Chapter 24

Austin did not know where Dominic lived kaya naman itinuro ko sa kanya iyong direksyon. When he pulled over, I removed my seatbelt. Tumingin ako sa kanya.

"Do you want to go with me?" I asked since he told me that he knew Dominic from way before. Hindi ko alam kung gaano na ka-tagal dahil hindi niya naman sinabi sa akin. "How did you know Dominic?" I asked again because I might forget. At kapag nalimutan ko, it would bother me like an ear infection. Hindi ako makaka-tulog sa gabi sa kaka-isip kung ano iyong nalimutan ko. And prevention is better than cure kaya naman itatanong ko na ngayon.

"Same school before," he replied.

"Tiga-SCA dati si Dominic?" tanong ko. Hindi naman kami magka-year level ni Austin Archangel kaya baka nga ka-batch niya si Dominic dati. Pero hindi ko rin alam kung ano'ng year na si Dominic. Kung magka-batch sila ni Austin Archangel, ibig sabihin ay last playing year niya na agad? Kasi captain na si Austin Archangel at last season niya na 'to.

"Elem to high school," sabi niya.

I nodded. "Do you want to go with me to check-up on your ex-schoolmate?" I asked. Umiling si Austin Archangel... but after 3 seconds, he changed his mind and told me that he's coming with me.

Sabay kaming bumaba sa sasakyan. I pressed the doorbell at pina-pasok kami nung guard. Naglakad kami papunta sa harap nung townhouse nina Kaleigh. I knocked on their door. I counted while waiting. I checked the pasta and the slice of cake to make sure na maayos pa sila. They're still intact. Baka hindi ako bayaran ni Dominic kapag hindi na maayos iyong cake.

"Kara—" sabi ni Dominic. Napa-tigil siya at napa-tingin kay Austin Archangel. "You're here, too."

"Meron kang saklay," I stated.

"Yeah... I was told to rest my foot," sabi niya.

"Bakit ka naka-tayo?" I asked because if he was told to rest his foot, then he's not very good at following instructions dahil naka-tayo siya ngayon sa harapan ko.

"Well, who'd open the door, then?"

"Si Kaleigh?"

"I don't know," he said. "Anyway, come on in."

I removed my shoes and wore the house slippers. Pina-hiram ako ni Kaleigh dati kaya iyon pa rin ang kinuha ko. Austin Archangel did not move.

"Hindi ka papasok?" I asked.

"Will you just give him the food?"

I nodded. "Sisingilin ko rin siya."

"Sisingilin?" he asked.

I nodded again. "I offered to buy him food because he's injured, but the cake? Pina-bili niya sa akin 'yon. I would ask for payment," I replied. I used my mother's credit card. She gave me the supplement card, but I was told na gamitin lang iyon kapag emergency. Hindi naman emergency iyong cake ni Dominic.

His lips parted. "Right..." sabi niya. "I'll just stay here."

I nodded. "Okay," sabi ko tapos ay pumasok na ako. I saw Dominic by the dining table. Inilagay ko iyong paper bag doon at iniabot sa kanya iyong resibo.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Resibo sa cake."

"What? I thought libre?"

"The pasta is on me. The cake is not part of the offer."

"But I'm injured," sabi niya sa akin sabay pakita nung paa niya. I looked at it. It looked fine as compared nung nasa sahig pa siya ng court at namumula iyong mukha sa sobrang sakit.

"You look fine," I said, stating my observation.

He shrugged. "I may look fine, but I'm still injured. It could've been worse, you know?"

"But it's not worse, so why would you dwell on such thought?" I asked. I really try not to think about the other possibilities other than what's in front of me. It would just lead to overthinking and regret. I did not like feeling that way.

"Dunno," he said. "Fine... where will I send the payment?"

"Wala ka bang cash?"

"You're really making me pay?"

"Yes."

He frowned. "I don't have cash with me right now. I'll give it to you the next time I see you."

I nodded. Sa 25 pa naman iyong due ng credit card. Magkikita kami ni Dominic sa first game ng championship kung mananalo sila sa game nila sa St. Bridget's. Kung hindi, pupuntahan ko na lang dito.

"Pagaling ka," I said.

"You're leaving?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"You two out on a date?" he asked.

"No," I replied.

"Why are you always together?"

"Lagi lang kaming nagkikita," I replied. Nagkikita kami dahil araw-araw may practice.

He nodded. "If you say so..." sabi niya. "Did anything interesting happen?"

"Like what?"

He shrugged. "Anything out of the ordinary?"

I stood there and pondered for five seconds. "Austin and I accidentally kissed," I stated because that was out of the ordinary. Ordinarily, we do not kiss.

Dominic was drinking his iced coffee when he began to choke. I stood behind him and tapped his back dahil hindi siya maka-hinga. After a minute, naka-hinga na siya nang maayos. Inabutan ko siya ng tissue. There were tears in his eyes.

"You... kissed?"

I nodded and then told him what happened on the yacht. I would never get on a yacht again. Pakiramdam ko lang nung nandoon ako ay anytime mamamatay na ako. And if I died there and not by the way I planned, I would be upset in the afterlife. Also, I already experienced it and for that particular experience, once is enough.

"Oh, man," sabi niya. Natatawa siya at naiiling. "You know what? You might just be my favorite human at this moment."

"Why?" I asked. What's his criteria?

Umiling lang siya. "Forget about flirting, you have to be my female best friend. Are you interested?"

Natahimik ako ng sampung segundo. Best friend? Just at the beginning of this semester, wala akong kaibigan. Ngayon ay may nagtatanong sa akin kung gusto ko ba silang maging best friend? This year was way different from all the previous years of my existence.

"Do I have any responsibility?" I asked.

"Nothing. You just have to update me now and then about what happens in your life."

I nodded. "And you'll do the same?" I asked because I was told that friendship is a symbiotic relationship. You have to give—it's not always about taking.

"Sure... I'll update you about my life," he said. "But what's your plan? Will you let Austin kiss you again?"

"If the opportunity comes up," I said. I looked at my watch. "I have to go."

"Aww. But you have my number? No? I'll send it via IG. I'll call you later. Kailan ka free?"

"9-10."

"Will call, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay. Pagaling ka," sabi ko bago ako lumabas.

Paglabas ko ay nakita ko si Austin Archangel na mayroong kausap na babae. I was not sure if the woman was wearing a shorts dahil mahaba iyong suot niya na puting t-shirt. But I was sure that she was not wearing any bra because I could see the outline of her nipple.

I stood there and waited.

After ten seconds, napa-tingin sa akin si Austin Archangel. His eyes widened and he pointed at me sa kausap niya. I pointed at myself, too. Kumunot ang noo ko. Pinapa-punta niya ba ako roon?

But even before I could take a single step, agad na lumapit sa akin si Austin Archangel.

"You're done?" he asked.

I nodded. "Tapos na kayo nung kausap mo?"

He blinked. "Yeah," he said. "I don't know her. She just approached me."

I nodded. "Okay."

Naglakad kami palabas. Austin Archangel thanked the security guard who opened the gate. Pagbalik namin sa sasakyan niya ay nagsuot kami ng seatbelt tapos ay nagdrive na ulit siya papunta sa bahay namin.

"How was Dom?" he asked while he was driving.

"I said he looked fine, but he mentioned that he might not be fine," I said.

Napa-tingin siya sa akin. "Did he mention any injury?"

I shook my head. "He just asked me kung ano ang interesting na nangyari sa akin. I asked him what he meant by that and he answered anything out of the ordinary. I answered we kissed by accident because that doesn't ordinarily happen to me."

Napa-tingin ako sa rearview mirror. Nakita ko na nanlaki ang mga mata niya. I just stared back at him.

"You... told him we kissed?"

I nodded. "He asked if I'll let you kiss me again, and like I answered before, if the opportunity comes up," I said. Napa-hinto kami dahil kulay red iyong traffic light. I leaned in and adjusted the volume of the radio because I liked the song that was playing. Hindi ko alam iyong title kaya naman kinuha ko iyong cellphone ko and opened Siri and asked what was the title of the song. Siri said that it was To The Bone by Pamungkas.

"Right..." he said. I looked at him. There was fifty-two seconds left bago maggreen iyong traffic lights. "What... kind of opportunity are we talking about here?"

Natapos na iyong countdown ng traffic lights, pero hindi pa rin ako naka-isip ng isasagot ko sa kanya. Hanggang sa maka-rating kami sa bahay ay hindi pa rin ako nakaka-sagot.

When he pulled over, I just sat there.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I looked at him, my seatbelt still buckled. "I can't think of an opportunity," I said. My brain was hurting. I told him and Dominic that I would let him kiss me when the opportunity for it comes up... pero wala akong maisip na opportunity...

It would keep me up at night.

His lips parted.

"Based on what I read and watch, two people would kiss when they're in a relationship or when they're attracted to each other. Kapag isa lang ang attracted at ayaw nung isa, that would be sexual assault," I explained. "I don't know if I am attracted to you. How would I know if I am attracted to you?" I asked. "And we're not in a relationship. Hindi mo naman ako nililigawan."

Naka-hinga ako nang maluwag. At least naipaliwanag ko na. Kung hindi ko sinabi sa kanya ngayon, iisipin ko ito buong araw.

"Thank you," I said dahil binigyan niya ako ng opportunity na ilabas iyong nasa loob ko. I finally unbuckled my seatbelt. Naka-hawak na ako sa bukasan ng pinto nang marinig ko na tawagin niya ang pangalan ko.

"What?" I asked, looking at him.

"You would know if you're attracted to someone if..." sabi niya at napa-hinto siya ng walong segundo. "If you can't stop thinking about that person. And you unknowingly smile while thinking about that person. You want to see that person all the time, if possible."

Kumunot ang noo ko.

And then I nodded.

"Then I don't think I'm attracted to anyone," I said before I opened the door again. I smiled at him and thanked him for spending today with me bago ko isinara iyong pinto at saka pumasok na sa loob.

* * *

I took a bath and had dinner with my parents. Nagrevise ulit ako. Nung 9PM ay eksaktong tumawag si Dominic sa akin. I closed my laptop and put him on loudspeaker after 20 minutes of talking. Nakaka-pagod na hawakan iyong cellphone ko.

"So... that was it? You just left?"

I nodded. "Nasa tapat na kami ng bahay. Umuwi na ako," sabi ko kay Dominic matapos kong i-kwento sa kanya iyong nangyari buong araw. Hindi na ako makakapagsulat sa journal ko dahil nasabi ko na kay Dominic lahat. Nakaka-pagod ulitin ulit. I would just do that this weekend.

"Oh, wow, Austin," he said. "You've never had a crush?"

"I don't know if it's considered as a crush," I said.

"Hit me," sabi niya. "I mean, not literally," he continued. "What I meant was, tell me."

"Okay," I replied. "I don't know if it would be considered as a crush... but when I read books or watch movies, I sometimes think... 'that would be nice.'"

"Okay..." sabi niya. "What movie? And book?"

"I would have to list down."

"Send me the list?"

"Okay," I replied.

"Are you free tomorrow?" he asked.

"It depends on what time," I said dahil may training sa umaga, pero wala naman akong gagawin sa hapon.

"Afternoon. Tomorrow's the game with St. Bridget's. You wanna watch with me?"

"No," I replied. I just watch the games because I was required. I would not voluntarily watch a basketball game. "May sasabihin ka pa ba? Magre-revise pa ako."

He laughed. "Fine, fine... Night," he said.

"Night," I replied before I ended the call.

Binuksan ko ulit iyong laptop ko. Bago ako magrevise, I visited instagram. I saw an IG story of Austin Archangel. I clicked it at nakita ko na video repost iyon mula sa account ni Psalm. Naglalaro sila ng basketball. I exited after I finished watching the video. I was just browsing when I came across a photo of a girl. I clicked on it because it was weird that it would be recommended to me dahil hindi ko naman kilala iyong babae. It was just a picture of the sky from the airplane window. There was no caption, but I saw Austin Archangel liked the photo. Kaya siguro na-recommend sa akin dahil fino-follow ko si Austin Archangel.

domiller: will treat you whatever food you like. Watch basketball with me tomorrow? I need assistance. I'm injured.

domiller: we're best friends now. It's kind of one of the things you have to do.

bluethecat: fine.

I resumed with the revision. After an hour, I took a break and saw an IG story from Dominic's account tagging my account. Mayroong picture doon ng tickets para sa game bukas. Nagreply lang ako ng thumbs up tapos ay bumaba ako para kumuha ng gatas. 

**

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