“What are you doing here, mr. Alvarez?” I asked in my cold, baritone voice. He looked at me, amused.

His face makes me clench my fist.

I don’t want to start a fight, but if I had no choice, I’ll do it to this guy.

“Talking to your cousins? There’s no malice about that, lady Maria?” his bubbly voice turned into a stern voice. Diniinan pa niya lalo ang pagtawag sa akin ng lady Maria.

He totally changed the vibe between us through his emotions.

I smirked, and laughed. “maybe you demonized my cousins by turning them into your friends, am I right?”

“Tama na Maria, huwag ka ditong gumawa ng gulo” ate Tracy held my hand at pinisil pisil niya ito.

That’s my weakest point!

I breathed, and talked. “I’m sorry for my insolence. Maybe we should talk about some matters, am I right?” I said in a pity voice. Tumango si ate Tracy at nagsibalik ang lahat sa dati.

Nagpapasalamat ako at wala si tita Sally o sermon ang aabutin ko sa kanya.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Padabog kong sinara ang pintuan ng kwarto at nalugmok doon hanggang sa dumating ang alas-cinco ng hapon.

I cried for hours as I remember the day the betrayal came.

How come did everything happened like this?

I don’t deserve this. No one deserve this.
But why?

Sobs are heard in the room until someone knocked.

“Get out” I mumbled. “ate Tracy ito, let me in”

I stood, and opened the door. I let her in like what she said.

“I’m sorry about my actions earlier” panimula ko at sinara ang pinto ng kwarto.

“I figured out what happened that afternoon” not shocked cause I already expect na may makakaalam sa ibang miyembro ng pamilya ang nangyari.

“No one deserves to be betrayed, as no one deserves to lose a friend in a process. But that accusations against you are too much” she said. “how sad that it really happens that Rose is going to believe that shit” singhal niya at humikab.

“According to Luisito, Rose did that for her to avoid you, and never saw you in her sight again. She was annoyed to you in the first place dahil sa isang pagtingin” balita niya. I breathed.

“Pagtingin?”

“Kay Von” she answered. “knowing that Thraia Rose is a daughter of a mayor, lahat nakukuha niya. But, nung hindi niya nakuha si Von, things start to turn upside down”

“Ibig mo ba’ng sabihin, hindi si Luisito ang may kagagawan nito kundi siya?” tumango si ate Tracy sa katanungan ko.

The hell things turned really upside down?

Just… Among all people, why her? And why did she chose her selfish desires instead of a friendship?

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

September 5, 2018

“Alam mo na gagawin?” taas-babang kilay na akto ni Von and smiled. Makalipas ang ilang araw at dumating na ang sinasabing quiz sa subject namin sa marketing.

And I am confident dahil ilang araw ko na ring prinactice ang lesson na ‘yan.

Tumango ako at tiningnan ko si Vincent na nakakunot pa ang noo. “bakit kuya?” tawa ni Von sa tingin ni Vincent sa amin.

His mood lighten up. “wala lang” palusot niya at tumawa. We laughed afterwards at pumasok na sa classroom.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Nagsisaya ang lahat nang makarating sa amin na wala ang ilan sa mga teachers dahil may meeting. Ang iba ay nagsilipatan ng upuan, ang iba ay nagsitulog, at nagcellphone ang ilan.

Nagtungo ako sa bintana, facing the garden. The sight here is beautiful lalo pa’t maaraw.

Mayamaya ay yumakap sa likuran ko, I feel the strands of hair brushing my shoulders. It is him.

“Like the view?” he said. “maganda ang garden kung tatanawin mo rito” dagdag pa niya.

“Von!” tawa ng ilan. “pinapairal mo na naman kabaklaan mo sa president!” tawa pa ulit nila.

“It’s okay naman! And besides, best friends kami ng president, duh!” boses binabae niya at nakipag-usap ulit ito sa akin tungkol sa garden.

“Woo best friend daw? Walang naniniwala bading ka!”

Di nalang siya nakinig at niyakap pa ako ng mas mahigpit.

“I don’t know what to do without you” he said, hindi ko mawari ang kanyang sinabi.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“I’m just… Ovethinking. You don’t have to think about it” sabi sabay kumalas sa pagkakayakap.

That feeling makes me feel like someone is leaving me, with no reasons behind.

Someday, if he will do that without a reason, will I face the fact that there is no reason why he left me and he did that for the better good?

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Tahimik akong kumakain sa classroom. Ako lang ang mag-isa rito dahil ang lahat ay nasa canteen, ang iba ay gumala, at nasa cafeteria sa labas ng school.

Nagagawa nila ang gusto nila dahil wala ang mga guro rito sa abm. At ako ay nagagawa ko ang gusto ko dahil break time naman.

Napag-desisyonan kong lumabas at naglakad papunta sa cr upang tugunin ang tawag ng kalikasan.

Ang mga estudyante ay abala kakatakbo, nagmamadali patungo sa classroom, I looked at them for awhile until I bumped myself to someone.

Luisito…

“Oh, hey!” he gladly greeted. Iniwasan ko ito but he gripped my arm, forcing me to look at him.

I endured the pain and forced a smile. “hey! How are you today, Lui?” I asked, he stopped gripping my hand and I saw the red mark on my arm due to his hard grip.

Damn…

“Ayos lang, ikaw? Kumusta ka na? Are you with Von? I wonder where is he right now”
Umiling ako. Nasa coffee shop ang magkambal at dahil mahaba ang pila kaya matagal silang makakabalik.

“In a coffee shop” I said, lumayo na agad ako sa kanya dahil hindi talaga maganda ang kutob ko.

Ayokong magkaroon ng gulo dahil lang sa speculations ko. Hindi sa lahat ng oras ay dapat lagi ang side ko ang palaging tama.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

“That would be all. Bukas ang seatwork natin, so be prepared and aralin ang buong lesson. Goodbye Grade 11 Sapphire”

“Goodbye ma’am Cristela!” paalam namin. Although hapon na nagtapos dahil sa absence ng ibang guro at may extras pa, we managed to pick ourselves up upang maka-catch up pa sa mga lessons and sa mga announcements.

Nagsilabasan na kami, but Vincent told me to wait for them.

“Gawin ko nalang ang last one sa assignment ko, then uwi na tayo” paalala ni Vincent.

Suddenly, a notification popped up on his phone.

“Ay sorry, ka-date ko pala babae ko, si Rachelle. Mauna na kayong dalawa sa pag-uwi. Ingat kayong dalawa!”

“Ingat din kuya, jusko ayusin mo, huwag sa makarating kina mama na may bago ka na namang collection!” tawa ni Von at umalis na kami ng classroom.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Nang makalabas na kami sa school, nakakita kami ng ice cream stall at bumili kami ng ice cream on cup, habang ine-enjoy namin ang lasap ng ice cream, he said something to me once again.

“I love you” he said, natawa ako at ginulo ang buhok niya.

“Mahal din kita, anong pinopoblema mo dyan?” tawa ko.

Ngunit ang tawa ang ngiti ko ay nawala, nang may narinig akong putok ng baril…

At tumama iyon sa…

Tiyan ni Von…

My world stopped, seeing him falling down, at napaluhod sa nakita niya.

“Von…” usal ko, I looked at the person who shot him but they were nowhere to be found.

“Ayos lang ako” he said in a faint smile.

“Mahal kita, kahit ano pang mangyari” his last words, bago siya bumulagta sa gitna ng kalsada.