#NewClassicRTMC

Chapter 34
Second Chance

Time really tends to quicken its pace, whenever you're in a state of bliss, which is usually followed by a deep yearning. You'd wish to have the power to stop the time and stay in the moment for as long as you want, or turn it back to relive a certain experience once again.

Despite our desires to be in full control of our time, it can never happen. It's not like a movie nor a song that you can pause, play, rewind, and skip. It's too precious and valuable to waste. It's not something that we should spend recklessly.

The thing is no one knows where time goes. Once we've lost it, we can never get it back. The best thing to do is to make sure that you use it on something worthwhile and spend it with the people you love and care for. That way, it'll never be a waste.

"Please take a picture of us three," Cloé handed her camera to Jirro.

We were on our final island hopping. It was their last day of stay in Roxas and the eve of Jirro's birthday.

I didn't know where the whole week went. It felt like it was only yesterday when they arrived. Noong una ay sobrang nabigla pa ako sa kanilang pagdating, ngunit kalaunan ay gusto kong manatili sila nang mas matagal.

Zendaya and Cloé are such good companies. I love hanging out with them. I was friends with some girls when I was still a student, but I never felt that comfortable until I experienced being with them. Halos magkasundo kaming tatlo sa lahat ng bagay. Hindi rin nagkakalayo ang aming mga personalidad kaya mas lalo kaming naging malapit sa isa't isa.

I couldn't forget when they asked permission from Auntie Divina to live with them at the villa for a week. We were like teenagers in college, making use of our one week vacation before the start of another semester.

"Hindi ko alam na may mga naging kaibigan pala itong si Aleena sa Maynila," ngiting-ngiti si Auntie Divina habang kausap sina Zendaya at Cloé. "Nakakatuwa naman at talagang dito ninyo pa napiling magbakasyon para makasama siya."

Feeling grateful to meet such kind souls, I smiled genuinely while looking at them.

They told me they planned to spend their vacation and celebrate Jirro's birthday in Roxas because they wanted me to be a part of it. Gusto rin nilang malayo sa syudad upang makapagpahinga nang maayos. Kaya naman wala silang pagdadalawang-isip na lumipad papunta rito. They even booked the other two premium villas in a flash.

"Opo. Kaya po sana ay pagbigyan ninyo pong makasama namin si Aleena ng isang buong linggo," nakangiting paghingi ng permiso ni Cloé para sa akin. "Diyan lang po kami sa resort. Mas masaya po kasi kung magkakasama kami."

"Wala namang problema sa akin. Matanda na rin si Aleena para magdesisyon sa kanyang sarili," sabi ni auntie. "Aba'y hindi nga 'yan umuwi kagabi! Nagtext lamang sa akin si Ike na roon natulog sa villa niya."

Napaubo ako sa mariing bulong ni Auntie Divina kina Zendaya at Cloé. Mabuti na lang at mukhang hindi nadinig ng mga lalaki na nakaupo sa sala. Nagpigil naman ng tawa ang dalawa at napasulyap sa akin.

Their meaningful stares made my cheeks flush. I was feeling embarrassed. I had a feeling that they were thinking of dirty thoughts. Kahit si Zendaya ay parang ganoon ang ipinaparating ng kanyang tingin sa akin. Hindi ko magawang kumontra dahil baka mas lalong makaisip nang hindi maganda di Auntie Divina.

As much as possible, I also don't want to lie about what happened between me and Ike. Kaya hindi na lang ako magsasalita dahil baka magtanong pa siya.

"Huwag po kayong mag-alala. Kami po ang bahala kay Aleena," sabi ni Cloé upang mapanatag ang loob ni auntie.

It was fortunate that Auntie Divina didn't ask more details about my night with Ike. She also agreed to let me stay with them for a week. Bago umalis ay tinulungan pa akong mag-impake ng damit nina Cloé at Zendaya upang hindi na ako magpabalik-balik.

Sa bahay na rin kami kumain ng hapunan. Hindi kami kasya lahat sa lamesa kaya sa salas kumain ang mga lalaki at kaming mga babae ang nasa hapag kasama ni auntie.

"Sic, doon ka na kina Ike at Aleena sumabay," bilin ni Isaiah kay Sic nang pabalik na kami sa resort.

Jirro and Isaiah rented a sedan each. Tinatamad si Sic na magmaneho kaya nakisabay na lamang siya. Mula sa airport ay kina Jirro at Cloé siya sumabay habang papunta rito ay kina Isaiah at Zendaya naman. It was naturally our turn to take him with us.

"Sit at the front, Sic," Ike casually ordered him while he opened the back seat for me.

Umaliwalas ang mukha ni Sic papunta sa harap. "I know! It's my place. I'm your best car buddy ever since."

Tahimik akong pumasok sa sa loob ng sasakyan. It was the first time I sat on the back seat while Ike would be driving. It was a new experience for me.

"Diyan ka sa harap para kung sakaling mabangga tayo ay ikaw ang mapupuruhan at hindi si Aleena," paliwanag ni Ike bago isinarado ang pintuan ko.

"Ikaw ba talaga si Ike? Ganyan ba talaga ang leader namin? Parang wala tayong pinagsamahan!"

Kahit sarado na ang pintuan ay naririnig ko pa rin ang boses ni Sic sa labas. Once they were inside, I tried my best to stop laughing while listening to their cute banters.

"Noong mga panahon na may girlfriend na sina Isaiah at Jirro ay tayong dalawa ang magkasama," paalala ni Sic habang si Ike ay pinaandar lamang ang sasakyan. "Pagkatapos ay gusto mo akong mapahamak? Sino na lang ang magiging representative ng kaguwapuhan natin sa New Classic kung wala ako?"

Mariin kong tinikom ang aking bibig. Kaunti na lang ay sasabog na ako sa pagtawa. Si Ike naman ay mukhang sanay na sanay na talaga. His expression remained stoic, but there was a hint of annoyance.

"Okay, Sic. I get it now. Mali ako," Ike calmly said, owning faults just to stop Sic. "Do you think I'll really let us encounter an accident? Alam mong ako ang pinakamaingat magmaneho sa ating apat."

"Of course, you really won't let that happen. Aleena is here," Sic bitterly spat, but then he suddenly turned his head to look at me. "I like you for Ike, though. Please don't get the wrong idea."

I was surprised when he spoke so collected. His gaze was earnest. His tone was deep and serious. For a brief moment, I thought he was a different person.

Sa pagkabigla sa pagbabago ay sinulyapan ko Ike. Nakangiti siya at halatang masaya sa sinabi ni Sic. Kaya nga lang ay mukhang hindi na bago sa kanya ang makitang magseryoso ang kaibigan.

That was the time I learned there was more to him than his carefree character which made me want to get to know him more.

"Aleena, Zendaya, dito tayo!"

I snapped out of my reverie when Cloé called for our attention. She was standing near the water while Zendaya and I were still seated under the shade of trees. Si Jirro ay nakapuwesto na para kuhanan kaming tatlo ng litrato.

Nagkatinginan kami saglit ni Zendaya at sabay na tumayo. Lumapit kami kay Cloé at pumuwesto sa magkabilang tabi niya.

"Ikaw rito sa gitna, Aleena," sabi niya naman at ipinagitna ako sa kanilang dalawa ni Zendaya.

We took pictures together. May nakaharap sa camera habang ang background ay ang napakagandang tanawin mula sa isla at mayroon din kaming iilang kuha na nakatalikod. While Jirro was taking pictures of us, the other guys were bystanders. Pinapanood lamang nila kami. They looked like our managers and bodygurads.

"Ayan ang ganda nating tatlo sa mga pictures!" Tuwang-tuwa si Cloé habang iniisa-isa naming tingnan ang mga litrato.

"Jirro's good at taking pictures," Zendaya praised him.

"Oo nga. Ang ganda ng mga kuha niya," dagdag ko.

Cloé had a proud smile on her face when we acknowledged Jirro's photography skills.

"Aleena."

Nalipat ang tingin ko kay Ike na lumapit sa aming tatlo. Tiningala ko siya ngunit upang hindi ako mahirapan ay nag-iskuwat siya sa aking tabi.

"Bakit?"

"Let's take a picture, too."

Loving the idea, I smiled and nodded. He raised the corners of his lips before turning to Cloé.

"Can you please take a picture of us, Cloé?" Ike asked for a favor.

Her face lit up. "Of course!" Agad niyang itinapat ang camera sa aming dalawa.

Umupo nang maayos si Ike sa aking likuran. I was in between his legs. He hugged me from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder.

Since I was wearing a two-piece swimsuit, I could feel his bare chest on my skin. And like our closeness still wasn't enough, he pulled me even closer, locking me in place.

Nahihiya ako sa aming posisyon. We were so close to each other that I couldn't help but get embarrassed. Napangiti naman si Zendaya habang pinapanood kaming dalawa at ganoon na rin si Cloé. Hindi ko na inalam pa kung ano ang reaksyon ng mga lalaki, ngunit nang madinig ko ang pagpito ni Sic ay mas lalo akong nahiya.

"Aleena, tingin ka sa camera," utos sa akin ni Cloé dahil kung saan-saan napupunta ang atensyon ko.

"Baby, look at the camera," Ike whispered into my ears.

Napakagat ako sa aking labi at idiretso ang tingin sa camera.

"One, two, three!"

I heard the camera shutter after Cloé counted up to three. Ngumiti ako sakto sa kanyang bilang. Agad nilang tiningnan ni Zendaya ang litrato namin ni Ike.

"Ang cute ninyo. Bagay na bagay kayong dalawa." Zendaya had a genuine and sweet smile on her face when she told us that.

"Tayo rin naman," Isaiah cut in to our conversation as he sat beside her.

Napanguso si Zendaya upang magpigil ng ngiti.

"We should also take a picture." Lumapit na rin si Jirro upang kuhanin ang camera mula kay Cloé at saka nilingon si Sic upang iabot ito. "Please take a picture of us."

He also quickly positioned himself behind his fiancée. Ang akala ko na ang gusto ni Jirro ay kuhanan sila ng litrato ni Cloé, ngunit ang gusto niya pala ay kaming anim maliban kay Sic.

Hindi malaman ni Sic ang gagawin niya sa camera. Nang mapagtanto kalaunan ay matalim niyang tiningnan si Jirro. "Fuck you, Jirro," mariin niyang sabi.

Humaglpak sa katatawa ang tatlo. Napanguso ako at medyo naawa kay Sic.

"Huwag ninyo ngang lokohin si Sic," pagalit na sabi ni Cloé kay Jirro.

"Sorry, babe," he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "I just can't help it."

Kahit na mukhang labag sa kanyang loob ay lumayo pa rin si Sic at pumuwesto upang kuhanan kami ng picture. "Magbe-break kayong lahat in three, two, one!"

Kaming mga babae naman ang natawa sa sinabi ni Sic. The guys all looked triggered, though. They didn't like his playful revenge. Sabay-sabay silang tumayo at walang salita na nagkasundo sa gagawin.

Sensing danger, Sic put the camera down and started running away. Ike, Isaiah, and Jirro quickly chased him down. Mabilis tumakbo si Isaiah na agad nahuli si Sic. They gathered around him and lifted him up. Hindi makapalag si Sic sa kanilang pagkakabuhat. Naglakad sila papunta sa dagat. Nang hanggang tuhod na nila ang tubig ay sabay-sabay nilang hinagis si Sic doon.

Napangiti ako habang pinapanood silang parang mga bata. They started playing in the water since they were all wet. Naiwan kaming mga babae na nakaupo sa dalampasigan.

Kinuha ni Cloé ang naiwang camera sa buhangin at mabilis ding bumalik sa amin. "Sic really did take a picture of us," she chuckled and showed us the picture.

It looks like a shot for a magazine photoshoot which features different couples.

While we were busy scanning all the pictures and videos, Zendaya's phone chimed. Hinayaan namin siya ni Cloé na maging abala sa kanyang cellphone.

"Oh my..." Hindi natuloy ni Zendaya ang kanyang sasabihin.

"Ano 'yan, Zen?" Cloé asked her when curiosity came to her.

"My friend, Dawn, sent me a message about Ike's post on his Instagram account. I checked it and..." She was holding back her smile when she showed us the post.

Nanlaki ang aking mata nang makitang nagpost siya ng picture ng aming mga paa sa buhangin na magkatabi. Kita rin doon bahagya ang aking kamay at ang bracelet na binigay niya sa akin. I didn't know exactly when he took the picture and post it on his social media. Ang nakalagay sa ilalim ay fifteen minutes na simula ng pinost niya iyon.

With your footprints on the sand,
I'll follow you wherever you'll go

That was the caption. Halos isang milyon na agad ang hearts na nakuha ng post kahit na halos kakapost lang nito. Ike disabled the comments for that particular post so I had no idea how his fans responded.

I was worried, thrilled, and happy all at the same time. I just hoped that it wouldn't be a problem to Ike.

"I'm really happy that things worked well between you and Ike, Aleena."

Nang mag-angat ako ulit ng tingin kay Zendaya, kita ko sa kanyang mga mata na masaya siya para sa amin ni Ike. Ganoon na rin si Cloé na tinanguan ang sinabi ni Zendaya.

"Remember what happened before the finals of Road to Records?" paalala niya sa akin. "Nagkaroon kayo ng hindi pagkakaintindihan ni Ike."

Biting my lower lip, I nodded.

"I heard about it. Iyan ang dahilan kung bakit muntik nang magkasuntukan sina Ike at Isaiah noong gabing 'yon, 'di ba?" tanong ni Cloé na aking ikinagulat.

"M-muntik na silang magkasuntukan?" Hindi ko inaasahan iyon!

Tumango rin si Zendaya. "Isaiah's mad at Ike for thinking that he turned a blind eye for what Willow did. Alam mo 'yan. You saw the way he reacted when we were talking at the café that time, right?"

"Naaalala ko..."

"And then, it turned out that Ike was already gathering evidences alone to prove that it's your song without telling us—even you. Although it costed a lot of misunderstandings, he just really wanted you to focus and win the competition," Zendaya told me the truth which I had just learned. "I think you already know about this. Nasabi na siguro sa 'yo ni Ike ang tungkol doon, tama ba?"

I creased my forehead as I hesitantly shook my head. "He didn't tell me anything..."

Ikinagulat nina Zendaya at Cloé ang aking sagot.

"Hindi niya talaga sinabi sa 'yo?" paninigurado ni Cloé.

Tahimik akong tumango para kumpirmahin iyon.

He really didn't. He chose to keep quiet about it. I felt like he had no intention to make things clear for me, especially because we're already okay. Ang akala ko ay tinulungan na lang niya ako noon dahil iyon ang gusto ko. Wala akong kaalam-alam na nauna na siyang kumilos. No wonder everything went smoothly.

"What if you'd come to hate him for the rest of your life because of that?" Cloé was still puzzled. "I can't believe he didn't bother defending nor explaining himself."

"And yet Aleena still gave him a second chance..." Zendaya added, making a point. "Even though she thought at first that he betrayed her, deep in her heart, she still trusts him the most. I'm not really an expert but I think it only shows how much love Aleena has for him."

Zendaya's words struck me deeply. I never thought about it that way. But hearing that made me realize that she was surprisingly right.

Wala sa sariling hinanap ng mga mata ko si Ike nang madinig ko iyon. Pabalik na sila mula sa sandaling pagligo sa dagat. Kahit kasama niya ang tatlo ay sa kanya nanatili ang aking mga mata.

He already removed his tank top which was draped over his shoulder. His soaked board shorts changed its color. He brushed his damp hair up with his fingers while laughing at whatever they were talking about. But the moment his eyes immediately found mine, he smiled brightly and walked even faster to reach me as fast as he could.

I was starstruck while watching him walk his way to me. He fits perfectly along with the view of the sea and the horizon behind him that he can even replace the sun.

How did I ever get so lucky to have him as my boyfriend?