman.\par

________________________________________\par
\par
"Ria. Ria, wake up."\par
"Huh?"\par
\par
\par
I saw Rish standing in front of me.\par
\par
\par
"Gumising ka na. They're serving merienda in ten minutes."\par
"Ok. Thanks."\par
\par
\par
Naghilamos ako ng konti tapos lumabas ulit.\par
\par
"Sayang no? Di rin tayo nakapag-usap."\par
\par
\par
I stared at her, not having a single idea kung ano yung dapat kung sabihin.\par
\par
\par
"Oo nga e."\par
\par
"Si Gelo rin, no? Di mo nakausap? Sayang, excited na excited pa naman yun na mak
ausap ka."\par
\par
"Talaga?"\par
\par
"Oo. Sabi niya saken. Humihingi pa nga ng tips. Parang galit ka daw kasi sa kany
a."\par
\par
\par
WTF. If Rish goes on with this manner of speaking, maniniwala na akong wala akon
g dapat isipin sa kanilang dalawa. Or baka naman part lang to ng mga kadramahan
niya?\par
\par
\par
"Di naman ako galit. Badtrip lang ng konti."\par
\par
"Ah. Sana makapag-usap kayo no? Kawawa naman yun. Ano, tara na?"\par
\par
"Sige ba," sabi ko. Sabay kami lumabas tapos ni-lock niya na yung pinto namin. A
ndun na agad si Intsik Beho sa malapit kaya nagkaroon ako agad ng chance na punt
ahan sina Maffy at Elle.\par
\par
\par
I saw Maffy knocking dun sa pinto nina Elle. Lumabas naman si Elle.\par
\par
\par
"What the DEVIL were you thinking? Galit si Sir Mar kanina!"\par
\par
"Oo nga, buti nga di ako sinuspend ulit. Pinigilan nung madre."\par
\par
"Kung bakit ba naman kasi... sana kung ayaw mo kausapin si Denise, di mo na lang
pinansin, di yung ganun, gumawa ka pa ng commotion."\par
\par
"Oh come on, Ria. I've been longing to have a go at her simula nung pinuntahan k
a namin ni Gelo sa bar."\par
\par
"Oo nga, but you didn't have to make it so embarrassing!"\par

\par
"Stop it, guys. Nag-sorry na ako sa kanya."\par
\par
"Nag-effort ka ba namang gawing sincere kahit papaano yung pagso-sorry mo?"\par
\par
"Oo naman. May good side rin naman ako noh. Buti nga pinatawad na lang ako. Iniw
an nga nila kami ni Denise dun sa office e. Edi nakapag-usap din. Kaya tigilan n
iyo na ako aright? Nakokonsensya na ko."\par
\par
"Meron ka pala nun?"\par
\par
"Ang sama niyo!"\par
\par
\par
Ayun, pagbalik namin sa caf di namin maiwasang mainggit sa kabilang section. Par
ang ang saya saya nila at siguro nga nakapag bonding sila ng todo sa OF nila. Sa
isang malaking malaking table na pinagkabit kabit sila kumakain, and kahit si S
ignal Number Four parang tuwang tuwang makipagdaldalan sa mga classmate niya. Na
ku, nakakagawa nga ng malaking milagro ang mga OF. Too bad hindi siya na-experie
nce ng Integ.\par
\par
\par
Pagka-kain, ininstruct kami na pumunta ulit dun sa venue nung naudlot naming OF
kanina. I knew better than to hope na itutuloy yun. This time kasi, naka-assembl
e na yung monoblock chairs. Ibang Retreat Facilitator na yung naka-assign sa ami
n.\par
\par
\par
Ang pinag-usapan, about parents. Maraming eager mag-share ng mga kwento nila. El
le divulged on how her Dad keeps her spoiled but doesn't bother to spend time wi
th her. Si Denise naman, kwinento na namimiss niya na yung Dad niya, and we had
to stop her bago pa ulit siya maiyak. Kahit yung iba, mukhang na-touch sa story
ni Den. Ngayon niya lang kasi kwinento na wala na siyang Dad at inamin niya na r
in na sa amin siya nakatira at parents ko pa ang nagbabayad ng lahat ng expenses
niya.\par
\par
\par
Madilim na nung natapos yung sharing nung classmates namin. Then, the facilitato
r started talking about how parents treat their children differently, but insist
ed on the 'fact' na every parent care about their kids, kahit pa gaano sila ka-d
iscreet in showing it.\par
\par
\par
At that moment, I caught Gelo's eye. He looked away swiftly, siguro napansin niy
ang naaalala ko lahat nung kwinento niya saken nung maysakit pa siya. I could on
ly imagine how hard it is for him to deal with the situation. He was stony-faced
and extremely timid throughout the talk. I could not help but wish na sana, tum
igil na lang yung facilitator because Gelo was looking more and more depressed w
ith each passing moment.\par
\par
Well my wish came true. A little later, the facilitator stopped talking. She put
a CD on the mini-stereo and turned off the lights, leaving only a few candles.
Nung tumugtog na, parang lalo namang nakaka-depress. Parang reflection song kasi
na applicable sa relationship mo with both God and your parents.\par
\par
I couldn't look at Gelo properly now, as his face was hidden in shadow.\par
\par
Naku, sa kakatingin ko kay Gelo, hindi ko napansin na dapat pala nakapikit while
reflecting. I closed my eyes and tried to stop thinking about him. I couldn't s
top wondering on how he might be feeling at this moment.\par

\par
And then I heard the doors creak.\par
It was as though a crowd was coming inside the room, their voices united while s
inging. I felt the presence of a lot of people moving in and around our chairs.
It was then that I understood- our parents were here!\par
\par
Wala pang signal para mag-open ng eyes, nagmulat na ako ng mata at hinanap ko si
la. There were a sea of unfamiliar faces, but I searched and looked as far as my
neck would allow itself to be stretched. I didn't care anymore about being scol
ded. The idea of seeing my mom, dad and sister again drove everything else out o
f my head.\par
\par
Where could they be? Why aren't they here yet?\par
\par
"Yung mga wala pa ang parents, sumama kayo saken sa office!" sigaw ni Sir over t
he chattering crowd. I immediately stood up and went after him, still searching.
\par
Hindi kaya naligaw sila?\par
\par
Nagpahuli ako ng konti, hoping I would bump into Ate Danna. I saw Jon and Denise
approach me habang palabas kami ng audi.\par
\par
"Asan na kaya sila?"\par
"Ewan. Kung si Daddy yung magda-drive, sigurado naligaw na sila. Kakabalik niya
lang from abroad diba? So malamang-lamang e maninibago yun dito sa Tagaytay."\pa
r
"Sasama kaya nanay ko?"\par
"Oo yan. Tara."\par
\par
Nung pagdating namin ng office, may apat o limang tao na doon, kasama si Lance.
Nakaupo lang siya doon at nakatingin sa ceiling, as though walang pakialam at wa
lang hinihintay. Sinamahan siya ni Jon and heard him saying na wala siyang pake
kung may darating o hinde. Si Denise naman umupo na lang at nanahimik.\par
\par
And then I remembered something. My eyes automatically searched the area and I f
ound what I was looking for, standing beside the window.\par
\par
Parang may sariling pag-iisip yung mga paa ko na naglakad agad papunta sa kanya,
kahit hindi ko naman alam kung ano yung dapat kong gawin pagdating doon. Aaluin
ko ba? Sasabihin ko bang mag-intay kasi darating din yun? Ano?\par
\par
Tumigil ako maglakad, mga isang ruler ang layo ko sa kanya noon. He didn't seem
to be aware na may nakatayo ngayon sa likod niya. Gently, slowly, I put my hand
on his shoulder.\par
\par
He turned around and looked at me. Nginitian ko lang siya tapos tinabihan ko.\pa
r
\par
"Wala pa din sina Ate Danna?"\par
"Obvious ba?" I said, smiling. "Naligaw siguro."\par
\par
Natahimik siya. Napansin kong malungkot yung itsura ng mukha niya. Buti pa siya,
hindi kagaya ni Lance na akala mo mababawasan ang pagka-masculine pag nagpakita
ng kahit anong sign ng weakness. Parang naawa tuloy akong ewan.\par
\par
"Ok ka lang?"\par
"Oo naman," sabi niya, tapos tiningnan niya ulit ako. Ewan, but I suddenly felt
an overwhelming urge to hug him. He looked away.\par
"Wag ka naman ganyan. Lalo akong naaawa sa sarili ko."\par
\par

Tumingin ulit siya sa window. I didn't know what to say.\par

And then, without thinking about it, sumandal ako sa kanya, my head resting on h
is shoulder. Inakbayan niya na lang ako tapos sumandal din siya saken.\par
\par
"Darating yun. I'm sure di ka matitiis ng mommy mo," sabi ko.\par
"Asa pa ko dun. I'm sure ang iniisip nun ngayon, kung saan nakatago yung mga ala
k niya dun. Saka sus, wala naman pake saken yun."\par
\par
He was saying it in a casual, would-be-calm manner, but I knew better than to bu
y his "I'm ok and I don't really care" act.\par
\par
"Ang daya mo nga e."\par
"Ako? Bakit naman?!"\par
"Kasi ikaw, ang dami-daming nagmamahal sayo," sabi niya, sabay tingin saken na n
akangiting nang-aasar na ewan.\par
"Ikaw ba hindi?" baling ko sa kanya.\par
"Bakit, sige nga, ikaw ba mahal mo ko?" he shot at me. Nagkatinginan kami. Hindi
ko malaman kung nagpapa-cute, nagpapaawa, nang-aasar o seryoso ba itong taong t
o.\par
\par
But before I found out, I heard a familiar voice:\par
\par
"Ria?"\par
\par
We both turned around. Andun na sina Ate, kasama yung mommy at daddy ni Jon at y
ung mommy ni Denise. I looked at Gelo, then sinenyasan niya ko na pumunta na dun
.\par
\par
I ran and hugged everyone. Jon, Ate Danna and Denise were looking at me with the
se annoyingly smug looks on their faces.\par
\par
"Ano nangyari sa inyo? Bakit ngayon lang kayo?"\par
"Ang foggy kasi sa labas, anak, grabe."\par
"Saka ang kulit kasi ni Dad e, sabi na kasing ako na yung magda-drive."\par
"Tigilan niyo na nga yan."\par
"Naku, nag-smuggle nga pala ako ng konting chocolates dito. Pagtiyagaan niyo nan
g tatlo, uuwi na naman kayo bukas."\par
"Ate bawal yan!"\par
"Alam ko, kaya nga smuggled e!"\par
"Hija, you are setting a very fine example for these three."\par
"Oh come on, Dad, don't be such a killjoy. Wag niyong ipapakita yan sa madre kun
g ayaw niyong doon kayo sa labas patulugin."\par
\par
Everyone laughed and talked, at once in a while chine-check ko rin si Gelo doon
sa may bintana. Mukha namang ok siya, ngumingiti lang siya saken everytime our e
yes met.\par
\par
And then the door sprang open.\par
I recognized the woman who had just arrived from the picture- it was Gelo's mom!
\par
\par
The woman immediately went and ran towards her son who stood waiting. Gelo looke
d delighted, he hugged her back tightly. I smiled at him as he looked at me, and
mouthed, "I told you."\par
\par
Jon cleared his throat.\par
\par
Ayun, konting usap pa and kwentuhan, tapos sinabihan na kami nung facilitators n
a aalis na yung parents namin kasi malapit na mag-midnight. Ok lang naman kasi n
ga pauwi na rin kami the next day.\par

\par
Si Gelo na yung kasama ko pabalik sa mga rooms kasi pagkahatid namin sa parents
hindi ko na makita sina Jon. Magkaakbay kami ulit. Haha. Ginaw kasi e.\par
\par
"Sabi ko naman sayo e," I told him.\par
"Malay ko ba. Saka nagulat nga ako e, for once, she didn't reek of wine OR cigar
ettes."\par
"Diba dapat nga matuwa ka nun?"\par
"Masaya nga ako e, diba? Onga pala, Ria..."\par
"O?"\par
"Salamat ha?"\par
"Ano ka ba. Wala yun."\par
"Sana lagi ganito. Hindi yung inaaway mo ko. Onga, bakit ka nga pala nagalit sak
en kanina?"\par
"Wala. Kalimutan mo na."\par
\par
He looked like he wanted to say something else, but in light of our recently-rep
aired (yet again) friendship, he chose not to say it.\par
\par
"O, room niyo na to, diba?"\par
"Ay, oo nga no?"\par
"Di kasi tumitingin, edi kung nadala kita hanggang doon lagot na?"\par
"Sorry naman. O sige na, layas na."\par
"That's how you say goodnight?"\par
"Fine. Goodnight, Gelo."\par
\par
Lumapit siya saken tapos kinurot niya yung pisngi ko.\par
\par
"Goodnight kurdapyaaaaa!"\par
"Yuck, kurdapya? Ang baho!" I complained.\par
"Di naman pwedeng si Liam lang ang may mabantot na pet name sayo. Tsaka anong ma
s gusto mo itawag ko sayo, kurdapya o blackboard?"\par
\par
Aba. Gustong maupakan.\par
\par
"O, sabi ko sayo e. Sige... Sarang hae!"\par
"Ha? Anong sabi mo?"\par
"Wala. Sabi ko ang lapad ng noo mo," sabi ni kumag sabay takbo.\par
\par
Haynaku. Lagot siya saken pag nakita ko siya.\par
\par
\par
Chapter Thirty Seven\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
"Hoy! Walang tao sa booth!"\par
\par
Elle's voice rang within the classroom. Everyone looked at her.\par
\par
"Hello? Paging Liam Woods! Shift mo po ngayon!"\par
\par
Liam looked up from his seat, holding his PSP, which had been keeping him busy f
or the last 10 minutes. Inabot niya yun kay Denise, who was sitting beside him,
tapos sumunod. Hah. Natakot sa bangis ni Elle.\par
\par
School Fair namin ngayon. Pearl Anniversary kasi ng school kaya ganun. Eto, libr
e kami kaya tambay lang sa classroom. Actually, batch namin ang in charge, pero
since karamihan tapos na yung trabaho, ok na. Most of us are assigned to the boo
ths, habang ako naman eh sa Documentation Committee assigned kaya tapos na rin a

ko for today, nagche-check na lang ng pics na ilalagay ko sa final product namin

. Ahem. Senior Photog kasi ng School Paper at ng Docu commitee.\par
\par
I was scrolling through the pics when I came across Gelo's face.\par
Nakalampas ako ng pindot. Balik. Balik.\par
\par
Eto siya, nakunan ko sa children's program kanina. Assigned din kasi siya doon n
a mag-assist ng parents at mga bata.\par
Scroll ulit. May isang shot naman, karga niya yung isang batang tumatawa. Ang cu
te. Zoom ko nga.\par
\par
DANG. He's hot.\par
\par
"Kurdapya!" said a loud voice. I turned and looked.\par
\par
I heard a click and then there was a blinding flash of light. It took me a while
bago maalis yung temporary blindness ko.\par
When I opened my eyes again, andun sa harap ko si kumag, may hawak na digicam.\p
ar
\par
"Ok ka lang?"\par
"Kailangan ba talagang ganun kalakas yung flash sa mukha ko? "\par
"Sorry naman."\par
"Bakit mo ba ko pinipicture-an? Di ka naman taga Docu committee a?"\par
"Photo Booth kaya ako."\par
"Photo Booth? E hindi naman ako nagpapa-picture!"\par
"Ikaw, hindi. Pero may nagbayad samin para kunin yung pic mo," he said, looking
a bit ticked off.\par
"Ha? Pwede yun?"\par
"Oo. May Pic-Your-Crush promo kasi kami."\par
"Pic-Your-Crush?"\par
"Oo. Ibig sabihin may nagkaka-crush sayo."\par
Hah. He looked uncomfortable as he was saying that.\par
\par
"Sino?" I asked casually.\par
"Di ko nga alam e. Di naman ako yung assigned sa ganun. Taga-picture lang ako. A
yaw nga sabihin saken ni Zoe, kainis."\par
"E bakit mo inaalam?"\par
\par
He threw me a defensive stare.\par
\par
"Tinatanong mo nga kasi, diba? Para may isasagot ako."\par
\par
Tsk. PALUSOT.\par
\par
"If you say so."\par
"Hayaan mo, pag nalaman ko, sasabihin ko sayo."\par
"Ok. Aasahan ko yan. O, wala ka na ba gagawin?"\par
"Wala. Yung pic mo na lang tapos wala na."\par
"Wag niyo na ibigay yung pic ko. Baka makulam ako e. "\par
"Hindi pwede. Bayad na e."\par
"HA? Haynaku, babayaran ko. Magkano ba?"\par
"250."\par
"250?! Ang mahal! Ilang kopya ba yun?"\par
"Yung apat na wallet sized kasi, 50 pesos. Eh gusto nung humihingi, limang angle
s."\par
"Takte, mas lalo yata akong natakot... wag niyo na ibigay!"\par
"Hindi pwede. Sesermonan ako ni Zoe."\par
"Asus. Baka mamaya ikaw lang yung nagbayad para sa pic ko ha. Pwede mo naman ako
picture-an anytime, libre pa."\par

"Tange. Hindi pwede magpa Pic Your Crush o magpapicture yung mga taga-Photo Boot
h. Tsaka hindi naman ako magbabayad ng ganun kamahal para lang sa picture mo noh
."\par
"Ang sama mo!"\par
"E bakit pa ko magbabayad, sabi mo naman pwede ako humingi tas libre pa?"\par
"Kuripot. "\par
\par
I turned my back on him and turned my camera off. Mahirap na, baka makita niyang
siya yung tinitingnan ko.\par
\par
"Di pa ba tayo pwede umuwi pag tapos na duty?"\par
"5:00 pa tayo pwede umalis."\par
"Tagal naman," he said, pouting.\par
\par
Sakto naman dumating sina Maffy at Jon. Maluwag ngayon, pwede sa classroom ang t
aga-ibang section.\par
Bah. Mukhang magkaaway ata tong dalawang to a.\par
\par
"Hoy, Jonathan, nag-away ba kayo?"\par
"Tange, hindi. Naiinis siya. Di niya ma-solve yung Extremely Difficult Level na
Sudoku. Kahit ako, di ko ma-solve e."\par
\par
Susmaryosep naman tong si Francesca o. Sudoku lang, galit na sa mundo.\par
\par
"Akin na nga."\par
\par
Takte. Mahirap nga. Hmm...\par
\par
\par
\par
"Gotcha!" I said aloud, punching the air. I solved it in five minutes!\par
WOO! I'm the man.\par
\par
"Kainis! Pano mo ginawa?" sabi ni Maffy, sabay kuha saken nung Sudoku book.\par
\par
Gelo's POV:\par
\par
"Huy ano yan?"\par
"Wala. Wag mo na alamin."\par
"Sudoku? Peram!"\par
"Weh, marunong ka?"\par
"Hoy wag kang mayabang. Five minutes lang saken yang extremely difficult kuno na
yan no."\par
"Hah, Five minutes? Baka FIVE DAYS?"\par
\par
Abah, sinusumpong na naman si Adrianna.\par
\par
"Ano, pustahan pa?"\par
"Wag ka paka-sigurado, bro. Ilang beses na kaming natatalo ni Liam sa mga ganyan
g pustahan sa Sudoku. Si Ria yan, bro. Kung ako sayo, I'll back off. Ilang beses
na ring napahamak yung wallet ko."\par
\par
Whoa. She must be THAT good.\par
\par
"Ok lang yan. Kayang-kaya. Ano, Ria? Up for a good beating?"\par
"You WISH."\par
\par
She smirked at me. Heck. I love it when she does that.\par
\par
"Game. Pero walang urungan sa pustahan, ha? You must keep your word."\par

"Don't worry. May isa akong salita."\par

"In that case, we'll be the judges," sabi ni Jon. Nagsenyasan sila ni Maffy.\par
"Ok. Eto papel. Dyan niyo isulat yung gusto niyong gawin nung kalaban niyo kapag
nanalo kayo."\par
"Kailangan ba talaga niyan? "\par
"Yup. Para may element of surprise, wala munang dapat na makaalam, kaya sa papel
muna. Saka para wala ring bawian."\par
"Fine," sabi ni Ria, sabay kuha nung papel. She started writing on the paper wit
h a bit of a smile on her face.\par
\par
Hmm. Ano kayang magandang gawin kapag nanalo ako?\par
This better be good. Wala daw urungan e. Kailangan, samantalahin\par
\par
AHAH!\par
\par
\par
I handed the piece of paper to Maffy.\par
\par
"Ok. Ganito gagawin natin. Bibigyan namin kayo ng 5 minutes for an Extremely Dif
ficult Level na puzzle. Iisang puzzle lang ang isosolve niyo. Ang may pinakamara
ming squares na ma fill up, mananalo. Ano, game?"\par
\par
"Teka, paano namin masosolve ang iisang puzzle lang? E isang kopya lang to?"\par
\par
"Easy ka lang, cuz. Tig-isa kami ni Maffy ng Sudoku Book na yan."\par
\par
Tsk. Ayos. Goodluck naman.\par
\par
"So ano? Start na?"\par
\par
"Ready."\par
\par
"Time... starts... NOW!" sabi ni Jon sabay pindot sa stopwatch.\par
\par
GULP.\par
Mapapasubo nga yata ako ah. Ang hirap nga nito\par
Beside me, Ria had already written something on her puzzle.\par
I tried not to get distracted.\par
\par
Slowly, surely, inisa-isa ko yung mga squares na sigurado na ko. Putek, matatapo
s ko kaya to? Takte.\par
Sana lang hindi ganun ka-brutal yung ginawa ni Ria na consequence para saken.\pa
r
Takte talaga, ang dami pa...\par
Tumingin ako sa relo ko. Two minutes na lang...\par
\par
"YES!" sigaw ni Ria sa tabi ko.\par
\par
GAH. Tsk. Mukhang mapapasubo nga ako. I watched her as she handed her puzzle to
Maffy. Since tapos na siya, there was no point to continue solving mine. Inabot
ko na rin kay Maffy yung akin.\par
\par
Maffy checked our puzzles. Naghintay na lang ako na kunin niya yung papel na ina
bot namin kanina.\par
\par
"Ok... sabi mo ha, walang urungan," sabi ni Ria.\par
"Hang on," sabi ni Maffy. Napatingin kami sa kanya.\par
"I won, didn't I?"\par
"Ria, doble ang number 7 mo sa 3rd row."\par
\par

Ha? Ano daw?\par

Nagbago yung expression sa mukha ni Ria.\par
\par
"WEH?" sabi niya, sabay kuha nung hawak ni Maffy. Her smirk changed into a look
of pure horror.\par
"Sh.t. Oo nga," sabi niya.\par
\par
Could this mean..?\par
\par
"Shoot, pare. Ikaw lang pala makakatalo dito ke insan "\par
\par
HA! I won!\par
\par
"O, bubuksan ko na yung mga papel ha. Tingnan muna natin kung ano yung nalusutan
ni Gelo..."\par
Binuksan niya yung paper.\par
\par
"If I win, Gelo would have to be my slave for three whole school days."\par
\par
Whoa, it's not that bad after all. It would be fun to be with her all day\par
\par
"Before you read that... Uulitin ko lang. Walang urungan."\par
\par
Ria looked like she wanted to strangle me. Nginitian ko lang siya. Haha, how did
I get so lucky? And she CAN'T back out. I couldn't believe my luck.\par
\par
"If I win, Ria has to marry me."\par
\par
"What?!"\par
\par
"Joke lang cuz, di pa ko tapos. 'If I win, Ria has to marry me sa marriage booth
."\par
\par
Ria:\par
Me:\par
\par
I could understand why she was looking so angry. Every couple who would 'get hit
ched' at the booth would have to kiss. Hah.\par
\par
"Why? Chickening out?" I asked, taunting her.\par
\par
"Who said I'm backing out?" she asked indignantly. She looked VERY upset.\par
\par
"So you're going to do it?"\par
\par
"Of course I am."\par
\par
YES! Haha!\par
\par
"So ano pang hinihintay natin? Tara."\par
"Fine, But take this," she said, shoving something into my hand and furiously wa
lking away. I looked at it.\par
\par
MENTOS?!\par
\par
"Hoy! Di ako bad breath!" sabi ko sabay habol.\par
________________________________________\par
\par
"I am SO going to get back at you."\par
"Take your time, Ria, I will be waiting," I told her, offering her my arm. Perch

ed atop her head was the makeshift veil provided by the booth, and I couldn't he
lp but feel great. It's close to the real thing, man.\par
\par
"Galing mo rin e. Chansing rin nga naman, no?" she hissed at me as she took my a
rm.\par
"You're not going to talk me out of this, Ria. And besides, wala naman malisya y
un. Every other, erhm, couple who went to this booth on a whim HAD to kiss. Kahi
t nga yung napagtripang dalawang lalake sa 3rd year kanina e. Brokeback, grabe."
\par
\par
Haha, kahit anong explanation ang gawin ko, bwisit na bwisit pa rin si kurdapya.
But oh well, she PROMISED.\par
Pero wag ka, kahit ako, nervous. I just don't let it show.\par
\par
Taga-kabilang section yung naging 'pari' namin. Nakakatawa. Konti lang naman yun
g nanonood, sina Zoe, Elle, saka sina Jon at Maffy.\par
\par
"Ahem, ahem. Do you, Angelo, take Adrianna as your lawfully wedded wife, in sick
ness and in health, for richer, for poorer, till death do you part?"\par
"I DO!" sabi ko ng malakas. I smiled at Ria, tapos inirapan niya ako.\par
\par
"Do you, Adrianna, take Angelo as-..."\par
"Oo na, I do, just get this over with!"\par
\par
\par
\par
"If that is the case, suot niyo na yang rings..." sabi nung 'pari', who was figh
ting to restrain himself from laughing sa attitude ni Ria. Kahit sina Elle tawa
rin ng tawa.\par
\par
Sinuot na namin yung mga rings, mga mumurahin lang naman na mood rings, parehong
color midnight blue. Haha, ayos talaga to! Di ko na to huhubarin\par
\par
"Great. I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride!"\par
\par
And then everything fell quiet.\par
\par
I looked at Ria, who was staring everywhere but at me.\par
\par
I got troubled. Am I really going to kiss her against her will? Di ba parang wal
a akong respeto sa kanya nun?\par
And besides. That's called taking advantage.\par
\par
"You know what," I whispered so that only she will hear, "I was kidding. You don
't have to do this."\par
\par
She looked at me, her expression infathomable.\par
\par
"But... diba? Walang urungan?"\par
"Ano ka ba. Edi pag nilagay ko dun sa papel na gusto ko tatalon ka sa bangin pag
nanalo ako, tatalon ka nga? Ano ka, sira?"\par
\par
She laughed.\par
\par
"Wow. You're such a gentleman."\par
"Alam ko. Sabihin ko na sa kanila. Naghihintay ang mga kumag e."\par
"Wait. Lapit ka dito, may ibubulong ako sayo."\par
\par
Tumungo naman ako para pakinggan kung ano yung ibubulong niya saken.\par
\par

I waited for the sound of her voice in my ears, but something else, something mu
ch better that I didn't really expect, came along.\par
\par
She kissed me on the cheek.\par
\par
Chapter Thirty Eight\par
\par
Lance's POV:\par
\par
"Are you kidding? I didn't tell anyone. You told me not to, diba?"\par
\par
I let out a sigh of relief.\par
\par
"Great. You know what, these are nice. Sino kumuha nito?"\par
"Sino pa, edi yung photographer nung booth. Si Gelo."\par
"Ah? Yung mestisong bangus?" I said, and Zoe let out a snigger. "Close ba sila?
Ang ganda ng ngiti niya dito sa pics e."\par
"Well I'll say they're pretty close. More than close, I dunno."\par
"What do you mean?"\par
"Matagal nang may rumors about them."\par
\par
Ano ba yan. Lahat na lang ba ng girls na type ko kailangan may kung anong koneks
yon dun sa bangus na yun?\par
\par
"Ah, ok. Basta, I don't want anyone to know about this, Zoe."\par
"Bakit? Worried that Rish might find out?"\par
\par
Ang usisero naman nito o. Feeling close.\par
\par
"Come on, Lance. She doesn't bother hiding her, um, close connection with Gelo e
ither... So why not do the same thing?"\par
"Siraulo ka ba?"\par
"Ok, sorry. But really, ano naman kung crush mo si Ria, diba? Keeping four or fi
ve pictures of her won't really be an issue."\par
\par
Yea right. Ngayon pa nga lang, siya na yung gumagawa ng issue e... how much more
kung makarating sa mga kapwa niya chismosa doon?\par
\par
"Hello? Lance? Still there?"\par
"Yea, sorry, I'm driving. You know what, Zoe... never mind. Just forget that I p
aid you guys to take her pictures, ok? I funded your booth, that should be enoug
h."\par
"Wow, ang yabang ng dating mo. Feeling mo naman, by 250 pesos... kung magsalita
ka parang nabili mo na ko," she said with an awful sardonic tone.\par
"I'm not saying na nabili na kita. I'm just reminding you that keeping your mout
h shut is a part of the agreement."\par
"Fine. But honestly-..."\par
\par
A strange voice, which I recognized had belonged to an operator, disrupted our c
ellphone conversation. It was making me aware of an incoming call.\par
\par
"Zoe, there's an important call waiting on my other line. I'll call you again la
ter," I said, then I hung up without waiting for her answer.\par
"Hello?"\par
"Lance? Hijo?"\par
"Yes? Tita Marj?" It was my agent slash manager.\par
"Hijo, I just want to remind you, you've got a shoot later for a spread in this
teen magazine."\par
"Tita, are you kidding? It's a Saturday," I told her exasperatedly.\par
"I know. But it was re-scheduled... hijo, you know how I worked hard to get this

spread for you, diba?"\par

"But wait, didn't you say I've got other spreads in other mags? Why should I bot
her attending a shoot for a teen magazine?"\par
"Don't act like you're being insulted or something. Teen Magazine Sales have con
stantly been on the rise. And that means you'll be getting more exposure."\par
"Like I still need that. I've been getting quarterly offers from Benetton to do
ramp in Paris, and you're still insisting I need more exposure?"\par
"Yes, hijo, there's never enough exposure for models like you. Sabi nga nila, st
rike while the iron is hot."\par
"But Tita, what about my Acads? Soccer, my Art Gallery, the three books I wrote?
You never promote them as much as you try to sell me."\par
"Do I still have to promote your books? They're constantly on top of the bestsel
ler list, not just here but abroad too! Seventeen weeks ka nang nasa taas ng bes
tseller list ng PowerBooks. Which reminds me..."\par
"Ano na naman po?"\par
"Time Warner has called me. They want to purchase a copyright for your three boo
ks."\par
"WHAT?!"\par
"Yes, hijo, I think they'll be turning it into a movie!"\par
"Tell them I said no."\par
\par
The other line went silent. I prepared for the explosion.\par
\par
"No? But hijo, they're offering-..."\par
"I don't care how much more they're offering. I don't need the money, and you kn
ow that."\par
"Alam ko hijo, but come to think of it! Your story on the bigscreen!"\par
"And what? Wait for them to ruin my plot and characters, just like how they did
in commercializing Harry Potter? No, thanks."\par
"But Lance-..."\par
"It's a no, Tita, and that's quite final."\par
\par
Nanahimik ulit.\par
\par
"Fine. Just get your butt in the studio before 3 o clock this afternoon."\par
"I'll be there, Tita, thanks."\par
\par
I hung up, stepped on the gas, and then, it happened.\par
A loud, rude sound went off somewhere in the distance, much like air being force
d out of the balloon. The moment I felt na tumabingi yung kotse ko, I knew there
was something wrong.\par
\par
I got out of my car and cursed aloud.\par
Of all the things that could have caught up with me in a highway, it had to be a
flat tire. Fortunately, I was driving in the rightmost part of the road so wala
naman akong naistorbo, pero hindi lang yun yung problema e.\par
\par
Hindi ako marunong magpalit ng gulong.\par
\par
Well I could always call the driver. But then...\par
\par
My thoughts were interrupted as I saw a platinum gray Mazda 3 pull over. Teka. K
ilala ko tong kotseng to ah?\par
\par
\par
\par
Natulala ako. I wasn't even able to mutter a single stinking word as she got out
of the car and approached me.\par
\par
"Need help?"\par

\par
\par
\par
I just went on staring at her. She must be thinking I'm a weirdo right now.\par
Damn. I've never been like this to a girl before. Why am I so nervous?\par
Whatever happened to the cocky, smart and smooth-talking guy that I once was?\pa
r
\par
"Hello? Yoohoo? Lance?" she said, waving a hand in my face.\par
"Yea. Oh, yeah, sorry. I'm- yeah I think I really do need some help right now."\
par
"Got a spare tire?"\par
"Oo naman."\par
"But let me guess. Hindi ka marunong magpalit ng gulong, am I right?"\par
\par
Langya o. Mang-aasar pa.\par
Damn. That's so fcking irresistible.\par
\par
"Asan toolbox mo?" she asked. Kinuha ko sa compartment yung toolbox pati yung ja
ck. Namilit pa nga siyang magbuhat nung gulong pero syempre, hindi ako pumayag.
Siya na nga yung magpapalit ng gulong, tapos hahayaan ko pang siya magbuhat? Di
ba sobrang un-manly naman nun?\par
\par
I watched her as she fixed everything up. Syempre pag may maitutulong ako, ginag
awa ko naman. Nakaka-insulto nga e, kasi taga-abot lang ako nung mga tools, pero
kung tutuusin ako yung dapat na nakakaalam nun. Grabe, parang taga-talyer, sana
y na sanay ata. She was a natural.\par
\par
And I once thought she was just another pretty face.\par
\par
It took her just fifteen minutes to fix the busted tire. Wala siyang ka-arte art
e. Kahit madumi na yung kamay niya saka may kung anong kulay itim pa sa ilong ni
ya na nanggaling pa yata sa tools na hinawakan niya kanina, parang wala lang sa
kanya. I discreetly stared at her as she put the tools back in the box.\par
\par
"O ayan, ayos na."\par
"Thanks."\par
"D'you have a hand sanitizer or something? Ang dulas ng kamay ko e. Baka mabitaw
an ko yung manibela mamaya."\par
\par
Balik naman ako sa kotse para ibigay sa kanya yung sanitizer.\par
\par
"Salamat..." sabi niya, sabay lagay ng sanitizer sa kamay. "Siguro naman, bayad
na ko sa utang ko sayo."\par
"Utang?"\par
"Diba? Sinisingil mo ko dati dahil sa mga gasgas sa kotse mo?"\par
\par
Nako, ano ba to, pati yun naaalala niya pa. Nakakahiya.\par
Talk about a spanking payback. Was she trying to get even?\par
But oh well. She's a fat lot of help.\par
\par
"Ah, wala. Kalimutan mo na yun."\par
"Great. We're square."\par
\par
Oops. Dead air. Bakit wala akong maisip sabihin? Nakakainis!\par
\par
"O sige ha, hinihintay na ko ni Maffy," she said, handing me the bottle of sanit
izer.\par
"Hey wait-..."\par
"Yea?" she asked, turning to face me.\par

\par
Ano? Yayain ko ba kumain?\par
Pero diba obvious?\par
Teka, kakain lang naman e. Kahit sino naman pwede ko ilibre.\par
Pero hindi naman lahat ng babae sa school nililibre ko...\par
HAY EWAN, bahala na si batman!\par
\par
"Gusto mo maglunch? Libre ko."\par
\par
Putek, I could feel my cheeks burning.\par
\par
"Lunch? Alas onse pa lang."\par
"What about coffee?" I asked, not wanting to give up so easily. She raised a bro
w at me. Shoot. Nakakahalata na yata siya.\par
"Wala lang. Eh- just... you know. You did help me out of a tight spot..." I said
, my voice trailing off. Was it just me, or did I really sound so pathetic?\par
Oh well. Making excuses was never my forte.\par
\par
"You know what, I appreciate it, but... I dunno, maybe next time? Hinihintay na
talaga ako ni Maffy," she told me, looking uncomfortable.\par
\par
I got the impression that she was just trying to be polite. The 'next time' line
is a classic method of rejection.\par
\par
"Oh, okay then. Thanks ulit."\par
"Sure. Don't mention it."\par
"So, see you at school?"\par
"Oo naman, pakalat kalat lang naman ako dun. Sige ha," she said, tapos sumakay n
a siya sa kotse niya at umalis.\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
Good golly. Did Lance Del Rosario just ask me out?\par
Oh wait. Del Rosario nga ba apelyido nun? Ay hindi... teka... De Los Reyes. Hind
i, teka lang ulit... di ba De Rivera? Ano nga ba?\par
Ay ewan. Basta si Intsik Behong mahangin at Signal Number Four na Lance.\par
\par
Haha, shungak. Bakit naman ako aayain nun na mag-date? May girlfriend yun e. Sig
uro, he's just trying to get even kay Rish, at kaya ako yung pinagti-tripan niya
dahil ako yung nalilink kay Gelo.\par
\par
Ok WTF, saan galing yun?\par
Nalilink? Haha. Kapal ng mukha ko.\par
But the mere thought na nalilink ako kay Gelo makes me blush. Hah, I could feel
my cheeks reddening at this very moment.\par
Iniisip niya rin kaya ako ngayon?\par
Wah. Wag ka nga mag daydream Ria! Nagda-drive ka e! Maaksidente ka pa ng di oras
!\par
Sana pala si Gelo na lang yung naabutan kong naflatan ng gulong sa highway.\par
________________________________________\par
\par
"Hay sa wakas, dumating ka rin! What took you so long?"\par
"May naflatan ng gulong e. Tumulong ako, kawawa naman."\par
"Naflatan? Sino? Kakilala natin?"\par
"Si Intsik Beho."\par
"Ah, si Lance?" asked Maffy, laughing. "Ang yabang saka ang chickboy ng dating t
as di marunong magpalit ng gulong?!"\par
"I know right. Tsaka may sarili yatang talyer yun sa bahay kaya walang ka-alam a
lam."\par
"Ay ewan. Kasama ko nga pala Daddy mo. May bibilhin din daw kasi."\par

"Ayos! Di mababawasan pera ko "\par

\par
Ayun namili na kami ni Maffy sa National Bookstore ng mga materials na kailangan
sa scrapbook sa Fil, pati na rin sa decorations para sa Christmas party. Kasi p
ost test and periodicals week na sa susunod, wala na kaming time. Musta naman di
ba?\par
\par
"Aray... ARAY! Tama na po... please!"\par
\par
Teka... parang kilala ko yung boses na yun a?\par
Sabay kaming tumingin ni Maffy sa likod namin, and I must say that we weren't ex
actly ready for what we saw next.\par
\par
Lance was approaching us.\par
Well, more like being pulled towards us by the ear. And of all people who should
be holding him, it had to be my Dad.\par
\par
"Dad! What do you think you're doing?!"\par
"Ria, do you actually know this guy?"\par
"Yes, ka-batch namin siya-..."\par
\par
"Excuse me, sir, can you please let my friend go?"\par
\par
Shyet. At nandoon pa pala si Rish.\par
\par
"Magkasama kayo?" my Dad asked, sabay bitaw kay Lance. The latter massaged his e
ar, looking at the floor.\par
"Hindi po-..."\par
"What did he do, Dad?" I said, cutting her off.\par
"Well, kanina ko pa nakita... he was following you."\par
"He was WHAT?" sabi naming sabay ni Rish.\par
"I'm sorry. I- I really gotta go now," sabi ni Lance, sabay alis.\par
"Tamo yung batang yun, bastos."\par
"Sorry Sir, please excuse us."\par
________________________________________\par
\par
Irish's POV:\par
\par
What the heck.\par
Ang sabi niya saken kanina papunta siya ng Ortigas para sa shoot, tapos ngayon m
ahuhuli ko siya dito sa mall?\par
\par
Ok lang sana yung magsinungaling siya kung nasaan siya diba? Pero yung nagsinung
aling na nga tapos may sinusundan pang iba...\par
\par
Ibang usapan na to.\par
\par
"Lance! LANCE!"\par
"What do you want?" he hollered at me. He stopped walking and waited for me to a
pproach him. Gusto ko siyang suntukin. At tinatanong pa kung ano ang gusto ko?!\
par
\par
"I believe you owe me an explanation."\par
"Oh do I?" he asked sardonically. "Well, hindi pwede ngayon e, bukas na lang."\p
ar
"Wag ka ngang bastos!"\par
"I have a 3 o clock appointment sa Ortigas. I can't afford to be late."\par
"Oh yeah? Kaya pala kahit alas dos na e nandito ka pa sa Alabang at sumusunod ka
y Ria."\par
"Get your nose out of it, Rish!"\par

"Tang ina naman Lance! Ano bang gusto mo, ha?"\par

\par
He threw me a piercing stare.\par
\par
"Alam mo, ang gulo mo. Ikaw yung nagtataboy saken. You kept ditching me for Gelo
. Don't you think it's a bit too stupid of me to keep hanging around and waiting
for you? Well if you're tired of me, guess what, ako rin! I knew this had been
wrong from the very beginning-..."\par
"Talaga? E bakit pumayag ka pa ring maging tayo kahit ako yung nanligaw? Bakit s
umasama ka pa rin saken kahit iniisip mong mali?!"\par
Because I fooled myself into thinking that I liked you too."\par
\par
I felt like I was punched in the stomach. So all this time-?!\par
\par
"Fooled?" I repeated stupidly, staring at him. I felt my eyes burning, but I hel
d my tears back. He might just be saying them out of anger. I waited for him to
take those words back.\par
\par
We stared at each other, speechless. He looked shocked by his own words.\par
A tear ran down my cheek. Suddenly, I was finding it hard to breathe.\par
\par
"Take that back," I told him. My lungs were increasingly becoming constricted.\p
ar
\par
"I SAID TAKE IT BACK, YOU BASTARD!" I yelled, grabbing his shirt.\par
\par
Suddenly, everything was spinning. Lance's face swam in and out of focus. He was
saying something, but I couldn't hear a word. I held on more tightly to him as
my knees gave way.\par
\par
Next thing I know, I was falling into an endless, swirling black mist...\par
\par
Chapter Thirty Nine\par
\par
Rish's POV:\par
\par
I tried to open my eyes, but the lights were too bright. Too white.\par
Putek. Ang sakit sa mata.\par
When I finally opened them by a fraction of an inch, nakita ko si Lance na nakas
ubsob sa may kama ko.\par
\par
Magkahalong revulsion at pagka-touch yung naramdaman ko.\par
\par
Naiinis talaga ako sa kanya. After what he told me, eto siya at nagbabantay sake
n?!\par
Masakit yung sinabi niya ha.\par
\par
He stirred. I was planning to feign sleep but then nakita niya na e. No point do
ing it anymore I guess.\par
With his hair ruffled, his clothes disheveled, I got the idea na kanina pa siya
dito.\par
\par
"Andito na rin si Tita. Bumibili lang ng pagkain mo," he said, fixing a dead sta
re on me. I averted my eyes and tried to stare at the ceiling. I did not want to
meet his eye.\par
"Ano ba?!" I shot at him. I hate being stared at. The expression on his face was
just-- oh damn it. Does he know already?\par
\par
"Mother fcking Aplastic Anemia," he spat, as though he had heard me ask. "Tell m
e, what else do I have to know about you?"\par

"I don't think I would be able to tell you more. Sa tono ng boses mo, palagay ko
naman e marami rami ka nang alam. What else did my mother tell you?"\par
"Things you thought were too important for me to know."\par
\par
I looked him in the eye. Alam kong ayaw niyang mahalata ko pero nakikita kong ma
laki ang tampo niya sakin dahil nga hindi ko sinabi.\par
Pero bakit pa siya nagtatampo? Diba sabi niya kanina hindi naman totoong gusto n
iya ako? Wala na siya dapat pakialam diba?\par
\par
"Buti pa nga mommy mo e. Kahit papano, naisip niyang may karapatan din pala akon
g malaman yun..."\par
"I was going to tell you..."\par
"Kelan pa, ha? Pag nasa deathbed ka na?" he said with a bitter laugh.\par
"Ayokong maawa ka saken."\par
"Ayan! Ayos ah! Ganyan ba talaga kayo? Wala nang pakialam sa mga taong nasa pali
gid? Walang ibang iniisip kungdi yung takot niyong kaawaan kayo? Rish, get a fck
ing grip!"\par
\par
Nagulat ako. Bakit siya ganito kung magsalita?\par
\par
"Lance--..."\par
"Para ka kasing ewan e! Parang... para kang yung mommy ko... "\par
\par
\par
Huh?
Nanay niya?\par
Wala na siyang nanay diba?\par
Malalaman ko na ba kung ano yung matagal na niyang iniiwas na pag-usapan?\par
Pinaalala ko ba sa kanya yung pinagdaanan ng mommy niya?\par
"She was like that too. Matigas ulo. She never listened to me."
Napatitig ako sa kanya. He had this weird, dreamy expression that I've never see
n before.
"Nung nalaman niyang maysakit siya, pinilit niyang itago. Bago ko nalaman, malal
a na. It was too late. Wala nang cure. I was nine."\par
\par
He buried his face in his hands.\par
\par
"I wanted to be there for her, I wanted to make her feel how much I care bago si
ya-- alam mo na. Pero alam mo kung anong ginawa niya? Tinaboy niya ako. Sabi niy
a ayaw niya akong makita dahil alam niyang naaawa lang ako sa kanya. She always
said na walang dahilan para lubusin ko ang oras na kasama siya dahil marami pa d
aw naman siyang oras."\par
\par
He ran a hand through his hair.\par
Oh my gosh. Was he crying?\par
\par
"And you know what I did? I believed her. Naniwala akong may oras pa kaya sinuno
d ko yung gusto niya. Tapos--..."\par
\par
Once more, he stared at the ceiling, as though searching for consolation. Hinawa
kan ko yung kamay niya. Mahigpit.\par
Now I know kung bakit may pakialam na siya ngayon. He did not want history to re
peat itself.\par
\par
"I'm sorry I had to remind you all that..."\par
"I only have one favor to ask of you, Rish. Wag mong pabayaang maulit saken yun.
Ayokong mawala ka. Ayokong iwan mo ko... kaya sana wag mo kong itaboy. Rish...
yung sinabi ko kanina, wala yun. Nasabi ko lang yun dahil galit ako. Rish wag mo
kong iwan..."\par
\par

And without warning, he rushed and put his arms around me.\par
\par
"Wag mo kong iwan..."\par
"Hindi kita iiwan. Hindi. I promise." I told him. He hugged me more tightly.\par
"I don't know if I ever told you... Rish...
mahal kita."
Natigilan ako.
Hindi ako makapaniwalang sinabi niya yun. Sa buong buhay ko, ngayon lang ako nas
abihan ng ganun.
And it felt good.
Denise's POV:
The door flew open.
"Bro, peram nga ako ng lapt--..."
Si Kuya Toff pala. Napatingin siya saken wearing the familiar look of disgust he
has whenever he sees me.
His eyes moved from my face to the laptop I was holding.
"Ah. May gumagamit pala. Sige salamat na lang." sabi niya sabay bagsak ng pinto.
Andito nga pala ako sa bahay nina Liam. Gumagawa kami ng written output para sa
group report namin sa Stat subject. Actually, kagrupo din namin dun sina Elle at
Ria, but both weren't here yet. Si Ria, bumibili ng gagamitin naming photo pape
r, bond paper, saka clear book. Si Elle... haha. alam na. Pero sabi niya pupunta
siya.
Fine. Kung hindi pumunta okay lang, kung pumunta, salamat.
Maya-maya may nagdoorbell.
"O, sila na siguro yan."\
Tinakbo ni Liam yung pagbukas ng pinto. Sus, talagang nagpapakamatay sa pagtakbo
, makita lang si Ria agad.
In seconds, nakita ko na sila na hawak yung mga plastik ng National Book store.
"O, 1:30 na ah. diba usapan natin 1:29?" I asked jokingly.
"Hay naku, wag niyo nang itanong, long story."\
"Ok."
"Di mo ba kasama si Elle?"
"Hindi noh. Si Maffy yung kasama ko."
"Sana pinasama mo rito."\
"Hindi naman pwede. May kagrup din yun e."
"Sige, edi ayain natin pagkatapos magpizza. Pati si Jon."\par
"Ano ba to. Puro gala pinag-uusapan natin. Eh kung sinisimulan na kaya natin to
para maaga tayo matapos."\par
"Ang KJ mo talaga tunyang."\par
\par
Napatingin saken si Ria, tapos ngumiti na parang nanunukso.\par
\par
"Tunyang daw o..."\par
\par
Sh.t. I could feel my cheeks burning.\par
\par
"Sus, e ano naman kung tawagin ko siyang tunyang. Ikaw pa rin naman si katuray,"
sabi ni Liam sabay kurot kay Ria. "Pero kasi ang naririnig ko mas gusto mo na d
aw ngayon na itawag sayo e KURDAPYA."\par
\par
Hinampas ni Ria si Liam ng sobrang lakas.\par
\par
"Sshh! Chismoso!"\par
\par
"Bakit namumula ka?"\par
\par
"Eh kayo rin ni Denise e! O meron kayong di sinasabi noh? Ano Den? Diba?"\par
\par
"Weh! Wag ka na nga!"\par
\par

"But you're blushing!"\par

\par
"Shut up Ria!"\par
\par
\par
Tiningnan ko si Liam.\par
Namamalikmata ba ko? O talaga bang namumula rin siya?\par
\par
\par
For the second time, tumunog uli ang doorbell.\par
Patayo na ulit si Liam when Elle came barging into the room, looking extremely t
icked off.\par
\par
\par
I opened my mouth to ask her what was wrong when--\par
"DON'T..." she started, dramatically holding her palm up, facing me. "TALK TO ME
."\par
\par
Nagkatinginan kami ni Ria. Anong toyo na naman kaya yung pumasok sa kokote niton
g baklitang to?\par
\par
\par
"O eto," sabi ni Liam sabay hagis kay Elle ng can ng Coke. "Palamig ka muna."\pa
r
"Thanks," Elle replied, tapos binuksan niya yung can and took a generous gulp.\p
ar
\par
Grabe. Mukhang sanay na sanay tumungga.\par
\par
"Ano ba kasi nangyari?" Ria pressed on, moving closer towards Elle, who put her
can on the low table with more force than she had intended.\par
"Kasi naman eh!" said Elle hysterically. "It was so embarrassing!"\par
\par
Lumapit na rin kami ni Liam.\par
\par
"Ano nga?"\par
\par
"Kasi. May nakita ko kanina sa mall. I recognized him as the guy from DLA na nam
bastos kay Ria dati--..."\par
\par
"Nambastos?!" Ria asked incredulously. Pinanlakihan siya ng mata ni Elle, as tho
ugh reminding her of something. Mukha namang na-gets ni Ria kaya tumango naman s
iya.\par
\par
Ngek, nagkaintindihan na sila nun?\par
\par
"O tapos?"\par
\par
"Ayun. Edi I confronted him and when things got heated, I punched him in the nos
e."\par
\par
"YOU WHAT?!" sabi naming tatlo nang sabay sabay.\par
\par
"Teka, wag muna kayong magreact. Di pa doon natapos yun," she said miserably. "T
urns out, I had punched the wrong person."\par
\par
"Ha?"\par
\par
"Eh pano mo naman nalamang hindi pala siya yung akala mo?"\par
\par

"Ayun, dumating si Zoe, inaway ako... bakit ko daw jinombag yung syota niya."\pa
r
"Boyfriend ni Zoe yung sinuntok mo?!" I asked incredulously.\par
\par
"Malay ko ba! Kamukhang-kamukha nung taga DLA e!"\par
\par
"Patay."\par
\par
"Ka-schoolmate ba natin?"\par
\par
"Oo eh. Taga-Sov. Tang*na. Ang tanga tanga ko!"\par
\par
"Ano bang itsura?"\par
\par
"Yung light brown yung mata na mestiso ding may pagkabrown yung buhok..."\par
\par
"Ah! Oo! Kasama yun ni Jon sa team e!"\par
\par
"Grabe ka naman Elle, kung di mo nakilala yun. Nanonood ka ng Soccer diba?"\par
\par
"Tange. Malamang sa team niyo ako nakatingin, hindi sa kanila."\par
\par
"Patay ka sa Lunes."\par
\par
"Oh thanks William, that makes me feel loads better!"\par
\par
\par
Nako. Goodluck nga kay Elle. Maligalig pa naman si Zoe.\par
\par
Chapter Forty\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
"ANAK NG TINAPA!"\par
"Huy!"\par
\par
Aba'y syempre nagulat ako. Ang pagkakaalam ko kasi kanina mag-isa lang ako noh.\
par
\par
"Ano ka ba, ang laki laki ng KEEP QUIET sign sa tabi mo o!"\par
\par
Dyahe naman. Andito kasi ako sa sulok ng Study lounge. Ang sama tuloy ng tingin
saken ng mga taong nag-aaral sa paligid.\par
\par
"Grabe ka naman magreview. Binili mo talaga yung pinagbebentang sample exam ng m
ath club? Eh ang mahal mahal..."\par
\par
"Para singkwenta pesos lang, namamahalan ka na? Ang kuripot mo talaga e no? E te
ka, ano yang hawak mo? Diba samplex din yan?"\par
\par
"Oo. Pina-photocopy ko yung kay Liam. "\par
\par
"Ang daya nito!"\par
\par
"Hindi ako madaya. Ang tawag dun WAIS."\par
\par
"Tss. Ewan ko sayo. Teka, ano sagot sa number four sa trigo identities?"\par
\par
"O, ang daya ni kurdapya o, mangongopya."\par
\par

"Dali na!"\par
\par
"Sige na nga. Malakas ka saken eh "\par
\par
\par
At ayun, binigay niya saken yung solution paper niya.\par
Anak ng tinapa. Ganun lang pala yun. TSSS. Ang galing niya naman.\par
\par
"Hmp. Mas magaling na pala ko sayo ngayon, dati ako pa tinuturuan mo nyan."\par
"Sige mang-asar ka pa. Sa susunod di na kita tuturuan. Kung di ko pa alam kinopy
a mo rin lang to kay Liam."\par
"Oh sige tama yan. Total si LIAM lang naman yung laging magaling e."\par
\par
ASUS. Tampururut!\par
\par
"Wala kong sinabing ganon. Ang yabang mo kasi. O ayan na yang solution mo, SALAM
AT HA!"\par
"To talagang si kurdapya o. Wag ka na magalit. Sige ka lalong lalapad yang noo m
o," sabi niya, sabay turo sa noo ko. "Bakit di mo itry magpalagay ng bangs? Mala
y mo mabawasan yan. At least di ka na mukhang blackboard!"\par
\par
Hinampas ko nga.\par
\par
"Hoy! Sobra ka na ah!"\par
"O, sabi ko wag pikon!"\par
"Sino kaya satin pikon?"\par
"O, teka ba't ang laki ng eyebag mo? Puyat ka ba?"\par
\par
Uuuuuy. Biglang seryoso. CONCERNED ang kumag.\par
\par
"Syempre. Physics kasi yung nung isang araw. Tapos Econ pa kahapon."\par
"Karir naman kasi. O eto."\par
"Ano yan?"\par
"Chocolate. Wala akong dalang kape e," sabi niya, sabay kamot ng ulo. Inaabot ni
ya saken yung chocolate.\par
\par
AWW. How sweet Talagang Hershey's with almonds pa. Peboritsss ko to\par
\par
"E diba mahal to?" tanong ko pagkakuha ko nung chocolate. "Baka naubos na lahat
nung wallet mo dito ha?"\par
"Ang yabang mo! Akin na nga yan!" sabi niya sabay hablot nung hawak ko.\par
"HUY! Sorry na o!"\par
"Hinde, ayaw mo e!" sabi niya habang tinataas niya yung chocolate na pinipilit k
ong abutin.\par
\par
Haha ang sweet namin *ROFL kilig*\par
\par
Suddenly, someone came out of nowhere, tapos doon nag-crouch sa likod naming dal
awa. Akala mo sundalong nakahanap ng pader na pagtataguan sa giyera. Dun pa naka
hawak sa balikat namin ni Gelo.\par
\par
ISTORBO\par
\par
\par
"Hoy Elle, ano na naman yang trip mo ha?"\par
\par
"Sshh! Wag mo ko kausapin. Itago niyo ko!"\par
\par
"Bakit? Ano ba pinagtataguan mo?"\par
\par

"Ayan o! Sina Zoe!"\par

\par
"E ano naman?"\par
\par
"Shungak! Aawayin na naman ako nyan! Ayun o, kasama niya si Aidan..."\par
\par
\par
Totoo nga naman. Simula nung binalita samin ni Elle na nasuntok niya si Aidan sa
mall, lagi na siyang inaaway ni Zoe tuwing magkikita sila. Grabe nga si Zoe e.
Ni hindi na sumasama sa amin. Obsessed na obsessed na yata sa papa niya. Well, g
wapo nga naman. Mukhang mabait pa at spoiled na spoiled siya nun. Kahit anong ut
os yata ni Zoe sinusunod e.\par
\par
Pero mukha namang hindi talaga galit si Aidan kay Elle. Magha-hi nga sana si Aid
an nung nagkita-kita kami nung isang araw kaso kumaripas na agad ng takbo si Ell
e kasi akala niya aawayin siya.\par
\par
"Bakit ka pa ba nagtatago? Nung isang linggo pa yun. Saka hindi naman daw galit
si Aidan sayo."\par
"Eh nahihiya kasi ako sa kanya e. Tamo, kahit isang linggo na, hindi pa rin nawa
wala yung pasa niya sa mukha... Naku ayan na sila!" sabi niya, sabay yuko.\par
\par
Napatingin na lang kami ni Gelo kina Zoe. Grabe naman tong babaeng to kung makak
apit kay Aidan o.\par
\par
Biglang napatingin din sa amin si Zoe. Her smile quickly faded.\par
\par
"What're you looking at?" she shot at us. Gelo and I simply shrugged and pretend
ed to go back to our notes.\par
\par
"Ang sungit," Gelo whispered. Nung tiningnan namin ulit sila, nginitian na lang
kami ni Aidan. Yung ngiting parang napahiya at nagsosorry, tapos umalis na sila.
\par
\par
"O? Andyan pa?" Elle said from below.\par
"Wala na. Lumabas ka na dyan."\par
"Sigurado ka ha?"\par
"Oo nga! Kasi naman e!"\par
"Hay jusko. Salamat. Anyway, ano ba yung pinag-aawayan niyo kanina?"\par
"Eto kasi e."\par
"Ano nga?"\par
"Ayun. Binigyan ako ng chocolate tas binawi."\par
"Chocolate? Uuuuuy..." Elle said with a naughty smile. "Gelo ha. Smooth ka talag
a! Huy. Huy! Gelo!"\par
\par
O ano nangyari dito? Bigla yata natulala?\par
Napatingin din tuloy ako sa direction ng tinitingnan niya.\par
\par
May isa pa palang couple na pumasok sa lounge. Ang sweet nila. Parang bagong kas
al.\par
Pero bakit doon nakatingin si Gelo?\par
\par
Kina Lance at Rish?\par
\par
"HUY! Ano ba!"\par
"Ha? Ano ba yun?"\par
"Sabi ko ang smooth mo. Pa chocolate chocolate ka na ngayon! Bakit ako dati di m
o binibigyan?"\par
"Syempre. Mas labs ko naman tong si Kurdapya kaysa sayo," sabi niya, sabay kurot
sa pisngi ko. "O ayan na chocolate mo."\par

"Hindi. Sige sayo na."\par

"Ang labo mo! Eto na nga kasi, Binibiro lang kita e."\par
"Ayaw mo ibigay diba? Ayan na! Sige! Isaksak mo sa baga mo!" sabi ko, tapos sina
laksak ko sa bibig niya yung chocolate.\par
\par
HMPH. Buti nga.\par
\par
Gelo's POV:\par
\par
"Ayan, ikaw kasi e!"\par
\par
*COUGH COUGH*\par
\par
"Huy! Ok ka lang?"\par
\par
Hinila ko yung isang buong chocolate na may balot pa mula sa bibig ko.\par
\par
"Salamat sa tulong mo ha? Kahit nabubulunan na ko e kung ano ano pa sinasabi mo!
"\par
"Shungak shungak ka rin kasi!"\par
"Ano na naman ginawa ko?!"\par
"Kung saan saan ka kasi tumitingin! Hay ewan ko sayo! Ria! RIAAAAA! Hintayin mo
ko!"\par
\par
At ayun na iniwan na rin ako.\par
\par
Ano ba naman itong si Kurdapya! Ang ganda ganda ng mood kanina e! Ano na naman k
ayang ginawa ko?\par
O tamo, pati reviewer niya naiwan... ano ba nangyari dun?\par
\par
Pinuntahan ko siya at dun ko na siya nakita sa classroom. Dumating na yung proct
or namin kaya di ko na siya nakausap.\par
\par
Nakaw ako nang nakaw ng tingin sa kanya habang nag-eexam. Di ko talaga siya main
tindihan. Ugaling-ugali niya yun! Bigla na lang magagalit.\par
\par
Kakainis naman eh! May monthly visitor siguro yun!\par
\par
Ayan tuloy, kakatingin ko sa kanya hindi ko natapos yung exam.\par
Naku naman. Isang number na lang e!\par
Kaso five points naman yung hindi ko nasagutan. Haynaku kurdapya kasalanan mo ta
laga to!\par
\par
Pagkatapos ng exam, takbo na ulit kami nung ibang decor committee para ayusin yu
ng ni-reserve ng seniors na venue para sa Christmas Party bukas. Syempre, saan p
a kundi sa RAVE, yung tinugtugan namin dati. Dahil alumni naman ng school namin
yung may-ari nun, malaki yung natipid namin dun sa reservation nung venue.\par
\par
Buti na lang, decor committee rin si Ria. Haynaku. Kelangan na namin mag-usap.\p
ar
________________________________________\par
\par
"Hi Kurdapya!!! "\par
"Ay anak ka ng tatay mo!"\par
\par
HAHA!\par
Effective! Gulat na gulat!\par
\par
Naihulog tuloy niya yung hawak niyang Christmas lights.\par
\par

"Ano na naman ba?!"\par

"Pwede ko bang gamitin to?"\par
\par
Tiningnan niya ako ng masama tapos tumingin naman siya dun sa hawak ko.\par
\par
"Ano bang sabi ni Maffy sayo? Diba Japanese Paper? Di ka ba marunong magbasa?! A
YAN O! Basahin mo! JA-PA-NESE PAYY-PER!"\par
\par
Ay anak naman talaga ng-?!\par
Sinasagad talaga ako ah!\par
\par
"Ano ba problema mo?! Nagtatanong lang e!"\par
"Kasi naman! Bakit kelangan mo pang magtanong? E marunong ka namang magbasa diba
?"\par
"Eh kasi PO, doon ko PO nakuha yung Japanese paper sa bag niyo PO. E baka pag ki
nuha ko PO sa bag mo nang hindi PO ako nagpapaalam sayo, eh kung ano pa ang isip
in niyo, diba PO?"\par
\par
She looked like she wanted to kill me.\par
\par
"Fine! Use it all you want then!"\par
"Ano bang pinagsisigawan niyo diyan?!"\par
"WALA!"\par
\par
TSSS. Bahala siya sa buhay niya.\par
\par
\par
Chapter Forty One\par
\par
"Ano ba naman yan bru! Ubos ba itong blush on ko sa kakalagay sa pisngi mo, ang
putla putla mo pa rin?!"\par
\par
"Eh kasi naman noh, di mo naman kelangan damihan! Mamaya magmukhang payaso pa ya
ng si Ria..."\par
\par
"Buti na yung payaso noh, kaysa white lady... gusto mo bang magtakbuhan yung mga
tao palabas?!"\par
\par
Andito kami ngayon nina Elle at Maffy sa backstage ng RAVE. Ongoing na yung Chri
stmas Party namin, tapos kaya kami nandito e ako na yung susunod na magpeperform
. Nag volunteer kasi ako na mag song number.\par
\par
Ahay lechugas naman talaga. Bakit ba naman kasi naisipang magvolunteer? Edi sana
hindi ako mamatay-matay sa kaba ngayon!\par
\par
"Wag ka na kasing kabahan diyan, kitang kita sa balat mo yung kaba mo e."\par
\par
"Paano ba ako hindi kakabahan?! Eh buong batch yung nasa labas!"\par
\par
"Wag mo silang isipin. Ang isipin mo, yung reason kung bakit ka nagvolunteer na
kumanta..."\par
\par
"Onga. Alam mo kasi kung hindi mo gagawin to, hindi pa rin magkaka-idea yung ung
as na yun."\par
\par
"Naku, titingnan ko nga kung asan si Angelo..." Sabi ni Maffy, sabay silip doon
sa labas ng kurtina. "Anak naman ng tinapa. Hindi ko naman makita kung nasaan si
ya..."\par
\par
Hala paano ba to? Sabi pa naman ni Elle importante na siya yung tinitingnan ko h

abang kumakanta ko...\par

\par
Pero grabe ah! Sobrang baduy ng gagawin ko... kung tutuusin, siya yung dapat na
gumagawa nito eh!\par
Aba'y sinuswerte naman talaga ang kumag na yun... biruin mo, ako pa yung maghaha
rana sa kanya... TSS!\par
\par
"O hala bru! Tapos na yung dance number, ikaw na yung sunod... punta ka na dun d
ali!"\par
________________________________________\par
\par
Hay.\par
Batong-bato na ako dito eh. Wala pa naman akong makausap... Di pa ba kami kakain
?\par
\par
Pagkatapos magsi-alis nung mga nag dance number, lumitaw ulit sa stage yung prog
ram host, si Liam.\par
Sana ang sunod niyang sabihin kakain na.\par
\par
"And for our next act, let us welcome, Ria!"\par
\par
Whoa, sino daw?!\par
Si Ria?\par
Si Ria ko?\par
(Ria ko daw o, LOL )\par
\par
Naku, nawala yung gutom ko!\par
There was a polite round of applause (which I enthusiastically joined in), and t
hen, umupo na si Ria dun sa gitna ng stage.\par
\par
Grabe. Ang ganda niya talaga...\par
\par
"So Ria, tell us about your song of choice."\par
\par
"Well it's a country song... di siya gaanong sikat but we chose it kasi it's the
most appropriate."\par
\par
Nakarinig ako ng "Oooooooooooooooooh" mula sa audience.\par
\par
"Appropriate? Are you singing this for one person in particular?"\par
\par
"Well I'm not going to name any names... but this is for someone who's been ther
e for me ever since, kahit super dami ng atraso ko sa kanya. Kahit siguro sundan
niya yung lyrics, mage-gets niyang siya yun..."\par
\par
Napansin kong malikot yung mata ni Ria.\par
Para bang may hinahanap siya. Ano kaya yun?\par
\par
And then, the unthinkable happened.\par
\par
Our eyes met.\par
\par
Since that moment, she didn't take her eyes off me.\par
\par
"So yeah, Mystery Dude. This is for you," she said, as though ako lang talaga yu
ng kausap niya.\par
\par
Nagpalakpakan ulit yung mga nanonood, then nagsimula nang tugtugin ni Ria yung g
itara niya.\par
\par

Click here for Ria's song.\par

\par
Saken pa rin siya tumingin.\par
Para saken kaya yun?\par
Ako ba si Mystery Dude?\par
\par
"Why?\par
Why are you still here with me?\par
Didn't you see what I've done?"\par
________________________________________\par
\par
*Flashback:\par
"D'you honestly think I'm that fcuking gullible? Let me tell you something. If I
wanted to have someone yelling bullcrap at me I would've called you. And yea...
What Liam and I have right now is something very special, and I cherish it beyo
nd all telling. If you think na isang kagaya mo lang ang makakasira nun... Pwes
I'm sorry to disappoint you but it won't. Now if you don't mind, I have a lot of
more important things to be getting on with."*\par
________________________________________\par
\par
"In my shame I want to run... and hide myself, yeah...\par
But it's clear, I see the truth,\par
I don't deserve you..."\par
\par
"But I need you to love me...\par
And I...\par
I won't keep my heart from you this time..."\par
\par
"And I'll stop this pretending\par
that I can\par
somehow deserve what I already have...\par
\par
I need you to love me... yeah..."\par
\par
"I... I have wasted so much time\par
pushing you away from me..."\par
________________________________________\par
\par
*Flashback:\par
"Gelo..." she said, helping me stand up. "Ok ka lang?"\par
"Yeah. I'm ok," I said, looking at her.\par
"Can you do me a favor?" she asked, unable to look me in the eye.\par
"Ano yun?"\par
"Please don't do that again."*\par
________________________________________\par
\par
"I just never saw how you could cherish me...\par
Coz you're someone who has all things...\par
And still you want me..."\par
\par
"Your love makes me forget what I have been...\par
\par
Your love makes me see who I really am...\par
\par
Your love makes me forget what I have been... yea..."\par
________________________________________\par
\par
*Flashback...\par
"Hey, did you just say Liam?" Ria asked thickly, her face changing into a blank
expression. She suddenly stopped flailing, her mouth breaking into a hopeful gri

n.\par
"Is he coming for me?" she asked.\par
\par
SH.T. Di ko na kaya to...\par
\par
"That son of a b.tch. I loved him. And this is what I get," she whispered.\par
"We'll get to him. Let's go home, Ria. PLEASE," I said, pleading.\par
"Sayaw muna tayo," she said, standing up. She swayed left and right, tapos napas
ubsob siya saken. She looked up at me.\par
"Wala na siyang pake saken... he doesn't care at all... But you..." she said, ja
bbing my chest with a finger.\par
"You do care, don't you?" she asked, and I wasn't able to hold back that single
tear that fell down my right cheek. Elle looked at me pityingly.\par
\par
"Yeah, I do, Ria. I care for you." I told her, my voice broken.\par
"Great to hear that," she said, attempting to stand up again. "Oh, teka, before
I forget... What's your name again?"*\par
\par
I knew he was watching.\par
Sana, hindi lang siya basta nanonood...\par
I meant every line in that song.\par
________________________________________\par
\par
"O, sabi mo aayain ako? Wala naman e!"\par
"Easy ka lang, mare, ano ba? Yung iba nga kumakain pa!"\par
"Ay sis, ang atat mo!"\par
"Eh kasi naman noh? Malay ko, baka si Irish na yung kasayaw nun!"\par
"Ano ba, Irish naman ang hirit mo agad?! Eto talaga... Tingin ka doon... ayun o,
wala kang dapat ipag-alala. Magkasayaw sila ni Intsik."\par
\par
Hay naku. Hindi pa rin ako makampante.\par
\par
I stood up.\par
\par
"Huy, saan ka pupunta?"\par
"Pupuntahan ko siya. Diba sabi ni Elle if he doesn't do the asking, ako na lang?
"\par
"Go girl!"\par
"Elle! Ano ba kayo?"\par
"Hayaan mo nga si Ria. Malaki na yan para babyhin mo Ate Maffs. Sige na Ria! Go
for it!"\par
\par
I didn't wait for Maffy to protest any further. Hinanap ko na si kumag sa dance
floor at sa mga tables.\par
Para kong tangang naghahanap ng nawawalang bata. Kung ano ano at kung sino sino
tuloy yung nakikita ko...\par
\par
Interesting as they are, I really couldn't care less.\par
Maybe not until I find what I am looking for.\par
\par
Asus! Ay ayun si kumag! Tapos na palang kumain!\par
Lechugas, dinadaldal pa kasi ni Liam e!\par
\par
Susmaryosep.\par
Ngayon pa ako inabutan ng hiya.\par
Ang lakas ng loob ko pumunta rito tapos ganito. Kainis!\par
\par
Ano na gagawin ko?\par
Naku naman!\par
Hay, makaalis na nga-\par

\par
"Hey, Ria!"\par
\par
O? What's she doing here? Ang bilis ng mata ni Liam ah?\par
Ano yun? Bakit parang hindi siya mapakali?\par
And why do I get the feeling na kanina pa siyang nakatayo dun?\par
\par
"Where are you going? You wanna talk? Wag ka nga tumayo dyan, halika dito!"\par
\par
Ngumiti si Liam na parang nang-aasar.\par
\par
"Hey, I think I see Den... I promised her a dance... sige ha, iwan ko na muna ka
yo!"\par
\par
"HUY LIAM SAGLIT LANG!"\par
\par
Nagkatinginan kami ni kurdapya.\par
Umiwas siya ng tingin.\par
Grabe naman to. Kinantahan ako kanina tas ganito?\par
\par
Naku naman. I felt stupid.\par
Ano kayang iniisip ni Gelo ngayon?\par
Pero ang mas malaking tanong...\par
Ano bang gagawin ko?!\par
Shete naman Ria, ano ba tong pinasok mo?!\par
\par
"O, ba't ka nga ba nandito? Aawayin mo ako ulit?"\par
\par
Tamo to, magpoprovoke pa ng away?\par
Sa itsura ko bang to mukha akong manggigiyera?\par
\par
"Hindi naman e."\par
"Eh bakit ka nga nandito?"\par
\par
Haha. Konting sungit lang.\par
Grabe yung pinagsungit niya saken dati ha. Minsan lang naman ako makakaganti\par
\par
"Eh... eh kasi..."\par
"O, bakit ka nauutal dyan?"\par
\par
Naku, may PMS ba to?\par
Bakit ang sungit? Ayaw niya ba ko dito?\par
\par
"Ay, makaalis na nga-..."\par
"Hoy saglit lang! May itatanong ako!"\par
"Ano nga kasi!? Nangangawit na ko rito kakahintay!"\par
\par
AY GOODLUCK!\par
\par
"Ah... I- I was just wondering if maybe you fancied a dance?"\par
\par
ANO DAW?!\par
Inaaya niya daw akong sumayaw!\par
WOO!\par
Grabe gusto kong mag whoop saka magtatalon.\par
Pero teka, pahihirapan ko pa siya ng konti. Di naman pwedeng ganun ko lang kabil
is makalimutan na nilait niya ko kahapon at sinabihang hindi marunong magbasa ng
label ng Japanese paper!\par
\par
"Anong sabi mo?"\par

\par
She heaved a sigh.\par
\par
"Sabi ko, sayaw tayo..." sabi niya, sabay tingin sa floor. She was blushing like
crazy.\par
\par
Kapal e? Parang ako hindi nagbu-blush.\par
\par
Hmm. Konti pa\par
\par
"Ria, you're a girl. A girl asking a guy to dance. Don't you think that's a bit.
.. you know?\par
\par
A bit PATHETIC?"\par
\par
Ano daw sabi niya?\par
Did he just call me pathetic?\par
\par
"Oh. Sorry about that. Sige alis na ko."\par
\par
And with that, she turned around and walked away.\par
Naku, kahit kelan, walkout queen!\par
\par
"Hoy, teka lang! Ria!"\par
\par
Sige pa rin. Lakad pa rin na parang walang naririnig.\par
\par
"Ria! Hindi pa ko sumasagot!"\par
\par
She turned to face me, looking very upset.\par
Hala. Lagot na.\par
\par
"Alam mo kasi, yung pagtawag mo saken ng pathetic, tama na yun e! Tama na yun fo
r a NO kaya hindi mo na kailangang ipagdukdukan!"\par
\par
At aktong tatalikod na naman siya kaya hinila ko yung braso niya para humarap si
ya saken.\par
\par
"Gag0 ka ba? Alam mo namang hindi ako nakakatanggi pagdating sayo e! Kelan ba ko
tumanggi pag ikaw na yung pinag-uusapan, ha?!"\par
\par
Nagsimula nang magtinginan yung mga tao sa paligid. Kung bakit kasi doon pa kami
gumagawa ng eksena sa gitna ng dance floor?\par
\par
Ria gave a smirk.\par
\par
"Ah ganun? Talaga lang?! At bakit naman hindi?!"\par
\par
"Oh, you don't know? Let me tell you then! Alam mo kasi, may pakialam ako e!\par
Oo, kahit balewala ako sayo, may pake ako! Gusto ko lagi kang masaya, gusto ko l
agi kang ok...\par
Kasi may pakialam ako, kasi concerned ako...\par
and in case you didn't notice, Miss Antonio, it's because I've been in love with
you for the longest time!"\par
\par
\par
\par
Anak ng tinapa naman o. Sa haba ng sinabi ko, eto lang yung mapapala ko?\par
\par
Ohmygosh. Did he really-?\par

Jusko. Hindi ako makapagsalita. Shyet.\par

I gulped.\par
\par
"Hoy, ano ba, narinig mo ba ko?"\par
\par
Tulala pa rin siya. She opened her mouth to speak but it took a while before the
sound came out.\par
\par
"Tanda mo pa ba? May utang pa ko sayo..."\par
\par
Utang? At bakit naman ngayon niya pa naisipang ungkatin yun?!\par
\par
"Ano yun?"\par
"Di mo matandaan? Let me remind you."\par
\par
She grabbed my face and kissed me.\par
\par
"Ano? Tanda mo na?" she said when we let go.\par
"Sa marriage booth? Diba? Ang engot mo nun, akala ko-..."\par
\par
At bago ko pa matapos kung ano pa yung gusto kong sabihin, he silenced me with a
nother kiss.\par
\par
It was mild. Sweet.\par
I really don't mind not finishing what I wanted to say.\par
\par
We both seemed to have realized that time's too precious to be spent arguing.\pa
r
\par
Chapter Forty Two\par
\par
Jonathan's POV:\par
\par
"Ampotek yan. Kung ganito nang ganito, matatalo tayo sa intrams."\par
\par
Kakagaling lang namin sa tune-up game against Integ. Grabe talaga, iba yata ang
galing ngayon nina Gelo at Liam. At susko, nagdoble ang problema namin dahil bat
i na sila uli.\par
\par
Imagine, ang score namin, 4-1!\par
Tsk, napanis kami.\par
\par
"Ano bang nangyayari dyan kay Lance? Walang kabuhay-buhay. Pasalamat siya favori
te siya ni Ma'am. Kung tayo yun namura na tayo kaliwa't kanan."\par
\par
"Ewan. Baka may problema na naman."\par
\par
"Ano ba naman kasi yun, yung problema niya hindi na niya dapat dinadala dito sa
field."\par
\par
\par
"Ako ba pinag-uusapan niyo?"\par
\par
Nagkatinginan kami ni Aidan tas hindi na lang nagsalita. Iba pa naman magalit to
ng bespren kong si Intsik, so we better not push it.\par
\par
"Pagpasensyahan niyo na ko. Ngayon lang naman ako ganto ka-bano," he said as he
sank gloomily onto one of the benches sa may lockers namin.\par
\par
"Dude, ano ba problema?" Aidan asked sabay tapik sa balikat niya.\par

\par
"Si Rish na naman ba?"\par
\par
Lance ran a hand through his hair. Sa itsura niya ngayon, para siyang tumanda. N
agmature. Pag kausap ko nga siya nitong nakaraan, hindi na siya ganun ka superfi
cial gaya ng dati.\par
\par
"Paps, alam mo, ilabas mo na yan," sabi ni Aidan.\par
"Di talaga kami sanay na lantang gulay ka."\par
\par
Minsanan lang magkaganito si Lance. Bihira siyang magpaapekto sa mga bagay bagay
, kaya palagay ko e malala na yung problema niya.\par
\par
\par
"Wala. Ok lang ako. Wala lang sa mood. Sensya na mga paps, di ko sinasadya."\par
\par
\par
Ba. Talagang determinadong hindi magsalita.\par
Yan ang hirap sa taong yan. Pahirapan bago magsabi. Gusto yata eh i- ala NBI int
errogation ang gawin.\par
\par
"Di nga, bro?"\par
\par
"Maiba ako," sabi ni Aidan, at sumenyas saken na para bang gustong iparating na
may iba siyang strategy. Ok PAYN, nanahimik naman ako.\par
\par
\par
"Nakalabas na ba si mareng Rish sa hospital?"\par
\par
\par
Oo nga pala, na-confine na naman si Aling Irish. Grabe, labas pasok na yun doon
ah.\par
\par
\par
"Ah, lalabas na siya mamaya," sabi ni Intsik with a smile, something I haven't s
een in days. Parang biglang nagliwanag yung mukha. Umaliwalas ba.\par
\par
"Ako nga assigned sumundo e."\par
\par
"Waw, edi ayos," sabi ni Aidan sabay ngiti.\par
"Sama naman kami!"\par
\par
"Ungas, nag-aantay si Zoe sa labas."\par
\par
"Ha? Na naman?" at ayun si kumag lumabas at sumilip sa field.\par
\par
\par
"Anak ng tupa naman o, araw araw na kaming magkasama, hanggang weekend ba naman
gusto niya magkasama pa rin kami?!"\par
\par
"Susmaryosep. Daig mo pa yung alaga niyang aso ah."\par
\par
"Alam na namin ireregalo sa kanya sa Pasko... leash," sabi ni Lance, tas nag hig
h five kami.\par
\par
"Ha ha ha," sabi ni Aidan in mock-amusement.\par
"Kakatawa. Grabe."\par
\par
"Paps naman, kausapin mo kasi ng maayos."\par
\par

"Ilang beses ko nang ginawa yun. Wala naman akong napapala kundi iyak. Katakot t
akot na pangongonsensya pa ginagawa saken."\par
\par
\par
Eto na naman po kami. Kawawang Aidan.\par
\par
\par
"E bakit ka kasi nagpapadala? Alam mo namang arte lang ang pinagagagawa nun, bin
ibili mo pa rin."\par
\par
\par
Aidan threw us a defensive stare.\par
\par
"Ano? Want us to cover for you?"\par
\par
"Hay nako mga paps, tama na, masyado na kayo naiistorbo. Kausapin ko na lang mam
aya."\par
\par
"Sigurado ka?"\par
\par
"Dang bro, let's let him be a man for once!"\par
\par
"Takte Jon, Ingles yun ah?"\par
\par
"Ulul! Yabang mo Intsik!"\par
\par
\par
"Hoy! Jon!"\par
\par
\par
Tingin naman kami sa labas.\par
Sus, andun na pala ang star players ng kabila.\par
\par
\par
"Ano tara na?"\par
\par
\par
"Sige mga bro, lalayas na ako..."\par
\par
"Tama yan, ditch us for your Integ friends."\par
\par
"Total mas magaling naman sila kesa samin!" sabi ni Aidan sabay high five naman
nila ni Lance.\par
\par
"Ulul! Di bagay sa inyo! Sige na!"\par
\par
\par
At syempre, pinuntahan ko na yung dalawang kumag.\par
\par
\par
"Takte kayo, pinanis niyo kami," sabi ko.\par
\par
"Tune-up game lang yun."\par
\par
"Mas matindi gagawin namin sa intrams. " sabi ni Liam.\par
\par
\par
Wow, ang humble. Meron na yatang Signal Number Five.\par
\par
\par

"Siraulo. O paano, puntahan na natin sila..."\par

\par
"Buti pa nga si Aidan o, may tagasundo..."\par
\par
"Inggit ka?" sabi ni Gelo tas hagalpak kami ng tawa.\par
\par
\par
May point nga naman siya. Mas gusto ko na yung ako yung susundo kaysa dun sa ako
yung sinusundan kahit saan ako magpunta.\par
\par
________________________________________\par
\par
\par
"Hoy! Ano bang plano niyong gawin sa buhay? Magprusisyon?! Gutom na kami!"\par
\par
Mukhang gutom na nga si Francesca ko, naninigaw na e\par
\par
"Opo! Nandyan na!"\par
\par
"Tunyang Balakanggggggg!!!"\par
\par
Di namin mapigilang matawa sa itsura ni Liam habang palapit kay Den.\par
Itong dalawang to, mukhang nagkakamabutihan na.\par
\par
"Bruho ka!" Den exclaimed, blushing furiously.\par
"Kailangan mo bang isigaw?"\par
\par
"Tunyang naman e. Ano, sinuot mo ba? Patingin!"\par
\par
Sige naman ang pagsilip ni Liam sa tenga ni Den na parang may hinahanap. Syempre
, nakiusisa na rin kami para makita kung ano yun.\par
\par
"Syempre, hindi mo ko tinitigilan hanggang hindi ko suot e!"\par
"Anak ng tupa, ikaw pumili nito?"\par
\par
Paano ba naman ako hindi magugulat, eh yung suot na hikaw ni Denise, ang design
e blue na butterfly!\par
\par
"Bakit? Bagay naman ah! Diba nagustuhan mo naman? Diba Tunyang?" sabi ni Liam\pa
r
na may kasabay pang puppy eyes.\par
\par
"Oo naman," sabi ni Den, kahit mukhang naobliga lang siya.\par
\par
"Waw, pambata!"\par
\par
"Ang yabang nito ni Gelzzz! Sige nga, ano regalo mo kay Kurdapya?"\par
\par
"Eto nga o!" sabi ni Gelo, holding up a humungous paper bag. Yaaak. Ang laki nga
! O_O\par
\par
"Ang daya niyong dalawa!" said Elle. "Ikaw Liam, ang regalo mo samin nila Ria, b
racelet lang na may kung ano ano... bakit yung kay Den, hikaw na may precious st
one? At ikaw Gelo, bakit ganyan kalaki yung regalo mo kay Ria, e yung samin kasi
ng laki lang ng keychain!"\par
\par
"Bakit, hindi naman kayo lahat girlfriend ko e!"\par
\par
"Haha, so ibig sabihin, girlfriend na rin ni Liam si Den?"\par
\par

"Asa ka boy!" sabi ni Den, and Liam looked offended.\par

\par
"Weh, si Elle bitter, wala kasing lablayp!"\par
\par
"Ulul ka Ate Maff! Sige nga Jon, ano regalo mo dyan?"\par
\par
"Sikret. Di ko pa nabibigay. Pero walang biro, nabutas yung bulsa ko dun!"\par
\par
Totoo naman. Hoy, hindi mura yung gusto niyang CD ano! Tatlong banda pa yun!\par
\par
"Waaaaaa, so ibig sabihin, ako lang yung walang regalong mamahalin?"\par
\par
"Wa, kawawa naman si Elladora!"\par
\par
"Tawagin mo akong Elladora ulit, babalatan kita ng buhay!"\par
\par
"Asus, gasgas na yan! Ano, saan tayo?"\par
\par
"Tara, Yellow Cab!"\par
________________________________________\par
\par
Gelo's POV:\par
\par
"O kurdapya, ano gusto mo?"\par
\par
"Kahit ano. Kaw na bahala."\par
\par
"Libre mo rin kami, Fafa Gelz!"\par
\par
"Ulul! So ano guys, di nga? Anong oorderin natin?"\par
\par
Liam stood up, taking charge as usual. Si class president nga naman.\par
\par
"All those in favor of ordering New York's Finest, please raise your hands!"\par
\par
At lahat naman kami nagtaas ng kamay. Ayos.\par
\par
"O sige, ako na muna bahala, mamaya niyo ko bayaran."\par
\par
"Woohoo! Wag kalimutan, sa darating na eleksyon... Liam Woods, for -..."\par
\par
"Shut up!" sabi ni Liam sabay bato ng tissue kay Jon tas umalis na.\par
\par
Edi ayun, kanya kanya nang usapan yung iba sa table namin kaya I grabbed the cha
nce for a private convo.\par
\par
"Psst."\par
"Yes dear?" said Ria, batting her lashes.\par
"Open mo na tong gift."\par
"Hindi pa kaya Pasko," she said, smiling.\par
\par
Dang. She's hot.\par
\par
"Kahit na. Bakit si Den?"\par
"Wala na kong bubuksan sa 25!"\par
"Edi reregaluhan kita ulit. "\par
\par
Ngumiti siya na parang batang nabigyan ng malaking malaking lollipop.\par
\par
"Weh."\par

"Dali na kasi."\par
"Ayoko."\par
"Charot ka."\par
\par
Humagalpak ng tawa si Kurdapya.\par
\par
"Charot?! HAHAHAHAHA"\par
"Ayaw mo yata tong gift kaya ayaw mo buksan e."\par
"Hoy wala akong sinabing ganun!"\par
"Edi wag mo buksan. Charot ka talaga."\par
"Asus, tampururut! Akin na nga yan!"\par
\par
At hinablot niya na nga yung hawak kong paper bag.\par
\par
"Waw, paps. Ngayon lang ako nakareceive ng ganito kalaking regalo sa buong buhay
ko! "\par
"Whoa! Come on, open it, open it!" sabi ni Elle. Nagsitingin na rin tuloy yung i
bang tao sa table.\par
\par
Carefully, she removed the tape that glued the two ends of the bag together. I w
anted to tell her na punitin na lang kasi nga naman bag na lang nung store yung
ginamit kong pambalot and she didn't have to fuss over it.\par
\par
Eh kaso, ayokong masabon kaya sige na lang\par
\par
"Ohmycharing! Paano mo nalamang gusto ko to?"\par
\par
I cast a significant look at Maffy's direction.\par
\par
"E ang mahal mahal nito e!"\par
\par
"Naaawa na kasi ako sayo. Tuwing pupunta na lang tayo ng mall, dadalawin mo yan
doon sa tindahan, kinakausap mo pa "\par
\par
"Naman Ate Maff! Don't tell me pati yun sinabi mo sa kanya?"\par
\par
"Hindi naman. Ngayon pa lang. "\par
\par
"Kakahiya naman... Napagastos pa tuloy tong isa. "\par
\par
"Tangerks. Isang beses lang sa isang taon ang pasko no. Ang susunod ko nang dise
nteng regalo sayo sa birthday mo na lang ulit."\par
\par
"Eh diba kuripot ka?" banat ni Den.\par
\par
"Asus, pag si Ria na yung pinag-uusapan, nakakalimutan niyan pangalan niya e. Ed
i lalo na yung fact na daig niya pa mga Ilocano kung magtipid."\par
\par
"Dapat lang! Kung hindi, sasakalin ko yan."\par
\par
"Aww. How sweet naman ni Fafa Gelz," said Ria, making coocoo eyes at me again. I
smiled at her and for a moment, I was tempted to-\par
\par
"Yuck! Kadiri kayo! Get an effin room!" sabi ni Jon, at sa amin niya naman binat
o yung tissue na hinagis sa kanya ni Liam kanina.\par
\par
"Wala pa nga e!"\par
\par
"At sa lagay palang yun, gagawin mo nga?"\par
\par

"And what would keep me from doing so?" I dared them.\par

\par
"Oh, maybe that little thing called shame?"\par
\par
Hagalpakan ng tawa.\par
\par
"So ano, anong ipapangalan niyo dyan sa anak-anakan niyong teddy bear?"\par
\par
"Ano ba, may pangalan na yan. AnRia."\par
\par
"EWWWWWW. Capital gross!" said Elle, putting an ugly emphasis on the last word.\
par
\par
"Paps, I didn't think you could get so cheesy!"\par
\par
"Bakit? Angkyut nga e!"\par
\par
"Gawsh. I think I'm gonna throw up!"\par
\par
"Nah. I think it's sweet. Talo nun ang Bradgelina saka Zanessa noh. "\par
\par
"Hay ambut sa inyong dalawa. Pagbuhulin ko kayo e."\par
\par
Out of nowhere, my phone rang.\par
\par
"O, sino to?" sabi ni Ria sabay hablot nung phone sa table.\par
\par
"Gimme that."\par
\par
Suddenly, her face fell. Her smile was all but gone.\par
\par
"O, si Rish. Missed call."\par
\par
I knew she was trying not to sound accusatory, but the look on her face made me
feel guilty all the same.\par
Naman Rish o. Wrong timing ka. Kita mo nang-\par
\par
"O, ano pa hinihintay mo? Call her back. It must be something urgent para tumawa
g pa siya."\par
\par
I saw Elle throw her a significantly dark look, but Ria stayed firm. She was han
ding the phone to me.\par
\par
"Are you sure you want me to?" I asked.\par
\par
"Is there a reason why I should not let you do that?"\par
\par
She was studying me in a long, hard stare. I avoided her gaze, flinching as I fe
lt its intensity.\par
\par
"Of course not. Excuse me."\par
\par
I stood up and went outside to return the call.\par
\par
Chapter Forty Three\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
"D'you actually realize how stupid you look, Ria?"\par
\par

I turned to look at Zoe and opened my mouth to retort, but Elle got there first.
\par
\par
"Excuse me," she said, her tone ice-cold. "Last time I checked, I was the captai
n."\par
"Oo nga, but since she's your friend you aren't saying anything!"\par
\par
Elle came up to her so that they stood face to face, their noses just inches apa
rt.\par
\par
"Oh you think so?"\par
"Yeah!"\par
"Well," said Elle, casting a smug look around her, "no one's asking."\par
\par
Namula si Zoe sa inis. It was quite fun to watch, actually. Hindi kasi siya maka
sagot.\par
\par
"Says the captain who got suspended," she said finally. "If Rish wasn't ill, you
wouldn't be here in the first place."\par
\par
"Well, I still got in," said Elle, shrugging. "At ako yung pinili nilang gawing
captain kaysa sayo. Don't you think that's saying something?"\par
\par
Zoe got, if possible, even redder.\par
\par
"Kung ako sayo, I'd shut my mouth. That's if you don't want me to shut it for yo
u."\par
\par
\par
Elle turned regally on her heel and went back to her place.\par
\par
\par
"Girls, water break."\par
\par
\par
Dry run namin ngayon para sa pep rally mamaya. Jusko, naloloka na ako ngayong In
trams. Ang daming ginagawa! Seniors kasi ang in charge sa games ng lower levels,
ng schedules, equipment, hay jusko! LAHAT!\par
\par
\par
"Thanks, Elle. But you didn't have to do that. Mali naman talaga yung ginagawa k
o."\par
\par
"Ano ka ba, bago ka lang dito. Syempre hindi ka naman sanay sa mga ganyang routi
ne. In fairness to you, mahirap naman talaga."\par
\par
"I'm sorry. Promise, aayusin ko na."\par
\par
"That's my girl. "\par
\par
"Paano yan, kinakabahan ako sa formation namin mamaya. Bakit naman kasi ako pa y
ung nasa pinakangtaas?"\par
\par
"Well kasi naman ikaw yung pinakamagaan sa ating lahat. Basta don't let it get t
o you, okay? You'll be alright. I know it!"\par
\par
\par
I can't help but feel encouraged. Elle surely knows what to say.\par
\par
\par

"Kawawa naman si Rish. Kanina ko lang siya natingnan ng mabuti. She's lost a lot
of weight."\par
\par
\par
Hindi na pinasali si Rish sa routine kasi nga naman baka kung ano pa yung mangya
ri sa kanya. Elle took her place instead. Nakakapasok pa naman si Rish, pero tin
gin ko mas maganda kung magstay na lang siya palagi sa bahay para magpahinga...
Kasi pag nandito naman siya nandun rin naman siya halos palagi sa clinic pabalik
-balik.\par
\par
\par
"Ang hirap naman kasi sa kanya, ang tigas ng ulo. Dapat sa bahay na lang siya pa
lagi."\par
\par
"Nakausap mo ba?"\par
\par
"Ewan, ayaw yata akong kausapin. Di nagrereply sa text."\par
\par
"Si Gelo lang yata ang gustong kausapin noon e," I said with a wry smile. Elle l
ooked at me, and I think nagets niya yung sinubukan kong itago.\par
\par
\par
"Dear," she began, "Honestly, I don't know what to tell you. You're my friend. S
o is Rish. Ayokong mag-isip ng masama... pero sa nakikita ko ngayon..."\par
\par
\par
I studied her carefully. Pareho kaya kami ng iniisip?\par
\par
\par
"I don't want to look so selfish and mean, specially ngayon na ganyan yung condi
tion niya. Pero alam mo..."\par
\par
"I know. And believe me, you're handling it well. Kung ako kasi yung nasa positi
on mo I won't be as considerate. Siguro ok lang na maging close sila, given na t
hey've been close for quite a while already. Pero sa totoo lang, parang too clos
e for comfort."\par
\par
"Rish is his girl best friend," I said, trying to convince myself more than anyt
hing.\par
\par
"Guy best friend mo rin si Liam diba? Pero hindi siya napapagkamalang boyfriend
mo sa sobrang dikit niyo."\par
\par
\par
Elle's got a point.\par
\par
\par
"E anong gagawin ko?"\par
\par
"Kausapin mo. Let him know that it's bothering you. Talk it out, ask him why."\p
ar
\par
"Elle, you know how I get. What if I end up making it worse?"\par
\par
\par
"You know what, if you two don't stop discussing Ria's tragic lovelife, hindi ta
yo matatapos."\par
\par
\par
"Well my lovelife isn't nearly as disastrous as yours. At least, hindi TUKO ang

tingin saken ng boyfriend ko," I shot at Zoe.\par

\par
\par
She stepped forward and looked like she wanted to lunge at me, but hands pulled
her backward. Elle stood in front of me protectively.\par
\par
\par
"Back off, Zoe, kung ayaw mong ikaw ang sunod na isuspend."\par
\par
\par
Zoe looked ready to kill.\par
\par
\par
"Makikita mo-!"\par
\par
"I'll be waiting!" I taunted.\par
\par
"I swear to god. You're going to get it from me. Both of you."\par
\par
"Ooooh, I'm scared."\par
\par
\par
Our co-cheerleaders managed to pull her away. Lumapit samin si Denise.\par
\par
\par
"Ano nangyari dun?"\par
\par
"Ewan. May sumpong."\par
\par
"Hindi sumpong yun. Sira lang talaga yung ulo."\par
\par
"Haynako. Huy Ria, mag-ingat ka mamaya ha," sabi ni Denise, kaya pinalo siya ni
Elle ng malakas.\par
\par
"Bruha, pinapakaba mo lalo e!"\par
\par
"Aray ko naman! Kelangan bang ganun kalakas?"\par
\par
"Bakit, isusumbong mo kami ke Liam?"\par
\par
"AYIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"\par
\par
"HEH! Tara na nga magpractice!"\par
\par
________________________________________\par
\par
And then, the moment has come.\par
\par
It's time for my top-of-the-2 and a half pyramid moment.\par
I watched Elle and the other girls struggle to do the formation as quickly as th
ey can. The chanting of my other classmates were ringing in my ears, all the mor
e making me more determined na magawa yung stunt ng matino.\par
\par
Slowly, slowly, I was climbing the pyramid.\par
Elle winked at me as she helped me climb, and then-\par
\par
"C, to the A, to the V-A-L-I-E-R-S!" I chanted at the top of my voice along with
the crowd. The wind whipped through my face, and then, the unthinkable happened
.\par
\par

I only became conscious that I was losing my balance when I felt someone's hands
tug on my foot. In horror, I looked down and saw Zoe grinning maniacally.\par
\par
I heard a few screams as the formation (and my knees) gave way.\par
\par
I was falling to the ground, as though in slow motion, and when I hit the ground
, I heard something crack.\par
\par
Nagkagulo yung mga tao sa paligid. Sandali lang yung hinintay ko, and when I ope
ned my eyes again, napapalibutan na nila ako.\par
\par
"Ria..."\par
\par
I sat up and tried to get on my feet, feeling a burning sensation on my right an
kle.\par
\par
"Are you alright?"\par
"Yea, I think I am..."\par
\par
Another crack.\par
\par
"Sh.t! My ankle!"\par
\par
Only then was I fully aware of it. Hindi ko siya maigalaw.\par
\par
"Damn Zoe..." I whispered.\par
"Somebody get her to the clinic!!!"\par
\par
Anak ng tupa. Where's Gelo when I need him?\par
\par
"Asaan si Gelo?"\par
"I'll go look for him."\par
\par
But she didn't have to.\par
Out of nowhere, someone appeared and scooped me up.\par
________________________________________\par
\par
"Ok na siya?"\par
"Yea she's ok. Though she's gonna need crutches for the next few days."\par
\par
They both turned to look at me, but when I caught his eye, umiwas siya.\par
\par
"Sige. Alis muna ako. May na-injure rin sa kabilang room."\par
\par
Ang awkward nung naiwan kami. Ayaw niyang tumingin saken pero parang wala rin na
man siyang intensyon na umalis. Nakatulala lang siyang ewan habang pinaglalaruan
yung mga daliri niya.\par
\par
"Hey, thanks ha."\par
"Ok lang. Sigurado kang walang ibang nabali? Walang ibang kelangang ipa-Xray o s
omething?"\par
\par
Hindi ako nakapagsalita.\par
Syempre na-touch rin naman ako. Buti pa siya, andito, nagtatanong, may pakialam
kung nabali ba lahat ng mga buto ko sa katawan o ano. Di kagaya ng iba dyan-\par
\par
As though on cue, the door burst open, swinging on its hinges.\par
\par
"Ria? Oh dammit..."\par
\par

He rushed by my bedside, at tiningnan ko lang siya. Ewan ko ba. Ayoko siyang kau
sapin.\par
\par
"And what do you think are you doing here? "\par
\par
Lance unfolded his arms and got off the chair.\par
\par
"I honestly don't think that you're the one who's supposed to do the asking. Any
way..."\par
\par
Naglakad siya papunta sa pinto.\par
\par
"Alam mo kasi, ganyan ang nangyayari sa mga taong magaling mag-alaga ng girlfrie
nd ng iba. Nakakalimutang asikasuhin yung dapat asikasuhin."\par
\par
Gelo looked furious.\par
\par
"Ria, ingat ka."\par
\par
And with that, he left us.\par
Chapter Forty Four\par
Elle's POV:\par
"Psst.\par
PSST!"\par
"Elle! The whole gym can hear you!"\par
I blushed as I saw the whole batch turn to look at me.\par
Andito kami ngayon sa gym kasi ngayon na yung pilian ng partners para sa cotilli
on sa prom. Ayun magkatapat yung linya ng boys and girls na arranged by height.
Two persons away was Ria, determinedly staring up front. Siguro binibilang niya
kung sila ba yung magiging magkatapat ni Gelo kaya hindi niya ko marinig na sumu
sutsot.\par
\par
Ako kaya? Sino kaya makakatapat ko?\par
Sana taga-Integrity lang rin. Pag taga kabilang section kasi mahihirapan ako. Sy
empre ang ilang nun, ni hindi mo kilala or kaclose tapos hawak ka sa bewang... h
ello diba? Kadiri.\par
\par
Pero bahala na. Kahit hindi gwapo basta walang bad breath or BO. Yun lang. Magig
ing masaya na ko\par
\par
Isa isa nang nagsiforward yung mga tao, tapos pinupwesto na ni Ma'am doon sa cou
rt, temporary formation lang daw, saka na ipa-polish.\par
\par
Ang swerte naman ni Maffy. Natupad yung sinabi niyang kay Jon siya mapupunta.\pa
r
\par
Sumunod naman si Den. Ayun. Napunta kay Intsik Beho. Wish ko lang hindi siya lip
arin sa kabilang ibayo sa sobrang hangin\par
\par
I saw Gelo coming nearer sa harap ng linya... dalawang tao na lang, siya na.\par
Hinabaan ko yung leeg ko para makita yung katapat niyang girl...\par
\par
Anak ng tinapa.\par
Bakit ganon? NANANADYA?!\par
Kailangan talaga si Rish yung partner niya?!\par
\par

Lumingon sa akin si Ria with wide, unbelieving eyes and raised brows. I shook my
head to show that I sympathize.\par
\par
Maya maya may partner na rin siya, si Liam.\par
OH GREAT. Naloko na.\par
\par
I stared and stared at them, seeing how happy Liam looked and Gelo seeming to ha
ve the intense desire to kick Liam's face, as though siya yung may kasalanan. Ri
sh, on the other hand, was busy trying to engage Gelo in conversation kaya she c
ould not see Lance casually observing them through slightly narrowed eyes.\par
\par
Gulo nga.\par
\par
"Elle! Ano ba? Kanina ka pa! "\par
"Oh sorry Ma'am."\par
"Dali! Ayun na yung partner mo!"\par
\par
I sulkily went to approach my partner.\par
Lord, please wag yung may BO...\par
Wag po yung may BO!!! :'(\par
\par
\par
\par
Holyyyyyyyyyyyy-!\par
\par
"Dalian mo naman, anong pecha na, wala pa rin tayo sa pwesto. "\par
\par
OMG.\par
OH EHM EFF GEE.\par
\par
Naman oh. Bakit naman siya pa?\par
Paano kung resbakan ako nito? Naknaman ng ano o!\par
\par
I followed him and was careful not to look him in the eye as we went walking thr
ough the crowd.\par
\par
Bakit sa lahat, si Aidan Lennox pa?!\par
BAKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET? :'(\par
\par
"O, hanggang ngayon ba, takot ka pa rin saken?"\par
\par
He seemed to find it funny. Damm I must be looking so stupid.\par
\par
"Di naman ako galit sayo. Umayos ka nga dyan."\par
\par
"Couples! Listen!"\par
\par
Ano, couples?\par
Ampotaaa. Tignan mo si Rish. Ang ngiti hanggang batok.\par
PSH. I'm seriously starting to despise her.\par
\par
"Face your partners!"\par
\par
Nako.\par
\par
AYANNAPOGOODLUCKNAMANSAKEN.\par
\par
For the first time since the incident, I locked eyes with him.\par
WAW\par
Ang gwapo niya pala no?\par

Eeeeeeeeh. Lalo ako nahiya. I can feel my cheeks burning.\par

Haynaku kakahiya naman talaga!\par
\par
"For the intro, you know what to do! On the count of three!"\par
\par
HA? Ano daw? You know what to do?!\par
Ano yun? Di ko na matandaan!\par
\par
Out of the blue, Aidan pulled my hand and kissed it.\par
\par
I pulled it sharply out of his grasp and slapped him hard across the face.\par
\par
"What do you think are you doing?! "\par
\par
Aidan looked at me with wide eyes, his hand on his face.\par
It was when I realized na hindi lang pala siya yung nakatingin saken.\par
\par
Yun pala pati yung buong batch namin!\par
And all the guys were holding their partner's hands... oo nga pala! Ganun yung i
ntro last year sa junior cotillion!\par
\par
Jusme, ano ba naman to?!\par
Elladora, kahit kelan ka! PURO KA BANAT! HINDI KA NAG-IISIP! Pagka tanga tanga m
o naman talaga kahit kelan oo!\par
\par
And then all hell was breaking loose.\par
Parang gusto kong ipakain ang sarili ko sa lupa dahil sa hiyang nararamdaman ko.
\par
INAYYYY!\par
\par
\par
"Elle! Ano ka ba? Hindi ka pa ba nakukuntento sa suspension? Anong gusto mo? Maexpel?"\par
"Ma'am, don't. She was shocked. She didn't know na ganun ang gagawin ko kaya sig
uro she thought I was making a pass at her..."\par
"Are you alright, hijo?"\par
"Yes Ma'am. Malayo po sa bituka."\par
"Glad to hear that. Ngayon, Miss Elladora Reyes, pwede bang tigilan mo na yang m
ga bloopers mo? We've had about enough."\par
"Sorry Ma'am."\par
\par
Umalis na siya. Nakatingin pa rin saken yung iba.\par
Hay grabe na to.\par
\par
"Masakit ba? Sorry ha."\par
\par
Tiningnan niya lang ako at mukhang hindi siya makapag decide kung maaasar ba siy
a saken o ano.\par
\par
"At salamat na rin."\par
"Nakakarami ka na ha. Hindi ka na nakakatuwa."\par
"Kaya nga sorry eh."\par
"Ewan ko sayo. Bahala ka dyan."\par
\par
Chapter Forty Five\par
\par
Liam's POV:\par
\par
"LIAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!"\par
\par

I turned and saw Ria running towards me, holding an envelope in her hands. Sa la
kas ng tili niya, pati tuloy yung ibang tao nakatingin sa amin.\par
\par
"Ano ba naman yan katuray, para kang tindera sa palengke. Ano na meron?"\par
"Liam! I passed sa UP!!!"\par
"HA? Patingin nga!"\par
\par
WAW. Si katuray ko pumasa ng UP Diliman, sa first choice niyang course pa!\par
\par
"Grabe katuray. Ang galing mo talaga. Congrats!" sabi ko, tapos she hugged me.\p
ar
"Sama ka mamaya, manglilibre ako " she said, breaking off, then she looked aroun
d.\par
"Si Gelo, nakita mo?"\par
\par
Wow. I almost forgot.\par
Aray. Haha. Onti lang. At least, ako yung unang sinabihan\par
\par
"Ewan. Di ko pa nga nakikita eh..."\par
"Ah, sige. Hahanapin ko na lang. Paano, mamaya ha? Tsaka tingnan mo na rin sa gu
idance, malay mo, may letter ka rin... sige ha, hahanapin ko lang sina Elle."\pa
r
\par
She ran off, her hair swaying lazily behind her.\par
I shook my head and jerked myself back to reality. Teka, asaan nga pala si Den?
Isama ko na kaya sa guidance office?\par
\par
Ayun! Nasa may fountain!\par
\par
"Tunyang!"\par
"O! Ano bago?"\par
"Punta tayo guidance office. Andun na daw yung letters from UP."\par
"Ah? Sige."\par
\par
Nilakad na namin hanggang third floor. Napansin kong medyo tahimik si Den habang
papunta kami doon.\par
\par
\par
"Psst. Tunyang, bakit?"\par
\par
"Ha?"\par
\par
"Ang tamlay mo e, hindi ako sanay."\par
\par
"Wala lang."\par
\par
"Wala? Weh. Dali na. Ano ba yun?"\par
\par
"Eh kasi... kakabili ko lang ng gown ko..."\par
\par
"Ano naman ngayon?"\par
\par
"Nakakahiya. Yung mom pa ni Ria yung gumastos. Ang mahal mahal pa naman."\par
\par
"Ano ka ba, twice in a lifetime lang tong prom. Titipirin mo pa ba yung sarili m
o?"\par
\par
"Can you blame me? Hindi naman obligasyon ng pamilya ni Ria na magprovide para s
aken e. Ultimong tuition, pagkain, pangligo ko sa kanila na lahat. Tapos pati yu
ng mga ganyan, sa kanila pa rin?"\par

\par
"Alam mo, hindi ka dapat mag-alala. Kilala mo naman yung family na yun diba? Kam
ag-anak ka rin nila. You're a part of them na. At saka diba, alam mo namang hind
i nagkukwenta si Ria?"\par
\par
\par
Nagkatinginan kami at hindi siya sumagot. Was I imagining it, or talagang sumima
ngot siya?\par
\par
\par
"Oo nga naman pala. Si Ria. My ultimate savior. I'm lucky to have her..."\par
\par
\par
Her voice trailed off, tapos natulala na lang siya. Bakit ganoon? Hindi naman na
kakaoffend yung sinabi ko diba?\par
\par
\par
Nakarating na kami ng guidance office at nakita ko sina Aidan at Lance na magkas
amang lumabas ng office na may hawak na envelope na kagaya nung kay Ria. So sila
rin pala?\par
\par
\par
Pagpasok namin, nakita kami agad nung guidance counselor.\par
\par
\par
"Mr. Woods! Ms. Lopez!"\par
\par
\par
Nagkatinginan kami ni Den, both bewildered.\par
\par
"Your letters!"\par
\par
WHOA\par
Letters? Namin?\par
Anak ng tinapa! PUMASA AKO?!\par
\par
"Congratulations!"\par
\par
Nakanganga kami pareho ni Denise habang tinitingnan yung mga envelope na iniaabo
t sa amin nung guidance counselor.\par
\par
"Thanks Ma'am," sabi ko. "Den, ano, sa labas na natin buksan?" I said to her in
an undertone. She nodded.\par
\par
"Teka, nga pala... kayong dalawa... since natutuwa ako sa inyo, pwedeng pakibiga
y muna to sa school nurse natin?" she said, handing us a parcel.\par
"Sige Ma'am."\par
"Thank you po."\par
\par
Paglabas namin ng office...\par
\par
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"\par
\par
We shouted as quietly as we could (lol para hindi mapagalitan) tapos niyakap ko
siya. Grabe. Para akong nanalo sa lotto!\par
\par
"Buksan na natin ha? In three... two... one..."\par
\par
There was the sound of paper being torn and voila. Ayun na siya. Sa kamay namin.
\par

Di na ko nag-atubili. Tuloy-tuloy ko na siyang binasa.\par

\par
"YES! Pasok ako sa B.A.!"\par
\par
I looked up and saw Denise frowning at her paper.\par
\par
"Ako hindi... hindi ako pumasa sa BroadComm..."\par
"Ano ka ba, cheer up! Pumasa ka sa U.P., dude! You should be happy! Edi kuha ka
ng ibang course then shift out ka na lang! Come on, Den! We should be celebratin
g!"\par
\par
Hinila ko siya by the hand para bumaba.\par
\par
"HOY! Teka lang, kumag ka masyado kang excited! May pinapadala pa sa atin si Ma'
am kay Nurse!"\par
\par
Napakamot ako ng ulo. Oo nga pala noh?\par
\par
In minutes, andoon na rin kami sa clinic.\par
\par
TOK TOK.\par
TOK TOK TOK TOK.\par
\par
Aba, wala? Hay bahala na nga. Mapagalitan pa kami ni Ma'am Vicky pag late kaming
bumalik sa cotillion practice.\par
\par
"-naman to o, ang tigas ng ulo. Dalian mo na kasi."\par
\par
Teka. Kilala ko yung boses na yun ah?\par
\par
"Ikaw kaya uminom! Tingnan natin kung masikmura mo."\par
"Gamot mo yan e. Kailangan mo inumin. Mapait man yan o maanghang."\par
\par
At anong ginagawa nila dito?\par
\par
"Dali na kase."\par
"Kakainis. Kung bakit kasi andito ka pa. Pag wala ka naman nakakalusot akong hin
di uminom ng gamot."\par
"Tangengots! Yan, dyan ka magaling! Sige, pairalin mo pa yang tigas ng ulo mo. W
ag kang magrereklamo pag sinumpong ka ha?"\par
"Sige manggatong pa! Kasi naman, lumayas ka na nga. Di mo naman responsibility n
a bantayan ako e!"\par
"Tinataboy mo na ko ngayon?"\par
"Alam mo ok lang sana kung kagaya noon e. Pero iba na, Gelo. Andyan na si Ria. H
indi lang ako yung kailangan mong bantayan. Kailangan ka rin ni Ria."\par
\par
\par
"Rish, stop it. Your need is greater just now.\par
\par
Alam ko at alam mong mas kailangan mo ako ngayon."\par
\par
I felt white hot anger explode at the pit of my stomach. Hindi ko na namalayang
umalis ako sa kinatatayuan namin ni Den. I just barged into the room, making the
door swing on its hinges.\par
\par
I went straight for Gelo, who looked stunned, and buried my fist as hard as I ca
n onto his face.\par
\par
Rish screamed.\par

\par
Nanginginig ako sa sobrang galit habang pinanood kong matumba si Gelo at tumama
sa dulo ng kamang inuupuan ni Rish. I wanted to do so much more damage but Den w
as holding me back. Rish immediately went to attend to him.\par
\par
"WHAT THE FCUK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" she screeched.\par
"No, Rish."\par
"Gelo-..."\par
\par
"Ano? You realized you fully deserved that?"\par
\par
Gelo just looked at me, his face expressionless.\par
\par
"Pasalamat ka, yan lang inabot mo.\par
\par
\par
Grabe. Ang kapal ng mukha mo pare. Alam mo, pinagsisisihan kong pinabayaan kong
mapunta si Ria sayo!"\par
\par
I was shouting at the top of my voice. Rish was cowering in ill-hidden fear besi
de him, while Den stood, frozen beside me, her arms still keeping me from doing
Gelo any more harm.\par
\par
"Do you have any idea kung bakit parang naging ganun lang kadali saken yung paka
walan siya? Kasi naisip kong gag0 ako. I was the biggest jerk in the world for d
oing those things to her and she didn't deserve someone like me... Mahal ko siya
e. Mahal ko siya kaya ko siya pinabayaan. Mahal ko siya kaya inisip kong she wo
uld be much better off with somebody else. Sa isang taong hindi siya gagaguhin g
aya ng ginawa ko.\par
\par
Pero alam mo kung ano yung pinakamalaking kagaguhan doon? Inisip kong ikaw yun!\
par
\par
Malay ko naman diba? Kahit kelan kasi, hindi ko naisip na mas malala ka palang t
arantado kaysa saken!\par
\par
At least ako diba, tinapos ko lahat ng iba kong kalokohan para sa kanya. E ikaw?
Tignan mo nga yang ginagawa mo! Harap-harapan mo siyang ginagawang tanga!"\par
\par
A trickle of blood oozed through one of his nostrils. I clenched my fist.\par
\par
"Sige. Magpaka tarantado ka pa, ha? Nang sa susunod, mas marami ka pang mapapala
!"\par
\par
I pulled Denise's hand tapos hinila ko na siya palabas ng clinic.\par
\par
After a few moments of walking, she sharply pulled her hand from my grasp. Nagul
at ako, syempre. I looked at her at nakita kong naluluha siya.\par
\par
"Den..." I said, trying to get her hand again. Lumayo siya saken ng ilang steps.
\par
\par
"Tama na. Ayoko na, Liam. Hindi ko na kaya."\par
"Den? Ano ba sinasabi mo?"\par
"Nauntog na ko, Liam. Gising na ko sa katotohanan. Eto lang pala yung kailangan
para matigil tong kalokohan ko."\par
\par
She burst into tears.\par
\par
"All this time, akala ko, ok na... akala ko finally, mapapansin mo na ako... Aka

la ko makakalimutan mo na siya. Inisip kong nagbabago na rin ang tingin mo saken

. Sa lahat ng pinakita mo saken nitong mga nakaraang linggo, I thought..."\par
\par
Her voice subsided. I wanted to comfort her but something kept me glued on the s
pot where I stood.\par
\par
"Pero hindi pa rin pala. Wala pa rin ako sayo..."\par
"Den, please. Hindi totoo yan," I said, finally finding my voice. "Den, makinig
ka mu-..."\par
"Hindi. Kakasabi mo lang, diba? Nagsisisi kang pinakawalan mo siya. Mahal mo siy
a kaya pinakawalan mo siya. Sa madaling sabi, mahal mo pa rin si Ria."\par
"Den, plea-..."\par
"Pasensya ka na ha, gag0 kasi ako e kaya hindi ko nakita e. Hindi ko pinansin ku
ng paano ka tumingin sa kanya. Hindi ko pinansin kung gaano ka kasaya kapag kasa
ma mo siya... hindi ko naiisip na kumikinang yung mata mo pag pinag-uusapan nati
n siya. Hindi ko na napansin yung mga katotohanang yun, kasi all this time, nilu
lunod ko ang sarili ko sa pag-iilusyon at pag-asa na finally... mari-realize mo
na ring ako na yung gusto mo..."\par
\par
Naawa ako sa itsura niya... Hindi ko alam kung ano yung dapat kong sabihin.\par
Kahit ako naguguluhan na sa sarili ko.\par
\par
"Hayaan mo... wala na. Alam ko na. At wag mo na ring problemahin yung pag-iwas.
Ako na yung gagawa noon."\par
\par
And true to her word... iniwan niya na ako.\par
________________________________________\par
\par
Elle's POV:\par
\par
Grabe naman ang mga tao dito sa gym. Nanggaling lang sa guidance, nagiba-iba na.
May emo mode at may uber mega hyper din. Gaya na lang ni Mareng Ria na manlilib
re daw mamaya\par
\par
Ako? Syempre, andito, tambay lang, hindi na umaasa. Hello?! Ako ba yung tipong p
apasa sa UP? Susme, kalahati nga nung math part sa UPCAT paper ko, bakante! Kaya
eto, kaysa bigyan ang sarili ko ng mga kalokohang false hopes...\par
\par
"Hi. Practice tayo."\par
\par
Aba, at eto pala ang aking gwapong dance partner.\par
\par
"Bakit? Excited ka? Babalik na rin naman si Ma'am."\par
"Mabuti na yung mahasa tayo. Alam mo na. Ayokong masermonan na naman mamaya."\pa
r
\par
Fine. I stood up and went with him sa corner ng gym. I put a hand on his shoulde
r and the other on his hand.\par
\par
"So ano, pumasa ka sa UP?"\par
"Oo naman, ako pa "\par
\par
TSS. Ang humble. Nagconcentrate na lang ako sa first few steps ng waltz. Ayoko m
una kausapin. Baka mabanas lang ako ulit tas masapak ko pa.\par
\par
Nag spin ako palayo sa kanya, tapos ikot ulit pabalik sa kanya. Ayos, hindi suma
bit yung paa ko. Gaya ng tinuro sa amin, after the inward spin sinandal ko yung
likod ko sa kanya. I could feel his breath on my neck.\par
\par
Jusmiyo. Kung ano anong naiisip ko!\par

\par
I tried to do the next step but he wouldn't budge.\par
\par
"Ang ganda mo ngayon. "\par
\par
Ano ba to? Nambubwisit?\par
\par
"ULUL. Next step!"\par
\par
He laughed a bit and obliged. Nag waltz kami ulit tapos nagprepare para sa lifti
ng.\par
\par
"Ulul ka rin. Bakit, don't tell me, ayaw mo ng sinasabihang maganda ka?"\par
"Pwede ba, kung wala kang ibang magawa at naisipan mong bwisitin na lang ako, tu
malon ka na lang sa building!"\par
\par
He laughed and then we did the lift. Pagka lapag niya saken sa floor, balik kami
ulit sa closed position.\par
\par
"Yan ang gusto ko sayo. Barako ka. Matapang."\par
"You're seriously freaking me out!"\par
"Ang cute mo pag nagagalit. Lumalaki yung ilong mo "\par
\par
Ay bwisit talaga. Buti na lang, matatapos na yung routine. Last part na lang...
yung kinatatakutan kong DIP.\par
\par
Finally, I bent my back towards the floor, my face directly averted on the ceili
ng. His hand was on my waist, tapos nilapit niya yung mukha niya saken. As in so
brang lapit.\par
\par
"Want to be my prom date?"\par
\par
Ano raw?\par
\par
Gusto ko sanang tumayo kaso pag ginalaw ko yung mukha ko, more than 90 percent y
ung possibility na mahalikan ko siya.\par
\par
\par
EEEEK.\par
Jusko. Ang gulo. Parang hati yung nararamdaman ko sa kilig at pagkagulat. Isama
mo na yung konting pagkainis.\par
\par
"Bakit ako? Hindi mo naman ako girlfriend. Ni hindi mo pa nga ako kilala ng mabu
ti."\par
"Kaya nga gusto kitang maging date sa prom e. Para makilala kita."\par
\par
HAH. Smooth.\par
\par
"Oh yea? And what if hindi pala tayo click?"\par
\par
Langya. Ngalay na yung likod ko. Kanina pa akong nakalutang dito. Yung kamay niy
a lang na nasa bewang ko yung suporta ko para hindi mahulog.\par
\par
"And what if click pala tayo?"\par
"Damn it. Wag mo akong balikan ng tanong."\par
"Well, kung hindi man tayo mag-jive... at least, we tried. Diba?"\par
\par
Nag-isip ako. His offer was tempting. Not to mention natutukso ako kasi ang bang
o bango niya. Tapos ang gwapo pa. Ang ganda ng mata. Ang pula ng labi niya...\pa
r

\par
Arujuzmiyo! Elladora!\par
Kung pwede ko lang sampalin ang sarili ko para tigilan tong mga kagagahang naiis
ip ko, siguro ginawa ko na!\par
\par
"So ano? Is it a yes or a no?\par
\par
Pero bago ka sumagot, gusto ko lang malaman mo, I don't take rejection lightly."
\par
\par
"And what exactly do you mean?"\par
\par
"Ang ibig kong sabihin... pag hindi ka pumayag, bibitawan kita ngayon din at pab
abayaan kong bumagsak ka sa matigas na semento."\par
\par
\par
BA! Itong tipaklong na to?!\par
Ang lakas!\par
\par
"Dalian mo, nangangawit na yung kamay ko."\par
"Fine. I'll be your date. Now pwede ba ilayo mo na yang mukha mo para makatayo n
a ako!"\par
"Napilitan ka lang yata e?" he said, smirking.\par
"Hindi ah, sasabihin ko na nga sayo yung kulay ng gown ko para mabili mo ako ng
corsage e!"\par
"Ah ganun? Ano nga ba?"\par
\par
"Red. At please lang. Wag kang mag-green. Ayokong magmukha tayong pasko e pebrer
ong pebrero!"\par
\par
He laughed and helped me stand up.\par
Grabe. He's so annoying.\par
But I'm loving it.\par
________________________________________\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
Jusme, asaan na ba yung ulupong na yun?!\par
Kumusta naman. Gusto ko sana siya yung isa sa mga unang nakaalam. Kaso nawawala
e, yan tuloy, siya na lang hindi ko nasasabihan!\par
\par
Ay andun lang pala! Galing sa kabilang building!\par
\par
As I ran towards him, I noticed something unusual.\par
OhMyGosh. Ano yun? PASA?\par
\par
"Gelo! Ano nangyari sayo?"\par
\par
He avoided my eyes but stopped walking. I reached for his face but he tapped my
hand away.\par
\par
"Please, don't. It's throbbing like hell."\par
"Ano nga kasi nangyari sayo?!"\par
"Tumama ako sa table."\par
\par
Sa table? Ka-engot niya naman kung sakaling totoo yun?!\par
\par
"Hindi nga? Gelo ha, nakipag-away ka ba?"\par
"Ano ba, wag ka na ngang maraming tanong!"\par
\par

Aba, at nagsungit pa?\par

Who gave him the right to do that? And how could he even think na pababayaan ko
lang siyang ganun dahil nagsusungit siya?\par
\par
"Wow, ang sungit ah. Bakit? Anong kasalanan ko?"\par
\par
He looked at me, looking both furious and guilty.\par
\par
"O kita mo, guilty ka!"\par
\par
"So ano gusto mong palabasin?"\par
\par
"Palabasin? Fine, you want to hear it?"\par
\par
"Spit it out then!"\par
\par
"Well then. For me lang naman, ha? Tingin ko, wala kang karapatang magsungit. Ak
o. AKO yung dapat na magalit, magsungit, at lahat na, dahil hindi ako yung may a
traso kundi ikaw!"\par
\par
"Bakit? Atraso? Alin? Yung sa cheerleading?"\par
\par
"Alin pa nga ba? Ano pa sa tingin mo? Hindi ba ako yung dapat na magalit doon? K
asi nahulog na nga ako sa pyramid eh wala ka pa rin. Ke nabalian ako ng buto, na
bagukan ng ulo... WALA! Wala ka pa rin yatang pake! Actually, hindi yata e! WALA
ka talagang pake!"\par
\par
"Oh you think so? At bakit? Dahil ba may pinagmamalaki ka nang tagapagligtas mo?
Dahil may LANCE ka na?"\par
\par
"Are you listening to yourself, Gelo?"\par
\par
"Bakit, totoo naman? Diba yun ang gusto mo? Yung feeling na inaalagaan ka?"\par
\par
"Well you can't blame me for feeling that way. Yun kasing dapat mag-alaga saken
iba ang inaatupag!"\par
\par
"Bakit pa kita aatupagin e diba may Lance ka na nga?"\par
\par
"So yun yung ipinuputok ng buche mo?! Fine, what do you want to hear? Ako pa yun
g mag-aapologize? Sige! Kung talagang wala kang planong aminin e! Fine!\par
\par
WELL I'm SORRY, for it is MY fault that stupid, noble, pretty boy Lance was ther
e for me when you weren't there, and it is MY fault that he cares for me more th
an you do! Ano, masaya ka na?!"\par
\par
His eyes were wide, looking appalled by what I said. Serves him effing right!\pa
r
\par
But hey... he's not looking at ME...\par
\par
Oh no. I don't like this.\par
I turned around and saw Lance standing just three meters away from me, a place w
here, I'm sure, someone would be fully able to hear everything that I had said.\
par
\par
He narrowed his eyes, shook his head and walked swiftly away.\par
\par
Anak ng tinapang buhay naman to. Talagang tinatamaan ako ng lahat ng kalintikan
sa buhay.\par

\par
"LANCE! Saglit!"\par
\par
He never looked back. Instead, he walked even faster. In mere split seconds, he
disappeared into a corner.\par
\par
"Great. Perfect. This is EXACTLY what I had been hoping for."\par
\par
Gelo didn't answer me.\par
\par
"But whoever did it or whatever happened to your face,\par
\par
I REALLY HOPE IT HURTS."\par
Chapter Forty Six\par
Lance's POV:\par
"- WELL I'm sorry, that stupid, pretty boy Lance was-..."\par
\par
Those words rang in my head continuously, as though someone had set Ria's voice
on a never-ending playback mode.\par
\par
It stung all right.\par
No, erase that. It hurt. Like crazy. It hurts so bad that I wasn't even able to
comprehend the rest of her sentence.\par
I don't give a damn if she was only saying that to appease her loser of a boyfri
end. Why use me? The only thing I did was save her skin.\par
\par
Taenang buhay to oh. Mali pa ba yun?\par
\par
Nagda-drive ako ngayon pauwi, my mind not on the road but on her. Twice, I had t
urned on the wrong street. What the hell is wrong with me?\par
\par
Damn it. I'm crazy for her.\par
SCREW THAT but it's true. And I don't have a single idea why I am!\par
\par
What a stupid situation to be in. I have a girlfriend, and here I am going loco
over someone else. But it's HER fault, isn't it? If she wasn't fooling around wi
th Gelo, hindi na rin naman ako matututong tumingin sa iba!\par
\par
Pero ang gulo naman kasi. Kahit ako naguguluhan sa sarili ko. I like her. To a c
ertain degree. Totoong affected ako nung sinumpong siya, totoong natakot ako nun
g nalaman kong maysakit siya... pero ganun naman talaga diba? Kahit sa normal na
kaibigan?\par
\par
Ayan naloko na nga. Naknampota naman o.\par
\par
I feel like the biggest jerk in the world.\par
\par
Lumiko na ako diretso sa street namin.\par
Hay salamat. Makakapagpahinga na rin ako. Siguro itutulog ko muna to tas saka ko
na lang iisipin. Tama. Bukas na lang. Gaya ng dati.\par
\par
Right now, I just can't get myself to worry about anything else. I looked forwar
d to the comfort of my room, that feather-filled mattress-\par
\par
What the-?!\par
\par
"Hi."\par

\par
What is she doing in my room?\par
\par
"Hi."\par
"Gulat ka?"\par
"Ehrr... yea. Kanina ka pa?"\par
\par
She smiled. Something that felt a lot like guilt squiggled in my stomach.\par
\par
"Di naman. Kakarating ko rin lang."\par
"Ah. Wanna grab a bite?"\par
"Nah. Pero ikaw, gutom ka ba?"\par
"No. Inaantok lang."\par
"Oh? I'm sorry..."\par
"No ok lang. I needed the company anyway."\par
\par
Wow Lance. You are the world's biggest jerk AND the world's best liar. You deser
ve a mozzerfocking trophy.\par
\par
"Great. I missed this, you know?"\par
\par
I spared a look at her pagkaupo ko sa sofa habang nagtatanggal ng sapatos. I wan
ted to say "Me too," but I can't.\par
\par
"You look pale."\par
"Do I?"\par
"Uminom ka na ba ng gamot?"\par
"Oo."\par
\par
Tahimik. I put my shoes and socks aside and went inside my walk-in closet to cha
nge.\par
\par
I almost put my shorts over my head when I realized what I was doing. Darn it.\p
ar
\par
"Hon?" she yelled from outside.\par
"Yeah?"\par
"You know, I don't know if I was imagining it..."\par
"Imagining what?"\par
"Kanina. You didn't look happy to see me."\par
\par
I stared into empty air, thinking hard. But my brain was in screen saver mode an
d I couldn't think of a decent reply.\par
\par
"Hon? Ok ka lang dyan?"\par
"Oo naman," I said, emerging from the closet. She was standing near the bookcase
, looking at me intently. I avoided her eye.\par
\par
"Ano ka ba. Kung ano ano iniisip mo."\par
"Totoo naman eh."\par
"I'm sorry."\par
\par
She turned away from me and faced the bookcase instead.\par
\par
"I've got something important to tell you pala."\par
\par
Napatingin ako sa kanya. She looked even gloomier, then she sighed.\par
\par
"What is it?"\par
"I talked to my doctor this morning."\par

\par
All the muscles in my body immediately tensed. A shiver of fear went through me
like a gust of ice-cold wind. Natakot ako. It's almost like I didn't want to hea
r it.\par
\par
"And..?"\par
"I have to get a bone marrow transplant. And soon."\par
\par
Natulala ako.\par
\par
"I told him I'd let prom pass muna before I leave."\par
"Leave?"\par
"See, the bone marrow transplant procedure was a very recent discovery. Wala pan
g nag-ooffer noon sa Pilipinas. My doctor suggested na I leave for New York. Sab
i niya may colleague siya doon who's pretty much accomplished sa ganoon... He di
d say that option gives me the best chances of survival."\par
\par
I looked at her, hardly daring to believe it. She's leaving?\par
I saw her get a book from the bookcase; she opened it before she spoke again.\pa
r
\par
"Papayagan mo ba ako?"\par
\par
She's asking ME?\par
Dang it. So much for rubbing it in. I felt, if possible, even worse. Eto ako, na
gpapaka siraulo... tapos ako yung tatanungin niya kung papayag akong gawin niya
yung kaisa-isang bagay na makakapagpagaling sa kanya...\par
\par
Bakit ganito?\par
Tinamaan naman ng lintek.\par
\par
"If you don't want me to leave..."\par
"No. Do it," I told her firmly. She looked surprised, her eyes wide, apparently
staring at the book she was holding. "Kailangan mo yun. Hindi ako yung dapat mag
desisyon..."\par
\par
"Oh. I was hoping you would say na mas gusto mong andito ako kaysa nasa malayo..
."\par
"Are you crazy?" I asked her a little more loudly than I had intended. "Make you
stay and watch you die? No."\par
"Tapos ano? Pagbalik ko, may iba ka na?" she asked, her voice shaky.\par
\par
ANONG-?!\par
\par
"What?"\par
"I'm the one who should be doing the asking. What are these doing here?"\par
\par
She held up five fist-sized pictures, and I froze, heartily wishing the ground w
ould eat me alive.\par
\par
"I should've known. Noon pa."\par
\par
She walked towards me and threw the pictures in my face.\par
\par
"Game over."\par
\par
There she went, away... away...\par
\par
And with an ominous finality, she slammed the door behind her.\par
\par

I looked down at the pieces of paper that lay scattered on my feet. Showing exac
tly the opposite of how I felt, I wished I could simply forget everything and ju
st spend the rest of forever looking into Ria's eternally smiling face.\par
Chapter Forty Seven
Ria's POV:r
Indayyy aruray.\par
Ang init naman. January pa lang ah? Aga naman ng summer.\par
"Good morning!"\par
Wow naman ang boypren ko, ang aga-aga hyper. Hanggang batok pa ang smile!\par
(ang gwapo. Hehe )\par
\par
On good terms na naman kami ulit. In fairness naman kasi sa kanya, he was apolog
etic. After that shouting match, kita naman ng lahat yung effort niya to make it
all up. Dala lagi yung gamit ko papunta sa locker (kahit sinasadya kong pabigat
in), hatid, sundo, buntot hala sige lahat na. Araw-araw pa kami magkatelebabad,
magkatext, minsan nga napupuyat pa kasi hindi maawat. Ewan. Pareho kaming hindi
maubusan ng kwento. Para kaming naging magbest friend.\par
\par
"O? Musta? Parang ang saya mo ata?"\par
"Kasi alam mo," sabi niya, then he held up his right hand in front of me and sta
rted counting. Pinakita niya saken yung mga daliri niya and, "ayan. 5 araw na si
lang hindi nag-aaway. And you know what, for them, that's a RECORD!" he said, hi
s eyes glowing.\par
\par
I smiled sweetly at him tapos pinisil ko yung ilong niya.\par
\par
"Wow dude. Can't tell you how happy I am. Takot lang siguro nila sayo noh. Banta
an mo ba naman nung isang araw na pagbubuhulin mo sila. Kahit naman ako e "\par
"Lokaret ka talaga. Anyhoo, wala ka bang napapansin sa araw na to?" he asked, ta
pos nag coo coo eyes pa sa harap ko.\par
\par
Kahit kelan pa-cute talaga o.\par
\par
"Araw? Wala naman."\par
"Ano ka ba? Ang ganda ganda ng araw na to, it's a very special day. Sure kang wa
la kang napapansin?"\par
"Ha? Maliban sa fact na maalinsangan at mukhang uulan ng malakas mamayang hapon,
wala naman. Ano ba kasing meron?"\par
\par
Nag-pout siya tapos nagkamot ng ulo.\par
\par
"Kakainis naman to e."\par
"Teka, bakit, birthday mo ba? Diba malayo pa?"\par
\par
Lalong kumunot ang noo ni kumag. E ano naman ba kasi yung pinagsasasabi neto? Ay
aw pang sumiret, nagpapasuspense pa.\par
\par
"Don't tell me nakalimutan -..."\par
Ayun! At biglang lumitaw yung hinahanap ko!\par
\par
"Dude, saglit lang ha!"\par
"Saan ka pupunta?!"\par
"Saglit lang talaga, urgent ito!"\par
\par
Takbo naman ako papunta doon sa kabilang corridor. Sa wakas kasi, nagpakita rin
ang bespren ko pang isa! Pinagtataguan yata ako nito. Parang siraulo naman. Sigu

ro may atraso saken kaya ganun. Hmmm.\par

\par
"Hoy! William James!"\par
\par
Lingon naman siya. He smiled widely and stopped walking halfway along the corrid
or.\par
\par
"Hi Katuray!"\par
\par
Nilapitan ko siya tapos pinalo sa shoulder ng ubod-lakas.\par
"Anong katuray katuray ka dyan! Bakit ngayon ka lang nagpakita, hah?"\par
\par
"Aray ko ha. Masakit yun!"\par
\par
"Hoy, ang sabi ko bakit ngayon ka lang nagpakita! Umiiwas ka ba?"\par
\par
"Tangerks ka ba? Bakit kita iiwasan? Ikaw nga yung busy dyan "\par
\par
"Busy ka dyan. Hindi ah. Miss ko na nga kayo," sabi ko, tas inakbayan ko siya. A
ng hirap ha, ang tangkad niya e.\par
\par
"Bakit kami ba hindi? Saka naiintindihan naman namin ano. Dapat lang na magkasam
a kayo para makabawi naman si kolokoy. Asaan nga pala yun? Don't tell me iniwan
mo?"\par
\par
"Malamang. Ngayon lang kita nakita eh, alangan namang pabayaan na naman kitang m
akatakas."\par
\par
"Bruha," sabi niya then he took my arm off his shoulder. "Bumalik balik ka na ng
a doon. Baka kung ano pa isipin nun pag nakita kang nakasampay saken."\par
\par
\par
Excuse me?!\par
Nakasampay?\par
\par
"Hoy teka! Tatakas ka na naman? May atraso ka paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" sabi ko, t
apos hinila ko siya by the ear.\par
\par
Haha, nalukot yung mukha niya\par
\par
"Aray aray ARAY bitiwan mo nga yung tenga ko! Ano na naman ba yun?"\par
\par
I folded my arms and stared him down.\par
\par
"Ikaw ha. Anong ginawa mo sa pinsan ko?"\par
"Kay Jon? Bakit?" he said, as though patay mali, pero I've seen it; he averted h
is eye, staring at the floor instead. Typical Liam.\par
\par
"Stuuuuupedd. I meant Denise."\par
\par
Ayun na. He threw me a guilty stare and scratched his head.\par
\par
"Ano ba ginawa mo? Narinig ko kasi siyang umiiyak nung isang araw. Hindi ko nama
n matanong. Ano? Ikaw yun noh?"\par
\par
"Bakit naman ako agad yung inisip mo? Siguro kaya mo ako hinahanap no? Para mapa
galitan mo ko?"\par
\par
"Oo. Sino pa nga ba? Ikaw lang naman nakakapag paiyak dun."\par

\par
"Well gusto ko namang sabihin sayo e. Kaso feel ko bubugbugin mo ako."\par
"Mas bubugbugin kita kung hindi mo sasabihin."\par
"Kasi... iniisip niya... ikaw pa rin yung gusto ko. "\par
Susmaryosep santisima naman o.\par
"Ganun nga ba?"\par
"Asa ka mare. I'm over you. "\par
"Good boy. Ngayon do your job and talk it out with her. Have you asked her to pr
om?"\par
"Hindi pa nga e."\par
"Yan! Diyan ka magaling! Get your butt over there and do what you have to! GO!"
sabi ko, tas I kicked him away.\par
Hah. Go lang ever.\par
Balik na ako ng locker para kumuha na ng gamit ko.\par
Naku naman, saan na si kolokoy? Naknang tinapa. Naiwanan ko pa, wish ko lang hin
di siya galit or-\par
WHOA.\par
Pagkabukas ko ng locker, I saw a pretty box with a card on top.\par
January 21st, 20**\par
Ria,
Thanks.
&
Sorry.
Those are two important things I want to tell you on this special day.\par
Happy Monthsary nga pala Kurdaps. Labyu! =)
OHMAYPAKINGGASH.
Oh no oh no oh no SOD IT SOD IT SOD IT!!!\par
I looked again at the date.\par
January 21st\par
\par
SOD IT! How come I forgot?\par
NAKU ADRIANNA KAHIT KELAN KA NAMAN TALAGA!\par
Tapos, nga pala... nakalimutan ko na nga, iniwanan ko pa! Ano ba naman yun? Mukh
a pa namang bonggacious yung gift niya o. Ang ganda ng ribbon tas ang laki pa ng
box.\par
\par
Ano kaya to?\par
\par
OMG.\par
Low-cut chucks!\par
\par
Pare, ito yung sinabi ko sa kanyang gusto ko sa mall ah? Ito yung Black and Whit
e Sudoku Chucks na saksakan ng mahal!\par
\par
I owe him. BIG TIME.\par
\par
I re-read the letter, at sa panic ko, hindi ko nakita...\par
P.S. Remember the place kung saan tayo nagpractice dati? Meet me there at recess
time.\par
"Kurdaps? Nasaan ka na ba?"\par
\par
Parang engots naman yun e. Magsasabi sabing puntahan ko rito ng recess wala nama
n.\par
Baka gumaganti?\par
\par
Tss. Patay naman siya saken mamaya kung ganun nga. May suntok siya, monthsaryng
monthsary pa naman namin!\par
\par
"Huy!" said a voice, then I felt a gentle push on my shoulder. "Kung saan saan k
a kasi nakatingin."\par

\par
Talagang kailangan may tulak pa eh noh?\par
\par
"Did you like it?"\par
"Oh you PRAT! Of course I did!"\par
"Good," he said, then he leaned towards me and whispered in my ear, "so where's
my gift?"\par
\par
\par
Patay tayo dyan.\par
\par
\par
"Sabi ko na nakalimutan mo e," sabi niya, sabay pout.\par
"Eh... kasi..."\par
\par
Pinitik niya ko sa noo.\par
\par
"Aray!"\par
"Kulang pa yan. "\par
\par
Nagfold siya ng arms tapos hinawakan niya yung baba niya.\par
\par
\par
"Ano kaya gagawin ko sayo?"\par
\par
"Naman to e, pwede ko naman ibigay yung gift ko bukas."\par
\par
"Eh hindi na January 21 bukas. Bakit, may boypren ka bang ka monthsary mo ng 22?
"\par
\par
"Gagu."\par
"Murahin pa daw ako. Lalo kang bumibingo nyan."\par
"Sorry na o. Please?"\par
"Mukha ba kong madadala sa sorry?"\par
"Eh ano gusto mo gawin ko?"\par
He smiled mischievously tapos tinuro niya yung labi niya.\par
"Ano yan? "\par
"Don't tell me di mo alam?"\par
"Kadiri ka!"\par
\par
"Kadiri daw, pero nung halikan mo ko nung Christmas party ganun na lang
"Tigilan mo ako Angelo ha?"\par
"Fine. Edi dun ka humalik sa Liam mo," sabi niya sabay talikod.\par
"Ikaw rin, pag tinotoo ko yan," sabi ko, then tumalikod din ako at nagsimulang m
aglakad palayo para tigilan niya yung tampururot portion niya.\par
"Eto naman!" sabay hila niya saken, and before I knew it, our noses were just a
centimeter apart.. "Ikaw na nga may kasalanan ikaw pa nagpapahabol."\par

"That's how it works, baby. "\par

"Uh-huh?" he said, tapos he was leaning closer. I didn't move. It's not like I w
ant to.\par
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.\par
"WEH."\par
"Tara na nga," sabi ni Gelo, looking ticked off.\par
"Wait, there's something I gotta ask."\par
"What's that?"\par
"Want to go to prom with me? "\par
\par
He smiled widely.\par
\par
"Well, I'd rather it was me than Liam."\par
"Great. I'll be in gray."\par
"Ooooh. Okay. So kailangan mo kong samahang maghanap ng gray na polo mamaya "\pa
r
"It's a date, then?"\par
"Ano pa nga ba? Alangan namang monthsary hindi magde-date. Baduy nun diba?"\par
"Bakit hindi ka ba baduy?"\par
"SIGE, Isa pang hirit mo, sa ilong na kita pipitikin.\par
Chapter Forty Eight\r
First of Three Parts\
Ria's POV:\par
"Sis, are you done yet?" Ate asked impatiently as she peeked from the door. I lo
oked at her exasperatedly, tugging angrily at my gown.\par
\par
"Oh come on, " sabi niya, rolling her eyes. "Get over it. It's just a dress."\pa
r
"I LOVED that dress! It was the perfect one for me!" I screeched.\par
\par
Nakakaburaot naman kasi talaga yung dry cleaners, nasira nila yung gray gown ko!
\par
\par
Putragis na buhay yan. Ang mahal mahal nun! Super ganda pa saken nun e! Hindi ak
o mukhang tingting pag suot ko yun!\par
\par
Imagine, sinuyod ko lahat ng bilihan para makakita ng ganun na asymmetrical cut!
Tapos ganito... UGH!!!\par
\par
\par
"Well sis, to be perfectly and brutally honest, that thing you're wearing now lo
oks much better. What's with the gray fetish anyway?"\par
\par
"YUCK Ate, I can't believe you said that."\par
\par
"Okay, sorry. But why were you so attached with it?"\par
\par
"Well, nag-usap kasi kami ni Gelo na terno kami ngayon... Kasama ko pa nga siyan
g bumili ng polo... kaya nga gray yung binili niya kasi sabi ko gray yung gown k
o..."\par
\par

"Oh yea, napansin ko nga. Naka-gray na polo siya."\par

\par
\par
I turned to face her so suddenly that I heard my gown swish as loudly as a flag
being beaten down by wind.\par
\par
"WHAT?!"\par
"Oh, didn't I tell you?" she asked, nang-aasar. "He's downstairs na."\par
"Oh you FAGGOT you didn't- UGH!" sabi ko, and then I ran palabas ng kwarto.\par
\par
Anak ng tinapa, kawawa naman Prince Charming ko, baka napanis na doon!\par
\par
Bumaba na ako. Syempre, dahan dahan, para in case na nandun na siya nag-aabang,
may additional drama pag nakita niya na akong bumababa.\par
\par
My heart was banging like crazy against my chest habang iniimagine ko yung react
ion niya... Baka magalit siya? Sabi ko kasi gray e... Naku naman!\par
\par
"Ria?"\par
\par
The voice had come from the living room... my mom.\par
\par
When I came out and saw him, I thought time had come to a screeching halt.\par
\par
He looked more dashing than usual. His hair was mussed up, a little neater than
his everyday hair but WOW. Grabe, sobrang bagay. He had this sexy air about him
that I thought I would faint.\par
\par
Nakatingin din siya saken, his mouth agape. A lot like how he looked when he saw
me in my Moulin Rouge attire.\par
\par
Kung pwede lang siguro, tatayo na lang ako dito para titigan siya... hindi ako m
agsasawa. AS IN.\par
\par
"Hoy, kayong dalawa, mamaya na kayo magtitigan, male-late na kayo! Teka, hija, a
san ba yung binili mong corsage pin para sa kanya?"\par
\par
Kinuha ko yung corsage from the table nearby tapos lumapit ako sa kanya para ika
bit yun.\par
\par
\par
"Hi," I said breathlessly.\par
\par
"Wow Ria... you look amazing."\par
\par
"Thanks. I'm sorry..."\par
\par
"Bakit ka nagso-sorry?"\par
\par
"Sabi ko kasi mag-gray tayo..."\par
\par
"Ok lang yun. You're stunning, kahit sako pa yung isuot mo."\par
\par
\par
I slapped him lightly on the shoulder.\par
\par
\par
"Bolero."\par
\par
"O, gimme your hand," sabi niya, at inabot ko naman. Siya naman yung nagkabit nu

ng corsage kong para sa kamay.\par

\par
"Hindi nga Kurdaps, sure kang ok lang?"\par
\par
"Yeah. Blue rin naman yung necktie ko. Saka kung parehong naka-gray tayo magmumu
kha tayong Casanova. Masyadong monochromatic. What's life without a splash of co
lor, right?"\par
\par
Charot. Napa-English! ANG DEEP!\par
\par
"What're you smirking at?"\par
"Nothing, James Bond. "\par
\par
He blushed, then offered his arm tapos lumabas na kami. Siya nagbukas ng pinto n
g car for me.\par
\par
Ang sweet na sana kaso-\par
\par
"ARAY!"\par
"O! Ano yan?"\par
"Sorry. Nauntog lang ako. I'm ok..."\par
\par
Kakahiya naman\par
\par
The rest of the ride was nice, walang traffic, tas tawanan lang kami ng tawanan
kahit delikado kaming ma-late. Buti pala, malapit lang yung Hotel Intercon.\par
\par
I helped him into his tux and then deretso na kami sa hotel lobby. Sinalubong ka
mi agad ng adviser namin tapos tinulak kami papunta doon sa wall kung saan dapat
magpi-picture. After that glamorous-kuno moment on the red carpet, we went stra
ight for the ball room. Grabe, ang ganda. Feel na feel ko ang air ng Hotel Inter
con.\par
\par
But before we could go in, I felt a strong force tug at my arm.\par
\par
\par
"O hija, buti andito ka na... mamayang cotillion, kayong dalawa na ni Angelo ang
magkapartner ha?"\par
\par
"Po? Bakit?"\par
\par
"Mr. Woods just called me, sabi niya he's got a really nasty skin allergy kaya h
indi siya makakapunta. Shame but oh well. I'm sure both of you would find the ne
w arrangements much more suitable naman e, right Mr. And Mrs. F-, I mean Mr. Fon
tanilla, Ms. Antonio? Hala, don't let me keep you. We have a lot to do. MOVE!"\p
ar
\par
Ano daw?\par
\par
"Si Liam, may allergy?" he repeated blankly. "Kelan pa?"\par
"I smell something really fishy about this." I told him. He got his phone out of
his pocket and handed it to me.\par
"Call him."\par
\par
I raised a brow, wondering why he's doing it. Parang hindi kasi tama e... diba?\
par
\par
Pinanlakihan niya ko ng mata.\par
\par
"Tatawagan mo o hinde?"\par

\par
Tss. Labo mo Kurdaps.\par
\par
Kinuha ko yung phone niya tas dinial ko number ni kumag.\par
\par
"Hello?"\par
\par
"Hoy, William James! Anong kalokohan na naman ito, ha?" I said in a low voice pa
ra hindi kami pagtinginan ng mga pumapasok sa ballroom. Dinikit ni Gelo yung isa
ng tenga niya sa cellphone niyang hawak ko.\par
\par
"Chillax, Adrianna. I've got a plan. And don't nag, pati naman kayo ni Gelo nagk
abenefits "\par
\par
"Tigilan mo ako ha? Anong plano na naman yan? Allergy? Galing mo rin ah, napaniw
ala mo si Ma'am!"\par
\par
"Alam mo kung ieexplain ko, male-late kayo. Just do me a favor, okay? After the
cotillion, dalhin mo si Den sa lobby ha?"\par
\par
"Anong gagawin mo?"\par
\par
"Basta wag ka na nga maraming tanong dyan Katuray! Mamaya ha? Si Den, after the
cotillion, Hotel Lobby. OkthanksBYE!!!"\par
\par
At pinagbabaan ako ng telepono ng loko. Ginawa ba naman akong drive-thru! Kung a
no ano pa ang order! Ano bang akala niya kay Den, Happy Meal?\par
\par
"O ano? Nasaan daw siya?"\par
\par
"Ewan. Di sinabi."\par
\par
"Tawagan mo ulit."\par
\par
"Bakit?"\par
\par
"Para may partner ka na. Ayaw mo ata ako partner e," sabi niya sabay walkout kun
o. Hinila ko siya, syempre.\par
\par
"Ayan ka na naman. Palibhasa best actor," I said, not knowing whether I should b
e annoyed or amused with him.\par
\par
\par
He threw me a piercing gaze, the type that made me melt.\par
\par
"Pasalamat ka, maganda ka ngayon."\par
"Bakit? Kung hindi, anong gagawin mo?"\par
"Secret. Mamaya mo malalaman. "\par
________________________________________\par
\par
Elle's POV:\par
\par
"Hey, Lady in Red," said a voice in my ear.\par
\par
The voice took the empty seat beside me.\par
\par
\par
"You ok?"\par
\par
"Yup."\par

\par
"Baka gutom ka na? I could get you some pizza."\par
\par
"No thanks. Baka sumabog yung gown ko "\par
\par
"Bakit, hindi naman masikip ah. Siguro kahapon ka pang hindi kumakain no?"\par
\par
"Sobra ka naman. Hindi nga, seryoso, ok lang ako."\par
\par
"Ok, if you say so."\par
\par
Nagnakaw ako ng tingin sa kanya.\par
Wow. Ang gwapo niya pala kahit di magsuklay?\par
Parang ang gulo kasi ng buhok niya e. Wow, anong trend to? Lahat yata ng guys ng
ayon, mussed-up ang buhok. Di naman mahangin ah?\par
\par
"Tss. Pasimple."\par
"Anong sabi mo?"\par
He just smiled sweetly at me.\par
"Pasimple ka pa. Hindi naman kita pinagbabawalang tumingin saken. "\par
One of my brows shot up into the air.\par
"Excuse me?"\par
Tumawa siya na parang aliw na aliw siya saken.\par
"Cute mo sana. In denial ka lang."\par
"Gusto mong mabuhusan ng clam chowder soup, ha Aidan?"\par
"Wow, mas bongga yun sa binuhos mong mantika kay Gelo ah?" sabi niya, his smile
widening even more. "Does that mean na mas mahal mo ko? "\par
"Aba't--"\par
\par
Chapter Forty Eight\par
Second of Three Parts\par
Elle's POV
"Aba't-..."\par
"Hoy kayong dalawa, cotillion na, mamaya na nga niyo ituloy yang Civil War niyo
dyan."\par
Tumayo na ako at sumunod, without looking back at my partner who remained seated
. Baka masabunutan ko pa yang Aidan na yan, haynaku!\par
As I went I saw people joining their partners. Nainggit ako dun sa iba, gaya nin
a Jon at Maffy, na super sweet habang nagkukulitan. Even Denise looked comfortab
le as she took the arm that Lance politely offered as they stood on their spot.\
par
At susme, may tatalo pa ba kina Ria at Gelo? Talagang gumagawa ng paraan ang tad
hana (Liam ba ang pangalan ni tadhana? Hmmm) para magkasama sila. Honestly, I'm
starting to believe na destined sila sa isa't isa.\par
Ako, ok na ok lang sana saken na partner tong si Aidan e. Gwapo naman. Walang pu
tok, walang bad breath. And yeah, nasabi ko na bang gwapo siya?\par

Ay bakit ba ganito? Karma ko na ba to for being the bad girl I once was?\par
Teka lang. Ang weird. Lahat ng tao nakapwesto na sa paligid ko. Any minute now p
wede na magsimula yung music. Pero bakit... parang... may kulang?\par
Oh Sh.t.\par
Asaan yung partner ko?\par
Anak ng tipaklong. Patay.\par
Alangan naman magcotillion ako mag-isa?\par
INAYKUPO NAMAN!\par
Bakit nila pinatay yung mga ilaw?!\par
Ohcrapscrewit!\par
Andito pa naman ako sa gitna...\par
"Aidan?"\par
Naku Aidan... wag naman o! HANEP ka naman gumanti\par
"Aidan?" I said a little louder as the colored spotlights blared, blinding me.\p
ar
Sh.t! I'm screwed. My partner left me and I'm in the middle of the dance floor.
MUST.
RUN.
NOW.
As I started to walk away, I felt a strong force pull me back towards my place.I
found myself face to face with Aidan and felt a strong surge of mixed fury and
relief.\par
"What the fcuk was that?! Are you trying to get even or something?"\par
"Stop cursing. Tsaka wag ka nga mag galit galitan dyan. Pasalamat ka nga di kita
iniwan."\par
"At utang na loob ko pa sayo yun?"\par
Nagsimula na kami ng sayaw.\par
"Lakas mo mang-iwan at mang-away dyan, eh kanina hinahanap mo rin naman ako."\pa
r
"Malamang, magmumukha kaya akong tanga ng walang partner?"\par
"Ang sabihin mo, miss mo ko. "\par
Fine. I'mma shut up now.\par
"Ikaw dyan ang kunwari pa. Alam ko naman hindi mo naman ako matitiis,"I told him
as we did the lift. I landed in his arms.\par
"Damn right."\par
He threw me a smirk and I got confused. What on earth did he mean?\par
Kaysa magkamali, I just focused myself on dancing. Nakakahiya no. Nakavideo pa t
o.\par

"You're that SLOW, aren't you?" he shot at me.\par

I almost forgot the footwork as I looked at him.\par
"Excuse me?"\par
His smirk got wider.\par
"O baka naman talagang nagtatanga tangahan ka lang?"\par
"Ano bang pinagsasabi mo?"\par
"Oh come on. I don't need to spell it out for you. I've been predictable enough.
"\par
In fairness, dinugo ang ilong ko\par
"Fine. If you don't want to tell me, don't."\par
"Goodness, you're stupider than I thought."\par
Whatthefuck?\par
"Oh yeah? Well why don't you GET AWAY from Stupid Girl if it's bothering you so
much?" I snapped. He spun me around and I ended up with his arms around my waist
.\par
I could feel his hot breath on my neck.\par
"Because I want Stupid Girl to know that I'm crazy about her."\par
HAH?\par
Teka. I think my mind just went on screensaver mode.\par
My body went on its own, following the steps it had tried to master for the long
est time. I felt like I was floating.\par
Ayan na... ang pinakanakakalokang part ng aming sayaw...\par
For the last time, he secured his arm around my waist as I arched my back toward
s the floor. We were face to face once more, and hindi ko napigilang mapatitig s
a kanya ulit. I stared at him long and hard, wondering whether I should tell him
everything or maybe punish him for calling me stupid.\par
But heck. To hell with punishments.\par
"Oh come on. You're just as dense as her.\par
Haven't you ever noticed she's crazy for you too?"\par
He smiled widely as he got me back on my feet.\par
"That," he started. "Is the most sensible thing you've said tonight."\par
"Oo na, ako na hindi sensible... but you still love me for it, don't you?"\par
We heard the applause, signaling the end of the dance sequence.\par
"Talagang hindi ka nagkukulang sa self-confidence noh?"\par
"Wag mo nga akong balikan ng tanong, tatadyakan kita dyan e."\par
"Ohyea Elladora. Despite the fact na sinapak, sinuntok at sisipain mo ako ngayon
... I still love you for it. Happy?"\par
"No," I joked, feeling the corners of my mouth twitch.\par

"What else could you possibly want?!"\par

"Hmm. Let me think...\par
YOU?"\par
"You can have me later, " he whispered naughtily in my ear, and I giggled.\par
Out of nowhere, a song started playing.\par
[Author's Note: I'll be looking for a song pa, hee hee!]\par
"Can I have this dance? "\par
Denise's POV:
"Den?"\par
I turned around, seeing Ria walking towards me with a limp. She was carrying one
of her shoes in one hand. Beside her was Gelo, who was looking at her with wide
, disbelieving eyes.\par
"Can you help me?"\par
"Ano nangyari?"\par
"One of my heels came off. Pwede mo kong samahan sa lobby? Ate Danna's going to
get me another pair. Pretty please?"\par
"Oo naman, tara!"\par
We left Gelo still looking bewildered. I even saw him scratch his head.\par
Ria still walked gracefully kahit hindi pantay yung paa niya. Para ngang natutuw
a pa siyang nasira yung sapatos niya. Parang excited pa kasi yung itsura niya e.
\par
Ang labo talaga nitong pinsan ko oh.\par
We reached the lobby, habang yung ibang tao nakatingin sa amin. Nagandahan sigur
o\par
Nung malapit na kami sa may reception, she signaled me to stop walking.\par
"Wait, dito ka lang ha? Pag may naghanap na teacher, sabihin mo kumukuha lang ak
o ng sapatos."\par
"Ehrrr... Akala ko ba nagpasama ka kasi-?"\par
"Ayun na si Ate! Saglit lang ha?"\par
At yun na si Loka tumakbo na papunta sa entrance. Ano ba to? Nagpasama tas iniwa
nan ako?\par
I followed her with my eyes and felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.\par
"Hi Tunyang!"\par
"What are you doing here? "\par
"You don't look happy to see me. "\par
Well, that's not entirely true. I'm happy to see him.\par
But I won't tell him that, of course.\par
"Akala ko ba may allergy ka?"\par
"Aren't you glad I don't?"\par
"Oh, siguro inaallergy ka pa rin pero you're risking it na rin for someone.

"Yea. It's worth it naman e, lalo na, she looks really stunning."\par
"Wait for her, she's coming. Kumukuha lang ng sapatos."\par
Awkward silence. He looked at me intently.\par
"Ha?"\par
"Andun lang siya. Maya maya andito na yun."\par
"Ano bang sinasabi mo?"\par
"Diba you came here to get a glimpse of Ria? Sinasabi ko lang naman kung nasaan
siya."\par
He laughed.\par
"Honestly, I'm starting to think you're the one obsessed about Ria."\par
I threw him a dirty look.\par
"Don't you get it? I set this up. I told Ma'am I had an allergy so magiging part
ners na sina Ria sa cotillion, tapos sinabihan ko si Ria na gumawa ng paraan par
a madala ka dito sa lobby."\par
"So you mean- her shoes were okay after all?"\par
"Not really. Gelo said she tore one of her heels off para lang makagawa ng excus
e at madala ka dito. How genius."\par
D'OH!\par
Anak ng?! Nauto ako dun ah!\par
"So yeah. Come on, let's celebrate your prom!" he said, tapos hinila niya ako pa
labas.\par
"My prom's upstairs." I said coldly.\par
"No, dear. Your prom's with me. Come on, my mom's prepared a nice dinner for us,
and Kuya's got the nicest song mix. Sa bahay lang namin. Ayaw mo nun? We could
dance and eat all night. And surely, there'll be no one watching. Up for it?"\pa
r
My jaw dropped.\par
"Wow. No one's ever done something that special for me."\par
"Well,\par
Someone's done it now... so yeah, are you going or are you going? "\par
"I guess I don't have much choice."\par
"Oh thank goodness."\par
"No, don't thank goodness.\par
\par
Thank RIA."\par
Chapter Forty Eight
Last of Three Parts
Ria's POV:\
Ohmygawsh. I can't believe it. My plan worked!\par
Sa wakas.\par
I stood behind one of the posts sa hotel lobby, hawak yung kapalit ng sapatos ko
ng putol habang pinapanood kong lumabas sina Den at Liam. Nung una, kinabahan ak
o kasi parang ayaw sumama ni Den... pero ok na rin, mukhang nagamit na naman ni

Liam ang powers niya sa pambobola\par

Sshh. Don't tell him I said that.\par
I just wish na this time, he won't use that to his advantage. *Ahem ahem.* Baka
kasi hindi kayanin ni Den yung nangyari saken dati.\par
I looked at my watch.\par
Shooooooooooooot. Alas diyes na!\par
Susmarya, sa kakaintindi ko sa prom night glitches ng iba, nakalimutan ko na yun
g akin!\par
Oh no oh no oh no. Kailangan ko nang umakyat. 2 hours left to dance. Tsk.\par
Sa pagmamadali kong umakyat ng stairs, muntik pa akong malaglag at magpagulong g
ulong, tapos pagdating ko sa ballroom-\par
"ARAY!"\par
Naku, mukhang nasobrahan yung tulak ko ng pinto.\par
"Ok ka lang?" I asked, coming nearer para makita kung sino tong kawawang nilalan
g na napahamak ko at hawak hawak yung noo niyang nasapul ng pintong tinulak ko..
.\par
I froze.\par
"Ano ba, sa susunod kasi-..."\par
He broke off in mid-sentence, at pareho kaming mukhang estatwang magkaharap.\par
Hindi naman ako natulala dahil nagwapuhan o na-amaze ako sa kanya... (but I'm no
t saying na hindi siya gwapo ngayon) pero kasi-\par
Yung suot niyang polo had the exact same color as my dress.\par
"Sorry ha? Nagmamadali kasi ako..."\par
"Bakit ka naman nagmamadali? Don't tell me ngayon ka lang dumating?
"Hindi naman."\par
"Eh saan ka galing?"\par
"Kumuha ako ng sapatos kasi-..."\par
"Kasi?"\par
"Teka nga, bakit ba ang dami mong tanong?"\par
Mukha siyang nahimasmasan.\par
"Bakit masama? "\par
Oo nga naman.\par
Natawa siya saken. Edi tumawa na rin ako.\par
"Langya ka, prom night na prom night, binigyan mo ko ng bukol."\par
"Wala naman ah?"\par
"But oh well," he said smugly, taking his hand from his forehead, "Alam ko naman
gwapo pa rin ako. "\par

At umandar naman si Signal Number Four.\par

Kapit, Ria... baka liparin ka pabalik ng Las Pinas!\par
"-tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air..."\par
Nagtayuan ang mga tao as the song blasted from the gigantic speakers. Slowly, co
uples started to fill the entire dance floor.\par
\par
"If I should die before I wake-..."\par
"Uh... fancy a dance?" he asked, blushing mildly.\par
I stared at him, considering the offer.\par
\par
"Just a friendly one, don't worry. I swear I won't give your boyfriend a reason
to go berserk."\par
"Um, sure."\par
I felt guilty nung hinawakan niya yung kamay ko.\par
Diba dapat ang first dance kay Gelo?\par
Pero hindi eh... partner ko naman siya sa cotillion kaya ok na rin...\par
Diba?\par
DIBA?\par
Saka sabi niya naman friendly lang.\par
Ano ba to. Para akong nasa korte na sarili ko yung accused at ako rin yung judge
. LABO (>.<)\par
When we reached the dance floor, I put a hand on his shoulder and he put his oth
er hand on my waist. Pinabayaan niya lang na yung isang kamay namin magkahawak a
t hindi kagaya nung iba na talagang yung both hands ng guys nasa waist ng girls.
..\par
Hanga naman ako sa kanya. He stayed true to his word.\par
"Ikaw ha, gaya-gaya ka. Talagang magkakulay pa tuloy tayo."\par
"Kapal mo, bakit naman kita gagayahin?"\par
"Asus, alam ko naman patay na patay ka saken e "\par
"Siraulo ka, baka may makarinig sayo ha."\par
"Ano ba, nagpapatawa lang ako."\par
\par
"Bakit ka magpapatawa di ka naman kalbo? "\par
Tumawa siya ng malakas, tapos tiningnan niya lang ako.\par
Moments passed and he didn't take his eyes off me. His smile faded bit by bit, a
nd I felt myself flinching under the intensity of his stare.\par
"-got me out here in the water so deep... tell me how you gon' be without me..."
Shet.\par
As we spun around the spot, his gaze didn't waver.\par
Surprisingly, I found myself doing the same. I used all my determination to look

away.\par
"Teka, asaan nga pala si Rish?"\par
"Oh," he said, as though surprised. "You didn't hear?"\par
"Hear what?"\par
"She left for New York kagabi. For treatment."\par
"WHAT?\par
She didn't tell me."\par
He looked like he wanted to say something but decided not to do it.\par
"So... has she called? Sayang. Di man lang niya pinadaan yung prom before siya u
malis..."\par
"She didn't want to. I mean... we weren't really on good terms since last last w
eek. Kahit nga saken hindi nagpaalam e."\par
I didn't know what to say.\par
Gusto kong maawa sa kanya but he didn't look affected at all.\par
"I just wish we cleared it up bago siya umalis."\par
I looked him in the eye.\par
"You could do that when she comes back."\par
He smiled mirthlessly, shaking his head.\par
"I don't know. She might not want to do that."\par
Natahimik kami ulit.\par
I saw something a lot like longing in his eyes. It stirred something inside me.\
par
"Things changed," he said very suddenly, tapos tiningnan niya ulit ako.\par
"What things?" I asked, even if I was not sure if I wanted to hear it or not.\pa
r
"I wish I could tell you... but...\par
Under these circumstances, unfortunately... I can't."\par
"Hindi kita maintindihan."\par
He threw me an powerful gaze, one that made me melt.\par
"You don't have to," he said, smiling a bit. "But thanks."\par
"Thanks? For what?" I asked, now completely perplexed.\par
"For being here..."\par
As I continued to stare at him, the guilt that I have been feeling for the past
few moments welled up inside my chest and seemed to burst from the inside.\par
Why did I just- ?\par
Hindi.\par
Hindi na tama to...\par
"I'm sorry, Lance..." I said, meaning it. "I- I gotta go."\par

And without giving him a chance to object, I let go of him and tried to flee...\
par
But his grip on my hand tightened.\par
"Don't."\par
"Let go of me," I hissed.\par
"No. Please..." he pleaded. "Please don't leave me..."\par
"I said let go of me, damn it!"\par
Nagsimulang magtinginan sa amin yung mga tao sa paligid namin na nagsasayaw. I r
oughly threw his hand off mine and ran as fast as I could away from the spot.\pa
r
When I had ran a considerable distance away, I dared and looked back.\par
Nakita ko siya agad.\par
He had not moved an inch from where I had left him. He was staring at the floor
The guilt I felt turned into a nasty pang of what seemed like pity. Ang gulo. So
bra.\par
"Where have you been?"\par
I jumped and looked behind me, where Gelo stood.\par
"Oh? Para ka naman dyang nakakita ng multo."\par
"Hindi naman. Nagulat kasi ako bigla ka nagsalita."\par
"O ano... musta? Nagawa mo ba? "\par
"Ang alin?" I asked stupidly. He smiled.\par
"Ano ba. Sina Liam at Den? Mission accomplished?"\par
"Uh. That. Yeah."\par
"Good. So baka naman pwedeng ako naman ang asikasuhin mo? "\par
I gave a sigh as he took me back to the dance floor. I nervously scanned the are
a, but there was no sign of Lance.\par
"Ok ka lang ba?"\par
"Uh- yeah... bakit?"\par
"Wala lang. Para ka kasing natatakot na ewan e."\par
I gave the shittiest fake laugh ever.\par
"Hindi ah," sabi ko. "nao-overwhelm lang ako sa kagwapuhan mo "\par
"Sira. Gusto mong pitikin kita sa ilong?"\par
"Wag naman "\par
Kakainis. Hindi pa rin mawala-wala yung nararamdaman kong guilt saka awa kay Lan
ce. There was still a pretty good chance that I had messed up his prom night.\pa
r
"You ok?"\par
"Yup. Masakit lang paa ko."\par

He led me back to the chairs.\par

Hindi maganda to. Napapansin niya na yata na bothered ako.\par
"Tanggalin mo muna yan."\par
"Bakit?"\par
"Basta," tapos tinuro niya yung kurtina sa likod ko.\par
"Ilalagay mo dun?" I asked stupidly. He smiled.\par
"Ang dami mo naman tanong. Akina yan dali."\par
Binigay ko sa kanya yung hinubad kong sapatos tapos tumayo kami at dahan-dahang
pumunta sa kurtinang tinuro niya, though it didn't seem necessary kasi wala nama
ng nakakapansin, lahat masyadong busy\par
Eventually, we slipped behind the curtains that smelled strongly of lavender-fla
vored detergent. I looked at him inquiringly, expecting an explanation.\par
"What are we doing here?" I asked, annoyed. This place was suffocating me. Claus
trophobic pa naman ako.\par
Lalo akong nainis kasi hindi siya sumasagot, may kinakalikot lang siyang kung an
o doon sa may bintana.\par
"Is this your idea of a romantic getaway?" I shot at him.\par
Out of nowhere, I heard a loud click.\par
Tinulak niya yung inaakala kong bintana at bumungad sa amin ang isang super gand
ang view...\par
The night sky was fully visible, lined by the sky-scraping figures that defined
Makati's landscape. I stood agape.\par
It was a magnificent terrace.\par
"Yup. Some romantic getaway huh?" he asked, giving me his signature piercing gaz
e that I oh-so-hated.\par
"How did you know about this place?"\par
"Kamag-anak namin may-ari nito. Siya nagsabi saken."\par
"Hindi kaya tayo pagalitan?"\par
"Bakit naman tayo papagalitan? May permission naman."\par
"Pero-?"\par
He covered my mouth with a hand.\par
"If you don't shut up, iiwanan talaga kita," sabi nya, sabay pinanlakihan ako ng
mata.\par
Katakot naman to. Prom night na prom night, tineterrorize ako. PSH.\par
"Wow. Nice song," he said, grinning at me and extending his hand. "Can I have th
is dance?"\par
"Psh. Pasalamat ka wala akong maisip na banat."\par
"Huh? Bakit?"\par
"Hindi pa ako nakakaganti sa sinabi mo saken nung Christmas Party no."\par
"Ano ba, hanggang kelan mo ba isusumbat saken yun?"\par

"Hangga't hindi ako nakakaganti," sabi ko, tas pinisil ko yung ilong niyang saks
akan ng tangos. "May pa-pathetic pathetic ka pang nalalaman, kilig na kilig ka d
in naman."\par
"Kilig ka dyan. Mukha mo."\par
"Oo nga. Mukha ko cute "\par
"Whatever. With a capital W."\par
"Ikaw sister ha, bumibigay ka na!"\par
"Sshh. Wag kang maingay. Baka marinig ng girlfriend ko. "\par
I laughed as if I've never laughed in my lifetime.\par
"So. Does this qualify for a chick flick prom scene?"\par
"Nah," I said, and I saw him pout disappointedly.\par
"Kaw naman, sumisimangot ka agad di pa nga ako tapos. Syempre hindi lang to qual
ifier for a prom scene. The best to eh "\par
"Weh. Ayaw mo lang ako i-disappoint e." Sabi niya sabay pout ulit. PACUTE ang ku
mag kahit kelan\par
"Ano ka ba, syempre the best to for me. Moment natin to e "\par
"Talaga?" he sounded much like a child seeking reassurance.\par
"Talagang talagang talaga."\par
Tiningnan ko siya, tapos ginaya ko yung intense gaze niya, just to test kung kay
a ko.\par
At kung effective.\par
"Wag mo nga akong tingnan ng ganyan. "\par
"Ang sungit mo naman."\par
"Natutukso ako e."\par
Effective nga.\par
"Tigilan mo nga ako."\par
"Ayoko."\par
"Hindi ka talaga titigil ha?"\par
"Pano kung hinde? Kunwari ka pa dyan. Pa hard to get ka ah."\par
He pulled me closer to him.\par
"Pa-hard to get pala ha?"\par
I looked up at him, finding out how close our faces were.\par
Out of nowhere, I heard a noise that jolted me back to reality.\par
When I looked at the sky, there was an explosion of many-colored fireworks. My j
aw fell yet again, while my eyes widened in total astonishment.\par
"Don't tell me-..."\par
Ngumiti lang siya, his face illuminated by the light coming from the fireworks.\
par
"I won't tell you then."\par
"Pilosopo ka talaga."\par
"Sabi mo don't tell me e! "\par
"So are you saying you'll do anything I say?"\par

He looked at me long and hard.\par

"You don't have to say it..."
..\u9829?..
Chapter Forty Nine
Ria's POV
"Huy bakla, bakit naman mas lukot pa mukha mo sa Biyernes Santo?"\par
I looked up and saw Elle staring at me through her newly purchased glasses. Naku
ang bruha, ngayon lang naisipan mag-salamin eh matagal na palang malabo yung ma
ta. Tsk. Ang arte naman kasi, magmumukha daw siyang nerd kaya ayaw niya.\par
Pero ngayon, super iba na. Di na gaano nagtataglish, di na gaano mag make up, at
wag ka, di na rin sobrang sexy manamit. Pinagtatapon yata lahat ng damit niya a
t pinalitan ng collared shirts. Tapos hindi na rin nagmi miniskirt.\par
Nung isang araw nga, hindi ko nakilala eh. But it's for the better naman.\par
And it's all because of Aidan.\par
"Ito naman, minsan na nga lang tayo makagala, ganyan ka pa."\par
Andito nga pala kami ngayon sa tapat ng Royal Sporting House sa Glorietta. Paran
g triple date yung setup eh. Pero sina Liam at Denise, nagsolo na sa movies... t
apos si Aidan at si Gelo naman nagbobonding sa pamimili ng soccer cleats. Di na
kami sumama sa loob, ang dami kasing tao.\par
"Ok ka lang ba?"\par
"Hinde."\par
"Ano ba problema?"\par
"Uy, wag mong sabihing sinabi ko sayo ha?"\par
As I had expected, sumeryoso yung mukha ni Elle then lumapit siya saken.\par
"Ano yun?"\par
"Si Maffy kasi..."\par
"Magkagalit kayo?"\par
"Hindi. Nagpapatulong siya."\par
"Nagpapatulong? Saan?"\par
"Di niya daw alam gagawin niya... Natanggap siya for a scholarship sa French Cul
inary Institute sa New York. Sobrang dream niya yun. Kaso, kailangan niya syempr
eng umalis. Ngayon, di niya alam kung paano sasabihin kay Jon."\par
"Whoa," she said, tas natahimik siya at natulala. Parang yung reaction ko nung s
inabi saken ni Maffy na aalis na siya.\par
"Naman oh."\par
Ayan, kasalanan ko to. Nahawa tuloy sa emo moment ko.\par
"Nasaan nga pala yung dalawang yun ngayon?"\par
"Ayun, nagdi-DVD marathon kina Maffy. Sabi ni Bru baka daw ngayon niya sasabihin
."\par
"Eh diba may issue sila nung Dad ni Maffs?"\par
"Wala na yun. Buti nga hindi na pumapalag Dad ni Maffs. Kaso yun nga, naaawa nam
an ako dun sa pinsan ko. Kaya lang tumino yun dahil kay Maffy eh, tapos ganyan..
."\par
"Wala na tayong Mommy at Daddy..."\par

Oo nga. Yun tawag namin sa kanila e.\par

"O ano guys, saan tayo kakain?"\par
"Bakit ang lungkot niyo?"\par
Wala sa aming nagsalita. Inakbayan ni Aidan si Elle.\par
"Something wrong, Elley belly?"\par
"Wala. Gutom lang kami. Tara, kain na tayo..."\par
"Saan nga?"\par
"Katsudon na lang tayo. Sa Yoshi."\par
"Ok ka lang?"\par
He pulled out a chair for me and I sank gloomily onto it. Tumabi siya saken, the
n sina Elle naman humiwalay na ng table.\par
Sumandal na lang ako sa kanya.\par
"Sorry. I can't tell you."\par
"Why not?"\par
"I'm not the right person to do that."\par
"Is it about... us?"\par
"No."\par
He looked relieved.\par
"You're sure you don't wanna tell me?" he asked, still looking concerned.\par
"Wag muna ngayon."\par
"Ok. You can tell me when you're ready."\par
"Thanks."\par
"So ano, order na ko ha?"\par
"Okay."\par
Iniwan niya saken yung lahat ng dala niya maliban sa wallet.\par
And then I heard something weird.\par
Ay, si kumag, naiwan ang phone sa loob ng plastic bag, nagvavibrate.\par
Tiningnan ko.\par
I message received\par
Rish Beltran\par
What?\par
She's in New York undergoing treatment, diba?\par
Aba't talagang--?\par
Talagang nag-eeffort pa siyang mag load at mag roaming for Gelo ha? And she's su
pposed to be undergoing treatment and stuff!\par
Ano naman kayang napakaimportanteng bagay to at kailangan niya pang mag overseas
text? Di rin masyadong magastos...\par
Silly. Ang sabihin mo, miss mo ko\par
And whatthefckinghell? She spends P15 for these kinds of messages?\par
I pressed the back button.\par
Anakngtinapang-...?!\par
Bakit puro pangalan ng babaeng to nasa inbox ni Gelo?\par

This has got to be too much.\par

And oh! Speaking of the devil!\par
"Five minutes lang daw," he said, tapos tumabi siya saken.\par
I studied him in a long, hard, furious look. He looked nonplussed.\par
"You okay?"\par
"This isn't bloody okay."\par
I threw the phone in front of him.\par
"What the !@#$ is her name doing... flooding your inbox like that?"\par
Natulala siya. Napanganga lang siyang ewan, tapos parang nataranta at di malaman
kung ano ang gagawin. Hindi niya ko matingnan sa mata.\par
"Di mo ba ko sasagutin?"\par
"Ria-..."\par
"Matagal na nating pinag-usapan yang kay Rish diba?"\par
\par
Natahimik siya.\par
\par
"Look, there's no reason to-..."\par
"Alam mong malaking issue agad saken pag si Rish!" I said, yelling.\par
\par
I did not feel aware of getting on my feet, pero ang alam ko lang, ngayon nakata
yo na ako at nakatingin sa kanya, waiting for a sensible answer that did not see
m possible to come out of his stupid mouth.\par
\par
"Bakit ba ang tigas ng ulo mo? Alam mo naman diba?! Talaga bang ganun siya kahal
aga sayo kaya hindi mo matiis? Kaya kahit nasa malayo na siya, tinatyaga mo pa r
in?!"\par
\par
Hindi pa ako nagalit ng ganito sa buong buhay ko.\par
The worst part?\par
\par
He's starting to confirm my worst fears.\par
\par
"ANO? Hindi ka ba sasagot?"\par
I saw some of the people in the restaurant craning their heads to look at me but
I could hardly care less. All that I was aware of was the crazy sensation that
my world was being torn apart.\par
"Ria, sit down."\par
"Tang ina naman Gelo. Yan lang ang isasagot mo? Sa lahat ng tinanong ko, yan ang
mapapala ko... SIT DOWN?\par
AYOS AH!"\par
I grabbed my bag.\par
"If that's the only sensible thing you could say... I guess there's no point lis
tening to you."\par
Umalis na ako, unable to take any of it any longer. He followed me.\par
"Bumalik ka dito!"\par

Hindi ko na napigilang maiyak habang naglalakad ako palayo sa kanya. I furiously

wiped the tears off my face and tried to regain my composure habang pinagtiting
inan ako ng mga tao.\par
"Ano ba! Tumigil ka sabi eh!\par
ANO BA,\par
RISH!"\par
I froze in my tracks.\par
Nilingon ko siya. He looked so stupid, standing there, his mouth hanging half-op
en as though shocked.\par
"It's RIA."\par
I blinked and stared at the ceiling.\par
"Wow, congratulations. You've hit the jackpot.\par
Forgot my name, huh? Tell me, anong sunod mong makakalimutan? Ako?"\par
I waited for a while, believing, hoping, that he would explain and tell me what
I want to hear.\par
Tumalikod ako, swallowing everything I was feeling.\par
Next thing I knew, I was walking out of the store, into the pouring rain...\par
And no one was there to dare and stop me.\par
Chapter Fifty
Denise's POV:
"Aray ko naman!"\par
Naku, napalakas yata yung pagkasiko ko kay Elle. Pinanlakihan ako ng mata eh, ha
ha!\par
"Problema mo?"\par
Tumuro ako doon sa sulok kung saan may kawawang nilalang na nagmumukmok at nakat
ulala sa hangin. O_o\par
Ilang araw na rin kasing parang autistic kumilos tong si Ria. Imagine, kahit sa
math, naengot sa pagsagot kanina!\par
Hindi na talaga maganda to eh. Ibang Adrianna na tong nakikita ko. Mas malala pa
nga kumpara nung kay Liam (ahem ahem). Buti na nga lang, maaga kami pinauwi. Ma
y meeting kasi ang Student Council saka yung Faculty. Siguro kung tuloy tuloy pa
yung klase sandamukal pang sermon ang aabutin ni Ria sa mga teacher.\par
"Ano ba gagawin natin dyan?"\par
"Ewan ko rin ba."\par
"Grabe ka naman makasagot, parang wala kang pake..."\par
"Eh ano gusto mo isagot ko? 'Tara, ireport natin sa bantay bata?' Or siguro, 'He
y, let's go get her sa mental hospital for treatment!' Ganun? Is that what you w
ant to hear?"\par
NYEH. Um-OA naman!\par
"Joke ka ba Den? Malamang ilang araw ko na ring iniisip yan. Tinanong ko nga rin
si Aidan, ayun, si loko. Di rin alam, to think kami yung kasama nila noon. Kaen
gotan naman kasi namin, umalis kami dun sa Yoshi para makapagsolo sila, tapos SU
RPRISE! Nakita na lang namin si Ria sumusugod sa ulan. Ang joke nun diba?"\par

"Kawawa naman yang kumare natin. "\par

"Oo nga eh, gustong umbagin ni Aidan si Gelo nung nag-explain samin kung bakit u
malis. At wag ka, ni hindi sinundan para payungan man lang... ang joke talaga di
ba?"\par
"HUH? Hindi niya sinundan? Eh anong ginawa niya?"\par
"Wala! Nagmukmok na akala mo naapi. Ok fine, Ria should've listened to him, but
still, kahit sabihin nating may Alzheimer's si Gelo, hindi pa rin forgivable na
tinawag niya si Ria ng ibang pangalan... at pangalan ni Rish pa! Shoot, for Pete
's sake! Kung ako yun, bubuhusan ko siya ng Beef Gyudon!"\par
Nako, at nag-rant na nga si Aling Elladorang nambubuhos ng kumukulo pag galit!\p
ar
"At ito namang BRUHANG Rish na to, nasa kabilang dulo na nga ng mundo eh PAGLALA
NDI pa rin kay Gelo ang inaatupag!"\par
"HOY! May makarinig sayo!"\par
"Eh bakit? Totoo naman!"\par
"SSSHHH!"\par
Lingon naman kami sa aming uber mega gorgeous guys.\par
"Ang ingay niyo!"\par
"Rinig kayo hanggang kabilang dulo ng quadrangle!"\par
"Weh, exagg ka talaga leche flan!"\par
"Aidan leche flan?!\par
SHET! "\par
ROFL moment!\par
"Ano ba! Ang ingay mo Tunyang!"\par
"Weh! Shut up!"\par
"Sige nga, ano sinasabi ko kung talagang rinig mo?" Elle dared Aidan.\par
"Rinig ko, you were arguing with Denise na mas gwapo ako kaysa kay Zac Efron "\p
ar
"ULUL!"\par
"At ikaw naman Den, sinasabi mo kay Elle na mas gwapo ako kina Zac Efron at Aida
n!"\par
Humagalpak ako ng malakas. Potek naman ang hangin nito ni Liam\par
"Zac Efron? As if naman comparable ka dun!"\par
"Bakit naman hindi?"\par
"Hindi kasi TALO "\par
"So you're saying I'm much more macho?" said Aidan, flexing his 'muscles'.\par
"No she's not, Den, sabihin mo kung sino ang pinakamacho," hirit naman ni Liam,
raising his polo as though to show his abs na payatot naman\par
Hindi ako matigil sa kakatawa, sobrang sakit na ng tiyan ko!\par
"Hoy, eh kung itong komedyante powers nyo eh kay Ria nyo ginagamit..." saway ni
Elle. We all turned to look at Ria, who was still trapped in her own world. HALA
, nakalimutan ko tuloy siya. PSH. Stupid me. Stupid me.\par
\par
Edi syempre, kami lahat natulala, napaisip na ulit kung anong gagawin. Saka nama
n may sumulpot na asungot.\par
\par

Goodluck. Sana may maitulong siya.\par

\par
"O Jon, si Maff bakit di mo kasama?"\par
"War ba kayo?"\par
"Weh, por que di ko kasama war na agad. Andun sa Faculty meeting, Alam niyo nama
n, Student Council."\par
"Nga pala, bigating VP nga pala yun."\par
"Ang joke naman nun kung aawayin ko pa siya. Aalis na nga gaganunin ko pa. Di ka
gaya nung iba dyan na kinakarir ang pagiging tarantado- teka, asaan nga pala si..."\par
\par
He looked around and saw Ria.\par
\par
"Riangot!" sabi niya, tas umakbay siya.\par
"Huy." she replied blankly. Tiningnan kami ni Jon, his brow furrowed. "Bakit?"\p
ar
"Wala. Nga pala, sabi ni Ma'am Pearlie, kunin mo daw yung brown na envelope sa t
aas, sa room niya."\par
"Ah. Sige," sabi niya, tapos umalis na agad kaya hindi na namin natanong kung gu
sto ng kasama.\par
\par
"Hoy Jonathan, saan mo balak papuntahin yun?"\par
"Basta," he replied with a sly smile.\par
"Bakit mo pinaalis?"\par
"Joke ka ba pare?"\par
"E di ba wala namang tao sa taas?"\par
"Ang dami niyong tanong!"\par
"Bakit mo kasi pinaalis?! Kita mong gusto nga naming aliwin tapos-..."\par
"May nakita akong dumarating eh. Delubyo. Kaya pinaalis ko."\par
\par
ANO RAW?\par
Nagkatinginan tuloy kaming apat.\par
\par
"Ano ba, ang slow niyo ha, joke kayo. Ayun o," sabi ni Jon na mukhang nagsisimul
a nang uminit yung ulo.\par
\par
And sure enough, there was Gelo, approaching us.\par
\par
"Err... Hi guys," sabi niya paglapit niya samin.\par
"Hi mo mukha mo," bulong ni Elle. Siniko siya ni Aidan.\par
"Ano kelangan mo?" Liam asked coldly, crossing his arms.\par
\par
ANG TARAY!\par
\par
"Nakita niyo ba si Ria?"\par
"Ano kami, customer service?" it was my turn na sikuhin si Liam.\par
"Hindi. Hindi namin nakita," sabi ko na lang para matapos na. Baka kung ano pa a
butin nito sa amin eh.\par
\par
"Actually, nakita ko. Andun siya sa taas, may kinukuha sa room ni Ma'am Pearlie.
"\par
\par
We all gaped at him. Elle was close to swearing aloud.\par
\par
"Ah. Okay, thanks... sige guys... alis na ko..."\par
\par
When he was a considerable distance away... we prepared for the outburst-\par
\par
"Hoy Jonathan Figueroa, anong kagaguhan yun? Bakit mo tinuro?! JOKE KA BA? "\par
"Eh ano gusto mong gawin natin? ITAGO? Mas joke yun!"\par

"Eh tinulungan mo pa eh! Di mo pabayaang maghirap maski sa paghahanap?"\par

"Who said I was making it easier? Basta. Wag na tayo kumontra, I have a plan. "\
par
"At anong plano na naman yan ha?" I asked. Di ko kasi gaanong gusto yung tono ng
boses ni Jon. Ganito kasi to pag ginalit mo e. Kung ano ano pumapasok sa kokote
.\par
\par
Anong plano naman kaya yun? PSH.\par
________________________________________\par
\par
Lance's POV:\par
\par
Naku, mukhang ginu goodtime na naman ako ni Ma'am Pearlie. Bakit naman kasi ako
pa yung inutusan? At kay Jonathan pa pinasa yung utos? JOKE BA YUN?\par
\par
Wala namang brown envelope dito sa table. Saan ko ba hahanapin yun? Buti na lang
Student Assistant ako dito. Pwede ko halukayin yung mga gamit.\par
\par
Susme naman tong kwartong to, ang liit liit. They call this a Faculty Room? Eh l
alagyan lang namin ng walis yung mga ganito sa bahay.\par
Ang dami pang kalat, di ko tuloy alam kung saan magsisimula maghanapAHA! Ayun sa pinto, ang daming envelope!\par
\par
Hah, ayos, makakauwi na ko pagka-\par
"ARAY!"\par
\par
Pusang gala naman oh!\par
Bakit ba lagi na lang akong tinatamaan ng pintong basta basta na lang bumubukas?
!\par
\par
"Ano ba?! DI KA BA MARUNONG KUMATOK?!"\par
\par
\par
\par
Siya na naman?!\par
\par
"Ikaw na naman?"\par
"Kahit kelan ka talaga eh noh? Wala ka ba talagang idudulot sa buhay ko kundi ka
malasan saka bukol galing sa untog?! ..."\par
"Sorry... di ko sinadya..."\par
"Eh ano ba kasing ginagawa mo rito? Kanina pa tayo pinauwi!"\par
"May pinapakuha kasi saken si Ma'am Pearlie. Brown envelope."\par
\par
Luminga linga siya sa loob ng room.\par
Teka lang...\par
\par
BROWN ENVELOPE NI MA'AM PEARLIE?\par
\par
"Sino nagsabi sayong may pinapakuha si Ma'am?"\par
"Si Jon."\par
\par
Anak ng tinapang buhay naman to oh.\par
Naku Jonathan, lagot ka sakeng kupal ka!\par
\par
Naibato ko nga yung hawak kong envelope.\par
\par
"Ano ba?!"\par
\par
Sobrang umiinit yung ulo ko kay Jon. Bwisit naman kasi, alam na ngang-\par
\par

"Hindi mo naman kelangang ibato yung envelope eh."\par

\par
Napatingin ako sa kanya. Nakatitig siya dun sa envelope na binato ko sa sahig, t
as saka ko napansing maputla siya tsaka namamaga yung mata.\par
Puchang buhay naman to e. Ano namang pakialam ko?!\par
Gagu ka talaga Lance kahit kelan, GAGU! Isa kang napakalaking UNGAS!\par
\par
Pinulot niya yung envelope tapos lumabas siya.\par
\par
"Ria.\par
\par
RIA, teka lang-..."\par
\par
Hinila ko siya tapos humarap siya saken.\par
I was about to open my mouth to say sorry when a familiar tall figure materializ
ed in the nearby staircase.\par
Nakatingin siya sa amin. Doon sa kamay kong nakahawak sa braso ni Ria.\par
\par
Mabilis ko siyang binitawan. Ria seemed to have noticed where I was looking kaya
humarap na rin siya doon.\par
She froze on the spot, much like a marble statue.\par
\par
Huminga ng malalim si mestisong bangus tapos tumakbo pabalik dun sa hagdanan.\pa
r
\par
"Oh great," she said, tapos napaupo siya. "Now I'm a goner."\par
\par
She looked at me with an awful smirk on her face.\par
\par
"Now we're quits. Nagdala ko ng kamalasan sayo, nagdala ka ng mas malaking probl
ema saken. Ano? Good enough for you?"\par
\par
Bumalik yung inis ko sa kanya in full measure.\par
\par
"Right. Total naman simula nung nagkakilala tayo eh wala nang matinong bagay na
nangyari, let's make a deal. I'll pretend you don't exist in my world, and you s
hall act like I don't exist in yours."\par
\par
"DEAL."\par
\par
Ayun. At nilayasan niya na ako. DATING GAWI.\par
Well, ano nga namang bago roon?\par
Diba sanay na ako?!\par
\par
Bwiset na buhay talaga to oh.\par
\par
Chapter Fifty One\par
\par
Ria's POV:\par
\par
"O, andito na pala si Riatot eh."\par
\par
Nagtinginan silang lahat saken.\par
\par
"Oh? Bakit?"\par
"Wala," sabi ni Elle. She shrugged and smiled at me, then nakita kong sinamaan n
g tingin nila Aidan si Jon.\par
"Ano, tara na?"\par
"Oo ba."\par
"Ok ka lang?" tanong saken ni Den.\par

"Bakit naman ako hindi magiging okay?" I asked defensively. Denise looked taken
aback.\par
"Wala lang. Tara na nga," sabi ni Liam. Umalis si Den sa tabi niya tas tumabi sa
ken, then Elle did the same kaya napagitanan nila ako.\par
\par
Ang weird naman.\par
\par
"What's going on?"\par
\par
"Wala, miss ka lang namin."\par
\par
"Ako? Eh araw araw niyo naman akong nakikita..."\par
\par
"Bakit ba?" Elle asked, tapos pumulupot siya sa braso ko at sinandal yung ulo ni
ya sa balikat ko habang naglalakad kami. "Eh sa naglalambing kami eh."\par
\par
"Wag ka ngang bakla dyan Elladora! "\par
\par
"Ang cute mo pag galit. Lumalabas wrinkles mo! "\par
\par
\par
Di ko alam kung tatawanan o babatukan ko tong baklitang to e.\par
\par
\par
"Hoy, wag mo nga akong gamitan ng mga ganyan! Style mo bulok."\par
\par
"Ang sungit mo talagang bakla ka. Inaaliw ka na nga eh, kaw pa itong may S."\par
\par
"Aliw? Ano kayo clown?"\par
\par
"Why not coconut?" sabi ni Den tas nag-apir sila.\par
\par
"Pwes, hindi ako children's party."\par
\par
Nagtinginan ang dalawang bruha then pinanlakihan ako ng mata.\par
\par
"Hindi ka nga party, kung umarte ka naman parang children."\par
"What're you laughing at?"\par
"Anong children, plural yun!"\par
\par
Walangyang Denise to, napahagalpak tuloy ako ng tawa!\par
\par
\par
Sabay silang nagshake ng head.\par
\par
"Jusko, kung ano ano pang kagagahan ginagawa namin, sa ganun kawalang kwenta ka
lang pala tatawa."\par
"Hindi kaya walang kwenta yun!"\par
\par
Shet, ang sakit na ng tiyan ko\par
\par
"Yan, sa wakas. That's your first proper laugh in ages!"\par
"That felt good, in fairness."\par
"Salamat naman. Akala ko forever ka nang magmumukmok."\par
\par
Napatingin naman ako sa kanila dahil doon.\par
\par
"You were THAT worried?"\par
\par
They looked at me incredulously.\par

\par
"What did you expect?"\par
"Wala lang."\par
"But honestly, Ria... ok ka na?"\par
\par
Natulala ako. Ok nga lang ba ako?\par
Ok lang ba saken yung issue ni Rish?\par
Ok lang ba saken na posibleng iniisip ni Gelo na gumaganti ako sa kanya using La
nce?\par
\par
\par
"Ano bang nangyari sa taas?"\par
\par
"Teka how did you know na may nangyari?"\par
\par
"Duh, sinet up kayo ni Jon."\par
\par
"Tingnan mo yung taong yun."\par
\par
"And besides, nakita naming bumaba si Gelo, humahangos, nagmamadali. Mukhang ini
s na inis. Muntik pa ngang mabangga ng kotse nung Assistant Principal habang pum
apasok sa school yung sasakyan."\par
\par
"Totoo nga?"\par
\par
"Ano nga kasi nangyari?"\par
\par
"Naabutan niya kong kasama si Lance sa taas."\par
\par
"Bakit nandoon si Lance?"\par
\par
"Kasama yun sa plano ni Jonathan."\par
\par
"Hayup yan."\par
\par
"Ano sabi ni Gelo?"\par
\par
"Wala. Umalis."\par
\par
"Tama lang sa kanya yun. Para matauhan."\par
\par
"Joke ka ba? He could be thinking na gumaganti ako sa kanya."\par
\par
\par
Napaisip naman yung dalawa.\par
\par
\par
"Nagselos yun. That's what I'm sure of."\par
\par
"Pero wag naman siya puro selos. Kumilos siya diba? Hindi yung lagi na lang gany
an."\par
\par
"Oo nga. Or siguro hindi lang talaga ako ganun kahalaga sa kanya..."\par
\par
"Wag ka ngang engot dyan! Alam mo, alam ko, alam nating lahat na halos baliw na
sayo yung tao."\par
\par
"Eh bakit may Rish pa rin?"\par
\par
"Kanino ba nagtapat si Gelo sa harap ng buong batch nung Christmas party?"\par

\par
"Saken."\par
\par
"Sino bang hinalikan ni Gelo sa harap naming lahat noong Christmas party?"\par
\par
"Did you have to say that?"\par
\par
"Yup. Para matauhan ka. O, dali, sino?"\par
\par
"Ako."\par
\par
"Alam mo pala e! Ikaw, hindi si Rish, ok?"\par
\par
"Oo nga, andoon na ko-..."\par
\par
"Si Rish lang naman yung naghahabol diba?"\par
\par
"What makes you so sure? And bakit siya sumasagot?"\par
"Malamang, nahihiya. Best friend niya pa rin yun noon... Maybe he thinks that's
manners?"\par
\par
\par
I sighed.\par
\par
\par
"Susko... ang labo naman o. Paano kung ganito na lang yun mawawala lahat?"\par
\par
"Hindi mawawala yun pag nag-effort kayo pareho." Elle said assuringly.\par
\par
"Ayokong mawala siya..." I said, biting my nails.\par
\par
"Awww..." sabi nila nang sabay, tas sabay nila kong niyakap.\par
\par
"Hoy mga bruha, bili tayo food!"\par
\par
"Onga! Liam, LIBRE! LIBRE! LIBRE!"\par
\par
Napatingin ako.\par
MiniStop?\par
Hah. No thanks.\par
\par
\par
"Kayo na lang."\par
"Bakit?"\par
"Na-trauma ako dyan."\par
\par
\par
Grabe. Hanggang ngayon fresh pa rin saken yung lakas ng sampal saken ni Jill.\pa
r
Nginitian lang ako nina Liam at Jon. Siguro naaalala pa rin nila.\par
\par
"Trauma?"\par
"Psh. Mahabang kwento. Sige na, samahan niyo na yang mga lalakeng yan na bumili,
mamaya tayo pa yung kainin ng mga ulaga na yan. "\par
\par
Edi ayun na nga ang mga kumag, pumasok na ng MiniStop. As usual, ang daming tao.
\par
\par
\par
\par

\par
"Hey, look who it is..."\par
\par
Tingin naman ako dun sa pinanggalingan nung boses. May lalakeng kamukhang kamukh
a ni Aidan na naka uniform ng kabilang school na lumapit saken. May kasama siyan
g tatlong mukhang goons.\par
\par
"It's the girl from the club!"\par
\par
\par
\par
Oh sh1t.\par
Elle. Denise. Jon. Liam. Aidan.\par
Please lumabas na kayo.\par
Ngayon na.\par
\par
"O, don't you remember me?"\par
"I guess not, Ryan. She kept calling you Liam, remember?"\par
"You shut up!"\par
\par
The three other guys were laughing so hard, and mukhang pikon na pikon na yung k
amukha ni Aidan. He turned on me instead, his eyes glinting with malice. Lalo ak
ong natakot kaya umiwas na lang ako at naglakad palayo, kaso he was catching up
with me.\par
\par
"How could you have forgotten me so easily? We had ahhhh... more than just... yo
u know?"\par
\par
Shet. SHET TALAGA.\par
\par
"You were SUCH a good dancer. Not to mention a good kisser."\par
\par
Taeeee. NO! I never kissed him! YUCK!\par
\par
"Sorry. I don't know what you're talking about. Now will you please back off?"\p
ar
"No. Not now that I found you. I had SUCH a great time that I can't even get you
off my mind since then, missy. What makes you think I'll let you go just like t
hat?"\par
\par
He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him.\par
\par
"Gawd," he said, sighing obscenely. "Your scent drives me crazy."\par
\par
"Let go of me!"\par
\par
"Psh. Pakipot ka pa... oh please. You KNOW how much you wanted me back then...\p
ar
\par
And I know how much you want to do it again. Ano, tara? For old time's sake?"\pa
r
\par
SHOOTFCKDMNIT.\par
He was too strong. I kicked and flailed but wala akong magawa habang nilalapit n
iya saken yung mukha niya. Inilag ko na lang yung mukha ko hanggang kaya ko, pre
paring for the worst.\par
\par
Isang tamang suntok lang to-...\par
All of a sudden, bumitaw siya saken.\par
\par

I heard a loud crack and a pained groan.\par

\par
And then I saw the guy who harrassed me on the floor, clutching his bleeding nos
e and mouth. He quickly stood back up to assault his attacker, who looked incred
ibly familiar-\par
\par
"AAAGH!"\par
\par
I heard another huge crunch as Gelo planted another full punch on Ryan's face.\p
ar
\par
"Lumayo ka sa kanya kung ayaw mong samain!"\par
"Aba, gagu ka ah!"\par
\par
I found myself screaming for help as he lunged at Gelo, with his cronies coming
faster, clenching their fists.\par
\par
"NO! Stop it!"\par
\par
I tried to put myself between them but as I came, isang tulak lang nung kasama n
i Ryan tumalsik na ko...\par
\par
\par
"Don't you fcking hurt her!" he bellowed.\par
Tumayo si Gelo para sumuntok ulit pero wala siyang nagawa; he was outnumbered fo
ur to one. I froze in terror, having no choice-\par
"Stop it!\par
HELP!"\par
Then, the heavens heard me. Liam, Jon and Aidan came running to help.\par
Seconds later, may sumamang pulis kaya naawat na. Hinuli silang walo, pero pinak
awalan din sina Gelo, Liam, Jon at Aidan matapos sabihin nung mga lumapit na eye
witnesses kung sino yung talagang nagsimula.\par
"Bro, ano? Ok ka lang?"\par
"Yeah," he said, though he looked shaken and his lip was bleeding. He was lookin
g at me.\par
"Guys? Ok lang kayo?"\par
"Ria! Yun! Yun yung nambastos sayo sa bar na inakala kong si Aidan sa mall!"\par
"Gagung yun! May ginawa ba sayo?"\par
"Wala naman gaano... Dumating siya e..."\par
Tiningnan naming lahat si Gelo, who looked embarrassed.\par
\par
"Ayan. May alam ka rin naman palang gawin maliban sa-..."\par
\par
\par
Siniko ko si Jonathan.\par
\par
\par

"Wala pala. Ang ibig kong sabihin, marunong ka rin pala ng timing."\par
"Tara sa bahay namin para maalis na yang mga pasa natin," Aidan said. "It's near
est."\par
Sinadya nila kaming iwan sa kitchen. Inayos ko yung ice pack para hindi tumutulo
, tapos I gently laid it on his face.\par
\par
\par
"Agh... aray..."\par
\par
"Madiin ba? Sorry ha..."\par
\par
"Hindi," he said with clenched teeth, though alam kong sinabi niya lang yun para
hindi ako magalit.\par
\par
Natahimik kami.\par
\par
"Ikaw? Ok ka lang talaga?"\par
"Oo naman."\par
"Hindi ka kasi dapat mag-isa nun eh..."\par
\par
He looked like he wanted to club himself over the head as he said that.\par
\par
"Engot ka... kita mo na ngang apat sila, sige ka pa rin..."\par
"E anong gusto mong gawin ko habang hinaharass ka nun?! Manood?! Kumalma?"\par
\par
Inayos ko yung ice pack para macover yung buo niyang pasa.\par
\par
"Ano bang akala mo? Papabayaan lang kita?"\par
\par
I stared at the floor kahit magkaharap kaming nakaupo. Hindi ko kasi siya mating
nan...\par
\par
"Gagong yun..."\par
"Tama na. Tapos na yun. Ang importante... safe ka. Safe tayo...\par
\par
Di mo lang alam, takot na takot ako kanina...\par
\par
\par
Buti dumating ka... Salamat ha..."\par
"Bakit ka nagpapasalamat?!"\par
I looked at him. I got scared; he seemed so furious.\par
"Bakit, diba dapat lang naman na gawin ko yun? Nangako akong poprotektahan kita
at all costs..."\par
\par
His eyes said it all. Na-touch ako. Alalang alala siya.\par
\par
"Nakalimutan mo na ba yun? Tama lang yun kaya wala kang dapat ipagpasalamat... h
indi naman ako ibang tao para pasalamatan mo pa-..."\par
\par
Hindi ako nakaimik.\par
\par
"Sabihin mo nga, ano mo ba ako?"\par
\par
Nawindang naman ako sa kanya.\par
\par
"Ba't di ka sumagot? Ano mo ba ko? Bakit ganyan ka? ... ano na lang ba ko sayo?"
\par
\par
\par

Hinawakan niya yung kamay ko.\par

Ang gulo. Sobra.\par
\par
"Ok, ganito na lang, ha?\par
\par
May nagbago na ba?"\par
"Hindi maiiwasan yun diba?"\par
\par
Tumungo siya, tapos kinagat niya yung labi niya.\par
\par
"Look, alam ko ang dami ko nang nagawang kalokohan... marami akong dapat linawin
... pero bumabawi naman ako diba? Ginagawa ko naman lahat eh..."\par
"Oo nga. Pero ang hirap naman kasi. Hindi kita maintindihan minsan eh. Di ko mai
ntindihan kung bakit ganun, ako nga yung lagi mong kasama, ako nga yung lagi mon
g kausap... pero may mga oras na parang hindi naman ako yung nasa isip mo kundi
siya. Hindi ko maintindihan kung paano mo nasisikmurang sabihin na mahal mo ako
kahit ultimong pangalan ko, napalitan mo ng pangalan niya..."\par
\par
Putek. Naiiyak pa ko.\par
\par
"Yung nakita mo kanina, wala yun. Wala kang dapat isipin dahil wala lang si Lanc
e. Yung paghawak niya sa braso ko? Wala yun. Yung pagbuhat at pagdala niya saken
sa clinic nung Intrams, wala lang saken yun. Kaya kung ano man yung iniisip mo
tungkol sa amin ni Lance, kalimutan mo na yun kasi WALA lang saken si Lance.\par
\par
Ngayon... I'm daring you.\par
\par
Can you say the same about you and Rish?"\par
"Ria, marami pa kong dapat linawin... pero-..."\par
"Pero ano?! Hindi mo kayang sabihin diba?"\par
"Ano bang gusto mong gawin ko?"\par
"Isa lang naman ang hiningi ko sayo diba? Yung linawin mo. Sabihin mo lang kung
ano yung totoo. Yun lang. Kaya ko naman eh... kaya ko nga tinatanong diba? Yun l
ang, Gelo. Sabihin mo lang naman maniniwala na ako eh. Ano? Maski yun ba hindi m
o kaya?"\par
\par
Hindi niya ko matingnan.\par
\par
\par
"Kung ganyan rin lang, ayoko na."\par
\par
Tumayo na ako at ibinagsak ko yung ice pack doon sa kitchen counter.\par
\par
"So ganito na lang?" he said, standing up so suddenly.\par
\par
I turned my back on him but he pulled me right back to face him.\par
\par
"Ganito lang kadali sayo?!" he asked, hurt.\par
\par
"Eh kung sagutin kita ng oo, ganun lang kadali saken ang iwan ka... May magagawa
ka ba?"\par
\par
Umiling siya, tapos lumuwag yung pagkahawak niya sakin.\par
\par
"Siguro nga... wala."\par
\par
"Well I guess that's it.\par
\par
End of story."\par
\par

I left the room, unable to stand it any longer.\par

Chapter Fifty Two
Gelo's POV:
\par
Tahimik lang akong pumalakpak pagkatapos magdeliver nung valedictorian ng practi
ce speech niya.\par
\par
It was hard to believe na General Rehearsal na pala ng graduation namin ngayon.
Bukas na yung talagang ceremonies, tapos mamaya kukunin na namin yung mga toga n
amin.\par
\par
I absentmindedly watched our valedictorian take her seat in front of me.\par
\par
Oh, did I mention? Our top graduate's name was Ria Antonio.\par
\par
Andito ako, kasama niya sa upuan ng mga awardees. Hindi ako nakasali sa Top Ten,
pero pumasok naman ako sa qualification ng level honor (read: no grades lower t
han 88) kaya I was also entitled to a medal.\par
Nga pala, napili rin ako as the Athlete of the Year. You can imagine how my mom
completely screamed her head off when I told her about those. Sino nga naman ang
mag-aakala na ang isang kagaya kong dating tatamad tamad at babagsak bagsak eh
aabot pa?\par
\par
Six months ago, I was Gelo. Tulog nang tulog sa class, laging napapagalitan. Hin
di nagdadala ng P.E. uniform, hindi gumagawa ng assignment, hindi nagpapasa ng m
atinong requirements. Walang inaatupag kundi DoTA, soccer at Ragnarok. Twice a w
eek kung maglasing, even having a stick or two once in a while. Walang iniisip n
a future... walang direction.\par
\par
I stared blankly at her long hair that was neatly tied into a ponytail, wonderin
g if she knew na siya ang rason kung bakit nagbago lahat ng yun.\par
\par
Pero siguro, after that incident two weeks ago, she hadn't thought of me at all.
\par
\par
Tuwing magkikita kami, parang wala lang. Lampas lagi yung tingin niya sa akin, k
ahit sa corridors, kahit mukha na kong tangang humaharang sa harap niya eh wala
pa rin. She even looks much happier now; lagi na siyang tumatawa, nakangiti, MAS
AYA.\par
\par
Hindi pa rin kami nag-uusap. Natatakot akong lumapit. Yun ngang nasa malayo siya
, ramdam ko nang hindi niya ako kailangan eh... edi lalo na pag nakausap ko siya
?\par
\par
Oo. Tama kayo. Duwag ako. Walang kwenta. Inuuna yung pride at takot na masaktan.
..\par
\par
Ano ba, Gelo.\par
Dalawang linggo na, nagpapakagago ka pa rin. Mahal mo nga, di mo naman kayang ip
aglaban. Mahal mo nga, di mo naman malapitan.\par
\par
Mahal mo nga at gusto mong balikan, di mo naman magawa.\par
\par
Paano kasi, gagu ka e. Di mo kakayaning marinig pag sinabi niyang ayaw na niya.
Kaya mas pinipili mong mabuhay ng wala siya kaysa lunukin yung pride mo at amini
ng kailangan mo siya.\par
\par
Gagu ka nga.\par
Alam kong lumilipas na yung oras. There will come a time that it'll be too late.

..\par
\par
Tiningnan ko yung katabi kong Leadership Awardee - si Maffy. Napansin niya sigur
ong nakatingin ako kaya humarap din siya saken. Binigyan niya lang ako ng sobran
g tipid na ngiti tas umiwas na siya ng tingin.\par
\par
Yun yung isa pang nakakalungkot eh. Simula nung araw na yun, hindi lang si Ria a
ng nawala saken. Silang lahat. Parang sa isang iglap, nawala lahat saken. Mga ka
ibigan ko...\par
\par
Nakakabaliw isipin.\par
Pero ok lang eh. Ok lang na mawala sila at magalit silang lahat saken... ok lang
kahit di ako kausapin ng buong mundo basta andyan siya para sakin. Basta makiki
ta ko siyang ngumiti, ok na.\par
\par
Kaso wala na nga...\par
________________________________________\par
Ayun, pinapakuha na sa amin yung mga gamit namin sa locker. Pakiramdam ko tuloy,
pinapalayas na kami ng school namin at wala na silang gustong makitang bakas ng
existence namin.\par
\par
Haha, naalala ko tuloy yung araw na binuhusan ako ni Elle ng mantika. Andito ko
nun, kausap ko si Liam tungkol sa girlfriends niyang napagpalit niya pa yung pan
galan.\par
\par
Tingnan mo nga naman. Wala pala akong pinagkaiba dun sa dating Liam na babaero.\
par
\par
Pagkabukas ko ng locker ko, bumulaga saken yung mga pictures.\par
Isa-isa ko silang tinitignan bago ilagay doon sa dala kong box. Sige na lang, ka
hit siguro bukas na ako matapos, ok lang...\par
\par
Karamihan dito, kaming dalawa e.\par
School Fair.\par
Christmas Party. Haha, ayos.\par
Uy! Si Anria the giant teddy bear!\par
First Monthsary ata to? Nung binili namin yung polo ko?\par
MMM. Prom Night.\par
\par
Tinitigan ko lahat ng yun sa ibabaw nung box na hawak ko.\par
Gaya ba ng mga kasama niya dun sa kahon... papabayaan ko na nga lang bang mawala
at makalimutan ko lahat ng to?\par
\par
Ayoko...\par
\par
Sinara ko yung locker ko.\par
Badtrip naman eh. Bakit ba ngayon pa?\par
\par
Kung di ka ba naman isang ungas at kalahati eh.\par
\par
Nasaan kaya siya ngayon?\par
Ni hindi ko pa nga nacocongratulate sa pagiging Valedictorian niya. Kaso paano p
ag kinausap ko tas nilampasan niya lang rin ako ng tingin? Nakakahiya diba?\par
\par
Pero ungas ka, hindi siya ganun.\par
\par
Ay ewan. Bahala na. Pag nakita ko siya, edi sige. Pag hinde...\par
Nako Adrianna. Nakakabaliw ka. Kung alam mo lang.\par
AY! Patay! Nakalimutan ko na palang kunin yung card ko!\par
Gagu ka Gelo, pag wala yun, di ka makakapag enroll sa college!\par

Nagconfirm na nga pala ako ng enrolment sa UP. Yup, akalain niyo, pumasa rin ako
sa lagay na to. Same course kami ni Ria, gaya ng napag-usapan namin noon. Pero
siguro pag nabalitaan niyang sa same course ako mag-eenrollBLAG!\par
Ano yun?\par
I rounded the corner and saw Ria on the floor just meters away, her things scatt
ered all over her. Beside her was someone I could barely recognize. Ria quickly
stood up to fix the mess and I hid behind the wall.\par
\par
"O, ikaw na naman?" said a voice. "Kelan ba tayo magkikita na walang nadidisrasy
a?"\par
"Ewan ko ba," Ria said with a laugh.\par
\par
Sinilip ko kung sino yung kausap niya.\par
Bah. Si Signal Number Four pala.\par
\par
"Ok ka lang?"\par
"Yup. Pasensya na ha, lumilipad kasi yung utak ko."\par
"Wala yun, ako rin naman eh."\par
\par
Natahimik. Panay kauskos ng gamit nila yung naririnig ko. Next thing I knew, the
re were footsteps.\par
\par
"Lance, saglit..."\par
\par
I strained my ears to listen a little more.\par
\par
"Bakit?"\par
"Um... gusto ko lang mag-sorry..."\par
"Ano ka ba, ok na yan. Di naman ako nabalian e."\par
"Hinde, ibig kong sabihin... nung prom..."\par
\par
Prom? Ano yun? Bakit hindi ko alam yun, eh the whole time, ako yung kasama niya?
\par
Natahimik sila.\par
\par
"Hi- hindi ko sinasadya yun... Sana hindi ka nagalit or anything."\par
"Bakit naman ako magagalit? You just did the right thing, Ria. And besides... I'
m not entitled to be angry naman... diba?"\par
"I... I guess."\par
"Kalimutan mo na yun. Hindi ako galit."\par
"Truce?"\par
\par
Sumilip ako ulit at nakita kong inextend ni Ria yung kamay niya.\par
Lance took it, smiling.\par
\par
You sonovabetch.\par
\par
"Truce, then. I'll see you around."\par
\par
Then, there were footsteps again.\par
Lance appeared at the corner where I was standing.\par
\par
The moment he saw me, he gave his trademark stupid, self-satisfied smirk.\par
\par
"Been listening the whole time?" he taunted.\par
"What was that about?" I asked, unable to keep my voice calm.\par
"What was WHAT?"\par
\par
Tinulak ko siya.\par

\par
"You know what I'm talking about, jerk ass."\par
\par
He smirked more widely, then fixed his shirt at the point where I had pushed him
.\par
\par
"Dude, if you want to get answers... that isn't the way to ask."\par
\par
Anak ng tupang Intsik na to ah. Naghahanap ng away.\par
\par
"Who the fcuk are you to lecture me about that? Answer my question, you son of a
-..."\par
"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you, prissy."\par
\par
I saw his fists clench, and the smirk disappeared into thin air.\par
\par
"Anong nangyari nung prom?"\par
"Why don't you ask HER?" he said, sneering again. "She has all the details."\par
\par
He smugly turned up his collar and walked away.\par
Chapter Fifty Two (continued)
Ria's POV:\par
"Hay grabe siya ha. Naiinis na talaga ako," I told her.\par
\par
She didn't answer me. Instead, she went on gazing into empty space, as per usual
.\par
\par
"Ni tingin, hi, ngiti... WALA! Susginoo naman, kelan ba matatauhan yang tatay mo
, ha Anria?"\par
\par
Tiningnan lang ako ni Anria.\par
Susmarya, ano bang nangyayari saken. Pati teddy bear na walang kamuwang muwang s
a mundo eh pinagbubuntunan ko ng galit ko kay Angelo.\par
\par
Grabe siya ha. Sabi nga saken ni Elle, ang obvious ko na daw magnakaw ng tingin.
To think kahit sa kanya hindi ko inaamin na gusto ko pa rin yung tao. Bruhang y
un, may lahi atang mangkukulam kaya ang daming alam\par
\par
Naman kasi. Two weeks na yung nakakaraan simula nun. Di pa kami nag-uusap. Tuwin
g titingnan ko siya kung saan saan lang nakatunganga.\par
\par
Siguro iniisip na naman yung RISH niya.\par
\par
"Grabe yang tatay mo noh? Di na nakuntento sa isa," I said again, heaving a deep
sigh. "Mas maganda naman si Mommy kaysa kay Rish, diba bear?"\par
\par
"Not to mention mas sexy. Mas matangkad, at VALEDICTORIAN pa! Aren't you proud o
f your mommy?"\par
\par
I made googly eyes at her, expecting her to reply. Hinawakan ko yung likod ng ul
o niya then bended it to make it look like she was nodding.\par
\par
"Hay naku Adrianna, ang lakas na ng sapak ng utak mo ha."\par
\par
I turned and saw Ate Danna standing at my doorway.\par
\par
"You love him that much, don't you?" she asked, her lips curling into a cruel sm
ile. "So in love you are that you actually resort to bonding with teddy bears ju
st to forget him."\par

"Oh shut up, Ate."\par

\par
She closed the door behind her, taking a seat beside me.\par
\par
"You know what, I really don't get why you guys broke up."\par
"You don't have to," I snapped.\par
"I mean, he was SO into you. Tanda ko pa nga nung hinatid ka rito nila ni Elle.
Sobrang gabi na yun pero talagang hinanap ka pa at hinatid rito. Ewan ko ba, kin
ilig ako nun."\par
\par
She dreamily pinched my teddy bear's face.\par
\par
"If I had a boyfriend like that, I'd never let him off my hands."\par
"Easy for you to say."\par
"Was it another girl?"\par
\par
I threw her an uncertain look, stared back at my teddy bear and slowly nodded.\p
ar
\par
\par
"You had evidence?"\par
\par
"Yeah. His inbox."\par
\par
"Baka naman simple miss you's lang. I send all my guy friends stuff like that. U
nless it's something a little more suggestive, only then should you fret."\par
\par
"Well, yeah... but-..."\par
\par
"Oh, see? You waged World War III with him without even waiting for an explanati
on."\par
\par
"Hinde naman siya humingi ng chance magpaliwanag."\par
\par
"No, I know for a fact you didn't give him a chance to do that," she said smugly
. "Tama ako diba?"\par
\par
"Eh-..."\par
\par
I broke off, half-exasperated, half-amused at the fact that Ate seemed to know m
e so well.\par
\par
"Kita mo na?"\par
"And what would you have done, Miss Love Expert?"\par
"Well, I would've given him a chance to explain himself," she said, standing up.
\par
\par
I heard a distant roar of thunder.\par
\par
"Jeez, it's raining," she said, looking out the window. "Hey, what the-?"\par
\par
I raised a brow at her, then lumapit ako.\par
\par
What the bloody hell.\par
There was a tall figure standing outside our gates. I completely recognized who
it was kahit he was super blurred by the pouring rain and I could hardly see his
face.\par
\par
Without thinking, I rushed downstairs. Hearing the doorbell ring, I quickly swep
t through the living room and went out of the front door.\par

\par
Siraulong kumag to ah, ang lakas kaya ng ulan!\par
\par
Seeing no umbrella in sight, I ran off towards him and opened the gate.\par
\par
"What do you think are you doing here?" I yelled over the sound of thunder.\par
\par
He put me under an intense gaze, then I felt him pull my arm.\par
\par
"Anong nangyari nung prom?"\par
\par
WTF?\par
\par
"Answer me!"\par
"Gagu ka ba? Eh kung pumapasok kaya tayo dito sa loob para hindi tayo basa?"\par
\par
He pulled me even closer.\par
\par
"Don't change the topic, Ria. Anong nangyari nung prom?"\par
"UNGAS KA PALA EH! Kasama mo ako nun, bakit mo ko tinatanong?"\par
"Yun din ang akala ko, ako lang yung kasama mo nun..."\par
\par
And then something clicked inside my head.\par
LANCE.\par
\par
"I heard you."\par
"You heard-... Whatthehell-?"\par
"I heard everything. Now tell me what really happened."\par
\par
His grip on my arm was firm, and the look on his face showed he wasn't joking, n
or did he seem to care that we were now both drenched to the bone. I was startin
g to feel cold.\par
\par
"Why do you want to know?" I asked, taunting him. He couldn't seem to stand the
thought.\par
"You were with him, weren't you?" he said venomously, every word ringing with ac
cusation.\par
\par
I fell quiet.\par
\par
"What did you do behind my back?"\par
"Nothing." I said resolutely.\par
"YEAH RIGHT."\par
\par
Anak naman ng patola oo!\par
"Fine then! Isipin mo kung anong gusto mong isipin!"\par
"Gusto mo na rin ba siya?!"\par
"Anak ng-, ano bang tanong yan?!"\par
"Tell me!"\par
"Matagal mo nang alam kung ano ang sagot sa tanong mong yan," I told him. "I've
told you the real deal between me and Lance. It was you who wasn't able to give
a decent answer, remember?"\par
I roughly got my arm off his hand.\par
"If that's all, you can leave now," I said, walking away as fast as I can.\par
"You don't really want me to leave, do you?"\par
\par
I stopped in my tracks, looking daggers at him. He was smiling smugly.\par
\par
"Excuse me?"\par
"You still want me, and you know it."\par

\par
Nakangiti pa rin siya na parang nang-aasar. He was walking towards me with that
stupid, twisted smile on his lips. Goodness knows how much I wanted to move away
from him as far as I can.\par
\par
But I couldn't.\par
He came into a dead stop in front of me. I pathetically stared up into his perfe
ct features that I had grown to hate.\par
\par
And love, unfortunately.\par
\par
"You're not protesting."\par
"Not because it's true."\par
\par
His smile went wider.\par
\par
\par
"You are SUCH a bad liar."\par
\par
"What makes you so sure?"\par
\par
"I've always known you well. More than you think I do."\par
\par
"You're wrong. DEAD WRONG," I snapped, turning my back again. The rain was getti
ng harder and colder by the minute.\par
\par
"I'm not. I know how much you like walking out when you lose in arguments. I kno
w you love your sundae with caramel sauce, how much you love peanut butter oreos
, how you hate it when you hear me singing Maroon 5 songs, how much you cried af
ter your Dad went back to the States, how much you love eating broccoli and bana
nas even if they make your stomach go upset. Your sarcasm, your incredibly insuf
ferable retorts when you have your PMS, your undying love for Harry Potter , Edw
ard Cullen and Dan Hill, your unreasonable penchant of buying overly expensive d
onuts, even your habit of putting almost a kilo of rock salt onto your plate whe
never you eat tinola."\par
\par
He grabbed me closer to him in an iron grip.\par
"Now tell me I don't know you."\par
\par
I flinched under his gaze, finding his bright brown eyes, grazed by his unkempt
wet hair, unbearable.
"Go home."\par
\par
It was all that I had managed to say. He laughed.\par
\par
"Is that all you've got?" he asked, eyeing me derisively. I glared at him, which
proved to be quite an effort as I was blinking away the rainwater that was rush
ing into my eyes. Irritatingly, his face was still clear. I wasn't sure if it wa
s because of the fact that he was too close or maybe I had grown too familiar of
him. Either way, the situation was undesirable.\par
\par
"Come on, you're better than that, aren't you? Class valedictorian?"\par
"Go challenge someone else. I'm not in the mood for debates."\par
"Just like you've always been," he muttered. "Pathetic."\par
\par
Inching towards me so that our noses were touching, I stared, distracted.\par
\par
"Pathetic," he said again. "And I still love you for it."\par
"You're lying."\par
\par

His gaze, if possible, intensified.\par

\par
\par
"I never lied to you."\par
\par
"Yes you have."\par
\par
"When was that?" he asked, daring me. "What on earth have I lied to you about?"\
par
\par
"Rish." I said plainly.\par
\par
"You never asked."\par
"I did. Two weeks ago."\par
\par
For a moment, all I heard was the rain. His defiant expression softened.\par
\par
"You walked away before I could answer you."\par
"You think I wanted to hear it?"\par
\par
Satisfied at the half-disappointed look on his face, I smirked as he groped for
an answer.\par
\par
"Well, you asked."\par
"It might have been a rhetoric."\par
"I know it wasn't."\par
\par
I listened, infuriated.\par
\par
"You never ask rhetorical questions."\par
"You claim to know everything about me when you really don't," I shot at him ang
rily. "If you did, you should've known that I only walked out because I dreaded
hearing your answer!"\par
"You dreaded? Why, you presumed-..."\par
"I did, okay? I DID!"\par
\par
He froze, eyes wide and glinting with hardly suppressed delight.\par
\par
"Stupid."\par
\par
He reached down and cupped my chin with his hand.\par
\par
"I was scared to hear you say my worst fears aloud." I said shamelessly.\par
"What were your worst fears?" he asked, puzzled.\par
"You. And her..."\par
"Ok, stop," he said, smiling. "I might burst out laughing."\par
\par
He irritatingly went on staring at me affectionately, as though I was a kid hove
ring between innocent and endearingly stupid.\par
\par
"Did you really think I was going out with Rish behind your back?" he asked more
seriously now.\par
"Same way I'm wondering why you think I could go out with Lance in secret."\par
"Trust me, it isn't the same."\par
"There you go again, answering me in riddles."\par
\par
I tutted impatiently.\par
\par
"There's nothing between me and Rish. Is that straightforward enough for you?"\p
ar

\par
I looked up at him, trying not to look as if he had convinced me completely, tho
ugh he did.\par
\par
"Now it's my turn to ask questions. What happened on prom night?" he asked, his
face growing stern again. I tried not to smile.\par
"You sure you want to know?" I asked, teasing him.\par
"Yes, I'm sure," he said, though the look on his face suggested otherwise. I cou
ld tell he felt the same way I had when I was waiting for his answer back at Aid
an's kitchen.\par
"Ok then," I said, heaving a dramatic sigh. "I danced with him."\par
"What?"\par
"Well, almost. I was about to, then I remembered you. I thought it was unfair, s
o I left him in the middle of the dance floor. I knew he wasn't too happy about
it, that's why I was saying sorry."\par
\par
A long pause.\par
\par
"That's all?" he inquired incredulously.\par
"What did you want to hear?"\par
\par
He blushed red.\par
\par
"Well-..." he said, scratching his head. It was my turn to giggle.\par
\par
"You're jealous." I said it more as an assumption than an inquiry. He muttered s
omething that sounded a lot like "stating the obvious".\par
\par
"What did you say?"\par
"Nothing."\par
\par
I shivered involuntarily, my body becoming aware of the fact that I was drenched
to the bone with ice-cold water.\par
Before I knew it, I was vulnerably trapped in his arms. Though he was just as we
t as I was, I felt warm and secure as I pathetically breathed in his familiar sc
ent. He broke off from me, careful not to get away too far from my face as he br
ushed my cheek with his.\par
\par
"It was maddening, you know. Not to get to you this close for two whole weeks."\
par
\par
I laughed at the bluntness of his statement.\par
\par
"What a torture it must have been. Same way it -..."\par
\par
I stopped speaking as soon as I realized he was slowly coming closer, his eyes f
ixed dead on mine. Ironically, he wavered at the moment our noses had almost bee
n touching.\par
\par
"I don't know if I ever told you...\par
\par
I love you, Ria."\par
\par
His other hand found my cheek, and it was only then that he had closed his eyes.
Tenderly, he met my lips with his and I revelled in the moment, my heart flutte
ring.\par
\par
Never mind the rain and the wind. At last... at long last. He was back.\par
\par
EPILOGUE\par

\par
\par
Bus station\par
\par
"Jeez guys, hurry up!" Liam impatiently said over our heads as we got our luggag
e off Ate Danna's car.\par
\par
"Andyan na po!"\par
"Ok na? Wala nang naiwan?"\par
"Yes Ate!"\par
"Thanks sa paghatid!"\par
"O, mag-ingat kayo ha?"\par
"Yes Ate!"\par
\par
Aidan, Elle, Liam, Denise and I went along and joined the queue. Grabe. Ang dami
ng tao!\par
\par
"Sumakay na tayo agad! Dali!"\par
\par
I squeezed myself along the throng of people struggling to get to the bus. Next
thing I knew, the conductor placed himself between me and Denise.\par
\par
"Ma'am, naku, last na po siya. Hindi po pwede tayuan sa bus na to eh."\par
"Shucks!" I heard Elle say. "Baba na tayo!"\par
"Wag na po! Aalis na po yung bus!"\par
"Pero kuya, lima kaming magkakasama eh!"\par
"Andyan na po yung kasunod natin! Mapapagalitan po kami!"\par
\par
Oo nga naman, ang dami pang maaabala.\par
\par
"Sige guys, kasunod na naman pala eh. Text text na lang... di bale, ako bahala d
un sa dalawang bugok."\par
"O sige Ria, kaw na bahala ah?"\par
"O, asan si Ricardo Angelo?"\par
"Mamaya na daw, susunod na!"\par
"Ma'am, WAG NA KAYONG MAGKWENTUHAN O! MISS, BUMABA KA NA, AALIS NA KAMI!"\par
\par
Kumag na kundoktor to ah.\par
\par
"Osige! Ingat kayong dalawa!"\par
\par
Ayun, I got off the bus and had no difficulty finding the other two.\par
\par
"O? Bakit sinara na yung bus?"\par
"Puno na. Hindi na sila pwedeng bumaba."\par
"Ngek! E ayun na pala yung kasunod o!"\par
"O tara na, para makaalis agad di tayo gaano mahuhuli."\par
\par
Lapit naman kami.\par
\par
"Baguio to Kuya?"\par
"Oo, sakay na, dali!"\par
"Si Gelo nga pala? Akala ko susunod?"\par
"Baka mamaya pa."\par
"Sasama daw ba talaga siya?"\par
"Oo, sabi ng sumagot sa phone nila kagabi nag eempake raw eh."\par
"Okay. Sige."\par
\par
\par
Nakahanap rin kami ng upuan. Tabi kami ni Liam tapos dun sa kabila umupo si Aida

n.\par
\par
"Text mo nga si Gelo, tanong mo kung papunta na para makapag save tayo ng upuan.
"\par
\par
I went and got my bag.\par
"FUDGE."\par
"Bakit?"\par
"My phone got snatched."\par
________________________________________\par
\par
"Flight CX 360, Manila - Hong Kong -New York, is now boarding. Seat numbers 80 t
o 89, please proceed to the booths to validate your tickets."\par
\par
A tall, middle aged man stood up and gave his son a patronizing stare.\par
\par
"That's us. Let's go."\par
"Can you give me one minute, Dad?"\par
\par
The man tutted impatiently.\par
\par
"You can do that when we reach New York. Come on, I don't want to get left behin
d."\par
"Dad, just a minute, okay?"\par
\par
The son dialled the same number fot the umpteenth time. Again, it was the operat
or's voice who spoke.\par
\par
"The subscriber cannot be reached. Please try again later."\par
\par
"Damn it."\par
"Are you coming or not?"\par
"Dad-..."\par
"Look. Your sister is waiting for us. I don't want to prolong it, Angelo."\par
\par
He gave his Father an annoyed look.\par
\par
"I want to see Rish as much as you do. Now if you only told me earlier that we'r
e leaving for New York today, I wouldn't feel the need to explain to my friends
why I'm suddenly disappearing without a trace."\par
"Are you trying to blame me?"\par
"No, Dad. I just wish you told me earlier. About Rish, for one-..."\par
"Shut up, your Mom's coming."\par
"What's the matter? Are you arguing?"\par
"No. Let's go."\par
\par
As the three of them walked towards the booth to get their tickets validated, th
e son cast a surly look around the busy room.\par
\par
He couldn't help but feel apprehensive about leaving. There hadn't been time to
explain.\par
\par
Something in his gut feeling told him not to leave. It was like turning his back
to everything he has known for the past seventeen years.\par
Little did he know that the moment he stepped into the aircraft, the course of h
is life and those around him have changed forever.
I woke with a start.\par
Shoot it. Sarap na ng tulog ko eh!\par
I tried to get my water jug but-\par

*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH*\par
Whatthefuck?\par
The shrill screech of the brakes almost broke my eardrums.\par
My jug flew the entire length of the bus.\par
Anak ng tinapa naman oh.\par
Tumayo ako so I could get my jug, but I was thrown off balance.\par
Someone behind me screamed.\par
In horror, I realized the bus was swerving crazily left and right. The conductor
and I were hanging on the metal railing for dear life-\par
I looked at my seat, where, I saw, she was still mercifully asleep. I went to re
ach herI was thrown forward with the force of a falling anvil, hitting my head on one o
f the metal rods. Disoriented, I heard a mighty crash, not sure if I had imagine
d it.\par
Everything was spinning.\par
With all the strength I could muster, tumayo ako. Everyone was either asleep, bl
eeding or knocked unconscious. Lumabas ako ng bus.\par
I couldn't see a thing, except grass and a deep abyss just two or three meters a
way.\par
Scared, I went and quickly turned to the opposite direction. I saw the side of t
he road.\par
HELP!\par
No one could hear me.\par
I couldn't speak, much less scream, for help.\par
The road was deserted, so even if I did manage to speak, no one will hear me.\pa
r
And then, miraculously, a couple of bright, blinding lights appeared in the dist
ance.\par
Trying to put one foot ahead of the other, I went and reached the side of the ro
ad.\par
HELP...
I think I saw the lights getting nearer, then stopped.
A tall figure materialized, then...
there was nothing but blackness.
-END OF SEASONRia's POV
"Psst, gising na."
"Nasa Baguio na tayo?"
"Hinde, stop over. Pangasinan. Tara, bili tayo pagkain."
I stood up and followed Aidan to the bus aisle.
"O, asan na si Liam?"
"Aba ewan ko, najejebs na siguro!"

Kumag na to.
"Wait, diba dapat pareho tayo ng stop nila Elle? Bakit tayo lang ang bus dito?"
"Na-traffic lang siguro."
"Eh diba pareho lang yung daan? Nauna pa nga sila satin eh. "
Aidan got his cellphone off his pocket.
"Text ko na lang."
"Osige. O! Ayun pala si Liam o!"
Pinuntahan namin si Liam, who was standing in front of the customer service boot
h.
"Psst! Kumag!"
"Bakit ganun? Wala pa daw pasabi yung isang bus..."
"Eto nga, tinext ko na sina Elle. Mamaya lang sasagot na yun."
"ARAY! "
I was nearly thrown off balance as a woman came crashing right into me in her ru
sh to get somewhere.
"GEEZ, what's the big hurry? "
I turned and saw where she had fixed her eyes; the tiny television set that was
set at the far, upper corner of the crowded room. A news caster was looking cris
p in his usual suit; while beside him was an image of a bus precariously hanging
onto the edge of a cliff.
"SH1T. "
"-sinasabing naganap ang insidente ng ganap na alas sais ng gabi. Sa ngayon ay l
ima ang kritikal, at karamihan sa mga sugatan ay dinala sa San Carlos General Ho
spital-..."
It only took a second before the three of us raced back towards the bus, carryin
g all our stuff with us as we ran towards the highway...
With every fiber in our body, we prayed and racked the heavens in the hope that
a cab would mercifully come our way at this time of night.
Ria's POV
I saw the speedometer hit 140 kilometers per hour, but I still felt it was too s
low.
"Malapit na ba, manong?" Liam asked for the nth time.
"Konti na lang hijo," the driver said patiently. Buti na lang, mahaba yung pasen
sya nung matanda, kundi kanina niya pang sinipa palabas yung katabi niya.
Nilingon ko si Aidan, whose face was white as chalk, his eyes blank and fixed at

a certain point outside the window. Si Liam naman, kanina pang hindi mapakali d
oon sa harapan. He kept fidgeting here and there, while I remained silent in my
seat kahit pakiramdam ko sasabog na ko.
I felt scared.
Parang ayoko na gusto ko na makarating sa hospital. Gusto ko kasi sobrang kinaka
bahan na ako at gustong gusto ko nang makita yung dalawa. Ayoko kasiStop it, Ria, I told myself firmly. They're safe and in good hands so stop being
so effing morbid.
Finally, the car came to a screeching halt in front of an old hospital. I handed
the driver some money, thanked him profusely and told him (yelled, more like) t
o keep the change as the three of us raced towards the ER.
Inside was a terrible chaos. The room was packed with men yelling, women screami
ng and children bawling at the top of their lungs. I could hear at least a dozen
names simultaneously being yelled at the nurses' counter, where the women in un
iform were trying their best to calm the crazy queue in front of them.
I saw Liam squeeze himself into the angry mob, but Aidan went and harshly pulled
him right back as he got shoved around, unable to get in front.
"Let me through you FCUKERS!"
"Shut up and calm down. This isn't the place to practice your truck driver vocab
ulary."
"Let go of me, damn it!"
I was pulling them off each other when I saw a familiar face pass by- a woman dr
essed in a more elaborate white uniform, on her chest a gleaming badge which rea
d HEAD NURSE.
"Tita?"
She turned to face me, surprised. She was my dad's sister.
"What are you doing here?"
"Papunta po kami ng Baguio-..."
"Kasama ka sa-?"
"No, Tita, but I really need your help," I said, forgetting all about courtesy.
"Two of our friends were in the accident, I was hoping we could find them here..
."
"Ok," she said, sensing the tensed urgency in my voice. "Follow me."
I glared at Aidan and Liam who still looked ready to kill each other and signale
d them to follow us.
"Ma'am!"
Anak ng patolang nurse naman to, aabalahin pa kami, kita nang-

"What?"
"Ma'am pakipirmahan po..."
"Sige, akina, ibibigay ko sayo mamaya."
"Ma'am, kung pwede raw ngayon na po."
"What's with the rush?"
"Immediate release order po sana, kasi kailangan na daw talagang palabasin yung
anak ni Senator Yutanco-..."
"Mga paimportante," she said, tapos she harshly grabbed the clipboard and signed
it. "Now get off my sight and tell the others to leave us alone!"
My aunt angrily led the way towards a cramped, whitewashed office where more nur
ses were scrambling in and out of sight, their hands full of bottles and tubes.
"Anong pangalan?"
"Lopez. Camilla Denise."
"Ok," she said in a defeated sort of voice.
"Sasamahan ko kayo papunta sa kanya... ano pangalan nung isa?"
"Reyes. Elladora Kathleen."
My aunt looked at us dejectedly.
"She's not here. "
Elle's POV
Geez. I must be in heaven or something.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!
PUTEK! Ang sakit ng ulo ko!
Ok, ok. At least now I know I'm not YET dead.
Seriously, now... saang lupalop ng mundo na ba ako napunta?
I opened my eyes and saw a magnificent, uber-wide wood-paneled room, its wallpap
er pink and girly. I tried to sit up and see it all but a huge, heavy ball of ga
uze was somehow connected to my head and I couldn't lift it off my pillow. My te
mples throbbed angrily as I forced myself to see everything around me. On my bed
side table was a vase full of fresh, fragrant chrysanthemums, and it was only th
en that I felt how soft my mattress was.
Sosyal naman sina Ria, first class room pa yata sa hospital ang kinuha saken. Ma
s mukha pa ngang hotel room to kaysa hospital!
Eh teka lang, speaking of Ria, nasaan na sila?
"Ria?"
My voice echoed weirdly off the walls, but aside from that there was no other re

ply.
And then, the door flew open.
Him?! What the eff is he doing here?
Di naman namin siya kasama ah?
I thought I must be getting delusional as I watched his face swim in and out of
focus.
"ATE!"
WTF?!
ATE DAW?!
He ran towards me and wrapped me with a bear hug so tight that I found it extrem
ely hard to breathe.
"You're awake! Thank goodness!"
"GELO! Hindi ako makahinga- *cough* LET GO OF ME!"
Mabilis niya akong binitiwan.
"Hala, nagdedeliryo ka na yata Ate," he said, and while he was at it, I tried to
take a good look at him. How on earth did he make it that quick from Manila? Or
maybe ilang araw na kong tulog kaya nakabalik na siya? Ano na nga ba?
"Yoohoo? ATE? Si Rafa to!"
What?
RAFA WHO?
I narrowed my eyes, and the spinning stopped. His face came into clearer view.
WAIT.
He's right. This guy ISN'T Gelo.
So who the hell is he?
This is weird. I'm actually looking at Gelo's Chinese version.
Teka lang...
"Rafa... OMG. RAFA YUTANCO?!"
He rolled his eyes.
"Ramp and print model, anak ng senator, Xavier star soccer player-..."
"Ano ba, isang taon ka nang wala, hindi pa rin nagbabago yang pang-asar mo saken
" he said, eyeing me fondly. "Kahit kelan ka Ate Niki."
"Anong Ate Niki? "
We stared at each other, our eyes as wide as dinner plates.
"Bakit Ate, nagpalit ka na naman ng pangalan para hindi ka namin ma-trace?" he a
sked exasperatedly. "Nakailang palit ka na ba? Memorize na kaya namin yang modus
operandii mo tuwing naglalayas ka."
"I'm serious, alright? I'm Elle, not Niki."
"Saan mo nakuha yung Elle?"

"Okay, listen to me, you bunghole," I said, now pissed off. "It's Elle. Spelled
E-L-L-E."
"Wait a minute," he said, a slight frown line visible on his forehead. "You're N
OT my sister. No matter how angry she is, she never calls me names."
Naawa naman ako.
"Sorry. Pero kasi naman noh Kuya, ang kulit kulit mo! "
He walked towards my bedside table and got something that looked a lot like a pi
cture frame.
"Well, you can't blame me for thinking it's you," he said, then he handed me wha
t he was holding.
OKAY. This is weird.
Kanina, narealize kong kaharap ko ang Chinese version ni Gelo.
Now the picture I'm holding contains my own face smiling up at me.
Well at least, a very Goth, Rock, Punk or whatever you call it version of ME.
Never in my wildest nightmares would I put that much eyeliner. Or that outrageou
s shade of white as foundation, or that neon"Okay. So it's Elle, right?"
"Yeah. Wait, you were the one riding the car?"
"Oo. I brought you to the hospital, then here. Dad thought you were Niki, and he
told me to bring you here bago ka pa dumugin ng media. You can imagine how big
the frenzy will be. Ikaw, kasama ka dun sa bus papuntang Baguio?"
"Yeah. Wait, where am I?"
"Your- I mean, Ate Niki's room."
"No, I mean, where? Tarlac, Baguio-..."
"Pangasinan."
It was then that I remembered everything.
I threw off my blanket and tried to get off the bed.
"What are you doing?"
"I was with someone on that bus. I need to find her."
________________________________________
Ria's POV
We weren't quite ready for what was waiting for us at the Intensive Care Unit.
Underneath the maze of tubes and coils of transparent plastic wires, there she w
as, with a breathing apparatus attached awkwardly on her mouth. There was a huge
cut on her face, and her head was massively wrapped in gauze bandages.
I put my fist inside my mouth to stifle the sob that had threatened to come out.
It was like the world has come to a stop.

Liam came running to her side, his face anguished; never had I seen him like tha
t before.
"Den?"
Sh1t.
I let out a pained sob as I watched Liam plead with her to wake up.
"Den, it's me... Come on now, okay? We're here already. You're safe..."
Pinuntahan ko si Liam, lightly putting my shaking hand on his shoulder. He turne
d towards me, looking as though he wanted me to reassure him that everything wou
ld be alright.
I shook my head. In a quick movement, he had wrapped me in his arms and the next
thing I knew, he was breaking down completely.
"Tita..." I said from over Liam's shoulder, "How is she doing?"
"Hija... she's suffered a massive skull fracture. We even suspect internal bleed
ing."
"She'll be okay, won't she?"
It took a while before she could answer me.
"Adrianna... as a nurse I can't lie to you," she said, slowly saying every word
as though it might hurt us less. "Well, she's got a chance of surviving, but we
will be needing a pretty good miracle."
Liam broke off from me. He went and got Denise's hand in his and pressed his lip
s against it as hard as he can. I looked away, unable to stand the pained look o
n his face and the maze of tubes connected to Denise's body, the only thing that
seemed to keep her alive...
"Well, if you need something, just tell the nurses to fetch me."
She went away. I sat miserably on the nearby couch, unable to stop crying.
I felt so worthless. I couldn't do anything. Gusto kong kumilos pero hindi ko na
man alam kung anong gagawin.
Nilapitan ko ulit sila.
I decided I had to leave Liam alone for a while.
"Hey, where are you going?" he asked thickly, looking up from where he was sitti
ng.
"Sa labas lang ako."
"Where's Aidan?"
"Titingin daw sa ibang ospital, baka raw andoon si Elle."
I got another painful stab at my insides as I thought about Elle.
"Don't worry. Just stay there and... talk to her. You never know, right?" I told
Liam, trying to reassure him. He merely smiled.
"Yeah. You never know..."
Chapter Four
Elle's POV

"I was with someone on that bus. I need to find her."

"Wait!"
I was about to yell a paragraph of swearwords at him when the door flew open onc
e more, swinging wildly on its hinges.
Nagulat na lang ako ng may mabilis na figure na tumakbo papunta saken sabay niya
kap ako ng pagkahigpit-higpit. Suskopo, baka mabali yung gulugod ko!!!
"Niki! ang apo ko!"
Narinig ko na lang na umiyak at tumatawa yung babaeng nakayakap saken. I looked
at Rafa, who signaled me just to hug her back. I did it, though reluctantly, the
n at last, at long last, binitiwan ako nung babae.
HAY. Makakahinga na rin ako. T_T
Walangyang Rafa to, may pinagmanahan pala. Grabe sila makayakap! NAKAKAMATAY!
Tiningnan ko yung babae.
Grabe.
Ang ganda niya. Para siyang si Gloria Romero.
She looked like she was in her eighties and she still looked so DAMN good.
"Oh my god, hija... I never dreamed I'd see you again. Akala ko..." her voice tr
ailed off while she wiped a tear off her perfect face. "Ok ka lang ba, hija?"
She got my face into her hands.
"Opo, Lola... I'm okay. Don't worry."
She looked astounded.
"Did I say something?"
"No... it's just... ahh..."
"Lola, I don't think you should be here," Rafa said quickly. "Ate Niki will need
some good sleep. You can talk to her later, okay?"
"Later? You promise?"
She looked like a kid who was making sure she would be given a promised lollipop
.
"Of course, Lola, " Rafa said exasperatedly.
"Okay then."
"That's a good girl."
"Stop treating me like a baby, Rafael Luis. Niki, Lola will be back, okay?"
"Ok. " I said, trying not to laugh.

I tried to hold my smile as Rafa shooed her out of the room.

When she was at long last out of earshot, I glared at Rafa.
"Okay, now that my grandmother has seen you, and she thinks you're her favorite
granddaughter, you can't leave for another week."
"WHAT?!"
"Shhhh!"
"Anong kalokoh-"
"Look, we have been trying to find you- I mean my sister for the past few months
and-..."
"Wala akong pakealam, OKAY?! I need to see my friends RIGHT NOW!"
"Let me finish!" he said sternly. "Ok, we will try to contact your friends and l
et them know na ok ka, but you can't go just yet. Is that fine?"
"SH1T!"
UGH. Badtrip.
I had no other choice. Kahit tumakas ako, saan ako pupunta? I'm in the middle of
nowhere with no phone, no clothes, no money...
"Here's my phone. Call whoever you like," he said, then umalis siya.
I stared at his Apple iPhone.
"HOY, KUMAG KA! PAANO GAMITIN TO?! "
________________________________________
Ria's POV
I stayed up all morning. Natawagan ko na sina Ate Danna at papunta na sila rito,
sinabi ko na ring isama si Gelo. I kept checking my watch kasi nag-aalala na ri
n ako kay Aidan; hanggang ngayon kasi hindi pa rin bumabalik.
Nahanap na kaya niya si Elle?
Bumalik ako sa kwarto para icheck si Liam.
Hindi pa rin siya umaalis sa tabi ni Denise. Naawa ako sa kanila pareho. The sho
ck seemed to have died down pero hindi pa rin talaga ako mapakali. Tuwing naiisi
p ko si Denise hindi ko mapigilang matakot. Hindi ko akalaing posibleng may mang
yari sa aming ganito. A few hours ago, I was just talking to her and Elle.
Sh1t. Si Elle...
Saan naman kaya nagsuot yung babaitang yun? Badtrip naman eh. Isa pa siyang alal
ahanin. Hindi ba niya alam na halos magkagulo na kami rito?
Susginoo naman. Nasaan na ba yun? Safe kaya siya? Kumain na kaya siya?
Buhay pa ba siya?
Fcuk. Ano ba tong pinag-iiisip ko. Syempre. Mahahanap yun ni Aidan. Buhay yun. M
asamang damo yung bruhang yun eh.
Natawa ako sa sarili ko, tas napansin ko umiiyak na naman ako...

Damn that bus conductor. Sana siya na lang yung nag-aagaw buhay ngayon. Kasalana
n niya kung bakit napasama sina Elle at Denise sa kagaguhang to. I should never
have let them ride that motherfcuking bus. Kung alam ko lang... kung alam ko lan
g talaga...
I heard faint knocks on the door. Nakita ko nandyan na pala sina Ate Danna...
Tumakbo ako at binuksan yung pinto. Niyakap agad ako ni Ate Danna at ni Jon. Yun
g mommy ni Denise dumeretso dun sa kama niya.
"Okay ka lang ba?"
"Oo Ate... Si Den..."
"Anong nangyari sa kanya?"
"Yung bus nila... Jon, si Den- ano..." I said, but I couldn't finish the sentenc
e as I broke into another flurry of sobs. I saw Jon look at Denise's bed, then h
e put both hands on my shoulders.
"Si Den ano?" Jon asked me forcefully. Hindi niya matingnan ulit si Denise.
Hindi ko masabi. Hindi ko maamin kahit sa sarili ko kung ano yung alam ko...
Lalo na kay Jon. Kasabay niya kaming lumaki ni Denise, like a brother. Lagi siya
ng andyan para alagaan kami at i-protect. If there was one person who loved Deni
se more than I did, it would be him.
"Ano ba? Ano ba yun?"
"Coma... severe skull fracture..."
"But she'll be ok, diba? Diba Ria?"
I couldn't answer him. Binitiwan niya ako tapos nilapitan niya sina Liam, whose
face was drawn and pale na parang bigla siyang tumanda ng sampung taon. Sobrang
maga yung mata niya. Siguro habang nasa labas ako nung kwarto buong gabi siyang
umiiyak habang kinakausap si Denise.
Natulala si Jon habang nakahawak doon sa bakal sa kama ni Denise. Yung mommy nam
an ni Denise umupo doon sa sulok, tulala rin. Tinabihan siya ng mommy ko.
"Ma, si Tita Alex, nandito. Siya yung head nurse."
"Ah. Sige. I'll talk to her para malipat natin si Den sa Manila."
"Ma..."
"Don't worry, anak. We'll do everything to keep her alive."
She hugged me tapos lumabas siya ng ICU. Hinila ako ni Ate Danna para umupo tapo
s sumandal ako sa kanya. Patting my back gently, she went on and tried to encour
age me, though she was shaken herself.

Maya-maya, bumukas ulit yung pinto...

"AIDAN!"

Tumakbo ako papunta sa kanya, tapos tumingin ako sa likod niya, hoping Elle woul
d be running in here right after him.
Nung tiningnan ko siya, I knew all my hopes were up. Naawa ako sa itsura niya...
kasing lala siya nung itsura ni Liam kagabi nung una kaming pumasok ng ICU...
"I couldn't find her, Ria," he said miserably. I noticed his eyes were bloodshot
. "I searched every hospital in the vicinity. Naka limang hospital na ko pero wa
la..."
He put his fist against his mouth, trying to stifle an anguished groan.
"I went to the police, I reported her missing. I gave them our contact numbers j
ust in case."
Nakatingin silang lahat sa amin ngayon. Siguro, hindi rin nila ma-absorb...
Dumating na si Mommy, kasama ni Tita Alex, parehong may dalang mga gamit.
"Eto na yung sinurrender nung mga naghanap sa bus," sabi niya, then I recognized
what she was holding as Elle's things. She turned to look at Aidan then she han
ded everything to him. "I'm sorry, hijo. There was no sign of her except these..
."
Aidan stared blankly at the things he was now holding. Pumunta siya doon sa sulo
k habang hawak yung bag, tapos umupo siya. He hid his face in his hands, hoping
we wouldn't see, then he completely lost control as he burst into tears.
This has got to be too much.
"Does anyone else have bad news to share?" I asked sardonically.
"Ria... There's something else we have to tell you."
Chapter Five
Liam's POV
The road trip back to Manila has been an excruciatingly long one.
Ria, Aidan, Jon and I sat side by side in the cramped ambulance with Denise. I t
hought we were going to be scolded by the paramedics but apparently, there were
so used to these cases so they hardly seemed to care. Mabilis namang napakiusapa
n yung staff ng hospital dahil kamag-anak nga nina Ria yung Head Nurse, kaya eto
kami ngayon, ihahatid namin si Denise sa St. Luke's.
Once in a while, tumitingin ako kay Ria. Nag-aalala kasi ako sa kanya. Simula ka
si nung sinabi sa amin ni Ate Danna yung tungkol sa pag-alis ni Gelo, hindi na n
amin siya makausap ng maayos . Parang laging wala sa sarili. She insists that sh
e's okay, pero syempre ungas lang ang maniniwala sa kanya.
But knowing her, it could have been a lot worse. Sabi pa nga ni Ate Danna, ang p
inag-aalala niya is the fact that Ria was taking it too lightly.
But well, who can blame her, right? After all that we have been through for the
past few hours, I'm pretty sure na hanggang ngayon, in shock pa rin siya, or kun
g hindi man, she has probably grown numb. Kung sabagay, everything had been too
hard to absorb.
I turned to face Denise this time. Before we left San Carlos, sabi nung doctor h
er condition was now stable at medyo pwede na kaming huminga ng maluwag, pero gi

ven na coma pa rin siya, kailangan pa rin daw namin siyang ipa-check for other c
omplications.
Kahit ganun, natatakot pa rin
a, diba? I don't know why but
aiwasang isipin kung ano yung
ising? Paano kung iwanan niya

ako. Kung talagang ok na siya, dapat gising na siy

I just can't afford na maging kampante. Hindi ko m
mga pwedeng mangyari. Paano kung hindi na siya mag
na ako?

POTA Liam. Tumigil ka na nga! Babatukan kita eh!

*Taeee. Malala na sapak ng ulo ko. Binabantaan ko na sarili ko *
At eto namang si Aidan, isa pa rin. Kung si Ria, kulang sa reaction, ito sobra.
Lagi na lang tulala. Kung hindi nakatanga sa amin nila Ria eh nandun sa bintana
nakadungaw, as though he was expecting Elle to materialize there any minute.
Di ko rin siya masisi. Kung ako nasa posisyon niya, mababaliw ako. Di niya alam
kung nasaan, kung kumain na ba, kung nakakalakad ba, or kung humihinga man lang.
Ayan tuloy, nahahawa ako sa pagka pessimistic ni Aidan. Tsss.
Aynaku Elladora. Lakas kasi ng tama mo dito kay Aidan eh. Haha.
Kung nandito lang si Den ngayon at naririnig niya kung ano pinag-iiisip ko, sigu
ro, kanina pa yun humahagalpak ng tawa.
"Are we there yet?" Ria asked blankly.
"Lapit na siguro."
"Asaan na ba tayo?
"Malapit na, Balintawak na to eh."
"Naks, alam. Nahahalatang mahilig kang lumayas."
The four of us laughed, seemingly the first one we had in years.
"O, ayan. Kayo eh. Masyadong serious. Kaya natin to diba?"
Ngumiti si Ria saken, tapos si Aidan binatukan ako, pero si Ria yung nasapul kas
i nasa pagitan namin siya.
"Sinong serious? Upakan kita dyan e "
"Ano ba! Ako yung tinamaan! PAKSHET KA AIDAN!"
"PAKSHET DAW O!!! HAHAHA!"
Hagalpakan kami ng tawa kasi sobrang ngayon lang namin narinig si Ria na nagsali
ta ng ganun
"Eh sa masakit eh!"
"Sige, mag-ingay pa tayo, para magising si Den!"
Ayan. Dead moment. Off kasi yung joke ko
"Basta. Magiging ok din lahat to, ok? Fight lang ng fight!"
"FIGHT!"
Ang tawag diyan... ewan. Hahaha.
________________________________________
Rish's POV
"Dad, what's going on?" I heard Gelo ask, his voice ringing with urgency. Nakata
likod siya sa akin. I saw my father's eyes flit towards me then back.

"Not now, Angelo."

"I need to know!"
"Shut up!"
I cleared my throat. Humarap saken si Gelo at mukhang nataranta.
"What's wrong, Kuya?" I asked, now fully able to use the term since wala na kami
sa Pilipinas. Sinamaan niya ng tingin si Dad tapos lumapit siya sa akin.
"You hungry?"
"No. Kuya, what-..."
"He won't tell me either," he said angrily.
"Get ready, guys," Dad said. "We're checking out of the hospital in an hour."
"An HOUR?!"
"Hoy, OA ka," I said, laughing. "Ok nga yun, sawang-sawa na kaya ako rito."
Gelo didn't seem to find it funny.
"What the hell is going on, Dad? You come here telling us to get ready to leave
when she's supposed to get another treatment session tonight-..."
"It's postponed till further notice. No more questions, I need to talk to some p
eople."
My brother opened his mouth to retort but before he could say anything, Dad has
gone out of the door.
"You heard him," I said excitedly. "Finally. Some medication-free air."
"I don't like this."
"Come on, Kuya. "
His facial expression changed.
"Sure kang hindi ka gutom?"
"Ang kulit mo rin ano? Teka, nakatawag ka na ba sa Pinas?"
"Di pa nga eh. Fcuk roaming."
"Paano yun?"
"Ewan, dapat nga papunta kami nina Ria sa Baguio, tas pinag-empake ako, dito raw
deretso."
"Edi hindi ka na lang sana sumama!"
"Gagu ka ba? Kita mong ako lang yung kapareho mo ng blood type!"
"Ikaw yung donor ko?!"
He fell quiet.
"Alis muna ko."
"KUYA! AMPOTA NAMAN! Tinatanong eh!"
"Teka nga kasi! Hihiramin ko phone ni Daddy!"
________________________________________
Gelo's POV

Tae naman. Nadulas pa ako kay Rish. Hindi ko dapat sinabi yun.
UNGAS ka talaga Gelo. UNGAS.
Hindi ko pa kasi nakakausap kahit sino sa kanila simula nung lumapag yung eropla
no namin. Badtrip naman kasi yang roaming na yan, bakit ayaw gumana?! 500 na nga
yung niload ko! Ano ba kasing problema ng Globe?!
Ay pota, asaan na ba yung Tatay ko? Baka sakaling magpahiram ng cellphone!
Ayun! Nasa kung anong counter...
"Dad!"
Hindi ko napigilang titigan yung papel na hawak niya...
Release form?
"Are you done?"
"No, not yet, Pinatawag ko na yung nurse para i-assist si Rish."
"Good, good," he said distractedly, tapos he walked past me pabalik ng elevator.
Sinundan ko siya, noticing something strange.
"Dad? May problema ba? Kanina pa kayong ganyan."
He stopped walking, apparently in deep thought. Tinampal niya yung noo niya.
"Your mom knows na."

"Tungkol kay Rish?" I asked. He nodded faintly.

"You know your Mom, she didn't like it much."
I froze.
"Where is she? I'll-..."
"Tingin ko she's already boarding a plane to some other state..."
"WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Ngayon ko lang din nalaman..."
"Pero bakit natin kailangang ialis dito si Rish?"
"Your mom brought everything with her, my phone, our passports, pati pambayad na
tin sa hospital... doon muna tayo sa tinutuluyan ng Tita mo."
"Anong gagawin natin?" I asked, now panicking. "Hindi pwedeng basta itigil yung
treatment ni Rish!"
"I don't know, son," he said, his face lined as though he had aged twenty years.
"I really don't know."
Chapter Six
Lance's POV
"Kevin, baba na, andito na sila." I heard my Nanay Shirley's voice.
I hate it when she calls me by my second name. Well, doon na siya nasanay. Bata
pa lang ako, siya na nag-alaga saken. She was the mother I never had, so I'll be
forever grateful for that.
Kaya palampasin na ang pagtawag ng Kevin. Oh well.

Nice change.
"Andyan na," sabi ko tapos lumabas na ko ng kwarto ko.
"Anak! Di ka man lang nagbihis ng maayos!"
"Si Nanay She naman oh. Diba sabi mo noon kahit gutay-gutay ang damit ko at taga
tulak lang ako ng kariton, gwapo pa rin ako? "
"At umandar ka na naman!"
"ARAY KO NAMAN! NAY! TAMA NA!" sabi ko, kasi piningot na naman niya yung tenga k
o ng todo.
"Sige na nga, wag ka nang magbihis, nakakahiya andyan na yung bisita!"
At talagang di pa nakontento si Nanay She oh, pinalo pa ko sa pwet para bumaba n
a doon sa hagdan.
Five years old pa rin yata ang tingin saken nito e.
"Nasa baba na ba si Dad?"
"Oo kanina pa! Dalian mo, papagalitan ka na naman nun!"
Sino naman kayang napakaimportanteng tao to?
Siguradong Business Partner na naman niyang Intsik at di marunong mag-Tagalog or
English ang kasama nito. Basta sinabi niya namang family friend, usually ganun.
Takte. Kailangan ko na naman mag-Mandarin. Ayokong ayoko pa naman nagsasalita ng
Intsik. Naaalala ko kasi yung panggagago sakin nina Aidan at Jon eh! Hahaha!
Kung bakit naman kasi kailangan pa akong ipakilala sa mga Intsik nyang kaibigan.
TSS.
When I got down the stairs, nakita kong hindi pa rin pala sila nakaupo sa dining
table.
Himala. Dalawang babaeng hindi naka-corporate attire yung kaharap niya.
"Oh, there you are," said my Dad, kaya lumingon sa akin yung dalawang babae, the
n one of them ran towards me.
"Kevin!"
"I'm sorry," she said, tapos bumitaw siya sa biglaan niyang pagkayakap saken, he
r face turning a shade of fiery red. "Masyado yata akong na-excite."
"Karissa!"
"Nah, let them be," my Dad said with this annoyingly smug look on his face. "She
's just making up for lost time, right, Lance?"
"Dad!"
"Lance?" she asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, everyone calls me Lance now... but you can call me whatever you like," I

said, managing a small smile. She didn't take her overbright eyes off me.
"Kids, tara na, kumain na tayo. Lumalamig na yung pagkain natin."
Sabay kaming dalawa na naglakad papunta sa table.
Well, I'll have to admit I was shocked. I haven't seen her since lumipat sila ng
Quezon City, which was in First Grade.
"Kai, gusto mo?" I asked her, trying to be polite. Ang weird talaga. But oh well
. Kababata ko pa rin to, mahirap nang masabihang bastos.
"Wow, you still use your childhood nicknames, huh?"
"Dad, stop it," I said, embarrassed. What's gotten into my Dad? Kainis naman oh.
"Yeah, stop it. Binubuking mo yung mga bata eh." Kai's mom said with a giggle.
"Mommy!"
Tss. ADULTS.
"Don't worry, I'll be using Lance from now on," she told me with a smile. Hindi
pa rin siya nagbabago, palangiti pa rin. "Though I'll admit it'll take some gett
ing used to."
"Thanks," I said, oddly relieved. Kay Nanay She lang ako pwedeng maging Kevin. W
ala nang iba.
"So I guess hindi na rin ikaw si Kai?"
"Hinde, ganun pa rin. Ayoko kasi ng Karissa, masyadong pambabae. I've never been
exactly- feminine, you know," she said, as though she was talking about somethi
ng disgusting.
"Kaya pala naka-dress ka ngayon," I teased her. Sinamaan niya ako ng tingin, tap
os nagblush na naman siya. Mukhang hindi talaga siya kumportableng magbestida
"Sorry."
Kung sabagay. Hindi talaga girly tong si Kai eh. Kaya nga kami magkasundo, kasi
kami noon yung magkakalaro ng soccer. Siya, ako, saka yung kakambal niyang tinat
awag niyang Kuya, si Rafa.
"Si Rafa nga pala?"
"Nasa Pangasinan, umuwi. Dinalaw si Lola."
Ah! Si Lola Clara! Grabe yun, kung ituring ako noon dati, parang apo niya na rin
! Spoiled na spoiled kami nun. Kahit anong ituro namin, mapa ice cream, cake, pa
gkain, laruan-LAHAT NA! Ibibigay nun. At tuwing magbababay ako, hindi ko makakal
imutan kung paanong halos mabali ang spinal column ko kapag yumayakap siya.
HAHA. Ayos.
"Wait, diba nagkikita rin kayo ni Rafa?"

"Yup, Tita, twice a year. Pag may ramp stint sa Paris," I said, my mouth full. "
Pareho po kasi kami ng agent eh."
"Wow hijo, nakaka-impress ka naman. Balita ko, Top Ten ka nung graduation niyo?"
"First honorable mention po."
"Cool! Edi ikaw din Athlete of the Year?"
"Hindi eh." Naalala ko tuloy yung bwisit na mestisong bangus na si Gelo. TSS. BA
DTRIP.
"Oh well, that's life.Buti ka nga eh, may honors... si Rafa, walang place man la
ng. At least diba, nababalance mo yung modeling career mo with soccer and academ
ics?"
"And that's on top of all of your published books!" sabi ni Kai, with an air of
a fan girl. "Ilang weeks ka nang nasa taas ng NY Times bestseller list!"
"Wait, how did you know?" I asked, puzzled. "I was using a pen name."
"Rafa told me."
"Oh."
"And I've read them all! They're all really good! "
I looked at her, at a loss for words.
"Thanks," sabi ko, sabay pilit na ngiti.
Oops. Mali yata yung reaction ko. Parang napahiya kasi yung itsura ni Kai, tapos
bigla siyang tumahimik saka dumeretso na lang sa pagkain.
"Did I say something?"
"No. Haha. Wag mo kong pansinin. "

Okay.
She's acting really weird.
"So... you're in ICA, right? Tas Rafa's in Xavier?"
"Graduate na kami."
"Cool. Saang school kayo for college?"
"UP. Both of us."
"Anong course?"
"Ako I took Econ. Kuya got Business Econ."
"Bakit, ayaw mo ng BE?"
"Hindi naman. Pero I'd like to pursue some other electives like PolSci. Ikaw, BE

ka rin?"
"Yup."
"Why don't you take up Business Administration and Accountancy? Nakikipagpatayan
ang buong populasyon ng High School Graduates ng Pilipinas para sa slots ng cou
rse na yun, especially diyan sa UP. It's the best school there is for BAA, they
say. 100 per cent lagi ang passing rate sa CPA Board Exams. "
"Ah, BAA po ba? I don't know. I think Accounting's too boring. Puro computation
and stuff. Economics is much more challenging, it involves much more sensible th
ings like monetary and fiscal policies, among others. Edi parang ganun din po di
ba, kumpleto rin naman ng Marketing, Operations saka Finance subjects ang curric
ulum ng BE."
"Accounting isn't boring. It involves a lot of analysis. And UP isn't the only g
ood school for Accounting, UST and La Salle are both good too."
Talagang ayaw patalo ng Dad kong Thomasian.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. Thomasian din ako," bawi nung Mom ni Kai. Haha.
Tong tatay ko talaga.
"Sabay tayo enroll?" Kai asked me hopefully.
"I guess yeah. Isang araw lang naman yung CBA and SE students sa early enrollmen
t for Freshmen eh."
"Cool. Sasabihan ko si Kuya. "
A cellphone rang off loudly from somewhere.
"Oh, it's Dad! I'm sorry."
"It's okay, hija. We don't really mind."
Umalis si Kai and she answered the phone on our porch.
I stared after her.
Ang laki na ng pinagbago niya. Hindi na boy cut yung buhok niya, naka flats at d
ress pa siya ngayon. Di kagaya dati, mas malaki pa yung t-shirt at rubber shoes
kaysa sa amin ni Rafa.
BAKLA este Babae na nga si Kai ngayon.
And yeah. It'll be completely unfair if I don't say she's grown a lot more beaut
iful.
I went back to eating. Wow. May nakahain palang Lapu-Lapu, hindi man lang"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
WTF?!
KAKABINGI!
Ano ba naman itong si Kai, kung makatili! SIRA EARDRUMS KO!
Babae ka na nga.
Tumakbo siya pabalik sa Living Room, hardly able to contain her excitement.

"MOM! They've found Ate Niki!"

Niki? Diba yun yung kapatid nilang naglayas at nagrebelde?
"WHAT?"
(ano ba naman tong mag-nanay na to. parang nasa magkabilang bundok kung mag-usap
! *covers ears*)
"Ma, we have to go to Pangasinan, NOW NA!!!"
"I'm terribly sorry, Andrew," Mrs. Yutanco told my Dad.
"I understand. This isn't something you'd miss."
"Sige Ke- este Lance ha? Aalis na kami..."
HAY SALAMAT.
Oops, mali pala...
"Ok. Till next time."
Kai smiled her widest.
"Of course. Next time... Kailan?" she asked me, batting her eyelashes.
"Hey, Karissa," said her mom, who had now reached our front door in her haste to
leave. "I thought we're leaving na?"
"Oh! Sorry! Bye Lance!"
Karissa Yutanco is one WEIRD girl.
Chapter Seven
Rafa's POV
OKAY.
Hinga. Hinga muna...
Anong gulo na naman itong pinasok mo RAFAEL?!
That girl inside Ate Niki's room is impossible. Nakakabaliw! Bungangera, madalda
l, demanding, nakakainis! Grabe akala ko sasabog yung tenga ko kanina sa sobrang
tinis ng boses! Ang lakas pang manigaw! POTA.
Kasi naman, kung bakit naman kasi kailangang makita ni Lola si Elle? Patay ako n
gayon. Imbis na pwede ko lang bastang pauwiin si Elle sa kanila, hindi na pwede.
Lechugas. GAAAAH!
Think, Rafa. Think!
Whatever happened to that brilliant, Chuck Bass-ish brain of yours?!
Nagulat na lang ako nang may tumapik na kamay sa balikat ko.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Ano ba! OA ka!"
"DAD?! What on earth are you doing here? You're supposed to be-"
"I know, okay? I sneaked off. Don't look at me like that," he said as I threw hi
m my signature You're-A-Senator-so-be-responsible! look. "My colleagues do it al
l the time. And besides, this is an important matter!"
"Just because your coll-..."
"Skip the lecture, I have to see Niki," he said, then he pushed me aside as he m
ade his way to Ate Niki's room.
"HEP! DAD, hindi pwede," I said, stretching my arms wide para hindi siya makadaa
n.
"What the- Rafael, if you don't let me through I won't let you go to college."
"DAD! But-..."

Before I could do anything, he tackled me like what he always did when we play s
occer kaya tumalsik ako sa floor.
TAKTE. Ang bigat mo Daddy. T_T
OHNO.
I stood up tapos sumunod ako.
TOO LATE. He was now kissing Elle's forehead.
"Hija, don't you do that again," he was saying. "Mamatay-matay kami ng mommy mo
kakahanap sayo! Saan ka ba nagpupuntang bata ka?!"
PATAY. Patay talaga.
Ang sama nga tingin saken ni Elle, as though this had all been my fault.
I'm dead meat.
"I'm sorry, Dad. Won't do it again," she said.
I saw Dad's facial expression change.
Patay tayo dyan. Kanina si Lola nakapansin, ngayon si Daddy.
Hindi kasi nag-eenglish si Ate Niki eh. Laging straight Tagalog. At pag sina Dad
dy at Mommy kausap niya, puro Tagalog na pabalang. Sa amin lang ni Lola at dun s
a isa ko pang kapatid yun mabait eh.
"You
"No,
w me
."
"Ok,
nda,

want anything? Lunch, merienda, pizza-?"

Dad. I'm ok," Elle said, smiling toothily na halatang pilit, tapos she thre
another I'll-Kill-You glance. "Really. I just need some rest. I'm exhausted
hija, I'll leave you to get some sleep. Later, tatawagin ka namin for merie
aright? We'll all eat together."

Elle's eyes widened in horror.

"Something wrong, Niki?" Dad asked, worried that he might upset her. Nakasanayan
niya kasing madaling mainis si Ate Niki.
"No, Dad," Elle replied. "I'll be there when you call me, don't worry."
"Okay. Sweet dreams."
OH DAMN IT.
Ngayon makikita na rin siya nina Mommy at Kai!
POTAAAAAAA. Patay kang bata ka. Ano na gagawin ko?!
"Go to the kitchen, tell everyone to cook
ood penne. Tell them to make enough pasta
e coming."
"WHAT?! I thought they're in QC?"
"I've told them about Niki and they're on
"WHAT?!"
"SSHH!" My Dad told me, his voice rising.
"

up some of your sister's favorite seaf

for six people, your mom and sister ar
the way here."
"Your sister said she wanted to sleep!

I sighed defeatedly.
Rafael Yutanco, you're officially a dead man walking.
"Ok. I'll go get my mobile from E- I mean, Niki before I go to the kitchen."
"Right, make it quick. I want your sister to be in a good mood before we eat."
I went inside the room silently. Elle's glare from across the room almost made m
e retreat several steps behind.
"Look," I said, then I ran a hand through my hair; a common reflex when I'm pani
cking, "I'm sorry that it's too late to get you back home unnoticed, but you hav
e to believe me if I say na I WILL try to get you home as soon as I can."
"Can't you just tell them straight up that I'm NOT Niki?"
Patay. I had expected this question to come up.
"Elle, if I do that... well first off, it'll take some time before they believe
me. Second, magagalit sila sa akin. Third... well as I've told you before, Niki
is Lola's favorite. If I let you go home without making her understand everythin
g, it won't be too good for her health. A woman her age is definitely not bound
to take something like this very lightly," I said, trying to sound reasonable. F
or some reason, hindi ko makalimutan kung paano nagreact si Lola nung malaman ni
yang naglayas si Ate Niki...
"I'm really sorry, Elle, but you see, I'm not particularly fond of this situatio
n either. Naiintindihan kong gusto mo nang umuwi pero I'm gonna need your help,"
I said, almost pleading. "Kung hindi lang dahil kay Lola I'd really be willing
to let you go and let myself face my family's wrath... but my grandmother... I c
an't risk it. You do understand, don't you?" I asked desperately.
When I looked back at her, the expression on her face was infathomable. It was w
eird, she was looking at me like she's never seen someone like me before.
"Actually, I do understand," she said slowly. It was oddly relieving to hear tha
t pero nakokonsensiya pa rin ako kasi parang malungkot siya habang sinasabi niya
yun.
"Thanks Elle."
"May maliit lang tayong problema."

"Bakit? May load naman yan, este, line nga pala ako-..."
"Hindi yun eh."
"Uh, di ka marunong gumamit?"
"Hindi rin."
"Eh ano?"
"Di ko maaalala mga number nila."
Anak naman ng patola.
I slapped my forehead in exasperation.
"Ano ba? Maski landline sa bahay niyo, o number man lang bestfriend o boyfriend
mo?"
"Yung sa best friend ko lang yung naaalala ko... Kaso I remembered na-snatch nga
pala yung phone niya sa bus station... Dun sa iba naman kasi nakaasa lang ako l
agi sa phonebook..."
"Susmaryosep. Lahat pa naman ng gamit mo naiwan dun sa bus!"
"Yun nga eh! Paano- wait! May internet kayo diba?"
"Are you kidding? We're in Pangasinan! Bihira ang may internet rito!"
"Don't you have a phone line?"
"No."
"Ang laki laki ng bahay niyo walang telepono?!"
"Eh kasi--"
"Okay okay, wag mo nang iexplain. Hayaan mo na. Basta gumawa ka lang ng paraan p
ara masabi mo na sa kanila na hindi ako si Niki as soon as possible, I'll be oka
y with that."
"You're sure?"
"Bakit, gusto mo magprotesta pa ko?"
"Of course not. Just dress up a little more nicely, marami namang damit dyan sa
closet. Mamaya maya darating na mommy at kapatid ko."
"Okay. Good luck to me then."
"Ok lang yan. They'll be nice to you. You're family now,literally... diba? Wheth
er you like it or not."
"Well to be completely honest, maswerte pa ako ng lagay na to," she said with a
smirk on her face. "I can imagine how perfect it'll be kung hindi ikaw ang nakap
ulot sa akin kundi NPA."
________________________________________
Maffy's POV
"No, not okay at all," Jon was saying.

Being thousands of miles away from them, I felt horrible na wala akong magawa. I
sa pa kasi itong si Ria eh.
"I was calling sa landline nila. Everytime hanapin ko siya, kung hindi tulog, na
liligo... sa YM lagi ngang online, pag ibuzz ko naman walang sagot-..."
"Maffs, please understand. She's taken the blow much harder than any of us."
"I just want to help her, what's wrong with that?"
"Don't be angry; you can imagine how harder it is for the rest of us here. Kahit
sino sa amin hindi siya makausap ng matino lately, not even Ate Danna."
"Hindi lang naman siya ang apektado rito ah."
"I'm sure she knows that."
"Si Gelo ba, tumawag na?"
"No."
"E-mail?"
"No."
"Kahit kay Liam?"
"Oo. To think isang linggo na..."
His voice trailed off, and I knew he was thinking what I was thinking.
"Do you think he's-..."
"With Irish?" I asked. I heard him sigh from the other line.
"Yan din ang theory ni Liam, but I shudder to think..."
"Ayoko ring isipin na ganun, considering the past few weeks had been mainly conc
erned with that issue. But then..."
"Is there any other possible explanation?"
I stared into empty space, thinking hard.
"Well... I don't think we should be dwelling on whether Gelo's doing mischief be
hind our backs or not," I told him sternly. "What we should be concerned about i
s Ria's behavior. She has tendencies, you know that very well."
"Yeah."
"Do try and convince her to talk. Or go to other places. Mahirap na, paano sa pa
sukan kung ganyan pa rin yan? Hindi mo pa naman mababantayan kasi nasa Ateneo ka
..."
"Andyan naman sina Liam at Aidan..."

"Pero hindi sila magkakacourse diba?"

"Oo nga, but-..."
"Jon, sa laki ng UP Diliman, I doubt it if they'd manage to see each other every
day, lalo na kung iba iba pa ng sched."
"We're renting the same condo unit."
"Ah, good. At least. Pero don't you think mao-OP siya? Tatlo kayong guys, diba?"
"Well, hiwa hiwalay naman ang rooms saka dapat kasi kasama si Den, but..." Jon b
roke off, unable to finish.
"Ok, I get it. Jeez, I didn't think adjusting to college would be this hard," I
said with a mirthless laugh. "Kung sana High School pa rin tayo hindi siguro gan
ito kagulo."
"Yeah I guess."
I sighed. A feeling of utter helplessness took over me.
"Just- tell me if anything happens, or if there's anything you need, okay?"
"Maffs, your plate is heavy enough without me telling you our woes back here."
"Oo nga, pero pag hindi mo naman sinabi hindi rin ako makakatulog. Sige ka, papa
yat ako."
I heard his wonderful, seemingly musical laughter for the first time in ages, an
d it eased my worries.
"O pano."
"Sige. Next time na lang. Basta, yang pinsan mong matigas ang ulo, ikaw na bahal
a dyan."
"Oo naman. O ikaw ha, baka mamaya ipagpalit mo ko pag nakita mo sa personal si N
ate Archibald."
"Of course not. If I know pag ikaw ang nakakita ng mga sexyng chinita sa Ateneo.
.."
"Oh no Maffy, you're still the sexiest girl I know. HAHA."
"Nagbobolahan na tayo dito "
"Ikaw kasi!"
"Sige na! Babay na nga!"
"Bye Maffy!"
I hung up.

Hay naku Gelo, pag nasalubong kita rito sa Manhattan na kasama si Rish, humanda
ka talaga sa akin.
Ria's POV
For the Nth time, I went and sat down in front of my desktop computer.
I blankly stared at my wallpaper without really seeing anything. There were eigh
t of us crammed in that photo, arms around each other, not caring who was huggin
g who. Wide, toothy smiles occupied every face as we raised our high school grad
uation caps and rolled diplomas at the camera; ecstatic, eager, overjoyed of the
prospect of the bright future that had hitherto looked promising for every sing
le one of us.
Now, however, it was more like a pale, translucent ghost of a long-forgotten mem
ory... an illusion, a mirage in the middle of a living nightmare... nothing more
than wishful imagination.
But despite all that, nakikita ko ang efforts ng mga kaibigan ko na kalimutan ka
hit sandali yung mga problema namin ngayon. Liam, Aidan and Jon in particular ha
d resorted to desperate albeit sweet measures just to distract me, which include
d exhausting PS3 and Wii sessions, window-shopping (which they had seemed to sud
denly like), free treats sa Timezone at Pizza Hut, and even a chocolate cake the
y made themselves- yes, from scratch. (the results were disastrous, but heart-wa
rming all the same.)
It was like I suddenly had two additional older brothers. Jon had always been li
ke that before, but Liam and Aidan? Haha. ASA PA. Ngayon lang talaga to.
But alam niyo, to be completely honest, masarap palang sino-spoil ka ng tatlong
sobrang sweet na Kuya, lalo na pag kagaya ganitong missing-in-action ang boyfrie
nd mo. Seriously, with them around, who needs a boyfriend?
Kakainis nga. They seemed to think na ako yung pinaka naaapektuhan. Aba, bakit,
porke ba babae ako, vulnerable na ako? Ako lang ba yung pwedeng magdrama at umiy
ak? Hmph. Mga lokong yun, malala ang Alpha Male Complex. Akala nila hindi ko sil
a halata.
Pero sa totoo lang, pag ikukumpara mo, mababaw lang yung inaalala ko kumpara sa
kanila. Yung akin, AWOL lang. Yung dalawa...
Haynaku. Wag na nga munang isipin.
Si Denise kasi, nagrerespond na daw sa medications. Positive yung doctors niya n
gayon, kaya sobrang saya namin at napapadalas ang dalaw naming lahat sa Saint Lu
ke's. Panay nga ang sumbong nina Jon at Aidan kay Den kahit hindi naman naririni
g, puro tungkol kay Liam na kalokohan. Syempre hindi totoo, panggago lang. Baka
daw sakaling pag napuno si Denise eh magising para upakan si Liam.
Kay Elle naman, wala pa ring leads. Nasabi na namin sa Daddy niya. The poor old
guy was devastated, but surprisingly, he was not one bit similar to the hotheade
d, point-and-blame-everyone kind of man Elle had told us about; he simply thanke
d us for letting him know and promised us that he will find his daughter soon en
ough.
He has also put up a reward thingy for anyone who would be able to tell him abou
t Elle's whereabouts.
HAHA. Parang wanted daw, sabi ni Aidan. (binatukan ko nga. ungas na yun, ginagaw
ang kriminal yung girlfriend niya.)

I smirked at the silliness of my own thoughts while waiting for my browser to op

en.
Again, it was time to check my mail. As the page was loading, I crossed my finge
rs under the table, hoping, praying, for a miracle that had been 7 days overdue.
..
Quote
YAHOO! MAIL
Good afternoon, Ria! You have 0 unread messages in your Inbox
I cursed under my breath.
Waiting is NOT one of my specialties.
Angelo Fontanilla, you're a dead man.
A huge flurry of questions found their way inside my head once more...
Why did he leave? How urgent was it that he had completely forgotten to give us
even a bit of notice?
And what the bloody hell could he be doing now? What's keeping him so busy that
he doesn't even have time to call or send us a single, stinking e-mail that woul
d tell us not to worry because he's still alive and he'll be in touch?
And was it purely coincidence that of all the places in the world, he had chosen
the very same place where Rish had been undergoing medical treatment?
My nagging doubts coursed through me like a surge of white-hot poison, because f
or some reason, everything seems to point towards Irish Beltran's direction...
Does she really have something to do with all of this?
I clicked the Compose Mail link and furiously typed up inside the upper boxes.
Quote
To: ra_fontanilla @ belletownacademy.edu.ph
CC:
Subject: YOU A S SHOLE.
That's a good enough subject, isn't it? Well it's good enough to describe everyt
hing I felt and wanted to say to him at this very moment.
I stared at the blank e-mail body, trying to think straight.
Where do I start? How about...
Quote
You raving, monstrous, double-faced son of a"RIA!"
My door flew open. It was my oh-so-beautiful sister.
"Pack up."
"What?"
"P-A-C-K U-P."
"I know how to spell!" I said indignantly.
"Yeah but you don't seem to understand English, " she replied with a chuckle, fo
rcing my closet open.

"What are you doing?"

"Busy ka yata eh. Kaya ako mag eempake ng damit mo."
"Saan ba tayo pupunta?"
"Batangas."

"Nag-aalboroto daw yung Lola mo roon. Saka ayaw niyo nun? Bakasyon equals relief
."
"Ano ba, kakagaling lang sa aksidente... Tapos ganyan na naman?"
"Wag ka ngang loka-loka," she said hotly. "Sinong may sabing mag-cocommute tayo?
We're using your car."
"But-..."
"Pag hindi ka pa tumayo dyan, ipakakaladkad kita dun sa tatlong ugok sa labas! "
"Sinong-?! "
I stood up and ran outside as fast as I could.
"Sinong napakalaking ungas ang nakaisip nito?!"
"Ako," Jon said calmly. "Be ready in fifteen minutes."
"Who said I'm going?"
"Bakit, gusto mo na namang i-spend ang weekend mong nag-aantay sa email ni Gelo?
No way. Hindi kami papayag."
"Liam!"
"Adrianna Elizabeth, you're going with us whether you like it or not."
UGH!

"Where's Aidan?" I asked, hoping na makahanap ng kakampi.

"He's getting his car and- uh, some clothes, I think. Susunod na siya saten."
I'm outnumbered.
"Fine. Next weekend, I get to pick."
"Have it your way, sis."
"Get some clothes!" Liam told me as he fixed his own bags in my car compartment.
"I don't have any plans of lending you my boxers," he said, tapos naghagalpakan

sila ng tawa ni Jonathan.

Putragis naman oh.
________________________________________
"Hurry up!"
"Wag ka ngang excited!"
"Kuya Toff! Ang bagal mo! "
"Weh! Wala pa nga si Aidan eh!"
"Sino may sabi sayo?" said a voice from a figure that has just come out of a nea
rby brandnew CR-V.
"WOW, Pare! New wheels!"
A second figure had come out of Aidan's car.
"Dude, ano uli yung-..."
Everyone stared at him, including me, with my mouth hanging open.
"Oh, sorry I forgot to mention," Jon started. "Guys, sa inyong nangangailangan n
g introduction, this is Lance De Rivera. David Beckham's heir apparent, our new
recruit."
"Recruit ka dyan!"
I saw Lance's eyes dart toward me shyly, and then he looked away.
"Welcome to the family, bro," said Kuya Toff as he came forward, clasping Lance'
s hand in a manly way. "I'm Toff. This is Danna, that's Liam, and that other one
's Ria."
"Pleased to meet you."
I managed a weak smile.
"O tama na yan," interrupted Jon.
"Batangas, here we coooooooooooooome!
Aids! Pasakay naman sa bagong CR-V! "
Tss. Nahahalata oh, ngayon lang ata makakasakay ng CR-V!
TAGABUNDS!
Oo nga pala.
Patay. Hindi kaya delikado?
May bagyo eh. Signal Number Four. HAHAHA
Lance's POV

Langyang Aidan to. Sabi saken, all-boys.

Gawin ba daw lalake si Ria.
"Psst. Intsik. Lumilipad na naman isip mo."
I threw Jon a sneering look.
"Pake mo."
"Sabi ko na eh," sabi ni Jon with a smirk. "Sana dun ka na lang namin pinasakay
sa kabila, sa Mazda 3 ni Ria. "
"Tae ka."
"Hoy Otan, Intsik, wag nga kayong magulo dyan. Pag iniwan ko kayo dito sa gitna
ng SLEX ewan ko na lang."
"Sorry na Daddy."
HAH. Buti na lang andito tong ugok na Aidan na to, kundi hindi talaga ko titigil
an nito ni Jon. Takte naman. Akala ko ngayong grumaduate kami ng High School mat
atahimik yung buhay ko kasi makakawala na ko sa kanila. WALA EH. PSH. (T_T)
"Hello?"
Lumingon ako kay Jon.
"Opo Ma, malapit na kami sa Calamba-... oo nga teka! Saglit! Hinde, hinde ko kas
ama... teka lang kasi diba Ma? Nagsasalita pa ako!"
Narinig kong tumawa si Aidan.
"Si Papa nasaan? Pa! Hello? Pa! Bili mo kami ng San Mig Light! Saka yung Magic S
ing pakihiram naman o! Ha Papa? Opo! SALAMAT!"
"Tatay mo pinabili mo ng pangtoma natin?" Aidan said with wide eyes.
"Bakit hinde?"
"Baka mag-away sila ng nanay mo! Diba kakareconcile lang nila?!"
"Hindi yun."
"Are you mental?"
"No, I'm Jonathan."
________________________________________
"She will... be LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED..."
Potakte. Ang ingay pala nito ni Liam pag may tama na. T_T
"Agawan niyo na nga ng microphone yan!"
"TEKA naman, hindi pa tapos o!"
"HAH! Si Liam, lasing na!"
"TAE KA, SINO KAYANG MAS LASING? Kulay mansanas ka na kaya!"
"Sino bang hinde?"
"Tama na yan! TAGAY PA!"
Tiningnan ko si Ria, who was sitting beside me, her tumbler barely touched.
"Oks ka lang?"
"Oo naman."
"Namumula ka na rin o."
"Nga eh, takte kasi," she said, shaking her head. "Dalawang lagok lang, lagot na
."
"Hina mo pala eh. "

"Cheh. Ayoko malasing uli. Iba ako pag lasing, akala mo."
"Bakit?"
"Basta!"
"Bakit nga?"
"LANCE! Kanta ka nga!"
Lumapit siya sa amin, pasuray-suray yung lakad.
"Dali! Ganyan pag bago sa tropa," sabi niya sabay tulak saken nung microphone.
"Binyagan!"
"WOO! GO INTSIK!"
"LUL! Mamaya na!"
"Onga, mga ungas, istorbo kayo..."
"AIDAN! "
"Ay sorry dude. Maingay talaga ako pag lasing eh."
Bwisit talaga tong mga to. Kakahiya tuloy kay Ria.
"Cheh!" sigaw ni Ria, tapos tumayo siya. Hala. Napikon ata. PATAY.
"HOY INSAN!" sigaw ni Aidan. "Saan ka pupunta?"
"Bibili ng pulutan, inubusan niyo ako e!"
"Damihan mo ah!"
Ang mga ugok na to, pinabayaan lang na lumabas si Ria doon sa street, ang dilim
pa naman. At nakuha pang magbilin?
Lasing na nga.
Hmm.
Di ko maiwasang lumingon nang lumingon sa spot kung saan nag disappear si Ria.
"O Intsik, ang bilis mo yata?"
" Taob na ba? HAHAHA!"
"Oo eh! Sige, matutulog na ko..."
Sabi ko lang yun. Pag kasi sinabi kong susundan ko yung isa pagtitripan na naman
ako ng mga kumag na to. Ayoko nga nun.
Pumasok ako nung bahay nila Jon tapos dun ako dumaan sa likod bahay at tumalon s
a pader para di nila ako makita. Takte, saan ba yung tindahan na sinasabi niya?
Ang dilim pa naman, pundido ang streetlights, isa lang yung bukas.
Anak ng patola. Sana kasi naisipan kong kumuha ng flashlight diba?
"Tang ina pare. Andyan yung tisay. Nakita namin kanina pare."
"Saan pumunta?"
"Dun kina Mang Caloy, ano tara?"
May nakita akong dalawang taong naglalakad. Papunta sila sa direksyon nung kaisa
-isang streetlight, where a figure was walking and swaying sideways, holding wha
t looked like bags of junk food"Hoo! Jackpot!"
"Hi Miss!"
I saw Ria stop, tapos binilisan niya yung lakad niya.
"HEP!"

Hinarangan siya nung dalawa.

"Ano ba, hindi ka man lang ba magpapakilala?"
"Padaanin niyo nga ako!"
"Ang suplada mo naman Miss! Nagpapakilala lang eh!"
I saw Ria throw the bag she was holding aside, then she raised herself to full h
eight.
"POTA! Ano ba hanap niyo, AWAY?"
O_O
Si Ria ba yun?
Takte. Lasing nga! Hindi ba niya nakikitang mukhang bouncer yung hinahamon niya?
"Aba miss, hindi mo yata alam-..."
"Oo alam ko kung sino kayo! Kayo yung mga sangganong laging pinapataob ng insan
ko! Sa payatot na yun nga, no match na kayo, saken pa! HAH!"
Hindi na maganda to!
TAE KA LANCE! Kumilos ka na nga!
"ABA-"
I saw one of them lunge at Ria, but she easily dodged him sabay sipa ng sobrang
lakas. Natumba yung lalaki tapos nakita ko yung isa na susugod habang nakataliko
d si Ria...
"COWARD! "
Tumingin sa akin yung mamang sumusugod then he rounded at me. He aimed a full pu
nch at my nose and missed, then his own force was bringing him to the floor...
HAH. Gunggong.
Ako pa ang hinamon oh.
*KA-BLAG!*
*Ka-POW!*
*TUGSH!*
I clapped my hands together as I triumphantly put my foot over the moron's limp
body.
"That's what happens to cowards who strike while their opponent's back's turned!
" I yelled at his face, taunting him. His eyes were swollen tapos dumudugo yung
bibig niya. "At hindi ka na nahiya! BABAE PA YUNG UUPAKAN MO! GUNGGONG!"
Nakatingin saken si Ria na sobrang laki ng mata niya.
"DUDE..."
"Bakit?"
"Tanod yang inupakan natin..."

Tae. OO NGA.

O_O
"HOY!"
It was a different voice. At mukhang nanggaling doon sa Barangay Patrol na nakap
ark sa malapit.
Narinig kong nistart nung driver yung makina nung sasakyan...
"TAKBO!"
Hinila ko yung kamay niya tapos kumaripas na kami palayo dahil hinahabol na kami
nung mama at nung sasakyan, pero bago pa kami makarating sa bahay nila, naharan
gan din kami ng isa pang sasakyan ng Barangay Patrol, napagitnaan kami kaya hind
i kami makaalis.
"TAAS ANG KAMAY!"
________________________________________
"HOY! TEKA LANG!"
Pinosas nung isa pang tanod yung kamay naming dalawa.
"ANO BA?!"
"Tumahimik ka dyan kung ayaw mong samain!"
Langyang Barangay Hall to, may kulungan. O_O Buti kami lang yung tao.
"Alam niyo bang patong patong ang ginawa niyo? Mga menor de edad kayo ah, pero a
las dose na nasa labas pa kayo! Pareho na nga kayong lasing at lumalabag sa curf
ew, di pa kayo nakontento, nambugbog pa kayo ng tanod!"
"They were harassing her!"
"Hoy bata, wag mo kaming English-in, hindi porke't taga-Maynila kayo kukunsentih
in namin kayo!"
"BUT-..."
"HEH! Kung ayaw niyong lalo kayong managot sa mga susundo sa inyo mamaya, tumahi
mik kayo pareho dyan!"
T_T
"Yaan mo na."
I was surprised to see that she was smiling.
"Bakit parang natutuwa ka pang nakakulong tayo rito?" I asked, thinking she had
not noticed the cold, hard cemented floor of the "jail cell" that we were now si
tting on.
"Ano ka ba, ang saya kaya," she said, her smile getting even wider. "Akalain mo,
nakaranas akong mambugbog ng tanod! HAHAHA!"
I stared at her, half-exasperated, half-amazed.
"Ano tinitingin tingin mo dyan?"
"Wala. Ang weird mo kase. "
"Yeah right. "
"Ano sabi mo?"

"Wala. Sabi ko wag ka na maingay kasi inaantok na ko," she told me, her eyes now
closed. "Gisingin mo ko pag andyan na sila insan."
Naglean na siya doon sa wall sa likod niya, then I took the chance to stare at h
er habang hindi pa niya ko nakikita. Baka kasi upakan niya ko pag nahuli e. haha
h.
"You're right."
"Huh?" she asked, jerking her eyes half-open.
"Iba ka nga pag lasing. "
She just smiled at me then she went to sleep.
Chapter Ten
Ria's POV
I was in the airport, lost... confused.
What was I doing here?
Am I leaving, for some reason?
Then why am I not carrying anything? Suitcase? Bag?
A elegant-looking lady wearing a crisp trench coat eyed me with narrowed eyes. S
everal others did the same as her, some of them even pausing to stare. It was th
en that I noticed; I was in my school uniform.
I went and walked without direction; unable to think straight. I just want to st
op all the staring, I guess. There isn't anything wrong with wearing your school
uniform in an airport, right?
I found myself looking up at a sign that said GATE 3. Searching my pockets, I fo
und nothing but a stash of bills and coins. Where's my ticket?
The LCD TV monitor showed the new status: BOARDING.
Something else caught my eye.
Instinctively, I went and chased after him, not caring about the scandalous star
es I was getting. I bumped into a lot of people as I fought to get to him.
From a couple of meters away, I felt an odd mixture of emotions as I looked at h
is familiar profile.
"Gelo..."
He did not look; nor did he seem to notice that somebody has called his name. It
was only then that I noticed that he was too deep in conversation with another
person who also looked painfully familiar...
Was I right, after all?
Was SHE behind it all?
"Gelo..." I said again, my voice broken and shrill. She looked at me, a malevole
nt kind of amusement evident in her suddenly overbright eyes. She bent towards h
im, their faces closer than necessary, and I could not bear to watch"NO!"
He turned to face me; his gaze colder than ice. I could not remember a time that
he had looked at me like that... no, it can't be. This isn't him. I do not know

this person.
"Gelo...?"
He turned away from me and went back to looking at her.
"Do you know her?"
"No. Do you?"
"Of course not."
They proceeded towards the path that would lead them to the aircraft. I followed
them in haste... but the gate closed before I could get through.
I slammed the doors wildly, all the while calling his name...
________________________________________
"Gagu ka pala eh, kaya ka pala binugbog..."
"Anong gagawin mo?!"
"Palalabasin ko."
"E kung bugbugin ako uli?"
"Dapat lang sayo yun!"
I heard the clash of steel against steel.
"Labas na kayo."
I looked at Lance, who seemed just as puzzled.
Kinuha nung isa sa mga tanod yung mga kamay naming magkadikit dahil nga pinagsam
a nila sa iisang pair ng posas (evident ang kakulangan ng barangay na ito sa fun
ds ) yung mga kamay namin tapos sinusian nila.
AT LAST! Freedom!
"Tumawag kami sa bahay ng Lola mo, pero walang sumasagot. Gusto niyo ba ipahatid
na lang namin kayo pabalik?"
And let the whole barrio see me riding the Barangay Patrol thing? NO THANKS.
"Wag na po Kuya."
Naglakad na ako palabas ng Barangay Hall, tas huminga ako ng malalim. Buti malam
ig yung hangin.
"Ok ka lang?"
"Bakit naman ako hindi magiging okay?"
"Ang putla mo kasi."
I looked at him for a moment then got my eyes back towards the road.
"Ok lang ako."
"Binabangungot ka ba kanina?"
Tiningnan ko siya ulit. Narinig niya ba ako?
"Bakit?"
"Wala. Parang may sinasabi ka kasi kanina..."
"Anong sinabi ko?"
"Hindi ko maintindihan e. Tulog rin kasi ako."

I gave a sigh of relief.

"Ano yun? Hindi ko napansin yun kanina ah?" he asked, pointing to a particular b
uilding in the distance.
"Flower market."
"Flower market?" he repeated, then he took a peek into his expensive-looking wat
ch. Grabe naman, sa probinsya lang pupunta, naka Tag Heuer pa. "Alas tres ng uma
ga may flower market na bukas?"
"Masisipag kasi mga tao rito eh. Tas Sunday pa bukas, malamang-lamang marami nan
g bumibili sa kanila ngayon..."
"Bakit kelangan ganito kaaga?"
"May misa kasi ng alas kwatro y medya eh. Sa oras na yun nagsisimba yung mga mat
atanda... kasama dun yung Lola ko. Yung iba ngang matanda rito, araw-araw eh."
"Ah ganun? Pwede ba natin puntahan yun?"
I shrugged and sabay kaming naglakad papunta doon. Tahimik siya all the way. May
a-maya andun na kami. Nakakaaliw nga siya tingnan eh, pero mas lalo na yung mga
tinderang mukhang manghang-mangha. Ngayon lang siguro nakakita ng Intsik
Aba, akalain mong ang kumag na to, murang mura kung ibigay nung mga tindera yung
bulaklak. T_T Ganun ba kalakas ang charm ng ugok na to?
Parang ngayon ko lang yata napapansin na may karapatan pala siyang maging mahang
in. Kung tutuusin nga, nakapambahay lang siya eh. Well, magtataka pa ba ako? Kay
a nga naging ramp model to eh Kaya siguro kahit ganyang nakalumang shirt, punit
na shorts pati worn-out na tsinelas yung suot, mukha pa ring ready mag-ramp
I saw him scratch his head as one of the female vendors winked at him.
HAH. Ayos ang mannerism, nakakatawa. Mukha tuloy siyang batang inosente. O, Sign
al number four, asaan na ang pagka-chickboy mo?
I got distracted from my thoughts as he shoved two bouquets of flowers towards m
e.

"Tara na, ang dami pa oh!"

O_o
"Saan?"
"Doon oh! Ang dami pa!"
"Ang dami na kaya nito! "
"Hindi ko kasi alam kung anong gusto ni Lola eh... Tingin mo magugustuhan niya n
a to?"
0_0
LOLA?
"Ano ba mas gusto niya dalhin pag nagsisimba siya? Itong chrysanthemum o yung ro
ses? Or maybe iba yung gusto niya? Ayun o, may iba pa doon..."
Shoot. Pahiya ako.
Akala ko akin yung inabot niya eh. (_)

"Huy!"
"Ewan ko! Edi ibigay mo pareho!" I said, pissed. "Tara na, hinahanap na siguro t
ayo, patay ako nito pag hindi tayo umuwi agad..."
Tinalikuran ko na siya tas naglakad na ako palayo. Ayoko ngang makita nito na na
disappoint ako. Magfifeeling na naman to eh.
Kaw naman kasi Ria, assumera ka. Bakit ka nga naman niya bibigyan ng bulaklak?
Hindi ka naman rebulto sa simbahan... lalo namang hindi ka puntod
"Ok na to, pareho niya tong gusto," I said, taking a good look at the two bouque
ts he had asked me to hold. "Kahit nga santan ibigay mo dun, magiging masaya na
yun... pero bakit naman kasi dilaw yung binili mo, pwede pa kaya nating palitan
to? Ayaw kasi nun ng kulay di-..."
O_O
Asaan na yung kausap ko?
Bakit bigla na lang siyang naging... AHEM... HANGIN?
How weird. Naging tropical depression na lang siguro siya
I felt someone tap my shoulder.
"Hoy, saan ka ba-?!"

"Ano yan?"
"Bulaklak, malamang. Bulag ka ba?"
Tingnan mo ugali nito. Binigyan nga ako ng bulaklak"Bakit? Mukha ba akong rebulto sa simbahan?"
"Tss, kunwari ka pa."
"Anong kunwari ka dyan?"
"Akala mo di ko napansin? Akala mo sayo yung una kong binigay diba?"
Oh my goulash.
Was I THAT obvious?
"Jeeeezus. You should have seen your face. Siguro first time mo noh?
Kawawa ka naman. "

"Why are you so... so-?"

"So what?"
"So... MEAN!"

He looked shocked, but I couldn't care less. Totoo naman eh!

"Mean? Ako?!" he said incredulously.
"OO! Sobra! Akala mo ba?! Nakakainis ka eh, magbibigay bigay ka ng ganyan, tas i
insultuhin mo ako... ano namang masama kung-..."
"Kung first time mo? Wala... ako rin naman, first time kong magbigay eh... (_)"
I went to stare at the long stemmed blue rose that I was holding.
"Seryoso?"
"Well, does putting flowers in my mother's grave count?" he asked sarcastically,
a brow raised. "I guess not. Oh well, how memorable, right? Now I know what you
get in exchange for giving flowers to girls... you get YELLED AT. "
Tignan mo tong ugok na to. Gusto pa yatang ako ang magsorry.
ASA SIYA.
"Edi salamat."
"Ang sincere ah."
"Anong gusto mo? Yakapin kita?"
"Tss. Mahiya ka naman. Mangyayakap ka na dyan di ka pa nga naliligo."
"CHEH! UMUWI KA MAG-ISA MO!"
Chapter Eleven
Rish's POV
I threw myself on the sofa, inhaling the familiar scent of my mom's apartment.
Sa wakas! Nakalayas rin ako sa lechugas na ospital na yun!
Ewan ko ba, kahit kelan kasi hindi ko nagustuhan yung ambience doon sa Manhattan
. Masyado kasing mabilis, masyadong advanced... Tingin ko nga ang mga tao dun, t
hey just spend most of their time making ends meet. Trabaho forever, all work no
play. Feel ko yung mayayaman lang dun yung may sense of leisure kasi they don't
have to work. Ibang-iba talaga doon saka sa Pinas.
Ngayon naman andito kami sa una naming pinuntahan pagkarating namin rito sa stat
es... Sa Long Island. Dito nagrenta si mommy ng apartment kasi mas mura dito kum
para sa Manhattan, sa Queens or sa Brooklyn. Mas ok nga rin yun, kasi rito mas p
eaceful, may access din naman sa subway kaya ok na rin.
I saw my brother enter the room, his face grave. Nakakaawa yung kuya ko, ang dam
i dami niyang dala. Hindi raw kasi ako pwedeng magbuhat. Kakainis nga, pakiramda
m ko tuloy wala akong silbi. Ang OA na nga nila eh. Porke ba maysakit ako sa pag
dadala lang ng isang bag mamamatay na ko? Susginoo. PWEDE BA?!
Pero sa totoo lang, masaya ako. Kahit kelan kasi hindi ko inakalang posible pala
na magkasama-sama kami sa iisang bahay lang ng Mommy, Daddy at kapatid ko.

Parang too good to be true, diba?

My mom closed the door behind her pagkatapos nilang pumasok ni Daddy. Pumunta si
ya sa kitchen tapos dala niya yung binili namin sa grocery kanina, yun daw yung
kakainin namin ngayon.
I saw Dad and Gelo exchange extremely somber glances.
TSS, nagkahawaan yata ng pagka-emo itong magtatay na to eh.
"Dalhin mo na sa kwarto yang mga gamit niyo."
Sinamahan ko si Kuya sa kwarto.
"Psst."
Hindi ako pinansin.
"HOY!"
"ARAY!"
"Ayan. Kailangan lang pala jombagin kita para mamansin ka eh."
"Gusto mong maupakan?"
"As if naman kaya mo," I said, tapos tumalon ako dun sa kama ko. "Ayos! Tingin k
o kasya naman tayo rito."
"Sino may sabi sayo tatabihan kita dyan?"
"Kuya naman! Katakot kaya! Feel ko may mumu rito eh."
"Ano ba, ang laki laki mo nang kalabaw, takot ka pa sa mumu?"
Binato ko nga ng unan!
"KALABAW ka dyan!"
"Ikaw kasi eh, nauuna kang mambwiset, tapos mas pikon ka naman! " sabi niya sake
n, sabay tinabi niya yung unan na binato ko. "Ay naku, hindi mo ko pwedeng katab
i ano, ang likot likot ko kayang matulog. Baka magising ako mukha ka nang pamint
ang durog."
"Ganun? Ok fine. Kungsabagay, ayoko rin namang mapadali..."
It was his turn to chuck my handbag at me.
"What the fcuk was that for, Kuya?! " I asked angrily. Kasi naman noh, ang lakas
kaya nung pagkabato niya! TSS!
"Para ka kasing tanga dyan e."
"Alam mo, sobra yung pagkaseryoso mo, ha." I told him irritably. "Nung isang ara
w ka pa."
He glared at me.
"Is there something you're not telling me?"
He avoided my gaze.

"Wala."
"Look," I said, tapos hinila ko siya para umupo sa tabi ko. "It's just me. Wala
ka namang ibang makakausap dito kundi ako. Alangan namang si Dad or si Mommy dib
a, and wala tayong possible way para makacommunicate sa Pinas, so talagang wala
kang choice. Ano bang problema?"
He just stared ahead, determined to ignore me.
"I think I know na," I said, and he cast a swift look at me.
"What do you know?"
"Siguro... dahil hindi ka makacontact sa Pinas noh?" I asked. Sumimangot lang si
ya lalo.
"Tama ako diba?"
"Oo na. Wag ka na nga muna makulit Rish. May ginagawa pa ako eh."
"Kakainis ka!"
Lumabas lang siya ng kwarto at hindi ako pinansin.
HMF. Edi wag.
Matutulog na nga lang ako.
________________________________________
*BLAG*

What was that?

I groggily got off the bed, then binuksan ko ng konti yung pinto ko tapos tuming
in ako sa labas. Dad appeared to be clutching Gelo, whose fist was bleeding prof
usely. I saw the wooden cabinet beside him, its side horribly deformed.
"That's enough!"
"How could she?!"
I felt my eyes widen. Ano kayang nangyari? Nag-away kaya sina Gelo at Mommy?
"Baka marinig ka ng kapatid mo!" I heard my mom yell, her voice broken.
"What the fcuk is she doing in Vegas?!"
"Gelo, calm down!"
"HOW COULD I FCUKING CALM DOWN, DAD?!" Gelo roared, and I saw my mom flinch. "Sh
e's run off to the world's gambling capital... completely unreasonable... hindi
niya ba naisip kung anong pwedeng mangyari kay Rish?! She knows we need the mone
y to keep Rish alive, and now she's in who-knows-what casino squandering all of
it! HOW COULD I CALM DOWN?!"
Natulala ako. I couldn't think straight.
"At di pa nakuntento... dinala pati wallet, cards saka passport natin! Ano ngayo
n ang mangyayari satin?! We don't even have enough to afford a week's worth of d
ecent food!"
"I can work, hijo-..."
"Tita, hindi niyo ako responsibility," Gelo said sternly. "Your job is to take c

are of my sister."
"But you're my son now, are you not? You can't possibly expect me to let you go
hungry just because you didn't literally come from me!"

There was a long silence.

"I wish you were my mother."

"Hijo... you don't know how much I wish the same thing."
"I'm going to work as well," my Dad piped in suddenly.
"I have connections."
"Yeah. That's good to hear, but even if the three of us work our butts off and b
e able to afford stuff, paano yung long-term plans natin? What if one of us get
caught and then malaman nilang we're staying here and working without passports?
And for the love of Saint Peter..." Gelo said, wiping his face of sweat, comple
tely oblivious of his bleeding hand, "paano si Rish?"
I knew it was time to show up, so I pulled the door open.
The three of them turned to look at me. Nakita kong namutla si Kuya.
"R-rish?"
I clenched my fist, trying to gain control of myself.
"You should have told me."
Everyone was silent. No one could look me in the eye.
"Don't you get it? I don't care anymore."
Kuya stood up and stared at me.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"Anak-..."
"Mom, you know this has been what I wanted from the very beginning, since I was
a kid. I don't need that $1000-a-day treatment... I'm not even scared of dying a
nymore."
My brother went and hugged me.
"Sshhhh."
"No, Kuya, listen," I said, then I mildly pushed him away so I could look at him
properly. "Since that day I found out that I was ill, I changed, you all saw th
at. I tried to make everything all right so when the time comes, I won't have an
y regrets. And here I am... wishing for nothing else. I'm content, Kuya. I have
lived my life fully, haven't I?I have nothing to be scared of dying anymore beca
use there isn't anything else I could ask for..."

He looked away and I noticed that he was still sad, so I whacked him hard in the
face.
"ARAY!"
"DAMN IT! There's nothing to be sad about, Kuya! Don't be an idiot!"
"IRISH!"
My parents came to Kuya's rescue.
Tsk. Nakikita ang favoritism.
"Did you have to do it that hard?! "
"Hijo, pagpasensyahan mo na yung kapatid mo, tinotoyo lang yan. I'll get an ice
bag."
"No, I'm okay."
"Yeah, balat kalabaw naman to si Kuya eh "
"Isa pang hirit mo dyan, sasapakin na kita."
"Tama na nga yan, para kayong seven years old!"
I laughed my a$$ off.
"Look, Kuya. Ayoko ng drama, okay? Kung gusto ko ng iyakan I would've asked for
it."
He gave me a smile, the most genuine one I've seen since we have left the hospit
al; but I couldn't help but notice that he seemed a few years older.
"Ok, missy, I promise it won't happen again."
"No, you have to promise," I went and raised his arm, panunumpa sa watawat style
, "that it won't happen, whether I'm listening or not."
"Fine " he said exasperatedly.
"Don't roll your eyes!"
"Okay! Stop being such a brat!"
"Well, sinasamantala ko ang perks ng pagkakaroon ng kuya. "
"Sinasamantala is an abominable understatement, Rish. Inaabuso is more like it."
"Tss. Wag niyo na kasi akong problemahin. Si Ria na lang problemahin mo. Aba, ma
lamang-lamang eh hinahanap ka na ng mga yun."
"Ikaw pala ang siraulo dyan eh," he retorted.
"Kita mo na ngang kagulo na tayo sa paghahanap ng perang pambili ng pagkain, pag

tawag pa sa Pilipinas ang iniisip mo."

"Hello! Para sayo kaya yun?"
"I know. But it can wait. For now..."
"Pero paano yun Kuya? Baka magalit na sila sayo... Paano kung naisip nilang ako
yung kasama mo? Hindi pa naman nila alam na kapatid mo nga ako..."
"Wag mo na nga problemahin yun!"
"Pero paano ka? Paano kayo?"
He sighed deeply, then he smiled. This time, it looked a bit forced.
"To tell the whole truth, Rish... hindi ko rin alam ."
________________________________________
Kai's POV
"Sooooooo, how was your weekend?" I asked as I was gulping down my pistachio con
e. He looked at me once, then smiled.
"Mmm, well, I got a few glasses of beer, beat up a couple of Barangay tanods, go
t myself handcuffed and then they locked me up inside the Barangay Hall for a wh
ole night."
I almost spit out my ice cream.
"WHAT?" I asked, my eyes slowly becoming the size of dinner plates. "Are you for
real?"
"Ehrm... I must admit I had quite more than my fair share of fun last weekend. Y
ou?"
"Nothing. I just went to Pangasinan and medyo nag hang out kami nila Ate Niki."
"How is she?"
"Good. I mean, WOW. She's changed! She became totally unrecognizable."
"What change? Good or bad?"
"Good. All in all, good. But..."
"But what?"
"Parang iba. I dunno. But I like it," I said, then I smiled at him.
"Edi maganda," he said, taking a sip off his caramel frap.

I studied him discreetly. He was wearing a simple collared Adidas shirt, his ath
letic build easily seen through it, on his eyes were eyeglasses, and his hair wa
s mussed up- really sexily at that.

"HEY! "
I was taken aback.
"Don't do that!"
"What?"
"The- the..."
"The what?!" I asked defensively. Putek, nahalata ako.
"Don't look at me like that, okay? It's kind of... creepy."
OUCH.
"Sorry."
Kakainis naman to. Bakit niya ako sinaway? As if naman ako lang yung tumititig s
a kanya! Kanina pa kaya siya pinagtitinginan ng mga babae na nasasalubong namin.
Tas sa lahat ng yun ako lang yung napansin niya? DAYA NAMAN OH.
"O," he said in an attempt to break the ice. "Baka mamaya may bigla na lang manu
ntok saken dito ha? Sure ka bang walang magagalit na kasama mo ako?"
"Hello, aayain ba kita kung meron?"
He just laughed at me.
"Baka ikaw dyan ang meron."
"Wala ah," he said, almost too quickly.
"For real?"
"Oo naman."
"Hmm. Eh past, meron?"
"Kai!"
"Come on, Kevin," I said, hoping the use of his nickname would make him budge.
"Ibang topic na lang, ok?"
"Bakit ba? Affected ka pa noh?"
"Hinde."
"Ah, not affected huh? How about bitter?"
He stopped walking and glared at me. I tried not to flinch.

"Why are you asking?"

"Because I want to know."
"Why? Worried my history might come up in a pop quiz or something? "
"Eh bakit ba nagagalit ka?"
"Hindi ako galit!"
And he walked away.
How effing rude.
"Hindi galit? Eh anong tawag mo dyan?"
"Well let us say for example that you do have a good reason for wanting to know.
.. but why should I trust you? Someone I haven't even talked to for the last...
12 years?"
"Trust? Why, do you think I'd mail it to Gossip Girl the moment you tell me?"
He sighed.
"Look, I-..." he looked at me straight in the eye. "I don't like talking about t
hose things. Not even to my closest pals. Point is, I don't-... Jeeeezus. This i
s freaking hard."
He looked away for a moment.
"Point is... I don't... feel okay... talking about it. Not ready, at least. It's
a big mess. Haven't even figured it out for myself, you know what I mean?"
I nodded slowly.
"Yeah. I'm sorry. I quite understand."
"Thanks."
There was a long silence.
"Movie?" I asked, gesturing towards the escalators that led to the moviehouses.
"Sure. "
Chapter Twelve
Elle's POV
"Lola, let's go home. Rafa's going to kill me if I don't bring you into the hous
e within the next hour."
"Hay, apo, pabayaan mo siya."
"Ahay, si Lola. Pasaway."
We were in their garden, este... orchard. Naglilibot si Lola sa mga puno nila. G
RABE. Ang laki ha. Exagg. Hindi na nga to orchard eh. Mas mukha siyang gubat.
"Ito, sa tapat ng puno na to kayo nag-away ni Karissa, nag-aagawan kayo sa isang

pirasong mangga. At doon... doon paboritong umakyat ni Rafa... kaya sila nahulo
g ni Kevin."
Kevin? O_O Hala. Sino yun?
"Tanda mo pa ba yun hija?"
"Hindi na po yata..."
"Naku, nagiging mas ulyanin ka na yata kaysa sa akin eh," she said, chuckling. "
Kababata niyo yun, diba? Kaso nung five years old kayo, lumipat na tayo sa Quezo
n City."
AHHH. Okay. Kinabahan naman ako. Akala ko kapatid na naman nila o kamag-anak. Gr
abe ha, bumibingo na ako. Ilang beses na akong muntik mabuking. T_T
She took a step and fell over a huge tree root.
"LOLA!"
She stood up elegantly and waved her hands, signaling she's fine.
"Naman, ang kulit kasi eh. Umuwi na nga kasi tayo."
"Sige na nga. Teka nga hija, nandoon ba si Kai?"
"Wala po... Umuwi na daw ng Manila."
"Kita mo yung batang yun. Talagang hindi makatiis," she said, her tone disappoin
ted.
"Napakalayo ng loob ng batang yun sa akin, akala mo ba."
I looked at her. She had a point. Nung dumating si Kai... well, she's okay. But
unlike Rafa...
"But oh well, Rafa and you are more than enough."
"Lola naman," sabi ko, though I was touched. "Apo mo rin yun."
"Well, apo ang trato ko sa kanya. Hindi ko lang alam kung ano ang trato niya sa
akin."
"She doesn't know how lucky she is," I told her. "Having you for a Lola is somet
hing I consider priceless. "
To be completely honest, this woman is the reason why somehow, at the most rando
m times, I almost completely forget about the life I had left since the accident
had happened. What was weird was sometimes, I think of myself as Niki more than
Elle. I hate to admit it, but I'm jealous of Niki. Despite everything I've hear
d about her and her attitude, she had the thing I wanted the most: a big, happy,
caring family.
Oh great. Now I wish I was Niki.
Wonder what made her want to run away?
"Thanks, sweetheart."
*BEEP BEEP*
Oha. Tumutunog ang aking new phone, courtesy of Daddy.
HOY! Asaan na ba kayo ni Lola? Kkain n!
"Lola, nagtext na ang magaling niyong apo."

"Naku, sige na nga. Baka mapagalitan pa tayo nyan. "

________________________________________
"Rafs? Can I talk to you for a sec?"
He obliged, and we went to the kitchen.
"What is it?"
"Rafa, when can I leave?"
Silence.
"Is there a problem?"
"They're really thinking it's me."
"Ano problema dun?"
"ARE YOU CRAZY?" I asked hotly. "People in this house are becoming too attached
to me! Si Dad, Mom... Pati si Lola!"
He stared at the floor.
"Listen, Rafa. This is unfair. Both to me, and to them. They're wasting time, da
hil akala nga nilang ako na to... they should be using it to look for the real N
iki. And dude, I have a life. A future. I should be filing my enrolment for Beni
lde by now."
"I know. I was planning to tell them na."
"When?"
"Today."

"Weh?"
"Oo nga. Kaya nga special yung luto ko para hindi ako gaanong malintikan e. (.) "

"Ah. Sorry. Ewan, nagiguilty na kasi ako kanina, habang kasama ko si Lola."
"No need to explain."
"Wala lang. Pero alam mo... sa totoo lang... parang mas nagugustuhan ko nang mag
-stay rito..."
I saw his eyes widen.
"Talaga?"
"Well, you guys are the family I never had."
"May magulang ka diba?"
"Yeah. Well... Mom's gone. And since that day she died, wala na ring pake saken
ang Daddy ko."

"Don't say that. Every parent cares about their kid, no matter what."
"I guess I'm an exception. But ok lang, at least nagkaroon ako ng real family...
kahit konting oras lang. Diba bro?"
"Yeah. Damn. Sana ikaw na lang si Ate Niki. Wala na siguro akong problema."
"Well, sometimes, I kind of wish the same thing."
He chuckled.
"O paano? May announcement pa tayo."
"Okay."
Sabay na kaming pumunta sa table. Dad, Mom and Lola looked overly delighted abou
t something. (Wow, feel na feel ko na yata ang pagtawag ko sa kanila ng ganun )
"O, ano ba kayong mga bata kayo," saway ni Lola.
"Mom, Dad, Lola, may sasabihin po pala ako sa inyo..."
"Hijo, do you mind if I go first?"
Nagtinginan lang kami ni Rafa.
"Niki, we have something to tell you."
Rafa and I exchanged glances.
"Ano po yun?"
Rafa's mom handed me a pretty, lace-lined envelope. Nakakaloka naman, nakangiti
saken yung tatlong adults.
OHMYGOSH.
"You seem to have forgotten, hija. Your debut's about a month from now."

"Oh, yeah, we almost forgot... but Mom, Dad, you're not telling me we're going t
o have a huge celebration, right?"
"Rafa, I don't think you get it."
"We have a million reasons to hold a big bash for your sister."
"Eto ngang mommy niyo, naexcite. Pinamigay na yang mga invitations na yan kahapo
n. "
"WHAT?!" Rafa and I shouted together.
OHMYGOD. This has got to be a nightmare.
Whoa. Breathe, Elle. Breathe. This is just a big, fat nightmare.

"Yeah. We've sent them to everyone... you have no idea," Mom said excitedly, "CE
Os, celebrities, models, ambassadors, congressmen, oh you get the idea."
"Sino gusto mong host?"
I think I'm going to faint.
"Dad, don't you think this is a bit drastic?"
They all looked at Rafa as though he was losing his mind.
"Well, we know there is only a little time to prepare... but then, I know we wil
l manage."
"Can we... er, postpone it, at the very least?"
"Bakit, kelan ba pinanganak ang Ate mo? Diba June?"
Rafa slapped his forehead.
"Ano bang nangyayari sayo?"
I decided it was time to speak up.
"Mom, Dad, I'm not sure if I want this."
"Hija," said Mom, and she took my hand with hers. "I know you're not the party-t
ype, but this is not an option. Mapapahiya kami ng Daddy mo. Alam mo namang sa m
ga kagaya niya, pag nagkaroon ng anak na babaeng mage-18... nakakahiya pag hindi
nagpa-debut. Naiintindihan mo ba? And besides, you're the daughter of a major p
olitician. You're going to be introduced to society."
"At isa pa, napakalat na ang invitations. Hindi na namin pwedeng i-revoke yun."
"Please, hija?"
I took a deep breath.
"Okay."
Rafa looked at me with his mouth open. The three adults, however, looked happy a
nd they simply ignored him.
________________________________________
"Are you crazy? Paano ka pa uuwi? Akala ko ba gusto mo nang umuwi? Hindi ka ba n
ag-iisip?!"
"Ano bang akala mo? Na gusto ko yung ginawa ko? HOY! Para sa kanila yun! Para hi
ndi kayo mapahiya..."
"Alam ko... pero paano ka?"
"Hoy, after nung party, I'm not staying. You have to tell them after the party.
Okay?"
He looked at me, bewildered.

"Pero..."
"Dude, if I had any other choice... well if I was my old self, I'd get one of th
e cars in your garage and drive myself away, but no. May konsensya din naman ako
noh. At siguro pagtanaw na rin ng utang na loob... sa pagpulot saka pagpapatira
niyo saken... and higit sa lahat, para kay Lola."
He smiled. Yung tipong smile na nakakainis.
"What the heck are you smiling about?"
"You must love my grandmother that much."
I glared at him.
"Pasalamat ka, mabait saken yang si Lola," I said as we put the dishes in the di
shwashers. "Kung hinde, matagal ko na siguro kayong nilayasan."
________________________________________
Jon's POV
Whoo. Sa wakas. Natapos rin kami.
Andito kami ngayon sa rerentahan naming condo... dito lang sa Katips. Ang ganda
nung unit. Malaki. Syempre kailangan nga malaki kasi lima nga kaming titira dito
this coming school year: Ako, sila Aidan, Liam, Ria at Denise.
Denise, I repeated to myself quietly.
I shook it off and got myself a can of Coke.
"Guys! Coke muna tayo!"
Aidan and Liam emerged from the bigger bedroom that was the boys', while Ria cam
e out of the CR, looking exhausted.
"Buksan ko na yung aircon ha? Ang init eh."
"Okay," I said as I handed them their drinks.
Hay. Heto na, nagsi-sink in na. College na talaga kami, at ngayon naka-condo uni
t pa. May kanya-kanya na rin kaming sasakyan nila Liam, pero si Den hahati muna
dapat kay Ria kasi hindi pa siya marunong magdrive, tapos kaya naman ako binilha
n kasi nga iba ako ng school. Buti na lang nga, medyo malaki yung space ng parki
ng dito sa condo.
"O mga dude, paano tayo bukas?" Aidan asked. I looked at him quizically.
"Ano ba meron?"
"Ungas! Bartdey ni Liam bukas!"
"AYSHOOT OONGA NOH?"
"Tsk. Mga paps, nakakalimot na kayo ah," sabi ni Liam, nakaungos yung nguso, tam
po kuno.
"Langya, pati ako nakalimot ah."
"Tsk, ikaw nga dapat makaalala, ex mo yan! "
Lokong Aidan to ah. Nabato tuloy ni Liam ng unan ng hindi oras.

"O, saan tayo bukas? Treat ko. Kayo lahat, maliban kay Aidan! "
"Dencio's?"
"Wag! Sbarro!"
"Ayoko! Brothers gusto ko!"
"Ano ba... Yellow Cab na lang!"
*And I just can't pull myself away...*
"O? Kaninong ringtone yun?"
"Mine. Saglit lang ah?"
And she went to answer it while sige lang discuss ng options sina Liam at Aidan
kung saan pwedeng pumunta bukas. I saw Ria's facial expression change as she tal
ked into the mouthpiece.
"-yeah, yeah... ok... don't worry... Aright, ako na bahala magsabi. Bye."
She threw me a look that kind of made me anxious. I looked at her quizically.
"Bro, I need a word..."
"What? But-..."
"NOW."
Then she pulled me outside.
I honestly don't have a good feeling about this.
Chapter Thirteen
Elle's POV
"Wait, let me repeat that," Rafa said as we took our seats. Nasa McDo kami ngayo
n, nag-aya siya kasi ayaw niya daw ng ulam sa bahay. Ang gusto daw niya, Chicken
McDo. Edi sama naman ako. Libre eh.
"Yung boyfriend mo, sinapak mo sa mall kaya mo nakilala, yung bestfriend mo ngay
on kaaway mo dati, at ngayon boyfriend niya yung ex mo? Ganun?"
"Yup."
"Wow. Your life sure IS complicated. "
"Oh, you haven't heard half of it... Ikaw naman."
"Anong ako?" he asked, his mouth full.
"Ikaw naman magkwento. "
"Wala akong ikukwento."

"Ang daya nito! Ako nga nagkwento eh."

"Bakit, sinabi ko bang magkwento ka?"
Tignan mo ugali ng ugok na to. Namilosopo pa eh.
"You know what, I think I was wrong."
"Wrong?"
"Diba sabi ko dati, hindi kayo pareho ni Ate Niki kahit konti? Hindi pala. Pareh
o pala kayong usisera "
"Tss. Ewan ko sayo. Sige, eto na lang. What was Niki like?"
"Si Ate? Were the pictures and stuff in her room not enough to tell you?"
Well, oo nga naman. May drum set sa kwartong inoocupy ko ngayon, meron ding gita
ra, ang daming blank na canvas, paint...
"She was the typical rebel. Dad wants her to pursue Law but she wanted to study
Fine Arts or Music. Mind you, she's REALLY GOOD. Drums, guitars, you name it, sh
e does it. She even told me she can do a one-woman show if only she was given ex
tra arms."
"Wow, Sharpay Evans, ikaw ba yan? "
"Haha, sira. Anyway, she had a band, but Dad wouldn't let her bandmates into the
house. Since she couldn't do her stuff at home, she started sneaking out. I use
d to help her do that," he said with a smile.
"So you really were close?"
"Sobra. Mas close talaga siya sa akin, compared to Kai."
"Bakit ba parang lahat kayo malayo ang loob kay Kai?"
"No, it's just them. I'm good with her... she does listen to me 75% of the time.
I'm her twin, after all."
"I wouldn't have thought you were twins... you look Chinese and she looks 101% C
aucasian."
"Well, sabihin na lang nating malakas ang British genes ni Mommy. She's Half Eng
lish... That's why yo- I mean Ate Niki doesn't look too Asian either."
"Kakatawa naman family niyo, parang United Nations."
He burst out laughing.
"Haha! Benta!"
"Babaw mo ah."
"Yabang mo, para kang si M-..."

He fell quiet. Nagfocus siya instead on eating.

"Sino si M-?"
"Wala."
Looks like my brother has something to share after all...
________________________________________
Liam's POV
Anak ng tinapa.
Badtrip naman tong cellphone na to eh, ang aga-aga pa.
14 new messages
Ano ba naman to. Lahat naman iisa lang yung lamanHappy birthday Liam!
Oo na, alam ko nang birthday ko.
Di niyo na kailangang ipaalala saken.
Teka lang. Asaan yung mga roommates ko?
Ang aga pa ah?
I got off the bed and saw that everything was cleaned up- which was, definitely,
something unusual. Asaan sila Otan pati si Aidan?
Lumabas ako ng kwarto to check. I took a peek into the kitchen and saw no one th
ere- another unusual thing. Ria's supposed to cook breakfast...
Wait a minute.
Speaking of Ria...
Naknangpatolang mga tao naman yun oh. Napakabait! Birthday na birthday ko iniwan
an ako dito! Sana sinabi man lang nilang aalis sila diba? Para hindi naman Lonel
y Boy ang drama ko rito!
Di kaya umuwi ng Las Pinas yung mga yun? Aba, patay sila saken. Tama ba namang i
wanan akong mag-isa rito sa QC?!
DING! DONG!
Wow, exactly what I need! An early morning intruder!
Well, at least that's somehow better than spending your birthday morning alone,
right?
"Who's there?"
"Delivery po!"
"Delivery? I didn't call-..."
"Padeliver po ng friends niyo, don't worry Sir... it's paid for."
At hindi rin naman pala nakalimot ang mga ugok.
I opened the door and boom!
AYOS! Yellow Cab!

"New York's Finest?"

"Yes Sir. O, sir, may nag-iwan po ng Birthday Cake dito oh..."
"Wow! Cool!" I said, then kinuha ko yung pizza box. Wooo! This is all mine
Kasalanan nila, layas sila ng layas eh.
"Ah, sir, may isa pa daw po silang regalo sa inyo..."
"Huh?"
It was then that the delivery boy removed his capWait...
The delivery guy's a SHE...
I watched her long hair cascade in waves.
My eyes slowly moved upward...
Next thing I knew, the pizza box was tumbling out of my hands.
Without thinking, I went and immediately threw my arms around her, sniffing the
familiar, flowery scent of her hair...
I fell back to take a good look at her face for I couldn't believe it.
I must be dreaming.
"Are you real?"
"What do you think?"
I smiled, the widest one I had made ever. I couldn't speak; my tongue was all ti
ed up. Everything was just surreal, I couldn't see if my surroundings were spinn
ing because they seemed to...
But I only had eyes for the creature who stood before me, her smile just as wide
as mine.
"What?"
"I- I'm sorry," I said, my eyes hungrily taking in every detail of her face as t
hough I could never have enough. "I... I can't believe it."
"Me neither. I must have set a world record... Twenty-two days was a LOT of slee
p, wasn't it?"
"Those were the worst twenty-two days of my life, Den..."
She looked at me straight in the eye.
"They were?"
"I- I thought I was gonna lose you. I was so scared..."
"Then I guess we're even. After everything you did..."
"Are you trying to pull a Blair Waldorf on me? "
She chuckled, eyeing me fondly.
"Not really. But if you insist... I just might..."
I felt her lips come in full contact with my mouth. It was quick but mild... inc
redible.
"You prat! We forgot your pizza!"

And then, we spent the next few hours making up for lost time...
Chapter Fourteen
Ria's POV
"Anak naman nang- AIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"
Haysusginoo, enrolment namin ngayon tapos ngayon pa nagpapa-VIP! ANG BAGAAAAAAL!
Kakainis naman kasi, kanina pa akong ready, kaso nag-insist sila ni Liam na suma
bay na saken dahil hindi daw practical kung tig-iisa pa kami ng dalang kotse. Ak
o naman si ungas, pumayag...
"Relax lang," Liam told me with a smile on his face. "Di pa naman tayo late."
TSS. Badtrip naman tong taong to oh. Simula kasi nung pinasurprise namin siya ka
y Denise, ganyan na yan, laging kalmado, laging relaxed... Tss. Nasobrahan ata e
h! Ayun ang dalawa, sabay ngayong kumakain. Si Jonathan naman dalawang oras nang
nakatutok doon sa laptop niya, kausap si Maffy through Skype.
Mga lovebirds nga naman.
Naman eh, chismis pa naman ni Denise (nauna siya mag-enroll; mas maaga kasi yung
schedule ng college niya) maaga pa lang daw eh mahaba na yung pila. Jusko, ayok
o namang magstay doon the whole day noh! Ang init init eh!
"Sorry na," said Aidan, who came out of the room, smelling like he had poured th
e whole bottle of perfume on. "Di ko kasi mahanap yung isa kong tsinelas eh."
"Magtsi-tsinelas ka lang?"
"Malamang. Sabi nga nila diba, kahit daw pantulog ang suot mo ok lang doon? Saka
Havaianas naman tong suot ko. Ok na yan!"
"Nakashorts at tsinelas ka nga, naligo ka naman ng pabango " I scoffed.
"Malay mo, andun lang pala si Elle tapos maamoy niya ako... "
I forced myself to laugh at Aidan's obvious effort to make us laugh.
"O ano, tara na?"
"Sige, ako magdadrive..."
I threw him the keys tapos pumunta na kami sa bago naming school. Ang instructio
n sa amin, doon daw sa Palma Hall, kukuha ng Form5A... magpapasa ng requirements
, at kung ano ano pang chever. Sabay-sabay kaming tatlo kasi sabay ang schedule
ng colleges namin- ako sa School of Economics, sila sa College of Business Admin
istration. Buti na nga lang sa iisang basic at kilalang building na lang nila ni
lagay yung enrolment, malay ko naman kasi kung saan yung SE at CBA na yun?
Ang cool nga nitong dalawang kasama ko eh. Pasok sila sa BAA (Business Administr
ation and Accountancy). Actually yun ang first choice ko... but oh well. Hindi p
umasok sa quota. (SAKLAP DIBA?) Dun na lang ako sa 2nd choice ko na BE. Maganda
rin naman daw eh. And besides, if hindi ko naman nagustuhan ang Econ, I could al
ways shift- basta ayusin ko lang ang grades ko
"O, Ria... Iba yata pila natin..."

"Oh that's right, Aidan, rub it in my face some more..." I replied bitterly.
"Come on, what's with the brattiness? Is Elle possessing you or something? "
"Shut up, Liam, " Aidan snapped. "I'm not rubbing it in, ok? Just making sure na
hindi ka pipila for nothing."
"Aright. Fine."
"Be a good girl," Aidan said, patting my head like a little sister.
"And don't beat up anyone who's trying to cut in. Be nice."
"Yes, KUYA. Now shoo!"
They rolled their eyes at me then pumunta na sila doon sa pila nila.
Langyang mga kumag na yun. Pinagkaisahan ako, wala kasi yung mga kakampi ko- si
Denise pati si Otan. Tss. Magsusumbong ako mamaya. HMF! (pout here)
Ma-check nga ang requirements ko... kumpleto na kaya?
Ayown. Kumpleto naman. ^_^
Matingnan nga ang mga kasabay kong mag-enrol. Malamang-lamang eh ang mga ito ang
makakasama ko ng 4 years...
Napatingin ako bigla sa entrance.

No...
Without me knowing it, my respiratory system had gone into a ferocious fiasco. I
felt so nervous- what the hell?
I wanted to move, but I couldn't.
I turned my back on the entrance, thinking I must be seeing things.
Last time I checked, he was a world away...
Hindi kaya umuwi na siya?
Pero hindi eh. Dapat kung umuwi siya, edi sana"Hi there," said a voice behind me. "Um, is this the line for BE students?"
I slowly turned and faced the person who spoke.
Oh, stupid me.
It wasn't him at all. Just someone who looked a fcuking lot like him.
"Yeah, it is."
"Thanks," he said, smiling, his resemblance to Gelo getting even more pronounced
that I couldn't stop staring. Pucha naman oh, sa lahat naman ng pwedeng maging
kamukha ng ugok na ito, bakit si Gelo pa?
"I'm Rafa nga pala. You are?" he asked, extending his hand.

I blankly stared at his extended hand for a moment and tried to think straight.
"Ria," I replied, shaking his hand. He looked genuinely friendly.
"From where?"
"Las Pinas. Ikaw?"
"Taga LP rin ako dati, but lumipat na kami ng QC when I was five... Saan sa LP?"
"Sa BF."
"Cool, kami rin, taga Lalaine Bennet Street kami dati."
"Wow, talaga? Kami sa Margie Moran eh... So saan ka nag High School?"
"Xavier. Ikaw?"
"Ah, sa B High. Alam mo yun diba? Malapit lang, doon sa may DLA-"
"Yeah of course! Doon ako sa Belletown nag preschool eh... Actually, my best pal
is there too, ka-batch natin."
"Really? Anong name?"
"Ria?"
We both turned to look at Liam, who was staring at Rafa with wide, diesbelieving
eyes.
"Oh, I thought he was-..."
"Rafa, this is Liam, one of my best buds. He's from Belletown too. Liam, si Rafa
." I said, cutting across him.
"Nice to meet you," Rafa said, offering him a high five. Liam took it, though re
luctantly.
"Nice to meet you too. Anyway, I'm going back to the other line... see you guys
later."
Liam gave me a nod then bumalik na siya sa pila kasama ni Aidan, who, I noticed,
was also looking in our direction.
Siguro, gaya ko, they thought it was Gelo. Dang, were they separated at birth or
something? They could pass for twins.
"He thought I was what?" Rafa asked me.
"Well, he thought you were someone we knew from... way back... a classmate... We
ll you do look a lot alike," I told him. "Akala ko rin ikaw yung... siya... kani
na, nung bago ka pumasok rito..."
"Really? Wow. Mukhang talagang kamukha ko yun ah? "

Nakitawa na rin lang ako, even though the last thing I wanted to do was laugh.
I just felt sick of myself.
It was revolting to know that at the most random places, at the most random time
s, I still find myself thinking about someone who does not appear to give a damn
about me anymore.
After two months of not seeing him, it felt despicable to realize that my longin
g for his presence had not changed a bit.
I hated myself for that fleeting moment that I did think it was him...
The worst part of it was that after two months of blissful ignorance, the truth
was here... again, staring at me in the face, taking the pain back with it in fu
ll measure.
________________________________________
Maffy's POV
"Oo, wait lang-..."
I was in the subway, staring at a map. Hmm, paano kaya ako lalabas?
Nako, paano ba ako makakaconcentrate sa paghahanap ng dadaanan ko, habang daldal
ke daldal naman si Jonathan dito sa cellphone ko? Magkausap kami ngayon. Buti n
ga may chuchu sila doon na 2 cents per minute lang... sulit diba?
"Teka, saan ka nga pala ulit pupunta?"
"Sa Canal Street... dito sa Brooklyn..."
"Ano gagawin mo dyan?"
"Naghahanap ng sale."
"Naman, bakit hindi ka nagpasama sa Daddy mo?"
"Ano ba, ok lang naman ako eh. Isa pa, kailangan ko ring matutong maging indepen
dent."
"Hindi ka ba natatakot?"
"Natatakot din, but kung yun ang iisipin ko, wala akong mararating. Literally. "
"Ano ba kasing gusto mong bilhin?"
"Sabi kasi ni Daddy may bilihan daw rito ng Chucks, 20 dollars lang each, can yo
u imagine? Sa regular shops 45 dollars yun!"
"WAAA! Pupunta na ako dyan!"

"Sige, dali! Ngayon na!" I said, laughing. I saw a couple of women stare as they
passed by. "Kumag, pakausap nga kay Ria."
"Wala, kasama ni Liam saka ni Aidantot, nag-eenroll."
"Wala kang kasama dyan?"
"Si Den. Nagluluto eh."
"Naku, ang bruhang yan... pwede bang-..."

I froze.
Am I seeing things?
"Maffs?"
"Wait..."
Walking nearer, I knew I was right. Two figures stood about fifteen meters away
from me in the train platform, standing side by side, the taller figure's arm pe
rched on the other's shoulders. Their profiles were thrown into even greater pro
minence as the blinding light from the incoming train shone brightly onto their
faces"Gelo?"
"Ha? Sinong-..."
I watched the train door open, and I raced to reach them*BLAG*
"OW!"
"Watch it! Fat a$$!"
Gagong nognog to ah!
I was about to shout a flurry of swearwords at the person who had bumped me when
I heard the beep signaling that the train doors were about to close.
In horror, I watched the train move and pick up speed. I ran to catch up, despit
e knowing fully well that my efforts were in vain. In a matter of seconds, the n
oisy, slithering monster made of steel was out of sight. Every face in the platf
orm was turned towards me, all their eyes curiously averted to see what other cr
azy thing I'm going to do next.
It was then that I, again, became aware of the phone I was holding in my cold ha
nds. Shaking, I put it back into my ear.
"MAFFS?! MAFFS! WHAT HAPPENED?! HELLO?! STILL THERE?"
"Yeah," I muttered as Jonathan's frantic yells brought me back to reality. My he
ad seemed to be floating. But who can blame me?
"What the bloody hell happened to you?! I was thinking you got hit by a train or
someth-..."
"Well, I did get hit by some Ne-Yo lookalike..."
"Are you hurt?"
"No..."
"Teka, bakit mo ako tinawag na Gelo kanina?"
"He was here."
"WHAT?"
"He... Gelo... I saw him."

"But wh-..."
"You were right."
Jon stopped speaking. It took a long time before I heard his voice again.
"Ano ibig mong sabihin?"
"Andito nga siya... sila."
There was a stunned silence. I could feel Jon's emotions starting to overpower h
im.
"Tang ina. Sinasabi ko na nga ba eh..."
Chapter Fifteen
Elle's POV
"AAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"
Heavens help me. I could feel my eardrums bleeding.
"OHMYGOSH ATE!"
"I don't feel the need to YELL, Kai," I snapped. "It's just a designer!"
"Pierre Jacques-Poesy! Are you kidding?! You're going to wear a Jacques-Poesy go
wn on your debut, and you don't feel like yelling?! Were you hiding under a rock
or something? Look at that," she said, then she threw a copy of InStyle Magazin
e at me.
Fine. I know who that French bloke is... I do read stuff once in a while, but se
riously, Pierre Jacques-Poesy?!
Pro? He was a part of New York Fashion week.
Con? Well, Anna Wintour herself had bashed him in her latest Vogue Editorial.
I mean, come on.
"I'm so jealous," she gushed. "If I had the chance..."
"Look, why don't you wear the Poesy gown? I'll have Mom arrange something else f
or me, I'm sure she'll be okay with that."
"You are UNBELIEVABLE," she said, rolling her eyes. "You know, you've always had
this habit of passing good things up."
"You think so? Well, I-..."
My door flew open.
"Lola!"
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kai's face contort into an ugly frown.
"I brought something for you, dears..."
"Tuna melt?! Jeez, Lola, I'm on a diet, remember?"
"Wow!" I said, ignoring Kai's comment. "Did you make this yourself?"
"Of course," she said, as she handed me the platter of food. I was about to get
one when Kai rudely interrupted, shoving the plate back.
"Don't be stupid, Ate. Your gown won't fit. Lola, why don't you bring this outsi
de and eat it with the house maids?"

The old woman smiled bitterly at her, eyes filled with tears, and scuffled out o
f the room without another word. Hahabulin ko sana siya but I felt a strong forc
e tug at my arm.
"Don't buy it," she said sternly. "You know she's just flexing her acting muscle
s."
"How could you talk to her like that?"
"Come on, Ate. She's always like that. Paawa effect, pa-lambing effect, haven't
you had enough of her little schemes to get our attention? Come on, let's go som
ewhere else."
"Kai... She's still our grandmother. Bakit ba ganyan na lang yung galit mo sa ka
nya?"
"The woman seriously needs a fix... well, I guess a dying person just loves that
... she's the type who would get excited about the prospect of people bawling at
the top of their lungs at her funeral*SLAP!*
I hit her across the face with as much force as I can muster, leaving a bright r
ed mark on her usually rosy cheeks. She was clutching the part where my hand had
come in contact with, her eyes wide, fearful and angry.
"Between your and her funeral, I'd always pick to weep at hers," I told her. "No
w if you don't mind, I believe Lola and some other people more worthy of my atte
ntion are waiting for me downstairs. And oh, do me a favor, Kai."
She glared at me.
"Don't show up if you don't want hot tuna and cheese dripping down your front."
________________________________________
Ria's POV
"Hello?"
"Hey, Maffs!" I said excitedly. "It's such a relief to hear your voice!"
"Ria?"
"Yes, yes, who ELSE?! So how's Manhattan? Ever run into Chuck Bass or something?
"
"No, not really... New York has so far been... well, a b!tch."
"WHAT?!" I replied, chuckling under my breath. "What the hell, Maffs, New York d
oes seem to be taking its toll on you... Never thought I'd hear you saying the b
-word, but then, can you say it again? I wanna record it. "
"Gaga. Ikaw, kamusta?"
"Ehrr. Bored. Wala. Ang panget, wala akong makausap na matino rito. It's like al
l of them have turned into zombies overnight. Just the other day, they were okay
... but since yesterday night... JEEZ! All of them! Liam, Aidan, Denise... even
Jon! I wonder why. I asked them what was wrong but they wouldn't answer me. It's
like they're hiding something..."
I sighed.

"So now, I had to call you since I was guessing you'd be the only one left norma
l..."
"Are you telling me I was your last resort?"
"Francesca, what's with the cranky mood?"
I heard a long silence, the type she uses when she's trying to compose herself,
especially at times she is forced to do things against her will.
"Well, yesterday, I nearly got thrown off into the rails by this Ne-Yo clone..."
"Oh my gosh, are you okay?"
"Yes, but that's not even the worst part..."
"What is the worst part?"
Another pause.
"Maffy-...?"
"Ria, I saw him here. In the train station... yesterday."
"What? What do you mean, I mean, him who?"
"Gelo."

"He- he was..."
The questions were slipping out even before I knew I was saying it.
"Did he see you? Did he talk to you? What did he say? Did he ask how I was? What
did you-?"
"No, he didn't do anything."
"Wait, you said-..."
"He was with her."
I felt my knees turn to marshmallow.
"Her?" I said weakly.
"Rish."
I clutched my head as I suddenly felt nauseous.
"I wanted to tell you the instant I saw them, but I was afraid you wouldn't take
this lightly."
I gulped, hoping to eliminate the golf ball-ish thing in my throat that was obst
ructing my breathing.
"I'm sorry, Ria."
"You shouldn't be... I mean, I saw this coming."
"You did?"
"I overheard you... Jon... Liam, everyone else but me that is, discussing your t
heories about why he managed to be in New York in a fortnight without notice...
well, here's the answer, our theories are confirmed... and WOW. How about I writ
e the conclusion and you publish it?"
I wondered if the stare-at-the-ceiling-and-get-your-tears-to-move-backwards real

ly worked, so while Maffy groped for something to say, I tried it and failed mis
erably.
"I'll call you later."
________________________________________
Denise's POV
"Saan pa tayo pupunta?"
"Ewan. Nabibigatan ka na ba?"
"No, I'm okay."
We were in Trinoma, getting some stuff for the new schoolyear. Wala lang, naisip
an lang din naming umalis kasi nabobore na kami sa bahay.
"Den..."
"Yup?"
"Wala lang."
He smiled at me then he grabbed my hand.
"Buti na lang hindi natin sila sinama. "
"Ang sama naman talaga ng ugali mo noh?"
"Jeez, you must be having a bad bout of amnesia or something, " he said, chuckli
ng a bit. "You've forgotten that I've been like that ever since."
"Amnesia? Good one, Liam. Did you really think I'd follow the trail of some old,
cheesy, old-school teleserye?"
"Malay natin, pwede pala tayo maging teleserye "
"Sorry bro, but I've got much better dreams than that in my head."
"Look, how about you stopped calling me bro, or-..."
"Or what?"
"Or else I'll have to start calling you Mom."
T_T
Ang corny ha.
"Yuck. Ang pangit ng hirit mo."
"I hate it when you snap at me."
"I'm not snapping at you."
"What would you call that then?"
"Well, as Serena van der Woodsen puts it," I said, smiling as he looked at me in
tensely, hanging onto my every word, "it's perhaps a twisted version of*RING RING*
Aidan Lennox Calling
"Ok, was that yours or mine?"
"This has got to be important. Hello?"
"Hello? Den?"
"Aids? What's up?" I asked, as Liam put his ear on the other side of my phone to
hear it better.
"Where are you?!"
"Oh, easy Dad, we're still within curfew!"
"Get back here this instant!"
Liam snatched the phone away.
"What's going on, Daddy?"
I saw his eyes widen.

"WHAT?!" he shouted into the handset, which caused a handful of onlookers to loo
k rudely at us.
"What is it?"
He held up his index finger to silence me.
"Ok, we'll be there in twenty. Ikaw na muna bahala, Bro."
Ikaw na bahala? What's that supposed to mean?
"Let's go."
"What happened?"
"She knows."
"She knows wh-?"
OH NO.
"What else did Aidan say?"
"She hasn't come out of her room since we left... which was approximately seven
hours ago..."
NO. Not again...
Chapter Sixteen
Rish's POV
"Anak, would you mind putting the trash outside?"
"No, Dad. Akina..."
"Thanks, hija."
I went out of the apartment into the blazing sun. Parating pa lang kasi ang summ
er dito.
Wow, finally. It's almost like being back in Pinas.
I noticed the red stick in the mailbox turned up. Funny, are the bills coming ea
rly?
Yup. Water... Electricity...
Irish Christine Beltran
1887 North Shore Drive
Long Island, NY
I recognized the untidy scrawl written on the envelope, hardly daring to believe
it. The stamp was...
I hastily opened it, not thinking about what I was doing. Forgetting my pride, I
almost jumped with joy as I saw his signature written at the very bottom of the
page.
April 5, 20**
Rish,
Hi. You might be wondering how I managed to get hold of your address but your mo
m had fortunately thought about giving it to me before you left. I hope you won'
t get mad at her for this- I kind of forced her to give it to me, you know, so i
t's entirely my fault.

My fault... Sorry... Blame me.

That was his classic line. Tuwing pinapagalitan ako dahil late akong umuwi at si
ya yung kasama ko, nagsosorry siya. Tuwing may bagay na hindi kami magkaintindih
an... lagi siyang nagsosorry, kahit ako yung may kasalanan.
The last time we talked wasn't exactly as pleasant as I wanted it to be; nor did
I want it to be the last time we spoke to each other. I know I had hurt you, an
d I could not blame you for leaving without notice. There were a lot of good mem
ories we had shared, and I don't want any of that to go to waste. I guess what I
'm trying to say is I'm sorry.
About Ria's pictures- ok, yes, I own them. I don't want to sound like I'm making
excuses pero sobrang tagal na noon... but it was not too human of me either tha
t I had kept my feelings for her from you. I wouldn't deny that she had occupied
my thoughts for a great deal, especially during those times that we were at odd
s with each other. Issues, I remember, that mainly concerned another person- Gel
o.
Please do not think that I am pointing a blaming finger on you, but that was the
one thing that kept popping up. Whenever I hint that I want to talk about it, y
ou brush me off- and you wouldn't believe how incredibly frustrating it was for
me. I never questioned the fact that you were too close for comfort at certain t
imes, and that you seemed to want to spend your time with him more than me... an
d I didn't like that much.
If he only knew.
________________________________________
FLASHBACK:
"No."
"I understand that you are ashamed-..."
"No, hija. I'm not ashamed, not that I have ever been. What I'm thinking is that
those people around you and your brother would not treat you the same way if th
ey found out."
"Who cares?"
"Rish, don't be so stubborn. Your dad has a point. You know how people get- woul
d you want to be labeled as an 'anak sa labas'? No. I wouldn't allow that."
"So, for the mean time that we couldn't arrange your papers so you could use my
surname instead, I suggest we don't let anyone know just yet."
"Not even the people closest to us?" my brother piped in, as I instantly thought
of Lance. For a small, fleeting moment, I savored the thought of him finally kn
owing everything... the moment he does, hindi na kami mag-aaway.
"No, hijo. I'm sorry," he said, looking glad that we had settled the matter. "Th
e right time to do such will come. For now, we will have to be patient."
________________________________________
There, I just wanted to let you know how I felt, not to defend my previous mista
kes, but to bring down the wall between us that we had been trying to eliminate

for the longest time. Good communication, right?

Well, what else is there to say?
Hmm. I don't think we've had- you know, the thing they call closure. Nothing was
final naman, right? I still do consider us... not finished. Just taking a short
hiatus, perhaps?
Once you go back (and I really do hope you will), I hope we can get to talk, cle
ar things up, and maybe... do a lot more. =)
I'll be waiting for your reply.
Lance
Funny, how even the fact that this letter had been two months overdue could not
dampen my spirits. After a long time, it felt like I had suddenly got out of a d
ark tunnel.
He still wants me. =)
________________________________________
________________________________________
Lance's POV
"Bakit?"
I looked at Nanay Shirley, unable to find a decent excuse on why I was in her ro
om.
"Ah..."
She smiled at me.
"May hinahanap ka ba hijo?"
"Ah, kasi... may... sulat ba rito kanina? Kasi ang alam ko dito niyo nilalagay p
ag meron..."
She looked at me pityingly.
"Anak, dalawang buwan ka nang nangungulit sa akin at dun sa kartero ah. Ano bang
hinihintay mo?"
I scratched my head.
"Wala po. Sige aakyat na po ako."
"Lance Kevin De Rivera! Halika nga rito!"
Lapit naman ako. Masunurin akong bata eh. Tsaka pag nabubuo ang pangalan ko eh..
. hindi na maganda yun
"Ano bang sabi ko sayo?"
"Alin po dun? Ang dami nun eh."
*POINK*
Aray.
Nabatukan pa tuloy. In fairness ha, abot niya. To think six inches ang tangkad k
o sa kanya.
"Sabi ko sayo, pag may problema, sasabihin mo sa akin agad. Bakit natututo ka na

ng magtago dyan ha?"

"Di naman po 'Nay. Wala lang naman kasi yun."
"Anong wala? Uupakan mo ba yung kartero kung talagang wala? Eh halos balian mo n
ung isang araw eh!"
"Malay ko kung tinatago niya lang yung sulat ko?"
"Kaya nga may e-mail na diba? Bakit mo ba ipinagpipilitan sa kartero?"
"Eh wala rin namang sumasagot dun."
"O, edi nahuli rin kita. May inaantay ka nga."
Kamot na lang ulit ng ulo.
"Ano ba kasing nangyari?"
"Alam niyo naman kung ano nangyari eh."
"Kung bakit naman kasi-..."
"Siya naman yung nauna diba?"
"Hindi naman ibig sabihin nun dapat mo ring gawin yung ginagawa niya."
"Tingin niyo ba sinadya ko yun?"
"Alam kong hindi mo sinadya. Pero hindi naiwasan."
Teka lang.
Hindi ko maprocess yun ah. Ang lalim
*POINK ULIT!*
"Narinig ko yun!"
"Talas ng tenga niyo ah "
"Naku bata ka. Kagulo mong kausap. Bahala ka nga dyan."
"NAY!"
"Naku anak. Kung ako sayo titigilan ko nang kakahintay yun. 2 buwan ka nang naka
tanga. Aba, karaming babae dyan na nagkakandarapa sayo! Bakit, sino ba siya para
habulin mo? Hoy, anong akala niya, maganda siya? Sus, madaling makakahanap ng k
apalit itong alaga ko ano! Sa gwapong yan!"
"Tama na nga yan Nay," I said, trying not to smile. "Masyadong lumalaki yung ulo
ko."
"UNGAS," she replied. "Eh kelan ba lumiit yan?"
________________________________________
Liam's POV

I watched Denise barge into our condo unit, almost destroying the front door as
she went. She was beside herself with fury, never had I seen her so agitated.
She banged their bedroom door thrice, the floor quaking each time she did.
"RIA, IF YOU DON'T COME OUT THIS INSTANTTo our surprise, the door opened ever so slowly, revealing a girl still dressed
in pajamas, groggily scratching her eyes. Denise stood there with her mouth hang
ing open, seemingly unable to believe what she was seeing. Aidan, Jon and I exch
anged glances.
Well, I hate to admit it, but I certainly expected something more than this.
"Bumili ba kayo ng ulam? Gutom na ako."
Den's jaw, if possible, dropped even lower. She turned to look at us with this p
riceless, incredulous WTF face.
"May nagsaing ba sa inyo?" she asked when not one of us answered her first quest
ion. Dumeretso siya sa kitchen. Kitang-kita namin siya kasi halos isang room lan
g naman yung sala pati yung kusina. Her hair was disheveled, eyes clean but stil
l half-closed and sleepy.
"Sorry ha, sarap kasi matulog eh... pero sana man lang may nakaalala sa inyo na
magsaing diba? Tsaka hoy, kayong dalawa, bakit ang aga niyong umuwi?" she asked
with a small smile. When another awkward silence hovered over us, she raised a b
row and scrutinized each of us faces in turn.
"Ba't ganyan kayo makatingin? Ganun ba ako kapangit pag bagong gising?"
"H-hinde. Wala lang..."
"Tsaka Denise, pwede bang maghanap ka muna ng perang pambayad sa may-ari nitong
unit bago ka manira ng mga gamit? Grabe ka maka-katok kanina eh. O_O"
Ok, WTF?
Ano yun? Ano ba naman tong si Aidan? Sa tono naman kasi ng pananalita niya akala
ko suicidal na si Ria kaya karipas naman kami ni Denise pauwi. T^T
"Kinatok niyo ba siya before this?" bulong ko kay Aidan habang distracted si Ria
sa paghuhugas ng rice cooker. Nagkamot siya ng ulo.
"Eh, isang beses... pero kasi... ayaw niya lumabas kanina eh."

"Tss. Nag-OM ka lang pala. Dinamay mo pa kami."

"Anong OM?"
"Overreact moment."
"Takte. Wag ka ngang bading!"
Binato kami ni Denise ng plastic na sandok.
"SSSHHH!"
"Nag-aaway ba kayo?"
"Hinde." We all said in chorus.
"You're all acting weird today."

Kami pa ang weird?

Teka nga...
"Sigurado kayong alam na niya?"
"Pabulong-bulong pa kayo diyan, akala niyo ba hindi ko rinig?"
We all looked at her.
"Sis, are you okay?"
"Obviously, I am. Nakakapagsaing pa ako eh. Bakit ba?"
2 things.
She's either a great actress or she's insane.
"I'm okay, guys. Stop acting like namatayan ako or something."
"We're just-..."
"I know, okay? And I don't want to talk about it."
She turned her back on us and got herself busy with plugging the rice cooker.
Mukhang ayaw niya ngang pag-usapan. Sige. Saka na lang siguro. Pag ready na siya
. Magsasabi naman yan eh.
"Eh, couz, bibili lang kami ng ulam ah?"
Hinila kami ni Otan, while Den gave us a grateful stare. Mukhang this is a girl
thing and we have to vacate the vicinity. The earlier, the better.
"O couz, wag mong susunugin yang kanin ah!"
*POINK*
"ARAY!"
"Wag ka na ngang mang-alaska! UUPAKAN KITA EH!"
"TSS! Tara na nga!"
Lumabas na kami ng unit.
"Sabi ko naman kasi sayo Otan eh. Tulog lang talaga yun kanina."
"Aba, malay ko kung nakabitin na pala yun dun sa loob!"
"Ganun ba kalala si Ria pag... ganito?"
"Hay naku. Di mo lang alam," sabi ni Otan with a small smile.
"HAH. Humanda yang Gelo na yan pag-uwi niya."
Nako. Talagang humanda siya
Chapter Seventeen
Rafa's POV
She was in my arms, her breathing rapid and shallow. Her eyes were fixed on mine
, and I could see the terrible pain that she was in.
"Mishka..."
She smiled upon hearing me utter her name, a seeming reflex as her facial muscle
s moved on their own.
"Damn it, Rafa," she swore, then smiled. "How- many times- have I- told you notto- cry?"

Great, now she can't speak properly...

"Screw it! Ang- pangit- mo! TU- MIGIL- ka nga!"
"Ssshhh..."
The whole world seemed to be spinning around me as people gathered around us in
a circle. The wreck of my car sat beside me, its side deformed and horribly mark
ed with bullets. My windows were all smashed, bullet holes easily visible"They're coming, okay? Tell me you'll hold on, Mishka... tell me!"
"That's- too much-..."
"No... just this once, okay? Let me have what I want... it's always you who does
... it's unfair."
She smiled bitterly and laughed, but it could not relieve me of my fears as the
red stains on her shirt seemed to be spreading and growing larger by the minute.
..
"I know... and- I'm- sorry..."
Tears flowed freely through my cheeks like boulders on a landslide, and I could
not do a single thing to stop it. I knew there was no hope the moment she clung
on to me more tightly than she ever had in her entire life.
"Wo ai- ni... Rafael..."
"Wo ye ai ni," I replied softly in her ear. She smiled.
"Promise- me- one thing-..."
"Anything!"
She slowly carressed my face, hungrily taking in every detail as though she coul
d never look at me properly enough. Her eyes were starting to close.
"Akin- ka- lang, ha?" she told me. "Ayokong- may- papalit sakin..."
"No... never, Mishka... I promise..."
"That's- my- boy. I- love you... Rafael Yutanco...."
She smiled again, now fighting to keep herself awake. I could see the effort.
I heard the ambulance...
"Mish... andito na sila..."
Silence. I looked at her. Her eyes were half-open, fixed on the starry night abo
ve her... and they stared blankly without seeing"Mish?"
Nothing.
"MISHKA! DAMN IT! WAKE UP!"
I shook her, hoping she would stir and scold me, like what she does on several o
ccasions"NO! DAMN IT! PUT*NG INA GUMISING KA! MISHKA! MISHKA!!!!!!!!!!!!"
________________________________________
________________________________________
"Rafa! Rafa! Wake up!"

Someone was slapping me.

I sat up, shaking my head violently, feeling as though I had doused my head in a
bucket full of ice cold water. Realizing I was shaking, I tried to hide my face
, which was shamelessly wet.
"Hijo-..."
"Don't worry, Ma. I'm okay."
"You're dreaming again, aren't you?"
I didn't answer.
The nightmares were coming back.
"YAYA!"
"No, don't wake them," I said irritably. The clock on my bedside table said 3:47
AM.
My mother hugged me. I shook her off.
"I'm okay, Mom," I told her firmly. She looked at me sympathetically. "I'll just
get some hot chocolate. Go back to sleep."
"We'll talk tomorrow, okay?"
"All right."
Finally, she got off my bed and I followed suit. She turned to go back to the Ma
ster's bedroom, and I went the opposite direction, towards the kitchen.
Absentmindedly, I stirred the contents of my cup, watching the marshmallows slow
ly melt before my very eyes.
Was life like that? It just melts away without you knowing it?
But why do some melt and disappear faster than the others?
I closed my eyes and sighed deeply.
Contrary to what I have been saying in the past few magazine interviews, I have
not fully recovered. Maybe I never will. That's what I had promised her, right?
What the world would not fully understand is the one dreadful thing that went ha
nd in hand with grief, in my case...
GUILT.
I went outside, into the front porch, her favorite place whenever she comes here
to entertain and talk to my Lola. My grip on the cup tightened as I heard her b
oisterous laugh replay itself in my head, echoing within its walls.
No. The pain had not fully gone away. And it never will...
"Rafs?"
I almost spilled the boiling hot chocolate over my front as I jumped on the spot
, realizing suddenly that I was not alone.
"Narinig kitang sumigaw."
I looked away, not wanting to see the sympathy that were evident in her eyes, wh
ich were so like my sister's.
"I'm fine. It's just a bad dream."

"No, it's not, and you know it."

Wanting to yell at her for being so stubborn, I turned and saw someone else in h
er- Ate Niki. The desire completely evaporated into thin air and I just felt sic
k of myself.
Ate Niki was the only one whom I confided in about Mishka. She, as far as I know
, was the only one who could understand what I'm going through.
Funny how Ate finds ways to come back whenever I need her...
"Ginising ako ni Mommy. Sabi niya kasi... saken, este, kay Niki ka lang nagsasab
i."
"It's true."
"Well, as you said, I'm as good as your Ate Niki na... you could talk to me, you
know."
"It's three in the morning, Elle," I said, almost laughing. "and you're still wo
rried about interrogating me?"
"No, it's not about putting my nose in your business," she told me as she took h
er place beside me, leaning her arms on the railings. "You need to talk about it
... you HAVE to. Keeping it all bottled up inside you isn't good, trust me."
There was no need for her to tell me that, for I already did trust her....
For reasons I do not know, (except perhaps for the fact that she was a living re
plica of my older sister) I did not seem to have any second thoughts about telli
ng her what I feel.
"What happened?"
"It was a more than a year ago. My school held a soiree- something like a Junior
Prom to Co-ed schools. Mishka, my girlfriend since sophomore year, was my date.
She was Kai's archnemesis in ICA."
"Archnemesis?"
"Yeah. Sort of Regina George-Cady Heron relationship, if you know what I mean."
"You watched Mean Girls?" she asked me incredulously. I gave her a warning look.
"Sorry. Go on."
"And then, unfortunately, we spited some seniors during the ball. One of them tu
rned out to be the son of one of Dad's deadliest political opponents-..."
"Oh my gosh."
"Yeah, I know. Pinilit nila si Mishka na makipagsayaw, but syempre, hindi ako pu
mayag, especially since they seemed to be high, I dunno if they were on alcohol
or on weed or something like that, but the next thing I knew, the other politici
an's son was grabbing my collar and telling me that I would not ever forget that
instance, and blimey, they made sure I didn't."
I looked into empty air, contemplating the foolishness I had gone into that nigh
t.
"And stupid me. I even taunted them... tipong sinabihan ko pa na 'Sige! Hihintay
in ko! I'm sooo scared.' Mga ganun, kahit sobrang pinapagalitan na ako ni Mishka
kasi patol ako ng patol. Kung alam ko lang, sana nakinig ako. Alam mo yun, kamp
ante kasi ako e. Iniisip ko, may security kami kasi may bodyguards si Daddy na p
inasama samin...

But then hindi... wala. Hinatid nung bodyguards si Kai pauwi- you wouldn't imagi
ne the fuss she kicked up just because she didn't want to be in the same car wit
h me and my girlfriend. Ako naman natuwa pa noon kasi naisip ko, masosolo ko si
Mishka... syempre, soiree night eh... and I was sixteen. Teenage hormones.
Pinayagan naman ako nina Daddy na ihatid si Mishka. I remember being so happy, c
ompletely forgetting na may nagbanta nga pala sa amin...
Edi inuwi ko na nga siya, next thing I knew these cars were following us. We rac
ed through the night, I even remember hitting 120 kph. They were armed, I couldn
't do anything... I heard gunshots left and right. Ang inisip ko na lang nun, ma
katakas eh. Tapos nakita ko na lang-..."
I couldn't bring myself to finish that.
"When I saw her- bleeding- beside me, I lost control of my car and we slammed in
to a tree, almost killing myself in the process. Miraculously nagising ako, but
our attackers had gone out of sight. Nakita ko- three bullets had hit her... thr
ee stains were in her torso, one of them on her left chest..."
I buried my face into my hands.
"Hindi ko makalimutan... hanggang ngayon... it was my fault. I should've listene
d to her. I should've-..."
"Blaming yourself would not bring her back to life."
I looked at her, at a loss for words.
"I'm sorry. I know I sounded so harsh-..."
"Ate Niki told me the exact same thing."

"See?"
"Yeah."
Silence. We both looked at the distant mountains- dawn was breaking, and it was
the start of another day.
"But you know what she told me before she- went?"
"Ano?"
"Sabi niya... kanya lang daw ako. Ayaw niya daw na palitan ko siya."
"I would've told my boyfriend that if I had died in his arms too," she said, smi
ling slightly. "You know, naiisip ko lang, siguro kung nandito ang Ate mo pati s
i Mishka, magkakasundo kaming tatlo."
I just smiled at her.
"But you know, what she said- it just means she doesn't want you to go on with o
ther girls. It doesn't mean she doesn't want you to go on with LIFE."
Wow. She's so wise for someone her age.
"I'm starting to think my older sister is possessing you."
"Better for you, then, Rafa. "
I finished the last contents of my cup.
"I'm glad you talked to me. I feel so much better now."

"That's good."
She tapped my shoulder.
"Before you sleep, mag pray ka. Then kausapin mo siya. Do it every night. Eventu
ally... it'll get better."
"How did you get so good with stuff like this?"
"Not now, Rafa. I'll tell you some other time."
And with a last smile, we went back inside the house to catch more sleep.
Chapter Eighteen
Ria's POV
Ok. Breathe.
My very first College class.
Sabi ng Form 5 ko: Econ 11 = 8:30-10am = SE Audi
Shucks. Ang laki ng auditorium. (Kaya nga auditorium eh! ENGOT!) Marami na ring
tao- bakit ba ang iingay nila? Puros Taglish-speaking pa!
At bakit ganun? Parang magkakakilala na silang lahat. Ang badtrip naman oh.
Oh well. Mas ok naman yung mag-isa ako rito kaysa naman nakiki-Taglish ako doon.
KADIRI.
"Hey."
I looked up. Buti na lang, iba yung boses. Kungdi, iisipin ko na naman ehNever mind. Pause. Delete.
"Wow! Classmate!" he said, offering a high five. I took it, relieved na may kasa
ma na ako. (though I'm trying not to stare too much- for obvious reasons.)
"Good thing we didn't choose the other class," he continued. "Si Monsod ang prof
dun eh."
"Bakit? Anong meron kay Monsod? Diba sikat nga yun?"
"Hindi nagbibigay ng uno yun. ang GC eh noh?"
"Ano yung GC?" I'm feeling stupider and stupider by the minute.
"Grade-conscious."
Grabe. Mukhang talagang alam na alam niya yung mga bagay-bagay rito.
"Marami kasi akong kilalang Econ people rin na upperclassmen so I got tips," he
explained, as though he had read my mind. "I know some profs as well... and... w
ait, can I see your Form 5?"
"Sure," sabi ko, then binigay ko sa kanya.
"Cool, pareho tayo ng discussion class pati Math 17. HAY! At least," he said, lo
oking oddly relieved. "Are you good at math?"
Ang dami naman niyang tanong. Mga ganung tanong pa.
"Ehrm... I'm not sure."
Kainis. Ipamukha ko kaya sa Intsik na to na Valedictorian ako? TSS!
Talaga bang lahat ng Intsik mayabang? OO NA! Sila na magaling sa Math!
HAH. Ang stupid ng tanong ko. Sabi ng Ate ko pati ni Kuya Toff basta dating Xavi
er, mahangin.

May naaalala tuloy akong mahangin na Intsik"Pwede paturo sa Trigo if ever? Soooobrang hirap ako dun eh. TAKTE."
Ok. Erase. Erase.
"Well, hindi rin ako ganun ka-ok sa Trigo."
"At least I have someone friendly around. Tulungan na lang tayo ha?"
Taenang buhay to.
________________________________________
"Paano ba yan? Kopyahan tayo ah?"
________________________________________
SH!T RIA!
GET A FCUKING GRIP!
"Oh, here they are."
Lingon naman ako sa likod sa tinuro niya. I saw a pretty girl about our age appr
oaching. She was wearing an expensive-looking minidress (I think I saw it in Zar
a) and nice flats. I suddenly got reminded of Blair Waldorf. (Only, this one loo
ked like a worse nightmare. And mas maganda si Blair noh, no contest. )
She caught me staring, and one of her brows suddenly shot up, in danger of disap
pearing into her hair.
BLIMEY. I hate her.
And behind her was"Hey guys. O, Karissa, babaeng babae ka ata ngayon ah? Ano nakain mo? "
"Wanna die an early death?"
Ang sungit naman nito. Hmm. Bakit kaya niya kasama si-"What're you looking at?" she shot at me, seeing that I had instead turned my ey
es on the person beside her.
"Nothing."
"Manners, Kai. We haven't even started our first class."
"Yes, dear bro... di pa tayo nakakapag start ng unang class nakahanap ka na agad
ng chick."
Chick?! EXCUSE ME?
Kalbuhin ko tong bruhang to eh!
"Easy, Kai. You're not making a very good impression anymore."
I saw her look furtively beside her, and her eyes widened as though she had only
just realized that he was actually there.
"Oh, I was kidding," she told me, then she flashed me the most plastic smile, EV
ER.
EEEEEEEEEEH! Ang puti! SOBRANG PANTAY!
IN SHORT,

Ang pangit ng ngipin mo! MUKHANG PUSTISO!

"Anyway, guys, this is Ria. Ria, this is Kai, my twin sister. And that's Lance,
my best buddy, the one I told you about- hey wait!" he said, smiling as though h
e had remembered something. "Didn't you say you were from Belletown High?"
I nodded a bit, and napansin kong lalong sumama yung tingin sa akin ni Kai.
"So you guys know each other?"
"Actually, we-..."
"No. I don't know him."
He looked shocked at what I said, his eyes widening in surprise.
HAHA. Lumaki bigla ang mata ng Intsik
"Oh, cool, at least ngayon you know each other na. Why don't you guys sit?"
"Actually, we were thinking of sitting somewhere in front. I see a lot of my fri
ends there."
"But-..."
"You're going with me, right?"
"Ehrr... yeah. Guess so."
"See ya," sabi niya sabay ngiti ulit.
"Don't wanna be ya," I muttered under my breath.
"What did you say?" she asked, her eyes flashing venomously.
"Nothing," sabi ko. I smiled toothily.
Kung pa-plastikan din lang ang laban, aba. Hindi ako papatalo. Best actress ata
to!
Hah, so friends niya pala yung mga taglishera sa harap? NAKO! SOBRANG BAGAY SIYA
DOON! Sana doon na lang siya FOREVER!
"You don't like my sister very much, do you?" he asked, smiling slightly.
"Ehrm..."
"Don't worry. She'll come around. She just doesn't like meeting new people."
"Right."
"I suggest you get used to it. Classmate din natin siya sa Discussion pati sa Ma
th."
HUWAT?
TAKTE. Kung alam ko lang kung paano magdrop.
Eh teka, bakit ako magdadrop?
Aba, problema niya yun! Ayaw niya saken diba?
BWAHAHA. Masaya yun. My mere existence would make her life a living hell. So why
leave?
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

"You ok?" he asked. Mukhang nasobrahan ang pag-iisip ko kay Pustiso girl ah?
"Of course! "
________________________________________
Next class: Comm 3.
YES! Salamat Lord! Di ko kaklase rito si Pustiso girl!!!
Naknangtinapa. Ang TAAS naman nitong College of Arts and Letters.
Bakit ba sila naglalagay ng class sa 4th floor? Di na naawa!!!
Nasaan na ba ako? At nasaan yung Room 403?
Shomai. Naliligaw na yata ako.
I need to breathe. Naubusan ako ng hininga.
*BREATHE. BREATHE.*
"WHAT THE-?!"
Chapter Nineteen
Lance's POV
"WHAT THE-?!..."
HAH. Nahuli ko rin. Lagot ka saken ngayon.
Yan kase. Patanga-tanga sa new building.
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!"
"SHUT UP!"
Tss.
"What the fcuk are you doing?!"
"Kinakaladkad ka, di mo ba kita?"
"Let go of me!"
"Naliligaw ka diba? Dadalhin kita sa classroom niyo!"
"Paano mo nalamang dito ako? ARE YOU STALKING ME?!"
"STUPID! Classmate kita dito!"
"Paano mo nalaman?" she asked, her eyes widening. "Teka, you really ARE stalking
me!"
"Tange! Nakita ko sa Form 5 mo kanina noh! KAPAL MO AH!"
"Eh bakit mo tinitingnan kung di mo ko sinostalk?!"
"Sino ka naman para istalk ko? Tsaka hoy, hawak ni Rafa kanina yun! Malamang nak
ita ko!"
"Linaw ng mata mo ah!"
"Talaga!"

"What's up with you pulling me like a pet dog without a leash?!"

"WELL what's up with you telling them na hindi mo ko kilala?"
Natahimik kami.
Buti na lang walang ibang tao sa 4th floor. Ang ingay namin eh. Nageecho yung bo
ses namin
"Nakita mo ba kung paano ako tingnan nung girlfriend mo?! Napatingin nga lang ak
o sayo ganun na yung inabot ko eh! How much more kung sinabi kong kilala kita?!
Edi kinain na ko nun ng buhay!"
"OA mo! Hindi siya ganun! Pati hindi ko siya girlfriend!"
Tumaas ulit yung kilay niya na parang ayaw niyang maniwala.
"Don't let her hear you say that."
"Di ko nga siya girlfriend eh! Bakit ba ang kulit mo?!"
"Wag ka ngang magalit!"
"Hindi ako galit!"
Nag-iba facial expression niiya. Parang natatawang nabubwisit. Ang weird.
"Eh bakit ka affected?"
"Anong affected ka dyan? "
"Kanina. Bakit affected kang dineny kita? "
Oo nga. Bakit ba ako nag-aaksaya ng oras kakatanong sa loka lokang to?
"Wala."
"Anong wala?"
"Wag ka ngang makulit!"
She folded her arms and pouted like a child na pinagdamutan ng kendi.
Ang CUTE
AYSUS. Hinde. Mali. Joke lang yun.
Tinabihan ko siya.
"Ikaw ah. "
"Anong ako?"
"Wala lang. Napansin mo rin bang kamukha ni Raf-..."
"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you."
She suddenly looked angry.

"Bakit ka nagagalit?"
Walang sagot.
"Teka, asaan nga pala si G-..."
"Bakit hindi si Rish ang tanungin mo?"

"W- what are you talking about?"

She avoided my gaze.
"I'm going to the washroom."
________________________________________
Rafa's POV
"Stop scolding me!"
"You deserve it!"
Padabog niyang nilagay yung tray ng pagkain niya sa table.
"Ayan ka na naman, inaaway mo na naman ako dahil sa mga babae mo," she said grud
gingly, looking at me
as though inapi ko siya. "Kasalanan ko bang sobrang sama ng mga ugali ng mga gir
ls na natitripan mo?! You've got such bad taste in girls! TSS!"
"You leave my taste out of this, Karissa!"
"Don't call me Karissa, damn it!"
Pinagtitinginan kami ng mga tao. I even heard some say "Tss, Freshies," while sh
aking their heads in disapproval.
"Look, I'm not after Ria, okay? Now get off her back and stop calling her-..."
"Oh, skinnyb!tch? Sorry, bro, but I've gotten fond of it and I won't be stopping
anytime."
"You say that again and I'll-..."
"Skinnyb!tch, skinnyb!tch, skinnyb!tch! Now what're you gonna do, huh? "

"Ok. What did she do to you?"

"Why do you ask?"
"Answer my question!"
She rolled her eyes.
"I- don't like her. Period. And you should've seen the way she stared at Kevin,"
she said, her frown worsening. "I'll bet she's one of his fan girls back in Bel

letown. Kung bakit kasi hindi nag-Xavier si Kevin? He should've been dealing wit
h us and not with people like... Ugh."
"Listen to me, young lady," I said sternly. "Mom and Dad didn't put us in establ
ished schools to make us look down on others. And if I didn't know better, selos
ka lang. "
"Eh ano naman?"
"Easy, girl! Masasakal na sayo yun agad, you're not even dating, and you're not
sure if he likes you back."
"Whatever, Rafa!If he doesn't like me, why else would he pick me up from our pad
? Tapos sinabay niya pa ako rito... see?"
"Sis, I think you're over-assuming. And besides, I heard you goading him into pi
cking you up for school."
"GOADING?!"
"Yup, that's what you call it."
She looked like she was about to reach boiling point.
"TSS! Kakabwisit ka talaga! HMF! Magsama kayo ni skinnyb!tch!"
"Sabi nang tumigil ka eh!"
"Bakit? Ayan ka na naman! She's Mishka all over again! You and your b!tch girls!
"
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"
I was standing up, without me even knowing that I have actually left my seat.
"What? You're gonna hit me? Like what Lola did just to stop me from calling your
Great Deceased Girlfriend names?!"

Every single pair of eyes in the cafeteria were now looking at us.
"SHE'S DEAD, FOR GOD'S SAKE!"
"You-..."
"Bakit ba?" she asked. "Ako buhay pa... ako nandito pa... bakit ba siya pa rin y
ung kinakampihan niyo?"
Never had I seen her like this; never had she voiced out how she felt...
"Ikaw... si Lola... si Ate Niki... lahat na lang..."
I slumped into my seat as I watched her storm out of the room.
________________________________________
Rish's POV

"Every night I pray... on bended knee... lalala!"

I sang at the top of my lungs while twirling on tiptoe all around the living roo
m, holding the cooking spoon as I went.
"Wow anak, di ko alam, may natutunan ka rin naman pala sa ballet mo noon "
"Hello, dance troupe nga ako nung High School eh! Mommy talaga."
My Dad smiled as he looked up at me. He was holding the morning newspaper.
"Bakit kaya ang saya saya ng baby namin?"
"Baby kayo dyan, dalaga na yan! " said Kuya, who was fixing the table.
"Shut up Kuya!"

"Nako nako, ang magkuya, nagkakabukingan "

"Hija di ka nagsasabi ha."
"Si Kuya din meron!"
"Heh! Iniiba mo usapan eh!" sabi ni Kuya. I was quite pleased to see that he was
blushing.
"Alam niyo Mama, Daddy, sinulatan yan nung boyfriend niyang Intsik kaya nagwawal
a!"
"Chinese?"
"Opo! Ganto itsura oh!" sabi ni Kuya, tas binitiwan niya yung hawak niyang mga p
lato para i-stretch yung mata niya para magmukhang Oriental.
"Gwapo ba?"
"Oo naman!"
"Mas gwapo ako! Kasi yun, laging nakaganito!" sabi niya, then sumimangot siya ng
sobrang exagg, tipong lukot na yung mukha niya sa sobrang simangot.
"ULUL! Hindi kaya!"
Tinawanan kami nila Mama at Daddy.
"Totoo naman! Laging seryoso, nakasimangot, walang expression yung mukha! Ang an
gas pa!"
"Malamang, model eh!"
"Wow, model?"
"Asus, pustahan tayo spoiled brat yun."
"Tumpak ka dyan Daddy!"

At nagkampihan pa itong mag-amang kumag na to. T_T

"Asus! Whatever Kuya! Palibhasa wala akong masasabi sa girlfriend mo!"
"Bakit anak? Perfect ba?"
"Oo ma! Maganda, mabait, may pagkasuplada rin... tas valedictorian!"
"Wow! Galing niyo pumili ah! "
Kuya was starting to blush to the roots of his hair. Even his ears were turning
red.
"Sa sobrang perfect nga, pati yung boy- este, yung special friend ko eh nagkakac
rush dun!"
"Talaga?"
"Opo! Ay, meron pa pala akong di nasabi!"
"Ano yun ano yun?" Mama asked as Kuya got himself busy with getting the dinner c
asserole out of the oven.
"Perfect na sana yun Ma, kaso, selosa! "
"Irish Christine, gusto mong mabato ng bandehado?"
"BLEH! Sasabihin ko pa rin!" I taunted him while he glared at me, looking ready
to strangle me. "Tas Ma! Ako pa yung pinagseselosan!"
"Paano kasi, ayaw niyong ipasabi na magkapatid kami. T_T Lagi tuloy kaming nag-a
away. Tanungin niyo yang loka-lokang yan, sila rin ni Intsik Beho ako naman yung
pinag-aawayan. "
TOINKS. Talagang bukingan mode eh
"Kayo naman eh. Diba inexplain naman namin kung bakit hinde pwede?"
"Oo nga. Kawawa naman kayo pag nagkataong kumalat yan, lalo na si Rish. Eskandal
o yun."
"Ok lang. At least walang away. Tsaka sikat kami. Diba kuya?"
"HAHA, loka loka!"
Ang saya naman. Sana laging ganito. Naiimagine ko na tuloy kung paano kami mabub
uhay pagbalik namin sa Pilipinas.
Kaso malayo-layo pa yun. Kakasimula lang mag-ipon eh. Siguro naman, madali lang
mag-ipon ng pamasahe...
*CRACK*
Napalingon naman ako.
"Gelo!"
Kuya was looking at the plate he had been holding just mere seconds ago... which
now lay upon his feet, cracked into a thousand tiny pieces.
"Sorry. Nabitawan ko. "

"Ingat naman anak. Wala na tayong pambili ng plato "

Run.
Unable to think straight, she focused on that single thought. She was sure that
there was something- or someone, chasing her.
This has happened very often. The feeling of being followed, the shadow that lur
ked just meters away, its crooked, elongated figure scaring her...
Dialing rapidly on her phone, she hoped she would escape again...
"Hello?"
"Hello? SH!T! Sam! May sumusunod sakin! Tang ina natatakot ako!"
"Niki? Asaan ka ba?"
She looked behind her. The shadow was materializing.
"SH!T! Andito ako... 2 streets away from your house, sh!t, tang ina! It's going
to kill me!"
Her feet were becoming numb.
"Calm down, I'm coming. Sasalubungin kita, okay?"
She hung up and started running again.
Out of nowhere, a gunshot rang out, scaring her out of her wits.
"SH!T!"
"You can't run forever, Niki..."
Yelling for help, she hoped someone would come out. It was three in the morning,
and the houses around her appeared deserted.
"HELP! HELP! TANG INA! TULUNGAN NIYO KO!"
She was sprinting at top speed now, but the figure who was chasing her was catch
ing up... and fast.
"You are so like your brother!" the voice yelled, laughing maniacally. "You and
your family are really quite fond of running, aren't you? It was a shame that he
outran me... but then, I think I have inflicted enough damage for him to rememb
er me for the rest of his life... DAMN IT!"
Another gunshot rang out, and the bullet had grazed her arm"I'm tired, Niki. Let's just get this over and done with!"
Two gunshots more, and she found herself lying on the pavement, bleeding profuse
ly.
"HAH. I told you."
The figure stopped meters away, holding a gun, perhaps the same one that had tak
en away Mishka's life...
"DAMN YOU... pinatay mo si Mish-..."
"Oh, don't start enumerating my achievements... it'd take forever."

Suddenly, the smile on the twisted, hauntingly handsome face of the killer vanis
hed. She closed her eyes, waiting... and then she heard footsteps...
"NIKI!"
She opened her eyes just in time to see the killer scampering away. On the other
end of the street, she saw Sam running towards her, she might have been saying
something, but Niki was in too much pain to comprehend it...
Sam stopped beside her. She took her into her arms, while the other two figures
she had brought with her ran away to pursue The Killer.
"Niki! NIKI! Sh!t!"
"Sam-..."
Her entire life seemed to flash in front of her eyes, and she could not see Sam'
s face which was swimming in tears...
"If- my family- comes," she said, her mouth spouting blood, "sabihin mo... it's
him... the same one who killed Mishka Tan... you do remember-..."
"Yes, Niki... let's go get help..."
"I don't think I'll make it-...
"No, Niki!"
"Listen to me... if they go and ask- tell them it's Ian... Ian Lau..."
And then, she saw their faces smile at her one by one...
Kai...
Lola Clara...
Mom, Dad...
Rafa...
"Tell them I'm sorry... and tell them- Rafa-..."
"Niki, no-..."
"Tell them I love them. Lalo na si- Lola... si Rafa... Sam, take care, okay?"
A bright, blinding light distracted her... and then, she gave up and surrendered
into unconsciousness.
Chapter Twenty
Elle's POV
Whoo. The Debut Gown fitting day.
Grabe. Ang daming tao rito sa bahay nila Rafa kaya maingay. Yung mga manunukat,
yung event planners, some of Dad's colleagues. Rafa was in a corner, socializing
with some politicians, looking crisp and relaxed in a polo shirt, denim jeans a
nd sneakers. Kai was in a corner, sulking, shooting me and Rafa some nasty glanc
es once in a while. I was trying my best to ignore her; since that day na nag-aw
ay kami, hindi pa kami nag-uusap. Si Lola naman, andito, pinapanood ako habang s
inusukat ko yung gown. Ang ganda! Grabe, to think draft pa lang to nung gown ko
at wala pa yung finishing touches.
I've finally met the designer, and he was a very pleasant man. Magaling siya, sa
totoo lang. He even talks to me in alternating English and Tagalog, kahit medyo
barok! Hehehe!
Ang bait pa, tinatanong kung anong gusto ko, and he even told me na magbibigay s
iya ng 50% discount dahil lang nagustuhan niya yung ginawa namin ni Lola na Chic

ken and Potato Pie. Grabe! 50 per cent din yun!

Finally. Natapos din ang pagsusukat ko. After a lot of tweaking pins here and th
ere, they carefully removed the gown and Rafa's mom came to talk to me.
"Everything going well?"
"Yes Ma. Um, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Ehrr... I think Kai wants her gown to be made by Pierre too... can you get him
to make her dress? May 50% discount naman yung gown ko eh. Kasi I think she's ma
d at me, we had a row about three days ago. So, para hindi na siya magalit, sana
sabihin niyo I suggested it."
Hirap kasi ng may kagalit. Pati gusto ko ako gagawa ng paraan para magkabati sil
a ni Lola.
"You're such a sweet Ate. Ok, I'll tell Pierre."
"Thanks."
"Ate?"
I turned and saw Rafa standing behind me.
"Sige, iwan ko muna kayong mag-ate."
She walked away as Rafa put down his champagne glass on the center table.
"Ok ka lang?"
"No. Pwede mo ko samahan somewhere?"
"Sure. Paalam tayo kay Lola."
We told Lola we were going somewhere then sabay kaming pumunta sa garahe. He got
his Accord and we were out on the streets in mere minutes.
"Ano prob?"
"Nag-away kami ni Kai sa school."

"Bakit naman?"
"Siya kasi. May bago akong friend. Ayaw niya dun sa new friend ko."
"Bakit?"
"Kasi naaalala niya si Mishka dun sa friend ko."
"Bakit? Kamukha niya si Mishka?"
"Hindi. Kaugali."

"Ayun. Nagkasagutan kami sa cafeteria."

"Ano plano mo?"
"Di ko nga alam eh."
"Saan tayo pupunta?"
"Kay Mishka."
"Dito siya nilibing? I mean... dito sa Pangasinan?"
"Oo. Sa ancestral house nila."
"Di ba magkakagulo? I mean-..."
"No, hindi naman ako sinisisi ng parents niya. Pati wala namang tao dun kundi yu
ng mayordoma pati yung guards, kasi after she- went, her folks went to the State
s and never came back."
"Ah."
"Yun kasi ginagawa ko. Tuwing may problema ko, dun ako pupunta. Kukwentuhan ko s
iya. I'm sure, andun lang siya... nakikinig."
He fell quiet, focusing his eyes on the road. His eyes were suddenly blank, his
face expressionless and unmoving. The next fifteen minutes was a blur; no one sp
oke and there was nothing audible except the hum of the engine.
"Elle."
"Yup?"
"Thanks for being here. It's almost like having my sister back."
"You're welcome."
We smiled at each other, tapos huminto kami sa tapat ng isang sobrang laking bah
ay.
He lowered his window to greet the guard.
"Huy, si Kuya, pumapayat."
"Di naman Sir. Huy! Si Ma'am Niki! Welcome back po!"
HUWAT.
Pati ba naman dito kilala si Niki?
Oo nga pala. Close nga pala sila.
Naglakad kami dun sa parang garden sa likod nung sobrang laking bahay. Ang ganda
, para siyang yung garden ni Lola, except na dito, imbis na prutas yung tanim, p
uro bulaklak.
Sarap mamitas.
I saw a small mausoleum-like structure made of marble, its edges lined with what
looked like gold. Ang linis, mukhang well-maintained. At a first glance, hindi
siya mukhang mausoleum; mas mukha siyang picnic house.
"Hi Mish! I'm back! Look who I've brought with me."
Rafa put down a single red rose on top of the raised niche.

Michelle Katrina S. Tan, it read. Below it were words written in cursive: "And y
et, there is, and there always was, love beyond death..."
"Hah! Fooled you!" Rafa said ecstatically, looking fondly at Mishka's picture, w
hich stood on top of the granite niche. The girl in the picture was smiling, her
eyes warmly staring at me as though they were alive. I smiled back at the pictu
re.
"You thought she was Ate noh? Grabe, right? They would've been twins!"
Kakatuwa naman tong si Rafa.
"Anyway. Yung lokaret kong kapatid na isa inaway na naman ako..." he said, with
a tone na parang batang nagsusumbong sa nanay niya. "You can't blame me, you kno
w. I mean, come on. Iniwan mo na nga kami galit pa siya sayo... parang sira diba
?"
Rafa went on talking to her.
Something suddenly passed through my mind; something I haven't thought of in a w
hile: Aidan.
How is he doing na kaya?
I miss him so much. Ngayon ko lang na-feel, I tried not to think of it too much
nitong nakaraan kasi alam ko malulungkot lang ako.
Ganito na rin kaya siya? Para na rin kaya siyang siraulong kinakausap ang pictur
e ko?
Or... baka... may iba na siyang dinedate ngayon?
Wait. Mas gusto ko yatang isipin yung una... mas gusto ko yatang mukha na siyang
sintu-sinto na kumakausap sa picture ko kaysa isipin na may iba siyang kasamang
babae ngayon.
Ang tagal na rin ah. Two months na kaming hindi nagkikita...
"Sir Rafa?"
A deep, booming, unfamiliar voice issued from the doorway, interrupting my train
of thought.
A six-foot tall man with a scarily huge built was standing upon the mausoleum's
entrance. He was dressed elegantly in an all-black suit.
"How did you know I was here?"
"Nagpunta po ako sa bahay niyo... sabi nila, dito ko raw kayo makikita."
"Anything I can help you with?"
"We have a lead, Sir. May witness na tayo na nakakita nung nangyari nung gabing
may humabol sa inyo ni Miss Mishka."

Rafa held his breath.

"It's confirmed, Sir. The plate number on the vehicle the witness saw that night
is indeed registered under the name of Ian Lau."
________________________________________
Ria's POV

"Give me that."
I glared at Denise.
"What the eff-?"
"Tigilan mo na nga yang kakabasa mo nito," she said as she looked at the cover o
f the book she had grabbed from me- New Moon.
"Bakit ba? It's not demonic literature or anything."
"I know, Liam and I have read it."
"Ganun naman pala eh! Eh bakit ba-...?"
"It's too close to home, Ria."
YUCK!
Ikumpara ba ako kay Bella?
"Hindi ah! JOKE KA BA?! GIVE ME THAT!"
"Bakit? Siguro gustong-gusto mo to kasi nakakarelate ka?"
"Gagu! How dare you suggest that!"
"Totoo naman ah!"
"Excuse me noh!"
She narrowed her eyes.
"I don't want you befriending werewolves, running into forests or jumping off cl
iffs, okay?"
"Ewan ko sayo!"
I stormed off, annoyed.
Badtrip naman eh. Eh ano naman kung similar nga yung story namin?
Hindi naman ako hopeless romantic na gagawa ng kung ano anong kalokohan para dun
. People here are just so damn paranoid!
Siguro si Aidan ang nagsumbong sa dalawang yun! BADTRIP!
Oo. Aaminin ko.
Nalulungkot ako.
Namimiss ko si Gelo.
And this is my way of coping- reading literature that's 'close to home', as Deni
se says.
But so what?!
DAMN. I should've read something that's less popular!
I'm not reading it to pity myself like what Bella does. Actually... I'm reading
it to know what I shouldn't do.
But on the other hand... I'm reading it to feel that I'm not alone... I want to
assure myself na hindi ako nag-iisa. I want to assure myself that I'm coping in

a way better than someone who's experiencing something like this.

Kasi, kahit anong gawin ng mga friends ko, hindi nila ako maiintindihan. Kahit a
nong pilit ni Denise na kausapin ako at makinig sa kung ano mang sasabihin ko, s
he will never know what it's like- simply because she isn't me.
And I absolutely hate, no, actually- loathe to admit it...
Pero oo...
I still want him.
No matter what he did...
no matter who he's with...
Sh!t.
Tanga.
Ang laki mong TANGA.
"Will you stop it?"
I turned to look at her.
"Stop what?"
"Don't be stupid," she said, taking her seat beside me on our condo unit's terra
ce, which was overlooking the city. "You know what I'm talking about."
I sighed. Here we go again.
"I know how you get, Ria. Only this time, it's different."
"You don't know anything," I snapped.
I stood up, but she got hold of my hand.
"I know what it's like to get hurt, okay?"
She pulled me back down beside her.
"I stole Liam from you," she said. "You might have forgotten but I haven't."
I looked away, miffed. How could she bring those things up NOW?
"I was selfish. I've liked him since forever, and I forgot that you would get hu
rt in the process. Instead of blaming me, or Liam, you took it out on yourself.
Kaysa magalit sa amin... parang sarili mo pa yung sinisi mo."
I listened. Her grip on my hand tightened.
"I was relieved... but I didn't realize na may adverse effects yun sayo. And it
took time before it showed... ngayon lang."
"Denise-..."
"Listen to me just this once, Ria. You need to let it out, okay?"
"I DON'T WANT TO!"
I stood up, staring furiously at her. She didn't flinch.

"Do you realize how much we're worried?"

She was standing up now as well, her eyes level with mine. In stark contrast to
how I'm feeling, she looked perfectly calm, cool and composed.
"You're overreacting! YOU ALL ARE!" I roared.
"Well you're underreacting!"
"You're worried because I'm UNDERREACTING?! NAGBIBIRO KA BA?!"
"Listen, we need you to tell us how you feel. We're here for you, we want to hel
p you... and we wouldn't be able to do that kung-..."
"FINE! What do you want to hear?
OO! NAIINIS AKO! NALULUNGKOT AKO! GALIT AKO! GALIT AKO KAY GELO, GALIT AKO KAY R
ISH, AT GALIT AKO SA SARILI KO DAHIL KAHIT ANONG GAWIN KO, I'M NEVER GOOD ENOUGH
FOR ANYBODY!"
I burst into tears.
"Got what you wanted?"
She hugged me, tightly. I sobbed into her shoulders.
"Anything else?"
"No. I've said it all."
I smiled.
"And it felt good. " I conceded, and she laughed.
"HAHA, I told you, right?"
"Yeah. You told me."
"Now I need you to do one more thing."
"What now?"
"Stop beating yourself up for something that wasn't your fault."
I didn't speak, trying to get myself busy with wiping my face with my handkerchi
ef.
"I mean, come on," she said, helping me with the wiping. "You're perfect. Magand
a, matalino, matangkad, sexy... jeez, sino siya para iyakan mo?"
"Yeah I know. Kung ayaw niya, edi wag, diba?"
She laughed again, this time more loudly.
"That's my girl!"
"Yeah, who's he? He's just this mediocre athlete who looks like this ugly, skinn
y version of Brandon Routh."

"SIGE PA!"
"Ayoko na. That would make me bitter. "
Next thing I knew, we were laughing boisterously, and then she was squealing.
"YAY! That's one step ahead, baby!"
She took my face into her hands.
"It won't be quick... but we're on the right track. Magsama sila diba? Habang ik
aw... andito... nag-eenjoy. And since that's an achievement," she said, taking m
y arm with hers, "let's go get you a good, fat slice of chocolate cake. They're
preparing merienda inside. "
"Don't tell them I was crying... and ranting... basta. Don't tell them anything,
okay?"
"Yeah, I kinda don't have to do that," she said, winking. "I think they might've
heard you. "
Chapter Twenty One
Ria's POV
"DARN!" Lance swore at the top of his lungs.
Okay, don't get too nervous. We're just playing a card game called Slapjack, and
guess what? He lost- for the fifth time in a row.
"Takte ka Intsik. Mag-Math ka na lang!"
"O kaya Soccer! HAHAHA!"
"Shut up!"
"Come on dude, you can't be good at every single thing!"
"Believe me, I thought I did."
Yeah, we believe that. Signal number four ka eh. Haven't you been telling the wh
ole world that you're a demigod thrown out of heaven for the past decade? LOL.
"Ria, I can smell the taco beef."
"Aright. I'll get it."
Tumayo muna ako dun sa table para pumunta doon sa kitchen. I'm making tacos toda
y!!!
"Hey you!"
I almost dropped the bowl of salsa.
"What the-..."
"Can we talk?"
he looks serious.
FINE.

"The other day, you mentioned Rish..."

"Oh, that," I said, trying not to panic over that stupid little blunder. "Forget
it. I was- you know. Sabaw," I told him, not wanting to mess up even more. I wa
s not the right person to tell him that.
"You know what, I think you're lying."
"Well, for your information, I don't really care what you think."
I turned back towards the pot where the beef was boiling.
"Pity. I was going to tell you I thought you looked pretty in that new cut," he
said in a low voice. I looked back at him.
"Sinabi mo na rin eh. "
"Well, fine. You look pretty. But you blew it."
Tumalikod siya, but I couldn't resist a comeback.
"I thought this was about Rish?" I asked. "How come you're hitting on me?"
"Compliments are not equal to pick up lines, Ria. And please, tigilan mo nga yan
g pangangarap mo ng gising."

"Whatever, Slapjack loser."

________________________________________
Lance's POV
Hitting on her?
JEEZ, this girl's way over her head.
"Ready for another round?"
"I don't think he is," sabi ni Otan, sabay tapon nung cards niya sa table. "Sagl
it lang ah, bibili lang kami ng Coke dyan sa tabi."
Inakbayan ako ni Jon tas lumabas kami nung unit.
Ang tahimik dito sa condo nila. Dun sa tinitirhan namin ni Rafa sa kabilang stre
et, maingay. Paano kasi, panay party people ang tao. Mga wild.
"Dude, I'm sorry for being so nosy."
"Huh?"
"Well, narinig ko usapan niyo ni Ria."
o_O

uhh, privacy?
"Well, I don't think she thought she was the right person to tell you that."
"Tell me what?"
Lumabas kami ng building tas sumakay sa kotse niya. Ang init kasi kung lalakarin
namin. Malayo rin yung 7-Eleven ha.
"Do you like her?"
o_O
Ang sabaw naman ng usapan na to.
"Otan, umayos ka nga."
"Come on. You were hitting on her."
"Pati ba naman ikaw?"
"Dude, we've been buddies since preschool," he said exasperatedly. "I know when
you're hitting on a girl and when you're not. And that's with a hundred per cent
accuracy."
"Get to the point, will you?"
"We're talking about Ria, aren't we? She's as good as my sister and if you have
any"I don't think this is a good time to bring that up. I still have unfinished bus
iness with"Ooooh, let me guess, Irish?"

"Well, guess what, she's in New York... You're here..."

...
"Gelo's in New York, Ria's here... you're here, THEY'RE there... I'm pretty sure
you can do the math."

"Are you saying... they're..."

"I'm not just saying it. Thing is- Maffy..."
"Maffy's in New York, how-?"

Wait a minute...
"She saw them. Out. Train station. Arm around the other's shoulder..."

"Kelan niyo pa alam to?"

"Before classes started."
"THEN WHY THE FUK DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" I yelled just as we pulled over 7-Eleven
's parking lot. "There I was, waiting for something that was never going to come
and YOUYOU- STANDING THERE, WITHOUT AN IDEA OF HOW AND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE-..."
I went out of the car and slammed the door.
"Bro, it's"GET LOST!"
________________________________________
Ria's POV
"So, what's this thing we're hearing about a guy called Rafa Yutanco, huh?"
I looked up from the pot of boiling beef.
"Come on, Aidan," saway ni Denise.
"Nagtatanong lang naman. "
"Yun yung model diba? Pati star player ng Xavier? Kasama natin yun sa list nung
pinadalhan ng letters ng Ateneo..."
"Huh? Anong list?"
"Diba? Yung pinadala sa atin... nag-ooffer ng varsity scholarship?"
"Ah... yung tinanggap ni Jon..."
"Nakita ko yung picture ah. Kamukha nga niNapatingin kaming tatlo kay Den, tas tumigil siya sa pagsasalita. Bigla kasing s
umama yung timplada nila Aidan at Liam.
"Don't say bad words."
Gusto kong matawa sa sinabi ni Aidan pero pinigilan ko kasi baka mabato ako ng b
araha.
"Oo nga. Pati saan mo nakita? Ginoogle mo ba?"
"Don't be silly. Nakita ko sa magazine. Like, every month na lang featured siya
sa Seventeen eh."
"Kaya nga model eh. T_T"

"Sorry na sorry na. "

Selos naman agad tong si Liamtot.
"Wag ka mag-alala, dude. Di ka ipagpapalit ni Den dun. "
"Dapat lang. Wala pa sa talampakan ko yun eh."
"Onga. Laking gwapo namin dun."
"Laki rin ng galit niyo kay Rafa noh?" I said casually. Syempre, kaibigan ko pa
rin yun. T_T "Mabait naman yung tao ah. Pati hindi niyo pa nga nakakausap yun...
"
"Don't be silly, Ria. You know why they're like that."
"Wala kaming tiwala sa pagmumukha nun."
"That's unfair. Just because he looks like"DON'T SAY BAD WORDS!" Liam and Aidan said in chorus. YUCK. Ang creepy. Para sil
ang kambal or something.
"I wasn't gonna say his name!"
"You were nearly there!"
"HAHA! Mas bitter pa kayo kay Ria. "
"Denise, gusto mo ng lumilipad na Queen of Spades?"
"CHEH! Tigilan niyo nga!"
"We're just looking out for you, sis."
T_T
Sige. Pagbigyan na.
"Do you like the guy, Ria?"
"AIDAN!"
"No, just consider it a hypothetical question. If he asked you out, would you sa
y yes?"
Nilapag ko na yung food sa table.
"Eh kung kumakain na lang kaya kayo ng tacos dyan?"
"Uuuy. Si Ria umiiwas."
"Tigilan niyo nga ako. T_T Wag kayong sabaw."
"Yeah, knock it off."

Sa wakas, nagsalita rin yung kakampi ko.

"Wala lang. Para kasing lagi mong kasama."
"Hindi naman kaya. Saka kanino niyo ko gusto sumama? Kay Lance? T_T"
"Bakit naman hinde? At least yun kilala namin. Alam namin yung likaw ng bituka n
un."
"Likaw ng bituka? Nosebleed. "
"No, seriously speaking, mas magandang kay Lance ka nga sumama."
I saw him and Liam exchange shrewd glances and half-smiles, as though they could
understand something that we don't. Tapos nun, nag-High Five sila.
TSS. BOYS.
SABAW. To the max.
"Penge nga ako nyan! Asan na ba si Jonathan?! WALA TULOY PANTULAK!"
"Ayan, ang nirereto niyo kay Ria, ka-date na yata ni Otan. "
"Sino nagsasabing nirereto namin yun? HAHA!"
High five ulit ang dalawang ungas.
"Bakit namin siya irereto? Ano siya, sinuswerte? Dumiskarte siya mag-isa noh! HA
HA!"
Binatukan siya ni Aidan.
"Patay ka kay Intsik! Kung ano ano dinadaldal mo!"
"CHEH! Tigilan niyo nga kakamatch make!" I said, unable to hold it in.
"Magrereto na lang kayo, taken pa!"
"Sinong taken?" sabay na naman nilang sabi. Parehong nanlalaki yung mata nila.
"Don't tell me boyfriend mo na yung-..."
"Shunga. May gurlaloo na si Lance noh."
"VAKLA! Sino?"
"Kapatid ni Rafa."
Den, Aidan, Liam:
"WEH?"
"Yung mukhang nakapustiso? "

"Paano mo nalaman?"
"Nakita ko nung isang araw! Yung buntot ng buntot kay Intsik sa Econ! Diba? Tinu
ro ko sayo?"
"AH! YUN! Yung aso ni Lance na leash na lang ang kulang!"
Gulong na yung dalawang kumag kakatawa. Si Denise naman sinesenyasan na lang ako
.
Bumukas bigla yung pinto, and a very bad-tempered Jonathan entered the room, car
rying two 1.5 liter bottles of Coke. Nilapag niya yun sa table tapos pumasok sa
kwarto.
"Otan! Di ka ba kakain?"
"Hinde. Mamaya na ko."
"Saan ka pupunta?"
"Kakausapin ko si Maffs."
"Hoy! Alas kwatro ng umaga ngayon dun!"
He slammed the door.
"Ano nangyari dun?"
"Ewan. Nag-LQ ata sila ni Intsik! "
"E asan si Lance?"
"Oo nga?"
The worried looks on the two boys' faces suddenly vanished, replaced by two evil
grins.
"Uuuy! HINAHANAP! HAHAHAHAHA!"

"PATAY KAYO SAKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!"

Chapter Twenty Two
Rafa's POV
Shoot.
I ABHOR Math 17.
"And so, the square root of the"Psst."
I looked at Ria, who was passing me a note.
Paturo mamaya? Sabaw na utak ko eh. T_T

I quickly scribbled back:

Pareho lang tayo. Ako mushroom soup.
I passed it back and heard her laugh. Tinuloy tuloy ko na lang ang pagkopya ng n
otes sa blackboard, kasi naman noh. Itong prof namin, sulat lang ng sulat sa boa
rd and binabasa kung ano mang cheche bureche ang nakasulat sa notebook niya. Per
o sabi nung mga kakilala ko, maswerte pa daw kami ng lagay na to, kasi hindi Vol
tes Five yung nakuha naming prof.
Ano yung Voltes Five? I once asked.
Matatanda nang prof ng Math 17... 5 silang matatandang prof na mahilig tumupad n
g biggest nightmare ng freshies: a BIG, FAT, RED FIVE. See? Clever, diba?
Nag-lean ako sa chair ni Ria to clarify something. Talagang sabaw kasi eh. Hindi
ko naman kasi talaga maintindihan yung logarTeka lang.
Bakit siya nakatingin rito?
He quickly looked away.
"Huy."
"Yea?"
"Ay, kinarir ang pagiging sabaw "
"I have a question."
"Ano nga?"
"Talaga bang hindi kayo magkakilala ni Lance?"
Nag-iba yung facial expression niya. Naging blank na hindi ko maintindihan.
"Bakit mo natanong?"
"Wala. Kasi nakatingin siya rito kanina."
"Napatingin lang yun. Pwede ring nabading sayo "
T_T
"AY! PATAPON. PSH."
"Mas patapon ka. "
"Ikaw kasi. Seryoso yung usapan eh."
"Ito naman. Di na mabiro. Sorry na, sorry na. "
"Mr. Yutanco, Ms. Antonio, pwede bang sa labas na lang kayo magligawan? Or tiisi
n niyo na lang, five minutes na lang naman eh. PWEDE?"
I saw Lance look our way, eyes narrowed.
BINGO!
"HKB! " I whispered ecstatically.
"Huh?" she asked in a WTF voice.
"Huli Ka, Balbon. "
She rolled her eyes at me.
________________________________________
"I swear! He was looking our way!"
"Ang patapon mo talaga! TSS!"

Ay naku. Sabi ko na nga ba eh.

Ayun, nilalayasan ako oh. HAHA! Ayaw pahuli!
"HKB siya kanina! HULI! Haha! You know each other!"
"NO WE DON'T!"
"Yeah you do!"
"No!"
"E bakit defensive ka?"
"Kase ang kulit mo! Bahala ka! Di kita papakopyahin ng notes!"
"Siguro you have a past?"
"A PAST?!" she repeated, half-yelling. "Ang sabaw mo! PATAPON!!!"
"Ooooh, what do we have here?"
Napatigil kami kakalakad nang may tumigil na figure sa harap namin dito sa parki
ng lot ng math building.
Nakashades. All-black. Reeking of cigarettes.
"Oh, am I interrupting?"
I pulled Ria towards me instinctively.
"Let's get out of here."
"Oh come on, Rafs, is that how you greet an old friend?"
"Get lost, Ian."
"Your new girl?" he said, as thought he had not heard me. "Not bad. Compared to
your old one..."
He cupped Ria's chin and*POW!*
"GAGU KA AH!"
Ria had punched him so hard that he fell on the ground in a crumpled heap. She p
ulled back her sleeves to reveal her arms, which reminded me of an old-school fi
ght scene. I would have laughed if the situation hadn't been serious...
"Ano, ha?" she taunted. "Taob nga saken mga tanod eh, ikaw pang payatot ka?!"
Tumayo si Ian, holding his jaw. Dumudugo yung bibig niya. He was smiling a dange
rous smirk, the very same he had worn when I had told him off for harrassing Mis
hka that nightI pulled Ria again. Ian's face was looking murderous and I did not see it fit to
let anyone near him at the moment.
"Pasalamat ka, may class ako."
Hinila ko na si Ria palayo.

"You won't ever forget this, Karate Barbie!" he called at our retreating backs.
"NEVER!"
"Oh yeah? Well"Shut it!"
"WHATI pushed her inside my car. Hindi pwedeng makita ni Ian na may kotse si Ria...
"At all costs, you have to avoid him. You understand me? And if he's coming near
, or whatever-"
"Why are you all nervous?"
I put my face into my hands, feeling like the biggest idiot, ever.
"You shouldn't have done that."
"Bakit ba? Ano bang nangyayari sayo? Takot ka ba sa payatot na yun?"
"He's dangerous. He's a madman... he's this crazy lunatic who-..."
"Are you trying to make me laugh? Yung payatot na yun eh-?"
"He killed my girlfriend, okay?"
She went
None of us spoke for a very long while.
"How... what... when- where? WHY?"
Damn it.
I have such a knack for attracting trouble- and getting people involved...
Sh!t, Rafa.
Hindi ko siya dapat pinabayaan kanina... Dapat pagkalapit pa lang ni Ian"Tara sa Econ. Dun ko sasabihin. Ok? Bilisan mo ha."
________________________________________
Las Vegas, Nevada
Two women sat upon the balcony of their hotel unit that was overlooking the magn
ificent view of Las Vegas. The famous Bellagio fountain was having another prese
ntation right before their very eyes, yet none of them seemed interested.
"Can you hand me that?" one of them asked.
The woman seated nearest to the table got the cigarette box and chucked it towar
ds her companion.
"That's your sixth stick in an hour."
"Sorry. I'll get you a new one later."
"It's not my Marlboros I'm concerned about- it's you, Stella."
Stella's mouth curled into an ugly frown.
"You're so like my son," she said, laughing mirthlessly. Blowing a huge cloud of
smoke, she shook her head, staring into empty air as though trying to remember

something.
"How old is he again?"
"Turning 18 this October."
"He's the one who graduated Athlete of the Year, wasn't he?"
"Yes," she said casually. There was not a trace of concern in her voice. The oth
er woman shook her head, seemingly appalled by the fact that her friend was tota
lly indifferent towards her own son.
"I would've been really proud of him if he was my kid."
For a while, no other sound was audible except for the splashing sounds made by
the fountain outside.
"I am. But I have been expecting much more. Much, much more," she crooned. "When
he came into the world, I believed he was a miracle... katangahan. Malaking kat
angahan, Lucille."
Stella blew another puff.
"That's horrid."
There was a chink of glass on wood as Lucille had put down her scotch glass.
"I expected him to change everything between me and his father. And it didn't. H
e had not served his purpose at all. Had I known that earlier..."
"Yun lang ba ang tingin mo sa bata? Instrumento para makuha kung ano yung gusto
mo?" said Lucille, her voice sounding very much like a whiplash.
"You do not understand, Lucille. I was fresh out of college when I had him. My f
amily was telling me to abort the kid. And I did not protest at all, I was twent
y; what on earth do I know about having a son? After all, I knew I'm bound to be
a big failure when it comes to parenting; I've never been good at anything..."
Lucille cringed in disgust. It was like a stranger was speaking to her. She did
not at all know this woman; she seemed very different from the Stella Fontanilla
she once knew... the compassionate, fun-loving, family-oriented Stella.
"I was about to say yes when this brilliant idea came into my head. Ricks was no
t the type who ran from his responsibilities... and I knew I could use it to my
advantage.
I could use the kid to get him away from Julia. I knew I could trick him into ma
rrying me... and blimey, who knew that I'd succeed?"
She gave a cold, hard laugh that totally didn't suit her. Lucille was listening
more intently now.

"So you're saying you would have killed Angelo in your womb, had you known that
he would not succeed in making Ricks fall in love with you?"
Stella crushed her cigarette against its tray as her friend watched her.

"Do not make me answer that."

Lucille stood up, furious.
"You make me SICK."
She barged back into the hotel unit, and Stella followed her.
"Pardon me? I make you sick? You do not know Ricks. You have no idea what he mad
e me go through. He tried to elope with Julia the night before the wedding. He w
as planning to leave me disgraced!"
"You would have deserved that. You used your cunning ability to manipulate peopl
e just to steal him from the woman of his dreams. And now... this! Talaga bang m
atitiis mo silang andun, walang pera, walang passports... How do you expect them
to cope?!"
"What do you want me to do? Go back to that
arned money para bayaran ang hospital bills
resulta ng kasalanan nila sa akin? NO! Over
y ang batang yun... So be it! Yun ang karma

God-forsaken place and use my hard-e

ng bastardang anak nila ni Julia na
my dead body, Lucille. Kung mamamata
nila!"

"What about your son, Stella? What about him? What if he's starving- or sleeping
in the streets?"
"He's with his father, and it is Ricks' responsibility to take care of him. Hind
i ko na problema yun."
*SLAP*
Stella swayed on her spot, cowering, while Lucille stood in front of her, shakin
g in fury.
"Shame on you. Malas ng anak mo. Sa lahat ng pwedeng nanay niya, sayo pa siya na
punta..."
She went and zipped up her suitcase, which she stuffed with whatever she could r
each.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Somewhere. Anywhere, any place away from you."
"So you can't stand me now?"
"Sorry, Stella. But I really can't handle having someone like you in the same ro

om..."
Stella sank onto the feather mattress as Lucille wrapped herself up with a coat.
"Pull yourself together, will you?
Before it's too late."
And Lucille had slammed the door with an ominous, breathtaking finality, leaving
Stella all the time and space in the world to think about what she had said.
Chapter Twenty Three
Elle's POV
"Is there anything else I can help you with, Miss Niki?"
"No, ok na ako, Ate."
"Ok, just call us if you need anything."
"Thank you."
The uniformed maid left the room. Andito kasi ako ngayon sa bahay nila Rafa sa Q
C. Exagg din sa laki, pero hindi ka-level nung nasa Pangasinan. Mamaw yun eh.
Aww. Miss ko na si Lola. Bukas pa siya dadating eh.
Grabe. Malapit na kasi yung debut ko (Oops, debut ni Niki pala! ) kaya lumipat n
a kami rito. Ang dami kasing aayusin... venue, gown, food, etc. Ay! Ang hirap ma
ging anak ng politician! (Charot!)
Pero may perks din ah. Saan ka nakakita ng ref na may isang shelf na dedicated l
ang sa Haagen Dazs?
Naku nga naman. T_T Tumataba tuloy ako. Paano na lang pag nakita ako ulit ni Aid
an?
Susginoo. Ayoko yatang mag mukhang lumba lumba pag nagkita kami ulit. I mean, ho
w far is QC from Las Pinas? I might be lucky enough to run into him one of these
days...
Sige mangarap lang. One day, nanakawin ko yung kotse ni Rafa tapos*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*
It opened a tiny bit, just enough for me to see Karissa's face peeking in throug
h the door.
"Mind if I come in?"
Ano pang magagawa ko eh andyan ka nang bruha ka?
Ay, joke lang. Bad Ellie. BAAAAAAAAD ELLIE!!!
"Not at all."
She came in and carefully closed the door behind her. Looking everywhere but at
me, she went and tried to make herself comfortable on the sofa located at the fo
ot of my new bed.

"Missed your room?"

"Quite... Yeah I guess."
"Saan ka natutulog pag sakali?"
"Ehrr. Depende. Kung saan abutan ng antok," I said, sticking to Rafa's story abo
ut Niki's life away from home.
"Wish I was as brave as you."
She looked serious.
"Kung kasing tapang mo ako... matagal na rin akong nag layas. But then I don't h
ave your guts."
"It wasn't exactly a picnic."
"I know. And that's what I am afraid of. Yung idea ng buhay na walang pera, wala
ng luxuries, walang kotse and all the other things I am currently enjoying. Kaya
nga di ko magawa."
"Bakit mo ba naiisip maglayas? You have it all, Kai. People would kill to be whe
re you are now."
"Oo. With material things, nasa akin lahat... but with you guys..."
For the first time in days, we caught each other's eyes.
"Si Lola... si Rafs... ikaw."
"Kai, ikaw ang nagtutulak sa amin palayo."
She looked away.
"I'm sorry."
We both fell silent. I had no idea what to say whatsoever.
"Anyhow, the reason why I came here is to thank you. Sinukatan na ako ni Pierre
kanina, and he had shown me the gown design- I love it. Thanks for telling Mom."
"Sure. The 50 per cent discount was*RIIIIIIIIIIIING RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
How rude.
"Hello?" she said, her voice suddenly hyped up and all-giddy. "Shi shei?"
She smiled and winked at me.
WTF?
"Oh! Hey Kevs. Katipunan? Aright. I'll be right there."
In like half a nanosecond, her hand was on my doorknob.

Okay. That was EXTREMELY freaky. Is she a vampire or something?

Well, she's a very UGLY vampire.
"Where are you going? o_O"
"Katipunan."
"In a hurry?"
"Yeah, sort of."
"Some last minute date, huh?"
"Date?" she repeated, her eyes glinting with hardly suppressed delight. "Yea, I
wish it is... see you in a bit, Ate. I'll make kwento later. "
At kumindat na naman ang loka. Kala mo bagay
"Bye!!!"
Thank goodness. I hate having uncivilized neanderthals in the same room.
Sino nga kaya yung tumawag sa lokaret na yun at kumaripas na siya ng takbo?
________________________________________
Ria's POV
Jeez. This traffic is unbelievable.
"Haynaku Rafa. Makukulong ako nito sa ginagawa mo eh!"
Bawal kaya mag cellphone habang nagdadrive.
Ang kulit kasi. Ayaw tumigil!
"Sorry na! Basta, nasa 2nd floor ako. Yung invitation nandyan sa loob ng noteboo
k ko. Pakita mo lang papapasukin ka na."
"Oo na oo na! Sige bye!"
Badtrip naman talaga tong kumag na to eh noh? Iiwan ang notebook niya tas ipadad
ala saken... kung di ka rin naman talaga iresponsableng bata kaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Pasalamat si Rafa, may konsensya ako. Kung hindi ko naman kasi ibabalik to, hind
i siya makakapag aral. May exam kasi kami bukas sa Math 17.
More reason for me to hurry up. Marami pa akong kailangang aralin.
Ok. Prepare to nosebleed. Math 17 Long Exam = Stress Overload + (Hell) to the po
wer of 5.
Caf Sweet Inspirations... YES!
There you are!
Nagpark na ako at dumeretso paloob, not wanting to waste time.
Kaloka ang dami ng tao ha. Ano kayang meron sa taas? O_o
Knowing Rafa, it's prolly some artsy fartsy social function for the rich.
"Your name please?" I heard the bouncer say.

"I was invited by a friend who's on that list but I kinda left my invitation"Your ID, sir."
"What? But"No ID, no entry."
Jeez, he was scary. Perfectly suitable to guard the foot of the stairs.
Naku, talagang hiningi yung ID nung mama, dahil naiwan yung invitation... GULP.
The man was dressed to the nines and he looked decent enough to be the country's
president... and he's being asked for his ID? How much more ako? Ako na naka je
ans and chucks?!
"Your name please?"
"Ehrm, I just have to being this to someone... I'm not on that guest"Well, I'll have to get your ID."
FINE
"Here," I said, and then dumeretso na ako sa stairs.
"HEY MISS!"
"What?"
He was handing me my ID back.
"You're on the list, Miss. I'm sorry. Please proceed to the function room."
WHAT?
Okay. Looks like Rafael Yutanco has got some explaining to do.
Anong kagagahan na naman kaya to?! How did I manage to end up on a private party
's guest list?
"Ria!"
I sharply turned and saw a familiar figure emerging from the comfort roomMy eyes must be tricking me.
"What're you doing here?"
"What're you doing here?"
"Well, I did get an invitation from this woman who's an agent... daw... for mode
ls... and..."
"So this... is a party for models?"
"Yeah, wait, you have an invitation as well... how come you don't know? Ay-"
"Well sis, I guess we should go ask someone who knows."
I pulled her by the arm and pumasok kami ng function room.
Nahiya tuloy ako. Lahat ng tao dito maaayos ang bihis.
"Ria! There you are "
"Anong there you are?!"
*WHAPAK*

"Aray!" he said, rubbing his arm on the place where I had hit him.
"What on earth is going on? Would you mind telling me?"
He looked close to laughing, which was incredibly infuriating.
"Well, we're going to have a modeling stint in Puerto Galera this weekend and"WHAT?! WHO SAID I WANTED TO GO TO GALERA?!"
"I'm sorry. Nakita ka kasi nung agent ko and sabi niya, dalhin raw kita rito- OR
ELSE."
"Anak naman ng- may exam tayo bukas tapos dadalhin mo ko rito... puteeeeeeeeeeek
! PAANO AKO MAG-AARAL?! Paano kung bumagsak ako?! ANAK KA NAMAN TALAGA NGHe covered my mouth with his hand and I was forced to shut up.
"Look, this isn't as bad as it looks, the trip is free and"DAMN IT! The plane ticket won't"Teka! Patapusin mo muna ako!"
Tumawa si Denise.
AY BADTREEEEEEEEEEEEP.
"Okay, one of the organizers of this event is a famous agent... see that guy on
the stage?"
"What's he got to do with it?"
"He's our math prof's boyfriend."
"What?! But our math prof is a BOY!"
"Would you care not to sound so homophobic?"
Ok. Sorry naman.
Hindi naman ako homophobic eh. Ngayon lang talaga ako nakaencounter ng ganun.
"Well, I talked to him, he talked to our prof, and we're exempted for tomorrow's
exam"WHAT?! OMGGGGGGGGGG!!! "
YES! Di na ako mag-aaral ng logarithms!
This has to be too good to be true!
"Hi there."
Standing before me was one of the most elegant women I've ever seen in my entire
life.
"Guys, this is my agent, Marjorie Lagdameo."
"Tita Marj would do."
"This is Denise Lopez, and that's Ria Antonio."
"Hello there Denise. And Ria. Sorry for kind of forcing Rafa to bring you here."
"KIND OF?!" Rafa whispered mutinously. Takte, muntik na kong matawa
"Nga pala girls, if you ever want to take modeling seriously, you can contact me
. I'll be honored to be your agent."

WHOA.
This is surreal. I must be dreaming.
"Oh, there's my other prodigy- HEY LANCE!"
PRODIGY?!
Kaya lumalaki ulo nun eh. TSS.
Lumapit siya.
Oops, may kasama pala.
Who else did it have to be but my worst nightmare?
Sabi na eh. This was too good to be true.
I looked at Rafa beside me... his smile was gone, and he was shaking his head mi
ldly, as though torn between amusement and exasperation.
"Hey Lance, we've got some guests, care to do some socializing?" Tita Marj asked
the moment he reached us. He merely frowned and rolled his eyes a bit.
"You were invited?" Kai asked me venomously, her eyes on me, blazing with loathi
ng.
"Easy on the tone, honey," said Tita Marj, smiling a dangerous smirk. "You don't
own the place."
OHMYGOSH.
Karissa Yutanco- flustered.
I should've gotten a camera, the look on her face was PRICELESS!
"Wait, funny of someone like you to ask... Being one of this event's organizers,
I do not happen to know who you are."
SIGE PA TITA, GO! RUB SOME MORE SALT IN THAT WOUND!!!
"Let me guess... from where did you get in? The window?"

Heavens help me.

Mamamatay na ko kakatawa!!!
"Please, Tita. She's my date."
"Well, I don't like nobodies pestering my guests."
"She's not a nobody- she's Rafa's sister."
"Really? You look nothing like your parents," Tita Marj said. "Where'd they get
you?"
"Tita, STOP."
Lance looked seriously miffed now. He threw a nasty glance at me as I literally
put my fist inside my mouth to keep myself from laughing.
Karissa's face was turning a disgusting shade of green.
HAH. Asaan na ang bangis mong bruha ka?

"Well, if you are planning to get yourself on the plane to Galera with us, I sug
gest you go get yourself an agent, for I wouldn't be bothered to... um, well. Se
e you guys later."
OH YEAH.
This is surely one of the best days of my life.
"Well, I hope you guys don't mind us going," said Rafa, then he suddenly pulled
my hand, leading me away. Denise followed in a strut behind us, her face smug an
d her smile wide.
I almost forgot my pleasure about Kai getting stumped as I realized my fingers w
ere intertwined with Rafa's.
"What're you doing?"
For another couple of seconds, he just kept walking and didn't answer me. Denise
kept looking over her shoulder, as though trying to catch something.
As soon as we reached the drinks table, he let go of me.
"Den?"
What?
They're on nickname terms? I am obviously missing something.
"Effective?"
"With a capital E!"
Their hands joined in a loud high five.
WTF?!
"What in the"Sorry Ria. Top-secret."
"Under strict orders. I suggest you go with the flow."
"How come he's in on the secret and I'm not?!"
"I'm sorry. Can't tell you."
"Sock that."
"Punch?"
Rafa and Denise exchanged meaningful glances, as though they knew something I di
dn't.
AY. BADTREEP.
But oh well.
Maganda pa rin ang araw ko.
KARISSA YUTANCO... getting through a window...
I wanna paste that in my memory, forever.
Chapter Twenty Four
Kai's POV

"You're unusually quiet," I said. We were on the beach, taking a walk while watc
hing the sun setting.
It's true: Puerto Galera truly is a paradise; it's like you were in heaven itsel
f. I squiggled my toes on the fine white sand as I discreetly watched him, not w
anting to be told off. He hates being stared at.
"Unusually? Bakit, usually ba maingay ako?"
"No. Wala lang. You're a lot more talkative when you're with me."
"Am I?" he asked, staring at the water. I blushed.
Ay naku Kai. Nadulas ka na naman; what if isipin niyang feeling ka?
NAKU NAMAN... bakit ko ba naisipang sabihin yun? STUPID. STUPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIID.
"Wala. I mean... I've told you. Haven't I?"
"Yeah, you have."
He got all worked up about his best buds not telling him about his girlfriend's
whereabouts. I didn't think he could get like that, for he hadn't been in touch
with any of them for an entire week.
That had been, of course... unfortunate... but not for me.
His brooding only got him more time to spend with me... and that's why I'm not c
omplaining.
That doesn't erase the fact that he's still not quite over his girlfriend, but t
hen, I'm in a perfect position to steal her place in his life.
And no one will be able to stop me.
"I'm sorry for being so boring," he said, smiling a bit as he looked at me. "You
deserve so much better."
"No, silly. What are friends for?"
"Yeah. Friends. Wish they'd take a leaf out of your book. If you were in their p
lace, I'm sure you'd do the right thing."
"Course I will," I told him, smiling my sweetest.
Yeah, I'd do the right thing: I won't tell him either.
Mwahahaha.
I mean, he doesn't have to know. Not with ME around.
"What time are we supposed to go back there?"
"Bout thirty minutes?"
"I think we'd better go," he said, turning his back on me. "Tita Marj would kill
us if we're late."
________________________________________
"Who's that?"
My new supermodel friend jerked her head towards skinnyb!tch's direction.
"She's my schoolmate. Rafa's latest stalker."
"Your brother seems to like her."

"No he doesn't. Naaawa lang siya dyan. Mukha na kasing tanga kakahabol. Pathetic
. "
"Well I can't blame her for going after your brother. He's hot," she said, eyein
g my twin brother with a glint in her eye. "I mean, who wouldn't want to be a fu
ture politician's wife?"
I rolled my eyes.
Here we are again. Kailan kaya darating yung babaeng magkakagusto kay Rafs na hi
ndi lang yung apelyido namin yung habol?
Well, if skinnyb!tch could prove to me that she's not after that, then maybe I c
ould get myself to like her.
Hmm. Then again... maybe not
"So, where's your almost-boyfriend?" she asked me. I blushed.
"Who are you talking about?"
"Duh? Yung kasama mo kanina?"
"Ehrm... I don't know. Hahaha. Almost-boyfriend ka dyan."
"Come on, you've liked him since kindergarten."
"Yeah. But he hasn't made a move yet."
"Yet. That means you think he will?"
"Well, honestly, I don't know. He doesn't seem to be over his last gf."
"Come on. Past is PAST. Are you telling me you're scared of some random girl fro
m his past?"
"No, of course not."
"Then go get him!"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't be silly. You're in Galera... a resort... a place away from home. This is
the perfect place to hook up!"

"What's with that face?"

"Nothing."
"Wala pala eh! Get him na! Shoo!"
At tinaboy pa ako. T_T
What on earth does she mean by 'hook up'?
Nakakaloka ang mundo ng modeling ha. Maybe I should go ask my brother?
Is that something he and all the others do all the time?
I think I'm getting an idea. :|

Now where could my prospect be?

Maybe I should call him? Shocks. I should go away; I'm not going to hear anythin
g in this disco room.
I reached the hotel lobby, holding my phone against my ear.
"- get away from me!"
Wait. I know that voice.
Lumabas ako and I dropped my phone in shock.
What is skinnyb!tch doing here in the garden with him?
"Ano ba nangyayari sayo?"
"That's none of your business, Ria."
"Look, your friends are worried about you."
"You call yourselves my friends?! Pwede ba? Cut it out!"
I thought they didn't know each other?
And I thought she was getting it on with my bro... what's she doing behind his b
ack?!
"Look, we barely know each other, and the only significant thing we have that co
uld be called a connection is the fact that your boyfriend has run off half a wo
rld away with my girlfriend. Will you stop acting like you give a damn?! Kasi al
am mo... sa totoo lang? Nakakasuka na e! "
Her face registered a distinct look of shock, embarrassment and hurt.
And guess what. I loved that.
"Look, I'm really sorry if I didn't tell you... but what you have to understand"Skip it. I'm not interested in putting up with your 'friends' act. Diba di tayo
magkakilala? Bakit di na lang natin panindigan yun? We're better off that way.
I don't need you! I don't need ANY OF YOU!"
She froze.
"And guess what. You and your loser boyfriend? You guys deserve each other. Too
bad he doesn't*SLAP!*
How DARE she?!
"Alam mo," she said, her voice breaking. "Naiintindihan ko na ngayon kung bakit
mas pinili ni Rish si Gelo kaysa sayo..."
She ran off in the darkness, leaving Lance alone.
I swear to God... I'm going to make her pay for this.
________________________________________
Ria's POV
*RIIIIIIIIING*
Jonathan Figueroa Calling

"Hello?"
"Ria? Ok ka lang?"
I didn't answer him; tumigil muna ako sa pagtakbo. I saw a huge rock and doon ak
o umupo.
"Nakausap mo ba?"
"Oo."
"How did it go?"
"Disastrous."
Silence.
There was a sigh at the other end of the line. Huminga ako ng malalim.
DAMMIT.
Why am I crying?
That motherfugging sonovabetch.
"Sorry Ria. You must be upset... Lance can be nasty at times."
"You bet," I said, gritting my teeth.
"I should've done it myself."
"Don't. He's not worth it, Jon."
"Ria, are you crying? "
"Course not. I gotta go. The show's gonna start."
"But"Bye, Jon. I'll call you later."
I buried my face in my hands.
What's happening to me?
Why am I so affected?
Every single thing he said had hit a nerve.
I don't get it. Why was he angry at ME?
It wasn't my fault! GODDAMMIT!
That slap was not enough, and the things I had said to hurt him would not do it
justice.
I fcuking hope he rots in hell.
*BEEP BEEP*
1 message received
Rafa Yutanco
Wer u? 15 mins nlng, cmula n nung show. Wud u mind going to the pool 4 a sec? Ne
ed 2 talk. C u.

Oh, great. Buti na lang andyan si Rafa.

I badly need someone to talk to.
Hope Den is with him... :-/
The uniformed cleaner passed by me silently, dragging along his cleaning kit wit
h him. I gave him a smile as he shyly nodded at me, his face lined with the mark
s of a hard day's work.
I reached the pool and touched its surface with my fingers, absentmindedly twirl
ing them in it. It felt oddly relieving as I watched the ripples break into the
glassy water, taking my troubles away with them.
Hearing footsteps, I stood up and realized I had completely forgotten why I was
here.
"Rafa! About time you*SLAP!*
I froze on the spot, having
cross the face with a force
Karissa Yutanco's furiously
n, and I lingered, not even

been dragged harshly away from the pool and struck a

of a speeding truck. In horror, I blankly stared at
contorted face, her blazing eyes drilling into my ow
having the urge to fight back-

"HOW DARE YOU, SLUUTT?

Two-timing my brother with the guy I like... WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! You foul
, manipulative raving monstrous littleShe pulled me towards her and slapped me once, twice... so many times that I had
lost count, and all I managed to do was try to block myself feebly with my arms
.
"STOP IT! KARISSA!"
I tried to push her but she caught me, and I fought hard to retaliate, my senses
finally catching up"GET OFF ME, B!TCH!"
"NO, YOU'RE THE B!TCH! THE BEST FCUKING ONE I KNOW OF!"
"Well thanks for the compliment, YOU SECOND-RATE WH0RE!"
I pulled a handful of her hair with all my might, and watched her pained look wi
th a repulsive kind of satisfaction. As her hands tried to find mine, I used my
free one to get another handful...
And then she pushed me with the shocking strength I never could have imagined sh
e hadMy mind filled with panic as I tried to balance, but my foot wasn't able to find
anything solid...
Slowly, I was falling through an empty haze of air.
*SPLASH!*

I quickly sank onto the bottom, my feet barely hitting the cold tiled floor of t
he pool. The icy temperature clashed with my skin and it felt more like fire as
every nerve in my body protested, and then I was fighting to float, all the whil
e gasping for airMy head broke the surface of the water, and I opened my mouth to breathe...
I found myself swallowing a mouthful of water as the water sucked me right back
within its depths, and wildly thrashed my arms in a futile attempt to get myself
back onto the surface.
Panicking, I realized I had completely no idea how to swim...
My brain screamed for oxygen and I kicked wildly, hoping to reach the surface th
at was about three feet away from the top of my head...
Looking sideways, I saw a little sign that flashed big, black and bold letters:
10 FEET
With all the strength I had remaining, I had managed to get onto the surface, ca
tching a glimpse of Karissa's shocked face.
"HE- HELP!!!!!"
She did not move. I was already using the very last of the air left in my lungs.
..
"KA- RISSA!
HE- HELP ME!"
And then I felt my arms go limp, right at the same moment that my legs had given
up.
There was the last fleeting glimpse of Kai's hair, the last strands fluttering l
ightly as she vanished at the door, and the rush of the water that overwhelmed m
y earsFinally, I closed my eyes and knew no more.
hapter Twenty Five
Lance's POV
I blindly went back to the party venue, my thoughts unfocused. The part of my fa
ce where Ria's hand came in contact with still stung, as though it was reminding
me of what had just happened.
As if I still needed that.
Never had I seen her lose control like that. Yes, I've watched her beat up guys
twice her size but that was different. Completely different.
She said considered me a friend.
And that's what I give her in return.
Congratulations, Lance. You have just reached the apex of your stupidity.
Just when I thought I couldn't get any stupider.

She was the only one I have left. Well, not really. There's my other friends, wh
o have welcomed me in their group without question.
Yes, Kai's there too, pero iba pa rin sila Ria. With them, I could always let my
guard down. I don't have to be afraid of looking stupid because we just laugh i
t all off, perhaps over coffee or a bowl of nachos.
"Naiintindihan ko na ngayon kung bakit mas pinili ni Rish si Gelo kaysa sayo..."
Those words rang over and over in my head, as though playing from some wrecked p
honograph. It sounded distant, cold, full of hurt. Hearing it was a dull blow.
Being the loser that I am now, I guess I'll have to agree. After everything I've
done, he looks much better off by contrast.
Maybe that's why I was never good enough for Rish.
And then again, maybe that's also why I will never be good enough for Ria.
"Bro?"
Rafa jerked me out of my reverie.
"Have you seen Ria?"
"No," I lied.
Teka lang.
Isn't he supposed to be her date?
Hindi ka rin patapon eh noh? Date mo yun tas sa akin mo hahanapin?
TSS.
"I've been looking for her during the past half hour. Jeeeez, pare. Tita Marj is
screaming her head off na, pumunta na raw tayo sa may beach kasi malapit na yun
g show. Andun na yata si Den..."
He was searching his pockets.
"Naknangtinapa. Nakay Karissa nga pala yung phone ko... kaya hindi ko macontact
si Ria eh, pakshet. Sige bro, pag nakita mo na lang si Kai pakisabi balik niya p
hone ko asap. Thanks!"
Ayos ah. Pinaghahanapan na nga ng nawawala, magiging messenger pa. T_T Customer
service? O_o
Ay, si Tita Marj pa.
Makaalis na nga. Ayokong malintikan.
With a lot of effort, I managed to get myself out of the room. And then there wa
s Kai, running out of a door and not appearing to notice me"-HELP ME!"
I sharply turned. No one else appeared to have heard it...
I looked at Kai again, who was squeezing herself with the throng of people who w
ere blocking the entrance. She looked panicky.
Wait a minute...

WhatWithout thinking, I found myself running towards the place where Kai had materia
lized- the exclusive, VIP-only pool.
I was getting a very shrewd idea of who could it be, and panic welled up at my i
nsides at the very thought.
No, maybe I'm just being overly paranoid.
Jeez, God. Please let me be wrong.
I barged into the complex, seeing bubbles on the surface of what I knew to be te
n feet deep.
Fully clothed, I went and dived headlong into the water.
I was right.
Slowly, she was sinking into the depths of the pool, her hair floating dreamily
around her face like thin, dark clouds. Her hands were outstretched, eyes closed
, her mouth slightly agape with no sign of air coming out of itI cursed under my breath as I fought to reach her as soon as I can.
She was not breathing.
Another splash came out of nowhere and I didn't bother to look as I pulled her t
owards me securely. She was immobile and cold, her face chalk white and lifeless
.
In a frenzied race to the water's surface, I fought and kicked as hard as I can,
not minding the icy temperature that was numbing my muscles.
Having no idea of whether it was magic, luck, or a sheer rush of adrenaline, it
only took me seconds to lay her limp figure on the concrete bank... and then I w
as beside her, scooping her into my arms, watching her head bob unresponsively f
rom side to side.
I shook her in a vain attempt to wake her up.
And then I noticed that another figure was swimming towards us"RAFA! DALIAN MO!" I shouted. I didn't care if my voice echoed off the walls, or
if it was freezing cold and I was sopping wet.
At this moment, there is simply nothing else in the world that mattered.
"Goddammit, Ria! Cut it out! BREATHE!"
Rafa came out of the water and rushed to our side. I could not help but watch as
he expertly tried to revive her...
I prayed to the heavens like I've never prayed before.
Lord, please.
Don't let me lose another reason to live.
Si Mommy...
Si Rish...

No. Not Ria...

Please, Lord. Wag si Ria.
Miraculously, I heard her coughing.
Water was coming out of her nose and mouth, but I couldn't care less.
She was alive. I couldn't believe it...
I almost lost her.
Completely losing control, I took her into my arms. Rafa smiled at me as she con
tinued to cough.
"Thank you, bro. Thank you!"
"Sabi ko na nga ba eh. Akala ko di ka na aamin. O, wag mo na papabayaan yan. Sig
e ka, pag tinopak ako-..."
I heard the doors burst open.
Seeing Kai and Kelly standing there, I immediately let go of Ria.
There is something I'll have to clarify.
I reached them and dragged Kai out. Kelly followed us.
"What were you thinking, Karissa?!"
"Anong-..."
"You know bloody well what!" I roared, and she flinched.
"H-how c-could"Who else would it be, huh?! The pool cleaner?!"
She didn't speak. Tears were coming out of her eyes fast. Kelly stared in bewild
erment.
"Do you mind giving us some privacy?" I snapped. She quickly walked away.
"Do you know what could've happened, Kai?! DO YOU?!" I asked her, holding both h
er shoulders in a strong grip. She opened her mouth to speak and it took a while
before she could talk.
"YES! I DO! That's why I ran off and got Kelly because I didn't know how to sw"But why? Why did you do it? Is this your idea of fun, huh?
My God, Karissa. You're not who I thought you were!"
"Why do you care so much?!"
"THAT is none of your business, Karissa," I said, then I let go of her. "If you
hurt her again"What?"

I didn't reply and just walked away.

"What're you gonna do, LANCE?" she said, putting a sinister emphasis on my name.
"I knew it all along. I knew..."
I turned and looked at her. She was sobbing hysterically.
"If it was me she pushed into that water, would you get as mad, huh?"
"Course not," I snapped. "She wouldn't do it. Never. You see... she's nothing li
ke you, Kai. NOTHING."
"Why can't you look at me instead? Why her?"
"What are you talking about, Kai?" I asked coldly.
"Can't you see? I've always been here..." she said, her hand reaching up to touc
h my face. "I'm here. All she does is hurt you... I would never do that."
She sniffed and gave me a bitter smile.
"Ako na lang, Lance... please..."
I took her hand gently off my face. In spite of myself, I knew I could not affor
d to lie.
"I'm so sorry, Kai. I can't. There's someone else out there for you.
And that person isn't me."
________________________________________
Gelo's POV
"Yehey!"
Kung di ko lang kilala to, iisipin ko sintu-sinto.
TUMATAWA BA NAMAN MAG-ISA. T_T
"Tapos na!!!"
"Ano yan? Nobela mo?"
"Engots. Sulat to."
"Goodluck naman sa papadalhan mo. kanino ba yan?"
"Sikreto "
Parang hindi ko kilala eh noh.
"Paano mo ipapadala yan?"
"Pag uuwi na tayo. "
"NYEK."
"Ano ka ba, malapit na yun."

"Huh? Sabi nino?"

"Sabi ko."
"Nyek. Kala ko totoo na."
"Ano ba Kuya. Positive thinking. Isipin mo lang... Uuwi na ko kay Ria. Uuwi na k
o kay Ria... Makikiss ko na si RiBinato ko nga ng unan.
"PATAPON!"
"HOY! Bawal ako batuhin!"
"Mukha mo! hahaha!"
She ignored me and then tinupi niya na yung pagkakapal-kapal na letter, tapos ni
lagay niya doon sa envelope. And then she did the unthinkable: she kissed it.
"Sealed with a kiss."
"Bakla. "
"Kapal mo, palibhasa ikaw di mo na inaalala si Ria. Lagot ka dun. "
"Sino may sabi?"
"Asus. Crush mo yung kapitbahay natin eh. "
"LUL!"
"HAHA. Joke lang. Alam ko naman patay na patay ka kay Ria eh."
T_T
"Sorry Kuya ah. Kundi dahil saken magkasama pa rin kayo."
"Tange. Hindi mo kasalanan. Nanay ko may kasalanan."
"Kung wala naman ako hindi magagalit yung Mommy mo eh."
"But that's no excuse para gumanon siya. Imagine, pinabayaan niya tayo ritong wa
lang pera."
"Hindi naman niya obligation na ipagamot ako."
"Tama na nga. Naiinis lang ako pag pinag uusapan siya."
Humiga na lang ako sa kama ni Rish. Ano kaya ginagawa ni Ria ngayon?
Sana ok siya.
"SHOCKS!"
"Bakit?!" I asked, jolting up.
"Hindi pa ko nagsasaing! ALAS SAIS NA! PATAY AKO!!!"

Akala ko naman kung ano.

"Hala ka, sulat ka kasi ng sulat eh. Magluto ka na nga!"

"YES BOSS! "
She went out of the room.
Napatingin ako dun sa sulat niya.
Grabe. Ang kapal talaga oh.
Kamusta na kaya sila doon sa Pilipinas?
Kung pwede ko lang sugurin yung nanay kong nagliliwaliw sa Las Vegas para makuha
yung pera ni Daddy, ginawa ko na eh. Kung may kotse lang sana ako, 5 days aabot
ako. Kung may helicopter lang sana ako, siguro limang oras...
Siguro kung meron nga akong kahit alin dun, tatakbo na ko sa Manhattan para magh
anap ng computer shop, para maemail ko na si Ria, makamusta... malaman kung*BLAG!*
Ano yun?
I hurriedly went out of the room and was not ready for what I saw.
"RISH!"
On the kitchen floor was my sister, sprawled on her back, unconscious, her hand
still clutching the empty pot of rice...
Chapter Twenty Six
Rafa's POV
"Are you sure you left it in my room?"
Godammit. I couldn't find the motherflooging file that my PI made. I've literall
y turned the whole room upside down and I still couldn't see that wretched brown
envelope.
"Yes I did. That's what your maid told me, Sir."
"Where exactly?"
"In your study table."
I cussed again. Of all the things I could lose- it had to be the file that conta
ined Ate Niki's whereabouts. I'm this close to finding her and*RIIIIIIIIIIING*
AGH!!!
DAMMIT! kitang may hinahanap ako!
"I'll call you later, Mom's ringing."
I quickly hung up.
"Ma?"
"Rafa, ni gan ma?"
"Wei shen me?"
"I need you to come to the office."
"Right now?"
"Shi."
The line went dead.

There was something about Mom's tone that made me temporarily forget about the f
ile. Getting my car keys, I went and did as I was told.
I wonder what's going on. Mom never really summoned me into her office till now.
GAH. I HATE driving to Ortigas.
________________________________________
"Come in, Sir."
"Thank you, Abigail. You may leave."
The secretary gave a curt nod before closing the door behind her. I went straigh
t to the chairs in front of his desk, where a nice, shiny plaque was sitting. Wr
itten on it were the words Selina Yutanco, Chief Executive Officer.
I felt a strange lurch in my stomach as I realized I would shortly be occupying
this desk. After a few years, perhaps?
Dad and Mom, who were standing side by side behind the desk, did not appear to n
otice that I had just barged into the room. They seemed to absorbed by a piece o
f paper that Dad was holding uptight in his right hand. The grave look on their
faces puzzled me... is that the company balance sheet?
I cleared my throat, and for the first time, they became quite aware of my prese
nce.
Presuming that their facial expressions did not bode well, I made myself ready f
or whatever it was.
"What's that you're holding?"
Dad angrily threw the file he was holding.
"That's what we wanted to ask you."
I looked at the file and almost cursed aloud.
At the very top of the page, clearly visible in red, was the logo of my Private
Investigator's agency.
"How could you not tell us?"
My mom wasn't talking in an angry voice, but the disappointment that emanated fr
om her was more than enough to make me cringe.
"Explain," my dad ordered, his tone hard and cold.
I'm screwed.
________________________________________
No one spoke much on the way back to QC. Dad let the driver go home, not wanting
anyone outside the family to know anything about the problem at hand. Fortunate
ly, they had (though reluctantly) let me read the file.
It said Ate Niki was admitted in Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Alabang fo
r a couple of (quite serious) gunshot wounds. Whoever had done it isn't clear ye
t.
Jeez, I really could have used a little more time. I was about to get the real N
iki and let Elle go but hey, did it have to get so messed up at the very last mi
nute?

DAMMIT.
*RING RING*
Karissa Yutanco Calling
This must be something. She hadn't talked to me in weeks.
"Hello?"
"Rafa?! Where are you?" she asked, her voice hysterical.
"Stop yelling! What is it? I'm with mom and dad!" I asked, miffed as my parents
threw me a curious look.
"I tried calling their office, but- go, godammit! You idiots! THEY'RE STILL INSI
DE THE HOUSE!" she screamed.
"Karissa, what's going on?!"
"Rafs, the house is burning down!"
My mind went blank and I tried to keep my focus as I saw Mom and Dad look over a
t me curiously from the front seats.
"Dad, please drive faster... Kai, are you inside the house?"
"No... pero si Lola... si Ate... Umuwi ka na, please!"
"We're nearly there. Don't go back inside, I'll tell Mom and- calm down, Karissa
, okay? Keep a cool head- you've got to... And don't do anything stupid!"
"I won't! Just get back here!"
"ARIGHT! Dad, the house isBefore I could complete my incoherent sentence, he had stepped on the gas. Mom e
gged Dad on as she grabbed her phone and began dialing.
The house was no problem...
But Elle and Lola...
________________________________________
We turned the last corner and saw the massive puffs of smoke that was emanating
from what was left of the house.
The once-welcoming faade of our decades-old house had, in a span of mere hours, t
urned into a red, nightmarish representation of a flame-infested inferno.
I could not believe my eyes.
A lot of our neighbors ran in and out of the house, saving the furniture. Here a
nd there were the occasional ones who carried half-filled pails of water, trying
to put out the flames. The firefighters have miraculously arrived in time and t
hey appeared to be in control, but they could not go in just yet as the front po
rch was completely destroyed and engulfed in the fire, and then, out of the corn
er of my eye, I saw one of them make his way towards what I recognized as the ki
tchen-

My mother screamed as the kitchen exploded, throwing debris in all directions. I

watched in horror as the brave fireman was thrown off his feet, landing about s
ix feet away from where he initially stoodI ran towards the house, fearing another explosion that might snuff out my grand
mother's life...
Strong arms kept me from going any further. My parents were fighting to keep me
at bay but I simply could not go with that... I could not let Elle and Lola die
and get burnt beyond recognition...
I have lost enough in my life.
Simply, I just couldn't afford to lose any more.
"Lola! Elle! LOLAAAAAAAAAAA!!! "
"Rafa..."
Kai appeared at my side, sobbing while pulling my other arm. Her face was blacke
ned with soot and it bore minor burns.
I immediately hugged my twin sister, forgetting the fact that we had not been ta
lking to each other for weeks.
"Are you all right?
"Yes, but si Lola... si Ate... Ate dragged me out, then she went back for Lola,
I wanted to go too but the stairs had collapsed, and one of the posts were"Si Ate what?" I asked, distracted as I stared at what was left of the building.
"She pulled me out, brought me here, and then came back- she said she won't go b
ack without finding Lola... she promised-"
"Niki!"
I looked at the place Mom was pointing, and sure enough, there was Elle, emergin
g from the thick smokeIn all the fiasco surrounding us, all I could think of was to reach them at the
soonest possible time. My family huddled in a tight circle with my Lola in the m
iddle, only half-conscious, perhaps due to the tons of smoke she had inhaled...
no one cared who was hugging who, even Elle was in my father and mother's arms,
muttering endless words of gratitudeThen I knew...
________________________________________
"I'm okay, Mom! Stop fussing over me!"
Elle was half-amused, half-annoyed as Mom offered to peel half the contents of t
he fruit basket for her.
"Niki, you have to eat!"
"MAAAAAAAA!"
"Hoy! Wag mong inaantagonize yan!"
Nako. Mukhang nagood shot na talaga si Elle sa kanila. Tamo oh, kinakampihan na
ni Daddy!
Kahapon pa kami rito sa hospital. Nasa kabilang room lang si Lola.

"Don't worry, kids," sabi bigla ni Daddy. Kahapon pa rin kasi kami nagtatanong k
ung anong mangyayari sa amin ngayong wala na kaming bahay. Ang natira lang yung
kotse ko pati yung kina Mom.
Oh well. Buti na lang may bahay pa kami sa LP.
Pero ang ipinagtataka ko lang eh yung fact na tinatawag pa ring Niki ng parents
ko si Elle.
LABO HA. To think galit daw sila kahapon.
"Rafa, let's go talk to your grandmother in the other room."
Sunod naman ako. Ang mabuting bata.
"Hijo," Dad said as soon as we were out of Elle' s room. "I don't want your sisI mean, Elle, knowing that we know about her already, okay?"
Knowing that we know aboutANOH?!
Nabading na naman ako.
"Err..."
"Just promise."
"Aright. So the party will push through?"
"Of course it will."
"Elle will be in it?"
"Yes. Then after the party... we can let her go. That's our gift to her, disguis
ed as a debut. I want to celebrate. She was a good girl."
"So... what about the real Niki?"
"Well, she can go out in a huge, flowery princessy dress after we let Elle go, t
hat's her punishment for running away. Then she can go to the studio, as our gif
t for her 18th birthday."
"What studio?" I asked, feeling stupider and stupider by the minute.
"Well, we've arranged a recording contract. We found some demos in her room"You know what demos are?"
"Course I do, Rafa. Where was I- oh, right. We gave some demos and BMG agreed to
give them a shot. I seriously didn't expect we would have a cool rocker in the
family..."
"But I thought you were against it?"
"Well, your Mom and I finally realized how blinded we were by conventional achie
vements... so... well, this is the best way we think would work. I hope your sis
ter wouldn't have any plans of going away after that..."

"What's with that face?"

"Nothing."
"Ok, you talk to your grandmother, then we go to Alabang. Aright?"
"Is Ate all right?"
"Yes. Sam and her parents had paid for the operation. Bless them, we owe them a
lot."
"Sam Uy?"
"Oh, who else? Alangan namang si Sam Milby "
"Corny mo Dad."
"Heh. Puntahan mo na nga Lola mo!"
________________________________________
Rish's POV
AGH. I hate this.
Can't even talk... a stupid little mouthpiece was awkwardly perched on my face a
nd all I can do was open my eyes. Bright white lights blinded me, and through it
I could see my brother on the couch, his hair mussed up and looking like he had
not slept in days.
Wait, how long has it been?
Sh1t. I really must be dying.
I tried to move my hands, but I couldn't. I was too weak; too sleepy to do anyth
ing. Was this because of the medicines, or"Rish?"
My father walked quickly towards me, his face worried. I tried to arrange my fac
ial muscles to make it look like I was smiling.
"Are you okay?"
Having been unable to speak, I simply nodded.
"No worries, dear... we're in good hands."
Is Gelo's Mom back? If she's not, I have no idea where we're going to get the mo
ney to pay the bills. My brother rose from the couch and groggily approached me.
"Aight?"
I nodded again.
"Dad, how-?"
"Easy, son. Turns out I have a good friend from way back in this hospital..."
Oh, yeah. I almost forgot that my Dad was a doctor.
My disease was out of his specialty though, so he can't really treat me.

"He promised he'll help."

"Who is he? Do we know him?"
"No. It's a friend from med school..." my Dad replied, and he pressed my hand. "
Your mom's just getting us some food."
As though on cue, the door swung open.
"Ricks. Oh, good, she's awake," said a man who was wearing a white coat. His smi
le was warm and sincere. Strangely, he reminded me of someone I knew...
"Here are some of the pills she needs. Don't forget to give her these blue ones
every three hours, and the yellow ones every six hours."
I saw my Dad nod. Gelo was looking at the man curiously. I knew he was thinking
what I was thinking.
"These are your kids?"
"Yeah."
"Wow, they're teens na, no? It's amazing how time flies. They're my kids' age na
rin siguro."
He smiled again. Okay, now he looks REALLY familiar...
"Let me introduce you. This is Rish, as you know, and that's Gelo. Kids, this is
Dr. Gerard Antonio, my good friend from Med School."
ANTONIO?
"Where did they graduate from again?"
"Oh, in LP rin. Belletown Academy."
"Really?" he asked, his eyes widening.

"Is there any chance that you guys know my daughter Adrianna?"
Chapter Twenty Seven
Ria's POV
*
"Are you nervous?"
I threw him a quick look.
"Hindi naman."
"Wala lang. You look kinda fidgety."
"Ano ka ba. EDSA to. Katakot kaya. "
He laughed a bit.
"Don't you like the way I drive?"
"Not really."

"Ano ka ba. You won't get hurt, you're with me."

"Ahsus. "
He laughed, and I couldn't stop ogling.
"You know where I see us ten to fifteen years from now?"
Hmm.
"Where?"
"Well, still here."
"Huh?"
"Still here. I mean. Me, in the driver's seat... ikaw nandyan... and on the back
seat, may dalawang kids...
________________________________________
"Ria? Are you all right?"
Liningon ko si Rafa, feeling slightly disoriented.
"Huh?"
"You look... pale."
Napatingin ako sa labas. Nasa EDSA kami , nasa ilalim ng Magallanes station sa M
RT.
"Do I? Sorry."
Well, I couldn't stop thinking.
The situation was much too familiar. Me, in a passenger seat of someone else's c
ar, in EDSA, on the way to an important affair in Hotel Intercontinental Manila.
"That's fine. I'm kinda like that too when I'm thinking about Mishka... ikaw sig
uro..."
He cast me a swift look.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to sound so interfering. Wag mo na lang akong pansinin."
"No, you're not interfering naman. "
"Yeah, hehehe. I mean, if you wanna talk... well, I'm kinda here."
"Actually, I do want to talk about that."
I took a huge gulp.
"Hindi, ok lang talaga. Baka hindi ka ready or"No, I am. I realized I'll have to face this din naman sooner or later."
"Still like him?"
"Oo naman. But I'm kind of... okay now. I'm halfway through accepting it."
HALFWAY?
Yeah, I assured myself. Yeah.

"What if he comes back?"

"I don't know."
"What if he wants you back?"
"Hindi ko rin alam."
"Do YOU want him back?"
"Okay. Word of the day: BACK."
He laughed loudly just as we stopped before the traffic lights in Ayala.
"Well, siguro... ewan eh, ang labo. If he comes back now, as in right now... sig
uro pwede pa. But if he prolongs it..."
I sighed.
"Baka makahanap na ko ng iba. " I joked.
"Bakit hindi? Siya naman nauna eh."
"True. Pero may pagka-tanga talaga ako minsan eh."
"Bakit nung si Liam? Kwento mo kasi saken, nung nagcheat si Liam hindi mo na pin
atawad eh."
"Iba si Liam. Iba rin si Gelo."
Natahimik kami.
"What would make you take him back?"
"Ewan. Paluhurin ko kaya sa asin? Or patalunin ko sa billboard? Hahaha!"
"You know the best way to get even?"
"What?"
"Replace him. "
"HAHA. Baliw ka talaga Rafs."
"Well, honestly kasi Ria, I don't think a guy like that deserves you, you know.
If I were him, di na ko babalik, mahihiya ako sa balat ko."
"Wala kasing hiya yun eh. "
"All the more na dapat mo siyang ireplace."
"Well, that's okay. I can now imagine myself telling him that I went as your dat
e to your Ate's debut. And introducing him to you... ikaw na look-alike niya. Na
iisip ko pa lang, naaamuse na ko."

"I don't think it would have an effect on him whatsoever. Kung ako yun, I'll fee
l smug, kasi kamukha ko. Iisipin ko ako pa rin yung hinahanap, gets? "
"Eh makapal rin pala mukha mo eh "
Tawa ulit.
"Haha. Well, Ria. Gusto ko lang mag thank you sayo ulit for agreeing to be my da
te for my Ate's debut. I'm excited na nga na ipakilala siya sayo eh. Feel ko mag
kakasundo kayo."
"Talaga?" I said with false excitement.
"Well, okay, alam kong hindi mo gusto yung isang kapatid ko... but then, they're
really nothing alike. Trust me. You'll like my other sister."
"Okay. "
"Thanks again."
"Ano ka ba. Kulang pa nga to. I owe you, bro. Remember?"
He smirked a bit.
"Well... in a sense..."
"Huh?"
"Wala. " he said, then hinila niya na yung handbreak. "Tara na."
Ano kaya yun? Di ko nagets. SABAW.
Umikot siya ng car then he opened the door for me. Ang bagal ko pala, distracted
kasi ako.
"Take my arm. "
"Huh?"
"Take my arm nga. BILIS."
"Bakit?"
"Ang patapon neto oh. Para full effect."
"Full effect ka dyan."
He leaned in and whispered something.
"Andyan stalker ko. Dali!"
Tinuro niya saken si Kelly, who was standing nearby, her eyes fixed in our direc
tion. Masunurin naman akong bata, so I got his arm.
"Stalker mo si Kelly?"
"Well, yeah. Haven't I told you before?"
"Di ka pa nasanay. Celebrity ka kaya, noh Kuya?"

"Cheh. Basta. Pag ako nainis papamultuhin ko talaga yan kay Mishka."
Ah, si Mishka. Nakwento niya saken yun. Maswerte sila sa isa't isa. Kung hindi l
ang siguro sumingit yung asungot na si Ian...
"Landiin mo nga ako."
"HALA! Lul! AYOKO!"
"Dali! Tinutulungan na nga kita eh!"
"Okay, you saving my life was a biggie, but"Come on, Ria, please?" he asked, pleading. "I just need her to leave me alone.
She hasn't stopped texting me since Galera..."
"GEEZ. Ok. Ngayon lang to ha. Emphasis on NGAYON LANG."
"Deal, I owe you na. Let's go."
Aynako. AYNAKO TALAGA.
Kahit kamukha niya pa boyf- este ex- (?) ano na nga ba? Eh hindi pa rin talaga a
ko sanay.
Pumasok na kami dun sa lobby. Grabe ang daming tao. May mga photographer din na
nagsilapit sa amin pagkapasok pa lang. Kakahiya. Di pa naman ako sobrang nag-ayo
s. T_T
Nagmadali na kaming umakyat ng stairs. Grabe. Ang daming photographer, picture n
g picture. WALA NAMANG DAPAT PICTUREAN eh. EPAL.
"Psst. Magsi-CR muna ko. Kelangan natin maghiwalay para lubayan tayo ng photogra
phers!"
"Huh? Eh"Sige na! Susundan kita dun!"
"Sigurado ka?"
"Oo!"
Ang kulit naman oh.
Kita nang kaya lang ako pinipicture-an eh dahil sa kanya. Badtrip naman oh. Kung
wala lang talaga akong utang na loob sa kanya, haysus!
"-grabe naman tong damit na to! Ang laki-laki! Kung bakit naman ganito yung gina
wa ni Pierre"Hija, pagtiyagaan mo na, ilang oras mo lang namang isusuot yan."
"Lola naman! Kita mo nang hindi ako magkasya halos dito sa cubicle eh!"
May nag-aargue sa loob.
I saw a beautiful, elegantly dressed old woman standing in front of a closed cub

icle. She smiled at me when our eyes met, then lumapit siya sakin.
"Hello, hija. Thanks for coming to my granddaughter's debut."
"Thanks po."
"Kaibigan ka ba ng apo ko?"
"Ah... hindi po nung debutante... ako po yung"Lola, who are you talking to?"
The voice inside the cubicle sounded shocked.
"This young lady right here... Are you Rafa's date?"
Shocks. Si Lola naman oh.
"Opo. Friendly date."
"Wow. I always approved of my grandson's taste."
"Ah... LolaThe cubicle door swung open.
"OHMYGOD! I KNEW IT!"
My jaw dropped open as I saw who was inside-"ELLE!"
She dragged herself and the humungous, princessy dress out of the narrow doorway
.
Next thing I knew, she had thrown herself at me, and I was howling with glee, hu
gging her. The old woman simply stared as we wrestled like monkeys.
"Where have you been?! Lechugas ka, dito lang pala kita makikita sa Makati, kung
saan saan kami naghanap sa Pangasinan, alam mo bang kulang na lang masiraan ng
bait si Aidan?! Kung"Calm down, okay! Let me explain!"
"You're such a b!tch, Elle, making us worry like that, and howShe shushed me with a loud shhhh sound and flashed an alarmed look at the old wo
man's direction, who was smiling.
"Don't worry, hija," she said, smiling at us. "I know."
"You know?"
"What?"
I fell silent as they looked at each other.

"Yes, hija, I do."

"But"It's okay, hija," she told her reassuringly. "I know why you did it, Rafa told
me."
I stared, not comprehending anything.
"Lola..."
"Thank you, hija. It's been nice being your grandmother for a while. Whoever you
r real
grandma is, I envy her... she's lucky to have someone like you."
ANOH?
Di talaga ko makarelate. T_T
Lagot ka Elle. Marami kang ieexplain saken mamaya.
"Thanks Lola."
We all fell silent again.
"Teka lang... you're Rafa's date? "
"Errrh. Yeah. Friendly date."
"How ironic. T_T Teka, paano mo siya naging date eh... asan si Ge-?
"Okay, this isn't the time for explaining. You have a debut to attend. GO!"
Ngumiti ulit saken yung Lola ni Elle (Lola daw? Ewan ang gulo) tapos sabay sabay
kaming lumabas.
"Ria?"
I turned.
"Wow. You look nice."
"Do I know you?"
Tumalikod ako but he pulled me back.
"Hey...!"
"What's up with you? Hindi ka rin magulo noh? The last time you talked to me"I'm sorry about that. I was in a bad mood and"Talaga? So just because wala ka sa mood nun, I'll just let you off for being su
ch a montrous jerk?"
"So that's how you say thanks?"

"Thanks? For what? For making that particular weekend the worst one ever?"
He stared at me for a while, as though thinking deeply, then a look of comprehen
sion dawned on his features.
"Wait, didn't Rafa tell you?"
"Rafa didn't tell me what?"
"RIA! There you are!"
I looked around and felt Rafa's hand in mine. Even as I was looking, I saw Kelly
within the vicinity, looking murderous.
FINE. Basta habang nandito lang si Kelly...
"Tara na sa loob," he said, then napatingin siya kay Lance. I felt his grip on m
y hand loosen. "Oh, hey Lance."
"Wow, you sure know a thing or two about TAKING CREDIT, don't you Rafs?"
With a last scowl he went and purposely bumped Rafa out of his way while walking
.
"STUPID JERK!"
"No, Ria. It's my fault."
"Fault? Teka"No, listen. I did forget to tell you something."
"HUH?"
He looked around and slowly let go of my hand.
"Ehrr... Wag ka magagalit ah?"
"Bakit nga ako magagalit?"
"Eh kasi... diba sumama ka lang saken dito kasi iniisip mo I saved your life?"
"Eh... di naman sa ganun..."
"Nope, really, it's okay. I know naman eh."
"Teka, anong connect?"
"Hindi naman kasi ako yung nagligtas sayo sa pool eh. Si Lance."

"Joke ka ba? Bakit ba"Teka, patapusin mo muna kasi ako diba?"

T_T
Fine.

"Siya yung tumalon. Nagulat nga ako eh, nakita ko na lang, nasa lobby ako nun, t
umatakbo siya papunta dun sa pool. Na-curious naman ako kaya sumunod ako. Eh naa
lala ko hindi naman siya ganun kagaling lumangoy, kaya for a good measure, tumal
on na nga rin ako... imagine, hindi yun lumalangoy ah, pero dahil sayo sige lang
go, nagdive sa ten feet... ibang klase bahHe was still talking pero wala na akong maintindihan.
"- pag nga kasama namin yun sa resort, di talaga lumalangoy yun, hay nako, ang l
akas talaga ng tama nun... tapos, grabe, you should have seen his face, pare. Ta
kot na takot siya, akala mo ba..."
Okay.
My mind is in hibernate mode. Take note, HIBERNATE. Mas malala sa SCREEN SAVER.
HALA. What did I do?
Lagot. Sobrang LAGOT.
To naman kasing si Rafa eh. Di sinabi agad.
Kung hindi rin naman kasi panay ganun yung pinagsasasabi ni Lance nung isang ara
w edi hindi sanaAy lechugas na buhay naman to oo. T_T Nakakainis.
"O ano na gagawin mo? "
"Cheh. Kasalanan mo to eh."
"I know, I know."
"Wanna help me?" I asked sardonically.
"Naku, lalo kang malilintikan pag sinama mo pa ko. "
"Wow, you're such a fat LOT of help."
"Puntahan mo na nga!"
"LECHE. Kasalanan mo to. May utang ka sakin!"
He just winked and pushed me away.
________________________________________
"MissThe receptionist smiled at me, while I groped for something to say.
May nakita ka bang lalaking Chinese na matangkad saka gwapo?
Ay, mali.
May nakita ka bang Intsik Behong bipolar na sobrang nakakabwisit tas saksakan ng
sungit?
Hinde, hinde. Ang pangit pa rin.
The receptionist raised a brow at me. I must be looking so stupid right now.
"Err. Never mind. Thanks anyway."

I turned around and saw a blinding flash of light.

"What the"Hey, are you Rafa's new girlfriend?"
"Where did you two meet?
"Are you ready to be the next politician's wPUTEEEEEEEEEEEK!
"Excuse me! EXCUSE MEEEEEEE!!!!!!!"
Ay leche! May hinahanap ako eh!
AGGGHHHHHHH!
Takbo mode! Grabe! Naka gown and all T_T
________________________________________
SHET. Kapagod.
I managed to get myself inside a hidden-ish room. I could even hear them talking
and wondering where I am. Grabe ha, hindi naman ako Hollywood para habulin. Mal
ala na tong mga to ha, kung alam lang nilang may kalokohan din si Rafs sa katawa
n... T_T
"-but...
HALA. May tao pa dito. Harujusmiyo, sana walang makapansin na may asungot na big
lang pumasok sa kwarto T_T
"Shut it."
I turned around and faced the way to the other room, where the voice had come fr
om. I opened my mouth to say sorry whenHOLY MOTHER OF GOD~!
Chapter Twenty Eight
Rish's POV
"Is there any chance that you guys know my daughter Adrianna?"
"Dr. Gerard Antonio, O.R. Five. DR. GERARD ANTONIO, O.R. FIVE, STAT."
"Oh shoot," he said, looking alarmed. "I'm sorry Ricks, I have a bone marrow tra
nsplant to attend to... Mamaya ako babalik to check on you guys, aright?"
And he got out of the door in a flash.
"Ang bilis ah. "
I looked at my brother. His face was blank.
"My gawd, Kuya. We just met your future dad"Your future what?! "
Gelo went and tried to put the mouthpiece back but I pushed him off.
HAHA. So much for trying to keep me quiet.

"Rish, you're better off not talking."

"Anong future dad?"
"Dad, his daughter is Kuya's girlfriend."
Dad:
"Wow. Small world. "
"Bakit di ka sumagot agad kanina Kuya? Ang engerts mo talaga, naunahan ka tuloy
nung voice over."
"Akala ko ba maysakit ka? Bakit ang usisera mo pa rin?"
Dad and I laughed. Kuya remained expressionless.
I know he misses her.
"Kuya, will you tell him?"
"I don't know. It's been months." :-/
"Kaya nga. I guess you'll be able to contact her through him..."
"No."
WHAT?
"We owe him too much already. Siya na nga nagbabayad ng bills mo..."
"Eh ano naman? Don't you want to see her?"
"I don't care. What we have to worry about is your treatment. It's not important
."
What the hell?
"Not important?!"
"Rish, she's healthy, she's with loved ones. I'm sure she's okay and doing fine
without me."
"Ano ba, Kuya? How could you talk about her like that? I thought"Look," he said sternly. "As much as I want to... I just can't afford to think a
bout that right now, okay? Pagbalik ko- natin, saka ko na lang aayusin yun. For
now"What if pagdating mo wala ka na palang aayusin?"
He looked at me curiously.
"What're you trying to say?"
"I'm saying you're an a-hole for expecting her to play the martyr just for you a
nd your whole drama bullcrap."
Without another word, he stormed out of the room and slammed the door.

________________________________________
Gelo's POV
The things that my sister said had hit a nerve.
Gag0 ba siya?
Taena naman oh. Ang dami dami na ngang dapat isipin, dinadagdagan pa.
Can't she at least try to think of herself- just this once?
I took a seat at a nearby caf, my thoughts still scattered. If my brain had a voi
ce, it'd scream. There was too much going on and I couldn't handle it. I meanSH1T!
Not again!
I groped my pockets and found what I was looking for.
For some reason, the migraine bouts were getting worse- and a hell lot more freq
uent. I popped three pills and tried to swallow them- with difficulty- I didn't
have money to get myself a bottle of water.
Damnit. Nakakahiya.
Of all the people who could have agreed to make us his charity case, why did it
have to be Ria's father?
GOD! How on earth are we going to pay him back?
"Hello."
I looked up.
"Here's your mocha. Splenda / nonfat."
"Ehrr... I'm sorry. I didn't order anything."
"Of course not. I ordered it for you," she snapped, then she took the seat besid
e me.
"Do I know you?"
"Guess not. The name's Sheen. You?"
"Angelo."
"Pinoy ka no?"
"How did you"Wala. It's the way you dressed. Anyhow. What brings you here?" she asked, light
ing a cigarette and blowing smoke in my face.
"My sister's confined."
"Oh, dyan sa hospital next block? Good luck sa bills. "
WOW. So much for rubbing it in, huh?

"You know what, type sana kita. Ang taray mo lang."

"You sure are aggressive. Are you hitting on me or something?"
"Bakit, do you have a girlfriend?"
"Yeah."
"Nasa Pinas naman yata eh. Come on. Wake up, dude. LDRs are for suckers."
"I'm a sucker."
"No you're not," she said sharply. "Come on, don't play SO hard to get."
"But I'm not interested," I replied coldly. "You can take your splenda / nonfat
mocha back."
"Nah. Consider it a token. But in case you change your mind," she said, pulling
her purse open, "Here's an invitation for my party tonight. It's my birthday eh.
Try not to disappoint me on my special day, okay? Malapit lang naman, just two
blocks away. Maraming food and girls. OOPS. I mean maraming food. I'll be waitin
g."
With a last smile, she walked away, her hair fluttering in the wind.
GEEZ. Some Maria Clara, huh?
Shrugging, I put the small envelope inside my jacket pocket.
Sayang eh. Ganda pa naman nung papel.
________________________________________
I went back to my sister's room and saw that she was fast asleep. Touching her f
orehead, I got relieved that her fever has subsided.
A half-smile was on her face as she slept peacefully. Was she having a good drea
m?
I hope so.
I went inside the bathroom and locked the door.
The doors of the hospital room burst open.
"-how did it go? How is she?"
"To tell the truth, Ricks..."
I held my breath, forgetting I had a purpose for going to the bathroom.
"What's the matter?"
"Well, let me ask you a question first... how long has it been since her last tr
eatment?"
"Two and a half months."
"She went untreated for too long... "
"What? B- but... how... I mean, will she be all right?"
I heard a deep sigh.

"She badly needs a bone marrow transplant. We'd have to get her one in a month."

"A MONTH?!"
"Yes."
"If not..."
"I'm sorry, Ricks... but without it, she has no chances of surviving."
My Dad swore.
"GAWD. How on earth can I"No worries, Ricks. I can operate on her myself, so the fees won't be a problem.
You can pay me back once you get hold of Stella. But there still is a problem,
Ricks. It's really difficult to get bone marrows. There is a long list and I can
't really help in putting Rish on top of it..."
My brains could not go anymore.
Rish, my sister... survive... bone marrow... long list...
A month...
"But I'll try my best."
"Thanks, bro. "
________________________________________
"Oh my gosh!"
I saw her smile, which was glittering in stark contrast to the place's dark ambi
ence. She made a beeline for me as I approached her in my day clothes. I felt li
ke a total eyesore as I scanned the whole area, silently observing that everyone
had been dressed to the nines. A lot of glances were being thrown at me; whethe
r friendly or derisive I could not tell nor care. I turned my eyes back towards
Sheen.
"You're here! I can't believe it "
"Yeah. Happy birthday."
"Thank you! Come here, let's get you some food!"
She pulled me by the hand and over to a table full of teenagers, most of whom we
re boys. One could easily sort them in two groups: they're either drunk or high.
Even the smell was overpowering: it was more than enough to make anyone throw u
p.
"Everyone, this is my friend Angelo."
I seriously wondered who among the guests were REALLY her friends. You know, the
type she didn't just randomly flirt with in Madison Avenue?
I heard a loud clunk. There was a shotglass right in front of me, filled with wh
at looked like milkshake.

"What's this?"
"Basta drink it. Magugustuhan mo," she said with a wink.
Fine. What could a milkshake do?
I tipped the entire contents of the glass into my mouth and swallowed it all in
one gulp.
Well, it did taste like a typical milkshake except that there was something else
. It made my throbbing head go numb, erasing and easing up the fiasco within, an
d sh1t guess what. I liked that.
"Some more?"
"Hell yeah."
The glasses on the tables slowly and steadily grew in number, and the cycle went
on and on. I forgot everything. It seemed like I was in another world; a univer
se where I was with a happy family and good friends, a point in time and space w
here my sister was not dying of a terrible illness that lies out of my control"Sabi ko na eh. I knew you'd like it here."
"How old are you, Sheen?"
"Twenty-two. Easy, grandpa. I'm legal. You?"
"Seventeen."
She almost spat out the cocktail she was drinking.
"Are you kidding me?"
"No."
"BOOOOOOOOOO! You didn't tell me you were a LITTLE BOY! "
There was a boisterous burst of laughter.
"I'm not a little boy!" I said indignantly.
"Oh yeah?" she taunted. "We'll see about that."
The process continued. She went on alternating cigarettes with weed, laughing al
l the while, evidently having fun, while I finished shotglass after shotglass of
vodka-based chocolate mush. Oddly, I enjoyed it. I got reminded of how worry-fr
ee my life was before this. Cigarettes, beers, DoTA... it was all easy.
No Dad, no Mom, No Rish.
NO RIA...
Damn them all. Screw them for making my life miserable.
"Having fun, kid?"
"Yeah. But I'd have to ask you to stop calling me that."
"Okay."

She didn't take her eyes off my face. Batting her eyelashes, she coyly looked aw
ay and bit her lip.
"Fancy a dance?" I asked, feeling suddenly reckless. She smiled widely.
"Thought you'd never ask."
She pulled me off the chair, giggling with hardly suppressed delight. Her hand w
as rough, hard and unfamiliar in mine, her scent too musky and strong for my lik
ing. But still, I was with her.
And at this point in time, she was all I had.
She brought me to the middle of the dance floor, where she started to dance like
there's no tomorrow. As my inhibitions had been brought away by what she had gi
ven me, I followed her lead. We held hands while dancing, which felt really stra
nge. Eventually she got dissatisfied by just holding hands, so she went and put
her arms around my neck. Our faces were literally just millimeters away from eac
h other.
"Enjoying yourself, kiddo?" she whispered.
"Hell yeah."
"Bet your girlfriend doesn't do this a lot?"
"No. But I liked it that way."
"Like-d?"
"Yeah. By that I mean not anymore."
Her eyes widened excitedly.
"So, looks like the little boy is growing up."
"I told you I'm not a little boy!"
"Really now," she said, her voice dropping. "Why don't you prove it?"
Without thinking of any implications that my recklessness might bring, I went in
for the kill and kissed her.
She reeked of weed and nicotine, and the odd combination fueled my hormones into
gear.
I did not need to think nor worry.
I just have to enjoy myself.
It deepened. She responded more wildly than I had expected, and it could not get
any better than this.
It was then that she asked.
"My room is just two floors up. Want a nightcap?"
"Of course."
I kissed her again, then she broke off and led me away from the crowd, into the
dark hallway that was the way to where we are going.
A path, I knew, where there was no turning back.

Chapter Twenty Nine

Lance's POV
Kevs, cn u drop by my rum? It's 1178. I nid ur help now na
Ano na naman kaya nangyari dun?
Natanga na naman siguro.
Oops. Joke lang.
Tucking my phone into my pocket, I went and excused myself from the table I was
sitting on. I got bored halfway towards the cotillion. The debutante was sitting
anxiously on her throne-like chair, her eyes roving the place as though she was
looking for something. Hardly able to remain in a single stance, she kept shift
ing uncomfortably in her seat.
I wonder what's wrong.
"Hi," I said politely, and the receptionist sat bolt upright. "Um, I was hoping
you could tell me where Room 1178 is"Oh, hello sir, the keys are right here. Just take that hall to the left over th
ere, and it'll be the third room on your right."

Ok. I'm sensing something else here.

I followed the girl's directions and ended up in front of a door that had a bras
s knocker. The room number was embossed in weathered brass.
One-one-seven-eight.
Here goes nothing.
"Kai?"
I heard soft footsteps and saw her walking towards me, wearing a short black dre
ss that made her look far from elegant.
"Thanks for coming," she said, stroking my face and turning around so that her b
ack was exposed. "Can you help me zip it up? I can't quite reach it."
I stared at her back, which was laid open for me and for all the world to see. M
aking an effort to keep myself from touching her too much, I pulled the zipper u
p.
I found myself staring at her nape.
"You done?"
"Yup," I said, turning away to stop the unnecessary staring.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, I expected you to take much longer," she said, smiling slyly. "That zipper

was quite jammed."

"Not anymore, I guess."
"I wanted it to get jammed, you know. The longer you stand staring at my back, t
he better..."

"Not funny, Kai."

"I'm not kidding around, you know."
"Are you trying to seduce me?" I asked sharply, hoping the bluntness would make
her stop, but the smile on her lips suggested otherwise.
"Jeez. Took you forever to figure that one out, huh?" she said, then she put a h
and on my face, reached up and kissed me with a force that could not have come f
rom a girl.
I pushed her, hearing something like the door opening, but I was too busy gettin
g Kai off me that I didn't have time to see who it was.
"Kai, you're better than this."
"Maybe I'm not."
"But"Shut it."
She swung her arms and hung them tightly around my neck, making it more difficul
t for me to get her off.Her face was all over me, and then I heard the door slam
again.
This time, it was her who broke off.
"What on earth was that?"
"How am I supposed to know?" I asked sardonically, and I irritably went to check
outside.
The hallway was deserted.
"Sh1t."
"Must be some ghost."
"Yeah. Must be. Your dress is okay na, isn't it? Mind if I go now?"
"What? Why? Are you scared or something?" she asked, close to laughing.
"Yeah. Not of the ghost but of the psycho woman who's standing in front of me,"

I said, trying to fix my already-ruffled polo. "Kindly inform me when the old Ka
rissa Yutanco comes back."
I was at the doorway when she spoke.
"She's dead, and she's never coming back. DEAL WITH IT."
"Is that so?" I asked her, throwing her a derisive smirk. "Oh well, then that me
ans I have nothing else to do with you."
"No, honey," she said in a lofty voice. "Unfortunately, you do NOT have any othe
r choice."
I couldn't take having her in the same room anymore so I went out.
But then again, I knew that walking out would do no good.
She was right. I do NOT have a choice.
________________________________________
Ria's POV
SCREW IT.
Leche. Punyeta. Anak ng pating!
Sa lahat ng kwartong pwede kong pasukin, bakit yun pa?
BAKIT YUN PA?!
Eh kung bakit naman kasi debut ng ate niya eh nandun siya't naglalandi?!
At kung bakit naman kasi kailangang yung bipolar na unggoy na singkit na yun pa
ang nilalandi niya?!
BWISIT! WHAT A SL*T!
ARRRRRRRGHHHHHHH!
*RING RING*
Aidan Lennox Calling
"Hello?"
"O, masama ata timplada mo?"
At nanggagatong pa tong bruhong to! AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!
"Pwede ba?! Kung wala kang magawa"TEKA TEKA TEKA NGA! Ikaw kaya yung tumawag sakin!"
SHET, oo nga pala.
Anak ng bullcrap naman oh. Nakalimutan ko tuloy. T_T
"Onga. Sorry. Nasaan ka na?"
"Nandito na ko sa bandang Buendia. Nagpapa-gas lang. Ano ba nangyari sayo? Taran
tang-taranta ka pa kanina nung tumawag ka, napatakbo tuloy ako nang naka lumang
tsinelas pati shorts, just because akala ko kung ano nan nangyari sayo. PURPLE S
HORTS! For pete's sake."
Nakonsensya naman ako.
"Sorry na. Basta pumunta ka rito ngayon na."

"Bakit nga kasi?"

"Ah... eh," I said, groping for a believable excuse. "Sira kotse ni Rafa. Wala m
aghahatid sakin. Wala akong dalang pera pati"Ok, ok, I get it. I'll be there in 10 minutes, ok?"
"Ok. Thanks Aidan."
"Don't say thanks, you owe me free lunch."
"Yes Kuya."
"Behave till I get there, okay? Bye."
I hung up.
HAHA. Mukhang makakatipid ako ng libreng lunch niya once makita niya kung ano yu
ng totoong rason kung bakit ko siya dinala rito.
Pumasok ako ulit sa function room para senyasan si Elle.
She could hardly contain herself properly in her seat. Tong babaeng to talaga oo
. Alumpihit nang makita si Aidantot.
She quickly stood up upon seeing me wave, and got off the stage in a flash. In m
ere moments she had turned up beside me.
"O? Natawagan mo? Kamusta na siya? Asaan na siya? Matraffic ba? I"TEKA! ISA ISA LANG!"
She laughed at me nervously.
"Do you think he still wants to see me? Wala ba siyang ibang"Are you seriously asking me that? Parang di mo kilala yun ah."
"Malay mo."
I raised up a clenched fist.
"Ito, gusto mo?"
She chuckled.
"Barako ka pa rin talaga noh?" she said. "Bakit ang sungit mo? Diba next next we
ek ka pa dapat magpi-PMS?"

"Pati ba naman yun alam mo pa?"

"Oo noh. Memorize ko cycle niyo nila Maffy at Denise. Salit salitan kasi mga top
ak niyo eh."
We reached the front lobby. People were staring at her, pero dahil sa mga unifor
med bouncer sa paligid na mukhang alipores nung tatay ni Rafa eh walang makalapi
t sa kanya.

"Teka nga Elle. Kailan ka pa naging si Niki Yutanco?"

"Simula nung accident sa Pangasinan. Si Rafa nakapulot sakin eh, kaya hindi niyo
na ko nakita sa bus. Wala naman akong nadala maski cellphone, pera o ID man lan
g kaya hindi ko naman kayo macontact."
"Bruha ka. Nakatagal ka ng 3 and a half months nang ganun?"
"Well..."
"O. Siguro naman kilala mo yung CR-V na yun?"
I watched her eyes widen with hardly suppressed delight.
Stifling the mad urge to laugh, I simply stared from one to the other. Aidan had
handed his keys to the guy at the valet parking, and Elle stood beside me, wait
ing with bated breath.
Sh1t, Aidan.
Why on earth are you wearing your rattiest pair of shorts?!
HOW INCREDIBLY HORRIFIC.
And still, Elle looks like a lovestruck teen wearing her prom dress.
Kungsabagay. Dito naman talaga silang dalawa nagsimula, diba?
BWISET na Intercon to. Marami ngang memories. Yung akin namang memories, pangit.
What Elle did next shocked me to no end.
Before I could fully process what was going on, I saw her running at top speed,
unofficially breaking records as Aidan turned his eyes on her, his face register
ing a unique look of extreme happiness and shock.
Next thing I knew, they were all over each other. Elle's arms were around Aidan'
s neck, and he was holding her by the waist, so tightly that she was off the gro
und. They appeared to be wrestling vertically but as I knew better, I chose to t
urn away for this was their moment. Everyone else in the vicinity were staring s
hamelessly with their mouths hanging wide open.
Ano ba naman itong dalawang ito. Hindi makapagpigil.
Siguro dumagdag na sa kaweirdohan ng moment yung fact na nakagown si Elle at nak
apambahay si Prince *ahem* Charming *ahem*.
But despite the costume malfunction, it still looks like a perfect fairy tale en
ding.
EXCEPT PERHAPS FOR THE FACT THAT THIS WASN'T THE END.
A speeding limousine took my attention away from my two friends.
It smoothly pulled over the hotel lobby. The door opened to reveal a man dressed
to the nines, looking formidable and oddly familiar. He looked like someone I k
now whom I couldn't pinpoint.
Another tall figure materialized after him, looking stylishly rugged. I felt an
odd chill in my spine as his eyes caught mine, his lips curling into an evil smi
rk.
I was, once more, staring into the horrifyingly handsome features of Ian Lau.
"Thought you'd never see me again?" he asked.

"Hoped, more like."

"Still feisty, eh, Karate Barbie?"
"Always was. Always will."
"Good. But I don't have time for you right now. See you around," he said, not fo
rgetting to flash me an evil smile.
He walked past me and froze.
Oddly, he had his eyes fixed on Elle and Aidan, who has fortunately broken off e
ach other. Elle was shaking hands with Ian's father.
"No..." I heard him whisper. "I killed you with my own hands..."
My jaw dropped.
What on earth did he mean?
________________________________________
I found myself sitting on the same table with Rafa, Kai, Lance, and their parent
s. I had a strange feeling of being out of place, I was the only one there who d
id not have slanted eyes.
Kai was covertly shooting accusatory glances at me, and I could hardly care as I
observed Lance, who, surprisingly, was sitting a seat away from Karissa.
I felt a strange surge of relief. HAHA. Ewan. Basta ang alam ko, I want them awa
y from each other.
The farther, the better.
Reporters and photographers still prowled around our table, occasionally asking
for pictures. The real Niki was entertaining the guests, and Elle was nowhere to
be found.
"Was this your plan?"
"What?"
"You know. Letting the real Niki appear and"No, not mine. My parents."
"They KNOW?"
"Yup. They figured out about a week ago."
"And... they didn't get mad?"
"Well... a bit, but they've forgotten all about it."
I raised my brows, then let it go. I simply got my pasta onto my fork and tried
to go back to eating, though I couldn't stop stealing glances off Lance at rando
m, trying to catch his eye.
I'm kind of miffed that he kissed Kai. Since that moment I saw them, I couldn't
quite get it off my mind, and it puzzles me that they're not acting couple-y. We
re they perhaps just playing 7 minutes in heaven or something like that?

Karissa caught my eye again, and she smirked. I felt my blood reach boiling poin
t.
"So, how's the merger doing?" one man said. Rafa said he was a close friend of h
is Dad's.
"Well, it's okay. So far we're thinking it had been a very good decision."
"Yes. It's doing very good despite the current global slowdown."
"Is it a sign of how things will be between your families?"
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, you know," the man pressed on, an odd smile forming on his face.
"Non-business matters?" he said, throwing an obvious signal towards Kai and Lanc
e.
I dropped my fork so suddenly that it clanked loudly on the ceramic plate. The m
an gave me a patronizing stare that made even my ears go red. I could feel his d
islike for me even from a distance; it was spread around that I was dating Rafa
and clearly, he didn't approve of me, just because I didn't have Chinese blood.
ECHOSERONG KUMAG TO AH. Mukha lang namang magtatahong sumisipsip sa parents nila
Lance. CHEH.
"Well, it's a definite option, Tito," Kai said sweetly, her smile infuriating me
even more. "The merger has implied such ties between the families involved, and
we never know, it might end up there."
"Asa pa eh," said Rafa, chuckling derisively. No one except me appeared to have
heard him, so we shared a private laugh.
"And yeah, Tito. We're trying to keep the family pure. As tradition dictates," s
he said, shooting me a not-so-covert glance, "people like us shouldn't end up wi
th commoners."
EXCUSE ME?
Sipain kaya kitang babae ka dyan?
"Right, Lance?"
Sige Intsik. Subukan mong sumagot nang patapon.
"Right?" Kai asked again. Lance merely shrugged, and I almost laughed aloud.
BUTI NGA SAYONG BRUHA KA.
"Well, as I was saying, I think all families should still keep that custom. Fami
lies like us are getting rarer every day. So Lance, mind you. Be careful. You mi
ght end up getting yourself an unnecessary burden by marrying a timawa," she sai
d, casting a significant look in my direction.
ABA! SINO KA PARA MANGDIKTA?!
I found myself chewing my food with even more force than I intended, so hard tha
t I could hear my teeth clashing against each other.
"Thanks for the advice, Kai, though I'm not really assuring you I'll follow it,"
he said, wiping sauce off his mouth. "But I'll make sure you'd be invited to th

e nuptials, so no worries."
Karissa's face lost all colour. I couldn't stop smiling, and out of the corner o
f my eye, I saw Lance give me a small smile.
Aba, ang lokong to, may nalalaman pang pagngiti. Sapukin ko to eh.
BWISIT. Ang cute ng mata niya. Sumisingkit na ewan.
"Ano sabi mo?"
"Ha?"
"You muttered something like cute and sumisingkit," Rafa said with a really anno
ying smile on his face.
"No I didn't."
"Never mind. Gets ko na. "
"Ewan ko sayo."
________________________________________
Gelo's POV
What the fu-?!
Where on earth am I?
Sh1t. My head is throbbing like hell, and it's fukcing cold. Where's my shirt?

ANAK NG"Good morning," said Sheen, who entered the room, scantily clad in a nightgown.
"Thought you'd never wake. Kanina pa ko gising eh."
"What time is it?"
"9 am, kiddo. Don't worry about your curfew, you broke it about twelve hours ago
so a few more minutes won't really do much harm anymore. Why are you covering y
our eyes?"
"Maybe because your nightgown doesn't really cover anything?"
"Come on," she said with a ridiculously fake laugh. "You saw it all last night,
didn't you?"
Sh1t.
"And oh, for a virgin, you're scarily good."

"I can't believe you said that."

"Ikaw pa nagpapaka Maria Clara ngayon? Susko. Wag ka nga magmalinis. Nagawa mo n
a eh."
"You got me drunk."

"Hoho. You drank them on your own, so don't go pointing your fingers on me. Coff
ee?"
"No thanks."
"Don't worry, it's not spiked. Besides, it helps with the hangover."
I didn't take the cup and she laid it down on the bedside table.
"So, this girlfriend of yours..."
A huge stab of guilt passed through me.
"Never mind, you're with me now."
I buried my face in my hands.
Sh1t. I'm so sorry, Ria...
"Get yourself dressed. Daddy's gonna look for his little boy."
"Shut up."
She laughed and sat with me on the bed. I got out of it and got dressed.
"Well, if you need me again, you know where to find me."
"No, but thanks for the offer."
"I won't be so sure."
GELO, YOU IDIOT. YOU STUPID, STUPID IDIOT!
Chapter Thirty One
Ria's POV
"What the flying eff-?"
I turned and saw Denise standing on the doorway, her arms full of groceries. Beh
ind her was Liam, who looked like he was going to explode from laughing.
"What do you think are you doing with the keyboard?!"
Fine, they had reason to laugh / freak out / (insert-everything-here). I was hol
ding the keyboard- Guitar Hero-style.
"Let it go. I paid for that!"
"NO! I'm not yet finished!"
"But"Den, sweetie, we have dinner to cook. Let it go. Ria, after that, magsaing ka n
a, ayt?"
"Alrighty... YES! 50 STREAK YO! WHO'S YOUR DADDY?"
"Jam Legend?"

Another person came into the room and"SH1T!"

"What did I do?"
"THAT'S WHAT YOU DID!" I said, gesturing towards the monitor. "The streak is ove
r! I WAS GOING FOR A NEW PERSONAL BEST, DAMMIT!"
"Don't blame me," he said calmly, despite the fact that I was yelling at his fac
e. "It wasn't my fault that you felt the need to turn and feast your eyes on my
wonderful... features. "

Mukhang kailangan ko ng kakapitan ah. Ang lakas kasi bigla ng hangin.

"Cheh."
"Aminin na kasi. Hinihintay mo ako diba?"
"Pwet mo. "
He laughed.
"Ngek, ano ba yan," he said, taking a glance at the monitor. "79 per cent? BANO.
"
"Excuse me?"
His features curled into a smirk.
"Gimme that. I'll show you how to play."
"HOY! WAG YAN ACCOUNT KO GAMITIN MO!"
"Ano ka ba, would you pass this up?" he asked as he got the keyboard from me, ex
pertly arranging his fingers on the function keys. "I've got an immaculate 99% r
ecord on the next song. Wanna bet?"
"Yeah fine! Bibili kang ice cream if you get less than 99%."
"Sus, yun lang? Game."
"Game it is. "
"Eh kung matalo ka?"
"Well, kahit hindi posible, sige. For the heck of it. Ikaw mamili."
"Hmmmm. Sige. Kiss mo na lang ako. "
"WHATEVER!"

"Haha! Feeling mo naman magpapahalik ako sayo. "

"Yeah," I said. "Halik lang ni Karissa gusto mo eh."
"Ano sabi mo?"
"Wala. Sabi ko maglaro ka na "
Sh1t. Ano ba pinagsasasabi ko?
Tingnan mo si ungas. Nakangiti oh.TSEH.
I simply looked as he played the next song.
Putek naman talaga oo. Mukhang magaling nga siya sa Jam Legend. Honestly, is the
re anything this person isn't good at? Badtrip talaga.
"Oh my gosh. And I thought isa lang ang nababaliw rito " Denise scoffed, as she
went and gathered the groceries she had left at the doorstep.
"Sweetie, wag ka dyan. ISTORBO KA. "
T_T
"Ay! Magsasaing pa pala ko!"
"Wag na! Nakapagsaing na ako! Dyan ka na!"
THANKS, LIAM
"So ano, tuloy tayo apply sa JMA next sem?"
"Oo ba. Hindi ba mahirap mag-apply?"
"Hinde. I mean oo. Pero worth it daw, sabi ni Rafa."
"Rafa?"
"Nag-apply siya diba? Tanggap na nga eh. Induction na nila bukas."
"First sem siya nag-aaply?"
"Oo. Dali sama ka na."
"Sino sino na ba?"
"Si Den, si Liam, si Aidan, Ako... ikaw. Ano, game?"
"Okay."
I watched him some more. His fingers alternately rose and fell, in perfect sync
with the chords.
"Sh1t, level 7 ka pa lang? HAHAHA NOOB."
"Bastos ka!!!" I said sabay hampas. "Wait, are you free like, next weekend?"
"HAHA I knew it."
"You knew what?"
"Are you officially asking me out?"

T_T
Sapakin ko kaya to ngayon na?
"Umayos ka nga. Seryoso eh."
"HAHA. Sorry. Bakit ano bang meron?"
"Wala lang. Kasi naisip ko, sem-ender. Kahit road trip sa Tagaytay."
"Tagaytay?"
"Yep."
"Ehrrm... Parang hindi pwede e."
"Ah." I said, trying not to sound so disappointed. "Okay. Sige. Kami kami na lan
g."
"Sorry."
"Ano ka ba. Bakit ka nagsosorry? Labo mo."
"Wala. Hehe. Wala kasing mag-aalaga sayo."
Wait, what?
"AYUN YUN EH!"
Napatingin na ako sa monitor.
100%.
"Sh1t. Who's your Daddy now huh?"
T_T
"Paano ba yan. Panalo ako!!! "
"Fine. Ikaw na JAM LEGEND. Is there anything else you're not good at?"
"I dunno... expressing how I feel?" he asked.
As he said it, he drilled his eyes into mine in an intense stare.
"AYUN!"
Napatingin kami pareho sa door ulit.
There was Aidan and Jon, standing there for what looked like a long while now. T
hey looked very amused, their faces showing identical grins.
"Bilib na ko sayo Lance. SMOOTH!"
"Sapul na sapul eh."
"Not to mention effective."
"Onga! HAHA! APIR!"

Tingnan mo tong dalawang to. ISTORBO NA NGA NAMBUBUKING PA

Haha. Joke lang yun ah.
"Ahem."
Sh1t awkward.
Ba't ka ba affected, ha RIA? Tss.
*RING RING*
Unknown Number

"Who is it?"
"I don't know," I replied, even if I did have a hunch. His smile vanished.
"It's an overseas call."
Could it be?
"Tingnan mo nga. Baka si Maffy yan."
I looked at the phone for another minute.
Was I honestly expecting Maffy?
Or am I - subconsciously- hoping it was someone else?
"Oh give me that," he said, giving me no time to protest. "Hello? Maffy?"
I found myself staring at him hopefully with my mouth open.
"Yeah she's here."
He handed me the handset.
"It's Maffy. She wants to talk to you."
"Thanks. Hello?"
"What took you so long?"
Lance put the keyboard back in its place and went towards the kitchen.
"I- I was... in the bathroom. Sorry."
"Oh. And he was holding your phone?"
"Well, he was passing by and sinagot niya."
"Are you two alone?"
"No. Andito rin sila Den."
"Really?"
"Yeah they're cooking supper."
Dead air.
"Any more questions?" I asked sarcastically.

"No. I'm sorry. I'm just curious."

"Curious? To be completely honest Maffs, it was more like accusatory."
"Why do you sound so defensive?"
"Who's defensive?"
"Ria, who're you yelling at?" Denise asked, peeking at me from the kitchen.
"No one. Sorry. Maffy couldn't hear me."
"All right. Be here in 5, it's almost ready."
"I do not have anything to be defensive about."
"Are you sure?"
"Okay. What exactly are you getting at?"
"All I'm saying is that I think you're moving too fast."
"Moving? You totally lost me."
"Don't you think it's too early? I mean, you and Ge... him. You guys didn't even
have a proper closure, and"Oh, is that what you were worried about?" I asked her, almost laughing. "I'm ok
ay now, Maffy. See? I can say his name out loud already. GE-LO. I can even spell
it out for you without breaking into tears."
I heard an uneasy sigh from the other line.
"But... I dunno."
"Spit it out, Maffs."
"Wala lang. Nagugulat lang talaga ko."
"You're making a really big deal out of this, you know."
"Hindi kaya ginagamit mo lang si Lance para makalimutan si Gelo? Or... worse, ma
kaganti?"
The way she dropped the question shocked me with the force of a bomb.
"Do you think I am actually capable of doing that?"
"I... don't know. The way things are going..."
"What things? We're just friends who are perfectly capable of hanging out"Do you like him?"

Ano raw?
"Do I WHAT?"
"I'm asking if you like him. That's only answerable by two words. Yes and No."
"Maffs!"
"Yes or no, Ria."
TANG INA ANO BA!!!
"Hoy! Ready na dinner!"
"Coming!"
"Come and get it Ria Banana!"
Ria banana raw? HAHAHA!
"Shet ka Maffy."
She laughed hysterically.
"Gag0 ka talaga. Sige na. Saka mo na sagutin."
"Sure kang ayaw mo nang ipasagot?"
"Hindi na kailangan. Alam ko na sagot."
O-kay?
"Nga pala. Kaya nga pala ako tumawag..."
"Oo nga. Bakit nga ba?"
"I'm coming home in a week or two."
"WHAT?!"
"Lakas ng boses mo gagu. "
"HAHA! YES! WOOHOO!"
"Osha, ikaw na magsabi sa kanila. Pati sabihin mo kay Jonathan tatawag ako mamay
a!"
"OKAY~! YEHEY! Thanks Maffs!"
"Bye!"
Suddenly, Den came running into the room.
Dumeretso siya ng silip doon sa window.

"Sh1t, andyan na naman yung Vios."

"What Vios?"
Nagsilabasan lahat ng tao sa kusina.
"Nung isang araw pa yan. Wala namang kahit isa sa ating naka Vios. Kahit saan ta
yo pumunta nandyan yan."
"Baka naman classmate nating taga rito rin sa boarding house na to?"
"Basta. Hindi ko maintindihan pero hindi maganda yung feeling ko dyan sa Vios na
yan."
"Wag mo na lang pansinin."
________________________________________
Gelo's POV
"Hindi sabi ako gutom eh."
"Ano bang nangyayari sayo?"
I angrily put the food tray back on the side table. Kanina pa ko nakikipagnegoti
ate sa kanya na kumain.
"May problema ka ba?"
Wala. Wala pa ring sagot.
Kanina pa to eh, simula nung dumating kami mula sa bahay. Sandali lang naming na
iwan, naging ganito na. Hindi ko maintindihan. Mugto yung mata, malungkot. Hindi
mapatawa. Ni ayaw magsalita ng maayos.
"Konti lang. Para magkalaman lang yang tyan mo. Yung huli mong kain kanina pang
umalis kamiShe grabbed the plate and threw it angrily on the ground.
"O ayan. Ubos na."

"What's wrong with you?!"

"Sabi ko naman sayo ayaw kong kumain eh. MASYADO KANG MAKULIT."

"Hindi ko alam kung sinapian ka ng demonyo o ano, pero"Pero ano?"

"Rish, wag mo akong galitin," I said as I went and picked up the food splattered
on the floor.
"Bakit? Takot ka bang may masabi ka?" she asked. "Sabihin mo na. Para nagkakalin
awan tayong lahat dito."
"Rish maawa ka naman samin!" I shouted. "Akala mo ba madali yung ginagawa namin
para sayo?!"

"Tingnan mo sila Mama pati si Dad. Ayun! Nagtatrabaho. Para may mapakain sayo, p
ara may pambayad rito. Kahit anytime pwede silang makulong dahil hindi naman leg
al. Nagwowork ng extra hours, naghihirap kasi below minimum wage yung pinapaswel
do... para lang hindi mahuli. Alam mo kung bakit? Kasi ikaw yung iniisip nila! P
aano pag di sila nagtrabaho... hindi ka na mapapagamot! Pag nahuli naman sila si
nong mag-aalaga sayo?"
"Sinabi ko bang gawin niyo yun? Hindi naman diba? Nagdadrama ka pa. Eh kung paba
yaan niyo na lang ako edi tapos na."
"Oo nga naman," I said with an ironic laugh. "Hindi ko naman kailangang mabulok
rito para maghintay kung kailan mo kailangan ng blood donor. Oo nga naman, hindi
ko naman kailangang itapon yung future ko para mag babysit dito, para lang may
pandagdag sa pampagamot mo... hindi ko lalo kailangang iwanan silang lahat doon,
lalo na si Ria, para lang sayo.
Ano? Yun ang gusto mong marinig diba? Yun yung gusto mong isipin?"
"Dahil yun yung totoo."
"You know what..."
I grabbed my jacket from the table and stood up.
"Bahala ka na sa buhay mo."
Crossing the room in three strides, I opened the door, got out, and slammed it s
hut.
"Hey Gelo."
I looked up and saw Sheen smiling at me, holding a bouquet of what looked like M
alaysian mums. Even as I looked at her, I noticed something different about the
way she smiled.
"Um... is this a bad time?" she asked, taking a quick glance at the door. "I was
about to surprise you."
"Me?"
"Yeah. And I brought stuff for your sister too."
"Sorry, Sheen, but I don't think this is the right time for you to meet my siste
r."
"Why do you look so upset? Did you have a row or something?"
"Well," I said with an annoyed snort. "Basta. Gusto ko lang lumayo dito."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Ewan. Kahit saan. Ikaw bahala."
"Sinong magbabantay sa kapatid mo?"
"Dad's arriving in thirty minutes. She'll be fine."
"Sigurado ka?"
"Oo. Basta bahala na siya," I said, pulling her by the hand. "I just badly need

someone to talk to. I need my space too, you know. Kung ganyan rin lang na hindi
naman niya naaappreciate yung mga ginagawa ko..."
"Baka naman bad mood lang siya. Intindihin mo na lang. Total Kuya ka naman eh."
"Wala na akong pake dun."
"Gelo..."
"Sige na, pagbigyan mo na ko. Ikaw na nga lang nakakaintindi sakin..."
She gave me a reassuring smile.
"Okay. If you say so."
________________________________________
Panalo ang acting ni Sheen ha. comments naman dyan! Yehey!!!
baybehjam: oh, oo nga. matanda na talaga ako sige sige. here's the next chap. ho
pe ye liked it
sunakochan: haha yey! eto na update.
krizZ@candy: syempre! diehard fan to oy!
mika.523: hoy vakla! miss na kita! eto na update yey!
melody_aleihs18: haha nakakamiss nga yung belly na yun! wow talaga? cool! diba s
iya yung maliit na babae?
jmjana10: hahaha! true! o eto pa, tayo nang mainis kay sheen
lissy_14: hey lis! ive read your update. poor david. kaso kainis si chanel inuna
han ako! kala ko pa naman makakascore ako kay david toink
untamed77angel: okay lang yan. ah okay okay! jeez i badly need a med terms tutor
ial!!!
Taurusian21: haha eto na update mo sorry na ang hirap kasi mag isip. grabe. naiw
an ko yata sa seminar yung utak ko shiyet
xinylove22: roma! grabe long time. cheesy line but true! thankyoou!
burn_eya: haha you're scary. makapag hanap nga ng pwedeng Sheen
mheng_infatuated: pinapaslang? ay trulalu ka dyan ate!!!
jezhime: whoa whoa whoa ate easy ka lang ria-ian? AHERM. NO. haha. sorry
jha_xx: okay thank you! here it is. enjoy!
princessgraxxie: thankyousomuch! i've just posted the update. hope you lalalike
it!
shinigami08: haha! you kinda totally lost me. anyhoo, sino yung sister mo? thank
s a lot!!!
it_must_be_me: OH-KAY? ang labo mo. if you make other authors a reason for you n
ot to write, then you have a BIG problem. kasi kung titingin ka ng iba and ikuku

mpara mo lang sa sarili mo eh natural. kahit ako pag tinitingnan ko SDTG naiinse
cure ako hahaha hoy ana umayos ka ah.
johnny_madrid: thanks kuya ken! i'm using the stuff you sent me. it's a lot of h
elp!
Chapter Thirty Two
Gelo's POV
"You're drunk. That's enough."
"POTA. Pakialam mo?! Ako kaya nagbayad nyan! TAENA!"
Binigay ko yung baso ni Sheen dun sa waiter na dumadaan, pero hindi na rin siya
nakapalag, hindi na niya makuha yung hawak ko dahil sa kalasingan. Kanina pa nga
tong nakasubsob eh. Pinagtitinginan na rin kami ng mga tao.
"Umuwi na nga tayo."
"Parang alam mo kung saan ako iuuwi ah."
"Oo alam ko."
"Daya mo. Kaya kita dinala dito kasi sabi mo gusto mo makalimot. Tas di ka naman
uminom."
"Hindi naman porket sabi kong ganun gusto ko nang uminom."
"Kunyari ka pa. Eh nung una kitang nilasing..." she gave a weak smile. "Aminin m
o. Nalibang ka."
"Sheen, hindi na pwedeng maulit yun."
"Bakit hinde? Sabi mo ayaw mo na sa girlfriend mo?"
"Ano ka ba, lasing ako nun."
"E diba pag lasing dun daw nasasabi lahat?"
"Hindi totoo yun. Mahal ko girlfriend ko noh."
"DRAMA MO. Kadiri ka."
She picked on what was left of our onion rings.
"Tell me. What's so special about her? Ang naiimagine ko eh boring na nakasalami
n tas nakabraces. You know. Parang librarian na kinky rin. HAHA "
"Hindi noh," I said, an involuntary smile forming on my face. "Maganda yun. Medy
o payat, tas medyo malapad rin yung noo. Pero ok lang kasi may bangs naman. Tawa
g ko nga dun noon blackboard eh. Tapos cheerleader, magaling sumayaw, magaling u
marte. May pagkaiyakin nga lang. Tapos saksakan ng selosa. Kakatuwa. Feeling ko
tuloy ang gwapo ko pag nagseselos yun "
"In short, mas maganda ako."
"Sige na nga. Para lang matahimik ka na."
A small, almost inaudible laugh escaped her mouth.

"Is there any chance you'd pick me over her?"

"Asa ka "
"Oh. That's what your sister told me yesterday!"

Ano raw?
"Yesterday?"
"Yeah, haven't I told you? Sh1t nahahalata ka. Di ka nakikinig sa mga kwento ko.
"
"Teka lang, paano mo napuntahan si Rish kahapon? Bakit hindi kita nakita?"
"Wala ka nun. Sabi ng kapatid mo bumalik ka daw sa bahay niyo para kumuha ng dam
it niya."
"Talaga?"
"Oo. Grabe siya. Kakapasok ko pa lang, sinungitan na ako. I don't think she like
s me. She called me slut twice. Or was the word she used wh0re?"
O_O
"Aba, syempre hindi naman ako nagpaapi. Sinungitan ko rin. Maldita eh, hahaha! "
"Anong sinabi mo sa kanya?"
"Eh ano pa, edi yung mga problema mo. Ayun siya nagpapakabratinela. Habang ikaw.
.. ayan. Tinapon ang future... lahat. Naku akala mo ba. Pinagdukdukan ko sa kany
a yun. Nung iniwan ko nga umiiyak eh! HAHA SH1T! KAKATAWA. Sabi niya pa nga..."
she gulped and changed her voice to make it sound higher. "YOU'RE LYING~! MY KUY
A LOVES ME... YOU'RE LYING! HAHAHA! Stupid spoiled b1tch!"
I found myself on my feet, shaking with hardly suppressed anger.
"So that's why..."
"Yeah. Since you couldn't say it to her face, well, I took the liberty of tellin
g her. You don't have to thank me, honeybunch."
"You~...!"
Without thinking about it, I had grabbed her by the arm and dragged her up to a
standing position. She swayed in place, laughing hysterically. She was too smash
ed to see the fact that I, at that moment, was already feeling murderous.
"You should've seen her face! Served her right... Sh1t you're hurting me! Wag mo
nga akong pwersahin, alam mo namang sasama ako diba?"
I pushed her back onto her chair.
"Don't go near me or my sister again, you understand?"

"What? Gelo, I thought we're going to"You stay there or I'll kill you."
________________________________________
I almost got lost on my way back to the hospital. Takte kasi, naka cab kami ni S
heen kanina nung papunta sa resto na yun. Ngayon dahil wala akong pera at iniwan
ko ang tinamaan ng kidlat na babaeng yun, eh kailangan kong lakarin.
Goodluck naman sa akin diba?
Napatingin ako sa relo ko. Taena, alas nwebe na pala. Kumain na kaya si Rish?
Putragis na buhay naman to oo. Ako na talaga ang pinakatanga at pinakabobong Kuy
a sa buong mundo! Bakit ko ba siya iniwan dun? !@#$ kasalanan ni Sheen to eh. Ku
ng bakit kasi sumasama pa ako dun sa anak ng demonyong babaeng yun? Alam ko nama
n simula pa lang na wala siyang mabuting idudulot sa akin eh sumama pa ako ng su
mama?! P*TA talaga.
Bakit niya ginawa yun?! Bakit niya sinabi yun sa kapatid ko? Ang kapal naman ng
mukha niya! Hindi ko naman siya kilala! Wala siyang pakialam sakin or sa kahit k
anino sa amin! Screw her!
At sinasabi niya pang papalitan niya si Ria? Tang ina pag nangyari yun ako na pi
nakagago sa lahat ng gag0 sa mundo!
Tumakbo lang ako ng tumakbo. Bahala na. Basta kelangan kong makarating ng ospita
l. Kailangan makapagsorry na ako kay Rish. Kailangan kong bawiin lahat ng sinabi
ko, para gumaan na loob niya. Kailangan kong bumawi. I have to make up for bein
g a jerky brother.
I'm coming, Rish. Wait for me.
I reached the hospital sooner than I had expected.
What I didn't expect was the thing I saw upon entering my sister's roomAn empty bed.
________________________________________
Elle's POV
"Naknangteteng naman oo. Pumunta punta ka pa rito hindi ka naman nagsasalita."
Ria stopped through her umpteenth mouthful of chips. Badtrip naman kasi tong bab
aeng to eh. Nag-ayang mag hangout dito sa amin, nag-insist pang kaming dalawa la
ng kasi kailangan daw niya akong makausap. She said she needs my straight-forwar
d, no-sh1t opinion. Pero tingnan mo ang ginagawa. Gusto yatang ubusin yung isang
balot ng nachos na binili ko pa kanina.
"Ay naku Ria, nakakainis ka. Alam mo bang ang dami kong homework? BOO. Kung alam
ko lang na kakain ka lang pala nang kakain, edi dinalahan na lang kita sa bahay
niyo ng isang truck ng nachos."
"Eeeeeh. Ikaw naman eh. Gusto ko lang kasi ipunin yung guts to tell you. Alam mo
kasi it's all pent up inside and I have absolutely no idea how you're going to
take it..."
O_o
"You sound really scary. Are you going to propose to me or something?"

She got one of the throw pillows and threw it squarely on my face- and it hit me
. HARD.
"Anakngteteng ka rin pala eh. Akala ko ba seryoso na?"
"Oo nga. Ikaw kasi yung intro mo pauso. Gusto mo ulitin ko para malaman mo?"
"Badtrip ka! Hmph," sabi niya sabay nagpout. "Ganyan ka. Porke marami kang homew
ork. Samantalang ako hindi na nga tayo nag-uusap kasi magkaiba tayo ng school pa
ti nagboboard na ako sa Katips, tapos eh"Teka nga, mamaya ka na nga magdrama. Ano ba yun?"
"Eeeh. Kasi eh. Nitong nakaraan, nakakausap ko si Maffy. Tapos may sinasabi siya
saka tinatanong. Wala naman akong idea kung paano siya naka come up ng mga pina
g-iiisip niya. Hanggang bigla na lang nung isang araw kinausap rin ako ni Den. P
ati ni Liam, ni Jon, ni Aidan. Ewan ko nga kung ginagago lang nila ako eh; kaya
ikaw agad kinausap ko. Alam ko kasi pag ikaw mas maliit yung probability na mang
gagago ka lang..."
"Okay, skip the long-winded part. Fine, ako na magtatanong. Is this about Lance?
"
Her already wide eyes went O_O
"Pakshet, don't tell me... T_T"
"No, no. For the record, hindi... I mean hindi ako yung nakapansin, okay? Si Aid
an. Syempre napapagkwentuhan ka rin namin. Pwede ba namang hinde eh maid of hono
r ka sa wedding namin, but anyway," I said, cutting it up since I might give awa
y too much of our cheesy couple-y stuff. "kasi alam mo... concerned sila sayo. S
yempre gusto nila masaya ka "
"GAAAH. T_T"
"Anong gaaah? Labo mo."
"Ewan. Nalalabuan nga kasi talaga ako sa sarili ko eh."
"Okay. I suggest you start from the basics."
"Fine. Alam mo kasi... wait lalayo lang ako ha? Baka kasi batukan mo ako eh."
T_T
Ay friend. Ang drama mo talaga!
"Feel ko noon pa to eh. Simula nung nagkaka issues na kami kay Rish."
"Tapos?"
"Ewan ko. Parang... kasi naman eh. Kung bakit kasi siya pa yung nagbuhat sakin n
ung nahulog ako sa pyramid. Tas yung sinet up pa kami ni Jonathan."
"So you're saying they actually worked?"
"Oo."
"Eh nung prom?"

"Eh... hahaha."
"Anong hahaha? T_T"
"Well. Kaya ko siya iniwan sa dance floor eh kasi nagiguilty ako."
"Natural magiguilty ka."
"Hinde. Kasi nga. Parang nag-eenjoy na kong kasayaw siya. Gets mo?"
"Parang defense mechanism?"
"Oo.Naknampota ang weird talaga!"
"Tapos ngayon... dahil wala si Gelo, napapaisip ka."
"Eh. Ganun na nga."
"Alam mo naman siguro ang sasabihin ko?"
"Pupunta ba ko dito at magdadrama kung alam ko?"
Susginoo. Sa lahat naman ng valedictorian, ikaw ang slow.
"HELLO? GO GET HIM!"
Suddenly, the door burst open.
On the doorway stood Aidan, looking flabbergasted as he only just noticed that I
wasn't alone.
Oh-kay.
Is that a long-stemmed rose he's holding between his teeth?!
"AMPOTA! Anong kalokohan na naman yan?!" Ria asked, letting out a huge snort of
laughter.
"What are you doing here?" asked Aidan, looking extremely embarrassed. "At ikaw!
Bakit hindi ka pa bihis?!"
HOLE-Y CRAAAAP.
"Ohmygoooooooooooooood. I completely forgot! I'm so sorry!"
"Ano pa hinihintay mo?! Magbihis ka na late na tayo!"
Ria's POV
Kainis naman tong si Aidan. Ready na yung sagot ko kay Elle eh. T_T
Mamamatay ata ako kakatawa. Nakakagat sa rose? KINKY MUCH?!
"Ayan! Pahamak ka kasi, kita mo nang date namin ngayon chinismis mo nang chinism
is." T_T
"Saan ba kayo pupunta?"
"Sa mini-fair. Inorganize nung family nila Rafa. Charity thing for kids sa orpha
nage. Sama ka na."
"Oo ba. Sino sino pa nandun?"
"Ah, wala. Ay meron pala. Si Karissa saka si LANCE. "

Bah, kelangan talaga sinisigaw niya yung last word?

"Narinig mo ba ko? Sabi ko si LANCE," he said, watching my expression. "O, bakit
NR ka? "
"Whatevs, Aidan. "
"Sis," he said, tas inakbayan niya ko. "You can tell me anything."
"Tell you what?"
"Asus, sa lahat ng pwede mong manahin, yan pa minana mo sakin. Pagka-secretive."
"Secretive? IKAW? Excuse me noh "
"Dali, sumama ka na. Sige ka, ikaw din, baka mamaya lasingin ni pustiso girl yun
... ikaw rin!"
"Akala ko ba kids' fair? Paanong may malalasing?"
"Ah... BASTA! Sumama ka na kasi!"
"Sasama naman talaga ako eh."
"Ayan! Yehey!"
"Hoy psst! Wag mo nga hinaharass yan. Tara na!"
"Angas mo ah! Naliliitan ka ba sakin?"
"Oo na, ikaw na six footer. Tara!"
________________________________________
Grabe. Ang daming bata. Kakatuwa
"Ginagawa mo dito?"
Inirapan ko nga.
"Pake mo?"
"Nagtatanong lang eh."
"Panggago kasi tono mo eh. Parang gusto mo kong palayasin."
"Bakit pag ba sinabi kong lumayas ka lalayas ka nga? Ugok."
"Ugok ka rin."
Biglang may lumapit sa amin na bata. Ang cute. Maputi, rosy cheeks pati chubby,
naka pink dress tas may hawak na dalawang malaking lollipop.
"Ikaw si Ate Ria, diba?"
"Yup ako nga. Ikaw ano pangalan mo?"

"Anastasia po. May nagpapabigay sayo o," sabi niya, sabay abot sakin nung isang
lollipop.
"Huh?"
"Opo. Kunin mo na dali. Magagalit sakin yun."
"Kanino galing?"
"Hindi ko daw pwede sabihin. Pero sabi niya sabihin ko daw sayo na crush ka niya
and you're sooooooooooo pretty."
O_o
"Ah... eh. Salamat."
"Sino nagpasabi?"
"Hindi nga po pwede eh," sabi nung bata.
"Dali pag tinuro mo samin, bibigyan kita ng limang lollipop pati ng ticket dun s
a carousel."
Tama bang suhulan yung bata?
"Di po pwede. I made a pinky promise."
"Anak naman ng-! SINO NGA KASI?!"
The kid looked at him with wide eyes. She stopped licking her lollipop and befor
e I knew it"HUWAAAAAAAAAAAH! HUHUHUHU *sniff* WAAAAAH!"
"HOY! SSSHHH! WAG KA UMIYAK!"
"HUWAAAAH! YOU YELLED AT ME! YOU'RE BAD! BOO! HUWAAAH!"
"Hindi ako bad! Ikaw kasi ayaw mo sabihin!"
"LANCE! Pati ba naman bata inaaway mo?! Hindi ka rin adik noh?"o_o
"Hindi ko naman inaaway eh!"
"Ang intrigero mo naman kasi!"
"Heh! Whatever ka! Inaalam ko na nga para malaman mo na rin e! TSS! Bahala ka ng
a dyan! Anastasia, tahan na, halika tara dun sa stuff toys... mabait yan, sasama
yan kay Kuya Lance..."
The kid stopped bawling, then sniffed. May uhog pa siyang konti.
"St- stuffed- t-toys?"
"Oo! Kukunin natin yung piiiiiiiinakamalaking teddy bear. Ano game?"

*SNIFF*
"Yung pinakamalaki?"
"Oo! Kukunin ko para sayo! Tara na dali!"
"Yehey!"
At yung bata na yung humila kay Lance papunta dun sa stall na may stuffed toys.
TSS. Lakas manuhol, palibhasa maraming pera. May future to sa pulitika! HAHAHA!
"Psst oy."
"Anong psst oy. Ikaw ha, hindi ka nag-iimbita. Si Aidan at Elle lang sinabihan m
o. HMF."
"Ano ka ba, mom ko nag-invite kay Elle. Alam mo naman, Niki-Elle ekek chorva. Hi
nahanap na rin kasi siya ni Lola eh. Teka bakit umiyak yung bata?" he asked, loo
king like he was on the verge of laughing.
"Ang engot kasi ni Lance eh. Sinigawan ba naman."
"Bakit sinigawan?"
"Dahil dito, may nagpabigay. Ayaw sabihin nung bata, ayun! Sinigawan nung ugok.
TSS. Immature talaga kahit kelan."
"Ah, so effective naman pala. Edi ok lang."
"Anong effective? O_o"
"GOK. Ako nagpadala nun. HAHAHA! Nagwork diba?"
"TAE KA! Akala ko kung sino."
"Akala mo si Gelo noh? Hahaha!"
"ASA KA!"
"So si Lance na nga gusto mo, hindi na si Gelo?"
"TSS. Whatever."
"Kaw kasi, di ka na nagkukwento. BOOOOOOO."
"Saka na ko magkukwento. Pag hindi ka na madaldal. Baka ibenta mo pa ko."
"Kelan kita binenta?"
"Kung ieenumerate ko, bukas pa tayo matatapos. Kaya wag na lang. "
"Corny mo. O ayan na si Lance. Umayos ka."
"Ikaw umayos! CHEH."
Kinindatan ako ni Rafa tapos umalis na.
Ang bilis naman nilang nagkasundo. T_T Ngayon naka piggy back pa yung bata sa ka

nya. Close na talaga sila ha? (Mukhang nakuha nga yung higanteng teddy bear.
Hmm. Bakit parang may kamukha yung teddy bear na yun?)
"Hoy. Psst."
"Anong psst? UGOK!"
"Ugok ka rin!"
"Ang sweet niyo! HAHAHA! YEHEY!"
"Anong sweet? KADIRI!"
Inirapan ko siya ulit.
"Tara sa carousel Ate!"
"Ha?"
"Dun o! Sa merry go round. Samahan niyo ko."
"Okay."
"Laro tayo ha?" sabi niya. "Si Kuya Lance Daddy, ikaw Mommy! YEHEY!"
"WHAT?!"
"NO!"
"Sige pag di kayo pumayag, iiyak ulit ako!"
"O SIGE NA SIGE NA SIGE NA!"
Anastasia giggled.
"Yehey! Baba mo na ko Daddy."
Masunuring Lance. Pwede nang aso! Hahaha! GOOD BOY!
"Mommy, Daddy, diba dapat holding hands kayo? "
Anak ng tinapang AGGGGHHHHHH!
Malanding bata!
"Dali na! Ang tagal naman eh."
"O wag na maarte," sabi ni Lance, sabay inextend niya yung kamay niya sakin.
Feeling naman ng kumag na to gusto kong hawakan yung kamay niya. CHOS. If I know
pasmado yun. YUCK!
"Dali! Ang bagal eh! ARTE!"
"Eto na nga eh! Ugok!"
"Mas ugok ka!"
"YIIIIIIII!!! Pet name nila ugok! "

"Hinde!"
T_T
"Yey! Tara na Mommy, Daddy!"
For the first time, I became conscious of his hand that was enclosed in mine.
Badtrip. Kinikilig ako. <3
Chapter Thirty Three
Gelo's POV
I looked around the place, hoping the scenery was fooling me. It was empty excep
t for a couple of empty fruit baskets.
The door creaked open- an agitated nurse came in. She looked at me apprehensivel
y.
"Your sister was brought to the ICU. She had a bad seizure about thirty minutes
after you left. I suggest youI did not need her to finish that.
In mere seconds I found myself getting off the elevator. Looking around, I saw t
he usual chaos surrounding the emergency room, and I couldn't find what I was lo
oking for.
SH1T.
I messed up.
AGAIN.
"Excuse me, where's the ICU?"
"Turn left over there and you'll find it."
I ran again, almost toppling a stretcher and a doctor in my haste to reach it in
time.
It was then that I sawINTENSIVE CARE UNIT
Bumping into a couple more of doctors along the way, I crossed the corridor in t
hree strides in my haste to reach the room.
I'm coming, Rish.
The double doors burst open as I came in, and miraculously, I saw them.
My sister was, thankfully, alive and well. She gave me a weak smile as soon as s
he saw me.
"Where on earth have you been?! "
"Chill, Dad. I told him to get me some chocolates. Didn't I, Kuya?"
Why was she covering up for me?
"I was badly craving for Snickers. I told him to get me some."
"I'm so sorry. Muntik na kong mawala nung pabalik rito..."
"Your sister had a seizure. The nurse said"I'm okay, guys, come on. Don't mind what the nurse said."

"She said you would have lapsed into coma if"But I'm not in a coma."
She laughed.
"Ang OA niyo naman. Hindi pa ko mamamatay. No worries, guys. Masama akong damo."
"Rish!"
"Haha! Just kidding Ma. Would you guys mind? I want to talk to Kuya privately."
Our parents nodded, then left. I immediately went and hugged her.
"Rish, I'm so sorry. Sorry talaga. Di na mauulit yun. Magpapakabait na ko. Hindi
na babalik si Sheen."
"Sorry din Kuya... Nadala kasi ako sa mga sinabi niya."
"Forget about it, okay?" I told her, then I let go and took the chair beside her
bed. "I don't care about anything else. Pwede pa rin akong mag-aral sa UP kahit
gurang na ko. Or kahit saan. Wag mo na isipin yun. Kayang kaya kong ayusin yun,
basta magpagaling ka na, ha?"
She smiled again.
"Geez, I'm lucky I have you as a brother," she said.
The doors flew open again.
"Angelo! Rish!"
Dad, nakakahiya ka. T_T
"A package just came in from Vegas!"
VEGAS?
He was carrying a medium sized box and a small note.
"It's your mother. I think she just came to her senses," he said, handing me the
note.
Quote
Ricks and Gelo,
I'm sorry for everything.
The box contains all the stuff I think you'll need: passports, phones and all th
e money (You can check; I didn't touch a cent).
I'm coming to New York in a short while. Hope it's not too late yet.
Wish you're all well. Send my regards (and apologies) to Irish and Julia.
Stella
"WOW!"

"Great. I'll talk to Gerard so we can start her treatment right away."
Without another word, our Dad left us.
Ecstatically, I turned to Rish.
"YES!"
She didn't look too happy. Instead, she was staring into empty space.
"Have I told you, Kuya? I kept dreaming of this angel these past few days."

"Rish"Yeah, it's true. And when I dream of her, everytime I wake up, I feel better."
"Don't sh1t me, okay? Natatakot na ko."
"Bakit ka matatakot? Ang bait nga nung angel eh. Sabi niya"No, stop."
I took her hand and gripped it tightly.
"You tell the angel to get away. We're going home soon."
"How can you say that?"
"You're going to get well. I think the operation is in the bag, and in weeks you
'll be recovering fully. We're gonna be okay. I'll bring you everywhere- we'll b
e shopping for pasalubong... Disneyland, Niagara"No."
"Rish... what?"
She looked away and drew a long, deep breath.
"Kuya, the medications they're giving me... they're not working. Dati they relie
ve the pain... but now..."
"Don't say that. Syempre... basta. May pera na tayo ngayon. Magagamot ka na, oka
y?"
"You don't understand. Pag sinusumpong ako... you don't know what it's like. It'
s torture. It's HELL. Ayoko na..."
I slowly let go of her hand.
"You... you wait here and rest. Pagod ka lang. Babalik ako rito... Tatawagan ko
lang sina Ria."
I left her, my hands still shaking.
She just needs rest, that's all.
Everything will be okay.
________________________________________

Ian's POV
TSS. Bo-ring.
Emba was not the usual paradise I knew.
Where are all the good-looking party girls? It's like I know everyone here alrea
dy.
"Ian, are you listening? You keep looking around."
"Oh, yeah. I'm just bored."
"Bored? EXCUSE ME?" she said, standing up. "Are you saying I'm boring?"
"Hindi ako nagsabi niyan."
"SCREW YOU!"
"I don't need to screw myself. I can screw anyone I want," I said with a smirk.
"Oh yeah?"
"Akala ko ba aalis ka? Umalis ka na. Humanap ka ng magtitiyaga sayo."
"HMPH!"
All them wh0res. They all want me for my money.
Gold-digging, sex-crazed, modernized and metropolitan wannabe socialites. They'r
e everywhere.
"Hey, you're here."
Oh God no. You can't be serious.
"You're quite a Ladies' Man, aren't you?" she asked. "That gaggle of girls surro
unding you since 10pm..."
"No, no, no. They're just my friends, really."
"Whatever."
"Can I get you a drink?"
"Vodka, please."
Karissa took a seat beside me, looking smashed. Her eyes were swollen.
"You look drunk."
"Do I?"
"A bit."
"Haha. Well, well. The last time I saw you was prom night. You've changed."
"So have you."

"I think you look good."

"Thanks, you're not looking so bad yourself."
"Really?"
She laughed.
"Vodka."
I handed her the glass.
"Why are you here?"
"Wala lang. I'm legal so I'm perfectly entitled to go."
"You should be home."
"No."
She tipped the entire contents of the glass in her mouth and swallowed it. I pul
led her by the hand and she had no choice but to follow, swaying left and right
all the way.
I reached my car and put her in the passenger seat.
"You seem to care so much."
"I do."
"Haha," she mumbled. "Why, do you find me pretty?"
"Karissa"Do I look good? Am I likeable enough, huh?"
"Of course you are. Now stay put, all right?"
I closed the door and climbed in the driver's seat.
As I was about to start the engine, she pulled my sleeve.
"Where are you going to take me?"
"To your house."
"I thought you hated my family?"
"Yeah," I replied. "But I don't hate YOU."
"Why is that so?"
I didn't answer.
"I'm starting to think you like me."
"Easy for you to figure out."
"Tell me I'm pretty."

"You're beautiful."
She looked amused.
"Then why am I not good enough for you?"
"I never said you weren't good enough for me."
"I've loved you forever. Haven't you noticed?"
I looked at her.
"Ever since we've been kids. You're so dense."
"What?"
"Yeah."
"But"No but's. Do you like me or not?"
I must be dreaming.
This is too good to be true.
"Yes. I do."
"Then prove it."
She pulled me towards her and kissed me.
It was surreal. I never thought she was this intense. She was an animal in the w
ild.
"My God," she hissed. "You're better than I thought, Lance."
I stopped.
"What?"
"Why are you stopping?" she asked. "You're always like that. Lagi mo kong iniiwa
n..."
Her grip on me loosened.
"I'm tired of it, Lance. Lagi ka na lang ganyan. Ikaw ba, hindi napapagod? Andit
o naman ako ah. Hindi mo ko pinapansin..."
Next thing I knew, she was crying.
"I wonder why you enjoy hurting me so much. Hindi ka na ba naaawa sakin, ha? Kun
g sabagay. Ikaw nga, hindi napapagod kakahabol kay bwisit na Ria... Bwisit kayon
g dalawa."
"Sshhh. I'll take care of it."
"You'll never end up with each other," she said, her eyes glinting with unsuppre
ssed malice. "Not if I can help it."
"Of course not."

"Goodnight, Lance."
She had passed out.
Strike 2, Karate Barbie.
You have a lot to pay for.
"Hello, Sir, what do you need?"
"Leigh. Remember the file I threw away the other day?"
"Yes, sir."
"Get it back to the folder. Label it in red."
"What should I put on the label, Sir?"
"Target Number Two."
Chapter Thirty Four
First of Two Parts
Lance's POV
"Wow, very nice work. Such... meaning."
"Thank you."
"Is Rish a name?"
"Yes."
"Someone from school, I presume?"
I merely smiled.
My Dad's CFO is pushing his luck.
Can't he see he's asking SUCH personal questions?
"Hello, Marcus, I didn't see you there."
"Oh, Sir. Such pleasure to see you."
Sus, sipsip.
Go lick my father's shoes, kissass.
"Why don't you go over there? The Board will be thrilled to see you. They're tal
king about a glitch in our credit portfolio."
The CFO's eyes widened.
"Yes, yes. I'll talk to them, thank you, Sir."
He hurriedly went away. I let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Dad. You have no idea how"Believe me, anak. I do. Seeing that guy everyday..."
My Dad patted me on the back, and turned to look at my painting- yes, of Rish.
Painting Number 1
"That's a pretty good one. One of your best, I'd say. What's Marj telling me you
're unfolding a big one at noon?"
"Ehrm, yes. My masterpiece."

"Wow. You mean you still have something better than this?"
"Yes, actually."
"Good job, son. You're keeping everyone on their toes. They all keep gushing and
saying you're a Van Gogh or Da Vinci of some sorts. I insisted you're more of a
Picasso, though."
I gave a little laugh.
"Either way, I'm proud of you."
"Thanks Dad."
"She would have loved it," he said, bowing his head. I looked at my father, tryi
ng to understand what I had jusr heard. Has the world gone mental?
"Who are you talking about?"
Is he finally going to talk about Mom?
"Your mother would have gone nuts."
"How am I supposed to know?" I replied bitterly. "She's"Hijo," he said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Didn't you know? You got it fro
m her."
I loooked at him incredulously, hardly daring to believe it.
"She was a great artist, though she never got to show it properly. Her parents w
ere against it, she wanted Fine Arts, but was pushed into Accountancy. But then
again... if she took up FA I wouldn't have met her."
My hand clutching the champagne glass, I clung on to his every word. I tried to
imagine my mother, the coldest woman I have ever known- holding a brush.
"Have you ever wondered why I keep hanging around when you paint?" he asked. I s
hook my head as he gave a little laugh.
"When you're immersed in work, you remind me so much of her. You both have this.
.. fire. It's weird, in some way."
"Wow. I never thought we ever had anything in common."
"Are you still mad at your mother?"
Choosing not to reply, I busied myself with melting what was left of the ice in
my drink. I don't think I should say anything.
"All she did was try to protect you, you know?" he said, sounding a bit distant.
"You were young. She didn't want you to get hurt."
"Yeah! Of course!" I said, gritting my teeth. "And it prevented the inevitable,
didn't it?"
My father heaved a deep sigh. Taking something from his pocket, he turned to fac
e me.
"There is a room in our house," he said, staring at something in his hand, "that
your mother had forbidden you to enter at all costs."
He handed me a key.
"Wha-?
"I want you to go there."

"Bakit pa? Hindi na ako interesado. Wala na kong pakialam sa kung ano mang bagay
yung nandoon. I do not need to find and weep over memories of someone who had n
ever even-"
He turned his back on me.
"That room contains all the proof you will need. If you still feel any kind of r
esentment towards your mother after you go there, then there's nothing else I co
uld do for you."
"Why are you doing this?"
He did not bother to face me.
"It's for you to realize that no matter how much she tried to hide it, your moth
er had loved you more than anything in this world, and that hating her is a very
poor way for you to repay that."

"I'll see you later, son."

I stared after the back of my father's suit, confused.
Strangely, I remember Rish telling me the exact same thing.
Looking up at the painting I made of her, I listened to her voice.
*
"You idiot! Halika nga rito!"
"Saan tayo pupunta?!"
"Sa puntod niya, malamang!"
"Anong gagawin natin dun?"
"Magsosorry ka! You have to apologize for being such a stupid son! How dare you
say those things about her!"
And she had pulled me by the ear, forcing me to follow her inside the car.
As she stared into empty space in the painting, looking bothered and distant, I
smiled up at her.
"You're right. I'm the stupidest son ever."
Goodness. It's only now that I've realized how much I miss her.
She would've known what to do.
"She's beautiful."
I looked behind me and saw Karissa, looking up at Rish admiringly. Her hair was
tied in a neat braid, while she was wearing an ensemble that Lady Diana would ha
ve been proud of.
"So are you," I said politely. She took a few steps, better to look at the paint
ing.

"Thanks. But..." she cut off, tilting her head like an innocent kid on the brink
of asking a forbidden question. For an instant, I was reminded of the old her.
"Why does she look so sad and distant?"
"It's how I remember her when she was with me."
"I'm sure it was your fault."
I smiled as she turned to laugh at me, her eyes twinkling. Wondering where this
was actually coming from, I took a good look at how she carried herself. It wasn
't the same. She was still warm and affectionate, but I felt this restraint that
was holding her back. For the first time in our lives, she had set up an invisi
ble, protective wall around her that I knew would be difficult to destroy.
"It was," I assured her. "It's always my fault. "
"Don't be too hard on yourself. I'm just kidding."
"Oh, trust me. I should know. Where's Rafa?"
"No idea. I came here alone. Mom and Dad are coming in a short while."
"Darn, I almost forgot. They're in Tagaytay."
"Right."
"So... see anything you like?"
"Well, to be completely honest," she started, looking doubtful. "I'm not here fo
r the paintings."
"Oh. Okay." O_o
"No, it's not what you think either," she said, laughing. "I just want to say I
quit."
"You... what?" I asked, completely lost.
"I just thought... I don't wanna do this anymore. It's kinda hard to be the b!tc
h everyone hates, you know?"
"What are you"Let's skip the long part, aright? Ang gusto ko lang namang sabihin e titigilan
na kita. Hindi lang ikaw, kayong lahat. I wanna get off all your backs. All this
plotting and b!tching around is driving me insane already. I mean, honestly! "
Tawa siya ng tawa.
Mukhang insane na nga.
"Ayun. Yun lang naman eh. Sana we could put this all behind us."
"Of course."
She extended her hand for me to shake.
"Silly."
I shrugged her hand off and hugged her.

"Welcome back. "

"Lance!"
We both looked around and saw a very irate-looking Tita Marj, staring at me as t
hough I had just rolled into something smelly. She gave Kai a look of deepest di
sgust from head to toe and turned to me.
"It's time."
"All right."
I gave Kai a small smile and followed Tita Marj along the crowd. The lights were
dimmed, and the only ones left were the ones illuminating the raised platform.
Right in the middle was a framed canvas on a tripod, covered with a huge piece o
f silk.
"Did you invite her?"
"Why are you asking me? You gave away the invitations. Did you, ahem, accidental
ly send one to her parents?"
"Of course I did."
"Kaya naman pala eh, tas nagtatanong ka kung bakit nandito? Susginoo, Tita Marj,
are you high? "
"Wag mo nga akong asarin! Wala ako sa mood makipaglokohan sayong bata ka ha..."
Umiling na lang ako. May monthly visitor na naman siguro tong manager ko.
The emcee came up to the stage and took the podium. I patiently waited at the fo
ot of the stairs of the stage and observed the crowd that had gathered in front.
Ang dami rin palang pumunta.
"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the third day of the Annual Lit
tle Angels Art Exhibit. As you know, all the proceeds of the art sales are going
to the funding for the renovation of Little Angels Orphanage..."
Marami pang sinasabi yung emcee pero di na ko nakikinig. Paano kasi nakita kong
may pumasok na taong kilala ko sa entrance nung exhibit na kumakaway pa.
Putek! Bakit ba ko hindi nagsuot ng contacts?! Hindi ko makilala eh! (>.<) Ang d
ami pa naman nung taong pumasok!
I felt a sharp poke at my side- siniko pala ako ni Tita Marj. Nagpapalakpakan na
yung audience tas nagcu-cue na yung emcee na kailangan ko nang umakyat sa stage
.
Doon pa rin ako nakatingin kung nasaan yung mga taong pumasok habang umaakyat ka
ya muntik na kong mahulog. I saw Kai in a corner, smiling as though trying to en
courage me. I took the mic.
"A warm welcome to each and everyone. I hope you're all enjoying ourselves."
Sh!t.
Lumapit yung unang pumasok sa crowd.
Gag0. Kamukha ni Rafa yun pumasok. Nako pota pag si Rafa to-

"I'm about to unveil my most treasured work. I wanted to put two but then..."
I stopped, remembering how I had argued with Tita Marj kung pwedeng dalawa yung
ilagay kong masterpiece.
"The other one is in there, near the entrance."
Lumapit na yung emcee at tumayo dun sa isang side nung painting.
Naisip ko bigla si Rish. I found myself wishing she was here, watching me. I wis
hed she didn't have to go, so she would have seen my work. If she was here, it w
ould be her portrait I'd be uncovering now.
But she wouldn't have cared. She never did.
I should've seen it from the start. She wanted Gelo, not me. Everything had just
been a complete farce, and I had unwittingly fooled myself into buying her act.
What a total waste.
I really did love her.
"One, two, three..."
Painting Number 2
Everyone burst into polite, appreciative applause. I stood there, trying to look
proud and thankful.
My mind was in complete limbo as the brief process went on, and before I knew it
, the crowd has dispersed. I went to gaze into her haughty eyes, carefully and p
ainstakingly crafted onto the canvas. I found myself getting lost within them.
Maybe I'm ready.
"Good job, hijo," I felt a hand on my shoulder, and when I turned to look, it wa
s one of my Dad's biggest stockholders. "This painting is for how much?"
"Oh," I said, weighing what I wanted to say. "I'm awfully sorry but this one isn
't for sale."
"Really?"
"Yes, tito. I'm sorry."
"It's all right. I'll check the others na lang. Congratulations, hijo. You reall
y are your mother's son."
Tumango na lang ako tas umalis na siya.
"Aherrrm."
Lumingon ako.
"Anong ginagawa niyo dito? Akala ko ba nasa Tagaytay kayo? "
"Nauna na sila. Naisipan ko dito na lang pumunta."

"Bakit dito?!"
"Sige, maiwan ko muna kayo."
At umalis na nga si kumag.
Tingnan mo ugali nun. Pang-asar eh.
"... di ko alam. Artist ka pala."
"I didn't want anyone to find out."
A long silence hung between us.
"Bakit ayaw mo ibenta? Diba dapat-"Hindi ka na dapat pumunta rito."
"Teka langI turned my back on her.
"Umalis ka na."
Rish's POV
"Tinawag mo daw ako?"
Kuya entered the room, looking sleep-deprived pero ok lang. He was smiling.
"How are you?"
In pain. In terrible pain.
"I'm fine."
"Good."
"Nakausap mo na si Ria?"
"Hindi pa nga eh. Laging subscriber cannot be reached. Baka nakaoff yun o lowbat
t."
"Ah ok. KUYA! Gutom ako."
"Ano gusto mo?"
"Chocolates. Maraming chocolates. Gusto ko pumunta ka sa M&Ms na store. Alam mo
kung nasan yun diba? Gamitin mo yung machine na nagbubuhos ng chocolate. Gusto k
o puro pink ha. Yung lahat ng shade ng pink dun, kunin mo..."
"Okay. Teka bakit pink? Diba purple favorite mo?"
"BASTA GUSTO KO PINK!"
"Ok, little girl. Don't be a brat "
"Dali! Gusto ko ngayon na."
"Ha? Teka lang-

"Ibili mo na ko. Please?"

He looked at me and shook his head, as though finding me adorable and exasperati
ng at the same time. Pinat niya yung head ko and squeezed my hand.
"Ayt. Anything else?"
"Wala na."
With a last smile, I watched him leave the room. I clenched my fists, feeling th
e pain again.
Hindi ko maexplain yung pakiramdam ko. May masakit, hindi ko mapinpoint kung saa
n. Minsan, sabay sabay. Pag isang part lang, sobra naman yung sakit... tipong fe
eling ko mamamatay na ko.
Sumandal ako dun sa bed, which was inclined 45 degrees. My head was spinning and
I felt really nauseous. I felt very weak.
This is torture.
Minsan, sabi nung doctor, dahil lang daw yun sa gamot, sa treatment. Pero sa tot
oo lang para sakin ang pointless nang magpagamot, kasi ineextend niya nga yung b
uhay ko pero ganito. It's cruel.
Parang pag nga mag-isa ako, naiisip kong tama si Sheen. Siguro nga, nag-aaksaya
na lang kami ng oras... ng pera... ng gamot, ng pagod.
Gusto ko pang lumaban, pero pagod na ko.
I've never been patient. I never liked fighting for something I knew was in vain
.
Oo. QUITTER AKO.
I heard a faint knock on the door, and mama entered the room.
"O," she said. "Balita ko nagpabili ka raw ng M&Ms sa Kuya mo?"
"Ma?"
"Bakit anak? May masakit ba?"
"Hindi po. Don't worry. May rooftop po ba tong hospital?"
"Meron ata, bakit?"
"Pwede po bang pumunta dun?"
"Naku," sabi niya. "Hindi ko alam kung papayag si Gerard."
"Sige na Ma. Gusto ko makita yung view ng Manhattan. Lalo na pag gabi."
"E sige. Pag pumayag sila ng Daddy mo, ok?"
"Naman Ma, alam niyo naman si Daddy e. Pati pwede naman natin pakiusapan si Tito
Gerard."
"Hija, alam mo bang ten degrees celsius ang temperature sa labas ngayon? Hindi p
wede. Basta kakausapin ko Daddy mo. Pag pumayag sila ni Gerard, dun lang."

I pouted, hoping it would work. She sat beside me and squeezed my hand.
"Konting hintay na lang, anak. Gerard is trying his best to get you on top of th
e priority list."
"Kawawa naman si Tito. Baka sumama image niya sa colleagues niya kasi namumuliti
ka siya dahil sakin."
"Hindi naman namumulitika yun. Medyo gumagamit lang siya ng influence, since ang
tagal niya na rito. Plus factor din yung kilala ng ibang doctors dito yung Dadd
y mo."
"How long will it take?"
She sighed, and I knew what that meant.
"Tell Gerard not to be so bothered. Nakakahiya na, Ma."
"It's all right, anak. Baka lang medyo matagalan."
Medyo matagalan...
"Ma, may ipapatago pala ako sayo."
I took something out of my pillow. It was a thick envelope containing the letter
I had written for Lance before I was rushed here.
Inabot ko yung letter sa Mama ko.
"Baka po kasi maiwala ko eh."
Baka hindi ko na rin mabigay nang personal...
"Sige. Ako na bahala."
"Thanks, Ma."
Chapter Thirty Four
Last of Two Parts
Elle's POV
"Saan nga nagpunta sila Ria?"
Ang kulit naman ni Aidan eh. TSS.
"Hindi nga sinabi sakin!"
"Nako. Ang tagal naman nila."
Nasa Tagaytay kami. Umupa lang kami ng resthouse. Three days kami rito, babalik
lang kami just in time for enrollment. Sabi nila Rafa susunod daw sila ni Ria, m
ay pupuntahan lang daw na importante.
Hindi naman sinabi kung saan.
Nako Rafa ha, baka naman mamaya...
"Hon, is that my phone?"
Nakita ko yung phone ko, nagvavibrate pati nagriring.

"O tingnan mo na agad. Baka sina Ria na yan."

"Onga, sige..."
"Dun ka sa terrace. Wala halos signal dito..."
Masunurin naman akong bata kaya lumabas ako.
Himala. Unregistered number yung nagfaflash sa phone.
"Hello? Ria? Asaan na kayo?"
"Elle? Hello? Elle! Can you hear me?"
"Who's this?" o_O
"Elle! Si Gelo to!"
Chapter Thirty Five
Elle's POV
"Elle! Si Gelo to!"
O_o
Wait, what?
"Ge...lo?"
I couldn't believe it. He was laughing on the other line.
"Elle? Hello! Musta ka na? Miss niyo na ko noh? Musta na dyan? Grabe long time!
"
"Nasaan ka? "
"Nandito pa ko sa Manhattan, bumibili lang ng pagkain ni Rish! Grabe alam mo sup
er saya ko, feeling ko gagaling na siya! Alam mo"Bakit ngayon ka lang tumawag? Alam mo ba kung gaano kami nagkagulo rito nung na
laman naming nawala ka na lang ng parang bula? Si Ria nga"Naku, mahabang kwento! Saka ko na ikukwento pagdating ko dyan! Pauwi naman na k
ami ni Rish eh, siguro mga next week pwede na... super miss na daw nga niya kayo
..."
Talagang puro si Rish ha? Kapal ng mukha nito!!!
"Kayo ni Rish?"
"Si Ria ba andyan? Pakausap naman!"
"Aba, atI gasped as Aidan snatched my phone away. I pleaded with him to give it back but
his jaw was set, and to me it looked frightening. He looked really angry.
"Sino to?"
"AIDAN PARE!" I heard his enthusiastic voice as Aidan had put it on loudspeaker.
"Si Gelo to! Musta ka na?"

"Bakit ka pa tumawag?" Aidan replied coldly.

"Dude ayos ka lang? Pwede ko ba makausap si Ria? Andyan ba"HINDI RIN MAKAPAL MUKHA MONG GAG0 KA
luntary took a step back as he looked
s na may kasamang iba tapos sasabihin
ink na papayag kaming makalapit ka pa
DO KA AH!"

E NOH?" Aidan yelled into the phone.I invo

ready to kill. "Nandyan ka for seven month
mo kakausapin mo si Ria? What makes you th
sa kanya?! TIGAS DIN NG MUKHA MONG TARANTA

"Teka lang! MAY"POTA KUNG GUSTO MO PANG MABUHAY WAG KA NANG MAGPAPAKITA RITO!"
"Aidan, pleaseInend niya yung call tas pinatay niya cellphone ko.
"Yan! Yan ang bagay sayo!"
"Bakit mo naman binaba!!! KKN!!!"
"Anong KKN? "
"Kamusta Ka Naman!!!"
"Anong-..." he looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. "Wag mo nga ako
patawanin! BADTRIP KA!"
"Bakit mo nga kasi binaba?"
"Gag0 ka ba? Malamang! Kapal ng mukha nun ah! Hahanapin pa si Ria e pinangangala
ndakan sayong magkasama sila nung isa! BASTOS DIN EH! POTA! Wag siyang magpapaki
ta rito, talagang NAKU! Manghihiram siya ng mukha sa aso!"
"Aidan naman. T_T You're really scaring me. Ba't ba laki ng galit mo dun?"
"Malamang! Tingnan mo ginawa nun kay Ria! Tapos ngayon na medyo ok na yung isa g
uguluhin na naman niya? Hindi pwede yun!" he said, giving a sigh. "Tsaka ex mo y
un kaya banas ako!"
SUSGINOO NAMAN.
"KNY." "-_"Ano na naman yun? "
"Kamusta Naman Yon. Aidan Lennox. Kaya nga ex eh. Pati ang tagal na nun!"
"Basta!!!"
"Fine."
"Wag na wag mo sasabihin kay Ria na tumawag yun ah!"
"Bakit hindi?"
"Eh basta! Ayokong mag hysterical na naman yung bruhang yun. Pinilit na nga nami
n nila Otan at Liam na ibalik yun sa dati tas ganyan na naman. Basta. Promise me

you won't tell her~"

"Ok. I won't. Swerte ni Ria, may Kuya siyang gaya mo. "
"Mas maswerte ka," he said, putting an arm around my shoulders. "Boypren mo ko e
h. "
"Sige na nga. Tara kakain na."
________________________________________
Ian's POV
"Left, sir?"
"Oo."
We were in an exclusive village in QC where my Ninong was hiding. My Dad had stu
pidly put a 5-million peso reward and that's why he was forced into hiding.
"Leigh, if anyone suspicious is lurking within the area, paalisin mo agad. Pag a
yaw umalis barilin mo."
"Yes, Sir."
Buti na lang kasama ko tong si Leigh. Sa lahat ng na-hire ko ito lang yung may u
tak eh.
"Sir? Can I ask something?"
"Ok lang."
"Are you sure your godfather is not guilty of your mother's death?"
I smirked.
"Sorry Sir. Baka lang kasi naniniwala kayo sa kanya tas pati pala kayo gusto niy
a rin patayin."
"I understand, Leigh," I said, waving a hand to say I didn't mind. "But I would
trust Ninong with my life."
I saw the house that he had told me about. It was a two-storey structure painted
with a faint shade of blue. Not too flashy; he doesn't want the authorities to
notice that there was a multi-billionaire lurking around the block.
Smart move.
He had called me to ask me how I was, and it was a good time since I was dying t
o have someone decent to talk to. I traced the call and found this place, though
he told me I could come.
"Dito na tayo."
Bumaba ako and Leigh followed suit, getting something from his pocket. I pressed
the doorbell.
"Sino tatawagan mo?" I asked. "You're not going to report us, are you?"
"No, Sir. I'm just going to call my family."
"Sige. Ikamusta mo na lang ako sa nanay mo. Tapos na ba dialysis niya?"

"Hindi pa po."
May nagbukas na ng pinto.
"Osige. I'll be out in 2 hours, max."
"Ok Sir."
Rafa's POV
My phone rang.
I've been waiting for this call all day.
"Hello?"
"Sir Rafa."
Leigh, the spy from the agency. He's a useful asset; Ian trusts him.
"Any updates?"
"Sir, i-trace niyo tong call. Andito kami sa tinataguan ni Mr. Chan."
"Wow," I said, impressed. "All right. Kelan daw kayo aalis dyan?"
"2 hours."
"All right. Ako na bahala mag-tip sa police,. That guy owes the Laus a lot. I do
n't care if he kills Ian off, honestly... but justice should be given where it i
s due," I said, thinking of how they had initially persecuted my Dad for being a
ccused of Chan's crime. "And as for the reward, I'll ask them to deposit the mon
ey in your account."
"But Sir..." he stuttered.
"Stop being noble, Leigh. You need the money," I said firmly. "And besides, you'
re doing the right thing."
"Opo Sir. Thank you."
"Ok. Text me if you're leaving early so I can be sure you won't be traced anywhe
re."
"Thank you Sir."
"Update me if something comes up, lalo na dun sa dalawang target niya na sinabi
ko sayo. Bye."
Tinago ko na phone ko. Tumingin ako sa kalapit na table, then balik sa counter.
Grabe naman makatingin tong cashier. Parang gusto akong kainin. Mukha ba kong le
chon?
"Sir, here's your order."
"Thank you."
"May free po pala kayong sundae. "

WHAT.
"Isa lang?" I asked, feeling sick of myself for taking advantage. Pero alangan n
aman kasing ako lang kumakain ng sundae
Nilagyan ulit ako ng isa pa. AYOS!
"Thanks! " I said, winking. The cashier looked ready to faint.
ANG HOT KO TALAGA.
Pumunta na ko sa table kung saan nakaupo si Ria. Nakahalumbaba siya habang tulal
a. Kawawa naman to. Kasalanan ko kasi. HAY!
Kaya eto. Nanlilibre ako ng di oras.
"Tagal mo naman. Akin na nga yan."
Kinuha niya yung nasa tray na steakhouse mushroom burger saka yung dalawang larg
e na onion rings. Well in fairness, pareho naman kami ng order.
Akalain mong ganyan kapayat kayang kumain ng ganun karami.
"Sigurado kang kaya mong ubusin yan?"
"Oo naman!" she said, her mouth already full of burger. "Dati nga nakadalawa pa
ko eh."
"O dahan dahan," I said, getting a tissue and casually wiping catsup off the sid
e of her mouth. "Baka mabulunan ka."
"Ang sweet mo naman. TSS. Buti ka pa."
Kinuha niya yung tissue sa kamay ko tapos siya na mismo nagwipe. Mukhang naiinis
pa rin siya.
"Salamat sa paglibre ah?"
"Alam ko naman yan lang kaligayahan mo pag nabubwisit ka eh. Kumain ng marami."
"Babawi ako. Next time ako naman taya."
"Ok lang sakin yun. Sige kumain ka na lang. May sundae pa tayo o, libre."
"WAW! Sarap!!! YAY~!"
"Ang cute mo. Grabe. "
"I knowwww!"
"May nagsabi na ba sayo nun?"
"Oo. Si Gelo."
"Si Lance?"
"Sus, asa ka sa singkit na unggoy na yun. No offense," she said. "Alam ko singki
t ka rin pero tao ka naman eh."
"Bobo talaga nun."
"Ay oo. Sinabi mo. Bwisit nga eh. TSS."

"Gusto mo na talaga siya noh?"

Umubo siya. Nabulunan.
Medyo dinagukan ko nga.
"GAG0, kumakain ako eh."
"Sorry na."
"Hmf. Mamaya na tayo magkwentuhan! Magcoconcentrate muna ko sa pagkain."
I watched her eat, she looked adorable.
Sorry Mishka. Ngayon lang to. I still won't break my promise Tingin lang naman e
h.
"Ba't ang bait mo sakin?"
"Ewan ko ba. Feeling ko nga minsan responsibility kita."
"Bakit naman?"
"Ba't ang dami mong tanong? Gusto mong kainin ko yang onion rings mo?"
"WAAAAAAAAAAAG!"
"Osha. Manahimik ka na."
"... Naman eh."
"Basta. Pag uungas-ungas pa rin yang si Lance, sumbong mo sakin."
"Bakit ko naman isusumbong sayo?"
"Para ako na manliligaw sayo. Bagal niya e. "
"Umayos ka nga! Masamang biro yan."
"Ito naman, feeling mo liligawan kita? E mas malakas ka pa kumain sakin? Tsaka a
ng gastos mo kaya ka-date! HAHA! Sapakin kita dyan eh."
"APIR!"
Our hands met in a high five.
"Yaan mo na si Lance. Matatauhan din yun."
"Sus ewan ko. Ang malas ko talaga pagdating sa mga ganyan."
"Mukha nga. Gusto mo pa onion rings?"
"Ayoko na."
"Di nga. Pag gusto mo pa sabihin mo lang sakin ah."
"Ok!" she said, tas ngumiti siya sakin.
I sat there, watching her with a silly smile on my face.
Nako Rafa. Kumain ka na lang.
________________________________________

Gelo's POV
I was having another bad bout of migraine.
Reaching the hospital, I immediately took a lift to the floor where Gerard's off
ice was. Masama na ata to. Uminom na ko ng gamot kanina pa pero wala pa ring epe
kto.
I couldn't stop thinking kung bakit ganun na lang kung makasigaw si Aidan habang
kausap ako.
Sh!t. Sana pala nasabi ko agad na kapatid ko si Rish.
All this time pala, iniisip nilang nagcheat ako kay Ria- with my own sister.
Ang stupid diba?
Don't be so holy, said a nagging voice inside my head. You still cheated on herhindi nga lang nila kilala kung kanino.
Bumaba ako ng elevator, tapos nakita ko agad yung pinto ni Tito Gerard.
Sana pala, noon ko pa siya kinausap, para nalaman na agad nila Ria lahat.
I knocked three times.
"Come in!"
I rudely burst inside, as the throbbing in my head had worsened. Nahilo ako lalo
kasi iba yung amoy ng hospital.
"Angelo! Is there something wrong? How is your sister?"
"She's ok..."
"Ok ka lang, hijo?"
"No. I thought it was migraine but..."
"Nag paracetamol ka na?"
"Opo. Tito, I need your help..."
"HijoGerard's room was suddenly spinning, and his face was a blur.
I felt the plastic bags sliding off my fingers, and with a dull thud, I had hit
the cold tiled floor and knew no more.
Chapter Thirty Six
Ria's POV
"Is this the line for prerog people?"
I looked behind me and saw Karissa Yutanco holding a piece of white paper in her
hand. She was very unlike herself as she stood calmly without a trace of haught
iness, and none of her usual I'm-so-superior-so-don't-talk-to-me aura. Himala, s
he doesn't look so evil. Hindi niyo naman siguro ako masisisi kung ganito ako ma
g-isip; if I remember correctly the last time I had been this close to her, I al
most died.
Siguro siya ang dakilang tagadala ng kamalasan sa buhay ko. ;D
"Yup."
"What class are you trying to get?"

"Econ 101. Quimbo class. I heard she's really good."

"Wait isn't that for next sem pa?"
I HATE the way she talks. Sakit sa ulo.
"No, we can take it now. Its only prerequisite is Math 17. And besides, they're
not requiring us to follow the curriculum strictly."
"Oh, aright. Wait I heard you got the elusive 1.00 in Math 17? Is that true?"
"No."
Tipid ang sagot. Sorry. I don't like talking to you eh. ;D hahaha!
"I wonder who it is."
"..."
"Um, Ria?"
Ria ka dyan! Close tayo?
Excuse me noh. ::)
"Look, I can't blame you for being this cold to me, having almost murdered you a
nd allAlam mo pala eh. BETCH. ;D
"And I don't expect us to be friends until the next lifetime."
BUTI ALAM MO! HMF! :P
"Pero sana... kayanin natin maging decent sa isa't isa? I'm not asking you to fo
rgive me. None of that sh1t, please. Alam mo naman siguro that the only reason w
hy I tried to give you hell was that I liked Lance... and... well, now that it's
kind of too far for him and me already, I see no more reason to still go on Wor
ld War Three with you."
"So?"
TARAY KO TEH!
KNY. ;D
"Well. Ceasefire?"
She was smiling. It was genuine.
"Aright. But don't expect me to shake your hand." ::)
"Course not."
"Okay then. Peace treaty signed. You can go now," I said. OOPS. Too b1tchy. ;D "
HAHA! Kidding."
ANG PLASTIK KO TE. CHOS!
Good thing ako na yung sunod sa prerog line. At least di ko na kailangan makipag
plastikan sa kanya. LOL. Epal eh. TSS!
After ko makuha yung Econ 101, nagpa-assess na ko tapos pumunta na ko sa parking
lot to get my car. Ang init kasi, eh ang layo kaya ng Registrar's office. Sana
may matinong parking.
Ay teka lang. Parang may naiwan ata ako.
Check... check...
OH darn. My phone?
Wala sa bulsa ko! :'(
"Looking for this?"
I looked around and saw Ian Lau, walking towards me with a smile on his face. Ma
y kasama siyang dalawang lalaki na hindi mukhang estudyante. Nakasuit ba naman n
a mukhang uniform eh ganito kainit! Mga alipores niya siguro. Naku! Siguro mga t
aga Mafia rin! AHAHAHA!
"Naiwan mo kanina sa prerog room. Hinabol ka nung taga RVC, and I volunteered to
give it to you."
He was handing it out, and I reluctantly extended my hand to get it.
"Well, thanks IaHabang palapit na yung kamay ko dun sa phone, nilayo niya ulit.
"Not so fast."
"Don't mess with me, halfwit," I told him sternly as I reached for my phone agai
n. "I don't have time to play games with you!"
"Paying your tuition can wait. Oh, where's your boyfriend?"
"What boyfriend?" I spat.
"Oh, are they so numerous that you've lost count?"
"Sh1t. Give it to me. NOW."
"Tsk tsk tsk," he said, shaking his head. "Still very feisty, aren't we? I sugge

st you take care. No one's here to protect you this time."

A spasm of fear crossed my mind, remembering what Rafa had told me about him.
"You won't dare," I said, though my knees were already feeling wobbly. "We're on
school grounds."
He laughed maniacally.
"My dear, people do the darndest of things in UP and get away with it. What make
s you think I can't?" he smirked. "I'm still here, diba? Know what I mean?"
"You know what, that phone, you can have it. I can have another one anytime I wa
nt."
At that moment, there was nothing else I wanted but to get away from him. I pres
sed the remote and opened my car when he caught up and closed it right back.
"Think you can get away?" he asked, pulling my arm harshly.
I punched him, and he landed on the ground with a large thud. His companions mad
e a move as though wanting to interfere, but they seemed to be hesitating.
"What?" I dared them. "Scared of a girl?"
"Leigh, Tom, back off. This one's mine," Ian said. One of them, presumably the o
ne he called Leigh, was mouthing something to me when Ian wasn't looking.
I went and stowed my stuff on the passenger seat, when something suddenly gleame
d in the sunlight, distracting me.
"Nice, huh?" Ian asked me. "This cost me an arm and a leg, and I can't wait to u
se it on you."
He stood up and raised his hand, which was holding the shiny object, and then th
ere was a commotion in the backgroundIan's companions were on the ground, and someone was charging at him, sending th
e dagger in the air...
I screamed as I saw Lance wrestling Ian on the ground, his fist planting countle
ss punches on the latter's face...
"RIA, RUN AND GET THE GUARDS!"
Lance's POV
I saw her run, and then something was pulling me off Ian, it was one of those th
ugs.
Whoever it was had pulled me up and punched me. The other uniformed thug just st
ood near us, his mouth hanging open.
"LEIGH! YOU USELESS DUNGHEAD!" I heard Ian shout. The guy who pulled me aimed a
punch and missed, and I kicked him off. I ran after Ian, who was trying to find
the dagger. "GET HIM!"
DANGIT RIA! ASAN NA YUNG GUARD?!
I was knocked forward as I felt the thug jump on me.
Tumayo ako and tinulak ko siya, then he lost his balance and his head had hit th
e wall. He fell in a heap on the ground, his head bleeding profusely.
Sh1t!
"ARGH!"
I turned to face Ian, who was seething in anger, and it had all happened very qu
icklyThe last thing I saw was a flying speck of silver...
I waited, then there was something else.
I caught a whiff of what smelled like shampoo. Panic welled up within my insides
as I felt warm hands clutching my arms, and the top of someone's head was tucke
d under my chin.
"OH G0D."
Her grip on my arms loosened, and she fell backwards towards me.
"COME ON, LEIGH! LET'S GO!" I heard Ian's voice shout as the other thug simply l
ooked at us pityingly as he went to catch up with Ian.
My mind went numb.
Napaupo ako while still holding her.
There was a scarlet patch on her shirt, and it was getting bigger with each mome
nt. The hilt of the dagger was protruding from a spot between her abdomen and he
r chest.
"ADRIANNA! YOU IDIOT!"
"Are- you all right?" she asked, gasping.

"GODDAMN IT!" >:( I yelled, scooping her up. I saw her car, opened it and got he
r inside with immense difficulty. I saw her keys on the ground and started drivi
ng.
"I'm- sorry..."
"SINO BA MAY SABI SAYONG BUMALIK?! SABI KO TAWAGIN MO YUNG GUARD DIBA? SAKA SINA
BI KO BA SAYONG"You've saved my skin countless times- oh JEEZUS!" she had pulled the dagger by
the hilt, and I saw that the blade was a staggering four inches long. "I just...
thought... it's about time I returned the favor..."
"KAHIT KELAN ANG TIGAS NG ULO MO! NAKAKABWISIT KA!"
She was silent, clutching her wound with both hands. She was bleeding badly.
"Wag ka nga umiyak... di bagay- sayo..."
"POTA! SINO UMIIYAK?! KASALANAN MO YAN!"
BEEEP! BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
Punyetang traffic to!!!
"ANG BOBO MO TALAGA! PAG IKAWI heard a thud. Her hand had fallen on her seat...
"Ria?" :o
For the first time that day, I noticed my face was wet. Gusto ko siyang tingnan
pero natatakot ako... paano kung"Ano ba! Kausapin mo na ko... Hindi na ko galit..." :-\
"DAMN IT! >:( HINDI KITA NILIGTAS SA GALERA JUST TO DIE HERE!" :'(
I had pulled over the emergency lane, almost knocking over another vehicle in th
e process.
May agad lumapit na nurse.
"Sir, anong "Mamaya na! JUST SAVE HER!"
Rafa's POV
"Where are you?"
"Nasa Makati po kami. Sa building ng condo niya."
"All right. Thank you, Leigh."
Leigh had just informed me that Ria had been injured, and that Lance had been th
e one whom they had left her with.
May plano na kong naisip, pero kailangan ko munang pumunta ng hospital. Kailanga
n ko siya makita, pati kailangan ko ring kausapin si Lance. Baka kasi masiraan n
g ulo.
Buti malapit lang itong St. Luke's, at hindi gaanong naging matraffic.
Darn it. Ito yung lugar kung saan unang dinala si Mishka.
Sana hindi maulit yun.
"Dude?"
Lance turned to face me. He was standing outside the operating room. I gave him
an abrupt hug just to reassure him, and noticed that his shirt had blood all ove
r it.
"Where is the knife? We need some evidence."
"It's in her car."
"Good. The fingerprints would be there. I'll get him this time."
"Give him a good beating for me, dude."
"Right. Have they said anything yet?"
"No."
Umupo siya dun sa malapit na bench, covering his hands with his face. Ako naman,
pumunta dun sa tapat ng pinto para silipin kung ano nangyayari sa loob, which w
as no good as everything was covered in curtains.
Come on, Ria. You're better than this. Mind over matter.
"She'll be okay, won't she?" Lance asked me, staring at the potted plant in fron
t of him. "She's tough. She's always been... diba? She'll even want to beat the
crap out of Ian once she gets up."
"Syempre."
"Now I know how you felt," he told me. I simply nodded.
My phone rang.
"Saan ka pupunta?"

"I have some urgent business to attend to."

"O sige."
"Elle and the others are coming, don't worry."
It took me an hour and a half to reach Makati. Upon reaching the entrance of the
building, I got down. The others were already there.
"Good afternoon, officer."
"You're here, Hijo," greeted the policeman. "We're ready."
"All right. The guy owns the entire thing, he can be anywhere."
"He's not in his room. Our informant told us he had got wind of our plans."
"What? Where's Leigh? He got busted?"
"He's safe, Sir. No worries. Though I think we'll be having some difficulties...
"
"It's all right. We'll split up."
"But you said he was very dangerous, aren't we supposed to"It's all right, officer," I assured him. This guy is a very good friend of my D
ad. "Wala kayong dapat ipag-alala. Matagal kong pinaghandaan itong araw na to."
The policeman nodded, then he gave the signal. His companions, around twenty of
them, had split up. One simply stood beside me, and together, we had gone up.
Tucking my gun inside my jacket, I got to the elevator and pressed the P button.
Leigh had told me that Ian liked hanging around at the penthouse floor.
"Sir. Medyo malaki po yung penthouse."
"Okay lang yan."
"Paano kung maunahan niya kayo?"
"Kaya ka nga andyan diba?"
The policeman shuddered.
Sus. Ang duwag duwag, naturingang pulis.
"Oh. Easy lang."
We reached the top floor quickly. The policeman went to the right, while I took
the left route.
Masyadong maraming kwarto. They seemed connected to each other, and I carefully
went through each, my ears strained for any sound of movement.
I heard a muffled yell, and I took out my gun, holding it out in front of me, re
ady to pull the trigger.
And then I saw them.
The policeman was on the ground, lying on his back while Ian towered over him, h
is gun stretched out.
I aimed for the gun.
Ian screamed, and the policeman raced to get the gun while Ian was distracted wi
th his hand. It was bleeding, having been grazed by my bullet.
Tinutukan na rin nung policeman si Ian. His eyes darted from one to the other, l
ooking positively terrified.
"Go and tell the others."
The policeman looked nonplussed.
"Po? Pero"I said go and get them! >:(" I shouted. "This task's mine to finish."
It took a while but he did leave. Ian looked at me with his signature maniacal s
mile.
"Going to kill me, huh?"
"No. That would only make it easier for you."
"Why not do it now? You got a free rein. I don't have a gun... no one would see,
and you could simply tell them I shot myself in the head once they come here."
"If that's what I wanted, I wouldn't have sent the guy to call the others."
"Then why prolong it? Want to make me suffer by making me stare for an excrutiat
ingly long time at your stupid face?"
"Nice try."
"Oh wow, why don't you justI used the gun to strike him squarely in the face, and he fell to the ground, wi
ncing as he clutched his jaw.
"That's for Ria."
He looked up at me, taking his hand off his face, and I used that moment to aim

a huge kick at his nose, which started bleeding.

"That's for Ate Niki."
"You mean that's not the best part?"
I smirked and got down on one knee, putting the gunpoint right smack in the midd
le of his forehead.
"No, of course not. I'm kinda saving it for last."
He looked scared.
"Have you said your prayers?"
"Go to hell, Yutanco."
"Right back at ya.
Oh, and before I forget... this one's for Mishka."
I pulled the trigger.
Chapter Thirty Seven
Rafa's POV
"WOW! GRABE! Kinabahan naman ako sayo Rafs," Elle was saying. Dinaanan ko na siy
a para makapunta sa hospital, nakipagkita na lang siya sakin sa may Glorietta (t
he most convenient) kasi galing siya ng Benilde.
"Isa lang yung lamang bala nung baril mo? Eh kung hindi napuruhan yung baril ni
Ian sa una mong aim, edi patay na?"
"Ano ka ba? Magaling to, hoy. Saka bakit pa ko maglalagay ng iba? Mukha ba kong
mamamatay-tao? HAHAHA!"
"Pwede na. Pero wala lang. Kasi diba... galit ka dapat sa kanya? I mean, mad eno
ugh to kill him?"
"Hindi rin. Pati it would give me a lot more satisfaction to see him rot in jail
, where he truly belongs."
"Buti hindi ka ginyera nung Dad nun? Diba pulitiko rin yun?"
"Yes, but like I've told you before, he's a decent man, very much unlike his son
. And besides, yung mga testimony saka evidence? Sa sobrang dami hindi magkamaya
w yung mga pulis. He's only about to turn 18 so nalilito sila kung ano dapat gaw
in sa kanya. Pero I think as long as he is in the authorities' custody, he can d
o us no harm."
"How did you manage to plan it all out with that Leigh guy? As in, grabe. Last m
inute lang kayo nabuko?"
"Well. Pasensya na. Genius to eh."
She gave me a little punch.
"YABANG MO!"
Her phone beeped.
"GREAT! Ria's awake."
"Buti naman! Sino nagtext?"
"Si Den. Haaay."
"Bakit haaay?"
"Eh. Wala lang. May karugtong kasi message niya."
"Ano karugtong?"
"Medyo... may konting feud kasi sila ni Liam. Medyo lang naman."
"Bakit?"
"Well. Si Den kasi, medyo nagiging... alam mo na. maingat."
"HA? I'm confused. Are you talking about contraceptives?" :o
She slapped my arm. HARD.
"Ano ka ba?! HINDI!" >:(
"Eh ano nga?" ;D
"ANG LASWA MO! PERV~! HINDI KAYA SILA GANUN! AYNAKU! ::) >:("
"Wait! Ok, balik tayo. Ano ba kasi yung sinasabi mo?"
"Ah." She sighed. "Kasi ganito yun. Diba alam mo namang may pagka... ano... si L
iam?"
"Ayan ka na naman! Ayusin mo kasi, deretsohin mo para di ako nagsesecond guess!"
"OK FINE! Si Liam, alam mo namang tatlo tatlo at a time ang girlfriends nyan nun
g high school, diba?"
"O?"
"E ayun. Syempre si Den di maiwasang... medyo, magselos? Kasi itong si Liam, lap
itin rin ng babae. Nabubwisit si Den kasi panay babae nagleleave ng wall posts s

a Facebook, pati yung sandamukal na comments sa Multiply. Hindi ko naman masabi

kung matino ba si Liam, pero alam mo kasi... alam ko likaw ng bituka nung lalake
ng yun eh. Kaibigan ko siya, oo. Pero if you remember..."
"Yeah. I remember you telling me that you had a future in making documentaries b
ecause of that little expose you made way back."
"Yun nga. Kaya ewan ko, di ko maiwasang hindi rin siya pagkatiwalaan."
"So, have they talked it out?"
"Yup. Ayun. Nauwi sa cool off."
"Ano?"
"I know, right? Parang tanga."
"Well, I think they would need that. If Den wants something serious and Liam wan
ts to play the field, they've got a big problem."
"Totoo. But you know what? I think their relationship was wrong from the very st
art."
"Bakit naman?"
"Alam mo namang halos inagaw lang ni Den si Liam diba? I mean, in the crudest wa
y possible?"
"Oo."
"E ayun. I don't think that was a good foundation."
"You have a point right there. But if they like each other enough, they'll work
it out." ;)
"Yeah. I hope so."
"Wait, talking about relationship foundations..." I told her, smirking. "Do you
think that huge punch you aimed at Aidan's nose that day you first met was a goo
d start?" :P
"RAFA?" ::)
"Yes?"
"SAPAK, GUSTO MO?"
Nakarating na kami ng hospital.
I knocked three times. Walang sumagot, but Elle and I could hear arguing voices
from within.
"Ano kaya yun?"
Pumasok kami, tapos ang nakita namin, si Lance na may dalang pizza na Yellow Cab
; Ria, who was now sitting on her bed; Denise, sitting on the couch; and a nurse
.
Wait, did I mention she was a very pretty nurse with such naughty eyes? :D
"Hindi nga pwede sakin yan sabi ni Nurse Gellie eh!"
"Bakit hinde?!"
Ganito itsura nila pareho oh. ---> >:( LOL
"Ok! Sige, kakainin ko yan, pag bumukas yung sikmura ko, ikaw magpapalibing saki
n ah?"
"Kung ayaw mo di wag!" said Lance, folding his arms and broodingly leaning on th
e wall behind him. "Salamat Lance ah. Ang thoughtful mo!"
"Ok. Amin na to."
"Sino may sabi?"
"Ria. Ang labo mo."
"Hoy hoy ibalik niyo yan dito. Akin yan!"
"Akala ko ba sabi mo ayaw mo? Akin na nga yan!"
"Sabi ko hindi ko kakainin. Hindi ko sinabing ayaw ko. Iba kaya yun!" she said,
as though teaching a toddler that one and one equals two. "Akin na yang Yellow C
ab ko! DALI!"
"Hindi! Ayaw mo eh!"
"Gusto ko! Wag ka na nga makulit!"
"AKO PA MAKULIT AMP!" >:(
"Alam niyo, bahala kayo sa buhay niyo," sabi ni Elle, standing up. I laughed at
the expression on her face. ;D "Bibili kami ng sarili naming pizza."
Nauna na sila Elle at Denise, tapos medyo nagpaiwan ako para sabayan si Nurse Ge
llie. I opened the door for her to pass through, hoping she'll notice. ;D
"Can I help you with that?" I asked, looking at the plastic dextrose pouch she w
as holding. She looked at me for a moment, looking nonplussed.

"No, it's fine."

"Nakita mo na ba yung latest enervon commercial?"
"Excuse me?" o_o
"Ano yung sabi nila dun ulit?"
"Ehrm. I dunno. Habulin yung happiness ba yun?"
"Oh, right. So... wait. if I were to follow that, ok lang ba sayong habulin kita
?"
She looked at me for a second, smiled a Blair Waldorf smile, and"OUCH!"
She had smacked me on the face with the dextrose pouch.
Elle and Denise, who were busy talking, stopped to look at us. Even the other pe
ople in the corridor fell silent. I felt sick of myself.
RAFA. STUPID. VERY STUPID.
"Get a life."
She regally turned on her heel and left me, dumbfounded.
Elle and Den came running to my rescue.
"Ano nangyari?'
"What did you do to her?"
I gave them a big smile.
"Are you all right?"
"Did the dextrose pouch damage your brains? ???"
"No, :D" I told them.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. I just think I'm in love. Again." :D
"WHAT?" they said in chorus. I went walking, leaving them. "Where are you going?
"
"After my happiness?" ;)
Lance's POV
I discreetly stared at her as I stayed put in my seat, using a magazine for cove
r.
Iba talaga tong babaeng to. Nasaksak na ng four inch blade at lahat, nakakaya pa
ring magsungit at maging sarcastic.
Out of nowhere, bigla siyang tumawa.
"Ano nakakatawa? ???"
"Have you noticed you're reading Candy mag upside down?"
SH!T. I blew it.
"Oh. DARN."
"Kainis ka. Pinapatawa mo ko, ang sakit kaya."
Tumayo ako tas lumapit sa kanya. She was clutching her stomach.
"Wag ka tumawa. Bawal."
"Ang hirap kaya nun."
"Bawal rin magreklamo."
Umupo na lang ako sa tabi niya. She smiled at me, then she patted my head with h
er hand.
"Ginawa mo naman akong aso. T_T"
"Hehehe."
Kinuha ko yung kamay niya tapos hinawakan ko lang. Nilapag ko lang dun sa may ka
ma niya.
Ewan ko ba. Hindi ako nailang. Parang natural na natural lang. Pero masaya ako,
sobrang masaya.
"Galit ka ba sakin?"
"Bakit naman ako magagalit?"
"Aba malay ko. Ikaw kaya yung sigaw ng sigaw sa kotse." :P
"Ikaw kasi. Para kang ewan. Ba't mo ba ginawa yun?"
"Wag mo na alamin."
Kainis to. Ang labo kausap eh.
"Thanks sa pizza."
"You're welcome. :)"
Natahimik lang kami ulit. We spent the next few minutes simply staring at each o
ther. I didn't think there was a need for words. Ewan. Ang weird.

"Mag-smile ka nga ulit," she said all of a sudden.

"Bakit?"
"Basta."
:)
"Okay."
"So inuuto mo ako?"
"Oo."
"TAE KA. >:("
"Ok. I change my mind. Mas gusto ko pala pag naiinis ka. Mainis ka pa dali!"
"Amp. Di na ko natutuwa."
"Ako natutuwa."
Nak ng. Bastos talaga tong lokaret na to.
"Uuwi muna ko."
"Ok. Get me a stuff toy."
"Ano ka masaya?"
"Dali na. Please?"
"May hika ka diba? Bawal sayo stuff toy!"
"Wala. Sino may sabi sayong meron. DALI! Ha? Dapat pagbalik mo may dala ka. Yun
eh kung babalik ka. Ok?"
"FINE."
Binitiwan ko yung kamay niya, tapos tumayo ako.
"Inaantok na ko."
"Sige. Matulog ka na."
I turned my back on her to check if I had left anything on the sofa I had been s
itting on. When I looked again she had closed her eyes, looking restful and secu
red. Ang bilis pala niya makatulog.
Slowly, carefully, I lowered my face towards hers.
"Sleep tight." I whispered, then I went and lightly kissed her forehead.
I left the room feeling incredibly happy. Ewan. Para kong tanga. Hindi ko mainti
ndihan yung sarili ko. Iba kasi yung pakiramdam. Ang weird. SOBRANG WEIRD.
*RING RING*
Unregistered Number
"Hello?"
"Lance?"
Chapter Thirty Eight
Rish's POV
"Hello?"
His voice sounded like an angel's. Hearing it for the first time in months, I wa
s overwhelmed by the sudden rush of both happiness and longing.
"Lance?"
I covered my mouth, struggling to stifle a sob that was threatening to come out.
Bizaarely, it felt so real. I felt like he was just standing beside me, even if
in reality, we were half a world away.
"Rish? Is that you?" :o
The way he talked wasn't as cold as I expected it to be. There was concern. Warm
th.
Wasn't he supposed to be mad at me?
"Yeah."
"How- how are you? Is your treatment going well? When are you coming home?"
It was almost too good to be true that I wondered if I was dreaming.
"Are you all right?"
No. I'm in pain. I'm dying.
"Yes."
"Did you get my letter?"
"I did."
"You never replied." :(
"I was broke kaya hindi ako nakasagot."
"Hinintay ko pa rin."
I didn't reply, but I felt grateful. Lance was never patient; so waiting like th

at was definitely something.

"You're coming back for me, right?"
He sounded like he was pleading. I bit my lip.
"No."
"But"Don't wait for me."
"I promised..."
"Break it and move on, moron," I told him.
"No. I won't do it."
"Fine. Ikaw naman magsusuffer. Bahala ka sa buhay mo."
"Ba't ka ba ganyan ha? Naging fair ako..."
"Eh ano? It's no use."
Hurting him like this sucks. :-\
"Bakit? Don't tell me hanggang ngayon di ka pa nakakahanap ng iba?" I hissed. "G
anun ka ba katanga para talagang mag intay pa rin at umasang babalikan kita? Sev
en months na yun!"
"Well oo! I tried... but subconsciously, oo hinihintay pa rin kita... alam mo ba
kung gaano ka unfair yun? Kahit alam kong mas pinili mo si Gelo kesa sakin, yea
h, andito pa rin ako, ready to get you back pag naisipan mong bumalik!"
"HAHA. Nice one ha! Mang aaccuse ka na lang, kapatid ko pa!"
Natahimik siya.
He had confirmed what I had suspected all along-- they had all thought I had che
ated on him with my own brother.
"But that doesn't change anything. It's still hopeless between us."
He gave a bitter, sarcastic laugh.
"Ganun? So ba't ka pa tumawag? You might as well have"Well, I just felt the need to end this. Alam kong bobo ka, alam kong aasa ka, k
aya eto, naisip ko, kawawa ka naman kung hindi kita sasabihan, kasi di ka makaka
move on... di ka magiging masaya..."
"So..." he said, his tone changing, softening. "May pakialam ka pa rin pala..."
"Oo naman. Gusto ko pa ring masaya ka..."
GREAT. Now I blew my cover. After all I had said to hurt him, to convince him to
move on; I had blundered on and told him the truth.
But somehow, I had to let him know I still cared. I would not want his last memo
ry of me to be"Gusto ko maging masaya ka... kahit di na ko babalik... gusto ko pagkatapos nito
, ng lahat ng to... ikaw pa rin yung Lance na nakilala ko, cocky, nakakabwisit..
. self satisfied. Gusto koSuddenly, the view of Manhattan's sunset was swimming in and out of focus. I gri
pped the metal rail that was nearby, leaning solely on it for support.
I gasped. Breathing was becoming such a huge effort.
The sunset caught my attention. It felt like it was trying to tell me something.
..
Something I do not completely understand.
The truth seemed to be glaring at me; its symbolism, the sunset- all of it I ref
used to see.
"Rish? TALK TO ME! Ano nangyayari sayo?"
"LanceI was losing my grip on the rail. I did not have the strength"Lance, you have to listen to me... wala- wala ng oras... gusto ko maging masaya
ka... gusto ko malaman mong gusto ko pa ring bumalik sayo... pero hindi na pwed
eI was fighting. I did not want to lose this battle.
"Sorry... this is completely out of my hands. But I want you to know that if I h
ad the choice, I would always, ALWAYS want to choose the road back to you..."
"Don'tThe phone had slipped out of my hands.
"RISH!"
The fingers that were fighting to hold on to the metal rail I was grasping had g
iven up. Through an empty haze of air, I slipped, and in a mere moment I had fel

t the cold, hard sensation of concrete on my back. The mobile phone I had been h
olding lay, inches from me, just as immobile.
I tried to reach for it.
"Irish!" my mother exclaimed, her face wet with sudden tears. She had me in her
arms, trying to raise me up into a sitting position. I weakly turned my head to
look at her; even in sorrow, she looked beautiful.
Funny how I never noticed how beautiful my own mother was...
"Mom"HELP!"
"Mom, si Daddy... tell him I love him..."
She tried to lift me off the ground, but I was too heavy.
"Ma... I love you... I'm sorry..."
"Anak, hold on, they're comingI had been ready for this.
Or so I thought.
A sudden flash was going on inside my head; as though there was a film being pla
yed fast forward. Faces. A number of faces...
Gelo...
I gripped my mother's hand tightly.
"Si Kuya... bring me to him, pleaseThe looming darkness was becoming worse. I fought to focus on my mother's face;
I did not know whether it was nightfall, or if it was the Enemy itself that was
keeping me from doing it...
I was crying. After all the hard effort of preparing myself for this, I was fail
ing miserably.
Kuya...
"Ma dalhin mo ko kay Kuya..."
I clutched her arm tighter.
"Tell him I'm sorry..."
"Hold on, they're here!"
I could not see what she was saying.
"Irish? Anak? Please talk to mommy... the others are here to save you...
Please do forgive me for being weak...
She pulled me to her. I inhaled her scent; breathed in as much air as I could...
"IRISH!"
That was the very last.
Gelo's POV
The lights were bright and blinding.
I turned my head and saw a nurse hastily making notes on her clipboard. She look
ed very anxious.
"Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital," she said, looking scared, as though I might run amok a
ny minute. "You're under Dr. Fitzgerald."
"Did you people find anything wrong with me?"
"No. Not yet, at least."
"Then there's no reason for me to be here..." I said, attempting to break my han
d free of the stuff that were attached to it.
"We're still waiting for the result of the tests. Until they come out, it is rec
ommended that you stay here and rest."
"Bull crap. >:( I'm perfectly healthy. Where is my family?"
An abrupt flicker of what looked like panic was suddenly visible in her eyes. I
sensed something was wrong. She tried to regain her composure but her efforts pr
oved futile.
"They're with... your sister... they um, ISomething suddenly clicked into place. Terror flooded my insides for some unknow
n reason. I glared at the nurse, waiting for her to speak.
But she didn't. She simply stood, frozen and positively terrified.
It was all I needed. My fears jumped at me from left and right, swamping my brai
ns, rendering me incapable of thinking straightI tore the needle off my hand, not even feeling the pain as it started bleeding.

I was out of the room in seconds.

My feet seemingly had brains of its own. It was leading me somewhereI stopped at an unfamiliar, ominous-looking corridor. There, my father stood, ho
lding his face in one hand. Mama Julia was in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably,
looking inconsolable.
My heart started to race as I started running towards them, wondering all the wh
ile if this was just a plain nightmare about to end any minute.
But it was nowhere near that; it was just about to beginThe double doors burst open, revealing Gerard's tall figure. His face was half-h
idden in a surgical mask. At this distance, I could not see anything but his eye
s.
I froze as I saw him put his hand defeatedly on my father's shoulder. In horror,
I saw Mama Julia fall to her knees, letting out a distinctly piercing wail of d
espair...
NO...
IT CAN'T BE.
My father followed suit, trying to comfort her as he looked lost too. He seemed
to gain age right before my eyes, he looked much too old; and Gerard took the va
cant seat nearby, burying his face in his hands. I decided to approach them, a d
istinct feeling of denial overpowering me.
"What-?
My father looked up at me, his eyes empty. He did not move nor speak.
I took that as my cue.
No one bothered to stop me as I ran inside the room.
I searched for her, for the proof, for the one thing that would perhaps bring me
to my senses, the one thing that would wake me up from this terrible dreamThere was her pale face, her peacefully closed eyes, serenely laid on an ugly co
t covered with a worn-out bedsheet...
"NO!"
I screamed, not even thinking. There was nothing else in my head except the desi
re to come to her, to stop the stupid moron in a doctor's uniform from putting t
he thin blanket over her head"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" I roared, then I pulled him off her with such fo
rce that brought him to the ground, panting. "THAT'S MY SISTER YOU'RE PUTTING A
GODDAMNED BLANKET ON!"
I turned to look at her and found the sight unbearable to look at.
NO...
"Rish?" I whispered, putting my hand on her face. She was cold. "Come on. Stop s
caring us, okay? I brought you your M&Ms..."
She ignored me, choosing to sleep more. She must have been so tired. After all t
hat treatment, who could blame her? Right?
"They're all pink, like you told me. Come on, wake up! You have to eat them! The
y're waiting for you!"
I felt a hand on my shoulder.
It was my father. His gaze was unfocused.
"Let her rest, son. It's all over."
I gasped, unable to comprehend...
I ignored my Dad and just hugged my sister. He was trying to pull me off but I w
on't let him. I swear I won't let him.
After all the futile attempts, he gave up. I simply stood there, frozen, my arms
tightly wrapped around my sister.
I waited... for something. ANYTHING...
But there was none.
Chapter Thirty Nine
Maffy's POV
"DADDY!" :o I yelled. "YOU'RE EATING MY CEREAL!"
He nearly fell off his chair as he saw me storm into the dining room. Looking li
ke a kid whose fingers were caught stuck inside the cookie jar, he hoisted himse
lf up in an attempt to regain composure. He was holding the morning paper.
"Easy, Francesca. It's a beautiful day!"

"How many times do I have to tell you? Bawal sayo yan!" >:(
"Anak naman, wag ka naman madamot. You know I loved Cheerios as a kid."
"Masyado nga matamis eh! Buti kung wala kayong diabetes!"
I grabbed his cereal bowl and there was nothing he could do as I put it away.
"Fine. I'll get the oats. :( The boring, tasteless oats"That are good for you." I reminded him. "Good boy, Daddy. :P"
He slouched away, stowing the paper onto the dining table as he passed me. I gra
bbed the coffee he had prepared for me (which he always did in the morning) and
took a look at the paper he was reading.
When I saw what was in there, I almost spit the entire mouthful I had just sippe
d.
Coughing and retching as the hot liquid burned my throat, I scooped up the newsp
aper and made sure that my eyes were not fooling me.
It was the obituaries.
On top of the page, in huge, bold black letters were the words:
IRISH CHRISTINE BELTRAN FONTANILLA
Joined our Creator on the 16th of October at the age of 17.
Interment is scheduled on Sunday, October 19,
to be held at the Trinity Church Cemetery, New York City, NY.
"Anak, are you okay?"
My Dad had come running into the room. Eyes watering, I set the cup down on the
table and sat. My mind went in limbo as I processed what I had just read.
Rish was dead. :o
And there could only be one reason why she had his surname.
"I can't believe this," I muttered to myself. "Oh my god. I really can't believe
this."
"Eto nak. Inom ka muna ng tubig."
"No, thanks, Dad. I need to go and get dressed."
When I got off the cab, I easily saw them.
A number of people dressed in black were huddled around a spot. Only the rustle
of the leaves could be heard as the minister read the necessary passages. No one
appeared to be listening.
I froze.
Through a gap in the circle of people gathered, I saw the side of the casket. A
gripping sense of realism washed over me like a bucket of cold water. Covering m
y face with a handkerchief, I watched as one of the attendees shook on her spot,
unable to control her sobs.
There was a hand on my shoulder.
"Are you joining us?"
A very elegantly-dressed woman stood before me, looking composed.
With a jolt, I realized it was Gelo's mother.
Of course. She had to be here. It was her son who"Would you mind coming with me?"
I shook my head. She beckoned me to fall into step beside her, keeping her head
down and her expression solemn. The haughty manner with which she carried hersel
f before was gone.
"-the Father, the Son, and the Holy SpiritI stopped once more. My feet seemed no longer able to carry me forward.
What's wrong with me?
This was Rish. I was never close to her, and after what she's done, how could I>:(
"YOU!"
Everyone had turned to look.
I was able to recognize the voice, but not the person who had come forward to me
et us.
Seeing Gelo for the first time in months was strange. I could hardly recognize h
im.
He looked broken. A piercing kind of anguish filled every corner of his face; an
d his eyes proved too much to look at. There was no trace of the old him. I coul
d feel the rage radiating from him, even from a number of meters away. There was

nothing else I could see but his fury. Even his fists were clenched.
I have never seen him like this.
"THE NERVE OF YOU, STELLA!" he yelled, and someone whom I recognized to be his f
ather came forward to pull him right back. "WHAT? COME TO GET A GOOD GLOAT?!"
The crowd behind him had started to converse in whispers. The woman who had been
shaking earlier was suddenly standing upright, her eyes wide and focused on my
companion. There was undeniable tension among us; and some of the attendees had
started to leave.
"HOW DARE YOU SHOW UP?!"
"Anak"Don't call me that!" he replied, his voice ringing with an incredible sense of
displeasure. "YOU WERE NEVER A DECENT MOTHER!"
"Stop it, son. Please," said the other woman, taking his other arm.
"Why not?" he asked. "WHY NOT? DON'T YOU FEEL ANY PLEASURE AT ALL, TORTURING HER
LIKE THIS?!"
"It's no good."
Stella started crying.
"You're not seriously thinking I'd buy that, are you?!" Gelo called out to her,
letting out a maniacal, derisive laugh that did not suit him. "Are the acting cl
asses that bad in Vegas? You didn't seem to learn anything!"
"Stop it, Angelo," said his father. "She still IS your mother."
"THIS WOMAN IS THE REASON WHY MY SISTER IS DEAD! >:("
:o
WHAT DID HE SAY?
"You killed her, and you know it."
"Yes. I admit that," Stella said feebly. "I'm here to make amends. If you would
let meGelo crossed the distance between them in three strides.
"The answer is no," he hissed venomously, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Now
fcuk off and go to hell."
Before anyone can stop him, he had rushed off to the gates and disappeared.
"Angelo!" Rish's mother called, following him. "Anak! Bumalik ka rito please!"
"JuliaRish's mom stopped and gave Stella a head-to-toe look. Her eyes were cold and me
nacing.
"Hindi mo ba narinig yung anak mo?"
"I- I..."
Stella stuttered lamely. Rish's mom wiped a tear off her face and held her head
up high.
"Mabuti pa, umalis ka na. Baka kung ano pa magawa ko sayo."
She had dashed off after Gelo. I saw someone familiar in the vicinity.
"Tito Gerard?"
"Francesca! Anong ginagawa mo rito?"
"I- saw her name in the obits, she was from my high school, and then"Ricks, please not you too...
Tito Gerard and I turned towards the direction of Stella Fontanilla's pleading v
oice.
"Terribly sorry, Stella, but I don't have time for this little farce right now,"
Gelo's Dad said. "Julia, Gelo and I are going to catch a flight back to Manila
in five hours, and we're in quite a hurry. You can follow us if you like. But fo
r now, please just let us have a moment of grief."
Umalis na rin siya. Stella was left, dazed. I turned to look at Tito Gerard.
"Tito, wait, how...? Did you know that"That they were siblings? That Rish was an illegitimate child, and that she was
diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia? Yes, I knew. Everything. Ricks and I were friend
s in Med School, and he asked me to be Rish's attending physician... Only, I had
been a huge failure..."
Ok. My head is a little too full already that I don't think I can absorb any mor
e.
Tito Gerard looked just as appalled, and I knew this wasn't the moment for him t

o know that Gelo was Ria's boyfriend.

Oh God. What a big joke this is.
"No, tito. You're not a failure..."
"Thank you, Francesca. Where is your dad?"
"He's at home."
"Uuwi ba kayo ng Pinas?"
"Opo. In two days."
"What airline? Baka sumabay na ako. I really need a break." :-\
"Sige po. Would you like to visit Dad?"
Naglakad na kami ni Tito. It felt good. Huli ko yata siyang nakasama noon pang h
inila niya yung tenga ni Lance sa mall. He's like a real Dad to me ever since we
were kids.
*RING RING*
"Jeez, it's Ricks. Ang bilis yata- hello?"
We stopped for a bit. Tito Gerard ran a hand through his hair.
"All right. Ako bahala. Sige. Ingat kayo."
"Bakit daw po?"
"Hindi nila mahanap si Angelo. Pag nagkataon, baka mauna na sila. Sayang rin yun
g flight."
"Oh."
"Tara. Let's go find him."
Sheen's POV
"Did you know she asked me for pink candies?" he asked me thickly. "Can you imag
ine how stupid that looked? Me walking along New York City, holding a bag full o
f freaking GAY candies for all the world to seeHe took another generous swig off his Heineken.
Five minutes ago, I was here, minding my own business, when he walked in and gre
eted me like an old friend. He was now through his fifth beer.
He didn't seem right. The moment he entered the room, I knew something was wrong
.
"And she didn't even see them. God how unfair. My sister was such a crazy girl,
making me do those crazy things for nothing... HEY YOU!" he shouted at the passi
ng waiter. "Get me three more!"
"I think you've had too much."
"No, I'm ok. See? Hindi pa ako lasing."
"Tama na oh. Please."
"So. How about we go and see her tomorrow? She probably misses me."
"Gelo"Life could be a real btch. ;D One moment, you're having fun, the next oneThe bartender laid three more bottles on the table.
"Thank you!"
"Gelo, please."
"Please what? Aren't we having fun? Ikaw nga nagturo sakin nito eh!"
"I regret ever doing that. Look," I said, grabbing the bottle he was holding, "I
f you want to grieve, don't do it this way. It's wrong."
"Who are you to tell me what's wrong?" >:(
"Wag ganito. Please lang, Gelo. Ayokong nakikita kang ganyan."
"Oh come on, Sheen. ::) Don't pretend like you give a damn. I was just one of yo
ur one-night stands, right?"
He was furious, broken, and in denial - all at the same time.
My heart went out to him as he sipped his way through another bottle.
"Can you freaking imagine?" he asked again, laughing. "I flew here, all the way
from Manila, just so she could have a regular blood donor. Iniwan ko lahat, kasi
iniisip ko siya. Nawala na nga lahat eh! Alam mo ba yun? TAPOS GANITO? Basta ba
sta siya aalis? P*TANG INA!"
Binagsak niya yung bote dun sa table. Pinagtinginan kami nung mga ibang tao sa b
ar.
"Gaguhan ba yun? >:( Hindi man lang ba niya inisip kung gaano ang hirap namin ni
la Daddy sa kanya?"
I held his hand.

Hindi ko mapigilang maiyak habang nakikinig ako sa kanya.

"Tapos ganyan. Hindi man lang ako hinintay... :'( hindi man lang ako kinausap ba
go- bago siya... bago niya kami iwan... ano ba naman yung 'Hoy Kuya Gelo, lalaya
s na ako ha?' WALA EH! Ano yun? Paggising ko na lang..."
His voice broke.
About time, I guess. He broke his hand free, away from mine, and covered his fac
e.
"Sana pala hindi na lang ako umalis. :'( Kung alam ko na iiwan niya na ko, sana
hindi na ko umalis sa tabi niya, para kahit papano, andun ako..."
I did not reply. I wanted him to talk, to let it all out.
"Para nakausap ko man lang... para napigilan ko... kaso wala na eh. Wala na si R
ish..."
He screamed and punched the table.
"Wala na! P*TA WALA NA YUNG KAPATID KO!"
He broke down, finally, with a series of racking sobs. I hugged him, tightly.
"This can't be happening. Not to me..."
"I'm sorry, Gelo."
"Wish she had taken me with her..." he said. "It would've done the world a whole
lot of good."
"No. Listen to me, okay? This is God's will. He needs you to be strong, to accep
t that this is for the greater good. You got me? You need to"GOD?" he repeated bitterly. "His will? Greater Good? You've got to be sh1tting
me."
He finished another bottle. Laying the newly empty one on the table, he wiped hi
s whole face with his sleeve and flexed his neck.
"Of all people who could lecture me about God, it had to be you."
"Gelo"Well you know what I want you to do?" he asked me with a twisted smile. "I want
, no, need you to tell YOUR GOD that he's a fcuking son of a b****."
:o
He took out a twenty-dollar note from his pocket and laid it on the table. Hesit
ating, he got the last bottle that was full and stumbled off towards the exit.
Chapter Forty
Aidan's POV
"Ewan ko ba," Nanay Shirley was saying. "Simula nung nanggaling yan sa hospital
nung Huwebes, hindi ko na makausap nang matino. Dalawa na nga lang kaming andito
sa unit niya, ganyan pa."
Jon and I exchanged looks.
Monday na ah.
"Hindi ko na alam kung anong gagawin ko sa batang yan." :(
"Kami na bahala dyan Nay."
"Sige. Salamat."
Iniwan na niya muna kami. Sinenyasan ko si Otan.
"Lance?" sabi ni Jon sabay katok. "Hoy Intsik! Kami to!"
Hinintay namin bumukas yung pintuan, pero mukhang walang plano si kumag na pagbu
ksan kami. Kumatok kami ulit, tatlong beses, pero wala.
"Umayos ka nga Intsik! Naiinis na ako ah!" >:( >:( >:(
Sa totoo lang, hindi naman kami dapat pupunta rito eh. Naaawa lang kami kay Ria.
Simula kasi nung isang araw, kahit hindi nagpapahalata eh parang hinahanap niya
si Lance. Si Elle nga nagsabi sakin, kahit sinabihan daw siya na secret lang ni
la. Kaya eto si Otan, nagyaya. Last day na kasi ni Ria sa hospital ngayon, naisi
pan naming dapat si Lance yung maghatid sa kanya pauwi.
"ANAK NGSusuntukin na dapat ni Otan yung pinto pero bumukas na yun.
"Pasok na."
Sinamaan ng tingin ni Jon si Lance pero pumasok din siya. Sumunod lang ako sa ka
nilang dalawa. Mukhang Payatas yung kwarto. Puro kalat.
"Ano nangyari sayo? Apat na araw ka bang tulog?"
"Ano to?" I asked, holding up what looked like a part of a mangled cellular phon
e's LCD display. "Kaya ka ba namin hindi macontact?"

"Wala kasing silbi yan. Kaya initsa ko."

"Nasisiraan ka na ba?"
"Ano ba problema?"
Tiningnan ko silang dalawa. Sa pagkakaalam ko, matagal na silang magkaibigan kay
a lahat sinasabi na nila sa isa't isa, pero sa itsura ngayon ni Lance eh parang
wala siyang planong magsalita.
He studied Jon in a long, hard look, then tiningnan niya uli yung sahig.
"Wala. May nangyari lang."
"Bakit di mo sinasabi samin? Alam mo bang I knew he was just about to talk about Ria kaya siniko ko siya. She would kill u
s if we let that slip.
"Wala lang to. Kaya ko ito mag-isa."
"Sigurado ka?"
"Oo."
"Edi sige. Magbihis ka na."
"Bakit?" ???
"Susunduin natin si Ria."
Tumayo na si Jon tas sumunod ako para makapagbihis na yung isa.
"Hindi ako sasama."
"Ano?" Jon asked, looking pissed.
"Narinig mo ko."
Umupo si Lance sa kama niya tapos nagtupi ng kumot.
Jon went and harshly grabbed him by the collar.
"ANO BA PROBLEMA MO HA?" he yelled.
"Iwanan niyo muna ko mag-isa. Wala akong oras..."
"GAG0 KA BA?"
Lance calmly looked at him and said nothing.
"Jon. Tara na."
Tinulak ni Jon si Lance, tas padabog siyang lumabas nung kwarto.
"Dude. Alam ko minsan may sapak yung utak mo, but I do hope you're aware of what
you're doing."
Tumalikod na rin ako, but upon reaching the door, he spoke up.
"Aidan."
"Ano?"
"Tell her I'm sorry." :-\
I shrugged.
"Ok."
"Saka na ko magpapaliwanag."
"Sige. Hihintayin namin yun."
Maffy's POV
"JEEZ! Where is he?"
We've been in the car for hours, fruitlessly searching. I've suggested trying Br
ooklyn or Queens but Tito Gerard thought otherwise. He said Manhattan was the on
ly place where Gelo actually knew his way around. Exasperated, I tried 911, but
hung up on the last minute- ano nga naman ang sasabihin ko sa kanila?
"Tito, kanina pa tayo rito. Natry na natin lahat, meron pa ba tayong di napuntah
an? Diba"Oh, JEEZ! How could I have forgotten?!" he exclaimed. "Good thing you asked, Fr
ancesca. Come to think of it, there is ONE place we actually haven't tried..."
He abruptly turned, and just a minute later I found us in a street full of bars.
"Tito are you sure?" I asked reluctantly, wanting to sound polite as I looked at
all the people scattered on the sidewalk, all drunk. "Gelo's not of age. I don'
t think he'll be here."
"I won't be so sure if I were you. He's been drinking a lot sinceSomething caught my eye, and as I looked, Tito Gerard had pulled over the curb.
"Hate to gloat but I told you so," he said while I was unbuckling my seatbelt. W
hen I looked again, Gelo was now walking disorientedly among the throng of alcoh
olics. A girl who looked like an apprentice prostitute was closely following him
.
"Gelo, please. Just get in the car."

"Get away, Sheen."

She had pulled him, and was now leading him to a parked limousine. He was too dr
unk to do anything.
"HEY!"
They both turned to look at me, the car door halfway open. I took Gelo's free ar
m and got him off her grasp.
"Ano ka ba Gelo, your flight had left about thirty minutes ago. Do you have any
idea how worried your parents are?!"
"And who the hell do you think a"I'm not talking to you, hooker," I told her, and Gelo looked at me, as though h
e was seeing me properly for the first time.
"Will you just"I told you to shut up, right?" >:(
"Angelo-?!"
"Ate Maffs! When did you get here? Aren't you in Pinas?!"
"You know each other?!"
"Are you stupid or blind?" ::)
"Where are we going, Maffy?"
"Home. Umayos ka nga ng lakad, mabigat ka masyado... Tito Gerard! HELP!"
"Wait! Tito Gerard's here? Great. I would get a free ride home! HAHA! WEEHEE!"
"Stop right there, stranger, where are you bringing my boyfriend?"
"BOYFRIEND KA DYAN?! Ichura mo!" >:(
Tito Gerard had approached us, tapos kinuha niya yung isang arm ni Gelo then nil
agay niya sa balikat niya para maassist. Para kasing matutumba na si Gelo sa kal
asingan eh.
"Go home, hija, or we'll sue you for taking advantage of a minor."
Nasupalpal si pokpok. Buti nga sa kanya.
"WAIT."
Bumitaw sa amin si Gelo, ibinaba yung bote ng Heineken, tapos lumapit ulit dun s
a babae.
"Salamat ah."
He tapped her shoulder and did the unthinkableHe kissed her! >:(
Anak ng patola. ALAT NITONG KUMAG NA TO AH. JOMBAGIN KO KAYA SIYA RITO!
NAKU KUNG HINDI KA LANG LASING! Tatamaan ka talaga sakin!
"Thanks for tonight. HAHA. And the night before that too. Alam mo na siguro yun.
"
"What are you talking about? TARA NA!"
"Bye, miss one night stand. Nag-enjoy ako. Tara na Maffs. Inaantok na ko."
Tahimik ako hanggang nadala na ni Tito si Gelo sa kotse. SOBRANG NAIINIS AKO. Pu
tragis na lalakeng to. Hayup ka. Intayin mong malaman ni Ria to, talagang tatama
an ka sa"Ano ka ba namang bata ka, kung kani-kanino ka sumasama, alam mo ok lang naman m
ag girlfriend eh, pero mamili ka naman. I don't think your parents would approve
SH1T. Nakalimutan kong si Tito Gerard nga pala to.
Sa lahat ng pwedeng makakita ng katarantaduhan ni Angelo dito sa New York, ito p
ang tatay ni Ria. Jusko. Ano bang kalokohan ito?
"Haha. Pasensya na po Tito. Are we going home?"
"Yes. We are."
Oo. Uuwi na kami.
At magkakaalaman na.
Lance's POV
The past few days had been a complete nightmare.
I was unable to distinguish reality from the rest of my horrible nightmares. All
I could think of was Rish; kung ano yung mga sinabi niya, kung ano yung mga bin
ilin niya... kung bakit bigla na lang siyang sinumpong, kung bakit bigla na lang
siyang nahirapang huminga...
I tried contacting her again but all my efforts were in vain.
Did she do that on purpose to make me suffer? Gusto ba niya akong patayin sa pag

-aalala?
Pati panaginip ko, puro siya. Andun siya pero kung hindi naghihingalo, nalulunod
... o kung hindi naman, nahagip ng bus, nasa hospital... lahat na yata...
OH GOD. Ano na ba nangyayari kay Rish?
Mababaliw na yata ako.
The doorbell rang.
DING! DONG!
I looked at the clock- it was eight in the morning.
DING! DONG!
DING! DONG!
Pucha naman. Hindi rin makulit e.
Ang aga pa. Hindi kaya sila Otan na naman to?
"NANAY SHE! PAKITINGNAN NAMAN KUDING! DONG!
DING! DONG!
DING! DONG!
DING! DONG!
Ok. Patience, Lance.
It's a MOTHERFCUKING VIRTUE.
"Coming!"
I ran to get it, and was completely taken aback upon seeing who it was.
"T- Tita Julia?" :o
She gave me a small smile.
"Hello, hijo," sabi niya, tapos niyakap niya ako. Mahigpit. "Kamusta ka na? Mata
gal din tayong hindi nagkita."
"Pasok po."
Buti na lang andito si Nanay She para magligpit, kung hindi napahiya siguro ako.
"Kelan pa po kayo dumating?"
"Kanina lang. Dito ako dumeretso galing airport eh."
I went and got her a bottle of Minute Maid. Puro yun kasi ang laman ng ref ko.
"Gusto niyo po bang kumain? Nanay She!"
"Wag na anak. I'm okay."
"Si Rish po? Kasama niyo ba?"
She looked at me with wide, bewildered eyes, as though I had just said something
mortally offensive.
"H- hindi mo ba alam?" :-[
"Ang alin po?"
"Nung... Wednesday... Thursday noon rito... diba kausap mo siya?"
"Opo... hindi ko na nga po kayo nacontact ulit, nag-alala nga po ako, sinumpong
na naman po ba s"Lance..." she said, drawing a deep breath. "My daughter is dead."
:o
"Tita, you're joking right?" I asked.
She shook her head and gave me a bitter smile. Huminga ako ng malalim tapos nara
mdaman kong may nakabara sa lalamunan ko. I felt hollow. Empty. Like I've just b
een hit by a speeding truck.
"I know. It's unfair. I mean, my daughter was seventeen..."
She sniffed, and I simply lost control.
I ceased to be aware of everything else except...
"Pero hinintay ko siya..." :-\
"Alam ko, hijo. I know how much you loved my daughter."
My knees gave way and I found myself sitting on the couch, one hand on my face.
"When I heard what she was telling you, akala ko she was just breaking up with y
ou... hindi ko akalain na ganun. Alam mo kasi, matagal kaming walang pera... mah
abang storya, pero nung bumalik na lahat ng gamit namin, yun ang una niyang hini
ngi, yung makausap ka.
Hindi na ako nagtaka na ikaw yung una niyang inisip... pero napaisip ako habang
nakikinig sa inyo. Tapos habang nag-uusap kayo, sinumpong siya... nakita ko na l
ang nakabulagta na yung anak ko..."
My imagination went into overdrive, letting me see Rish, sprawled on a concrete

floor... gasping and fighting for air while I was shouting into the phone she wa
s holding...
"But why? How?" :'(
I ran a hand through my hair tapos tumayo ako. Pacing around the living room, I
swore over and over just to make the lump in my throat disappear.
"Tita hindi pwede eh, sabi ko hihintayin ko siya, bakit naman ganun?! Ang unfair
niya naman eh..." :-[
"Pasensya ka na hijo. Hindi na niya kinaya eh..."
I stuffed a fist into my mouth to control myself pero walang nangyari.
Rish bakit ganyan ka? Palagi mo na lang ako pinaghihintay sa wala... palagi ka n
a lang may tinatago...
"Sana kaya mo patawarin yung anak ko sa mga pinaggagawa niya ha... Alam mo naman
siguro... alam ko rin... if there was anything she wanted to tell you in that p
hone call, it's that she loved you more than anything and anyone in this world."
She pulled something out of her pocket.
"Nakita ko ito sa ilalim ng unan niya sa kwarto. Andun yung pangalan mo. Naisip
ko gusto niyang ibigay yan sayo, and with that in mind, dito ako dumeretso, sabi
kasi ng tao sa bahay niyo sa Las Pinas andito ka raw..."
Kinuha ko sa kanya yung hawak niya.
"I know she would have wanted to give that to you in person. Seeing it's no long
er possible... I did the next best thing."
Tumayo na siya.
"Hindi na ko magtatagal. Siguro gusto mo na ring basahin yan, kaya sige. Iiwanan
na muna kita."
"Tita... I'm sorry." :-\
Niyakap niya ako ulit.
"Dumalaw ka naman sa bahay ha? Para hindi ako malulungkot."
"Opo."
"Mag-ingat ka."
Mabilis siyang umalis. Natulala ako dun sa kinauupuan ko, staring blankly at the
envelope in my hand. Gusto kong buksan, kasi maririnig ko siya ulit. Gusto ko s
iyang makita, marinig, makausap... yakapin...
Pero ayoko rin. Kasi alam ko ito na yung huli... ito na yung huling beses na mar
aramdaman kong nandyan siya... ito na yung huling beses na mararamdaman kong may
halaga pa ako sa kanya...
But andito na to eh.
It consumed me- the fact that there was nothing I could do.
Binuksan ko yung envelope. Pagkakita ko pa lang nung handwriting niya, nawalan n
a ko ng control. Mag-isa na lang ako kaya wala na akong pakialam. Walang makakak
ita sakin na mahina ako... na nasasaktan ako...
Tiningnan ko yung nakatuping papel. Dun sa harap nakasulat yung pangalan ko, tap
os may pangit na drawing ng baboy. Lahat ng letters na ginawa niya para sakin, m
ay nakadrawing na ganun.
Hi Lance!!! >_<
HAHAHA! SH1T MISS NA KITA! PANGET!!! XD ANG PANGET PANGET MO!
Natawa ako. Siguro masaya siya nung ginagawa nya to. Naiimagine ko na...
Ano? Natawa ka na? AYAN! Good! Lagi ka kasi nakasimangot! Kaasar ka. Nagiging ma
s gwapo tuloy si Kuya Gelo kaysa sayo! Haha! O wag magselos ha? Ayun na nilagay
ko na - KUYA! Kapatid ko siya, ok? Mahabang storya pero siguro gets mo na no? O
ngayong alam mo na wala ka nang rason para awayin ako ah? Pag inaway mo ko ulit
sasapukin kita! BEHLAT!
Ok Rish. Hindi na kita aawayin... makikipagbati na ko sa Kuya mo... kahit ano pa
sabihin mo gagawin ko.
Pag ba ginawa ko yun babalik ka?
Grabe dito sa States. Ang boring. Malamig pa. Minsan gutom pa kami, wala kasi ka
ming pera eh. Nagalit kasi yung mommy ni Gelo sa amin! Di niya alam, anak pala a
ko sa labas ng asawa niya! Haha! Ang labo ng pamilya namin noh? Parang teleserye
lang eh! ANG ALAT! Ayun, tinakbo lahat ng pera namin na pampagamot ko. Ayos! Na
kalusot ako sa mabantot na hospital. Ayoko dun eh. Alam mo naman ako. Matigas ul
o! HAHA! Ikaw musta? Siguro mas matigas pa rin ulo mo sakin? Siguro kain ka pa r

in ng kain ng hipon kahit namumula ka na dahil sa allergy? NAKU tigilan mo yan h

a!!! Nag-aalala na tuloy ako sayo! Hmp.
Naaalala mo rin pala ako... Akala ko wala ka nang pakialam eh.
Kainis nga! Dahil wala kaming pera hindi man lang ako makatawag o sulat sayo! Wa
la namang murang internet shop dito. Ang mahal mahal. Syempre alangan naman unah
in namin yun kaysa sa pagkain diba? Hehe! Sorry ha? Di mo lang alam gustong gust
o ko nang macontact ka... makita man lang! Lalo na nung natanggap ko tong letter
mo :D Hayop ka, bakit English to? Sakit sa ulo! HAHA!
Hindi ko akalain naisip kong ganun ka... sorry Rish... hindi kita dapat pinag is
ipan ng ganun, I should have known better...
Kaya wag ka magtampo ha? Alam mo naman love kita e! HAHA! YUCK ANG CORNY! ALAT~!
Haha. Pero totoo yun! Sinabi ko naman sayo diba? Kakapalan ko ba mukha kong man
ligaw sayo e kababae kong tao kung di kita mahal? HAHA! LABO! Ayun! Naku!!! :D N
abubuko na ko.
Ayun. Haha sige seryoso na a. Alam mo kasi hindi ko sure kung makakabalik pa ko.
Yung mga sumpong ko kasi dumadalas, eh wala na nga akong treatment... ayun... h
aha! Pero alam mo naman diba? Alam mong gusto ko bumalik. Kaya kahit ano mangyar
i, wag ka malulungkot! Handa na ako. ;) But always remember that there's someone
out there who's crazy, head over heels in love with you! :D
I love you Intsik!!! WO AI NI!!! :D <3
-Rish <3
Mahal din kita, Rish.
Mahal na mahal... :'(
Chapter Forty One (A)
Lance's POV
La la la...
La la la la la...
I kept my eyes closed as I listened- someone was humming my mother's favorite lu
llaby. Maybe it's just Nanay She. It reminded me of the day I had found out that
my mother had succumbed to cancer...
Idly, I listened to it; hoping it would make it all go away.
Nakatulog na pala ako sa sofa. I still had Rish's letter folded in my right hand
. Someone had even bothered to put a blanket on me; and whoever it was had start
ed brushing my face with their fingers.
I opened my eyes and was not ready for what I saw.
"WHOA!" :o
She laughed, looking amused. I blinked and expected her to vanish, but she didn'
t.
"Sabi mo dati di ka takot sa multo. Hindi ka rin talaga barbero no?"
I shook the blanket off me and rushed to her side. I didn't care if what I was s
eeing was real or not, she was all that mattered. I threw my arms around her, ea
ger to feel her presence, her touch, her unbelievable warmth. Amazingly, I didn'
t go through her like it always did in movies. She was even hugging me back.
"Jeez, Rish... akala ko ni hindi na talaga kita makikita..."
"Pasalamat ka," she told me as we broke off. "Malakas lang ako kay Bro kaya pina
gbigyan Niya ako. Ang cool nga eh, feeling ko tuloy ako si Santino! HEHEHE!"
I didn't talk; I just stared at her like she was the only thing that existed. Ba
ka wala nang bukas; baka wala nang next time... Hawak ko yung kamay niya, mahigp
it, kasi natatakot akong mawala na lang siyang bigla. Siguro if I held her tight
ly enough, I might be able to prevent her from leaving again...
"I even pushed my luck and asked Him to bring me back to life," she went on. "Na
batukan tuloy ako. Sabi ba naman Niya, 'Ano ka, masaya?' Ang kulit eh! Haha! Per
o oo nga naman. Nakalibing na ko't lahat eh hihingi pa ko ng ganun? Sabaw no?"
"Baliw ka talaga."
"Oo nga eh. Parang ikaw lang! HAHA!"
Napatingin siya sa hawak kong letter. Ngumiti siya tapos hinawakan niya yung muk
ha ko.
"Buti binigay sayo ni Mommy. Umiyak ka noh? Hay salamat. Nakaganti rin ako. Ilan
g beses mo na ba akong pinapaiyak na kumag ka?"
"Sorry..."

"Ayan ka na naman. Nagbibiro lang kaya ako! ::) Ano ba tingin mo, mag-aaksaya ak
o ng pagod na bumalik para manumbat? Siraulo ka rin eh, Alam mo naman ayokong ay
oko na naririnig yang mga sorry sorry mo. TSS. ::) Hehe. Ok lang naman eh." :P
Sumeryoso yung mukha niya.
"Alam mo gusto ko sana makapagpaalam sayo ng maayos, kaso, I botched that phone
call. Kaya eto. Badtrip kasi, yung sumpong ko wrong timing. Marami pa naman ako
sasabihin. :P Hehehe."
"Gaya ng?"
"Well, gaya ng okay lang ako, kaya wag ka malungkot para sakin. Na wag ka makons
ensya, kasi wala ka namang naging kasalanan, pati naiintindihan kita. Na mamimis
s kita. ;) Saka gusto ko, mag-aral ka ng mabuti... maging masaya ka, at wag kang
tumigil sa buhay dahil lang sakin. Gets?"
"Oo. Gets ko."
"Hindi mo naman gets eh. Ang alat nito!" >:( she said, pouting. "What I mean is
that I'm setting you free, Lance."
"Rish..."
"Teka, patapusin mo nga muna ako. Kainis ka naman singit ka ng singit eh. Alam m
o kasi, I figured out... the moment I had set off to US without letting you know
, nawalan na ko ng right sayo, kasi noon pa lang, bumitaw na ko..."
"Hindi. Mali yun, ok?"
"And come on, Lance. We both know that this," she said, forcing a smile as she p
ointed to my chest, "has long been beating for someone else."
I was taken aback.
"Rish, will you listen to me for just one minute?" :-\
"It's all right. I've known that long ago. ;) Alam ko rin naman na once, there h
ad been a time na ako yung gusto mo eh. Ok na sakin yun, na nalaman kong naging
ako rin... ako rin pala... well, at least diba? :P I have something good to look
back to. Pero ngayon... gusto ko maging masaya ka, and if Ria's the only way...
"
"You do know what you're talking about, don't you?" I asked her. "Siguro naman h
indi mo nakakalimutan yung Kuya mo?"
"My Kuya's been a very wild bad boy. He needs to learn a lesson. Kaya ikaw, umay
os ka. :-X Kung di mo maagaw si Ria, eh pahirapan mo man lang si Kuya. Ok ba yun
?"
"Talagang nababaliw ka na noh?" :o
"Siguro nga." ;D
"But I do love you." :(
"I believe that, ok? And as I told you, that's enough. Now what I need you to wo
rry about is not me but yourself. Stop feeling guilty, ok? You have a full life
ahead of you. If pursuing her and being with her is what makes you happy, then g
o for it! Don't be a coward like me. Repeating my mistakes would honestly be the
biggest stupidity you'd ever make in your life. Trust me. The consequences aren
't pretty."
Tiningnan ko lang siya. I've never seen anything quite like her. Her eyes were g
listening. Again, she stroked my face with her hand.
"Sige, pag nalungkot ka, malulungkot rin ako. Gusto mo ba yun?" ;)
"Ayaw."
"Edi good. Nagkakaintindihan tayo. Basta tandaan mo yung sinabi ko ha?"
"Oo. Always." :)
"Naku, paano ba to?" she asked, her eyes now considerably wet. "Tapos na daw ext
ension ko. Binubulong na ni Guardian Angel."
"Sabihin mo 5 minutes. Huling hirit na lang, please?" :-\
"Hirit ba kamo?" she repeated, laughing, as though hearing something I don't. "G
usto mo daw ba sumama na sakin para hindi lang five minutes? HEHE! Joke lang. ;D
"
Binitawan niya na ako.
"Wag na matigas ulo, ha? Saka wala nang iyakan. Ok? Magiging ok na ko. Aalagaan
ako ni Bro. Ikaw, alagaan mo sarili mo ah?"
"Wait lang."
I pulled her right back towards me and kissed her for what I knew to be the very

last time...
"I love you." :)
"Wo ye ai ni." ;)
With a last smile, she turned away and waved goodbye.
Aidan's POV
"WOOYEAAAH!" :D :D :D
Haha. Ang wild ni Otan. Tsk tsk.
Kakarating lang kasi ng binili naming Rockband Set. Nag chip in kami, yung mga n
agsshare sa room para may libangan nga naman kami sa pasukan. Pangit naman nga k
ung bibili kami tig iisa, eh kailangan pala ang naglalaro apat! 8) O diba? Sulit
! Woot. Kaso mukhang kailangan namin siyang itago pag midterms at finals. LOL.
"O? Bakit tatlo lang tayo? ???"
"Wala si Den. Si Elle at Ria aalis daw."
"Saan pupunta?"
"Tanong mo. Nagbibihis pa sila eh."
"Eh si Den?"
"Malay ko. Baka nanglalalake." ::)
"Beep beep. Excuse me lang Liam ah," said Jon coldly. "Pwede ba kung tatawagin m
ong malandi at nanglalalake yung pinsan ko e wag mo nang iparinig saken? Bastusa
n eh. >:("
Namutla si Liam.
Haha. Yan kasi.
"Sorry bro." :(
"Kelan ba matatapos yang away na yan?"
"Hindi ko alam. Siya kasi. :-\"
"Alam mo ganyan din sinabi ni Den sakin. Hindi ba kayo nahihiya sa amin? Bah. Et
ong bahay na to lagi na lang may tensyon pag andyan kayo. Para kaming mga tuod d
i makakilos eh. Kung turuan kayo ng turuan dyan... ay ewan. Bahala kayo sa buhay
niyo."
"Naranasan mo nang mawala sayo yung pinsan ko diba?"
"Ah. Eh. Oo."
"Gusto mo maulit yun? Na tuloy tuloy?"
"Syempre hindi."
"Eh gagu ka pala eh." ::)
"Bakit na naman?" :o
"Ayaw mo palang mawala, di mo pa lapitan? O!" tinapon ni Otan sa kanya yung cell
phone niya. "Sigurado pag yan gamit mo hindi ka bababaan nun ng telepono. Ano pa
hinihintay mo?! LABAS! DOON MAY SIGNAL!"
Natawa na lang ako sa itsura ng WTF face ni Liam. Panalo pare. ALAT KUNG ALAT. ;
D
Sakto naman lumabas ng kwarto sila Elle pati si Ria.
I'm worried about Ria. Simula pa nung sinundo namin siya sa hospital, ganyan na.
Ayaw naman sabihin kung bakit. Basta pagkapasok namin nung room, may kausap sa
cellphone. Hindi naman sinasabi sa amin kung sino yun. Nagtataka na nga kami, an
o na naman kaya nangyari? Basta kasi pagkasakay na pagkasakay niya ng kotse, si
Elle yung tinawagan niya agad para pumunta sa condo namin.
"Hi insan!" sigaw ni Otan. "Tumawag na ba si Maffy? Ha? Sabi niya kasi sa email
this week daw siya uuwi! Sinabi niya ba kung kelan pati saang airport, kasi diba
may 1 2 3 na yung NAIA? Sabihin mo kahit ako na muna sundo!!! :D"
Sus. HYPER eh. HAHAHA.
"Hindi pa siya tumatawag. Siguro sayo yun dederetso."
"Oo nga naman! Di naman siya boypren eh. Engs ka talaga Master Otan. TSK. ;D"
Natawa sila, pero yung dalawang girls parang napilitan lang.
Hmmm. Something's fishy.
Hinila ko sandali si Elle.
"Meron ka ba di sinasabi sakin?" ???
"Ganun ba kahalata? :o"
T_T
"Ok. Fine. I can't tell you."
"That figures." ::)

"Later. I'll call you."

"Ngayon na."
"Nagmamadali kami." :-X
"Bakit?"
"Sa Las Pinas kami pupunta."
"LAS-?! :o
She covered my mouth.
"SHUT UP!" sabi niya, tas pinanlakihan niya ako ng mata: a warning sign. "Pag ma
y nagtanong, sabihin mo nagsh-shopping lang kami sa Trinoma. Okay?"
"But"If you spill the beans I'll kill you."
She looked serious.
"Fine. I love you too."
Her expression softened. HAHA. Panalo talaga mga linya ko. 8)
"Oh darn. Nakokonsensya ako. LECHE. Fine. Basta wait for my call, ok? I'll tell
you everything."
"Ok. Mag-ingat kayo."
Tumingin ako sa direction ni Ria... she looked lost in thought. Nung napansin ni
yang nakatingin kami ni Elle ngumiti siya ng tipid.
"Cuz," I called out to her. "Kaya mo magdrive?"
"Yup."
"Sige. Try not to get apprehended."
Lumapit ako sa kanya tas pinat ko yung head niya.
"I know there's something you're not telling me," I said to her in a low voice.
"Pero if you need anything, you know who to turn to."
"Of course. Thanks Aidan."
She tapped my shoulder tas lumabas na.
Elle followed her.
Chapter Forty One (B)
Elle's POV
Tahimik lang kami ni Ria sa loob ng kotse. Mukha siya talagang problemado pero n
akakaconcentrate pa naman siyang magdrive. Wala gaanong traffic, kaya in 50 minu
tes, kahit galing kami ng QC nasa dulo na kami agad nung Coastal Road.
"Thanks Elle."
"For what?" ???
"Alam mo na. Sa hindi mo pagsabi kay Aidan."
"Oo naman. Alam ko naman kasi yung mga yun eh. Baka mangjombag. Hindi pa naman s
ila mahilig makinig sa paliwanag."
"Feel ko naman makikinig siya sayo."
"Oo. Mamaya ko na lang sasabihin, pag tapos na."
"Natatakot ako."
"Bakit?"
"Wala lang. Ewan. Ang labo kasi." :-\
"I totally get you," I told her reassuringly. "Hindi madali yang sitwasyon mo."
"Akalain ko bang magkapatid pala sila. MY GOD. Sa sobrang galit ko sa isang baga
y na hindi naman pala totoo, kung ano ano na naisip ko. Sa galit ko kay Gelo..."
"He will understand you. You know how he is."
"Hindi ko alam kung ano mangyayari."
"Mahal mo pa rin naman eh."
It was a statement; not a question. I see it in her. Even if she has tried to de
ny it, alam ko at alam ng lahat na meron pa rin.
Pero ngayon kasi, kumplikado...
"Syempre naman. Akala ko nawala. Akala ko nabawasan. Funny what anger can do. No
w it's all back in full measure."
She gave a mirthless laugh.
"I'm worried about how he could be handling this," she said, turning towards the
Philam gate.
"Ako rin. I cried really hard when I found out about Rish. Hindi ko akalain..."
:(
"Ako naghalo na lahat eh. Nakonsensya ako kasi parang hinusgahan ko agad siya, i

nassume ko agad na mang-aagaw siya... pati yung kay Lance pa, syempre diba..."
She heaved a sigh.
"Pero babawi ako. Sa kanya... saka kay Gelo..."
Natahimik kami ulit pagkapasok namin ng BF. Pakiramdam ko kinakabahan na siya. S
yempre. After seven months na walang communication, ngayon lang sila magkikita u
lit. Their issues seemed to solve themselves on their own pero parang may mali p
a rin. Ewan ko ba. Feeling ko yun yung iniisip niya.
"Alam mo ba yung unang time na pumunta ako dyan sa bahay nila?" she asked with a
weak smile. "Maysakit siya nun. Pinahiram niya ako ng payong, siya nabasa. Ang
bobo noh? Pero syempre nakunsensiya ako... dinalhan ko siya ng pagkain... nag-aw
ay pa nga kami ni Liam nun e! HAHAHA! Ang labo ng kwento ko."
"Parang ang dami niyo talaga dinaanan noh?"
"Oo nga eh."
"Yuck. Tapos ex ko siya na binuhusan ko ng mantika..."
"Kaya kami naging close..."
"Tapos tayo mortal enemies... tae ang pangit! Haha! Looking back, never ko naima
gine we would end up like this."
"Ay naku oo. Kulang na lang noon magpatayan tayo sa corridors! HAHA!"
Tumawa kami ng tumawa hanggang makita na namin yung silhouette ng bahay nila Gel
o. Paano ba naming hindi makikita agad eh yun yung pinakamalaking bahay dun. Jos
ko.
Tinigil ni Ria yung kotse sa tapat ng gate. Nung bumaba kami nakita na namin yun
g mga maid na mukhang may inaantay. Grabe, parang nakaformation pa sila. Nag-ala
ngan pa kami kasi hindi namin alam yung gagawin, kung sasama ba kami sa kanila o
maghihintay na lang rin.
At that precise moment, Gelo's black Toyota Camry had appeared and pulled over.
Bumukas yung gate nung bahay, tapos nakita namin yung Daddy saka Mommy niya, mag
kasama lumabas para salubungin yung anak nila pero nauna yung isa. Nakasimangot
yung Dad niya, pero nung nakita niya pero nung napatingin siya sa amin ni Ria tu
mango siya na may kasamang tipid na ngiti. Gelo's mom, on the contrary, looked v
ulnerable and shaky as she approached us, careful not to look into anyone's face
. Her lip was trembling.
Bumukas yung pinto ng kotse, at lumabas si Maffy. We rushed to give her a hug ea
ch, tapos binati rin siya ng parents ni Gelo.
"Maffs, si-...?
Tumingin ulit si Maffy sa kotse, tapos wala. She rolled her eyes tapos lumapit.
"Gelo. Andito na tayo. Bumaba ka na."
"Angelo? Anak?"
Lumapit na rin yung Mom ni Gelo. Ibang iba siya sa pagkakakilala ko sa kanya. Nu
ng pinakilala ko sa kanila ni Gelo dati, napakacomposed niya. Yung tipo ng babae
na magwawala sa konting mantsa sa damit niya sa sobrang pagkametikulosa.
Pero ngayon...
"Gelo, please."
Sumilip si Maffy sa loob ng kotse and a cold voice came out of it.
"Ibalik niyo ko sa New York. Ngayon na."
A very disheveled figure dragged himself out of the car, looking disoriented.
Halos di ko siya nakilala. Pumayat siya. Bagay pa rin, pero iba eh. Pati itsura
ng mukha niya nag iba. Mukha rin siyang ilang araw na hindi nakapag-ahit, lukot
yung damit, magulo yung buhok...
"Oh god. Gelo..."
Napatingin ako kay Ria- the expression on her face was too much for anyone to be
ar. Her heart went out to him. She looked close to tears as she approached him.
"Bakit niyo ba ko dinala dito?! Don't you realize? Naiwan dun si Rish mag-isa!"
He stood up to full height- I couldn't help but notice he's also grown taller. H
e looked completely menacing as he frowned at the house, looking like he was sta
ring at something disgusting. His eyes found Ria. I half-expected him to at leas
t smile.
"What are you staring at?" he snapped. Ria looked completely devastated as she q
uietly stared at him, her eyes wide and afraid. He continued to look at her like
she was vermin.

"At ikaw? Kanina ka pa sa eroplano ah?" he sniped, turning towards Maffy.

"Sorry, everyone. He's drunk. He found a way to sneak alcohol on board"Leche. Bakit nandito ka?" he said angrily, addressing his mother. "Diba sabi ko
He took a step towards her and came crashing onto the ground.
"Anak! Are you okay?"
Masyado na siyang lasing kaya hindi na rin siya makatayo. Lumapit yung mommy niy
a, but before she could touch him"DON'T EVEN DARE!" >:(
Sinubukan niyang tumayong mag-isa pero hindi niya nagawa. Hindi siya kinaya ni M
affy kaya si Ria yung tumulong. Hindi naman pumalag si Gelo, kaya naipasok na ni
la sa living room. Nagpaiwan na lang ako sa labas kasi wala naman akong mapapala
. Ayoko na ring makita kung ano pang mga pwedeng mangyari sa loob.
I don't think I can look any longer at what was left of Gelo.
The person they had just carried into the living room was not our friend, but a
monster. A hideous, selfish fiend who had lost all sense of being.
I quickly got my phone and dialled Aidan.
"Hello?"
"Teddybear. I miss you."
"Me too. Nasa Las Pinas na kayo?"
"Oo. Kanina pa. You wouldn't believe..."
"I wouldn't believe what?"
Biglang nagcreak yung gate. I saw Ria walking towards me, her face tear-streaked
, her eyes fixed at no particular spot in space. Hindi ko pa siya nakitang ganit
o. Mas malala pa nga siya ngayon kumpara nung kinuha namin siya ni Gelo sa bar.
"Ellie?"
"Teddybear, can you wait again till we get back to QC? I'm so sorry. Something's
up."
"But"Please?"
"Ok. Basta mag-ingat kayo."
I ended the call and quickly turned to Ria, who was now crying freely, unable to
control her tears. Niyakap ko na lang siya. Hindi ko kasi alam kung anong gagaw
in. She was shaking.
"Sshhhh."
"Kawawa naman siya... Hindi ko akalain..."
"He'll come around."
She broke off from me and wiped her tears off on her sleeve like a kid.
"But the way he acted towards you! What an idiot. ::) Nakakainis. Sarap sampalin
, to think nagdrive ka pa ng bonggang bongga mula QC..."
"Okay lang. Naiintindihan ko siya."
Jusko naman itong kaibigan ko.
Forever maintindihin. FOREVER. ::)
"Look..."
"Ellie," she said reassuringly. "I'm fine. Really."
"Your nose is growing, sweetheart."
"Ikaw na rin nagsabi. He'll come around. Pati lasing siya kanina. Ok lang yun. I
must understand, I must be there for him. After all, I'm the one at fault. I sh
ould be the one making amends."
"Ria. Sh1t how do I say this..."
"I know. Aidan's waiting for you. Sige balik ka na QC. You can use my car. Malap
it lang naman ako eh, kahit idaan mo na lang ako dun..."
"Not that, stupid."
"Eh ano?"
"Well... sige. Papabayaan kitang bumalik sa... monster na yun. Bahala ka kung an
o gusto mo, kung talagang dyan ka magiging okay, sige. Kung gusto mo talagang ma
gstay kasama niya... kung talagang umaasa kang maibabalik mo siya sa dati, sige.
Ako na rin bahala magpaliwanag kina Otan..."
She went and hugged me.
"Thank you, Elle. THANK YOU."

"Wait, hindi pa ko tapos. There's a condition."

Bumitaw siya sakin, one of her brows raised.
"What's that?" ???
"Well... all I want to say is that it's okay to love him. Just always remember t
o love yourself more. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Pag sumobra siya... gaya kanina... tandaan mong ok lang sumuko, ok?"
"Elle naman." :-\
"Anong Elle naman? Seryoso ako. Sa nakita ko kanina..."
Hinawakan niya ako sa balikat, with a hopeful smile on her face that totally con
trasted with her tears.
"I understand your concerns. But really, Elle. This is what I want."
I saw the sincerity in her eyes. It bothered me more.
Ria's being stubborn again. If this gets ugly...
"At this point, I'm the only one who can help."
"You're right."
"I promise, Ellie," she said with half-hearted conviction. "We'll have the old G
elo back in no time. I'll make sure of it."
Chapter Forty Two
Ria's POV
"Ok na ko."
Sinamahan ko si Gelo sa bago niyang unit. Tatlong kwarto lang ang layo nito dun
sa amin, kaya madali. Maayos naman na yung pagkalipat ng mga gamit niya. Pumayag
rin sina Aidan at Liam na maging roommate niya para hindi siya gaanong malungko
t mag-isa. Si Otan matigas ulo, ayaw lumipat, kaya naiwan siya sa room kasama na
min ni Den. ;D Si Maffy, malapit na ring lumipat sa unit namin. Wala lang, gusto
lang daw niya dun sa amin muna, bago siya bumalik ng US after one month.
"Baka daw mamaya pa konti sina Aidan at Liam."
"Ok."
"Hindi ka ba malulungkot dito?"
"Hindi."
"Gusto mo ba ipagluto kita? May"Ria," he said coldly, "Hindi kita yaya. At lalong hindi ako bata. Wag ka ngang
umarteng babysitter." >:(
Nagulat ako. Hindi ako nakaimik. Tiningnan ko lang siya habang kinuha niya yung
remote at binuksan yung TV. Simula kanina sa school, hindi niya pa ako tinitingn
an, kahit kausap niya ako.
"Eh"You heard me, right?"
I heaved a sigh.
"O sige. Sabay na lang tayo ulit papuntang school bukas ha. :)"
Lumapit na ko sa pinto. Hindi man lang siya tumayo or tumingin.
"Ay, coding nga pala ako bukas. Sabay na lang tayo kay Aidan, ha?"
"Ikaw."
"Good night."
Hindi siya sumagot. Nilakasan niya lang yung volume ng TV.
Sinara ko yung pinto at hindi na nag-expect ng kahit ano. Hindi ko alam kung bak
it siya nagkakaganyan. Tinanong ko siya kung galit siya sa akin, hindi naman daw
. Sinubukan din siyang kausapin nila Liam kanina pero hindi makausap ng matino.
Nahihiya na nga ako eh.
Bumalik na ko sa room namin.
"O, musta insan?" Jon asked. "You look... weird."
"Ano ba. Wala to," I said, not wanting to ruin the mood. Magkaakbay kasi sila ni
Maffs dun sa sofa while watching their favorite DVD- 50 First Dates. "Ayos lang
ako."
"Saan ka naman pupunta?"
"Mag-aaral."
"Sa labas?"
"Oo. I need my Starbucks fix. ;)"
"HAHA. Daya."

"Kaya mo mag-isa?"
"Oo naman. Dalhin ko na lang kotse."
"Hatid kita. Madilim."
"WAG NA KUYA! Dyan na kayo. Istorbo pa ko. Kaya ko naman eh. ;D"
I left as quickly as I could, holding my wallet in one hand and my Econ 101 book
in another.
Hindi na nila ko kailangang makitang nag-eemote habang umiinom ng kape.
Sa totoo lang, nakakafrustrate. Ang sakit sa ulo. Ewan ko ba, pero hindi ko maga
wang magalit. Nakakaasar na nga eh. Feeling ko tuloy ang tanga-tanga ko. Pero ok
lang yun. Lilipas din naman to eh. Kailangan lang ng pasensya.
Kaya to. KAYANG-KAYA. Ako pa. ;D
Mabilis lang ako nakarating ng Starbucks. Wala gaanong traffic sa Katipunan (mal
aking himala, no?) kaya okay. May parking din kaya masaya. Weehee. :D
Pagkaamoy ko pa lang ng coffee beans sa pagpasok ng shop, masaya na ko. Nakalimu
tan ko nang may problema ko. ;D haha. I love you Starbucks.
"Good evening!" :D
"I'll have a hot grande white chocolate mocha, non fat and no whip with 1 splend
a... saka isang caramel waffle."
HAHA. Shoot. Tataba ako nito. ;D
"Are you Ria?"
Huh? ???
"Um. Yeah."
"Your exact order has been taken care of," sabi nung barista with a smile, gestu
ring towards a tall figure that was standing near the condiments counter.
Mukhang kilala ko to ah.
"Hi."
He turned to face me and smiled. Kumuha ako ng tissue saka stirrer.
"Hello." :)
"I didn't know, manghuhula ka pala."
"Hindi naman. I wasn't really expecting you to come, but when I saw you enter th
e room, I ordered na rin for you."
"How come you know my favorite?"
"Paanong hindi eh pag pumupunta ako rito saktong dumadating ka rin? ;D" he asked
, chuckling. "Naririnig ko na rin order mo. Eh yun nang yun din naman so it's no
t really hard."
"HAHA. Stalker." ;D
"Ikaw naman feeler." :P
"One double venti nonfat caramel macchiato for Lance... one grande nonfat nowhip
white chocolate mocha with 1 splenda and a caramel waffle for Ria."
Ok. Kamusta naman yung barista. ;D Buti di nabubulol.
"Shall I pick a table?"
"Sure." :)
We chose a secluded corner for privacy. Chos, privacy daw? Wala lang. Ayoko ng m
aingay, plano ko pa naman mag-aral. ;D Eh may dala rin naman siyang libro so...
hahaha.
Teka, hindi ba masama tong ginagawa ko?
Hmm. Nakishare lang naman ng table eh. ::) Pati ang bastos ko naman kung hindi.
Siya pa naman nagbayad ng pagkain ko. HAHA. Pati hindi naman to date. Joke lang
to. ;D
"Musta Math 100?"
"Ayos lang."
"Nag-advance ka pala ng Econ 101."
"Oo. Cool nga ng prof ko. Imagine. Summa Cum Laude siya noon, she graduated with
an average of 1.08. Sobrang amazed ako. Idol ko na siya. :D"
"Inggit ka naman?"
"Oo eh."
"NERD." ;D
"Whatever."
"HAHA. Labo. So..."
"Yeah. Hahaha."

"Musta naman kayo?"

Knowing what he meant, I looked him in the eye as I opened my mouth to say 'ok l
ang'... big mistake. I found myself unable to lie.
"Ah..." sabi ko, then I looked away. "Ayos naman."
Humigop ako sa kape ko para hindi makita ang reaction niya.
"Ikaw?"
"Ok lang rin."
"Good. I mean... good. Haha."
Natahimik kami.
I struggled, wanting to say something that I couldn't phrase. I knew there was s
omething I needed to say, but I couldn't think of it exactly...
"Yeah."
Okay. Kamusta naman. ;D Nagkasabay pa. Parang ewan lang eh.
"Maraming nangyari."
"Right."
"There was one point na... alam mo na... hehe..."
I knew exactly what he meant.
Oo nga. Medyo weird kaming dalawa ngayon. Kumbaga sa standing, kwatro. Pasang-aw
a. ;D Alanganin ba. May malabo, may okay... may part na parang oo na parang hind
i.
"We're okay, right?"
"Oo naman."
"Ibig kong sabihin... okay. Eh. Friends."
"Tama."
I got myself busy with my waffle while thinking. For some reason, my brain cells
aren't working properly.
"Awkward no. HAHA. TAKTE. Parang jinojoke kasi tayo ng buhay. Wala lang. Siguro
kailangan lang talaga natin magclarify ng ilang bagay. Yun. Kailangan pareho nat
in ng... alam mo na."
"Yeah. Time. Space. Cheesy no? HAHA."
"Medyo nga. Adik!" he said with a forced laugh. "Pero seryoso. Ngayon kasi andya
n na si Gelo... At ginagalang ko yun. And after what happened to Rish, I do need
time to think things over. I'm sure you want to do the same."
"Oo naman."
I smiled; the first true smile I had in days.
Tumayo siya.
"Sige. Baka may makakita pa satin dito, mapaaway ka pa. Dun na lang ako sa unit
ko mag-aaral."
"Haha. Okay."
"Um. Nga pala. If this happens to be the end of it all... gusto ko lang sabihin.
.."
He hesitated and gave me a short glance.
"Na ano?"
"Well. It's that I'm glad it all happened."
Kinuha niya na yung kape niya.
"Good night, Nerd." ;)
Liam's POV
"Are you sure about this?" :o
Denise, Aidan and I had just come from dinner as not one of us had bothered to c
ook. Yeah. Den and I have made up, but more pressing matters had surfaced. Halfw
ay through dinner, we came across a problem that has taken us so long to figure
out.
"Positive."
"You think we should tell her?"
"She has more than enough on her plate without this," Aidan said sternly. "Elle
always said she's already getting thisclose to going senile."
"Fine, we don't tell her... then what?" ???
"Well for one, we keep Ria sane. Everyone's happy."
"Paano naman si Gelo? Pababayaan nating maging patapon?"
"Who said I gave a sh1t about Gelo?" >:(

Den and I exhcanged glum looks as Aidan opened the door of the unit- where we sa
w Jon and Maffy sitting side by side on the couch. I perfectly understand how he
felt; he and Gelo were never close. The latter's behavior during the past few d
ays had not helped either. Aidan's been like this for weeks; he's become quite p
rotective of Ria recently, as Elle had asked him to (being in a different school
gave her the jitters and excessive worries). Well, to be completely honest, Aid
an has enough reasons to be such a douchebag; Gelo's recent treatment of Ria was
more than enough to drive anyone up the wall.
"Where's Ria?"
"Ah, nag Starbucks sandali. Mag-aaral lang daw. Gusto niyo itext ko?"
"Wag na. Tatawagan ko na lang," sabi ni Jonathan, then he dialled.
A phone rang off somewhere nearby, and as though on cue, the door burst open, re
vealing Ria's tall figure standing on the doorway.
"O bakit ka tumatawag?" she asked, looking confused. She looked up at every face
in the room. "At bakit nandito kayong lahat?"
"Serial sleepover. ;D"
"Ria, what time is Gelo's first class?"
"Ah... 8 am, bakit?"
Nagkatinginan kami ni Aidan.
"That figures," Aidan muttered.
"Ano meron?"
"Hindi siya sumabay sayo kanina diba?"
"Pinauna niya ko, 7 yung first class ko eh, bakit ba?"
"Well, wala lang. We just find it funny na when we left at 8:05 this morning, na
tutulog pa rin siya."
"Ha?" :o
"Den has something to ask din."
"Ano yun?"
"Does he have a 1 o clock class?"
"Kanina? Oo. Math 17 niya nga yun eh."
"Talaga? Eh kasi, nakita ko siya sa parking lot... naninigarilyo. 1 to 2:30 clas
s ko yun, katabi ko yung bintana, kaya nakita ko siya sa Math building rin. The
whole time nakatayo lang siya dun sa tabi ng kotse niya."
Umupo si Ria dun sa pinakamalapit na chair, running a hand through her hair. She
looked so agitated.
"Akala ko ba pumapasok na siya? ANO BA TO." :-\
She threw her textbook on the table and seemed to have completely forgotten abou
t studying.
"What should I do?" :-\
"Who said you had to do anything? Honestly. You shouldn't worry about it. It's h
is life."
"Eh"Bakit ano ba plano niyang gawin? Magluksa habangbuhay?" Aidan asked heatedly. "
Di mo na siguro kasalanan na pinipili niya yung ganyang buhay diba?"
"But I promised to take responsibility. Kung papabayaan ko siya, eh..."
"Eh ano? Makokonsensya ka na naman? Kasalanan mo na naman? Iiyakan mo na naman?
Can't you please just STOP taking charge of things that are out of your hands? >
:( Buti sana kungSiniko ko si Aidan. Masyado na yatang magulo utak ni Ria para pagalitan niya pa.
Kawawa rin naman kasi. Mabuti naman yung intention eh.
"Wag ka nang magalit o. Please lang."
Aidan's stern manner quickly vanished.
"Ria naman kasi..."
"Kakausapin ko na lang siya, ok? Just give him some space and time."
"Ok lang sana Ria... kaso..."
"I think we've given him enough of both. More than enough, actually."
"For weeks, we endured and believed your excuses for him. We actually gave him a
chance, not because we believed he can change but because of you."
"Because of me? Guys"Yes, for who else would we do it? ::) I mean come on."

"As if naman kakaibiganin pa namin siya kung hindi mo siya pinagtatanggol."

"Matapos ng pinaggagagawa nun? Masaya siya."
"Ba't niyo ba pinagtutulungan yun?" she said, standing up. She had this fire in
her eyes that I've never seen before. "Ano bang nagawa niya sa inyo, ha? He lost
his sister, forgodssake! Ano bang alam niyo? Ni hindi niyo nga alam kung bakit
siya nagkakaganyan! Bakit, alam niyo bang binabalewala siya ng Daddy niya? Alam
niyo bang sagad sa buto ang kasamaan ng ugali ng Mommy niya, at si Rish na nga l
ang yung naging sandalan niya tapos nawala pa?! ANO BANG ALAM NIYO?!" >:(
Natanga lang kaming lahat sa naging itsura niya.
Sa amin pa siya galit?
"Ni hindi niyo kilala yung tao, ginaganun niyo?!"
"Ria"Ako na lang ang meron siya, naiintindihan niyo ba yun? Ha? Kayo, ilagay niyo sa
rili niyo sa sitwasyon niya... sige ano? Would any of you do any better?"
Her hands were balled into fists. Nakakatakot. Si Aidan na lang ang nakakatiis n
a tumingin sa kanya sa mata. They were fighting a war of wills.
"Fine. If you can prove us wrong about him, then you win. He WILL get another ch
ance. Otherwise..."
"DEAL. Let's go and talk to him. Tell him your issues right in his face. Not beh
ind his back."
She turned on her heel and opened the door with the rest of us following her. Si
lently, we went our way through the narrow, dim-lit corridor of the dormitory. I
had an ominous feeling about what's to come.
"This doesn't feel right."
"I couldn't agree more." :-\
"You think may patutunguhan to?"
She gave me a look that plainly said no.
"Hindi ko na siya maintindihan."
"Nakakainis. Tayo-tayo tuloy nagkakagalit dahil dyan."
"I just hope she's right about all this."
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
"Gelo?" Ria called.
There was no answer. Aidan and I exchanged glances.
"Where's the key?"
"Here."
Aidan gave it to her, looking smug.
"Galing ah. Maglalock, alam na may darating pa."
"May susi ka naman eh. Naghahanap ka na naman ng dahilan para magalit nangWhen Ria swung the door open, we weren't prepared for what we saw.
It was Gelo, fast asleep on the couch. :o
On the center table near him was an ashtray where a stick still lay smoking. Aro
und it were six big bottles of alcohol, all emptied.
She looked around on all of us, as though daring us to gloat.
"Congratulations. Apparently you're all right and I'm wrong."
Shoving the keys into Aidan's hands, she gave a sarcastic smile.
"So I lost the freaking bet," she hissed at him. "HAPPY?"
With that, she left us to go back to her room.
Chapter Forty Three
Ria's POV
"Anong gagawin natin dun?" he snapped as I told him about my plans for the after
noon. "Ikaw na lang. Total mas enjoy ka naman dun eh."
"Gelo, kailangan nating pumunta dun. Nag-aapply tayo diba? Paano tayo matatangga
p kung hindi tayo aatend?"
"Sino bang nagsabi sayong gusto kong sumali sa lintek na org na yun?"
"Ano ba problema mo? Pwede mo namang sabihin ng maayos!"
Lately, my patience levels haven't been as kind. >:( My friends have practically
shut me out of the circle since that dramatic night on the dorm, and the only c
hoice I have left is to deal with this Grinch who practically hates anything and
everything he could set his eyes on. Oo nga naman. I chose this. Not their faul
t but mine. AGAIN.

Pare. Akalain mo. May limitasyon din pala ang pasensya ko.
"Masyado ka kasing makulit."
I restrained myself from rolling my eyes with difficulty.
"Fine. >:( Ikaw bahala, if you'd really rather burn your lungs than do something
productiveI stopped, seeing the angry look on his face.
"What did you say?" he asked defiantly.
"Why, did it hurt?" I snapped. He pulled me by the elbow to make me face him.
"How did you know?"
"Is that important? It's not like you care about me knowing it, right?"
An awful, unfamiliar smile curled on his lips.
It wasn't the one I remember seeing...
"Buti alam mo."
"You do know what you're doing, don't you?"
"Yeah. I know exactly what I'm doing, so don't even dare put your nose in it."
"Look"You have no right to interfere, Ria. Stop playing the nagging wife."
Binitiwan niya ako at tumalikod siya sakin. Pulling a white stick out of his poc
ket, he went and blew another puff in the air, leaving me behind.
I simply stared after him, confused. Was the decision to leave my friends for hi
m a big mistake?
Oh well. Ok na rin siguro tong galit sa akin ang mundo. Marami akong oras mag-ar
al.
Naiwan ko sa kotse ni Gelo yung ID ko and I had no plans of retrieving it, so th
e library was not a good choice as they won't let me in without it.
LECHE. Sa tambayan na nga lang. Sigurado tahimik. Wala naman laging tao doon.
Pag-akyat ko, may naririnig akong ingay. Mukhang may org na nagcecelebrate. Wish
ko lang malayo tambayan nila sa amin. Ano na naman kayang pauso yun? TSS.
I slapped my forehead the moment I reached the room.
How could I have forgotten? TAMBAY WEEK NGAYON! STOOOOPID.
So the noisy org I was thinking about turned out to be... this.
GREAT. Saan na ko mag-aaral?!
Anak ng"RIA?"
I turned and saw Rafa, smiling at me while holding a bunch of newspapers.
"YAY you're here!" he exclaimed, looking like he wanted to hug me. ;D "Event ko
to eh! ASTIG!"
Inakbayan niya ko then he led me to the tambayan, giving me no time to escape.
Well, it's a welcome change, considering I haven't been able to talk to a decent
human being during the past week.
"May guardian ka na?"
"Wala pa. Pwede ikaw?" ;D
"So you wanna be in SPR din?"
"What's SPR?"
"Nge, nahahalata ka di ka nakikinig nung orsem. Pero ok lang yan. Kung ako guard
ian mo... you'll get to know everything you have to know. ;)"
It felt great. Tagal ko na rin hindi nakakabonding itong unggoy na to eh.
"HELLO!"
Lumingon naman ako dun sa bagong dating. Paano, ang lakas kasi ng boses. Pinangi
babawan yung ingay ng tambayan. SOLID eh.
"Hey Ria, you're applying din?"
Jusko. Si Karissa Yutanco pala yung malaking bunganga na yun. ::)
"Yeah... ikaw?"
"No, I'm a mem na. Internals yo! HEHE. I meant pareho pala kayo ni Lance."
"Ah. Oo. Hindi lang ako. Sila Aidan rin."
"COOL! Are they going?"
"I... don't know." :(
She gave me a strange look, as though I was being weird or something. Rafa clear
ed his throat.
"Hey Sis."

"Kai, andito na ice crNapatingin uli ako sa pinto, andun si Lance, may hawak na dalawang ice cream.
"Err. Hi."
Ngumiti na lang ako para di masabing bastos tas inalis ko na yung tingin ko sa k
anila. Naiinis ako eh. Ewan ko ba.
"EVERYONE!!!"
One of the officers was standing on a chair, para makita at marinig siya ng laha
t. Syempre masunurin kami, lumingon kami dun.
"We're playing a game. Newspaper dance. Sounds old-school but oh well! Get a par
tner!"
Palingon na sana ko kay Lance pero magkaakbay na sila ni Karissa, nakataas pareh
o yung kamay.
"Ok! Lance and Kai pair number one! Get your newspaper na!"
"Rafa and Ria pair number two!!!" Rafa shouted beside me, holding his arm around
my shoulder.
"Sige sabi ng SPRINT officer eh! ;D GAME!"
Nagpair up na rin yung mga tao, tipong one mem is to one app. Hinila na ako ni R
afa papunta dun sa corner nung tambayan na may newspaper. Buti na lang. Mas may
hangin doon eh.
"You okay?" he said, leaning to whisper in my ear. "You look... jealous." ;D
"Kamusta na kayo ni Gellie?"
He looked at me with a frown.
"You're changing the subject. T_T"
"Di ka pa rin sinasagot? WEAK mo. FAIL!!!" ;D
"Adrianna Elizabeth. Sasakalin kita eh."
"Oo na oo na."
"Oo na oo na? Edi oo nagseselos ka nga?" :D
"Bwisit ka." ::)
Inirapan ko siya then I folded my arms.
"Ok lang naman eh. Ako lang to."
Tiningnan ko na lang siya without speaking. He nodded.
"Okay. Gets."
"Hindi naman eh. I mean what's the point of being jealous? I'm in a"Turbulent relationship?"
"Rafael." >:(
"Well let me ask you something... what's the POINT of staying with someone who d
oesn't even treat you properly?"
"Pati ba naman ikaw?"
"I'm sorry. Concerned lang ako. Alam mo na. ;)"
I sighed.
"Ok. Salamat."
"I know you're not okay. Want a big bear hug?" ;)
I felt my frown vanish. Lumapit ako, tapos niyakap ko siya, without caring that
we are in full view of everyone. Who cares? I mean I DO need the bear hug. :( Ka
wawa naman kasi ako.
"Kaw kasi. Inaaway mo silang lahat. Pinagpalit mo sa isang siraulo't kalahati. P
alibhasa alam mo andito ko. :P"
"Adik ka talaga."
"Bakit totoo naman."
"Naku. Muntik ko na nga makalimutan na andyan ka. ;D"
"Yan ang wag mong gagawin. Sasapukin kita eh."
"O, tama na. Machismis pa tayo rito."
Bumitaw na ako. Nakatingin sakin yung ibang babae.
HAHA. Iba talaga itong si Rafael. Hanggang dito ba naman!
"My hugs are free. Available anytime."
"Haha. Sige. 24 hours yan ah?"
"Tae ka ginawa mo naman akong Mini Stop."
"Sabi mo anytime eh! HAHA!"
"Fine, couz. Kung di ka lang namin alagain nila Aidan, naku... pasalamat ka. ;D"
"APPS AND MEMS! READY?"

Tumugtog na. Nakailang rounds din kami hanggang tatlong pairs na lang natira. Na
eliminate na nga agad sila Lance at Kai eh.
HAHA. Di siguro mabuhat si Karissa. BIGAT KASI. >:D
"O, bubuhatin na talaga kita sa next ah?"
"Ok."
"Kakapit ka, ok?"
"OK!"
Tumigil na yung tugtog, tapos he scooped me up in one sweeping motion. Takte ang
bilis eh. Parang unan lang ako. Ganun ba ko kapayat?
Tawa pa kami ng tawa ni Rafa kasi nagtatry siya magbalance on one foot. HAHA. EF
FORT!
Biglang natahimik yung mga tao. Nung una, hindi ko gets, pero pagtingin ko, a ta
ll figure was making his way through the crowd, looking upset, his eyes focused
on me.
"BABA." >:(
His voice was low but icy. I could feel his rage from a few meters away. Hindi n
a maganda yung pakiramdam ko pero hindi naman ako makakilos.
Nakakahiya. Kita kami ng buong org. Kahit kelan yata talaga, hindi na niya ko bi
nigyan ng kahihiyan... sa mga kaibigan ko... hanggang rito ba naman?
"HINDI KA BABABA?"
Rafa and I looked at each other. Sinenyasan ko siya tapos dahan dahan niya akong
binaba.
The moment my feet had touched the floor, Gelo grabbed my arm and dragged me acr
oss the room, like a pet about to get a beating.
I felt scared, wanting to let go of his strong grip... but I couldn't. He was to
o strong.
Binitiwan niya ko pagkarating namin sa back lobby.
"Kaya ka pala nagmamadaling bumalik ng tambayan, ha?" he said, sharply poking me
on the side of the head, once... twice. "Kelan ka pa natutong lumandi, ha?"
"It was just a game, nothing more. Ano ka ba? Event ng SPR-"
"A GAME? You think I'll believe you? WHAT ARE YOU TAKING ME FOR, AN IDIOT?!"
He poked my temple again with his index finger.
"You know what I think? You're a silly, half-witted flirt who doesn't have an id
ea on how to handle a freaking relationship!"
I stared at him, hardly able to believe what I just heard.
"Ulitin mo nga yung sinabi mo."
"Ulitin ba kamo? Sabi ko malandi ka!" >:(
Stunned, I stood there, looking at him and waiting...
I've never felt so insulted in my entire life.
"Ano, ha? Yun ba pinagmamalaki mo? Yung hinayupak na anak ng pulitiko na yun? An
o habol mo? Ha? Maraming pera? Sikat? Iba na siguro standards mo no? Nakailan ka
ng katulad niya habang wala ako ha?"
"Marami," I said.
"Anong sabi mo?" >:(
"Sabi ko marami. Maraming katulad niya. Gwapo, mayaman, may direksyon. Hindi pat
apon. Hindi lasenggerong palaging naghahanap ng away, hindi sunogbaga na laging
absent sa klase. Ewan ko nga kung bakit pinagtyatyagaan kita, sa dami nilang nak
apila? Aba! Akala moHe pushed me against the wall, his hands tight on my shoulders.
The smell of alcohol and cigarettes was overwhelming.
"Tumigil ka."
"Hindi."
Tinulak ko rin siya at nagsimulang maglakad palayo.
Tama na to. Hindi ko na kaya eh.
Marunong din akong mapuno. Hindi ko planong ma-beatify na santo para lang sa ugo
k na to.
Aba'y sino ba siya? Kung sasaktan ko rin lang ang sarili ko, dun na sa deserving
ano!
"ANO?! TALAGANG IIWAN MO KO?!"
"Siguro."

"Anong siguro?"
"Siguro nga dapat kitang palitan... Siguro nga tama silang lahat. Si Aidan, si M
affy, si Otan... si Elle. Siguro nga patapon ka, wala kang pupuntahan. Siguro ng
a wala ka na talagang pag-asa... hindi na kita dapat binalikan... alam mo kung b
akit? Kasi hopeless ka na. Kasi wala kang kwenta, alam mo ba yun? WALA KANG KWEN
TA!" >:(
He slapped me. HARD. The part that came into contact with his hand stung like ma
d.
I looked at his face, praying and hoping that it may betray even a sliver of rem
orse, but yet again, I was disappointed. There was nothing but shock.
"Ria..."
"Wag na."
"Sorry. Hindi... hindi ko"Sinadya?" >:(
"Patawarin mo ko... Ria please..."
He tried to hug me. Once more, I saw a shadow of the old him, which was giving m
e hopes- false hopes.
Kung kinaya niyang gawin yun...
"Don't touch me."
Binitiwan niya ako.
He looked shaken.
"I'm sorry... Ria, please."
"Stay away from me."
"Wag mo kong iwan..." :-\
I turned to face him.
"We're done."
I left him alone in the lobby, grabbing my phone along the way. Bumaba na ako sa
ground floor.
GAAAH. Stop crying, Ria. Di siya dapat iyakan.
Bwisit.
"Hello?"
"Aidan?" I said into the line, unable to control myself from crying. "Kasama mo
ba sila Otan? Nasaan ka?"
"Problema mo?"
I sniffed and sobbed at the same moment, realizing I fully deserved this treatme
nt.
"O ano, ba't di ka... Teka nga! Adrianna umiiyak ka ba?":o
"Hi- hindi..."
"Gagu sumisinghot ka tas sasabihin mo hindi? Ano ko maniniwala?"
"Sorry na... engot kasi ako... wag na kayo magalit..."
"Bakit sino ba may kasalanan? Naku mamaya na nga ako magsesermon... Nasa BA ka l
ang diba? Sige! Andyan na kami!"
He hung up, tapos may narinig akong bumaba ng stairs.
"Ria? You all right?"
Liningon ko si Rafa.
"Anong nangyari? Anong ginawa niya sayo?" :o
"Wala. Bumalik ka na sa taas."
"Hindi pwede. Magagalit si Lance. Pinapunta niya ako eh."
"Bakit di siya yung pumunta? Ang stupid talaga." >:(
"Ayaw daw niya magkagulo, pag siya lalo yung nakita ni Gelo..."
"Ang sabihin niya hindi niya maiwan si Karissa. Sabihin mo salamat na lang, di k
o kelangan ng awa niya."
"Ria naman..."
"Ba't ka umiiyak?"
Another figure was descending the stairway, wearing an angry frown.
"Pakialam mo?"
"Bakit ka may pasa?"
"Anong pasI looked down on my arm. True enough, there was a purple bruise there, marking t
he spot where Gelo's hand had been.

"Anong ginawa nun sayo ha?" >:(

"Wala sabi!"
"Ria?"
Dumating na pala sila Aidan. Kasama niya si Otan pati si Den. All three of them
were looking at us curiously.
"Sinong kaaway mo?"
"Wala. Tara alis na tayo."
"Sasama ako."
"Hindi."
"What's going on?" said another voice, yet again from the stairs. Karissa's slim
stature materialized, looking worried. "Is everything all right?"
"Yes."
"NO."
"Yes. And Kai, babalik na sa taas si Lance kasama mo."
"Wha"They're looking for us, Lance."
Matagal na tumingin si Lance sa akin. It was Jon who broke the silence.
"Sige. Kami-kami lang muna, kung pwede."
"Ok sige. Lance, Kai, tara na sa taas."
Lance gave me a last glance bago siya hinila ni Kai pataas. Si Rafa naman lumapi
t muna sakin, dropping his voice out of earshot.
"I'll call you mamaya."
"No need."
"Gusto mong sabihin ko sa kanila kung anong ginawa nung hinayupak na"Fine. Sige. Just please don't tell them. Baka lalong magkagulo eh..."
"Deal."
Rafa gave everyone else a wave before leaving. I pulled my sleeve down to concea
l the throbbing spot.
The bruise felt horrible, and so did everything else...
"So..."
"So this is the part where I say sorry?" :(
"No need. Come here," sabi ni Aidan, tas niyakap nila akong tatlo nila Otan at D
enise.
"Who's up for Shakey's?" ;D
I had no idea what's to come, and I'm not sure if I want to know. Everything is
just so chaotic.
But being back with my friends, I guess, would make all the difference.
Chapter Forty Four
First of Two Parts
Denise's POV
"Wag mo ngang inilalabas yang bago mong phone. Maholdap ka pa."
"Asus, pag kasama kita walang makakaisip na mangholdap sakin. Amazona ka eh. ;D"
Inirapan niya ako tapos nilagay niya sa front seat ng kotse niya yung malaki niy
ang bag. Mabait na bata to eh. Dala lahat ng libro. Dinala hanggang college ang
pagiging Valedictorian.
Nakwento niya ba? Malamang hinde. Humble kuno ang lokaret na yan eh. Inuno lahat
nung first sem. Maski English 1 di sinanto. Sinasabi hirap daw siya sa math, pa
gtingin naman namin sa grade niya flat na flat at tuwid na tuwid na uno naman an
g bumulaga. Yun ba ang hirap? Ano pang tawag sa akin?
"Tara kain tayong kwek kwek."
"Libre ko. Ikaw na last week eh."
"Bakit birthday mo ba? Next time na lang."
"Unahan na lang magbayad!"
Sinabayan ko ng takbo.
Haha. Di makapalag si bruha. Engerts eh, naka high heels ba naman sa school! Pal
ibhasa nakakotse. Hinuhubad na lang habang nagdadrive.
Pasalamat na nga lang kami bumalik na siya sa normal kahit papano. Ang laking ba
gay rin pala kapag hindi ka nakukunsumi sa boyfriend na patapon ano? Ang ganda g
anda na niya ulit. Hindi naman sa pumangit siya nung bumalik si Gelo, pero halat
a mo naman kasi sa tao kung kunsuming kunsumi na siya sa buhay diba? ;D Sobrang

dami ngang nagtatanong sa amin sa org na guys tungkol sa kanya. Lalo ngang dumam
i yung mga 'curious' nung nalaman na single na siya ulit. ;D Hindi nga namin ala
m kung saan takot eh, sa mukhang psycho niyang ex na si Gelo o kay Lance.
Alam yata nilang wala silang panama kay Signal Number Four. ;D
Dami kasing nakapansin. Iba sila. Kahit 'friends' lang daw sila, eh parang hinde
. May something na hindi mapaliwanag. Chemistry ba yun? O sparks?
AH HINDI PALA!
TAMA! MAGIC!
Haha. Napakwento ako habang tumatakbo kay Aling Fishball sa Math Building.
"Dalawang kwek kwek saka dalawang cheese sticks. Pati isang C2 Apple saka isang
minute maid."
"AY!"
Lumingon ako.
"TAKTE KA DENISE!!!" >:(
;D
"Sorry na! Bakit ka kasi tumakbo!"
"Gags! Iniwan mo ko dun eh!!! Malamang!"
"HAHA!"
Binayaran ko na yung pagkain namin para hindi na siya makapalag.
"Nakakainis ka. TSS."
"Hahaha. Bagay pala sayo naaasar. Namiss ko yan a! Dati kasi puro kaemohan nakik
ita ko sayo!" ;D
"Pwes tapos na yun! Maganda na ko ulit!!! ;D"
"Haha! Syempre mana ako sayo eh! LOL."
"Bakit ang dami mo namang binili?!" she asked pagkaabot sa amin nung pagkain. "L
ahat yan ipakakain mo sakin?"
"Ang payat payat mo e, tas di ka pa kakain? Tigilan mo nga ako. CHEH."
"FINE! Lalafang na me. ;D"
"Good girl."
At kumain na nga si insan. Ang cute. Ang sosyal sosyal ng suot, naka high heels
pa, tapos andito sa kwek kwek stand, kumakain ng kwek kwek at sarap na sarap pa.
Teka. May naalala ako ah.
"Haha. I got reminded of something."
"Me too."
"Namiss ko bigla si Elle! ;D"
Natawa si Ria habang ngumunguya. HAHA.
"May naalala akong isa pang tao."
"Dalawa pa kaya sila. Si Maffy saka si Angelo. Tapos dumating kayong tatlo ni El
le at Rish. OHA! Tanda ko pa! HAHAHA!"
"Ngek! Yigee."
"Yigee ka dyan. ;D Wala na."
"Alam ko! ;)"
"Ewan ko ba. Abnormal ko nga daw eh. Ni hindi man lang daw ako bitter. Amp, I me
an bakit pa?"
"I get you. Parang napakalaking nabunot na tinik sayo nun ano. HAHA!"
"Oo. Ang naramdaman ko nung nagbreak kami, hindi sakit. Fine, meron rin konti. P
ero more like relief? Nakakasakal kasi siya. Ewan. Mahirap. Parang gusto kong ku
mawala pero di ko magawa noon, kasi I felt like he needed me. Oo nga totoo yun.
Pero kawawa naman kasi ako! HAHA!"
"Buti nga nangyari yun. akala ko di ka na matatauhan!"
"Akala ko rin."
"Pero... wala na bang possibility? Hindi ko sinasabing gusto ko pa rin siya para
sayo ha, kasi sa totoo lang hinde... pero tagal niyo rin ah. Muntik na kayo mag
one year."
"OA mo, layo pa. December 1 pa lang eh. Three weeks pa!"
"Tanda mo pa talaga ha!"
"Oo naman. HAHA."
"Pero hindi nga. Pag bumalik siya...?"
"Siguro."
"Siguro...?"

"Siguro babalikan ko siya pag nagkatoyo ulit ako? ;D"

"HAHA! BALIW!"
"Mas baliw naman siguro ako kung maniniwala na naman ako diba?"
Isusubo ko na ulit ng buo (!) yung isa kong kwek kwek nang may nakita akong di k
anais-nais na pangitain.
"Hoy. Psst. Tingin ka doon oh."
"Bakit na naman? Ang sarap ng kain ko rito gagambalain ko pa?! Ano ba yun?"
"TUMINGIN KA SABI!" >:(
Sabay kami tumingin sa direction na tinuro ko. Andun ang hinayupak at tinamaan n
g kidlat na ex ni Ria, may kasabay pumunta sa kotse niya, ipinagbukas niya pa ng
pintuan. BABAE.
Langya. NAKAKAHIGH BLOOD!
"Taga Econ rin yan ah."
I looked at her incredulously.
"Yan lang reaction mo?"
She looked at me like I was an alien or something.
"What kind of question is that? You're so weird." ???
"Ako pa ang weird."
"Eh ano gagawin ko, kukunin ko tong kawali ibubuhos ko ulit? ;D"
"Papayag ako. Sapulin mo sa mukha ah!"
"Not worth it. Makukulong tayo sa walang kawawaang dahilan. Hayaan mo na. Baka n
aman nakiusap lang. ;) Baka friends lang talaga yan. Di naman holding hands eh."
"Paano kung hindi pala?"
"Edi good job sa kanya. Maganda naman yung girl eh. Aabot na sa talampakan ko. ;
)"
"Hinde. Patay na kuko mo lang yan."
"Well. I did cut her some slack. Mukha namang naliligo eh." ;D
"Oo. Dalawang tabo."
"Ano ka ba. Malamang walang tubig sa squatters diba ? ;D"
"Onga naman! UTAK, Ria, UTAAAAK!" ;D
Ria went on laughing, her voice ringing all throughout the deserted grounds. I h
aven't seen her like this in a long time and it was a welcome change; a treat, e
ven.
But suddenly, her smile vanished.
"O, bakit?"
She didn't reply. Rolling her eyes, she moodily stabbed her quail eggs with her
stick. Her lip was curved in a certain way that told me she was pissed off... bi
g time. I looked over her shoulder and saw the culprit.
But of course.
"Weird mo. Kanina kay ex, keribels ka lang. Dito kay"Walang lasa yung kwek kwek noh? Pahingi ngang suka."
Kinuha niya yung bote ng suka tas binuhos dun sa kinakain niya. She then picked
up one of the cheese sticks with her fingers and ate it- WHOLE.
She coughed and almost choked on it.
"Ano bang nangyayari sayo?" :o
"Dalian mo na nga kumain!" >:(
"HUY! RIA!!! DEN!"
Ria cursed under her breath. Lumapit si Lance, closely followed by Karissa, who
didn't look too happy to see us.
"Uy Lance! What're you doing here?" :)
"Ah. Inaaya ko kasi tong si Kai. Sobrang gutom na ko dude."
"Not here, Lance," Karissa said in her old lofty voice. "I don't eat street food
."
Ria and the stall vendor glared at her.
"Ano ka ba, hindi kumpleto ang buhay UP pag di ka kumain ng street food. Wag ka
KJ," Lance said happily. "Ate kwek kwek nga. Pati isang minute maid... hoy Ria.
Tahimik mo ah. Himala."
"Gaya gaya." ::)
"Ano?"
"Yun din binili ko eh."

"Syempre ginagaya kita. Crush kita eh. 8)"

SUSGINOO. ;D Haha. Tamang landi. Ang kulit talaga ng dalawang asungot na to.
Oops. Sumimangot si Karissa.
PRRRT! ;D FOUL DAW, FOUL!!!
"Kilig ka naman."
"Hinde no. Paano pa ko kikiligin ang tagal tagal ko nang alam nun!"
Tumawa sila ng OA sa lakas tapos nag high five.
"Are you sure that kind of stuff is safe?" Kai asked, one of her brows raised. "
Kasi ako pinagbabawalan ng parents ko. They don't like the idea of eating fried
cuttlefish being cooked in this kind of"Ako rin naman bawal eh. Pero hindi ko naman na kailangang ipaalam diba? What th
ey don't know won't hurt them. ;)"
"If you say so." she replied coldly. "Lance, can we go na? I'm feeling dizzy."
"Ha? Nako sige. Ate, penge plastic. Babalot ko lang to."
Ria and I exchanged looks.
"Sorry guys ha. As much as I want to stay here I can't. Kanina pa kasi ako nilal
agnat..."
Whatever.
ARTE.
"Aright. Bye. ::)"
"Bye Ria Banana! Den ingat ka dyan baka bigla magwild ;D"
Sinundan na lang siya ng tingin ni Ria.
Ewan ko ba talaga sa dalawang ito. Hindi ko talaga maexplain.
Tinapon ko na nga lang yung tray ng kwek kwek ko. ;D
"Haay."
"Ano?"
"HAHA! Gags. Wala."
"Kinokoreano mo ba ko? O_O"
"Wala! Kumakanta lang eh.";D
She was still smiling like crazy nung pabalik na kami sa kotse.
*RING RING*
"Wait lang Den ha," she said, tapos she answered it. "Hi Ma! How're you doing?..
. Yeah, still in school... no I have one more class... I can go at 2:30, why, is
something up? ... Aright. I'll be there at around seven."
"Pinapauwi ka ng Las Pinas?"
"Yeah. Ok lang ba sabay ka muna kay Liam tomorrow morning?"
"Hinde. Sama na rin ako. Ano daw ba meron?"
"May pupuntahan daw kami... ewan, she didn't really give the details."
"Ok. Edi may taong bahay kayo. Ako! ;D"
"Haha. Thanks Den. Tara."
Chapter Forty Four
Last of two parts
Ria's POV
"Adrianna Elizabeth! How long are you going to take in there? Nakakahiya sa pina
ghihintay!"
Argh. Shoot. :-X
My mom's going senile. One of Dad's old med school friends has invited the famil
y for dinner. I wanted to beg off for I had to study for my Math 100 departmenta
l exams but Dad just won't let me. Sabi niya sulitin na daw itong pag-uwi ko sa
South. How valid. ::)
They don't understand, do they? What if it damages my record of straight 1s? ;D
If I ever get off my Summa standing, my Dad's friend will be the one to blame. H
AH.
"Andyan na! Why ask me to change clothes when you can't be bothered to wait?"
"Let's skip the arguing, shall we?" my Dad said, fondly looking at both me and m
om.
Fine.
Wish Ate Danna was here. She would've spared me. :P
We got into the car and I contented myself with frowning at the back of my mothe
r's head rest.

It's a complete shame I can't punch it. ;D

"Who is this friend you're talking about anyway?" I asked. "You haven't mentione
d anyone you know living in the same village."
"Well, he stayed in the States for quite a long time; he never really came home
until recently. That guy's marriage was such a sham that he could hardly stay in
his own house with that... messed up woman."
"Sshh, Gerard. You're muddling." ::)
"But it's true and you know it. Tayo nga lagi pinagsusumbungan ni Ricks ng mga k
alokohan ni Stella."
"But telling your daughter the sensitive details? Are you not in the least bit a
shamed?"
"Ok. I'll stop."
"Very intriguing," I said distractedly, as my phone beeped. It was Rafa, invitin
g me to their birthday party, a private one in their resthouse in Laguna. Tsk. D
ami talagang properties ng pamilya ng mokong na yun. ;D
"Don't bring your phone to dinner, anak, it's rude."
"WHAT? Come on! >:("
"Hija, just two hours, okay?"
"Fine. I'll leave it here if you'll allow me to go to Laguna on Friday night wit
h friends." 8)
"Laguna?!" :o
"Shush, Liz. Negotiate. Who're you going with?"
"Oh, you know," I said, saving the magic word. "The usual. Denise, Elle... Maffy
..."
Hah. At the mention of Maffy's name, my mother's frown line disappeared.
"Okay. Fine. Kung nandun si Maffy, andun din si Jonathan... I'll be at least rea
ssured you won't do anything crazy."
"Sus si Otan pa. Kulang na lang ikulong yang pinsan niya sa hawla," my Dad quipp
ed.
"Ok. We let you go to Laguna, you leave that phone in here."
"DEAL. Here you go, mommy," 8) I said, handing her my BlackBerry 8900, and as I
did it, napatingin ako ng windshield.
SH1T. :o
Are you kidding me?
"We're here."
"What here? As in... HERE?!" :o I said, positively panicking. "Of all places!"
"Yeah, why? May kilala ka rito?"
DARN IT.
"No. I... oh crap. What date is it today, Mom?"
"December 1, why?"
"CRAP!" I said in full force. My parents looked at me, alarmed. "I have a ten pa
ge essay due tomorrow!!! I haven't started!!!"
They exchanged looks.
"Very good acting, hija," ::) my mom said. "But we're going in and you're not go
ing to talk us out of it. Now if you don't want your Laguna trip forfeited, get
your butt off the car."
She turned away and got off, looking up at the faade of the big, familiar house w
here we had pulled over.
"DAD!" I appealed, wondering if my 'favorite daughter' charm would work. "Please
?"
"Anak, andito na tayo. Promise, mabilis lang. Do it for Daddy, okay?"
Bumaba na rin ang Daddy ko.
Lecheng Laguna trip to, nagamit pa tuloy na pang blackmail sakin.
Fine. I got down the car and looked at the house with disdain.
Of all the people who could have been friends with my Dad... It had to be Gelo's
folks.
That's right, my EX's folks.
G0DDAMN IT.
A maid came to open the gates for us. Sumunod kami sa kanya sa living room.
The last time I had been here, everything was messed up. Gelo had just gotten of

f the plane, and there I was, carrying him to the couch for he was too drunk to
sit up.
Now, it was completely different. All the lights were lit, and their family was
standing side by side, with Gelo in the middle. Today, he looked clean.
I wonder if his parents knew.
"Gerard," said Gelo's father, taking my father's hand and shaking it. Stella and
my mother casually exchanged hellos, ceremoniously bumping their cheeks against
each other.
He simply stood there, watching me, his eyes wider than usual. Looking afraid, h
e looked at the floor then focused back on me.
"Nga pala this is our son, Angelo."
"Good to see you again, Tito Gerard."
My father shook his hand, and I watched, disgusted.
If my Dad knew...
"Hello, hija," said his Dad. I smiled tentatively. "You must have met my son..."
"Yes, she"Hi. I'm Ria," I said, staring at him full in the face. I held out my hand for h
im to shake. "What's your name again?"
Looking shocked, he simply stood there watching me with his mouth slightly open.
"I... ah. Gelo. Call me Gelo."
"Pleased to meet you." :)
"Shall we?"
He led the way to another large room, one which I have been familiar with. The p
ictures I had asked him about were still there. Gelo had his head bowed the whol
e time.
Umupo na kaming lahat. The maids served the food platter after platter. I felt u
neasy. Our parents were conversing casually, while we awkwardly sat facing each
other, unable to look each other in the face.
Stella, who was sitting beside me, recited the blessing aloud for all of us. Onc
e we finished, she got a plate of what looked like crab sticks and offered it to
me.
"Want some?"
I was about to open my mouth when"No," he said clearly and audibly. "Put it away, mom."
Everyone looked at Gelo. I raised a brow.
"Excuse me?"
"She's fatally allergic to crab. A single bite would kill her."
My jaw dropped, and I wasn't the only one.
How could he have remembered? Isang beses ko lang sinabi yun ah.
"Wow, you really did know my daughter, didn't you?" my father asked, smiling. "I
'm sorry I hadn't informed you. I almost forgot too. You can imagine how hard it
is. Sometimes we can't help but be paranoid. If she ingests even a small amount
of it she could die in twenty four hours if left untreated."
"Don't exaggerate, Dad. ::) I'm fine. Thank you, Tita."
"O, marami naman dyan. Ikaw na nga lang ang mamili hija, baka magkamali na naman
ako ng abot. Hehe."
"This is a lot of food, mind you."
"Yes. Why don't you try this tinola pala, hija? It was my son who suggested this
."
"Thank you po."
Habang kumukuha ako ng ulam, tumayo si Gelo at umalis. We simply carried on eati
ng.
"O hijo ano yan?"
"Asin," he replied, going back to his seat and handing me the saucer full of roc
k salt. "Ria doesn't eat tinola without it."
Our parents exchanged looks once more. They looked like they were sensing it.
I stood up, unable to handle the tension.
"Um. Can I excuse myself for a while? I forgot my mobile in the car and I'm wait
ing for an important call." :)
"Of course, go right ahead."

I went out of the room as quickly as I could, cursing under my breath all the wh
ile.
What is he on about?! What's he doing playing the lovesick, psycho ex-boyfriend?
>:(
"Ria."
I turned around.
"Bumalik ka dun. Mahahalata tayo."
"Look, naiintindihan kita kung galit ka sakin. I don't blame you at all. But ple
ase listen to me."
He walked towards me and held me by the arms.
I felt something again, a shadow of what I've felt in the past... and hated myse
lf for it.
I'm falling for his old tricks again.
"I'm sorry. I've been out of control. I've been really depressed... losing my si
ster was not easy, and"I get it."
"Ria, please. Just give me another chance. I'll make it up to you."
"Did you plan all this?" >:(
"No."
"Don't sh1t me."
"I'm telling the truth. I just found out this morning. But that's not important,
" he said. "I love you. I really do. I know that saying that won't erase the fac
t that I've been a total jerk for hitting you. Pinagsisisihan ko yun. I feel rea
lly guilty and horrible. I can't stop thinking about it... about you. I promise
to make it up. Hindi na maaulit yun."
I looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity in them.
"Look, I've quit smoking, and I haven't been drinking for weeks. And it's all fo
r you, Ria."
I found myself unable to repress a smirk. All for me pala, ha?
"Kaya pala may kasama kang babae sa math building kanina." ::)
"Kanina? Si Gayle yun. Pinsan ko. Talagang sumasabay sakin yun. Kahit tanungin m
o pa sila Dad ngayon din."
He lowered his hands, tightly enclosing my fingers in them. I looked up again an
d our gazes locked.
Darn. How come I'm forgetting everything? :-\
"I know I don't deserve you anymore. But please. Just one more chance. One more,
and it'll be back to how it all was before."
I pressed his hand back, smiling.
"Ria?" >:(
I quickly let go of him.
It was my Dad, standing on the doorway, watching us. He looked livid.
"What's going on?" ??? >:(
Wow. Very timely, Dad.
I never thought getting caught would be this nerve-wracking.
"Daddy. I told you I had a boyfriend. It's a long story... but"Him?" >:(
"Please calm down." :-\
"We're going home, Adrianna," he said, and then he turned to Gelo. "And you, sta
y away from my daughter. Understand?" >:(
My father dragged me by the hand. I've never seen him this angry.
"What-?!"
"Sir, please..."
"Dad, we've been on for almost a year, and he's your friends' son. What's wrong
with him?!" ???
"A year? You've been his girlfriend for a year? Well then how come I saw him sno
gging someone else in New York?" he said angrily. "Oh, let me guess. ::) He didn
't tell you?"
"He's what?" :o
I turned to look at Gelo. The expression on his face gave him away, but I still
took the chance, hoping he would deny it and save what was left of us.

"Is it true?"
"I... let me..."
"I asked you a simple question. Yes or no, Gelo."
It took him a long while to answer me.
"YES."
I ran a hand through my hair.
"Thank you. That's all I need, :-\" I said and I turned my back on him. "Dad, I'
m going with you."
I resisted the urge to cry, having almost fallen for his trick. Kahit kailan, hi
ndi ko naimagine na kaya akong gaguhin ng isang tao ng ganito kagrabe.
It's one thing to break a person's heart... but to lose their trust altogether i
s a different story.
Today, I found out that it really is kind of hard to decide which hurts worse.
"Ria..." :-\
My Dad stopped in his tracks. I tried to drag him away but he wouldn't budge. He
was staring at Gelo, looking murderous.
"Talk to my daughter again and I'll kill you."
Chapter Forty Five
Ria's POV
"Go get a room, you silly lovebirds!" I yelled at the top of my voice. "Can't yo
u at least have the decency of not doing IT in front of me?"
"Who told you to watch?!" ;D
"Langya! If I knew I would have brought my own car. Psh."
"Cover your eyes, Ria. This isn't for virgins."
Aidan, who was sitting on the driver's seat, was now leaning in towards Elle...
"EEEEWWWW!" I said, covering my eyes with my toiletries bag.
We were on our way to Rafa's resort. The others were doing their last minute sho
pping dito sa Select, Shell gas station, somewhere in Laguna. Unfortunately, bec
ause I was kuripot and I had prepared everything already, I was forced to stay w
ith these nutheads who couldn't get themselves off each other.
Kung bakit kasi dito ako nakisakay. T_T Napagkasunduan kasi naming lahat na yung
dalawang pinakamalalaking sasakyan na lang yung dalhin dahil limited ang parkin
g at puro pa niyog yung puno. Baka magkabasagan. Literal na basagan ng windshiel
d pag nahulog yung mga buko. ;D Nakisakay ako sa CR-V ni Aidan together with Ell
e, Den, and Liam. While Maffy, Lance, and pusti-- este Karissa were in Otan's F1
50. Ibang level talaga kalandian nun. Talagang dun pa nagpumilit eh may kotse na
man yung kapatid niya ::)
Pero kungsabagay, wala nga naman sa aming gustong gumambala sa kaligayahan ni Ra
fa. For some reason unknown to us, nakagawa siya ng paraan para mapapayag si Nur
se Gellie na sumama sa amin. Hahaha. Sigurado ako, kung hindi blackmail yun, san
tong paspasan. Eto naman kasing si Rafa, nuknukan ng kabaduyan. Paano nga naman
yun papatulan ni Gellie eh saksakan nga ng cheesy? ;D
But I'm so excited to see her! Siya kasi nag-alaga sakin nung sinuwerte akong ta
maan ng lumilipad na kutsilyo. ;D I haven't seen her since then.
Naku! Update galore ito~
Kamusta kaya sila ni Rafs? Pag kasi magkasama yun di mo maintindihan kung ganun
talaga mag away o ganun lang talaga maglambingan eh! HAHAHA!
"Wala pa nga eh! Epal ka! ;D"
I was jerked back to reality as I heard Aidan and Elle laughing their heads off
in the front seats.
"Ganyan ba pag walang lovelife Ri? Nagagalit sa slightest sign of affection? ;D"
"Excuse me! That wasn't SLIGHT!"
"Nako, mas ok na yang ganyang walang lovelife... kaysa... *cough*"
"Maliban na lang kung dun sa boto natin... diba teddy bear? Kaya sana yung iba d
yan matauhan na, kasi pag naunahan ng babaeng nakapustiso iiyak na naman... naku
sige lang."
"Wag nga kayong gayot. Kainis eh."
"What's gayot?" ???
"Wag mo na alamin teddy bear. ;D"
"Dapat pala kay Otan ka na sumakay eh. Haha! Aware ka bang ikaw lang ang single

dito sa carpool na to? ;D"

"Single na kung single, happy naman! HMP."
"Happy daw." ::)
"Si Lance din, Happy DAW. ;D"
"Langya!"
"Kilig ka naman! HAHA ;D"
"O! what did we miss?!"
"Wala. Matutulog na ko. Sige mag makeout na kayong lahat basta tigilan niyo na a
ko =))"
"Tigilan saan?" ??? Den asked, puzzled.
Tumawa lang sila Aidan at Elle.
"Wala. Sige tara na daw. ;D"
"Gellie!"
I rushed towards her the moment I got off the car.
"Ano ba mare! Easy lang! ;D"
We exchanged hugs.
"Kamusta? Ginulo ka ba ng unggoy na to?"
"OKAY! LAHAT NG TAO PWEDENG PUMASOK NG RESTHOUSE MALIBAN KAY RIA!!!"
"Bastos! Haha! Happy Birthday Rafs!"
"Thank you, Ria."
Nge. Di naman ikaw binati ko e. ::)
"Happy birthday to you too, Kai."
"Put some anti-mosquito on. They're all over the place,"she said, then tinapon n
iya sakin yung isang bote.
"Thanks!"
"Give some to my future sis as well!" she said with a smile, then she entered th
e resthouse. I turned to look at Gellie, who was wearing the exact same expressi
on as I am.
"Is she possessed?"
I almost died laughing.
"Kaloka ka mare! ;D Bakit naman?"
"Wala lang. She's not... nice."
"Oh. May sumpong siguro? Hehehe. Teka mare, I heard you had a leg cast? Kamusta?
"
"I'm good. Paraan ko lang yun para may excuse ako na di sumama. :P"
"Seryoso? O_O
"Haha naniwala ka naman!" she said, laughing. "It was a fracture. Nothing seriou
s. :)"
"Good, good. Musta car ride niyo?"
"Ayun, wild. Hahaha!"
"Paanong wild?"
"Ang kulit eh, kumakanta ba naman ng nobody nobody but you. ;D He's so cute."
"Cute? Aba Mare, iba na yan ha. ^-^"
Her smile vanished.
"Oh, wait, I said cute? Eww! ;D" said Gellie with a nervous laugh, and she start
ed walking towards the house. "Erhh... Tara na sa loob."
"Gellie!!!" I yelled, pouting. "Daya mo naman eh!"
"Ssshhh! I'll tell you sa room. ^-^ I asked Rafa if we could share one room lang
."
"Edi malamang pumayag! Hehehehe."
"Kaya nga maghintay ka! :P"
"Anchunget." T_T
"Sinong masunget? ;D Come here!" she said, then she put an arm around my head.
Rafa's POV
"Hey honeybunny!" :D
"Honeybunny YOUR FACE." >:(
Nagpout ako. Tamang pacute.
"Why do you look so maalat when you see me?" :(
"Mmm. Let me think," Gellie said, giving Ria a weird look as she said it. "Every
thing about you makes me feel maalat."

"Dapat ba kong kiligin dyan or..."

"Secret na namin ni Gellie yun! :P"
"Naku ano ba diba sabi ko sayo wag ka lumapit kay Ria, may sa demonya yan!!!"
"Kung may demonyo dito, ikaw yun! HAHAHA!"
"Naku umalis ka na nga! SHOO!"
"Bakit mo pinapaalis si Ria? I don't want to be left here with you!"
"Onga, baka kung ano pa gawin mo sa kanya!"
"Ria di ka aalis?"
"Hinde! ASA KA!"
"Sige, isisigaw ko secret natin!"
"Anong secret?"
"NAKU RIA, ISA! DALAWA!"
"OO NA AALIS NA!" Ria yelled back. "Sorry, Gellie. But don't worry. Tame si Rafa
."
"TATLO APAT LIMA!!!"
"BYE!"
"RIA! COME BACK HERE!!! I HATE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" >:(
She pouted. Ang cute cute! :P She even folded her arms.
Dang this girl just drives me nuts.
"What're you looking at? JERK."
"I've never been a jerk. Not to you, at least."
"Anong tawag mo dun sa ginawa mo kay Ria? Blackmailer!"
"I'm not a blackmailer!"
"Asus! Baka nakakalimutan mo, sumama lang ako sayo at sumakay sa kotse mo dahil
blinack mail mo rin lang ako!"
"Hinde!!! Sumama ka kasi talo ka sa pustahan!"
"Takte naman kasing pustahan yun! Paramihan ng pagkain ng isaw, malamang mananal
o ka! LALAKE KA EH!"
"O, I thought you said you thought rich boys from Xavier would not stand a chanc
e against you pag paramihan ng kain ng isaw!"
"Akalain ko bang abnormal ka?!"
"Sus, ang sabihin mo, kaya ka natigilan sa pagkain ng isaw kasi naalala mo si"Selos ka naman? ^-^"
"Feeling mo. HAH."
"Ano yang hawak mo?"
"O ayan."
I shoved it towards her, watching her reaction. At first, she looked puzzled, tu
rning it round and round in her fingers. She raised a brow and finally looked at
me.
"Bakit may itim itim rito?"
"Anong itim itim? BASAHIN MO!"
"BASAHIN? Are you serious? Nothing's discernible in this huddle of black dust!"
"Black dust?" I repeated, close to laughing. "Pinaghirapan kong isulat yan!"
"Isulat? Ano ba ginamit mo? ULING?!"
"Bakit hindi? Ang sweet nga eh! Non-conventional!"
"Anak ng-... nonconventional?! ULING AS PANULAT?! How TAGABUNDOK can you get?!"
"Talaga bang di mo mabasa? Ang fail mo naman eh!"
"Ikaw ang fail! After centuries of civilized calligraphy, this is what you come
up with!"
"Oo na ako na nga fail! Buksan mo na nga!"
"Dahon ng saging? Ano ba to? Wala baduy!"
"Mamaya ka na manlait! Anak ng!"
She opened it. Her eyes widened.
Not what I expected but oh well. ;D Haha. I LOVE her WTF face. :)
"Sushi? Binalot mo sa dahon ng saging? PROBLEMA MO?!"
"Hindi yan sushi! NAMAN EH!"
"Eh ano?"
"Edi kanin! Engerts!!!"
"Engerts? HAHAHAHA"
"Ano na naman?! Pinagtabi na nga kita ng kanin kasi sigurado uubusan ka ng mga y

un, tapos"Wala! ALAT MO EH!"

Tinawanan niya muna ako ng sobrang lakas bago niya ako tiningnan ulit.
Kainis, pinaghirapan namin itong ibrainstorm ni Ate Niki tas ganyan lang, pagtat
awanan niya? TAKTE.
"Eh ano ngang gagawin ko rito sa kanin?"
"Aba depende sayo kung gusto mong ipaligo."
"Seryoso ako Rafael ah."
"Bakit ano bang silbi ng kanin maliban sa kainin? Wala diba? JEEZ."
"PILOSOPO!"
"Aba dinalhan ka na nga ng pagkain galit ka pa? Abno!"
"Mas abno ka!"
"Kumain ka na lang!"
Tinaasan niya lang ako ng kilay at umupo dun sa parang bench nung gazebo. Nilaga
y niya yung food sa table tas tumingin sakin.
"Kutsara?"
"Aba senyorita. Ano po ba yung kinakainan niyo?"
"Dahon ng saging."
"Alam mo pala eh. Pinapartneran po ba ng kubyertos ang dahon ng saging? Hindi po
diba senyorita?"
Inirapan niya ako tapos nagkamay siya.
Ang galing. True-blue Batanguena. Walang arte arte.
I watched her eat, amused. Patiently, I waited... and waited...
And it came.
"Ano ba tong kanin mo, ang tigas. Marunong ka ba talagang magsaing?!" ??? she sa
id, chewing and looking quite distracted. "Ano tong happy meal mo, nakasilid ang
free toy? Hindi ka rin talagaHer eyes widened once more, gracefully pulling out the thing out of her mouth.
"What the?"
"Like it?" ;)
She looked so shocked, staring at the silver ring with her mouth slightly open.
Hah.
THIS IS SO PRICELESS!
"Anong... anong gaI got down on one knee.
"Gellie Fandino, will you marry me?"
Her jaw dropped.
Astig! Hahaha. That videocam somewhere in the ceiling should really capture this
. OR ELSE.
I waited, for the smile, for the twinkle in her eyes"OUCH!"
She slapped me. I almost fell to the ground sa sobrang lakas.
Amazona pa yata itong babaeng napili ko ;D Takte. Good choice, Rafa.
"Nuknukan ka rin ng feelingero ano?! HINDI PA NGA KITA SINASAGOT AALUKIN MO KO N
G KASAL?! ABNO!"
"HAHA! Joke lang. Ito naman. Just imagining your reaction. Di ko naman alam na m
asasaktan ako ng ganito... Literally ;D"
Grudgingly, she laughed.
"Bwisit ka talaga. ;D"
"Okay. Take 2. Gellie Fandino, will you be mine?"
Naghintay ulit ako ng sampal.
Pero wala.
"Rafael, alam mo kasi... tigilan mo na nga to."
"Alin?" :(
Takte. Mababasted pa ata ako.
"Eto. Mga ginagawa mo. Itong... panliligaw mo. Kung matuturing ngang courtship.
Puro ka kasabawan eh."
"Bakit ko ititigil? Ayaw mo ba?"
"Ah... I really don't know how to say this."
P*TA.

LORD, WAG NAMAN O.

Magpapalunod talaga ako sa dagat mamaya pag sinabi niya nga...
"Tama ka. Ayoko na nito..."
I sat down beside her and grabbed both her hands.
"Ng alin ba? Nitong ginagawa ko?! Sobra ba? Corny ba? Baduy ba? Uulitin ko! Back
to zero!"
"Yun nga ang ayoko eh, yang nangliligaw ka."
"HA? Eh ano? Ano bang gagawin ko?! Gellie please"Well... Ayokong nanliligaw ka..."
"KASI GUSTO KO TAYO NA :P"
:o
"O! NAMALIGNO KA? ;D"
"Wait. T_T"
"Ayaw mo? Edi wag."
"I think I'm gonna faint." :o
Gellie's POV
And he did. :o
His eyes rolled over in their sockets and his head fell on my shoulder.
"Rafael. Stop being so stupid!"
He didn't budge. His eyes were still closed.
"Uy. Hindi ka gigising? Aalis ako. Mahuhulog ka sa malamig na semento. Gusto mo
yun?"
Wala pa rin. Tulog pa rin DAW.
I lightly tapped his face.
Darn why did he have to be so hot? ;D
And those lips are just so... soo...
ODK Gellie. Stop.
"Kainis ka naman, panira ka ng moment eh. Sinasagot na nga kita! HUY! Langya nam
an oh! ;D"
Napangiti na lang ako.
I can't believe this guy got me like this. ;D
Looking around, I saw that there was no one else around.
I dropped my voice.
"Sige, pag di ka gumising dyan, hahalikan kita." ^-^
His eyes flew open, and in a quick movement, I felt his lips on mine. :o
I didn't even get the chance to close my own eyes as he pulled off after a momen
t.
"Inunahan na kita, bagal mo eh. BEHLAT. :P"
Tumayo siya tas tumakbo.
"DAYA MO! Lagot ka sakin!!!"
"EVERYONE!" he shouted to the pool full of people, which included Ria and the ot
hers. "KAMI NA!!! :D INOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"
Chapter Forty Six
Lance's POV
"Guys! Where are you? Inom pa!"
Rafa was already red-faced as he brandished the bottle of mudslide in the air, a
sking for any takers. Gellie was already fast asleep beside him, having had her
fair share of alcohol. Aidan and Elle were huddled together in one of the couche
s, both snoring. Liam was the typical lango, nakatulala while hiccuping every on
ce in a while, and beside him was Denise, blabbering about her mean English prof
. Kai was holding a bottle to herself, smiling at no one in particular.
Ako? Well, andito, nakakaisang shot pa lang. Alam ko kasi, I'll have to be the o
ne who'd have to take care of these brats.
Ayan kasi, ang lalakas ng loob uminom. Ang dali dali namang tamaan! ;D
I looked at Ria beside me... she looked so peaceful. She only appeared to be hal
f-awake.
"That's enough, Rafs. May bukas pa. Everyone, wake up... go to your beds..."
"BOO LANCE, KJ!" Kai said. "I'm not even enjoying yet!"
"You can drink all you want tomorrow," I told her as I nudged Aidan and Elle awa
ke. Rafa put down the bottle he was holding and gently woke Gellie.

To tell the truth, I have never seen him this happy or this noisy.
Good for them. At least Gellie will surely knock some sense into him. He could g
et too non-serious at times, and having someone like her around would be perfect
.
"Tomorrow? It's not my birthday anymore..."
"Karissa," I told her exasperatedly. "Technically, it's Sunday already. Hindi mo
na talaga birthday. See? 2 in the morning. And it's way past bedtime."
"But I haven't seen my gifts... that's unfair," she said, pouting. "Rafs? Come o
n. Join me..."
He hoisted Gellie up in his arms and looked at Karissa with a little smile.
"Sis, antok na ko. Bukas na. Puro lango na kasama mo, o. Bukas na, okay?"
"See? Listen to your brother."
"Pasalamat ka nga wala dito si Ate Niki, kungdi, kanina pa siguro tayo pinatulog
nun."
"Weh, whatever, isa pa ring lasenggera yun. Naman. Edi sige. Lance?"
"Yeah?"
"Birthday kiss ko?" ^-^
O_o
Everyone turned to look at her.
"Naku, patay. Lumala."
"Teddy bear, shut up..." Aidan scolded her groggily.
"Haha, nice joke, Kai. Tara..."
"I'm not joking," she said, smiling. "I want one. Right here."
She pointed to her lips.
"Not here!" sabi ko, para masabing sinasakyan ko yung joke. Nauna na palabas sil
a Den at Liam.
"Ria banana... gising na..."
I saw Ria give me a small smile, but a force had pulled me in the opposite direc
tion.
"Look, I'm the birthday girl. Araw ko to, 'kay? Ako masusunod, kaya sa ayaw mo't
sa gustoShe pulled me by the collar with such force that we both lost balance, and we en
ded up on the floor, with me on top of her.
"Oops," she said, giggling. "Looks like you got carried away..."
The hands she had put around my neck fell on the floor beside her. She had passe
d out.
"Urghkk..."
I sat up and turned to see Ria, whose face was tinged with green.
"Excuse me... Oh god... I think I've had too muchShe stood up and ran as fast as she can towards the door, her hands covering her
whole face.
Everyone else turned to look at me.
"You know why she ran off, right?" Rafa asked me with a serious face.
"Look, will you just go and follow her?" Elle told me, seemingly losing all trac
es of drunkenness. "Malalim pa naman yung pool... tapos lasing siya, hindi magan
dang combination yun... Sige na, kami na bahala kay Karissa..."
"Aright..."
I went and did as I was told.
Pero bakit ba siya tumakbo?
Ano bang ibig sabihin ni Rafa dun? Sure, I'd like to think it meant that one thi
ng, but I can never be too sure...
"Ria?" I yelled into the night. "Ria, where are you?"
I heard a tinkle of bottles somewhere.
"FCUK YOU ALL!"
OH GEEZUS.
"SCREW MY LIFE! IT'S ALL SO FCUKING MESSED UP!!! P*TA!!!"
"Ria!"
She was on one of the cottages, facing the sky, her face angry and tear-streaked
. She was swaying left and right, and as I watched, she took a huge sip off the
vodka bottle she was holding.

"Hey! What are you d-"

*CLICK*
Looking at me, she took a step backwards... one that made her dangerously close
to the water"Wag kang lalapit. Dyan ka lang."
"Ria, please."
"UMALIS KA NGA! BUMALIK KA DUN!"
"Mag usap nga tayo! Umalis ka dyan!"
"Ako? Umalis? Bakit, sayo tong resort?! HAH!"
"Sinabi nang umalis ka dyan e! Langya! Pag nalunod ka"Oo! Laking tuwa mo siguro!"
"ANAK NG"WAG KA SABING LUMAPIT EH! LANGYA!" >:(
Nabitawan niya yung bote. It exploded in a million pieces.
"Whoops..."
I angrily went and grabbed her by the arm, leading her towards the cottage to si
t.
"Ano ba?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" >:(
"Bakit? May pake ka? Ha?" she asked me, a smile forming on her lips. "Ano, ha? M
eron?"
"Tara na. Come on, I'll help you," I said, then I pulled her by the hand. She di
dn't resist, hindi siya bumitaw sa kamay ko but it did not look like she had any
intention of standing up.
"Dito na lang tayo..."
"Kailangan mo na magpahinga."
"Hindi... ok lang. Di naman ako lasing e," sabi niya, tapos nagsmile siya ulit s
abay sinok. "May itatanong ako... ok lang?"
"Ano?"
"Naranasan mo na ba magselos? Ha? HAHAHA random no?"
"Ria"Hindi nga? Ako kasi... nagseselos ako e... hahaha. Bakit ko ba sinasabi sayo to
. Hanep no? Epic yung kakapalan ng mukha ko. ;D Hahaha."
Tiningnan ko siya. Her eyes were drooping.
"Ano bang demonyo sumapi sayo? Hahaha. Ginayuma ka ni Kai no?"
"Tama na sabi eh... tara na."
"If I asked for a wish, would you grant it?"
"Ria, look. Hindi kamiI stopped midway through my sentence as she had grabbed my collar. Nilapit niya
yung mukha niya sakin, mga one inch na lang siguro yung layo ng ilong niya sa il
ong ko.
She was looking straight into my eyes. I could smell a trace of alcohol but it w
as overcome by the scent of her hair, and it was driving me wild.
It was all I could do to stop myself from kissing her.
"Let's pretend it's my birthday..." she whispered, biting her lip. Her gaze move
d downwards, to my mouth... and she was tilting her head seductively, giving me
a small glimpse of her neck.
It was disarming. I found no desire to break free.
"So, Lance... How about giving me a little... gift?"
Closing her eyes, she moved in and I felt her lips lightly graze the side of my
mouth.
She pulled me closer... but I was gaining my senses...
"Ria." :-\
I lightly broke from her grasp.
Feeling ashamed of myself for almost taking advantage, I realized I was being a
complete idiot.
YES. I wanted her, but it simply wasn't appropriate.
She wasn't in her right mind. I can't do this.
"Lasing ka na eh."
Out of nowhere, she started laughing.
"T*ngina."

"Ano ba? Hindi ka ba titigil?"

She smiled again, but there was something else in her eyes that made me even sic
ker of myself...
"Haha... ang sakit pala... langya..."
"You're drunk and out of your mind. Dadalhin na kita sa kwarto. Tara na..." I sa
id, unable to look her in the eye. The expression on her face was unbearable to
look at.
"Bobo ka ba? Sabi ko masakit... di mo ba ko narinig? Haha ibang level talaga kat
angahan mo pare..."
"It's just your ego that's hurt, Ria," I told her, now fed up. Tumayo ako tapos
tumalikod ako sa kanya. "Yung pride mo lang yung naaapektuhan... nothing more."
"How could you say such"You knew how I felt from day one. And now that Kai's around, you couldn't bear
it, kasi you're used to the thought that I liked you."
"Hindi ganun yun..."
"Hindi ka nasasaktan, Ria. Natatakot ka. You're scared that I'd fall for someone
else kasi wala nang sasalo sayo kapag nagkakagulo kayo ni Gelo. You're not jeal
ous of Kai, you're just threatened. You're feeling like she's taking something a
way from you... when in fact you shouldn't... kasi kahit kailan naman hindi nagi
ng tayo..."
"So you're saying I'm a user? Ganun ba kasama yung tingin mo sakin?"
"Bakit, hindi ba totoo? That's all I am, your safety net. The one who makes you
feel you're worth something kapag nawawalan ka na ng self-worth. Nakikita mo lan
g namang andito ako kapag wala si Gelo, diba?"
"How DARE you say that, Lance! Mahal kita!"
For a moment, everything fell quiet. I couldn't hear anything but her breathing.
"BULLSH1T."
I clenched my fist.
"Nagdedeliryo ka lang. Kung ayaw mong matulog... bahala ka. Aakyat na ako."
"Bakit ka ba ganyan sakin?" :'(
Tiningnan ko siya, trying to keep my expression blank. I simply could not show h
er anything... dahil mas lalong magiging mahirap to. Lalo na para sa kanya.
"Matagal na akong ganito. It's not my fault that you deluded yourself into think
ing that you knew me well enough para sabihin mo saking gusto mo ako..."
I started to walk away.
"Alam mo, sana ako na lang si Kai..."
Tumigil ako. Narinig ko siyang tumayo, and namalayan ko na lang siyang umiiyak..
.
"Para pag hinalikan kita, hindi ka na magagalit sakin..."
She gave a great sob as I turned to look at her again.
The mere sight was breaking my resolve.
"... para pag sinabi kong nagseselos ako, hindi mo yun kukwestyunin..."
She had her arms crossed in front of her chest, her shoulders shaking as she sob
bed uncontrollably. On her face was an unmistakable look of pain that tore right
through me like a thousand knives.
"Higit sa lahat... Para pag sinabi kong mahal kita... hindi mo ko itataboy palay
o..."
I was speechless.
Umiiyak siya... dahil sakin...
"I'm sorry." :-\
"Hindi kita mapapatawad..." :'(
I froze on the spot as she ran off and disappeared into the night.
Elle's POV
Fcuk hangovers.
My head felt like it was about to crack open as I sat up on my bed. Gellie was a
lready fixing her beddings.
"Morning, Gellie."
"Morning Elle."
"You ok?"
"No," she said, and heaving a great sigh, she plopped down on the bed beside me.

"I saw this on Ria's bed."

Quote
Elle, Gellie and Den:
Nauna na ako sa Manila. Don't worry, naligpit ko na stuff ko. Den, wag mo kalimu
tan yung stuff toy mo, lagi mo yang naiiwan, wala pa naman ako para magremind sa
yo. Gellie, kumuha ako ng isang banig na ponstan sa medicine kit mo ha? Sorry, e
pic yung sakit ng ulo ko eh. Thank you, mare... you're the best. Elle... yung ph
one mo naiwan sa gazebo kagabi... nilagay ko na dyan sa lamp table mo.
Pag nagtanong sila, lalo na si Otan, sabihin niyo na lang may emergency sa bahay
kaya kinailangan kong umuwi. May nangyari kasi kagabi, hindi yung iniisip niyo.
.. basta ipapaliwanag ko na lang pagdating nyo rito... kaya hindi ko na kayang m
agtagal dyan. Pasensya na kayo sakin. Wag na rin kayo masyado mag freak out, kay
a ko naman sarili ko eh. Basta mag-enjoy lang kayo dyan. Try not to miss me too
much. Gagawa na rin ako ng homework sa math. HAHA. Papakanerd muna. LOL.
Ingat.
-Ria
Gellie and I exchanged looks.
"Alam na ni Den to?"
"Oo. Pareho kami ng iniisip. You're thinking along the same line, I presume?"
I sighed.
"Naman eh."
"We can't tell anyone."
"I know, right? That's why I'm... ARGH. Bwisit."
"Kawawa naman siya. I thought I was just dreaming when I saw her enter the room
last night... she was crying. I've never really seen her cry like that."
"Umiiyak?! Anak ng-?! Bakit hindi ko naramdaman? Lecheng vodka talaga yun kahit
kelan..."
"I think we should wait until she tells us."
I sighed.
"Yeah. Wala tayong choice. Tigas talaga ng ulo nun."
Suddenly, we heard a knock.
"Ladies?" Aidan said, peeking into the room. "Breakfast is ready. Come and get i
t ;D"
"Ayt."
"Teka lang, someone's missing..."
"Yeah. Si Ria, nauna na."
"Bakit daw?"
"Marami raw kayong homework sa math."
"She'll be okay," Gellie added hesitantly. She looked worried as she said it, bu
t I knew she was only doing it because she wanted us to stick to what Ria had to
ld us. "Amazona yun eh. ;D She told us not to worry."
Thankfully, Aidan didn't push the matter.
"Okay. Nerd talaga nun. Tara. ;D"
Chapter Forty Seven
Lance's POV
"What do you want?"
"Have you seen Ria? I really need to talk to her."
"Screw you." >:(
Den sharply turned and walked away, looking very angry. Well, it's not like she
had reasons not to be upset with me, but then again...
Fine. I did mess up. But I did that for a good reason... a reason that she reall
y needs to understand.
All the partying around me was completely at odds with how I'm feeling. It was t
he org's Christmas party, and the air was full of the festive cheer that only th
e Holidays could bring.
Since Rafa's party, I never saw her again. She was keen on avoiding me and as ti
me went by, I think she's gotten very good at it. Kai, on the other hand, was st
ill talking to me, though she was acting perfectly platonic again. Good for me,
I guess.
"Dude," someone said, tapping me on the shoulder. "She's right there."

"Rafs?"
"Umayos ka ha. Baka may mauna sayo. Code G."
"Code G?"
"Lintek. Slow mo, gag0. Puntahan mo na nga lang!"
"Sige, thanks a million, bro!"
I quickly went into the direction that he had pointed out. There, I saw someone
in a strapless red dress, sitting alone on one of the garden benches.
She looked so damned beautiful.
I stopped right in front of her, but she didn't move. She didn't seem to notice
I was there.
"Merry Christmas." :)
Looking up, I saw her blank expression change. The anger in her eyes were eviden
t and strong enough to make me retreat several steps behind.
"Merry Christmas your face, a$shole."
She stood up and quickly went away. Catching her arm, I was able to make her sto
p.
"Don't you think you've avoided me enough?"
"Stop screwing me over, will you? Save it for the coming year. I've had about en
ough."
"Look, I'm sorry."
"Whatfcukingever."
I ran a hand through my hair, losing it.
"Trust me, there's a good reason why. If you just give me a chance..."
She studied me in a long, hard look. I had the weird feeling of being x-rayed.
"Five minutes."
"Let's go somewhere private."
Hinila ko siya dun sa isang corner ng garden, sa tabi ng fountain. Medyo tago si
ya kaya walang tao.
I slowly let go of her hand.
"My gift."
I handed her the small box I was holding.
She raised a brow.
"You said you'd explain, not bribe." ???
"I'm not bribing you. I know you're much more than that. But please."
Shrugging indifferently, she opened it slowly.
"Necklace, huh?" she said with a mirthless grin. "Got it free from Kai's gift, I
presume?"
"I didn't get Kai anything."
"Of course you didn't." ::)
I heaved a deep sigh.
"Can't accept this. Sorry."
"I... I'm not forcing you to. I just want you to think."
"What do you mean?"
"Gusto ko, itago mo yan. If you reach a decision"A decision?" she repeated incredulously. "Diba you've taken that into your own
hands?"
"No, I didn't. and I'm sorry if it appeared that way. I just wanted you to be su
re..."
"Did I look like I had doubts?"
"You were drunk."
"Bullsh"Look, I love you, okay?" I said, cutting her off completely, putting my hands o
n her shoulders. "And I want you to be happy. If you're not sure that your happi
ness would include me in it, then don't go putting yourself in a situation na hi
ndi mo plinano. I mean, think it over. A few times, a hundred... I don't know. J
ust promise me you'd think of no one else but yourself."
"You know I can't do that. I'm not the only one involved."
"Then that's your fatal flaw. You're way too selfless for your own sake."
"You think by saying that, you'd look understanding enough to win me over?"
"That's not the point," I told her sternly. "If you're not sure, then maybe you

should... I don't know, get back with him or something? Like go and see if it wo
rks? I mean, if it does, then good for you guys, right? If it does work out betw
een you, then you can give that thing back to me. Not that I still have anything
to do with it other than chuck it in the nearest river... but... haha sh1t I'm
blabbing."
She looked deep in thought as she stared intently at the box, her frown crease s
till slightly visible.
"And if it doesn't?"
"Then wear it and show me. I'm sure I'll get the gist."
Grudgingly, she gave a little smile.
"All right."
She closed the box and turned it over and over in her fingers.
"I'm sorry I didn't get you anything." she said. "I got a barrel of cobras ready
for wrapping but I never quite made it through the shop..."
"Well thanks, I guess. It's still the thought that really counts."
"RIA?" a voice from the megaphone boomed into the entire place. "PAGING RIA ANTO
NIO..."
"Ano na naman kaya ginawa ko?" ???
"I... guess we should go and see?"
Well, I didn't have to guess.
Moment I saw him, I just knew exactly what was going on.
"Are... you going with me or not?"
I forced a smile.
"After you." :)
She ran off, still holding the box, while I stayed behind. I was not sure if I w
anted to see what was coming.
Denise's POV
"Darn. We can't let her come here," Elle told me. "Baka mauto na naman siya."
"Hindi yan."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Magkausap sila ni Lance kanina, nakita ko."
"E diba magkagalit yun?"
"Yun nga ang gusto ko, magkabati. Nang hindi na makalapit si Angelo."
"You have a point."
"Anong kalokohan na naman kaya naisip nitong bangus na to? Nagpatulong pa sa off
icers eh. Walangya."
"Well, goodluck sa kanya."
"Hello? *tap tap*" Gelo whispered into the mic.
HELLO MO MUKHA MO. TSS
"Guys! Hinahanap daw ako? Pinage pa! AMP! ;D"
"O, bakit ka pumunta? Balik dun! Balik!"
"Bakit ba?"
"Ayun o!"
"May monster."
She looked at him once and laughed.
"You think I give a sh"Hi everyone."
I watched as Ria turned to look, one of her eyebrows raised.
BOOOOOO. Corny mo tisoy.
Uwi ka na. ::)
"Look at those silly girls in the corner," Ria whispered, shaking her head. "Kil
ig na kilig. Kala mo gwapo. Sus."
"For those who don't know, I'm Gelo. The hottest app ever," the cheering increas
ed. I saw Aidan and Liam pretending to vomit on the nearby koi pond.
"Oh, wait. One of the hottest, if you count my girlfriend. HI RIA!"
"Aba't-!
"Elle! Maghunos dili ka!" :o
We practically had to wrestle Elle into the nearest chair. Paano ba naman, hinub
ad yung sapatos niya, pareho niyang hawak at aktong ibabato sa stage.
Naku, mahirap na. Baka paskong pasko eh may kaibigan kaming nasa kulungan. Ang t

ulis pa naman nung takong.

Ang kapal nga naman kasi ng mukha nitong tisoy na to e. Tawagin ba namang 'girlf
riend' si Ria matapos ng lahat ng katarantaduhan niya.
"Wala lang, naisip ko lang kasi, it's the season for forgiveness. I badly owe so
meone an apology."
OOOOOOOHHHHHHHH. - Sabi ng audience.
"I've been a total jerk, okay? I know it. And I don't think I can do anything em
barrassing enough to make up for all the sh1t I did. Yeah, even this pointless b
labbing in front of the whole org wouldn't count."
There was a round of laughter. Ria continued to listen, her arms folded.
"I thought of doing a song number, pero wala, baduy na yun. Gasgas. Naisip ko ri
n, pwede ako magbreak dance... magtumbling, ewan. Mga ganun. But as I said, kahi
t ano gawin ko, it wouldn't do. Kahit siguro tumalon pa ko sa ibabaw ng Empire S
tate Building, wala pa rin eh. The stuff I did were unforgivable."
"Buti alam mo. Dumbass." ::)
"So here goes. Everyone, I want you all to know I pulled a Chris Brown."
A collective groan was heard.
"Yeah, and as if hitting her was not enough, I cheated on her too."
"AS$HOLE!" Aidan yelled from the sidelines.
"Thank you, Aidan. That's exactly what I am."
"BOO! Get off the stage!" said Liam, and everyone followed suit.
A few people chucked their tumblers at him.
"WAIT!" he yelled, dodging all the flying cups. "Everyone deserves a second chan
ce, right?"
The crowd was torn. Some were shaking their heads in disapproval, some were chee
ring.
"Guys, I'm human. We all make mistakes. Those who haven't done anything wrong in
their lives, please come forward and murder me."
Everyone fell quiet.
I was ready to throw my own purse at him, but I resisted the urge. I hate to adm
it it, but he had a point.
Even I had done something foul to Ria before.
But when it comes to the magnitude of your offenses, said a nasty voice in my he
ad, it's incomparable. He wins fair and square.
"There. I owned up to my mistakes, okay? It's the mature thing to do. And I hope
that by showing that I'm mature enough... I'd prove to everyone that I deserve
her forgiveness."
There was a lot of wolf-whistling. Some people were cheering, but those who had
been throwing stuff at him were all quiet. Even Aidan and Liam were immobile.
Gelo went down the stage and stopped in front of us.
"Adrianna Elizabeth Lopez Antonio."
He got down on both knees.
"I'm begging you to take me back."
The crowd cheered. For a moment, I was tempted to burn them all.
They had no idea who they were cheering for.
I stared at Ria, trying to read her mind. Her face betrayed no trace of emotion.
Blankly, she stared at Gelo, then she looked around the crowd as though searchi
ng for something. Her eyes stopped at a certain point near the fountain.
Following her gaze, I saw Lance, who gave her a forced smile and a reassuring no
d.
I could tell he was trying very hard not to blow his cover. His eyes did not mat
ch the emotion he was trying to show. Fleetingly, I was reminded of a fortress t
rying to stand its ground in war...
"Yes," she said faintly. "A million times yes."
Elle groaned, and I slapped my own forehead.
What in the world is going on here?
People started cheering again. Gelo stood up with a big grin on his face and hug
ged Ria, who awkwardly hugged him back. There was no glint in her eyes as she tr
ied to smile; confirming what I had been thinking all along...
Her eyes were still on him. When I looked again, his smile was gone.

Never in my life had I seen Lance so broken; so anguished.

It was hard not to sympathize.
His shoulders fell, and I watched him quietly walk away, completely conceding de
feat to that one battle he had so valiantly fought...
Chapter Forty Eight
Ria's POV
"Kurdapya! Sorry. I can't pick you from school today. Yung neurotic ko kasing do
ctor, bigla na lang nagschedule ng check up. Alam mo naman si Stella, isa pa rin
. I'm really sorry. Ang dami ko nang kasalanan. I'll make it up to you. Kailanga
n ko rin kasing gumawa ng paper ko sa geog. I'll see you for dinner tomorrow nig
ht. Loveyou."
*beep*
End of voicemail.
"Let me guess," Gellie said, rolling her eyes. She cleared her throat and lowere
d her voice to make it sound like a guy's. "I'm sorry, Ria. Can't pick you up to
day.Will make it up to you. Love you!"
"I think you guys are being too hard on him," I said with a reassuring smile. Ge
llie wasn't a huge fan of Gelo either. "May appointment siya with his doctor."
"One of his many excuses. How many times has he bailed out at the last minute?"
"I've talked to him about it. Ok na yun."
"We saw him drinking again the other day. Has he told you that?"
I looked at her, trying to mask my shock.
That, I'm not aware of.
"Really? When? He might have mentioned... baka di lang ako nakikinig nun."
"Two days ago?"
"Oh yeah. Yeah, he told me about it, all right."
I had to avoid her gaze as I took a sip off my latte.
"Buti na lang, you're free today. Gimmick time ulit."
She surveyed me through narrowed eyes.
"I'm sensing you want to change the topic, yes?" ::)
"Gellie"Look, Ria," she said, putting her cup on the table with more force than she had
intended. "It's bad enough that you're lying to your friends... but now that yo
u're fooling yourself, I'm going to have to put my foot down."
I cringed as I watched her expression. Among my friends, she was the only one wh
o could scare me like this.
"How could you let him do this to you?"
"I signed up for this, okay?" I replied. "I wanted this. Kailangan ko tong panin
digan."
"At the expense of what? You're better than this. Come on-"
"G," I said coolly, "I invited you out here because I needed someone other than
Elle, Maffy or Denise... someone who would not rub it in my face that I'm doing
the wrong thing."
I sighed.
"It's hard enough without all of you telling me how stupid I am." :( :(
"Kung pati yung concern namin, minamasama mo," she said, getting her purse off t
he other chair, "I guess we're better off na walang pakialamanan."
"Gellie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to"Make it sound so harsh? Oh, believe me, Ria... you did," >:( Gellie scoffed. "K
ung ayaw mo sa amin, well, wala kaming magagawa. If your definition of 'friends'
are people who would willingly watch you tread on the path of self-destruction
then we're sorry, hindi kami yun."
She stood up and pushed her chair back.
"Why don't you go and call Karissa? She'd be ecstatic to do just that."
"Gellie, wait"Thanks a lot for the coffee."
Gellie's POV
"It's okay, Gellie."
Rafa put his arm around my shoulder as we waited for the cheesecake to bake. I h
ad gone straight home after what happened, and when I called him to come over he

had fortunately obliged.

"I feel horrible."
"Well that wasn't exactly pleasant."
"I shouldn't have said those." :(
"She needed a bad scolding. You did the right thing."
"But still..."
"Ssshhh."
He pulled me even closer.
"Screw my sharp tongue," I said. "It's a fatal flaw."
"I beg to disagree."
"Of course you'd say that," I scoffed.
"Haha, come on, Gellie."
"I wonder how she could put up with that."
"I don't."
"What?"
"I know her well enough. She's a little crazy."
Looking up at him, I saw a different kind of smile on his face.
"Yeah?"
"It took me a long time to actually get it."
"How long have you known her?"
"Since June?"
"So... you're close?"
"I'd say we are."
I raised a brow.
He still had this silly grin, and it was getting more and more infuriating.
"You and the others feel this weird need to be protective of her," I said. "Aida
n, Liam, Jonathan... Lance... You. Why not Elle or Denise?"
"They are completely able to take care of themselves. Ria, on the other hand, tr
ies very hard to look like she could do as well, but to be completely honest, sh
e's the one who's most capable of messing up."
"Ooooh. Okay." ::)
Pissed, I shook off his arm and went to check the cheesecake.
"It gets so bad that we feel like it's a responsibility or something."
"Responsibility?" I repeated. "So why didn't you ask her out, then?"
"You know the answer, Gellie. ;)"
"I don't."
"Are you okay?" he asked suddenly. "Your whole face is red."
Oh, darn.
I'm a tad too obvious. Another fatal flaw.
"Honestly?" I asked, turning off the oven. "No. I'm not."
"Why?"
"I think you need some serious rethinking."
"I... don't get it. At all."
"You said it yourself," I snapped. "She feels like a responsibility. Why don't y
ou go and bake cheesecakes with her instead?"
"Gellie," he said, laughing. "Are you... jealous?"
"No!" I exclaimed, my face burning. "I just think you care about her a little to
o much!"
"What?!" he retorted, his smile gone. "You were the one who brought her up in th
e first place!"
"Fine, so it's my fault now?"
"I can't believe we're fighting over this." :(
"Me neither. I can't even believe I'm dating someone who had the nerve to ask me
out, given that he hasn't even sorted out his feelings for somebody else."
"Angeli."
"Don't call me that!"
"Look. I"No, listen. I have a lot of work to do... it's better if you just..."
I laid the cheesecake on the kitchen counter and took off my apron.
Ehrrrr. Nakakainis.

"Take this home for Lola and Ate Niki."

"Gellie, please."
"I'll be in graveyard shift this week. I won't make it on Adhoc next Saturday,"
I told him. "You really should go and find another date."
Without another word, I left the kitchen.
Gelo's POV
"Wait, what?"
It's the third time she has asked me that tonight.
We've been sitting across each other in a table for two in Aveneto for the past
hour. She's not being herself. Even her plateful of marinara lay untouched.
"Ok ka lang ba?"
She gave a sigh.
"Yeah."
"You can tell me, Ria."
Has she found out?
"I don't think I'm supposed to do the telling."
Sh1t.
I'm screwed. :o
But how did she find out? I've done every precaution possible...
"What happened? Are you"Gellie and I had a fight."
"Bakit?"
"The night you blew me off for your Art Studies report, she found you somewhere,
drinking. Apparently, you could stay in two places at one time."
How on earth?!
Sa lahat ng taong pwedeng nakakita sakin...
She put down her fork calmly, but the look on her face was alarming enough.
"Of course, I had to disagree. How could you have done it?"
"Ria"I covered up for you. I told her I knew, even if I didn't. I always tell them t
hat I'm aware of what you're up to, even if I'm not."
"Biglaan yun. Hindi ko sinasadya. I thought you were asleep already, so inisip k
o di na lang kita itetext."
"But you never mentioned anything."
"Kailangan ba lahat ng galaw ko alam mo?"
She gave me a defiant stare.
"I tell you everything. Maybe it's fair enough that I ask you to do the same."
"We have lives outside this relationship," I said firmly. "I feel no need to tel
l you every single detail, and that goes both ways."
Taking a huge swig off my orange juice, I shook off the guilt I was feeling.
It was much easier now, having done it so many times.
"I don't think you understand."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm guessing you're upset because you think I'm meddling too much?"
She was calm, but the manner in which she spoke gave it all.
"It's not that. Hindi ko gustong masakal ka sa relationship na to. Ang akin lang
..."
Twirling her pasta with her fork, she shot me a furtive look.
"Sana, give some effort naman to prove that you deserve this last chance."
"Hindi madali"Hindi rin madali sakin to. I mean, dude," she said with a sarcastic smile. "Lyi
ng to my friends and family isn't my forte. And I'm not planning to be good at i
t."
"What are you getting at?"
"Well, what I'm trying to say is that I'm not going to cover up for you all the
time. It's hard enough that I'm swallowing every lie you're telling me, but to e
xpect me to play along with it and pretend it's okay in front of everyone, that'
s stretching it already."
"I'm not"If you can't do something or anything to change that, isa lang ang ibig sabihin

nun... wala na tayong pupuntahan."

The glass of juice trembled in my hands.
"No, please. :( I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?"
"Sorry kung ganito ako. Ria, you have no idea how much I treasure this relations
hip."
"I want to believe you. I really do."
I grabbed her hand from across the table.
"If that's what you want, okay. I'll tell you everything from now on."
Enclosing her fingers tightly in mine, I looked her in the eye and felt a fresh
rush of guilt.
"I'll do anything you ask me to. Wag mo lang akong iwan. I can't afford to lose
you again."
"Sige," she said, then she slowly got her hand off my grasp.
"Ad Hoc this Saturday," I said with a smile. "Are you going with me?"
"If you promise not to bail out at the last minute."
"Of course not."
"And don't get drunk."
"Yeah. I promise to be the best date ever."
"Aasahan ko yan."
"I love you."
It took a while before she spoke.
"Love you too." :)
She handed me her purse.
"Mag-CR lang ako, ha?"
"Okay."
She stood up, and at that precise moment, my phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Anak? Where are you?"
"Makati. Why?"
"Are you going to finish soon?"
"Bakit nga?"
"Andito si Dr. Garcia. He wants to talk to you."
"We'll be home in thirty."
I ended the call, fuming. My mom's such a pain in the neck.
Looking up, I saw Ria emerge from the washroom. She smiled as she saw me.
My phone rang again.
"Stella, I told you"Stella? Three girls at once, eh?"
???
"Who's this?"
"Your girl looks nice. It's a pity you're cheating on her with Amanda."
"What?"
"She's in blue, isn't she?"
Sh1t.
Ria is wearing blue.
I looked around wildly, hoping to see someone holding a cellphone, but there was
n't.
"What do you want?"
"Stay away from Amanda."
"There is nothing going on between me and Amanda," I hissed. The other line gave
a deep, menacing laugh.
"Right."
I heard a few screams.
What the-?!
:o
"LOOK OUT!"
Ria looked up and saw the chandelier, which was dangerously swaying off the ceil
ing...
She jumped off just in time as it fell, breaking into a thousand pieces.

A split second more and she would have been"I have a lot more up my sleeve," said the voice. "Screw Amanda some more and it
'll be more than chandeliers. Org Party next Saturday, huh? I wonder how a falli
ng ceiling would look like..."
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"
"That's not important. Just do what I say and you get to stay alive. Understand?
"
"YOUThe line went dead.
I immediately ran towards Ria, who was brushing shards of glass off her dress.
"Jeez..."
"Are you all right?"
"Yes, yes... don't worry."
"Sh1t, your face is bleeding. Come on," I said, grabbing her by the hand. "Let's
get out of here."
"Hindi ka rin talaga bad luck magnet, no?" Ate Danna shot at me as she cleaned u
p Ria's face. "Even in one of the safest districts of Makati, you still manage t
o bring misfortune to my sister."
"Don't be ridiculous, Ate. He didn't ask the chandelier to fall on me."
"I'm sorry, Ate. I won't let it happen again."
"Narinig ko na yan."
She stood up and threw away the towel she was using.
"Tomorrow we'll get you checked, just to be sure."
"Ate, please don't tell Dad."
"Of course I won't," she said angrily. "I don't want him to skin you alive just
because you went on dating this pathetic excuse for a-"
"Stop, Ate."
"I always told you this was a bad idea," she went on. "Now you have to hide stuf
f from Dad and ask us to cover up for you..."
"ATE!"
"Fine, I'll shut up."
Ria stared at the floor as Ate Danna walked towards the door.
"Sige. Marami pa kong gagawin."
Binagsak nya yung pinto.
"I didn't know it was this bad," I said, burying my face in my hands. "Your frie
nds hate me, and your family practically wants to wipe me out of your life."
"They'll come around," she told me, but the tone of her voice suggested otherwis
e. "You just have to prove to them that you're not who they think you are."
"But how?" I asked her. With that psycho tailing us on top of everything else, i
t was hard to think straight.
"No idea," she said, taking her shoes off. "Shouldn't you be home by now?"
"Yeah, but"I'm tired already. :-\ Maybe we should call it a day."
"Of course. I understand."
I stood up and she followed suit.
"See you at school."
"Good night, Ri."
I went to give her a good night kiss, but when she saw me at it, she mildly push
ed me away, as though on reflex.
"Ano ba?"
Shocked, I stared at her, at a loss for words. She looked guilty.
"Wh"Sorry. I'm just really stressed," :-\ she told me. "Please. Not now, okay?"
"Aright."
"Galit ka?" :(
"Hindi."
"Text me when you get home."
"Sure."
"Good night, Gelo."
I managed a wave and a weak smile as I closed the door, my mind filled with endl

ess questions.
Chapter Forty Nine
Ria's POV
"WHAT?!" I yelled into my cellphone, causing everyone in the vicinity to look my
way. "How"They're backing out. We need a new venue."
"This isn't my mess anymore," I said firmly. "You started this. I'm not going to
fix this for you again."
"But"Look, I have three exams coming up, and a whole lot of other stuff I should be
dealing with. I did my job as one of the logistics officers, now it's time for y
ou to do your part. I don't think that's too much to ask."
"Ria, it's two weeks away. It's not easy, and"You should've thought of that before you blew the fricking thing up. Now if the
whole fcuking app event fizzles up, there will be no one else to blame but YOU.
Kthanksbye."
No venue.
Two weeks away.
ANG SH1T NUN.
I dialled Gelo, having been unable to talk to him for days now for his sched was
so busy. Lagi ring nakaoff, or kung hindi naman, ang kausap ko e yung operator.
It rang and rang... then came the operator's voice, telling me he was out of the
coverage area... again.
Thank you Miss Operator.
Nasaan na naman ba yung hinayupak na yun at laging out of coverage area?
"Hey."
"What now?!"
I turned and saw Lance.
"Sorry. I'm just really pissed right now."
"Yeah I noticed," he said with a small smile. "Bukas na exam natin sa Comm ah, n
ag-aral ka na?"
"WHAT?" :o
Exam? Ano? Kelan saka saan?
"Yeah. You were absent last meeting, diba? Dun siya inannounce. I texted you."
"Ah. Um. Sorry."
Patay. Deads.
Nagpalit kasi ako ng number. Tapos di ko siya sinabihan. Mahirap kasi... baka ma
gkasala lang ako.
Lalo na ngayon...
"You changed your number?"
"Yeah." :-X
"Clearly, I'm the only one you hadn't informed. On purpose."
The look on his face made me feel guilty.
Ayoko na rin naman kasi ng gulo eh. Mahirap din kasing iresist yung urge na itex
t siya... na kamustahin siya...
"I'm sorry."
"I understand, Ria. No worries."
"Lance"I gotta go."
"Den!"
"Ano?"
"Tingnan mo ginawa ni Guppy!!!" I exclaimed. "Ginawang meryenda yung tsinelas ko
!!!" >:(
"OMG!!! Sorry, Ria. Guppy! BAD!"
"Itali mo na kaya yan?" I said, infuriated. "Kung hindi gagawin kong azucena yan
!"
"EEEK! :o Oo, sige..."
Den hoisted the dog up in her arms, but it somehow slipped off, ending up on my
study table.

"DEN! PAG YUNG LAPTOPBut Guppy didn't go for the laptop. He ran, barking, and in a quick motion he ha
d scooped up a black box in his mouthIt was the black box that Lance had given to me last Christmas.
In mere seconds, he was out of the room, and I mindlessly tore after him, with n
othing on my mind but the necklace.
"GUPPY!" >:(
I literally flew down the stairs in my haste to reach him, but he was way too fa
st. The front door was wide open, and he got through it very easily. Slipping, I
fell flat on my face in the living room floor. My nose felt broken, and it star
ted oozing blood. I didn't mind. The necklace was all that mattered.
The dog made its way across the street, and in horror, I saw it dive headfirst i
nto the neighborhood dumpster"NO! GUPPY!" :o
I heard a screech of brakes and a deafening blast of horns as I crossed the stre
et. I didn't bother to look as I jumped straight into the stinky mess that was o
ur neighbors' trash.
"Sh1t! >:( Nasaan na?!"
Clawing through the mound of garbage with my bare hands, I knew the search was i
n vain. The dog was rolling on its back beside me, looking like it was enjoying
itself.
"Punyeta kang aso ka!" I yelled. "Alam mo ba kung gaano kaimportante sakin yung
kwintas na yun?! :'( T*ng*na naman e!"
I noticed I was crying uncontrollably as I ravaged every bag that was scattered
all around me"What the hell were you thinking?!"
Not bothering to look back, I continued my search... hoping with every fiber of
my being that a little black box might actually appear andWith a howl of mixed fury and relief, I found it and held it close to my chest,
holding it towards me as though my life had completely depended on it. I was a l
iteral mess as I sat there smelling like sh1t, but I really couldn't care any le
ss...
"Ano?!Tuluyan na bang nasira yang ulo mo?"
I turned to look at the rude intruder- it was Karissa, who looked angry enough t
o kill me. Beside her was Lance, who was holding her by the arms, probably keepi
ng her from doing me any sort of damage.
"Alam mo ba kung anong problema sayo?!" she said, her eyes blazing. "Masyado kan
g papansin!"
"I'm sorry... masyado kasing importante tong laman ng kahon na to kaya hindi ko
basta pwedeng pabayaang itapon lang ng aso ko sa basurahan..."
"Is that... what I think it is?"
It took a long while before I was able to phrase my answer properly.
"Tingin mo ba kung hindi ito yun, kakalkalin ko pa sa basurahan?"
He opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it.
Sinamahan niya na lang si Kai papuntang passenger seat, tapos nung pasakay na si
ya ng driver's seat, tumigil siya tapos lumapit sakin.
"Sira ka talaga kahit kelan," he said, tapos pinat nya yung ulo ko. "Wag ka nang
pasaway kasi! Ha?"
"Okay."
"Sige, itago mo lang," sabi nya, sabay tingin dun sa hawak ko. "Kaya kong maghin
tay hanggang next life. And the life after that. I'm in no hurry."
Natulala ako matapos nyang sabihin yun. Ngumiti na lang siya tapos sumakay ng ko
tse. I watched them until they vanished around the corner, my thoughts more jumb
led than ever.
Gellie's POV
Darn.
Stress. Hunger. The prospect of a sleepless night ahead.
Now I'm seriously starting to regret re-scheduling my hospital shift... just to
avoid going to Ad Hoc (which will start exactly 24 hours from now).
I checked my phone. 7 missed calls, 16 new messages - all from Rafa Yutanco.

Kainis. Nakokonsensya tuloy ako. Siya naman kasi eh.

HAY NAKU! BAHALA SIYA. Puntahan nya ko rito kung gusto nya ^-^ Hehe. BAD.
"GELLIE!"
I saw one of the trainee nurses running towards me at top speed.
"Please buzz Dra. Canlas... they need us at the E.R..."
She was panicking.
"Why?"
"It's bad... really bad. Oh god..."
The trainee nurse completely broke down.
Typical newbie... goes wild and whimper-y at the mere sight of blood.
"It's okay. I'm going."
I called the doctor and immediately went to the emergency room.
Just as I came in, the stretcher burst into the double doors. Being obscured fro
m my view by the four men who were pushing it, all I could see was a guy whose h
ead was covered in blood.
OH MY. The trainee nurse was right.
It was bad.
I've never seen anyone bleed this badly. :o
Sumugod ako dun sa may curtains. The others had started fussing with the wires,
and I had to check his vital signs.
When I turned to face him, it was like the world has come to a stop.
"OH GOD."
Slowly, I went to touch his face. I wiped the blood off his face with my shaking
fingers...
"Gellie? Are you all right?"
"NO!" I screamed.
"RAFA!" :o
The wires I had been holding slipped off my hands as I threw myself on him, forg
etting everything else. The others had to pull me off as I broke down completely
, losing control and composure"For heaven's sake, Miss Fandino!" said Dra. Canlas. "Somebody get her off the p
atient!"
I had to wrestle three of my colleagues as they pulled me out of the curtains. I
t took three of them to restrain me from going back in.
"LET GO OF ME!"
"Gellie! Get a grip on yourself!"
"DAMMIT, RAFAEL! DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME! >:(
DON'T YOU FCUKING DARE!" :'(
I stopped, every muscle of my body growing numb. Falling on the floor in a crump
led heap, I sobbed and cried my lungs out, hoping the noise I was making would f
inally wake him up.
No...
I can't lose him... not like this... :'(
Looking up, I heard something strange.
Suddenly, my mind was not working properly anymore.
No. Hindi pwede...
That's not a flat line... is it?
Dra. Canlas went out of the curtains and took off her surgical mask.
"He's gone," she said faintly. "Dead on arrival."
I gasped, unable to comprehend.
She kneeled in front of me, and what she said next made me want the world to sto
p.
"I'm sorry, Gellie." :(
Chapter Fifty
Gellie's POV
"I'm sorry, Gellie."
Staring blankly at Dra. Canlas, I felt her pull me up to a standing position.
"Can I just-...?"
"By all means."
Sinamahan niya ako hanggang sa loob. The sight that greeted me upon entering mad

e me want to scream, but I was too weak to do so. Half of me wanted to run away.
.. the other half ached to hold him for what I know to be the last time.
It was just too much for me to handle.
"I'll just be outside if... if you need me."
I simply nodded. Hearing the curtains drawn, I slowly walked towards him, with t
ears falling like boulders down my face. I clasped his hand tightly... he was st
ill warm.
"Ang tindi mo," I said. "I wanted you to come for me... But not this way! Ang fa
il mo naman talaga e no? When are you ever going to learn!?"
He was handsome, even in death.
I seem to have forgotten how cute he was, and how he had made me fall for him...
.
It was all coming back. The first time I met him... the day he relentlessly pest
ered me to come to his birthday...
"Don't leave me, Rafs," I whispered, choking in between sobs. "Ni bu yao li kai
wo..."
Sinubsob ko yung mukha ko sa balikat nya. Dun ako nag-iiyak.
And then I heard him laugh.
WAIT.
Laugh?!
I literally jumped backwards and landed on my butt as he sat up, laughing hard.
"GOODNESS! I'm a terrible actor. ;D ;D ;D"
My eyes went as wide as space shuttles as I watched him wipe the blood off his f
ace.
"This thing's itchy. And you just spoke in Mandarin! Good gracious. This day was
wild ;D"
>:( >:(
"ANAK KA NG-!"
I got one of the steel instrument trays, and was about to bonk it over his head
when I was restrained by a number of hands from truly murdering Rafael Yutanco.
"HIJA! MAGHUNOS DILI KA!" :o
Dra. Canlas successfully got the tray off my hands. The other nurses were nervou
sly looking at me, as though I was a deranged lunatic.
"You were all in the plan, weren't you?!" >:(
"Sorry, hija. Inaanak ko sa binyag yang batang yan, hindi ako makatanggi... lalo
na, nagmanikluhod sa opisina ko. Naku Gellie, pagbigyan mo na, please? Tingnan
mo! Nagpakadesperado at nagkunwaring patay! Susginoo!"
Inalis nung ibang co-nurses ko yung mga gamit sa paligid, even the heavy oxygen
tank.
"You need to talk.We're leaving you here."
Sinara na ulit yung curtains.
Shoot. Wala akong choice. EDI SIGE. MABULOK NA KAMI RITO, HINDI KO PA RIN SIYA K
AKAUSAPIN.
But on second thought"Alam mo ba kung anong ginawa mo, ha?" sabi ko, sabay suntok ng sunod sunod sa c
hest nya. "Akala mo nakakatawa ka?! HINDI! NAKAKABWISIT KA! NAKAKAIRITA! ARGH! Y
OU'RE SO STUPID!"
"Punch me all you want."
I stopped, furious. He looked perfectly calm as he stared at me, his face still
stained crimson.
Infairview, his corny tactic worked. AGAIN.
"Why did you have to do that?!"
"Hindi ka sumasagot sa phone eh. Naisip ko, I have to find a way to talk to you.
Kasi naisip ko kung pupuntahan kita rito, pwede ka pa rin magtago... so eto. Si
nigurado kong kakausapin mo ko! :D"
Touching my face with both hands, he turned my face to be able to look at him di
rectly.
"Wag ka na magalit. Please?"
"Wag mo na uulitin yun a," I replied, frowning. "Pag inulit mo ipapadala talaga
kita sa embalsamador! Naintindihan mo?!"

"Kaw kasi. Selosa ka. Magseselos ka na lang, kay Ria pa. ;D Eh mas lalake pa sak
in yun!"
"Malamang, nakakainis kaya, kung nakita mo kung paano ka magkwento tungkol sa ka
nya..."
"Kaw nga din, pag binabanggit mo si"Ay naku! Binabalik mo yung blame sakin!"
"Look," he said, his face now serious. "The mere fact that you're Angeli Fandino
makes you worth more than a thousand Rias to me. Okay?"
"Weh. ;D"
"Oo nga! I'm serious!"
I looked at him, checking for any signs of a smirk.
"See? You believe me. You're blushing o." ;D
"Who's blushing?" I replied, lightly slapping him on the arm. He laughed, then h
ugged me. I couldn't resist smiling.
"Gellie?"
"Yep?"
"Wo ai ni..."
"Wo ye ai ni."
Natawa ako.
"So... tuloy na tayo tomorrow?"
"Oo. Pero maliligo muna ako. ;D"
26 hours later...
Ria's POV
"Psst. Tahimik mo."
"Ah. Sorry."
"Wag ka na mabadtrip. Sayang make up mo! ;D"
Paano ba kong hindi mababadtrip, eh andito ko kina Elle at Aidan nakisakay.
Tanong niyo bakit?
Kasi ayun ang date ko. MISSING IN ACTION. Hinintay ko simula kaninang alas otso.
Buti na lang, dumaan sila Aidan at Elle sa bahay namin. 10pm na yun.
Sabi ko na nga ba, mangyayari to e.
Inabot ni Elle yung kamay ko.
"Don't fret. Aidan and I will take care of him when we get there. Ok? For now, I
want us to have fun. Pwede ba yun?"
"Sige."
"Free flowing drinks! WOOOOT" :D
"Hoy. Di ka pwede uminom ng marami a."
"Yes Sir!"
"Hoy little sis ikaw din. Kahit may rason ka pa para uminom, hindi pwede."
"Yes Kuya."
"Don't worry, andun si Lance. Hindi ka papabayaan nun." ;) said Aidan, flashing
me a knowing smile.
Naisip ko na naman tuloy si Lance.
Nalito ako. Katangahan talaga tong ginagawa ko e. :-\
Pagkadating namin ng venue, nakita ko na kung gaano kaganda. Sa labas pa lang, k
ita mo na yung mga ilaw. Pumunta muna kami dun sa Pose N Print. Nakakahiya pa ri
n, mukha tuloy akong tanga, paningit sa kanila. Naaappreciate ko naman yung effo
rt nila, syempre... pero kasi nakakahiya.
Naku Angelo. >:(
Pag nakita talaga kita...
Hinila ako bigla ni Elle palayo.
"Are you okay?"
"Oo naman. Thanks sa inyo ni Aidan."
"Don't worry too much, okay?"
"Do you mind if I go and look for Gelo?"
"Ok lang. Pero..."
"Kailangan na talaga naming mag-usap..."
"Sigurado ka?"
"I should have done this a long time ago..."

She stared at me pityingly.

"You were right all along," I conceded.
Napayakap siya bigla sakin.
"Sa wakas! HAHAHA!" :D
"Baliw ka Elle!" ;D I said, letting go of her... then I saw Gellie, Rafa, Maffy
and Jon coming.
I immediately went to hug Gellie.
"Mare! I'm so sorry..."
"Don't say sorry, silly!" ;D
"Ano? Inuman na!"
"Haha! Baliw! Are you okay?"
"Ok lang. Enjoy muna kayo dyan, okay?"
"Saan ka pupunta?"
"Basta. :D Babalik ako."
Naglakad na ako.
On the way, I saw Denise.
"Den!" sabi ko. "Ang ganda mo ah! :D Si Liam, di mo kasama?"
"Ah... si Liam, nag-CR..."
"Bakit ka panicky?"
"Ha? Ako? Hindi a!" sabi niya, sabay hinila niya ako. "Tara puntahan na natin si
la."
"Teka lang, may hahanapin lang ako."
"Dito ka na lang... please? Wag ka nang pumunta dun."
Tiningnan ko siya ng mabuti.
I saw something peculiar with the way she was acting, and I knew I had to act qu
ick.
"Sige, puntahan mo na sila. Sandali lang ako."
"Ria"Denise, please."
I quickly let go of her hand, not giving her any time to protest. Running, (atop
spindly 4-inch heels) I went against the throng of people who were already crow
ding into the venue. I struggled, but eventually emerged into the outside hall,
which was also quite packed.
Then I saw him.
Anger, white-hot and furious, exploded at the pit of my stomach, rendering me in
capable of thinking straight.
There he was, his face red- evidently drunk, sitting on one of the stools... wit
h his arm around another girl's waist.
They were kissing. Torridly.
I went and walked towards them.
"YOUSomeone got there first.
A big, heavily muscled guy had crossed the hall, and upon reaching them... he pu
lled Gelo's collar and punched him.
I screamed.
Gelo's nose started bleeding.
"I TOLD YOU TO STOP SCREWING HER, DIDN'T I?!"
The guy aimed another kick at Gelo's face, but missed... the latter stood up and
attempted to fight back, but I was quick to restrain him from doing it...
"STOP!"
"GET THE FCUK OFF ME!"
Gelo pushed me with such force that I fell, hitting my head on one of the bar's
stool chairs.
I blacked out for a moment, the lights swimming in and out of my vision. Three m
en were pulling the muscled guy out of the hall. There was a lot going on but I
could hardly concentrate...
I felt something trickling down my forehead.
Slowly, I lifted my hand and touched the spot, it was hot... it was sticky...
It was red.
I cried on the spot and stood up.

Not because I was jealous, not because I was humiliated...

But because he had actually hurt me with his own hands- something I never though
t he'd do...
And this was the second time.
I can't let it happen again. Ever.
Still dizzy, I saw him turn to face me. He looked like he had difficulty in reco
gnizing me.
"Ria?" he asked, narrowing his eyes, perhaps in an effort to clear his vision. L
umapit siya sakin. "Oh god no..."
"DON'T EVEN DARE."
Naglakad na ako, trying to keep a straight line.
He pulled me me into a hug. And I was just too weak to resist...
"I didn't mean to... didn't know it was you... I'm so sorry..."
"Get off me."
"No... Ria please"I can't do this anymore. I've had enough."
With an enormous effort, I pushed him off and went on my way, with nothing on my
mind but my friends.
"You can't leave me... please..."
"No!"
He managed to lock me in his arms once more, and I couldn't get off. In spite of
myself, my knees were buckling, not because I wanted to lean on him, but becaus
e I was close to passing out.
Looking around, I noticed we have gone into a dark, deserted corridor. There was
nothing in sight, except for a couple of elevators.
The pain in my head was unbearable, and my vision was starting to turn black...
And then I felt something else.
There was a tingling sensation on my face, moving from my cheeks to my mouth.
He was kissing me...
"No..."
I pushed him, but he hardly budged. He moved to my ear and neck, and then he eff
ortlessly pinned me against the wall"STOP!"
"I can't... I won't... "
It intensified. He was kissing me more passionately, while I moved my face to ke
ep my face away...
"NO! STOP IT! PLEASE!" I cried, now tasting a mixture of blood and tears. "GELO!
"
"Why?"he asked, stopping as he looked at me with fury in his eyes. "You're ditch
ing me, huh? No. Akin ka lang."
And then I felt his hands all over my body, his right hand was working its way u
p my skirt, while the left caught the knot on my halter blouse...
"NO! STOP!" I screamed, but it was too late. "ANGELO!"
The strap of my dress had come off, and I closed my eyes as fear and exhaustion
consumed me"RIA!"
There was a sickening crunch, and I fell to the ground, with nothing to support
me. The strap of my blouse was dangling helplessly off my shoulders, though my t
op was still fortunately clinging on me. I lay there, sprawled, watching Liam an
d the others take care of GeloSomeone had scooped me up into a sitting position.
"Ria? RIA! TALK TO ME!"
I cried I've never cried in my life.
Here was my refuge, the one I had left and hurt so many times...
The one I wanted to choose from the start"Sh1t!" Lance screamed.
He removed his jacket.
I must be dreaming...
He was here.
The one I've loved all along...

"Here," he said, wrapping me with it. "Stay awake for me, Ria. Please."
"I will," I muttered weakly.
And then I heard footsteps and voices...
"Ria!"
"Is she okay?" :o
"What happened to her blouse?"
"Sh1t! Did he"Let's go!" he shouted to the others. "LIAM! THAT'S ENOUGH! SHE'S BLEEDING!"
I opened my eyes for a fraction of an inch, seeing all of my guy friends- Liam,
Aidan, Jon and Rafa, surrounding Gelo, who was on the ground clutching his stoma
ch.
I felt no remorse as I watched him cringe in pain.
"Come on! We have to get her to the hospital!"
"What's going on here?"
One of the bouncers had come.
"Way to go," Liam told the bouncer. "A girl was almost raped and none of you wer
e here to prevent it..."
"HELP..." Gelo muttered. "Help me..."
Liam was about to aim another kick but Aidan and the bouncer had pulled him back
.
"Enough, Liam. Sir, kayo na po bahala magdala nyan sa hospital. Guys tara na."
Binuhat ako ni Lance, and in a while nakasakay na kami. Having no idea where I w
as or where we were heading, I had my head on his chest the whole time, half-con
scious.
"I never should have let you do this," Lance whispered. His voice broke. "I'm so
sorry..."
I felt a heavy drop on my face.
Chapter Fifty One
Elle's POV
"Psst," said someone.
I looked up and saw Aidan on my door, looking like he had just fallen out of hea
ven.
Okay. Jokelang. ;D
"Bihis ka."
"Bakit?" I asked. "I have an exam tomorrow."
"Ipagpapalit mo ako sa exam mo?"
"Hun," I pleaded. "This is for my future."
"But that's not your future," he snapped. "I am." ^-^
"Kapal mo. ;D"
"Dali," he said, looking at his watch. "Hatid kita dito by 4pm."
"3 pm."
"No. 4pm. Take it or leave it."
"Leche."
"You love me, right?"
I closed my sketchpad loudly.
"Utot mo."
"I'll take that as a yes. Five minutes ka lang a!"
"Minadali pa ko amp!"
"Wait!"
"Ano na naman? Ambagal bagal mo!" >:( I snapped. Pinababa nya ko rito sa park fo
r some reason. Gusto lang daw magswing. Tama ba yun? Pinatigil ako mag aral for
my FINALS tapos eto. Gusto lang magbata-bataan ulit!
Pasalamat siya... ::)
Out of nowhere, pinatalikod niya ako tapos tinakpan nya yung mata ko.
"Aidan Mikhail, pag hindi"Pag hindi mo alam kung bakit kita dinala dito, FAIL ka."
OOOPS.
Ano ibig nya sabihin?
"See. Fail ka nga."
"Patay ako neto."

"Buti alam mo."

"Ano gagawin mo?"
"HOY!" shouted Aidan to someone I couldn't see. "Bakit mo nilabas yan? Kunin mo
yung mas malaking paddle!"
"Hun," I said, nervous. "Are you recruiting me in a--?!" :o
"Sorry teddy bear," he told me. "It's kind of a rite of passage."
"AIDANCLICK!
"What?"
He opened my eyes and I was completely appalled to see not a group of guys holdi
ng paddles, but all my friends in a circle, holding letters that spelled out:
"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY." :D
I jumped and hugged him.
"If I never knew you...
If I never felt this love...
I would have no inkling of how precious life can be..."
"Sino yun?!" I asked, looking around.
"Si Lance saka si Ria. Pinakanta ko nalang sila, di ako marunong kumanta eh ;D"
"AWWW! The song!" I squealed shamelessly. "Badtrip ka!"
"Sabi mo gusto mo Pocahontas?!"
"OO NGA! PUTIK KINIKILIG AKO E!"
"Haha murahin ba ako!"
"I LOVE YOU!" :D I shouted, planting a kiss on his cheek.
Tumawa siya tapos inakbayan nya ako while we watched Lance sing while playing on
a makeshift keyboard. He gave us a quick thumbs-up as he sang.
"And if I never held you
I would never have a clue
How at last I'd find in you
The missing part of me..."
"Can I have this dance?"
"Parang prom lang a!" ;D
"Oo nga! Kung di naman dahil sa prom, wala eh. Hahaha!"
"Sure!"
We swayed on the spot, dancing in circles. Liam and Jonathan made whistling nois
es as I saw them. Sila Denise, Maffy at Gellie naman, andun sa tabi, nagbabarbec
ue.
"KISS!" Rafa taunted. "KISSSSS!"
"Mamaya!" Aidan yelled back, then he turned to me. "Pero kung gusto mo ngayon na
okay lang rin. XD"
"In this world so full of tears...
Full of rage and lies
I could see the truth so clear,
In your eyes, so dry your eyes..."
"And I'm so grateful to you," Aidan sang (or recited, haha he's such a bad singe
r) softly in my ear. "I'd have lived my whole life through lost forever... If I
never knew you..."
I tightened my grip on his hand.
"Thank you, Aidan," I said. "Sobrang thank you."
"Only the best for you."
He gave me a quick kiss on my nose.
"Ba't dun?" ???
"Atat ka?" ;D
"Ang daya mo."
"Edi ikaw na lang."
"Hindi kita abot e!"
He laughed aloud and then he kissed me.
Walangyang to. Pakipot amputs. ;D
"O, mamaya na ulit," sabi nya after breaking off. "Masyado na sila kikiligin."
"Pake ko?" I teased, smiling. "Edi kiligin sila dyan. ;D"
The voice of the singer changed...

"If I never knew you

I'd be safe but half as real...
Never knowing I could feel
A love so strong and true
I'm so grateful to you... I'd have lived my whole life through..."
I couldn't resist laughing as I watched Lance gaze longingly at Ria as the latte
r sang, as though she was the only thing he could see.
Eto namang si Ria lumingon din. Tapos nagblush. HAHA!
Ang kulit ng dalawang to. Nakisali daw ba sa amin. Epal eh. ;D
Jokelang!
"Lost forever... if I never knew you..."
"Hindi naman nila feel na feel yung kanta no?" I asked Aidan. "Patingin tingin e
ffect pa. ;D"
"Hindi yan effect. Totoo na yan."
"Salamat naman," I replied, smiling. "Pag hindi pa totoo yan, ihuhulog ko na sil
a sa La Mesa Dam."
"I thought our love would be so beautiful
Somehow we'd make the whole world right
I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong
All they'd place us were these whispers in the night
But still my heart is saying we were right..."
"So... paano pala kung di mo ko nakilala?"
"Corny mo," I replied. "Tinagalog mo lang yung kanta eh."
"Boo. KJ," sabi nya then inirapan nya ako. "Kinalimutan mo na ngang anniv natin
ngayon tas ganyan ka."
"Ang cheesy mo kasi!" ;D
"Bahala ka, pag nag Law School na ko, hindi na ko pwedeng maging cheesy."
"As if naman kaya mo kong tiisin. Diba, Attorney Lennox?"
He smiled broadly.
"Pag ako na si Atty Lennox... magiging Mrs. Lennox ka ha?"
"Are you proposing to me? ;D"
"Yeah. Pero wala pa kong pambili ng singsing so magtiis ka sa verbal contract. ;
D"
"Walangya." ;D
"Kaya pag di ka tumupad sa usapan, I'll sue you."
"Ahuh?" I teased. "Ano naman mangyayari pag naconvict ako?"
"Lifetime sentence. In my arms, that is. ;D"
"ASUS!"
He hugged me tightly as we still danced, unmindful of anything else.
"Empty as the sky
Never knowing why...
Lost forever... If I never knew you..."
Lance and Ria ended the song nicely, looking in each other's eyes as they did.
Awww. Sobrang cute!!! <3
Pero mas cute kami, okay? ;D
"Kain na tayo."
"Huh?"
"Nagutom ako sa amoy ng barbecue!"
"Sige, tara. To talagang luto ni Maffy oo," he said, shaking his head. "Inaagaw
ka sakin e." ;D
Ria's POV
"Orange juice?"
Looking up, I saw Lance handing me a bottle of Minute Maid.
"Thanks."
Umupo siya sa tabi ko, then tuloy kami ng pagkain.
Aidan had arranged this surprise for Elle about a month ago. Kinunchaba na agad
kaming lahat. Sobrang sweet, leche. ;D Kung alam lang ni Elle kung gaano siya ka
swerte sa ugok na yun. HAHA!
"Mukhang natuwa naman si Elle, no?"
"Naku. Hindi nga e. Tingnan mo o. Nakangiti mag-isa. ;D"

"Ang sama mo! Hehe. Wait lang. Gusto mo ba ng sample exam ng Math 100 finals?"
My eyes went 0_0
Sorry. Nerd much.
"Meron ka? WEH?
"Oo ako pa. Magaling ako. 8)"
"Puts! Pa-photocopy ako? Please?"
"Okay sige. Kaso nasa bahay e, pwede mo kunin dun mamaya."
"Ahhh. Mmm. Pwede bukas?" I asked. "May pupuntahan kasi ako after this."
"Ah, saan? Gusto mo samahan kita?"
"Wag na. Okay lang naman ako."
"Sigurado ka?" he asked, looking at the bandage on my forehead. "Have you had yo
ur check-up?"
"Yup. Okay na. Hindi naman masyadong nakalog yung utak ko, no worries. ;D"
"Sus, matagal naman nang kalog yung utak mo no. ;D"
"Ang shet mo a. HAHA."
"But seriously, okay ka na?"
"Oo nga," I said, tas tinap ko yung buhok niya. "No need to worry."
"Good," he said, then he folded his paper plate and threw it into the trash bin.
"After ng Math 100 finals, free ka na?"
"Oo. Bakit?"
"Mmm. Summer class, meron ka?"
"Wala. Ikaw ba?"
"Wala rin. Eh..."
Napatulala siya bigla.
"Anong meron ba?" I asked, amused at his hesitant manner.
"Wala lang. Kasi may ano... may gagawin ako sa Milan, fashion week... ah eh..."
He scratched his head.
"Parehas kami ni Rafa nagraramp, alam mo yun diba? Tatanungin niya rin si Gellie
... eh kasi may go-see next week, naisip namin, isama kayo, para makaramp din ka
yo for Benetton... tapos 2 weeks free accomodation dun. Sayang kasi e, malaki ri
n pay, and matutuwa si Tita Marj..."
"So... you're asking me to go to Milan with you?"
"Parang ganun. Haha. Oo."
"Eh paano kung wala pala akong visa? ;D"
"Madali lang yun, si Tita Marj pa! Chicken lang yun sa kanya!"
"Edi sige. Tanungin ko lang parents ko."
"Gusto mo ipagpaalam kita?"
"Hindi wag na. Kaya na yun! :)"
"Kung sabagay, ako naman yung kasama mo. Papayag na yun! HAHA!"
"Kapal ng fez forever :P" I replied, tapos sinapok ko siya. "Sige na. Aalis muna
ako."
"Hatid kita?" :)
"Wag na! Punta na lang ako sa inyo bukas."
"Ano oras?"
"Bahala na. Tatawagan na lang kita. Kabilang street ka lang naman e. Sige babay
na! :D"
With a hug, I bid him and my friends good-bye.
DING! DONG!
A uniformed maid went to meet me.
"Pasok po," she said, opening the gate.
"No need," I replied. "Andyan ba si Gelo?"
"Wala po."
"Okay. Pwede mo ba akong tulungan?"
"Saan po?"
I led her to my car's compartment. Binuksan ko yun at kinuha yung pagkalaki-laki
ng laman nun, tapos inabot ko sa kanya.
"A- Ano pong gagawin ko rito?" ??? :o
Halos natabunan na nung teddy bear yung buong mukha niya. While she was at it, i
binaba ko na rin sa may paa niya yung box ng sapatos na kahit kelan hindi ko nag
amit.

"Masyado nang puno yung kwarto ko, wala nang space para diyan," I told her while
closing my compartment. "Sabihin mo sa amo mo, sorry. Hindi ko na kamo kailanga
n ng excess baggage."
"Pero Ma'am..."
"Ikaw na bahala. Siguro dun mo na lang ibigay sa bago niya pagdating nila dito m
amaya."
"Ma'am, pagagalitan po ako ni Sir..."
I threw her a cold look.
"Hindi ko na problema yun."
Lance's POV
ACK!
Naknampota! MY EYES!
"Nanay She!" I yelled, hiding myself under the blankets for she had opened the c
urtains and too much sunlight was flooding in. "It's too early!"
"Says who? It's eight na oh!" :D
I immediately shook the blanket off upon recognizing that voice.
"What on EARTH"Breakfast in bed!!!" she shouted happily, putting a tray right in front of me.
My mouth watered at the very sight of it.
CARAMEL WAFFLES. :o O0
I must be in heaven.
"Made it myself," she said proudly, taking a seat beside me. "Yuck. What's that
on your-?
HOLYCRAP.
May muta pa yata ako. :o
"I'll wash my face nga. Tabi dyan," I said jokingly, then I went to the bathroom
to clean up. Nakakahiya kasi. HAHA. Tama ba naman kasing pumunta dito ng ganito
ng oras?! ;D
"Bagay pala sayo bed hair!" she shouted from outside. "Ganyan ka na lagi ah!"
"Sus! Kahit ano naman bagay sakin eh. 8)"
She laughed.
"Tagal mo ah! Nagmemake up ka ba? ;D" she asked at the top of her voice. "Di mo
na kailangan magpagwapo! Masyado ka nang gwapo para sakin! HAHAHA LABO."
Anak ng. Kinilig ako amputs. ;D
"Andyan na! Atat ka e!"
Lumabas ako while wiping my face with a towel. She was playing with the flower n
a nandun kasama nung breakfast ko sa tray.
"Okay yang waffles ah," I commented. "Anong nakain mo? ;D"
"Yabang mo a! Ano ayaw mo no?" ::)
"Hinde ah! Akin na nga yan!"
Kinuha ko yung tray tas nilagay ko sa bedside table para maligpit yung kama ko.
Ang hassle kaya nung nakakalat yung kumot saka mga unan. Nakakahiya. Isipin pa n
ito messy ako. :P Mahirap naaaa. ^-^
"Bakit mo tinabi yung luto ko? ALAT!"
"Teka lang kasi! Magliligpit ako!" ;D
"Ayoko nga."
Umupo siya dun sa bed bigla. Hindi ko tuloy mahila yung kumot.
ANG KULIT AH.
"Tabi kasi dyan!"
She folded her arms and pouted, shooting me an 'I-hate-you' glance.
I pulled the blanket again, but she wouldn't budge.
"Ano ba? >:( Wag na kasi makulit!"
Her frown vanished and then she pulled my hand instead.
"Halika nga."
"What're you doing?"
"Come here."
She pulled me even closer to her, forcing me to sit. Lying down, she stretched h
er arms out wide, then seductively propped her head on one arm, looking at me wi
th this little impish grin on her face.
"Mmm..."

She bit her lip and toyed with the scarf on her neck.
"Maybe this one's supposed to go first."
I gulped.
"What?" :o
"It's getting a bit hot, isn't it?" she asked, smiling. "No need for a scarf..."
"Ehhrr..."
"Can you take it off for me?" she whispered, putting her other hand on mine, lea
ding it closer to her.
I obliged, feeling the blood come up to my face. Using both hands, I untied the
knot, and was not ready for what came next.
Chapter 52
click me!
Ria's POV
"HOY!" I shouted, snapping my fingers right in his face.
He stared, his mouth slightly agape.
Bless him. The guy couldn't even speak.
I laughed out loud, sat up properly and took a peek at the necklace that was now
sitting on my neck. He was looking at it too, his face half-apprehensive, halfhopeful.
"I thought you said you'd get the gist?" ;D
"Yeah. But- I dunno... it's too good to be true."
I resisted the urge to slap him, to get him back to reality.
He seems to be LPU today. ;D
"You prat, d'you think I'd joke around with stuff like this?"
"No... of course not!"
His lips broke into a wide smile, and then he hugged me.
"Baliw! I actually thought you were being wild or something. ;D"
"Haha! Do I look like the type who'd do that?" I shot at him as I broke off.
"Not really."
"What if I do get wild?" I asked him, coming closer and grabbing his collar.
"I'd really like to see you try." ^-^
"Pun intended?"
"I... guess it depends?"
He was still laughing when I went for the kill and kissed him full on the mouth.
Before I knew it, I was losing control while he kissed me back intensely, my ha
nd resting on the side of his faceAnd then he broke off.
"What"You girls aren't the ones who's supposed to initiate it."
"And you're bringing this up NOW?" I asked incredulously.
"Fine, I'll bring it up later," he said, then this time he started it. I felt al
l of my inhibitions slip away as he pulled me closer towards him, and then our f
aces moved sideways, wanting to try it from the other endBut then the other hand I was using for balance was slipping off the bed"OUCH!"
We fell down in a heap as I instinctively pulled him down with me. I landed with
my back on the floor, with him ending up on topUsing his free hand, he slightly pulled himself away.
"Ang clumsy mo kahit kelan! ;D"
"If there's anyone to blame, it's you," I told him. "Cuz you make me fall for yo
u over and over." ^-^
"Ang corny mo!"
"I love you," I said, looking him in the eye and meaning every single word. Carr
essing his cheek, I saw him smile.
"I love you too."
"I love you more!"
He laughed, and then we kissed again, and again...
And again.
DARN. I AM SO LOSING COUNT OF THIS.
"Aray... teka lang nga..."

He stopped and helped me sit up, then I went to look for the sharp thing that wa
s going against my back.
"What's that?"
It was a key.
"Ano naman to?" I asked him, holding it up against the light. "The key to Kariss
a's condo?"
"Course not," he said, his smile vanishing. "It's for my mom's art room. Don't b
e jealous."
He kissed the tip of my nose.
"Talaga? Can we go there?"
His smile gradually faded.
"Wag na."
"Bakit?"
"Wag na kasiii. Mas masosolo mo ko dito."
AY NAUGHTY. ;D
Sinapak ko nga. Pero mahina lang.
"Come on," I said, standing up. I pulled him by the hand. "Ano ba meron dun?"
"No idea. Hindi pa ako nakapasok dun eh."
"Bakit?"
"Basta."
I stared at him, lost.
"Galit ka pa ba sa mommy mo?"
"Let's not talk about her, okay?"
"Lance"Next time na lang, please?" he asked, pouting.
PACUTE.
Almost worked, though. ;D
"No. Now na."
"Ria... I've always wanted to go there when I was a kid, but she kept me out at
all times. I see no point in trying to do that now- even if she isn't here anymo
re. She would want me out."
He went and helped me stand up, but busied himself with the beddings with his ba
ck turned on me.
"Bakit pa yan ibibigay sayo ng Daddy mo kung ganun nga?"
"How should I know?" he asked. "Don't ask me to fathom the way my father's mind
works. He's quite an insane douchebag."
"Lance!" I said exasperatedly. "Don't be like that!"
"Look, I hate her. I don't give a damn"To hell you don't," I snapped. "You long for her, for a mother's love."
"Which she never cared to give."
"Don't you get it?" I asked him exasperatedly. "That room might have all the ans
wers."
"When she died, I swore I'd forget everything and shun every single memory I had
of her," he told me sternly. "I'm doing quite a good job at it, so I must ask y
ou to please try not to ruin all that."
"It's been eight years! Can't you find it in yourself to forget your stupid ego
and finally face it?"
"Exactly my point, Ria!" he said, his voice a bit raised as he turned to face me
. His eyes were filled with anger. "Eight years worth of pain and a whole lot of
bull sh1t! It's difficult enough to put it all behind me, and to ask me to go b
ack there and bring everything back in full measure... I must say it's a bit too
much."
I've never seen him this angry, but I was not intimidated at the very least.
Looking him straight in the eye, I went and put my hands on his face.
"Who said you're taking it all by yourself?" I asked him, smiling. "I'm here."
"What are you talking about?" he asked angrily.
"I'm going with you."
"No," he replied, taking my hands off him. "I can't."
"Yes you can, and you will."
We stared at each other, fighting a battle of wills. He was first to look away.

"Lead me there," I ordered him.

He sighed and walked outside. I followed him, afraid he would go somewhere else,
but he didn't. I grasped his hand, and though I knew he was quite pissed with m
e he did not shake me off. We took all the time in the world as we walked hand i
n hand through the dimly-lit corridor. The place looked lonely-it seemed like no
one had used it for years. It led to a dead end, where an old door stood alone.
It looked very old indeed. The knocker was made of brass and it shone in the dar
k-casting a rather gloomy kind of beauty about it, and I stared in awe.
As I gave him the key, he stared at me, as though getting himself ready for the
worst. His free hand remained at his side, refusing to take it.
"Dude," I said, smiling. "Come on. You're better than this. :)"
"Fine," he replied. "You owe me frozen yogurt."
Roughly, he got the key from me... I heard a click, and little by little, he had
opened it.
My jaw fell as I laid my eyes upon the room. It looked like a mini-library, only
there was more.
There was a stack of canvas stretched on frames, and a violin was sitting serene
ly on top of a dusty piano, which had a little picture frame on itCLICK
Lance picked up the frame and stared at it, his eyes wide. His grip on my hand t
ightened.
He laid it back down on the table and looked around the room. Slowly, he took it
all in- perhaps even feeling his mother's presence again.
I watched his face for any trace of emotion-there was none.
Leaving him, I went and explored the room myself. The corners were dusty, some f
ull of cobwebs, but it was distinctly beautiful.
When I looked back at him, he was holding something that looked like a black din
ner plate. He was exploring it closely.
"What's that?"
"A phonograph record," he said, blowing puffs of dust off it. "It's labeled with
her name."
"Wow. Play it," I told him.
"Will this still work?" he asked, gesturing towards the phonograph. It was still
shiny.
"It's worth a try."
Shrugging, he went and put the record on the player.
Amazingly, it started playing-I recognized it as the sound of a violin.
My jaw dropped. It was a piece from Phantom of the Opera. (click!)
No piece of music had touched me this way before.
"Wow," I said in awe. "She's marvelous."
He did not reply, and his hand simply gripped the sides of the piano, his back t
urned on me.
I chose not to speak again. I knew he was in deep thought- and as he stood there
, staring at thin air, I went and got the picture frame into my hands.
Looking around, I noticed it was the only picture in the room. The frame was orn
ate- old, plated with gold, its edges a bit faded...
Something about the piano caught my attention. The surface was uneven.
"Lance?" I asked. "Why is thisI lifted the lid and found a red, dog-eared notebook.
"What's that?"
"I think it's her journal," I said, wiping dust off the cover. "You might want t
o check."
He looked both apprehensive and excited as I handed it to him.
As I did, something fell out of it...
Lance was too busy scanning the notebook to notice. I picked it up and read it.
The music changed.
November 6, 19**
Lance, anak... I'm sorry I had to push you away today... again.
"Hey," I said. He came over and read it with me.
And of all the days that I could've chosen, I had to shoo you away on your speci

al day... your ninth. Only goodness knows how proud I am.

You have no idea how it broke my heart, seeing you run away from me like that.
I felt his hand on my shoulder.
I'm sorry... I'm scared that what I have might be contagious. I do not want you
to get through any of this... I just can't risk it. Forgive me.
Writing this card is the only way that I could tell you everything, for there is
no time left for explaining... although I know giving it to you would be of no
use, for you would not be able to understand- despite being the smart boy that y
ou are... you're a tad too young to understand the complications... but there is
no need to worry... you never cease to make me and your father proud.
You might not know what I am thinking of right now, but it's okay. I'd rather do
all this than risk you, and I do not want to be weak... I do not want you to re
member me as a weak person, for that is the last thing that I want you to be.
Pero anak, I know you'll be fine. You are a strong boy, I see it- even as you ra
n away from me today, with tears on your bright, wonderful eyes... Son, you have
no idea...
Lance, hijo... forgive me. But if there's one thing I learned- and I want you to
learn it too- it's that love entails sacrifice. Yes, I am enduring the greatest
pain from keeping myself from you... but it makes me happy knowing that what I
am doing is for your own good.
Happy Birthday, Anak. I love you.
Mama
The letter shook in my hands.
I turned to look at him, and he laughed as he used his free hand to wipe my face
.
"Why are you crying?" he asked, smiling. "Silly."
"Kapal mo!" I exclaimed. "Ikaw rin eh."
"Ok ka lang ba?"
"I'm fine! It's justHe shook his head and simply pulled me towards him. Ang weird nga eh, parang siy
a pa yung nagcocomfort sa akin when in fact, ako yung dapat na gumagawa nun. ;D
Kung hindi ba naman kasi ako sandamukal na iyakin eh. Kainis.
"Isang araw, puntahan natin siya," he said, caressing my hair. "Magsosorry ako s
aka ipapakilala kita."
"I hope she'll like me," I said, breaking off from him and frantically wiping my
face with my sleeve.
"Oo yan," he said chuckling. "Kung hindi, aawayin ko siya. ;D"
"Baliw."
"Tara. Kawawa naman yung waffles. ;D"
Chapter Fifty Three
Part One
Elle's POV
"Si Lance daw, nasa bahay na?" Rafa asked as I hung up.
"Wala pa daw sabi ni Nanay She."
"Den, si Ria, nagreply?"
"Hindi eh."
"T*ngina," Aidan muttered under his breath. "Asan na ba yun?"
I took one look at the grandfather clock at the corner of the room- it was alrea
dy past 3 am. Gellie paced around the room, looking agitated. Rafa was in the po
rch, once in a while standing up to look at every vehicle that passed by. Aidan
and I sat side by side at the sofa, watching Ate Danna while she stood at the to
p of the stairs, dialling endlessly.
JEEZ, RIA.
What the f*ck are you up to?!
"Hey!"
Tumayo si Rafa, and we saw a couple of headlights blare through the night. The v
ehicle stopped, and the four of us rushed out onto the porch. We all held our br
eath as the gate opened.
A very disoriented-looking Ria had entered the room, seemingly unaware of her su
rroundings. Her eyes were swollen, as though she had been crying for the past fe

w hours.
"Ria!" Gellie exclaimed, running towards her. "What happened to you?"
"What are you talking about?" Ria replied in a deadpan croak.
"Ba't di ka sumasagot sa phone?"
"Naiwan ko sa kotse."
"Saan ka ba nagpunta?" Aidan demanded. "Diba may usapan kayo ni Lance? Nagmukha
kaming tanga kakahintay dun! Akala namin kung ano nang nangyari sayo!"
She merely looked at him, looking like she had no intention of replying whatsoev
er.
"Ano ba nangyari?"
"Nagtext ako diba?" she said, walking past us that we had to follow her into the
living room. "Di ba niya sinabi?"
"He didn't, but we know," Aidan replied, although the look on his face frightene
d me. "Nakalimutan niya nang kunin yung cellphone niya because he was in such a
rush to find you... quite understandable given that you didn't show up after thr
ee hours. What's up with that, anyway?"
"Bukas na lang tayo mag-usap. Pagod ako."
Hinila siya ni Aidan.
"Ikaw lang ba pagod? Ano bang akala mo sa amin? Ano bang akala mo kay Lance? Han
ggang ngayon nasa labas pa siya, naghahanap sayo!"
Ria gave a mirthless laugh.
"Sinabi ko bang sumama kayo sa kagaguhan niya? Saka sinabi ko bang maghanap siya
? Bakit, bata ba ako para hanapin? Hindi naman diba? Di ko naman na siguro kasal
anan yun."
She threw her handbag on the couch.
"Sabihin mo nga sa amin," asked Rafa. "Saan ka ba galing?"
"Kelan pa kita naging tatay?"
"Sumagot ka nga ng maayos!" >:(
"Ano ba gusto nyong marinig?" Ria snapped. "Pwede ba. Kung ayaw nyo matulog, aba
magpatulog kayo."
"Si Gelo na naman ba to?"
"Eh ano naman?" Ria asked, smirking again. "We were just catching up for lost ti
me, you know what I mean?"
"Ano ba pinagsasasabi mo!?"
"Wala. Narealize ko lang kung anong tama."
"Teka, ano nangyari sa -? :o"
"What are you babbling about, Elle?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Look, you all know what was in the text diba? How come you're still asking me t
hese questions?" she said, turning angrily towards us. "Di nyo ba naintindihan y
un? Are you actually as stupid as you look?"
"Aba"Shush," Aidan told me, raising a hand. "What're you up to, Ria? Do you actually
realize"Yeah, I know what I'm doing so put your large nose out of it."
"So you're making a decision, huh?" Aidan asked. "How does deciding between him
and us sound like?"
"Sounds easy," Ria replied, smiling again. "Come on, Aidan. Did you really have
to ask?"
"Us or him?"
"Him, of course," Ria said, without batting an eyelash.
For a moment, everyone was quiet.
I couldn't believe my ears.
"What?"
"You never should've made me choose," she spat.
I glared at her, then turned to Aidan.
"We all heard her," I said, pulling his hand. "Let's not waste our time, shall w
e? We've wasted more than enough."
Aidan silently followed my lead, and then Rafa followed suit. Gellie stayed glue

d on where she was.

"O, ano pang hinihintay mo?" Ria asked. "Alis!"
I saw Gellie cross the distance between them in three strides, and then did the
unthinkable*SLAP!*
Ria cowered on the spot, clutching her face, while Gellie was beside herself wit
h fury.
"Who do you think you are?" >:(
A tear quickly fell down Ria's face. I would've pitied her if she wasn't such a
b1tch.
"Well, thanks pa rin," Gellie went on. "At least we're all done with your drama
and sh1t. We never really needed the excess baggage anyway."
She regally turned on her heel and walked past us. We followed her into the pati
o, where Rafa caught up, putting his arm around her shoulder.
"Great slap."
"Thanks." :P
We all laughed uneasily, and then we saw another set of headlights.
Chapter Fifty Three
Part Two
Lance's POV
Sumubsob ako sa manibela pagkapark ko ng kotse sa tapat ng bahay nila. Nag-aalar
m na yung gas... ewan ko ba kung paano ako nakarating ng Las Pinas na hindi nama
matayan ng makina.
The clock read 2:17 AM.
Apat na oras na pala akong naghahanap.
Ria asaan ka ba? :-/
Bumaba ako, pero medyo light headed ako habang naglalakad paloob ng bahay nila.
Ngayon ko lang naramdaman yung pagod...
May narinig akong mga boses pagkapasok ko ng gate. Limang tao yung naaninag ko s
a dilim. Lumapit sakin yung isa sa kanila- si Elle.
"Lance?" sabi niya. "Where've you been? Iniwan mo pa phone mo!"
Nagsilapit na rin yung apat - si Aidan, si Denise, si Rafa pati si Gellie.
"Si Ria? Nasaan?"
Nagkatinginan silang apat, tapos nakita kong umirap si Gellie.
"She's inside," she said coldly. "Pagod daw."
"Pare bukas na lang," Aidan told me, tapos inakbayan niya ako at hinila palabas.
Teka lang nga.
"This can't wait, I need to see her..."
Pinigilan nila ako. Nagsesenyasan sila Elle at Aidan na para bang nagtatalo sila
na nonverbal.
Ang labo.
"Bago ka pumasok," sabi ni Elle, tapos nag buntunghininga si Aidan na para bang
nabwisit siya. "I think you need to see this."
Inabot niya sakin yung cellphone ko- naiwan ko na pala sa One San Miguel kanina
sa pagmamadali ko...
Quote
From: Ria Antonio
I don't think I can do this. I'm sorry.
"Ano to?!"
Tiningnan ko sila isa-isa, pero wala sa kanilang nagsalita.
"Hindi magandang biro to a," sabi ko. "Niloloko niyo ba ko?"
"I think you should ask her yourself," Gellie told me calmly.
"Right. I think I'll do that."
Narinig kong tinawag ako ni Aidan pero hindi ko na pinansin. Dere-deretso ako du
n sa pintuan nila... masabihan nang bastos dahil hindi ko bahay yun pero hindi p
wede to.
Binuksan ko yung pinto tapos nakita ko siyang nakaupo sa couch, nakatalikod sa a
kin.
"There you are."
She didn't bother to look at me. Umupo lang siya dun na parang wala siyang narin

ig.
"Is this your idea of a joke?" >:( I spat, and only then did she turn to face me
.
I was aghast upon seeing her state- her eyes were bloodshot, her face and lips d
evoid of color.
Tangina bakit siya umiiyak?!
Hindi na ko nagisip. Basta lumapit na lang ako tapos niyakap ko siya ng mahigpit
... nawala lahat, yung pagod ko, yung galit ko na hindi niya ko sinipot...
"Saan ka ba nagpunta?" sabi ko, then kumalas ako sa kanya. Hindi niya ako mating
nan. Hinawakan ko yung mukha niya pero dun pa rin siya nakatingin sa sahig.
"Sorry kung sumigaw ako... Kasi naman e... Natraffic ka ba? Taena kasi may OrtiOrtigas pa kong nalalaman...
Hinawakan ko yung isa niyang kamay. Malamig yun. Hindi pa rin siya nagsalita.
"Sige ok lang... maniniwala naman ako eh..."
"LanceBumitaw siya sakin tapos inalis niya yung kamay ko sa mukha niya. Tumayo siya ta
pos pumunta dun sa may table sa malapit. Nakita ko siyang nagpahid ng mukha, na
para bang pwede niya pa ring itago yun...
"Ok na yun... basta ok na ko kasi ligtas ka... wag ka na umiyak."
Humarap siya sakin.
"Hindi mo ko naiintindihan."
I looked at her, confused. She had this determined look on her face na hindi ko
maintindihan, as though she was steeling herself for something.
Nagulat na lang ako nang nilagay niya yung dalawang kamay niya sa batok niya.
Hinubad niya yung kwintas na suot niya...
Yun yung regalo ko sa kanya nung pasko...
Inabot niya sakin yun.
"Umuwi ka na. mag aalas tres na."
"Ria teka lang..."
Tumalikod na siya sakin. Hinabol ko siya.
"Nabasa mo yung text ko diba?"
Natigilan ako.
"Teka lang, ano na naman ba to?!" I said, unable to hold it in any longer.
"Umuwi ka na please."
"Ria pwede ba kung tatarantaduhin mo na rin lang ako gawin mo na ng maayos?!"
"Ano bang gusto mo? Ipagdukdukan ko pa sayo?"
Tinitigan ko siya sa mata. Wala akong ibang makita doon.
Iba yung pakiramdam... iba yung tingin niya sa akin.
Tears were flowing down her face again- and I knew what they were made of...
PITY.
"You always knew, Lance," she said, her voice broken, slightly more audible than
a mere whisper. "You knew it's been him all along."
The words that were spilling out of her mouth were knives, white hot... the kind
that induced pain beyond my wildest nightmares.
"You said it yourself," she continued. "You're just my safety net, remember? Pam
alit. Panakip butas...
I clenched my fist, and the necklace felt cold against my hand.
I held on to it like mad... like my life had depended on it.
It was the only thing left to remind me of what had been there, or what I though
t had been there...
"You should have known better than to believe me," she went on. "Because that's
all you'll ever be."
In spite of myself, I noticed I was laughing.
"Pu tangina," I said. "How... dare you."
My fingernails were digging deep into my palms as my fists clenched more tightly
.
"Kapal talaga ng mukha mo no?" I asked, smirking. "Ano naenjoy mo ba? Siguro taw
a kayo ng tawang dalawa habang ako etong si gag0 naniniwala sa lahat ng pinagsas
abi mo"Lance please..." :'(

Lumapit siya sakin... her eyes were wide and pleading.

"I'm sorry," she said, tapos umiiyak na naman siya. "Wag mong isiping sinadya ko
yun... kasi hindi... hindi ko gustong masaktan ka... Lance, sana maintindihan m
ong"Maintindihan? P uta! Alam mo ba kung anong hinihingi mo sakin?!"
Hinawakan niya yung dalawang braso ko. Sa sahig lang siya nakaharap...
For some reason, kahit wala yun kumpara sa nararamdaman ko... hindi ko magawang
matuwa sa pag-iisip na nasasaktan siya.
Na patas lang kami...
Kasi hindi. Alam kong hindi...
"Lance..."
The way she said my name had all the meaning in the world...
But I knew it truly was nothing... nothing at all to her...
And when she looked up and met my eyes, I just felt myself crumbling.
For a moment there, I was tempted to ask what he had that I didn't... :-\
I wanted to know what I could do to convince her that I deserved her more...
But I was too proud... and rightfully so.
Ilang beses ko na ring kinalimutan ang pride ko para sa kanya...
Siguro naman hindi na masama kung magtira ako kahit konti... Siguro naman tama n
a yun...
Bumitaw ako sa kanya, but she didn't budge and kept her hands tight on my arms.
Ano pa bang gusto mo?
"Forgive me..." she sobbed. "Forgive me..."
I stared, shocked as her knees suddenly gave way.
She was on her knees, as though begging... her grip on me was unwavering.
"I'm sorry..." sabi niya. "Hindi ko siya kayang iwan... hindi ko kaya..."
Tiningnan ko siya.
"Alam mo...
Pinagsisisihan kong nakilala kita."
Binitiwan ko siya tapos umatras ako.
"Lance huwag"Ayaw na kitang makita...
"Lance patawarin mo ko please..."
"Save your breath," sabi ko. "At tumayo ka na din... hindi na tatalab sakin yan.
.."
Napaupo siya dun sa sahig.
She looked so vulnerable. I would have given anything to hold her again...
Pero hindi na pwede...
Hindi ko kaya.
Kelangan ko nang tigilan to.
"Sana maging masaya ka na..." sabi ko. "Yun lang Ria... kahit yun na lang..."
Tumalikod na ko sa kanya.
I walked past their front door, knowing I was never going back.
Chapter Fifty Three
Part Three
Ria's POV
I stared at his retreating back, feeling what's left of my willpower dissolving.
My brain screamed at me to go and chase after him, but I was far too weak; a li
ttle too exhausted to actually do it.
Helplessly, I watched him vanish through the door.
"Yun lang, Ria... kahit yun na lang..."
Those words had more impact than everything else that he had said tonight.
I remembered them. There was the need to imprint those words in my memory... for
I knew they would be the last he'll ever say to me.
"Ria?"
Slowly, Ate Danna swooped down and put her hands on my face. Her eyes were sympa
thetic, not questioning.
"Ano yang nasa mukha mo? :o"
I took a peek at the huge mirror situated near the pianoThere was a huge bruise on my left cheek, a purple spot glaring through my pale

skin.
I didn't answer her.
"Let's go upstairs."
I nodded weakly, blindly obeying her lead as she helped me up and walked me thro
ugh the hall and the stairs. Her hand was warm and strong in mine, and I knew I
could trust her... even now, when everyone else had left me...
I found myself in my bed, staring at the wall. Ate sat down beside me and hugged
me tightly. I couldn't help but break down. It was only now that it was startin
g to sink in.
"I was pretty convincing, wasn't I?" I asked her. "I saw it all... :-\
Ate broke off from me and looked me in the eye. She got my hair off my face and
simply stared at me, waiting for me to continue.
I shook my head, unable to think of anything else to say.
"You do love him, right?"
I chuckled.
"Hindi..."
It was her turn to laugh.
"Ri, you make out with him in the kitchen and risk being seen by Mom and Dad. Di
mo pa siya mahal nun?"
WHUT. ;D
Ate Danna equals baliw.
"Tangeks. Di pa kasi ako tapos eh," I said. "Hindi... hindi niya yata napansin y
un..."
"Sis, that's one talent of yours I've always been jealous of," sabi niya, smilin
g mirthlessly. "Ang galing mong umarte." ;D
"Well, it does come in handy sometimes..."
"Do you mind telling me what the hell is up?"
I stared at her, wondering what I should do.
Well. She is the only one I have left...
Maybe I do need to tell her.
"It can get long."
"Gag0," she quipped. "You're my sister. Ilang beses mo na ba akong hindi pinatul
og nung bata pa tayo sa kakakwento mo tungkol kay Liam?"
I laughed, took a deep breath, vividly remembering everything that had happened
the previous night...
"Bye 'Ma! Love you!" I yelled as I went out of the gate. Opening the door, I thr
ew my purse into the passenger seat and turned the ignition.
Just as I pulled my car door shut"Lock it."
"What the-?
"I'm warning you, dearie."
"I demand you get the hell out of myThe words got caught up in my throat as I watched her raise a gun and point it s
traight at my chest.
"Make one wrong move and I'll pull the trigger."
I blankly stared at the gun, then back at her.
Her eyes had no trace of remorse whatsoever.
"What do you want?"
"Lock the car and drive."
"Drive where?"
She didn't answer.
"Where are we going?"
"Just do what I say and we're good."
She kept the gun pointed at me as I changed gears and revved the engine. I could
n't even concentrate as I tried to keep the steering wheel steady with my shakin
g hands.
"Ayala Alabang," she said suddenly. "Know where it is?"
"Yes," I said. "Of course."
"Good. Keep going."
"What do you want from me, Stella?" I shot at her.

She simply smirked, her eyes on the road.

"You'll know when we get there."
Goodness only knows how I managed to get to Alabang without banging into anythin
g. Stella hid the gun under her seat as we approached the gate, and apparently s
he was a regular, for the guard simply took off his hat to us and let the car th
rough.
"I heard you dumped my son the other day," she said suddenly, and a spasm of fea
r passed through me. "What happened?"
"It was his fault"There, there, dearie. Don't be too scared. Give me the details."
I studied her in a quick glance.
"Did he ask you to do this?"
"Of course not. My son's a freaking saint." ::)
"To hell he is." >:(
"What did you say?"
"He's an as.shole. A lying, alcoholic, useless pile ofWithout warning, she had hit me squarely in the face with the gun, and I had to
step on the brakes to keep the car from swerving...
"Say one more word about my son and you'll be dead before you know it."
I glared at her, feeling my cheek throbbing. Her eyes were wide- murderous.
This woman is out of her mind.
"Are we there yet?" I asked her. "I don't get why you have to prolong this."
"If I was given the choice, I would've murdered you an hour ago for what you've
done," she hissed, her voice shrill. "You better be thankful that he has a soft
spot for you"I'd rather not owe him that," I replied.
"Turn left."
I obediently did as I was told. My hands shook more violently than usual.
"That's it right there," she told me, and I pulled over. I found myself parked i
n front of a majestic, well-lit mansion. It had a welcoming air about it as I st
ared; very much different from Stella's own manor"Welcome to our ancestral home," she said, and she got out of the car.
"Get out," she ordered.
I went and pressed the lock button. I followed her inside the gate, where a unif
ormed maid was waiting. She followed us as we tread along the cobblestone pathwa
y, her eyes transfixed on the gun that Stella was holding.
"Are you wondering why I brought you here, hija?"
I simply nodded as she gave me a fleeting glance.
"You'll understand soon enough."
The maid opened the front doors, and the exquisite view of the sitting room enth
ralled me. In it was an antique piano, where a number of picture frames lay, a n
ice set of sofas, magnificent, expensive-looking vases filled with fresh Malaysi
an Mums, and a spiraling marble staircase.
Stella signaled the maid to leave, and the latter was more than happy to do so.
I saw her put the gun on top of the piano, her eyes stopping on the pictures on
top...
"I'm... terribly sorry for all of this," she started, her voice softening. "I lo
st my temper."
I stared at her, puzzled.
What on earth is she playing at now?
"I didn't want to use the gun. But there was no other way that I could bring you
here..."
She climbed up the staircase.
"Now that you're not holding the gun," I started, not moving from where I was st
anding. "What makes you think I won't go and get the hell out of here?"
"Hija," she began, looking unsure of what to say. "I- well..."
"Well, what? You're wasting my time. I have an appointment and-"
"This is the very last time I'm going to bother you," she told me. "After this,
I swear not to bother you again."
The part of my face she had hit was still throbbing painfully.

"Please, hija."
Those two words moved me beyond anything she had done tonight. I never thought I
would hear her like this, imploring, as though I was her only hope.
I stood there, thinking hard.
What could she possibly have in store for me?
I could only imagine wh
"STOP IT!"
:o
Stella's eyes widened, and she almost fell over in her haste to get upstairsI had a choice... but then...
My feet went on their own. I followed her.
The second floor was much dimmer. I followed her figure down the desolate hall,
and then"Let me die! LET ME DIE!"
I froze in my tracks.
Stella's sobs echoed throughout the corridor as I stood there, unable to compreh
end.
No... it can't be...
Slowly, I was able to walk again. I dreaded every step I took, but something tol
d me I had to keep going.
She stopped at the corridor's dead end. She covered her mouth and shook on the s
pot, apparently staring at a blank wall, at something I couldn't seeI reached her, and then my world came to a screeching halt.
"AAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH! I SAID STOP IT! LET ME DIE! JUST LET ME DIE!"
The mere sight made me crumble to pieces.
Gelo was sitting on a bed, surrounded by tubes attached to his head, resisting f
our male nurses who were trying to keep him at bay, one of them inserting a need
le into his armHis face was wet, anguished, and I then I just knew it was beyond pain...
I pressed myself against the glass, hardly able to take it all in as the tears f
lowed freely...
"Gelo..." :'(
I can only watch as he flailed, struggling to get free...
"NO... Please... Don't prolong this. I can't take this anymore," he pleaded. "Hi
ndi ko na kaya..."
"What's going on?" I demanded. Stella was still standing, immobile. "How come"He's dying."
"Don't sh1t me, OKAY?!" >:( I shouted at her. "TELL THE TRUTH!"
"Brain cancer," she muttered almost incomprehensibly. "We didn't know. At first
he kept having headaches... he kept throwing up and having bouts of fever that h
e had to miss school..."
Everything he had done in the past semester came to mind.
Suddenly, almost everything was making sense...
"We thought it was just because of stress... Because it all started when his sis
ter died. All his smoking and drinking and partying with different girls every s
ingle night didn't help..."
I stared into nothingness, carefully absorbing every single word.
"He was diagnosed with cancer right before Irish succumbed to leukemia. He told
no one, thinking it would just make things worse. "
Not even me... when I was trying to fix it all up...
"Sinubukan niyang idistansya yung sarili niya sa lahat. He didn't want anyone to
know, to see that he was weak. He sank into depression and it took time before
he regained his senses.
And it came to a point na hindi na niya macontrol. There was a time na one week
siyang hindi umuwi. Tapos isang beses, nabalitaan na lang naming napaaway siya..
."
Stella went and grabbed me by the shoulders.
"You must help us, hija. I know you've had enough and marami ka nang binigay par
a sa anak ko... pero kailangan ka niya."
She dropped to her knees in front of me.

"Stella"Let me, hija," she said, still not letting go of my hands. "Nagmamakaawa ako. W
ag mo nang iwan yung anak ko..."
She shook on the spot, sobbing.
"Marami akong pagkukulang sa kanya... at sa ganitong paraan ko lang pwedeng bawi
in lahat ng yun. Please, hija. I'm begging you. Do not leave my son."
I stared at her, unsure of what to do.
"Tama na... Ayoko na..."
We both turned to look at Gelo, who was now a little calmer. He seemed to have b
een tranquilized.
"Ma?" he asked, sounding like a child. "Ma? Are you here?"
Stella stood up and hurriedly entered the room.
"I'm here, hijo. Please calm down. You'll be better soon."
He grabbed his mother's hand.
"Tell them to stop, Ma..." he pleaded. "Ayoko na..."
"You have to live, anak," Stella said, frantically wiping her face. "You have a
full life ahead of you."
"Suko na ako..." :-\
I clenched my fist, trying to stiffen my resolve. My phone was ringing in my poc
ket.
Clearly, there was a choice to make.
"Let me die, ma...
I have nothing left to live for."
The words rang over and over in my head.
Slowly, I opened the door and entered the room.
I hesitated as he looked straight at me, his expression infathomable.
"Yes, you do," I said. "You have me."
He stared at me, his eyes glinting. A shadow of the old him was suddenly visible
again.
"Ria..." he muttered, smiling as he reached for me. I took his hand and held it
tightly. "You're... you're here"Yes. I need you to do me a favor, aright?" I told him, stroking his forehead wi
th my other hand, which shook as I did so...it felt unfamiliar against his skin.
"I want you to live for me, you understand?"
He was silent.
"Yes."
"Now go to sleep," :) I told him, sitting on his bed. "Don't worry. I'll stay he
re."
He smiled and closed his eyes, leaning his head on my lap.
"I'm leaving you here," Stella said, and she did, along with the four nurses.
I closed my eyes, trying not to think of Lance.
Silently, I wept, wishing I was with him instead... and then I felt sick of myse
lf.
I got my phone from my pocket and punched it all in.
Quote
I don't think I can do this. I'm sorry. -Ria
The weirdest silence I've ever experienced in my life ensued the moment I stoppe
d speaking.
My sister stared at me.
I dropped my head on her shoulder, feeling the exhaustion finally come up to me.
She hugged me tightly.
"That's the bravest decision I've heard in my life," she told me, rubbing my bac
k. "People double your age would never have been able to do that."
"Don't worry, Ate," I said. "Kaya ko to... kaya ko siyang mahalin ulit... kaya k
ong ibalik yung dati."
"Whatever happens, I'm here. Remember that."
"Ate?"
"Yep?" ;)
I smiled at her.
"Thank you...."

Chapter Fifty Four

Part One
Maffy's POV
"Pota naman!" Gellie yelled as Rafa ended the song with a flourish. "Natalo na n
aman yung high score ko." T_T
We were in the Yutancos' playing Rockband. Food was all over the living room, an
d everyone was just chilling... or not.
There was a weird air about the room. Everyone was preoccupied. Elle had her nos
e buried in her sketchpad, but she seemed to be using her eraser more than her p
encil. Aidan was trying to study for Math but he had been on the same page as he
was thirty minutes ago. Gellie seemed very irritated - something highly unusual
as she was always one of the clowns in the group. Denise was on her laptop, fin
ishing her term paper, but the screen remained blank. Liam sat beside her, his f
ace screwed up in concentration as he tried to solve his Rubik's cube.
Jeez. Kunwari pa tong mga to.
Alam ko naman eh.
"You okay?" Jon asked suddenly, looking up at me from his PSP.
"Nope."
"Gutom?"
"Not really."
"Anything I can do?" he asked, then he put his arm around me.
"Can you bring me to the airport?"
Jon looked at me, as though taken by surprise.
"Maffs."
"Let's just see her off. Please."
"She wouldn't change her mind," he said sternly, and then he got his arm off. He
stood up and took the nacho bowl. "I know that for sure."
"I wasn't planning to stop her," I replied. "I'm aware of the fact that there is
n't anything we could do... but we've been avoiding her like the plague for week
s. Can't we cut her some slack?"
Jon's jaw twitched. I knew he was trying to bite back his retort.
"I don't think I'm the one to ask."
"But if you were given the choice, would you?"
"Are you sure you want me to answer that?"
His smirk confirmed what I had been thinking all along.
"Fine. I'll ask them," I snapped.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Ignoring him, I went and leaned over the couch, overlooking everyone.
"Guys," I began, and they all looked at me. "I'm going to the airport. Who's wit
h me?"
Elle swiftly turned towards her work, her forehead now a little more creased- he
r pencil in danger of breaking due to her newly strong grip. Gellie started bang
ing the drums with more force than necessary, and Aidan tossed his math textbook
aside as Denise shut her laptop with a loud thud.
"I'm not," Rafa said quietly, his eyes still focused on the flatscreen as he com
pleted a wild streak.
I threw Jon a look, hoping he would help me, but all I got was a look that plain
ly said 'I told you so'.
"How immature can you all get?"
No one spoke.
"Fine, kung talagang wala na kayong pake ako na lang." >:(
Seven pairs of eyes followed me as I went out of the room. Jon was hot at my hee
ls.
"Maffs. MAFFY! Wag naman"Wag ano?!" >:(
"Hindi kasi madali sa amin eh. Siya nagtaboy sa atin diba? Bakit tayo pa yung la
lapit?"
"F-ck your pride, Figueroa," I snarled. "Sasama ka ba o hindi?!"
He stood on the spot, thinking hard. The crease on his forehead softened a bit,
and then the words that came out of his mouth kind of surprised me.

"No. I'm sorry, Maffy."

I stared at him for a moment, hardly daring to believe it.
He was, apparently, deserting me.
"Fine," I said, barely able to keep my voice still. "Fine... I can always go alo
ne."
"MaffsI ignored him.
Total balewalaan na rin lang eh.
Edi wala.
"Jesus Christ, Adrianna, answer the phone," I muttered as I drove through the hi
ghways in a speed that would totally get me apprehended. Malay ko ba, baka wala
na akong abutan sa airport.
The subscriber cannot beI threw my phone in the passenger seat, frustrated.
And then the departure area came into view. I saw Gelo's black Camry parked amon
g the throng of cars in front of it.
I got off the car and caught her just in time as she was bringing her trunk out.
"Anak ka naman talaga ng tatay mo Adrianna! >:(" I shouted at her. "Bumili bili
ka ng cell phone hindi mo sinasagot!"
Ria stopped in her tracks.
"Itapon mo na nga yan! Bwisit! Bumablackberry ka pa di mo naman ginagamit!"
I was now right in front of her. She looked positively terrified.
"Ano? Tititigan mo lang ako? Punyeta! Alam mo bang galing pa kong Katipunan? Kit
a mo nang ako na yung nagdrive kahit patanga tanga ako sa highway eh, tapos di k
a man lang magreply o magsabi sakin kung may aabutan pa ba akong aalis pa-New Yo
rk?!"
Ria's face broke into a smile, but she was sobbing as she hugged me.
"Sorry Ate Maffs... sorry... hindi ko sinasadya..."
"Pota pati ako pinapaiyak mo," I snapped, rubbing her back with one hand and wip
ing my face with the other.. "Umayos ka ah! Kung alam mo lang, nag-away pa kami
ni Figueroa dahil dito... tangina nung mga yun, may mga pride pride pang nalalam
an, eh isa ka pa rin namang engot, tinaboy taboy mo sila ayan tuloy walang gusto
ng maghatid sayo sa airport..."
Bumitaw ako sa kanya. At this point, we were both howling.
"Pati pala si insan... ngayon lang nagalit yun sakin ng ganun... :("
"Hayaan mo na, sa June okay na rin yun... Mamimiss ka rin ng mga buwitreng yun..
. Hahaha..."
"Sama ka na lang sa amin Maffs," she said, tas tumawa kami ng tumawa.
"Oo. Next week na flight ko pabalik. See you na lang."
"Maffs?"
"IKAW!"
Sinugod ko siya.
"Ikaw! Umayos ka na! Pag pinaiyak mo pa tong best friend ko talagang irerelleno
kita!" I shouted, slapping his arm with every word. "Kung alam mo lang hinaharap
ng babaeng yan ngayon para sayo..."
He smiled bitterly.
"I know," he said defeatedly. "I know..."
"Ate Maffs! Tama na nga y-"
Hinila siya ni Gelo, tapos inakbayan.
"Di bale. Ako na bahala dito."
"Sige ha. Babantayan ko kayo."
"Nak?"
Stella came out of the car, carrying her own bag.
"Oh, hello, Francesca."
"Just came to see them off."
"Okay," Stella said with a smile. "But we have to be inside four hours before th
e flight, so"I know. Haha. Sige na. Lumayas na nga kayong dalawang asungot kayo," I said to
Ria and Gelo. "Nang mabawasan muna mga epal sa Pinas." ;D
Ria laughed aloud, tapos niyakap niya ako ulit.

"I'm sorry... sabihin mo sa kanila yun... please..."

"Ako na bahala. Sige na," sabi ko. Kinawayan ko na lang si Gelo. Maya-maya, sumu
nod na si Ria dun sa mga taong may hinihilang maleta. I watched them vanish thro
ugh the gates.
Matagal akong tumayo dun kahit matagal na silang nakaalis.
Ewan ko ba. Haha.
RING! RING!
Jonathan Figueroa
Calling
HMP.
Bahala ka.
1 missed call
BAHALA KAAAAA.
RING RING!
RING! RING!
ABA?
Rafael Yutanco
Calling
ISA KA PA. NOOOOOOO.
2 missed calls
RING! RING!
AY! Nagwild! :o
Denise Lopez
Calling
Ba. Mukhang seryoso ah. ???
"Hello?"
"Tanginang truck to ang bagal- MAFFS! NASA AIRPORT KA NA?"
"Ano?"
"Andito pa lang kami sa EDSA! Tangina ang traffic!"
"Eh"Sabihin mo kay Ria wag munang pumasok ng airport! Sandali lang kamo andyan na k
ami!"
Walangya. ;D
Di rin pala nakatiis.
"Kausapin ka daw"Hello? Teka, wala ako sa"Maffs?"
TSS.
Lakas ng loob mang away tapos eto. HMFF.
"Maffyngot. Sorry na. Papunta na kami dyan. Wag ka na magalit ha?"
"Wala. Nasa loob na."
"Pero"Siya na lang tawagan niyo. Hindi ko na mahahabol. Pinaaalis na rin ako ng guard
dito sa departure area."
"Galit ka pa?"
"Hindi. Basta tawagan niyo na siya."
"Ok. Labyu, Maffs. Sorry. Di na ko uulit."T_T
Napangiti ako pagkasakay ko ng kotse.
"Dapat lang. I love you too."
Ria's POV
"Ok ka lang?"
"Oo naman. Haha. Natatawa lang ako kay Maffy."
"Nga eh."
Natahimik kami habang nakatayo sa pila. Si Tita Stella nag-CR muna.
"Sorry ha."
"Saan na naman?"
"Sa lahat."
"Ano ka baaaaaaaaaa," sabi ko, tapos niyakap ko siya. "Ang mahalaga, andito tayo
magkasama. Maaayos din yun. Basta. Ok lang ako. Jinarts lang si Maffy."
I looked up at him, and then he gave me a small grin.

Bumitaw ako sa kanya, then I caressed his face.

I couldn't help but notice how pale he was.
"Get yourself ready, it's going to be a long flight."
"Basta andyan ka, kaya ko yun."
I smiled.
"Labyu, Kurdaps."
He grimaced.
"I love you too."
RING! RING!
"O? Sino toAidan Lennox
Calling
"Crap."
"O, si Aidan lang pala eh. Sagutin mo na."
"Eh... kasi..." :-\
I couldn't help but remember kung anong sinabi ko sa kanya nung huli kami nag us
ap.
I've been a b1tch, to say the very least.
If he ever yells at me, I will completely deserve it.
"Sagutin ko muna?"
"Okay."
Lumayo ako ng kaunti.
"Hello?"
"Ayan! Eto na, hinaan mo yung radyo- Ria?"
Si Elle.
I smiled involuntarily.
"Yup?"
"Sh1t ka! >:( Di mo kami inantay, pumasok ka na agad ng airport, di ka man lang
nagpaalam na bruha ka. Ano lalayas layas ka na lang, pa NY NY ka na lang kaya na
kakalimot ka na?"
"Gag0! Deins kasi!"
"Heh! Teka lang! ako lang muna pweds magmura, okay? Basta! Kalimutan mo na! Hind
i na kami galit! Basta mag ingat kang lokaret ka! Mahal ka namin kahit baliw ka!
"
"Ano nakain niyo? HAHAHA!"
"Baliw! Eh kung nag crash yang sinasakyan mo- pero tabi tabi po wag - edi namata
y kang magkakaaway tayo? Maalat yun! Kaya eto! Haha! P-ta Ria pag pinaiyak ka ul
it niyan isumbong mo lang a! Pota susugod kaming lahat!"
Susmaria. Mamamatay akong kakatawa neto eh!
"Oo. Promise."
Bigla akong may narinig na noise, na parang may humablot nung phone ni Aidan.
"HOY! Hershey's with almonds! The usual! Saka ingat sila sayo! Labyu insan!"
"Mag ingat ka! Wag ka malands dun!"
"Bawal na umiyak ah!"
"Bawal din b1tch dun kaya wag ka masyado magmaldita!"
"Gellie! ;D"
"HAHA! ;D"
"Agree with Gellie!"
"Sus! Alam na! ;D"
"Haha! Hoy! Ingat na lang ha!"
"Pota! Yung load ko!"
"Aidan! Sorry!"
"Di bale! May utang ka sakin. Ria! Ingat!"
"BYEEEEEEE!" they said in chorus.
Oh gosh. Ang swerte ko pala talaga sa kaibigan, no?
"WE LOVE YOU!"
And the line went dead.
Napangiti na lang ako mag-isa. Sobrang gaan ng loob ko.
I turned to go back to Gelo but then something that was moving really fast had b
umped into me, knocking me on the ground-

Chapter Fifty Four

Part Two
Ria's POV
"Ouch- you okay?"
I recognized his voice immediately, and it made me want to just stare at the flo
or forever.
Feeling like crap, I wished the ground would just eat me alive.
I couldn't look at him. Shame was burning through me like poison.
Shame... hurt. LONGING...
He offered his hand to help me stand up, and it took me a couple of seconds befo
re I took it. I continued to stare at the shiny floor of the airport even as I s
tood there, waiting.
"Your phone."
"Thanks."
I got my phone from him, and only then had I allowed myself to look him in the f
ace. I couldn't see his eyes-he was wearing his favorite aviators.
He walked past me as he fixed his bag up. I opened my mouth to speak, and I wasn
't able to stop myself from asking.
"You mad at me?" I croaked. He stopped, his mouth tightening into a straight, th
in line.
"What?"
"Are... are you mad at me?"
He laughed scathingly, as though I had just said the stupidest thing in the enti
re universe.
"What do I get out of it?" he asked.
I shrugged, attempting to smile as his words had hit a nerve.
"I... yeah. I didn't really-" :-\
"I've already learned not to waste stuff on anything worthless," he said. "All t
hanks to you."
W- what?
Worthless? :-[
"Have a safe trip."
He turned his back on me.
I cried right there. :-[
His words hurt...
And the worst part?
I knew I deserved them.
"Hey babyface!"
I saw Karissa materialize from nowhere. She gave Lance a small hug (which he rec
iprocated) and they started to talk.
Lance brought out his ticket... which completely matched hers.
Of course...
She was going to Milan with him...
Kai was taking my place.
I turned away, refusing to see what else was in store for me.
Wow. Tangina lang.
How come everyone else's happy?
I felt the urge to curse as the universe seemed to be hell-bent on keeping me un
happy.
But then, I saw Gelo.
He stood beside our trunks, looking blankly into empty space.
I have to be there for him.
There are things more important than one's own happiness...
And in my case, it's him.
"Kurdaps! :) They're wishing us a good trip."
He merely smiled, and then he took my hand.
"Ria," he began. "Si Amanda... wala yun."
"I- Gelo, it's okay. I don't need any"Pasyente din siya ni Daddy. She had six months to live. Pareho kami ng sakit."

I listened.
"Ako kaya? Hanggang kelan pa?" :-\
"Don't say that!" :(
He looked at me with lonely eyes.
"Siya yung kadamay ko nun. Wala siyang ibang makapitan kundi ako. Kaya hindi ko
siya maitaboy. Nung AdHoc dapat susunduin na kita nun kaso tumawag siya... hindi
kaya ng konsensya kong iwan siya... pero maniwala ka man o hindi ikaw yung gust
o kong puntahan nun."
"Gelo, ok na yun. Hindi mo na kailangang"Nalasing ako kaya ko siya nahalikan. Pero noon pa kasi ang laki na ng problema
ko kaya lagi na kong lasing... yung nakita ng Daddy mo na kasama ko sa New York.
.. wala yun. Akala ko mabait siya. Pero hindi. Nung nagkagulo kami ni Rish, siya
yung tinakbuhan ko dahil wala naman yung mommy ko at masyado nang magulo isip n
i Dad..."
I put a hand on his shoulder.
"Pero maniwala ka sakin. Kahit may nangyari sa amin wala lang siya. Wala lang ta
laga. Ikaw lang Ri..."
"I believe you."
"Sorry kung nasaktan kita. Pinagsisisihan ko lahat yun."
"I know. And let's just put it behind us, okay?" I asked, carressing his cheek.
"I'm ready to forget it all and face the present with you. Kalimutan na natin yu
n."
Hinawakan niya yung kamay kong nasa mukha niya.
"Can you do that for me?"
"Anything for you, Ri."
I hugged him and felt his sincerity.
"Anak? Are you guys okay?"
"Yup," I told Stella.
"I'll get you some coffee."
Umalis si Gelo. Tiningnan ako ni Stella.
"Hija, salamat."
"Wala po yun," I said. "CR po muna ako."
The moment I entered the CR, I felt like I would've given anything to turn aroun
d and get the hell out, but I was split seconds too late.
"Ria!"
The moment she saw me, she went wild and threw her arms around me like we were f
riends.
AS IF!
The nerve of this b1tch! >:(
"OMG. I so didn't know you were leaving today din!"
"Oh. I noticed." ::)
"Yeah. Kuya and Gellie are following us tomorrow pa. Plane slots are selling lik
e pancakes this season, and our plane was already full when kuya got his renewed
Visa. So there. You're heading to New York, if I heard it right?"
"Right."
"Oh my god. I... I need to tell you something."
"What?"
"Thank you." she said, and then she hugged me. AGAIN.
She broke off and smiled at me.
I stared back, revolted.
This thing just makes me SICK.
"Thank you. If it weren't for you, Lance wouldn't have given us a chance."
Us? :o
Did I hear that right?"
"He invited me to go to Milan with him, just the two of us for now, and he menti
oned he wanted to start over. I'm feeling hopeful it would be working this time.
"
:o
My jaw dropped.
"So there. Thank you. :) I hope it works out between you and Gelo as well," she

went on. "So paano. See you nalang in school next sem, I guess."
She left the room, and I stood there feeling like sh1t.
So it was true. And Lance...
Lance...
I went to the corner, unable to control myself it all dawned on me.
But what right do I have to even question that?
Didn't I just ask him to back the f-ck off?
What am I doing here crying over something I had thrown away myself?!
"Ssshhh. Wag ka na umiyak."
I looked up and saw someone offering me a handkerchief. Taking a great sniff, I
took it and muttered an incomprehensible thank you. She sat beside me.
"I couldn't help overhearing, sorry," she went on.
Familiar siya eh, hindi ko lang maalala.
"Naniwala ka naman dun," she said, laughing. "Barbero yun eh."
Huh?
"You know her?"
"Well, let's say I love her as much as you do," she said jokingly.
"She's quite a pain in the ass." she whispered, and I got into a fit of giggles.
"Oh. Hindi kita kokontrahin dun." :P
"Come on, why are you still crying?" she said exasperatedly. "Can't you tell? Na
gbabluff lang siya!"
"WEH."
"Hello?" she said, rolling her eyes. "Number one - her eyes. They were too brigh
t. Number two - her tone, parang she's trying to convince herself more than she'
s trying to convince you! Number three, and the biggest thing I thought you woul
d've noticed"Ano yun?"
"Number three. She's Karissa Yutanco. Dakilang sinungaling. DUH. Ano ka beh! ;D"
"HAHA! ;D"
Natawa ako ng bonggang bongga. ;D Ano ba naman tong kausap ko.
"Yuck," she said. "Hindi ko akalaing ganyan ka. Ang alam ko tahimik ka saka masu
ngit, pag pala tumatawa ka nagssnort ka na parang baboy =))"
"Sorry, hindi ko talaga mapigilan eh. ;D"
"Anyhoo. I don't think you recognize me. I'm Cza. JMAer. :D"
"Haha. Sorry. I did think you were familiar, though. Sabi ko na nga-"
Bigla niya akong binatukan.
"Maging active ka kasi sa org! Di ka nagpapakita e! ;D"
"Nga pala, saan ka papunta?"
"Sa New York din. May dance tournament kasi dun yung boyfriend ko. Hihi."
"Wow! Galing!"
"If ever, magkita tayo ha? Feeling ko kailangan mo ng kausap."
"Oo nga eh. Hehehe."
"Same flight tayo. Puntahan mo na lang ako. Dun ako sa bandang likod, malapit sa
CR."
"Okay. Thanks, Cza."
"Tara. Malapit na mag board yun."
She offered me her hand and I gladly took it. Sabay kaming lumabas.
Napatigil kaming pareho nang may marinig kaming voices.
"I saw it," the voice said. "Don't deny it. I know what I saw." >:(
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."
"Tangina naman Lance eh. Nakita ko kung paano ka tumingin sa kanya!"
"Mei shi," he hissed in a low voice. "Tara na."
"NO."
We came closer and saw Kai holding Lance's arm.
"Ano ba?! Ginago ka niya! Hanggang kailan ba"Stop it."
"May pakialam ka pa diba? Sabihin mo!"
"Wo bu guan le."
I heard Cza gasp.
"Wh- what?"

"Aayain ba kitang sumama sa Milan kung"EXCUSE ME!!!"

Cza harshly pulled me by the hand, and we walked past them quickly.
Nagtaka ako. Bakit ganun si Cza?
Saka anong ibig sabihin nun? Hindi ko naintindihan yung mga sinabi ni Lance...
Nakarating na kami ulit dun sa waiting area. Gelo was sitting near our bags, app
arently in deep thought. May hawak siyang dalawang cup.
"Cza, ano yun? Hindi ko naintindihan..."
"Ako rin e... Hihi... Sorry..."
"Hindi nga?"
"Wala! Ewan. Di ko alam. Naku wait! Tinatawag ako ni Lao... Sige a? Mamaya kita
puntahan sa plane... Sorry..."
Nagmadali na siya. She gave me a little apologetic smile and pumunta na dun sa s
eat nila. Nag smile na lang din ako, tapos pinuntahan ko si Gelo.
"Hi. You feeling okay?" I asked, putting a hand on his forehead.
"Oo naman. Coffee mo."
"Thanks." :)
I took a sip and sat beside him, thinking hard.
"Gelo?"
"Yep?"
"Pwede peram laptop?"
"Okay."
Hinanap ko agad.
What does "Mei shi" mean
Best answer chosen by Asker
"mei shi ??" literally means "to have nothing to do" , it also means' It doesn't
matter"
AH. Yun ba?
O sige...
What does "Wo bu guan le" mean
ENTER.
Best answer, chosen by asker
Wo bu guan le????
means "I don't care anymore."
Chapter 55
Ria's POV
Hello Ria!
Inbox (9)
I smiled at my laptop monitor.
Quote
From Subject Date
Elle Reyes HOY BABAE. April 7, 20**
Camilla Denise Lopez Re: Summer class! April 6, 20**
Gellie Fandino Re: Come stai? April 4, 20**
Czarina Gaspar BAKLA! Pubcomm ka na WILD! April 4, 20**
Rafael Yutanco HOY ba't Pub ka!! April 2, 2010
Michael Bernabe Li Welcome to UP JMA Publicity... April 2, 20**
Team Apps Congratulations, New Mems! April 1, 20**
Tumblr Your photo was reblogged by... March 22, 20**
Facebook Karissa Yutanco commented on... March 22, 20**
Quote
HOY BABAE!
From: Elle Reyes
Anak ng patola. Sorry di ako makakwento ha? Kainis ang daming gagawin! Ba't kasi
eto pa kinuha kong course. Pati si Aidan agit na sakin. Hay naku! I'm so gonna
die, Riangot! T_T
Okay, back to Design. KILL.ME.NOW. Naaat.
I miss you! Loveyou dude. Ingat ka kay Gelo. JOKE.
-Elliebells <3
Quote

Re: Come stai?

From: Gellie Fandino
Whatup, New Yorker.
Milan is a total b-tch! Haha kidding.
I am so agit with Karissa's face already. Wish I brought along some packing tape
. It would do her mouth some good. You know what, she better be thankful that sh
e's Rafa's sister. Sabuyan ko ng acido yun eh. GEEEZ she's so annoying. She orde
rs us around like maids. As if naman! The other day I told her to get her own ho
t water (the hot water thing in the shower was malfunctioning - thought I was go
nna die from the cold) kasi inutusan ba naman ako! Lecheng roommate to. Roar. Na
papailing na lang kami ni Rafs.
Wish you were here, Mare. HUG!
I'll be back in Pinas by April 10th - SUPER SHOW 2!!! Super can't wait okay! I r
eally told Rafa na ipagpapalit ko siya kay Dong Hae. HAHA. He gave in naman - he
's going with me! Whoopee!
How have you been? Kwento na. Game! <3
Love you, biotch <3
-Gellie
Quote
Re: Summer Class!
From: Camilla Denise Lopez
Bruha! Miss na kita!
Sakit sa ulo ng summer class ko. Ayaw ata sakin nung Speech Comm prof ko. Pero b
ahala siya. Sorry naman diba. Alam mo naman pronunciation ko, minsan nakakabobo.
Pero pasok din ako sa org. Niloloko nga ako ni Rafa eh, palit daw tayo dapat! Ha
ha. Adik talaga to. Sabi ko sorry naman! Binabasa mo ba email mo? Si Lance daw p
asok din eh! Hehe.
(Um, yeah. Haha. Kinuwento ko na rin. Peace tayo. ^_^)
As for Gelo, wag mo na tanong te. Alam mo naman na siguro kung bakit di siya pum
asa.
Ehrrr. May tumblr ka na? Gawa ka na.
Eto Tumblr link ni Lance. ********.tumblr.com. Wag ka na mahiya. Sating dalawa l
ang tong email na to. HEHEHE.
You're welcome. Chos.
Hope you're okay. Wag mo masyado isipin mga bagay bagay. Magiging okay rin lahat
yan.
Miss na kita. Love you, Riri!
-Denpie
Bruhang to. Alam na alam eh.
Kainis. Pinsan nga kita.
Tinitigan ko yung link.
Nangati yung kamay kong iclick yung mouse.
Pero para ano pa?
:(
Sige.
Sandali lang.
Kahit sandali lang...
Waiting for ********.tumblr.com...
Kamusta na kaya siya?
Sila ni Karissa?
Wala naman masyadong nakwento si Gellie...
Siguro nagiging okay na siya...
Sila.
Hindi na lang siguro sinabi ni Gellie para di na ko masyadong mag-isip.
Para di na ako masaktan.
Yung pinakarecent niyang entry, video. The preview picture showed him in front o
f the piano.
I clicked play.
Una kong narinig boses ni Karissa.

*
"What are you gonna play?"
"Secret." :P
"Playing it for me?"
Di sumagot si Lance. instead, he started playing. CLICK!
"Smile for me please?"
He obliged as the first few notes played.
The song was familiar...
"Mornings after...
Still lingers
Just waking up I see a shadow of you... making breakfast for two..."
I go driving
Past our place and
I see this girl walk by... I smell her perfume
For a moment I wish she was you."
I wish you were him too... :(
"I'm not gonna tell you
I'm not gonna say that I'm okay..."
:'(
"I'm trying to get over
Trying to get far away from our mistakes..."
It was mainly mine...
Ako lang... akin lang...
"But I see shadows
Everywhere that I go
It's you reminding me
Of how we were, of how it was...
I see shadows... everywhere they follow
It's you and memories
Of how we loved
I've had enough
Of your shadows..."
Four months gone
I cant feel you
I don't understand it
But where did you go?
I hate that you're all that I know..."
He stopped playing.
[pause]
"Lance bakit?"
"Wala."
"Are... you okay?"
"Oo naman."
"Let's do a different song."
"Hindi ok lang."
"Sure ka?"
He started playing again.
"I'm not gonna tell you... I'm not gonna say that I'm ok, no...
Trying to get over...
Trying to get far away from our mistakes..."
Malayo ka naman na...
Ok na siguro...
Andyan na siya diba...
Magiging ok ka na...
"I see shadows
Everywhere that I go
It's you reminding me
Of how we were, of how it was...
I see shadows... everywhere they follow
It's you and memories

Of how we loved
I've had enough
Of your shadows..."
"You couldn't love me so why won't you leave me?
Alone is the only place I want to be..."
The door burst open.
"Waw kurdaps, Westlife yun diba?"
I quickly shut the laptop lid.
"Ah. Yeah."
"Ba't mo sinara?"
"Ehh- naalala ko, di pa ko nagsasaing..."
"WEH, nanonood ka ng porn no." ^-^
"ULUL! Deins kaya!"
"JOKELANG. :P
"What is pakialamero." T_T I snapped, pretending to fumble with my desk so he wo
uldn't see my face- I must be so pale right now. Nilalamig yung kamay ko eh.
DEFINE CAUGHT IN THE ACT.
"May kukunin lang pala ako. HEHE."
"Ano yun? Tulungan kita maghanap?"
"Nahanap ko na," sabi niya, tas may kinuha siyang kahon sa ilalim ng bed.
"Okay."
"Ako na magsasaing."
"Talaga?"
"Yup. Ako na bahala."
"Sige pero ako maghuhugas."
"Sure :) I'll just be outside if you need me."
"Thanks, kurdaps. :D"
Gelo's POV
995... 996...
I watched as the colored paper shriveled up and got consumed by flame.
Nagsimula ako gumawa ng 1000 Paper cranes nung una kaming pumunta ng New York pa
ra kay Rish. Last year yun. Sabi kasi nila pag gumawa ka, makakagrant ka ng isan
g wish.
Pero kasi, nasa 529 pa lang ako... wala na yung wish ko. Hindi na pwede.
Tumigil na ko nun.
Nawala lahat sakin- pati magdasal, tinigilan ko. Sumama yung loob ko eh. Inisip
ko, yun na nga lang yung hinihiling at dinadasal ko araw-araw tapos hindi pa rin
binigay sakin.
Looking back, naiisip ko ngayon... parang ang sama sama ko na. Sa totoo lang, hi
ndi na yata tamang gamitin yung 'parang'... sa dami ng nagawa ko noon, siguro hi
ndi na ako dapat kaawaan o patawarin.
997...
Pero bumalik sakin si Ria. Milagro kung milagro- kulang na nga yung mga daliri k
o sa kamay at paa para bilangin lahat ng katarantaduhang ginawa ko sa kanya... p
ero eto ulit siya.
Dun ako nagsimulang maniwala uli.
She brought everything back with her. Faith... hope. Everything else.
998...
Para bang bumalik na lahat sa dati.
I don't think I'd ever know what I've done to deserve this.
Lord, salamat. Sa lahat lahat. Salamat kasi hindi niyo ko pinabayaan... kahit na
gpakatarantado ako.
Salamat kasi binalik niyo siya sakin...
Isa na lang po talaga yung pwede kong hingin...
999...
"KURDAPS!" >:(
Lumingon ako kay Ria, who was looking deathly upset.
"ANAK KA NAMAN TALAGA NG TATAY MO! Sinong nagsabi sayong magsiga ka?!"
Natawa ako sa itsura niya. Ang kulit.
Freak out queen. ;D

"Bawal sayo yan!"

"Sayo kaya bawal! Ikaw dyan yung may hika!"
"Nyeta naman Gelo e!" she said, her hands on her hips. "Pumasok ka nga rito! ISA
!"
"Andyan na po!" I told her with a smile.
Sinundan ko siya sa loob ng bahay. Naamoy ko na yung ulam... de lata. Katamad ka
ya magluto. Si Ria lang naman mahilig magluto rito eh.
"Vienna sausage? Ito ba ipapakain mo sakin sa future?! Sus! Buti pa si John Lloy
d! Corned tuna! ;D"
"Hoy, mas masarap yan sa Corned Tuna no. Special yan, andyan love ko eh." ^-^
"Ulul, actually si John Lloyd lang habol ko sa Corned tuna. Ahihi."
"Upakan ko yang John Lloyd mo eh," I said, sitting on the dining chair. "Ewan ko
kung di siya mapainom ng Biogesic."
At si kumag, humagalpak ng tawa ;D
"Hay nako!" she said, tapos nagpakalong siya sakin. (Walang kaso, payat eh, maga
an. ;D) "Nagselos ka naman? Di kami bagay nun. Kita mo tong lapad ng noo ko? Paa
no pag nagkaanak kami, edi puro noo na yung bata? KAWAWA DIBA?!"
Tumawa na rin ako, tapos niyakap ko siya.
Ang bango talaga. Grabe.
"Kurdaaaaps."
"O."
"Pag-uwi natin, kukunin ko ulit si AnRia."
"Ok."
Ngumiti na lang ako.
"Pagaling ka na ha? Tapos punta tayong Anvaya! :D"
Di ako sumagot. Niyakap ko lang siya ng mas mahigpit.
"May nakita ako sa kwarto."
"Ano yun?"
Tinaas niya yung kamay niya tas binukas.
Mood ring...
"Tanda mo yun? Eto yung 'rings' natin sa wedding booth nung 4th year! ;D"
"Ah. Oo."
"Tinago mo pala?"
"Oo naman. Madalas nasa bulsa ko, pero di ko na masyadong sinuot. Isang color la
ng naman lagi eh."
"Pagaling ka na please. Para pagbalik natin..."
Umalis siya sa lap ko, tapos lumuhod.
"Papakasalan mo na ko. :P"
"- ano?" ??? :o
"Gelo, will you marry me?"
Teka lang. Ginugood time yata ako neto ah.
"Pagtyagaan mo na yung singsing. Saka na ko bibili pagpunta nating Manhattan. Te
ka! Ano na?"
:o
T_T
"Seryoso ka?"
Nagkamot siya ng ulo.
"Pu.ta oo! Ano na?! Magpapakasal ka sakin pagbalik ng Pilipinas o hinde?!"
:o
"Tumayo ka nga dyan."
Umalis ako tas kumuha ng tubig.
Nakatalikod ako sa kanya.
"Kurdaaaaaaaps." o_o
Di ko siya pinansin.
"Gelo naman!"
Tumayo na siya tas lumapit sakin. Niyakap niya ko from behind.
"Sige na..."
"Abnormal ka ba? Ilang taon ka na ba?"
Kumalas ako sa kanya.
"18 ka pa lang. You have three years to go in college, Summa standing ka pa..."

"Ayaw mo pa ng Summa standing? O_o"

"P-tangina naman eh," I swore. Nagulat siya. She took one step away from me.
"Look, I know why you're doing this," I snapped. "I'd appreciate it if you'd sto
p."
I walked out of the room without eating.
Buong araw kaming hindi nag usap pagkatapos nun, pero tinabihan pa rin niya akon
g matulog.
The clock on the bedside table read 2 am.
Nakahiga pa rin ako, gising na gising. Ewan ko ba.
Ria was silently sleeping, facing me... looking peaceful.
Her pale cheeks glistened as the moonlight hit them, causing her to glowI stared in awe, wondering how I've managed to live before I've met her...
Stroking her face, I reveled in her beauty. Every single feature was perfect. I
would never tire of looking at her... for each day makes her even more beautiful
than the last...
She stirred. I waited, thinking she would wake up.
"No... Please"Ria?"
Her eyes remained closed.
She seemed to be having a bad dream.
"I'm sorry," she said clearly. "Forgive me... please..."
She pulled her pillow closer to her. A tear flowed down her face, and her face b
roke into a look of distinct pain...
"It's okay."
I put an arm around her and pulled her closer to me.
"Ako yung dapat mag-sorry..." :'(
Running my fingers through her hair, I looked and saw she had stopped crying. He
r words were now incomprehensible, but I knew perfectly whom she thought she was
talking to.
"Sorry sa lahat ng nagawa ko. Sorry kasi sinaktan kita... Hindi ko ginustong gaw
in yun."
I kissed her, something I haven't done in a long time.
Tahimik na siya ulit. I secured the blanket around her shoulders and got off the
bed.
Lumabas ako sa terrace, taking in the view of New York at night.
Nakakatawang isipin na after a year of being together, we'd end up out of the co
untry, left to ourselves. Kung sa iba to, naku. Sobrang saya siguro. And under d
ifferent circumstances, her Dad wouldn't have let her go with me.
I laughed, and then realized my face was wet.
Sobrang sama ko na siguro.
Paano ko natitiis na gawin to sa kanya?
Narinig ko rin siyang umiiyak kanina sa kwarto niya, habang pinakikinggan niya y
ung kanta.
Alam kong boses ni Lance yun. Pero hindi ako nagpahalata. Ayokong pati yun ipagk
ait niya pa sa sarili niya...
Tapos ngayon, hanggang pagtulog.
Siguro talagang hirap na hirap na siya...
Naalala ko tuloy yung pinag usapan namin ni Lance sa airport...
"I'll have a Mocha. Grande, nonfat, decaf. And"And?"
Oh. Sh1t. I stared blankly at the menu above my head.
Forgot to ask, dammit.
"Um"Ano ka ba pare," said a familiar voice behind me. Lumingon ako tas nakita ko si
Lance.
Natawa siya tas tinapik nya ko sa likod na para bang magkaibigan kami.
Nagtaka naman ako.
"Grande white chocolate mocha, hot, nonfat no-whip with one Splenda."
Napanganga ako.
Natawa sa amin yung barista.

"That's for whom?"

Sinenyasan ako ni Lance na ako na yung magsabi.
Oo nga naman. Ako yung umoorder e.
"For Ria."
"Aright."
Nagbayad na ako, tapos pumunta ako dun sa kinalalagyan ng mga stirrer, tissue sa
ka kung ano ano.
Maya maya andun na rin siya.
"Pare musta?"
He offered a high five and then I took it. Naging manly handshake na din, parang
ginagawa namin dati nila Liam.
"Saan kayo?"
"US. Kayo ba?"
"Ah. Sa Milan."
"Ayos."
Tahimik. Sobrang ilang eh.
Tagal nung kape, gag0.
"Talagang kilala mo nang mabuti si Ria no?"
Tumingin lang sakin si Lance tas ngumisi.
"Steady lang. Pero siguro hindi pa rin kagaya ng pagkakilala mo sa kanya."
Tae sobrang ilang talaga neto.
Ano bang dapat kong sabihin sa taong inagawan ko ng dapat naman e sa kanya?
Pasalamat pa nga ako e.
"Pare, pweds humingi ng pabor?"
"Ah. Sige."
"Alam ko sobrang kupal ng sasabihin ko. Pero kasi ano e," nagkamot siya ng ulo.
"Ayoko kasing nasasaktan yung mga kaibigan ko. Lalo na yung isang yun. Pare sana
anoNatawa ako.
Kaibigan? Pasimple ka din e. ;D
"Pare kung pwede sana wag mo na siyang sasaktan ulit."
Simpleng sentence lang yun. Deretso. Pero ang lakas ng impact.
"Ilang beses na rin naman tayong nagkatalo e. Kaso mukhang talagang olats ako. T
hat could only mean one thing- sayo lang siya magiging masaya."
Dude, kung alam mo lang yung sinasabi mo. ;D
"Sana wag mo nang ipagkait sa kanya yun."
Taena.
Lakas ng taong to.
Nanliit ako sa sarili ko. This person really deserves her more than I do.
Pero sige. Ilang linggo lang naman kailangan ko e.
Well at least, assured akong kahit may mangyari, magiging ok pa rin siya.
Inextend ko yung kamay ko sa kanya.
"You have my word."
Nagkamay kami ulit.
"I'll be counting on it," sabi niya.
Pumunta na kami dun sa counter, ready na pala yung orders.
"Pare, last na."
"Ano yun?"
"Walang ibang makakaalam ng usapan na to a."
"Bakit?"
"Wala lang. Ayokong isipin niyang may pakialam pa din ako," sabi niya, sabay hig
op sa kape niya. "Alam mo naman yun. Baka ma-guilty pa."
Grabe tong taong to.
Hanga na talaga ako. Talagang bawat galaw niya si Ria yung iniisip.
"O sige."
"Pano dude. See you next school year sa org."
HAH. Siraulo. Gusto makakita ng multo.
Joke. ;D
"Sige."
With a last high five, he left the shop.

*
Ria's POV
*background music*
Naalimpungatan ako. I sat up on the bed with a start, feeling disoriented.
It felt wrong, though. Parang...
Parang may kulang...
"Gelo?" :o
Kinabahan ako.
I got off the bed, then saw the curtains covering the veranda fluttering in the
wind.
Scratching my eyes, I went to check. Andun nga siya.
He was leaning on the railings.
"Ikaw naman, pinakaba mo ako."
It was as if he didn't hear me.
Buong araw niya nga akong di kinibo eh.
Hindi ko naman maintindihan kung bakit bigla na lang siyang nagalit. I was merel
y being sweet.
Tutuparin ko naman yun kung sakali eh...
Gusto ko lang talagang isipin niya na may rason pa siyang natitira...
Masama pa ba yun?
"Galit ka pa?"
Lumingon siya sakin, tapos nagsmile.
He signaled me to come over, and laid his arms out wide.
I hugged him.
Like I've never hugged anyone before.
"I'm sorry. I didn't"Ssshhh. Ako dapat magsorry."
He let go of me, then he held my hand and led me towards the hammock.
Ang ganda ng view dito sa may veranda nila.
Malayo kasi tong lugar nila sa Manhattan, pero part pa rin ng New York state. So
kita pa rin namin yung silhouette nung skyscrapers.
Sabay kaming humiga dun sa duyan. I had my head on his chest. He felt warm... an
d then he put a protective arm around me.
"Mahal kita."
I smiled up at him.
"Ako rin."
Tumawa siya.
"Sinungaling."
"Ano?"
"Narinig kita kanina eh. Hinahanap mo si Lance." :P
"Uluuul."
"Nananaginip ka kaya. Kaya ako bumangon eh. Ouch kasi." :P
"WAAA. Bangungot yun. Don't worry."
"Joker ka rin talaga no?"
"Hindi kasi ako nagjojoke!"
"Hindi rin ako nagjojoke. Masakit talaga."
He was smiling.
"Gelo naman..."
"Anong Gelo naman? Okay lang, Ri. Alam ko naman eh."
"Wag ka ganyan."
Niyakap niya ako ng mas mahigpit.
"Ok lang. Ako naman pinili mo eh. Ako naman kasama mo. So parang ganun na rin si
guro yun..."
Tumulo yung luha ko. Hindi ko alam kung bakit... pero pakiramdam ko ang sama ko.
Kulang pa siguro...
"Sorry..."
"Bakit ka ba nagsosorry?" he asked, laughing. "Ako kaya yung may atraso sayo."
"Wala."
"Meron."

"Wag ka kasing ganyan!"

"See?" he said, wiping my face. "Pinapaiyak na naman kita. Wala na kong ginawa k
ungdi paiyakin ka."
"P-tangina naman Angelo eh!"
"Pero maniwala ka o hindi... hindi ko gustong gawin yun. Gusto ko maging masaya
ka. Tanda mo yung sinabi ko nung Christmas party diba? Totoo lahat yun. Pero hin
di na ako yung nakakapagpasaya sayo eh..."
My tears were now flowing freely.
He kissed the top of my head.
"Minsan naiisip ko, paano kaya kung hindi ako umalis? Tayo pa rin siguro no?"
I buried my face in his chest.
Hindi ko kasi alam kung anong dapat kong sabihin eh...
"Ang daming sana... puro sana. Sana hindi nalang kita iniwan. Sana tayo pa rin.
Sana, akin ka pa rin...
But Fate has taken us into its hands... and it has decided I'm not the one for y
ou."
"Gelo tigilan mo na nga!" I replied, furiously wiping my face. "May hope pa... t
ayo rin to. Kaya kailangan mong lumaban..."
"There is hope, yes... but there isn't anything left for me."
"Listen to me"No, you listen. Masaya ako. Masaya at kuntento na akong nandito ka para sa akin
. This is enough. Hindi mo kailangang mangako sa akin ng kahit ano. I know what
you've left just to be with me... alam ko yung ginawa mong sakripisyo para sakin
. Tama na yun."
"No, it's never enough. Gusto kong lumaban ka. Gusto kong maniwala kang kaya pa
rin natin to..."
"I've lost the battle ages ago, Ria," he replied. "Wala nang point para ipagkail
a pa natin yun."
"Akala ko ba mahal mo ko?" I snapped. "How come you're giving up?"
"Bakit, ano pa bang laban ko?" he said, throwing me a look. "Alam mo bang nanlil
iit ako tuwing kinukumpara ko yung sarili ko kay Lance? Alam mo bang kahit anong
gawin ko, hindi ko makumbinsi yung sarili kong ako na ulit? Kasi mas karapat da
pat siya sayo. At tuwing nakikita kita naaalala ko lahat yun. Tuwing sinasabi mo
ng mahal mo ko, lalo akong nahihiya sa sarili ko kasi pinapabayaan kita ritong m
abulok kasama ko... kahit alam kong hirap ka na...
Pero sige lang. Pinabayaan ko lang. Kasi selfish ako. Inuna ko yung sarili kong
kaligayahan kaysa sayo. Kinalimutan ko lahat... para maparamdam ko sa sarili ko
na pwede pa..."
Bumitaw siya sakin.
"Pero sino pa bang niloloko ko diba?" he asked with a mirthless laugh. "Tigilan
na natin to..."
Iniwan niya ako dun sa duyan tapos pumasok siya ng kwarto. Sinundan ko siya...
"Gelo sandali lang please... Sandali..."
I hugged him from behind, sobbing wildly.
Hindi ko na alam gagawin ko... :'(
"I'm sorry..."
Sighing, he held my hands tenderly and turned to face me.
"Ok lang," he said, smiling bitterly. "Stop saying sorry. Hindi ko rin naman kas
i kayang magalit sayo..."
I felt his hands on my face. Yumuko siya so that our faces were level, and I not
iced our noses were touching. He had his eyes closed.
Pumikit din ako, tapos hinila ko siya palapit sakin.
Ang tagal naming tumayo dun. Hindi ko na alam.
Basta hindi ako bumitaw.
Hindi ako bibitaw.
He broke the silence.
"Matulog ka na," he told me, then he gently tried to take my hands off him. "Ala
s tres na o."
I didn't reply. Instead, I kept my grip on him.
"Kurdaps, tama na..."

"No."
"Tama na," he said again. "Mas lalo lang tayo mahihirapan eh."
"Itaboy mo ko hanggang gusto mo... I'm not going anywhere."
He sighed deeply. Nagpakiramdaman kami.
Completely closing the distance between us, I felt his lips on mine.
Nagulat ako kasi iba...
There was no restraint on his part, but it was not like how he was the last time
...
For some reason, we ended up on the bed, with him on top of me, but our hands st
ayed put on each other's faces.
Wild, oo.
Pero ramdam ko siya... lahat ng nararamdaman niya ramdam ko rin...
Matagal rin bago kami tumigil. Weird nga eh. Ilang minuto rin yun.
"Promise me something."
"Anything."
"Pag nagkita tayo ulit sa next lifetime... bibigyan mo pa rin ako ng chance ha?"
I ran my thumb over his lips - it was only now that I noticed how pale they were
...
"At sa oras na yun, hinding hindi na kita papakawalan..."
He tried to smile, but at that precise moment, I felt a heavy drop on my face.
"But for now... I'm going to have to set you free."
Kissing my forehead, he gently got my hands off him and walked away.
"Go to sleep," he told me. "And whatever happens, I want you to remember that I
love you."
"Where are you going?"
He didn't answer me. Instead, he switched the lights off and closed the door.
I stayed in the dark, wondering how
THUD!
"Oh sh1tI ran out of the room as fast as I can.
He was on the floor, sprawled, his face screwed up in pain"TITA STELLA!"
I scooped him up in my arms.
"Gelo, stand up, please... kunin natin yung gamot mo..."
He could hardly move.
"Wait, dito ka lang, kukunin koI moved to go but he caught my arm.
"Stay..." he said. "Don't leave me just yet..."
"Gelo"Please, Ria."
Fortunately, Tita Stella's door had flown open"Tita, yung gamot niya, nasa tabi ng thermos sa baba..."
"Ako na bahala, sige..."
I heard her sprinting down the stairs and somehow felt relieved.
"Sandali lang ha?" I said, trying to reassure him that everything will be okay..
.
His grip on my arm tightened.
"Ria?"
"Yup?"
"Dito ka lang..."
"Oo," I said, staring at him. "Dito lang ako..."
I pulled him close to me...
But then his eyes gazed back at me without seeing"Gelo?"
They have gone blank...
Lifeless...
"Kurdaps?"
My breath got caught in my throat.
He did not move nor speak.
"Gelo wag naman ganito o," I pleaded. "Wag ganito..."

With a huge effort, I went and pulled him up to sit properly...

"Gelo umayos ka nga..." I scolded him, fighting back the tears. "Isa..."
He was just pulling my leg.
I know it.
:'(
"Isa. Hindi ka tatayo?"
I pulled him up with all my might, trying to make him sit straight-But then I heard a dull, ominous thud as his hand fell on the floor...
I felt my insides vanish into thin air.
"TITA! TITA STELLA! Tulungan mo kami!"
Sumigaw ako. Wala na akong pakialam kung dis oras na ng gabi...
I thought of nothing but him.
"Gelo, stop it. Hindi ko kaya eh..."
Niyakap ko siya. Mahigpit. Na para bang kaya kong ibalik lahat...
I called his name, over and over...
Hoping it would be enough to change the fact that he was gone forever.
EPILOGUE
TEN YEARS LATER
*music*
Gelo's POV
"Kuya, andyan na manliligaw mo," Rish said, chuckling.
I turned, and sure enough- there was Ria, walking towards me carrying a couple o
f bouquets.
"I'll bet you anything the bigger one's mine." :P
"Whatever. Inggit ka lang, pag si Lance yung dumadating kasi wala siya binibigay
sayo."
"Malamang, ang bading niya naman kung sakali!" ;D
My sister laughed and put one arm around me as we watched Ria come to a stop and
kneel in front of us. She used her hand to wipe off a speck of dust on the marb
le tile in front of her. It read:
Ricardo Angelo Fontanilla
October 10, 19** - April 21, 20**
"Hi," she said breathlessly, smiling. "Sorry I haven't been able to come here fo
r days, my sched's really crazy."
"I'll leave you for a while, Kuya," said Rish, and in a snap she had dissolved i
n thin air. I smiled and knelt in front of Ria, watching her remove the old flow
ers on the vases provided for Rish and me, which had been there since the day I
was interred.
"Nakakainis yung isang intern, mas marunong pa sakin," she said as she placed fr
esh white roses on Rish's vase. "Honestly, this job is more than what I had barg
ained for."
She's now a Lifestyle / Features Contributor in InStyle magazine, a job she got
at age twenty-four. Galing, no?
And despite her busy sched, she never fails to visit us at least three times a w
eek since she had moved to New York about six years ago. Tawa nga ng tawa si Ris
h, parang manliligaw daw na super matiyaga. ;D Siraulo talaga yung kapatid ko.
"Pero ok lang rin," she said, now busying herself with the other set of flowers.
"Would you believe they let me interview Stella McCartney the other day? I was
gobsmacked!"
She smiled and sat on the cool grass, securing her scarf more tightly on her nec
k.
It was fall already, and from what the other projector in the nearby building sa
id- the temperature was nearing 5 degrees celsius- surely a day too cold to be o
ut.
And still, she was here...
"Sobrang okay niya. And when I told her I graduated from a Business course, tawa
siya ng tawa. Ano daw bang ginagawa ko roon sa magazine?" she told me, laughing
. "And then I said I couldn't let writing go- I loved it too much. And then she
commended me for that."
She sighed deeply.

"I wish I've been as brave for the other things I loved..."
Sorry, Ria.
I know it's my fault.
"Pero don't worry. I'm not blaming you one bit. It's my own stupidity that's at
fault."
Laughing at herself, she caressed my headstone again, tracing circles on the smo
oth surface.
"It's been ten years, and wala pa rin akong lakas ng loob na harapin siya. Buti
pa nga yung iba. WAIT! Have I told you? Maffy's two months pregnant!"
She looked genuinely happy as she said that.
"Galing nga eh. Sabi ko nga, sa wakas! Magtwo- two years na rin kasi silang kasa
l eh! Grabe. May inaanak na tayo! :D"
She laughed, and I stared like there was no tomorrow.
"Oh, and Aidan is the Bar Topnotcher. Yep, number one. You can imagine how wild
Elle went! Atty. Aidan Lennox. SURREAL. :)"
From what she told me, Aidan practiced accountancy for about a year before final
ly deciding to go to Law School. Ibang klase yung taong yun. CPA na lawyer pa.
Naknangteteng talaga. Fiance ng ex ko, CPA Lawyer lang naman. Sorry na Elle, sor
ry na ;D
"Nag-usap na nga yung dalawa sa telepono nung isang araw. Masyado pang masaya sa
ka kinikilig sa mga nangyayari. Nakalimutan yatang engaged na sila at kailangan
nilang magdecide kung saan sila titira kung sakali. Syempre, marami na rin napun
dar si Elle dito eh."
Sa pagkakaalam ko kasi may sarili nang boutique si Elle, tapos may sideline pa d
un sa Wedding Boutique na tinayo nung pinsan ni Maffy. Ang alam ko, si Elle yung
taga design nung gowns, si Maffy bahala sa cake, tas si Ria yung general planne
r saka in charge ng Logistics issues. Ewan ko ba sa mga to, pinagsasabay sabay l
ahat, masyadong nagmamadaling yumaman. ;D
"Si Denise... ayun. Mumomowdel na ng bonggang bongga. ;D Hindi nga! Seryoso. Nap
ansin siya nung dating boss ni Elle eh. Rarampa na yata sa Fashion Week. Kaloka
yung babaeng yun. Hangbilis."
Well... let's face it. Yun lang naman talaga meron si Den eh, looks pati height.
HOY. Nagsasabi lang ako ng totoo.
One and a half year siyang nadelay bago grumaduate, sabi ni Ria. Ewan ko ba dun.
Ba't nag Broadcast Communication eh pilipit naman yung dila. Oo. Fine, marunong
sumulat. Pero gusto daw niya mag newscaster... takte. Pag ganun ang newscaster,
imu-mute ko na lang. Para di na ko makunsumi. ;D
"Si Liam pati si Otan, naghiwalay na ng team. Pareho kasing naofferan eh, at wag
ka, di sa reserve team. Takte yung mga kumpare mong yun, magwo-World Cup na. Mu
khang mapapalipad ako ng South Africa ng di oras. ;D"
HUWAW.
Dream ko yun noon ah. Mag-World Cup. T_T
"Syempre, laging nasa training si Liam, si Denise kung saan saan may go-see, hir
ap mag adjust. Tinanong ko na pareho kung anong plano, eh ayun. Di pa daw sila s
ure sa isa't isa. Ni hindi nga daw nila alam kung sila pa rin. Ayun, tingnan mo.
Lumalandi yung isa, kumakalantari yung kabila. Ang saya ng buhay ng mga hinayup
ak. ;D"
Kamusta naman yung tagalog mo Ria. Dinugo ako ;D
Kumakalantari?! Ano kaya yun. ;D
"Si Gellie, ok naman. Nagrereview for boards sa med. Hindi nga lang halos mahagi
lap, busy talaga eh. Medyo hirap sila ni Rafael, kasi syempre itong isa CEO in t
he making. Kung saan saan pinapadala ni Father Dear. Syempre. Si Ahia pa, di mak
atanggi."
Ahia... older brother ata yun.
Ano ba kanina malalim na tagalog ngayon ini-Intsik ako. T_T
Ano ba talaga Ria.
Wait. INTSIK?
UUUUUUUUUUUYYYYYYY. ^-^
"Si Lance naman... wala akong balita. Last thing I heard, na-offeran siya ng cam
paign for Benetton, but he turned it down kasi he wanted to work in a bank. Ewan

ko dun. Ang labo rin ng hayop na yun eh."

Hayop daw. Kamon, Ria. ^-^
"Pero kay Karissa ko halos naririnig karamihan ng balita tungkol kay Lance. Dami
ng alam ng bruha. Eh kasi naman. Wala ako maasahan kay Lance eh. Pag nangangamus
ta naman kasi si kumag sa email, wala lang. Para lang kaming tanga, 'Musta? Mabu
ti, ikaw? Ah, good to hear that. Okay lang din.' WHUT."
She threw her arms in the air- a surefire gesture of extreme frustration.
"Ewan ko ba. Di ako makaopen sa kanya masyado. Eh matapos nga kasi nung... ano,
alam mo na, akala ko di na ko kakausapin. Ever. Pero pagbalik naman namin next s
chool year, ok lang. Civil siya sakin, parang wala ring nangyari. Hindi nga lang
kami masyadong nakakapag-usap nun, kasi nagshift siya ng BAA, iba pa kami ng co
mmittees sa org."
Ngayon lang halos niya nakukwento sa akin si Lance. Usually, yung iba lang yun b
inabanggit niya sa akin eh. Siguro... at ease na siya.
Kung pwede lang, pag-uuntugin ko na yung dalawang to eh. They seriously need to
get over themselves!
RING RING!
O ano yun?
"Hala!"
Tumingin siya sa phone niya.
"Naku, yung insan ni Maffy, tinatawagan na ako. Siya sige, babalik na lang ako h
a? May papapuntahan yata to sakin... teka, meron nga yata akong pupuntahan dapat
, nakalimutan ko yataAt that precise moment, a tall figure in white appeared behind me.
"Gelo," I heard the figure say. "It's time to go."
I turned to look and saw Cleo, who was carefully surveying Ria through slightly
narrowed eyes.
"Saglit lang. She's just saying goodbye."
"Hoy, sobra ka na ha," she teased. "Sabi mo last time, isang dalaw na lang niya,
pwede na kita sunduin."
"Baliw," I muttered. "Para namang may choice ako."
I stood up and took one glance at my new set of wings.
"Gaan nito ah," I said. "I'll bet you kaya ko to ng 70 kph."
"It doesn't come with a spedometer," she replied with a bit of a smirk. "Try not
to abuse it."
"Aright, boss."
"Hindi mo ko boss," she retorted. "Si Yohan boss mo. Este, natin. Hahaha."
"Mabait ba yun?"
Nagfold siya ng arms.
"Ikaw magjudge. I can't tell you what I think. Maririnig ni kumag eh. ;D"
"Ok sige."
"O! Mag babye ka na nga!"
"Sabi ko nga eh!"
Nag-kneel ako sa harap ni Ria. I gazed at her, memorizing every feature... perma
nently imprinting them in my memory.
"Sorry. I really have to go. I'll be back in three days, aright?"
"Sorry din. Di ko na maririnig kwento mo after three days..."
She put her hand to her lips and then laid them on my grave.
I laid my hand on hers... pero tumagos lang...
"Labyu, Kurdaps. :D"
"Love you too. :)"
"Alis na ko ah?"
"Ako rin."
I felt Cleo put a hand on my shoulder.
"Bye."
She stood up, secured her scarf around her neck, and gave me a last smile.
"Ready?" Cleo asked.
I continued to stare at Ria's back until she vanished around the corner.
Bye, Ri...
"Ready."

Ria's POV
"Hello?"
"Ria naman, kanina pa ko tawag ng tawag, asaan ka ba?" Marie, our boss, said on
the other line. "Anong oras na o!"
"Teka, sorry"May pupuntahan kang client ngayon sa Plaza Hotel. Imi-meet nyo yung parang mana
ger dun, pre-planning na din. You have ten minutes to get there"TEN MINUTES?! JOKE KA BA?!"
"Ikaw kasi hindi ka sumasagot ng phone! Edi sana marami ka pang oras!"
"Fine! Tatakbo na!"
"Hoy be nice!"
"Oo na sige bye!"
Sus. Si Marie. She's a good friend, pero when it's work... it's work. ;)
Mabuti rin yun. Alam nyo naman ako. Masyadong kulang ng discipline sa oras pamin
san. XD Kelangan ng magcocontrol! ;D
Sino naman kayang client yun? Ang yaman ah! Plaza Hotel ba naman?! :o
Buti dala ko kotse ko. Kundi, deads na naman. T_T
Syempre kumaripas ang lola nyo ng bonggang bongga diba. Ayan tuloy. Haggard.
Ni hindi ko na na-appreciate yung ganda ng Hotel. Wild ng takbo eh.
TekaDalawa yung pintuan sa Hall... alin ba dito?
Diyoskopo.
FACEPALM!
Bahala na. Pag walang tao sa kaliwa edi sa kananI pushed the left door open.
Someone was standing at the far end of the hall, holding a folder that had our W
edding Boutique's logo on it"Hi, I'm so sorry I'm late..."
Imagine my shock when she turned and"Ria?"
Karissa's face broke into a smile (a genuine one, waw bihira to ah) and then she
walked towards me to give me a small hug.
Siya?
Siya yung client ko?
Ano ba to. T_T
"Wow. I mean, WOW."
"Good-wow, or bad-wow?"
She gave a hearty (but not fake) laugh.
"Haha! Di ka pa rin nagbabago. Sabaw ka pa rin ;D"
Nakitawa na rin ako.
As usual, ayoko pa ring masabihan na bastos. HEHEHE.
"So..." she began, her eyes widening and roving the whole room. "You'll really b
e handling it?"
"Ah, oo naman."
Naglakad lakad ako to check the stuff-may mga gamit, samples ng champagne glass
saka nung scented paper para sa invitations...
"Grabe. Ang cute lang."
I smiled at her.
"Yeah"But won't that be weird?"
I gave her a puzzled look.
"Anong weird?" ???
She stared at me weirdly, as though I was being stupid on purpose.
"Eh"Ano?"
"Won't it be weird considering you're I dropped the champagne glass I was holding when I suddenly thought of what she
actually meant"Are you okay?" :o
Lumapit sakin si Karissa, tapos hinila niya ako palayo dun sa nabasag...

"Huy Ria! Ba't namumutla ka?"

Amputs.
Inaanxiety attack ako.
Pero taena, paano nga kung yung groom eh"Ang lamig ng kamay mo o!"
"Ah... haha... sorry. Anxiety attack. Bigla bigla eh." :-\
Sh1t sh1t sh1t.
POTANGENA. Ano ba tong nangyayari sakin!
"Can I get you something?"
"No. I'm fine. Thanks, Karissa."
Natahimik kami pareho.
I stared at the broken shards of glass on the carpet, unable to keep my thoughts
to myself.
"So, Karissa," I said, taking a deep breath as I screwed up my guts. "Who... who
's the lucky guy?"
"UmI heard the door creak open.
"Kai?"
HOLYSH!T.
"Oh, hey Lance. Andito ka na pala."
Tangina. Nahilo ko bigla.
"-kanina pa kayo dyan?"
"Di naman."
Pucha.
ANO TO.
BAKIT GANITO.
AGGGGHHHHH ISHNADKASLHFAKJNLDL
"Hoy Ri. Okay ka lang?"
"Ahh"Wait lang, I'll get her some water sa baba. She had a sudden anxiety attack."
"Yes please... thanks Kai." :)
She gave him a small hug before she went out of the room.
Haha.
HA HA HA.
Tangina, joke ba to?!
Sinara ni Lance yung pinto.
Tumalikod ako sa kanya.
Takteeeeeee.
Naiiyak ako. Potangena.
"So..."
"Yeah."
"I hear you're doing great lately."
"So are you."
Ngumiti siya.
:(
"I'm happy for you." :)
So am I.
I wish I could say that... pero di ko yata kaya.
"A- ako rin."
"Ba't parang napilitan ka lang? ;D"
"Ah... hindi," I said, faking a laugh. "Wala. Wag mo ko intindihin."
He went and took a look at the cutlery samples on the nearby table.
"Wow. Ok to ah! Tingnan mo."
Syempre lumapit ako, kahit lutang na lutang yung utak ko. Kahit gusto kong tumak
bo. Kahit gusto kong sapakin sina Marie, Elle at Mafy kasi pumayag silang kami a
ng mag-handle ng wedding na to.
Ni Karissa at ni Lance.
"Oo. Magugustuhan ni Karissa yan."
Tiningnan niya ako tapos nagsmile.
Na para bang masayang masaya siya.

"Tingin mo ok sa kanya?"
"Naman. Nagdecide na rin ba kayo ng motif?"
Tumawa siya ng malakas na para bang nakakatawa yung sinabi ko.
"May sinabi ba ko?"
"Wala. Natatawa lang ako sayo."
Natahimik.
"Nagpasukat na ba si Karissa kay Elle?"
"Bakit?"
"Marami kasing ginagawa si Elle ngayon, baka hindi na niya maasikaso kung sakali
."
Tumawa si Lance.
"Bakit, kukunin ba natin siyang abay?"
Teka lang.
Natanga ako dun ah.
"Anong sabi mo?"
He laughed hysterically.
"Joke ka ba?!"
"Joke ka rin ba?!" he quipped, now holding his stomach from too much laughing. "
Ako saka si Kai? BALIW KA RIN EH!" ;D
Lance's POV
Tae. Mamamatay na ko kakatawa.
She stared at me with her mouth hanging open.
"How could you have even thought it was possible?" I told her. "Gusto mong sakal
in ako ni Gelo?"
She looked, if possible, even more shocked.
Her eyes suddenly went misty.
"Ni Gelo?"
"Binilin ka niya sakin."
*
April 2010...
"Welcome home, anak!" Nanay Shirley said as she approached me. I gave her a hug
and smiled.
"O, pumayat ata kayo 'Nay?"
"Hindi naman. Kamusta ang Milan?"
"Malamig po. Hehe."
"Gusto mong kumain?"
"Ok lang ako 'Nay. May naghanap ba sakin?"
"Wala naman. Pero may dumating na package."
"Ha?"
"Nagulat nga ako eh. Galing US daw."
US?
"Ayun o, nasa ibabaw ng table."
"Salamat 'Nay."
Umalis siya, tapos tiningnan ko yung box.
Wow. Ang labo ata.
Kay Gelo galing, sabi dun sa box.
Binuksan ko.
May laman siyang isang paper crane, tapos isang nakatuping papel.
Quote
Pare, first of all wag kang mag-alala. Walang anthrax to. May dalawang bagay lan
g akong ipapaalam sayo. Importante.
First, it's that Ria loves you. YUP. She does. She only left you to be with me b
ecause I was sick. May cancer ako, and medyo delikado yung condition kaya she th
ought mas kailangan ko siya. Sorry dude ah. Kupal eh! HAHA!
Second, ayon. Nakikita mo yang paper crane? Gumawa ako ng 1000 nyan. Kasi makaka
tupad daw ng isang wish kapag gumawa ng 1000. At yung wish ko, maging masaya si
Ria kahit mawala ako. Since tingin ko naman eh ikaw makakagawa nun (buhay man ak
o o hinde) eh sayo ko na binigay yang pang 1000. Nga pala, ang rinig ko kailanga
n sunugin yung paper cranes eh. So ikaw na bahala dyan.
O umayos ka pare a. Deads ka sakin pag hindi naging ok si Kurdapya.

Ingat na lang pre! Alagaan mo si Ria a! Sige!

-Gelo
*
None of us spoke, and I chose to break the silence.
"This hall? I reserved it for us," I began. "I guess it was a wrong move. Going
under the radar- your radar, technically speaking, then... this. Malamang-lamang
, nagulat ka. I wanted to surprise you. Sa sobrang fail ko, naisip mo tuloy na k
ami ni Kai yung ikakasal... okay. Well Kai was just checking it out, she wanted
to reserve it for her wedding as well. Which is... about months from now, I'm no
t sure, pretty bad for me I guess, considering I'm their best man..."
Yumuko siya, tapos she wiped her eyes.
"Sorry. I was babbling. About Gelo... That was ten years ago. Nahirapan akong la
pitan ka kasi nga nagshift ako para makalayo sayo, at ayoko rin namang pilitin k
ang maging ok ulit... because I know that no matter what, he's been a big part o
f your life and I won't ever be able to take his place..."
She stayed quiet, but tears continued flowing down her face.
"Pero maniwala ka o hinde... walang araw na hindi kita binabantayan... o iniisip
... natakot akong baka mawala ka na talaga sakin..."
"Talaga? Eh bakit ngayon lang?" she asked me furiously, wiping her face. "Ilang
taon akong naghihintay. Mukha akong ewan na hindi alam ang gagawin. Sa dinami da
mi ng nangyari, hindi ko na naintindihan... ni hindi ko alam kung napatawad mo n
a ba ako. Niho niha, ewan. Wala. Oo, umeemail ka, lumalike ka, tapos ano?"
"All throughout college, I tried to get in touch and be close to you again, pero
naisip kong gusto mo ring magfocus sa acads... so pinabayaan muna kita. Nagsery
oso din ako sa acads... para pag dumating tong araw na to, handa ako..."
Lumapit ako sa kanya.
"Pero lumipad ka ulit papunta rito. Sumunod ako. You kept yourself busy, and so
did I. Mukha ka namang masaya..."
She looked really mad at me.
"Oo, ikaw rin. Sobra nga eh," she said, her voice ringing with sarcasm. "Talent
mo pala magpahintay no? Tangina ang galing mo eh!"
"I needed time. I wanted to get everything prepared. Ayokong dumating ang oras n
a magkita tayo ulit at hindi pa rin maging ok... Gusto kong maging mature, magin
g financially stable... I wanted to be good enough. I wanted to be the best that
I can be..."
"Para ano? You've always been"Because you deserve nothing less."
She was quiet again, and I chose that moment to close the remaining space betwee
n us.
"Ngayon, andito ko... not because anyone told me to, but because there's no othe
r place I'd rather be. I don't see myself anywhere else but here... beside you..
."
I held her by both hands.
"And if you'd let me... I'd want to stay here. With you. Forever."
She looked up at me, her eyes wide and disbelieving.
"Kahit masungit ako? Kahit malapad yung noo ko?"
"Oo. Kahit napakalaki mong bungangerang blackboard."
"Kahit magastos ako?"
Gulp.
"Kaya yan." *gulp*
"Magulo lagi gamit ko."
"Ok lang!"
"Weird ako pag lasing."
"SUS. Tagal ko nang alam yun."
Natawa siya.
"Mahal mo pala ko talaga no?"
Binatukan ko nga.
"ASA PA E."
"NAMAN TO!"
"Joke lang."

She hugged me.

"Wo zhen de hen ai ni... Lance..."
"I love you too, Riri."
I hugged her right back and kissed the top of her head.
We broke off, then I got down on one knee.
"Marry me?"
She smiled her widest, got on her knees so that we were level, and put her hands
on my face so I can look at her properly.
"YES."
Truly, this moment was ours for the taking.
In between the subsequent laughs, smirks and all the making out, I sensed someth
ing magical...
There truly was, and there will ever be...
A little something everybody likes to call a happily ever after.
++++++++++++ THE END +++++++++++++
<PIXTEL_MMI_EBOOK_2005>23</PIXTEL_MMI_EBOOK_2005>