Chapter Text
“Pahawak nga saglit pre…” Inabot sa akin ni Calum ang kanyang telepono before he got down on one knee to tie his shoe lace. I wasn’t even planning to look at his phone but when I felt it vibrate ay napatingin din ako.
Tumaas ang aking kilay bago iniabot sa kanya pabalik ang telepono, “What?” Natatawa pa niyang tanong.
“What?” Tanong ko pabalik.
It wasn’t my intention to see that Calum’s inbox is filled with girls, nor is it my intention to even meddle with anyone’s business.
“You know Kara Versoza from grade 9?” Tanong niya. Nag-kibit balikat lamang ako habang sumisipsip sa aking flask. We are inside dance club room in our school, preparing for a junior dance competition.
Cal just shrugged, “Well she has this classmate. Reila Lopez.”
“What about her?” Walang kaganagana kong tanong.
“She’s interested in you.” Then he raised his phone and showed me a Facebook profile.
“Ah.” Tanging sagot ko bago tumingin palayo.
Narining kong tumawa ng bahagya si Cal, “Your type talaga is those na hindi ka gusto sa una no?” Kumunot ang noo ko sa kanya,
“Wala napansin ko sa lahat ng ngaing ka-MU mo laging masungit sayo sa una. Now may nirereto ako na gusto ka, ayaw mo even tho she’s really pretty.” Pag rarason niya.
Ngumisi ako bago sumandal sa upuan at pinag-krus ang mga braso, “Hindi ba pwedeng nag momove on pa ako?”
“Who? Kay Kira? You said hindi mo siya gusto?” Tawa niya, already calling me out for my bullshit, “Please. You don’t even know what moving on feels like.”
“And you do?” I raised my brow at him at mas lumakas pa ang tawa niya.
Maya-maya pa, ay nabasag ang katahimikan, when Russ and Mari entered and behind them was Troy and Jaden na tila ba ay may sariling mundo habang nag-uusap.
My brows furrowed bago tumingin palayo. Binaling ko ang atensyon sa aking telepono and pretended to be busy. Cal joined in their conversation, suddenly he was not interested in talking about girls.
“Ah…Troy tignan mo to.” I heard Cal say. Hindi ko na inangat ang aking tingin, not bothering myself to even join their conversation.
But of course, they just have to make it about me, “Who’s that?” Tanong ni Troy.
“May crush kay Red.” Pagkakalat ni Cal. Tinapunan ko siya ng masamang tingin bago umiling.
“Oh? Hindi ba lower batch yan? Paano mo alam?” Mari asked, out of pure curiosity.
Napangisi ako habang tinitignan ko ang kaibigan kong tila nagulat pa sa tanong. Sabi nga nila, sa sariling bibig nahuhuli ang isda.
“A bird told me.” Kibit balikat na sagot ni Cal.
“Sinong bird? Si tweety bird?” Pang-aasar ni Russ, making Cal smack the back of his head lightly. Tila pa nag-ambahan ang dalawa bago nag-tawanan.
‘More like one of his many girls.’ I thought.
“She’s pretty.” Troy replied bago ako tinignan. Umiling lang ako, making him laugh a bit.
“She’s chinita. Hindi ba morena gusto niya.” Jaden said. Ni hindi man lang ako matignan, nor be able to call me by my name. He talks about me as if I wasn’t sitting right across him.
‘He really has an allergy sa akin.’
I wanted to roll my eyes so badly but instead tumayo ako at lumakad papunta sa pinto, already done hearing them talk about me. It’s not like I don’t know how to get girls. I just have a…preference if you will.
“Saan ka?” Russ asked.
“C.R. Wanna join?”
Russ placed his arm over his chest, “Uy papi wag ka ganyan…”
I scoffed before raising my middle finger at saka tuluyan lumabas ng club room.
I scoffed as I brought the phone down in disbelief. It has been a day since Jaden sent me Sarina’s number and until now I couldn’t believe that Jaden really thought I liked Sarina.
“Ano yan?” Usisa ni Russ sabay upo sa tabi ko. I wanted to punch his face right there and then. Siya nag-umpisa ng asaran tungkol kay Sarina, simply because the girl has been rolling her eyes at me ever since I turned dow her cousin.
“Nothing.” Tanging sagot ko at umambang aalis when Russ replied,
“Sabi ni Onse nakuha mo daw number ni Sarina.” Tawa pa neto. Nilingon ko siya at nagkibit balikat bago umalis. I wanted to find a place someplace quiet where no one would bother me. Buti na lang ay wala ang aming professor.
Somehow I found myself sitting on a bench behind the shs building. I clenched my jaw, as the wind blew making me shiver. Rinig ang hampas ng mga sanga ng puno sa lakas ng hangin and the whole campus was quiet. Well atleast— in this part of the campus.
“Ay…” I heard someone say.
I opened my eyes and turned to see who it was. Her curly hair flowed down perfectly to her shoulder, her eyes ay tila mala-pusa. The mataray kind. Bakas ang pagka-irita sa akin. The corner of my lips rose as I chuckled when she rolled her eyes at me.
“You still hate me?” Tanong ko. Kita ko ang gulat sa kanya. It was as if she didn’t expect me to talk to her.
“I don’t hate you.”
I nodded, “But you’re always rolling your eyes at me.”
I heard her scoff at onting kaluskos, “I just don’t appreciate how you turned down my cousin out in the open. Sobra siyang napahiya.”
Tinignan ko lamang siya. She stared right back at me, not even fazed. Normally people -mostly girls- would look away almost immediately.
“What am I supposed to do? She also asked me out, out in the open.”
“Well you could’ve pulled her aside.”
I shrugged, “I can’t. We were surrounded by the music club members.” It was our school’s foundation day, and Sarina’s cousin availed music club’s service wherein they will serenade people. It was cute…but Reila wasn’t my type.
“Still–”
“Do you want me to date your cousin?” Tanong ko bigla.
I saw how her brows furrowed at that. Umiling siya. “But thanks.”
I raised my brow at her.
“For turning her down. At least you didn’t get her hopes up. Knowing you– babaero ka pa naman.” She said it with a straight face and with so much confidence. Clearly not scared to offend me.
Natawa ako. She’s too straightforward, “You’re welcome I guess.”
I looked above me and saw a familiar face on the third floor staring right down at us from the window when Troy stood beside him, putting his arms over the younger’s. I saw how his face immediately lit up, washing away the frown plastered on his face earlier.
It’s amazing how one minute his face would be dark and gloomy. But when he’s with someone else…especially with him. He is all smiles and butterflies. As if an angel sent from above. An embodiment of perfection. Jaden Gatchalian is the proof that there is a God and he favors certain people.
I rolled my eyes at the thought.
Nilingon ko ang babaeng paalis na sana, “Hey Sarina.” She turned around and raised her brow at me, “Do you want to grab lunch with me?”
Sarina scoffed before turning her back on me and walking away.
Well, that was the first time I was turned down.
But definitely wasn’t the last.
“Ano ba yan?” Sarina laughed as she brushed my hand away from her waist. It has been a couple of months since we started talking (and currently in our eleventh grade). Since we became friends. But every time I try to make a move on her she always turns me down.
But who said I am not up for a challenge?
Especially when I can see her slowly bringing her walls down.
I laughed before sitting down on one of the monobloc chairs inside the student council room. She stopped laughing but the smile never left her lips. I raised my brow at her making her shake her head.
“I did it…” She started after a long silence.
Tinignan ko lamang siya at inintay pa ang susunod niyang mga sasabihin.
“I contacted my biological mom….” I saw the sadness in her eyes despite the smile on her lips. Sarina’s parents were high school sweethearts and had her at an early age. But soon after her mother gave birth to her, she realized she wasn’t ready to have kids.
She left Sarina and her father to start a new life outside the country.
This is why Sarina admittedly has issues with committing. She is scared that much like her mother, she would run away too the moment things get so hard.
Similar to me, Sarina would flirt a lot but never commit. That is something we shared.
“That’s good..” I nodded slowly, “How did you feel?”
She chuckled habang nagkikibit balikat, “I feel sad for her. I am beautiful and smart. She didn’t get to see me flourish.”
“Yeah. Smart and pretty.…Definitely my type…but won’t even give me a shot.”
Pareho kaming natawa before another wave of silence washed over us.
“Red…” She called out.
“Hmm?”
“Are you flirting with me cause you’re bored and you see me as a challenge or…are you being genuine?”
I stopped for a moment, as I looked at her.
It’s true. I’ve been shooting my shot at her cause like my past flings, they all liked to play hard to get. They’ve always been too easy for me but there were also girls that were hard to crack and after a few rejections I moved on to the next person.
But with Sarina…for some odd reason…despite how many times she has turned me down. I am still here. I still find comfort in her. Maybe because she sees right through me. Because I can be myself around her and not pretend to be someone else.
Because she freely speaks her mind to me. May it be something bad or good, she communicates it with me. She doesn’t judge me for my past mistakes, but would definitely judge me for my recent bullshit.
She knows what she wants. She’s easy to be with. And she definitely gets me.
“I—I…” I stammered. She smiled bago tumango.
“Sorry for asking.” Aniya na siyang ikinagulat ko. And I was even more shocked by what I did next when she attempted to stand up and leave,
I pulled her back by the wrist and crashed my lips against her soft ones. It took her a few seconds to respond to my kisses. Soon we found ourselves making out inside the empty student council room, with her straddling my lap.
“S..sorry…” A familiar voice said. Sarina was too shocked that she immediately got off me and fixed herself habang ako ay tinignan ng tamad ang taong nakatayo sa may hamba ng pinto.
“J-jaden..h-hi…” Kabadong ani ni Sarina.
I saw how Jaden looked back and forth between me and Sarina with his cheeks tinted red.
Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay, making him look away, “U-uhm..d-dinala ko lang yung p-proposal p-para sa SHS w-week..” Sarina nodded and got the paper from Jaden,
“S-sorry..” Sarina said apologetically at Jaden who only smiled at her awkwardly bago nag paalam na aalis na.
The moment the door shut, Sarina turned to me with flushed cheeks, “H-he won’t tell anyone naman diba?”
I shrugged bago inabot ang bote ng tubig na nasa lamesa, “What? Aren’t you two close?”
“We are just in the same circle but we aren’t really close.” Sagot ko bago uminom ng tubig. Kita ko ang takot at pag-aalala sa mukha ni Sarina which made me chuckle, “Will it help if I talk to him?”
She pouted and nodded, “Please?”
“Alright…” I nodded, “But on one condition. You’ll let me take you out on a date.”
She rolled her eyes at me, “I already made out with you. Isn’t that enough sign na I want to date you too?”
Tumawa lamang ako at tumango, “Great.”
I was sitting quietly inside the guest room of Russ’s family home. He invited us over for a pool party as we just finished our midterms and said we deserve to have some fun.
I groaned when a soft pillow hit my face, washing away the smile on my lips as I typed on my phone, “So it's true? You’re seeing Sarina?” Pagtataray ni Mari.
Tumaas ang kilay ko bago tinignan ang taong nakatayo sa likod ni Mari, who immedaitely frowned and rolled his eyes at me the moment out eyes met.
I sighed, “Who told you?”
“Does it matter? So ano? Trip ba yan or gusto mo talaga? Cause its not a good look, Red. Kailan lang kumalat sa campus na her cousin likes you, tapos now you’re seeing Sarina. Baka anong fake news kumalat between you three.”
I shrugged, “I don’t really care about what others think.”
“So gusto mo na nga?” Usisa pa niya lalo,
“Maybe.” Ani ko bago binaling ang atensyon pabalik sa telepono. Mari just huffed as she already understand that she won’t get any information from me. Narinig kong bumukas at sumara ang pinto ng guest room.
I heard shuffling from inside the room making me look up and there I saw Jaden sitting at the end of the bed. He looked at me as if he was contemplating bago nag salita, “I didn’t tell anyone about what I saw….I promise.”
“I know.” Tipid kong sagot.
“Bakit?” Mataray na tanong ni Jaden. As if he didn’t like my answer.
I shrugged, “Why? Do you even give a crap about me?”
Natigilan siya sa tanong ko. I saw how he opened and closed his mouth.
I just chuckled bago umiling, “Don’t make it a big deal, Gatchalian. I am no longer offended by your distaste towards me.”
He rolled his eyes at me bago tumayo at padarag na lumabas ng kwarto, when the door leading to the bathroom opened revealing Tine who was now wearing her black swimsuit.
“That’s not so nice, Red.” She said as she walked towards her bag, “Lagi lang galit sayo yun because of your lifestyle but he actually cares you know.” Tine looked at me and smiled, “Hindi niya lang alam paano ipakita yun sayo kasi pareho kayong mainit dugo sa isa’t isa.” Dagdag pa neto bago lumabas ng kwarto.
I was left in deep thought pondering on what Celestine had told me but my thoughts were cut short when suddenly a message popped into my phone,
From: Sarina
Lunch tomorrow? Dad and my stepmom want to meet you na daw.
From: Jaden
Btw. Inaask ni mama if pwede ka ba daw bukas? May celebration sila for Ate because she won sa art contest.
Does he care about me? Well, his definition of ‘care’ is definitely twisted and weird. A person who cares about you wouldn’t roll their eyes at you every time you walk inside the room. They wouldn’t be so pissed at you for even breathing.
And… It's better if he doesn’t care about me. Cause I definitely dislike that bubbling feeling inside me every time he would look at me, not with indifference and hatred. Every time he becomes curious about me. Every time he gets too comfortable around me.
Whatever that is…I hate it.
To: Sarina
I’m available
From: Sarina
Okay >< see you!
To: Jaden
Busy.
From: Jaden
:)
And I hate how bothered I am by a fucking smiley face.