Màu nền Màu tối Mặc định Xám nhạt Xanh nhạt Xanh đậm Vàng nhạt Màu sepia Vàng đậm Vàng ố

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Episode 25:

"I'm mad at you, just so you know." I told Rosendale while walking home. We're not supposed to go together but she's the one who insisted. Dati naman, nauuna pa ako kung minsan. Ang arte. Is this what relationship means? Damn annoying.

"What did I do?" she asked. She looked so innocent to the point na ako ang magmumukhang may kasalanan. Simangot na simangot ako.

"You told Cheddy!" I hissed. Mabuti na lang talaga at hindi ko siya kaklase sa lahat ng subjects or else buong araw akong guguluhin no'n. She was so persistent to know every little details of how Rosendale and I ended up being together. She thought I was straight. I know I was straight. I just didn't know why of all people, I started getting stupid feelings with this stupid, suicidal woman.

It's not like I desired this to happen. Everything happened so fast. It was uncontrollable.

"What's wrong with telling her?" she asked. I huffed at her. She's making it look like it's not the heck of a big deal. Well, news flash, it was for me! "She's your friend, she deserves to know. What, you don't like that we're dating?"

Hindi ako nakasagot. The idea of dating was still new to me, especially that it's her who I was dating. Rosendale Ibañez, the university's psychopath─who turned out to be just a girl with lots of issues and twisted thoughts. And she's a woman, which didn't really matters to me even way back, although I did think my first will be a guy. I didn't give a thought about dating to be honest. I even dislike the idea to be involved with someone. Romance was a no-no but look at where I was now─being with her─romantically. What a fucked up reality.

"So?" Napalingon ako sa kanya. She's waiting for me to answer but I just rolled my eyes. Nakakainis siya magtanong. "Despite getting together, you can't still be honest, do you?"

"Shut up, stupid."

"Do you want to eat?" She asked instead, ignoring my rudeness. She held me on the wrist, pulling me a little bit closer to her. "Streetfood?"

I suddenly felt myself craving to such. It's been a while since I ate streetfoods. Tinanguhan ko siya. "KKB tayo."

"Huh?"

Hindi ko napigilang mapangiti. What the hell, was she being serious? She didn't know what KKB means? Quite...cute. Mukha siyang galing bundok kind of cute. "Kanya-kanyang bayad."

"Oh," Napatango siya. "Sure."

Ako na ang kusang humila sa kanya papunta sa bilihan na alam ko. The last time na pumunta ako rito, si Nalyn the plastic ang kasama ko. Nakikita ko pa rin naman siya dahil classmate namin siya, paminsan-minsan ay iniirapan niya ako pero iniirapan ko lang din pabalik. Pero mas napipikon iyon kapag nginingitian ko nang matamis. Mas naiinis iyon lalo na kung hindi siya pinapansin ni Rosendale na talaga namang walang interes sa iba. Si Cheddy nga, ngayon niya lang halos kinausap. Although naiinis pa rin ako sa mga sinabi niya.

Maraming tao as usual. Halos ma-filled yung table, sakto sa bandang dulo kung saan may nakatayong puno ay may bakante pa na good for two. Some looked at us, more like, kay Rosendale. They're schoolmates, meron pa akong namukhaan na kaklase ko sa ibang subject. For sure, si Rosendale lang naman ang nakakakuha ng attention nila. Maybe now they're starting to wonder why she's always with me but no one really dared to ask. It's not like I'll waste my time telling. Bahala sila.

"Anong gusto mo?" tanong ko. Sinenyasan ko siyang maupo na ginawa naman niya. I fished out my wallet. I rested my bag on the seat beside her and she put hers on the table surface. "Ako nang bibili para hindi maagawan ng pwesto."

May mga dumadating pa kasing iba. Marami rin kasi talagang napunta rito, yung iba tumatambay lang kahit kaunti ang binili kaya madalas walang maupuan ang iba. Insensitive din kasi ibang tao, akala mo sila lang customer kung makapag-stay ng sobrang tagal.

"Kikiam, chicken ball, squid ball, and kwekwek. Five pieces each."

Mabuti na lang at ganoon din ang gusto ko or else marami akong tatandaan. Tinanguhan ko siya at naglakad na papunta sa nagtitinda. Wait, parang gusto ko rin ng BBQ. Makabili na lang din. Mabilis namang bumili yung mga nauna sa akin kaya ganoon lang din kabilis ang akin. Pinalagay ko yung pagkain sa two separated plates. Nang makabalik ay binigay ko na kay Rosendale yung sa kanya. She extended her right arm to give the money but I just shook my head disinterestedly and started eating after seating beside her.

I caught her frowning her forehead. "I thought kanya-kanyang bayad?"

"Kumuha ka ng BBQ kung gusto mo." I told her instead. Obvious naman na sigurong nagbago ang isip ko.

Her lips curled up a little. Her eyes looked delighted, like I actually just pleased her. "You can be sweet sometimes."

Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay at inirapan. "Don't mistaken my rare kindness as sweetness."

"What a sweet girlfrien─"

"What the fuck?" Gusto ko siyang tusukin ng stick. "Shut up, will you?"

"Cursing in front of the food, bad Echo." She grinned. "As a responsible and warped girlfriend, I must do something with that mouth."

"Tigilan mo ako." I answered in a low voice. My heart suddenly thumped. I didn't like what she's trying to mean. Gusto ko siyang saktan hanggang madala. Tumayo ako nang walang paalam.

Inirapan ko siya nang titigan niya ako bago naglakad paalis. Bumili ako ng maiinom. Hindi ko alam kung anong gusto niya kaya buko juice na lang din. I think she'd like it healthy since palagi namang gulay ang kinakain niya. Dahil sa kanya, napapadalas nang may vegetables ang luto ni Mama sa bahay. Hindi naman sa ayoko, pabor pa nga. Bumalik ako at tahimik na inabot yung sa kanya. She took a sip and licked her lower lip.

"Since we're dating now, should we upgrade the once a week kiss?" she suddenly asked. Pinanlakihan ko siya ng mata ang halos mabulunan ako sa kinakain. What the hell! "Oh, and can I touch you?"

"Can we not talk about that here?" I leaned closer on her ear. "We're in public!"

"Later at home then."

"No way!"

"Mas malakas pa ang boses mo sa akin."

"Kasi nang-iinis ka." I grunted annoyingly. "Mas okay talaga kung tahimik ka, eh."

"Ikaw rin naman." she said. Uminom siya. "Nakakainis ka rin naman. You always use that mouth over nonsense things."

"You're not funny."

"I'm not trying to be one anyway. So, ano na? Can we?" Muli niyang binuhay yung usapan na ayokong marinig.

I sighed audibly. "No."

"Why not?"

"Just because."

"Hm?"

"Fine, let's talk about it later." I gave up. I can sense that she won't stop asking me. "You're annoying."

"I like you anyway." Again, with that stupid grin. "And so are you."

My cheeks felt warm and I tried to hide it with my furrowed brows. "I never said─"

"Queen." She patted my head which I slapped away. Was she trying to treat me like a kid? Lalong nakakainis, ah. "Can we treat this one as a date? I don't know the criteria in dating."

"Miski ako." I answered honestly. "Haven't been on a date ever since. I didn't even see myself going to such. What do you expect?"

"Same." she said. Halos mauubos na niya yung kinakain. She took a BBQ from mine and I let her. "But I actually thought of trying to take you out somewhere, just the two of us. But not like this. Where do you want to go just in case?"

Nagkibit ako ng balikat. "Nothing in particular. Ikaw na ang bahala in that case."

Tumango siya. "So can this be a date?"

"Ewan ko."

She pursed her lips. She shook her head after. "Let's consider it as something casual. I want your first date to be memorable."

Kumunot ang noo ko. I can feel myself shivering with the way this conversation was going. Seryoso ba 'tong nakikipag-usap ako na parang kami talaga? Ng seryoso at matino? Shit. This was making me feel weird, my feelings were getting all weird. Pasimple akong napahawak sa tiyan ko. Damn, there's something wrong with it, my stomach was feeling tingly. Not good.

"Gutom ka pa?" Ang nasabi ko na lang. Ayoko nang ipagpatuloy yung usapan, feeling ko magkakasakit ako.

"It's enough. How about you?"

"Ganoon din."

Nanahimik na siya at ganoon din ako. Nang maubos ang kinakain ay tinapon na namin yung plastic plates at cups namin. "Uwi na tayo."

"Can we hold hands?" she asked. "Wala namang tao."

Inirapan ko siya at hinawakan ang kamay niya. "Last mo na 'yan."

_____