"I'm sorry"

I was shocked at her unwavered words, sincere and gentle. Hindi ko alam kung tama ba ako ng narinig, but the look in her eyes confirmed it.

"H-ha?" I honestly felt a pinch in the heart for some reason, as if two words were enough to take me back to where I drowned before.

"I'm sorry for leaving"

Huminga akong malalim, pilit na nagpipigil. Tears were forming in my eyes so I tried to wipe it while avoiding her unforgiving gaze.

"Ah-ano ba to? hahaha malakas ba talaga hangin dito, sorry napuwing lang ako" I tried to not make my laugh as obviously fake as possible.

I composed my self again and looked at Ali with firm eyes.

"What were you saying?"

She smiled softly, almost like the clouds. If comfort was a person, she'd be in front of me right now. My head is already hurting from held back cries, I still tried my best to look fine.

She let out a breath and shook her head.

"I came here to call you back for lunch, I'm sure payag ka naman for seafood?" she asked.

"Hmm? seafood? oo naman" I smiled and accidently sniffed.

"Great, tara na den" she giggled. And all seemed to shine brighter, the sea calmer, the waves softer, as if her smile had anything to do with it. In which it did, to me.

"Shet kung alam ko lang edi sana nag swimsuit nalang ako!" Keily irritatedly said as we boarded a small yatch.

"Pwede ka namang maghubad nalang" Bri replied.

"Duh! shempre iba ang experience pag naka outfit"

"Keily mangingisda tayo hindi magpapaka isda" I retorted. Ali laughed before shaking her head.

"Sige uwi ka na den muna, languyin mo lang to tapos liko ka paleft sa may unang kanto" she said habang may tinuturo na direction sa dagat.

This has been the only rule in our friendship, kung ayaw mong mapagtripan wag kang maarte.

"Oh magiinarte pa o ikaw na ipapain namen?" Ella crossed her arms.

"Che! gusto ko lang naman ng pang instagram" Keily shrugged us off.

"Chill out, maganda ka na naman e, right Matt?" Ali suddenly commented, Matt immediately looked back at us while standing sa may dock area, brows raised.

"Oh.. well, yeah" maiksi niyang sagot bago lumingon na ulit palayo.

We looked at Keily who's making faces hiding behind Bri looking flustered.

"Ayiiii woooo!" Bri cheered.

"Ayan pwede ka nang bumalik nang Pilipinas" pangaasar ulit ni Ella. We laughed at her while she hit us still giggling.

"So san pala tayo pupunta?" Ella asked as the yatch just continues to ride the waves.

"Sabi ni kuya sa rentahan we just have to go straight for atleast twenty minutes to reach the next island" Ali asnwered, never taking her eyes off the front shield. I admit she kinda looks hot driving around in this black and white jet yatch, hair flying backwards softly, her blazer rolled up

"Water love?" Justice suddenly handed her a water bottle.

"Hmm thank you" she mumbled before drinking.

I gulped. What the hell was I thinking. Parang slow mo parin lahat kay Ali, they say love has three stages, and versions. Puppy love, sad love and unexpected love, and most likely the third person you meet is the one, why is it that I ask is it possible to fall for the same person for all three stages, and maybe even more?

I blinked my thoughts away as I turned my gaze to somewhere else, to the bright sun above, the crystal blue ocean, my friends busy with their champagne, and an unexplained look ahead, Justice's.

My eyes slightly grew but I managed to compose myself as I looked back at her, suddenly the slimmest of seconds felt like an eternity, did she catch me looking at Ali. I bit my lip and took my phone out to take pictures, maybe it'll get my mind off things.

The sky was the clearest at this time, almost two in the afternoon, like it was painted and hanged then and there.

"So hindi lang pala sila Ella ang mapupuno nang photos ang phone?" I got startled when I felt someone sat beside me, since round table and sofa siya I immediately knew she was close.

"Huh?" I pulled my phone back and looked behind me. Nagulat ako when Ali's face was only inches away from mine, I let go of almost like a frustrated hiccup as her eyes also showed shock.

"Oh sorry, sinisilip ko kasi yung pinipicturan mo kanina, I didn't mean to get close-"

"It's fine, sabi ko nga magugulatin ako" I smiled kahit gusto nang sumigaw ng kaloob looban ko.

"Ahh sorry parin, so can I have a look? I've always admired your photos and how you take them, hindi palagi pero precise and magaganda" she replied.

"Ah? ah sige lang, di naman ganun kaganda" I nervously handed her my phone. As she fixed how she was seated looking into my phone, I remembered sino den ang nagdridrive, but then I saw Matt took over.

My eyes traveled to the faces of Ella and Bri infront of us, I thought they were still busy talking, kaya pala feeling ko kanina pa may nakatingin samin.

Halos masakal ako ni Ella sa tingin niya while Bri is just smiling na parang nangaasar.

"Ano?" I mouthed.

They both raised their brows up and down, I just frowned at them. I shook my head and caught a glimpse of what Ali was looking at my phone.

"Shit!" my reflexes got the best of me as I tried to yank my phone away from her hand, it came flying over the table and landed there with the screen openly facing us all. For some reason, the universe decided Keily would come back from God knows where, holding another bottle of champagne with Justice behind her at this exact moment.

"Woy ano yan!?" she exaggerated.

I immediately stood up to get my phone but I know I couldn't get away from Ella's stare.

I close my eyes and bit my lip, looking away from them.

"Nothing, tinitingnan lang namin mga pictures namin kanina" Ali spoke.

"What?!" nakakagulat naman tong Keily nato e.

"What?" Ali asked nervously.

"Nagpicture taking kayo nang wala ak-kame?!" she then looked back at Justice who was just smiling busy handling champagne.

"Wow what a betrayal, akala ko pa naman I belong to this squad na" dagdag pa niya habang umiiling iling na may pa sad face.

"Alam mo San Pedro namumuro ka na e, ikaw din kung gusto mo na languyin pabalik" Ella threatened.

"Omg you're really mean ha, fine I'll stay tahimik na" she pouted sitting down beside Bri while Justice proceeded to sit beside Ali.

"Ewan ko kung sa UP ka ba talaga nagtapos, bat ganyan ka magsalita, san ka ba nagchicheer pag UAAP ha?" Bri rhetorically asked.

"Hoy, shempre sa ano.."

"Saan?"

"Shempre sa may pogi duh!" she earned a flick from Ella with her answer but it surely made us all laugh.

"Pota parang limang oras na ako nagaantay na may kumagat sa linya ko ah, kumukulo na dugo ko" annoyed na sabi ni Keily.

"Gaga mga dalawang oras palang naman" Bri teased her more.

"Ayoko na ah bakit ba walang may gustong kumagat" she jumped up and down out of frustration, siya nalang ata wala pang nahuhuli e.

"Ay pak buong tagalog" hindi matigil si Bri sa kakaasar kay Keily.

"Paano ba yan, yung mahuhuli mo lang ang pwede mong kainin, mukhang wala kang dinner ah" I teased at napakunot nalang ang noo niya while still whining.

"Kagat lang ba? Matt can do" singit ni Ali smiling widely, then looking at Matt na nakaluhod yung isang tuhod fixing the basket na lalagyan ng mga isda, he doesn't even look bothered as he still continued doing what he was doing.

"Huy hala wag, baka mahiya na si Matty- ah I mean Matt pala" pacute na sagot ni Keily which made me cringe habang natatawa lang sina Ali at malapit nang manghampas si Ella.

"I don't bite" napatigil kami when Matt answered with his deep voice, not looking back, still busy with his job.

I can see how Keily's face flushed, aba tong batang to.

"Ooohhh" dagdag pa intense ni Bri.

"Magsitigil nga kayo jan, Keily languyin mo na para deretso huli, ayaw kang lapitan e" Ella commanded Keily with her motherly tone.

"See?! I knew I needed to bring my swim suit" umiling lang siya.

"Asar, pagpasensyahan niyo na si Keily guys naumay na siguro sa fishing, hanggang Greece ba naman kasi" Ella said which seemed to have caught Ali's attention as she stopped railing down her rod.

"You guys went fishing in the Philippines?" she suddenly asked looking at Ella who was beside me.

"Oo sa La Union, one summer time" she answered shortly.

"Oh, I didn't know you guys were atleast interested in fishing" she went back to what she was doing and shook her head still smiling.

"Well hindi parin naman, si Lance naman kasi talaga yung may idea, saka itong si Sophia naman go lang ng go, medj fulfilling naman pag nakakahuli ka kaso itong gagang to hindi naman pala marunong, so ayon mas mahaba pa yung turuan session kaysa sa actual fishing-aray ano ba?!" she stopped when I pinched her side before giving me a 'what-the-hell?' look.

Ali was still smiling looking down at her rod, but this time it was more of a smile I didn't recognize.

"Hmm, atleast I don't have to teach you now" she mumbled.

"Actually si Keily tatanga tanga parin" dagdag pa ni Ella which made Ali scoff.

"Let her, it's her nature" napatawa naman si Ella ng malakas sa sagot ni Ali.

"Sige lang ha, sarap akong pagtripan?" Keily snapped.

"Wow tagalog ulet!" singit na pangaasar ni Bri.

"Ay pota kayo magsama sama kayo-" she suddenly stopped as she almost stumbled when something pulled her line.

"Oh-Omg! omg finally, is this it?!" bawing bawi sa excitement niya yung inis niya kanina.

"Sam! tulungan moko!" she asked for help as she seemed to have a hard time.

"What? saglit, Ave got something rin kasi"

"Hoy first time ko to, ayoko na pakawalan!" we were just laughing at her hoping hindi siya mapikon ng bonggang bongga.

She screamed when her line snapped which made her fall back from her position, napasigaw na rin kaming lahat as she fell, but Matt was fast on his feet as nasa likod lang namin siya the whole time. He caught Keily right on time as she fell backwards almost hitting her head.

"Ay shet, oo this is it na nga" Bri spoke.

"Ehem, ayaw na daw pakawalan" Ali added.

The both immediately stood up awkwardly.

"Uy thanks hehe" mahinang sabi ni Keily with a touch of landi.

"Aba't sinulit pa nga" Ella pulled Keily's hand bago pinagpag yung damit niya. "Sinabi na kasi sayo, languyin mo na, ayan mukha ka nang malulunod sa kilig hayup ka" she whispered but I could hear as nasa tabi ko lang sila.

"I think sapat naman na to, we should head back to the plaza to buy something for dinner, I'll cook" Ali spoke checking to see the basket of fishes.

"Oohhh shep ka gurl??" lumapit si Bri sakanya also trying to check on it.

"Oo naman matakot na si papa Gordon saken noh" nag apir sila while laughing, para talagang may sariling mundo tong dalawang to e, sariling salita rin.

"Ano bang lulutuin mo? para alam natin anong bibilhin" tanong ni Ella as we got down sa sasakyan. Nasa plaza na pala kami, amoy dagat parin sobrang fresh.

"Can you make that dish love?" Ali got cut off by Justice as she was about to answer Ella.

"Huh? what dish?" she asked.

"The one you cooked me in our first night sa New York" Justice answered looking around for something.

"Dun oh, there love they have salmon" she pointed out.

"Oh that, ano gusto niyo yun? simple lang pan seared salmon na may etche buretche sa paligid" Ali giggled at us.

"Shempre naman! shep ka naman may tiwala naman ako sayo" sagot ni Bri, Ali just smiled but then our eyes met.

"Uh- is that fine for dinner? Soph?" my name sounded the sweetest from her mouth.

"Ah? ah oo, gusto ko rin yun" I smiled back. Slowly I realized how tensed that was, but it didn't even matter at the moment as I only saw her and heard her question. I'm hopelessly back in the game that I feel so fucking beaten up already.

We went on buying food but as always they had to go buy everything else they see, naglalakad na kami palabas ng fresh alley kung san yung mga meat, fish and vegetables.

"Ay wait may nakalimutan ako, una na kayo hanapin ko nalang kayo" sigaw ni Ali bago bumalik.

"Don't worry guys I'll wait for her" Justice looked at us and gave a reassuring smile.

"Ano tingin muna tayo sa labas?" Ella asked.

"Tara, may nakita ako kaninang magandang hat beh!" Keily exclaimed.

"Ay may gusto akong bilin na bracelet kanina dun, samahan niyo ako balikan natin" dagdag ni Bri.

"Ikaw Soph sama ka?" Keily asked, I turned to them and waved my hand.

"Hindi na, dito nalang rin ako basta dito rin kayo bumalik ha" I answered kaya nagpatuloy na sila.

"Sophia may bench dun part oh, we can sit" Justice immediately said as I lost sight on the backs of my friends.

"Ah sige" I smiled.

"Do you mind me asking?" she once again broke the silence.

"Huh? no, sige lang"

"What do you guys drink?" ay shet nakakahiya naman na tanong yan, cheap lang kami beh, kwatro kantos lang saka konting chibog pwede na ehe.

"Uhm.."

"No, I'm planning to buy drinks for some night kasi before I leave"

"Huh? l-leave? agad?" I asked confused.

"By the end of the week pa naman, I have a schedule by next week kasi and I want to treat you guys some shots" she asnwered. So hindi na siya makakasama samin for the next week?

"Oh, okay. You know what kahit ano naman iinumin nung mga yun kaya bahala ka na"

"Well that's the problem, I don't really drink.. so I'm not sure what to do and buy" she shyly said.

"What? oh? hindi ka umiinom?!" napalakas ata yung tanong ko.

"I did, once when Sam got us wine but I only had one glass so hindi ko talaga maisip anong bibilhin"

"Ahh ganun ba?" may mga tao palang ganun, anghirap namang napapaligiran ng mga pariwara tss tss.

"Bakit hindi ka kay Sam nagtanong?" I added.

"I thought baka hindi niya rin naman na maaalala yung mga alcohol preferences niyo, plus she doesn't really drink that much unless troubled" troubled? umiinom na si Ali pag may problema? I furrowed my brows with that thought.

"Well that was a period of time lang naman, she's still a wacky drinker, easily drunk" she giggled.

"Oh" I laughed, yes she is.

"So any suggestions?"

I was about to answer when I caught a glimpse of Ali from afar, Justice's back was facing her as she walked on the sides of the alley way with a brown bag in her hand.

I looked at her in awe of her undeniably soft but striking features. The setting sun behind her chose the mood of this moment, she looked effortlessly perfect, but absolutely not mine. I fake coughed as she got closer with a smile, the sweetest one I got since I saw her again. Her eyes sweetly carving moons even in this daylight, her lips move a little bit wider as her hair flows like waves of the ocean. I tried to look away, to look back at the woman infront of me, but everything pulled me back to her sight, like the glimmering reflection of sun on water- calming and safe.

"Hi love" her voice made my heart pound even harder. Everything felt vivid at the same time loopy, like time was being indecisive of its destination. I looked into her warm eyes, like sands my thoughts endlessly collided. Love? hi.

"Ah andito ka na pala love" I went back to trance as Justice spoke again.

What seemed to be eternal came to an end as Ali stood in front of us smiling.

"San yung tatlo?" she asked.

"They went to buy things" Justice answered.

"Sunod na tayo?" she looked at me.

"Ha? tayo?" I was at first confused.

"Oo, hindi ba tayo susunod kina Ella?" Ali asked looking confused too.

"Ah, ah oo, oo tara" I stood up and immediately turned away on my feet, I bit my lip sa kahihiyan, I am such a hopeless case.

We were walking back sa sasakyan when my phone buzzed, I checked it to see a mesage from Lance.

"Sophia can you call? it's an emergency" my hands started to shake, hindi ko sure kung makakatawag ba ako with a roaming number or through internet but most of all, anong emergency.

I panicked even more when I can't seem to control my fingers to message him back.

Nagulat ako when someone held my hands and enclosed it with theirs.

"A-ali?"

"Anong problema?" she had a concerned look in her eyes.

"Ah- I- ano kasi"

"You can tell me"

"I need to call someone in the Philippines"

"Oh? can't you use your number? or do you have data?"

"Ano, hindi kasi gumana e sinubukan ko na nga-"

"Here use mine, I'll give you some privacy." she handed me her phone.

I looked at her with a questioning look.

"Don't worry sasabihin ko sakanila nag cr ka lang" she showed me a reassuring smile before walking away before I can thank her, I quickly walked towards a silent area and dialed on her phone.

"C'mon pick up" first try walang sumasagot so I tried again.

"Puta pick up Lance" I paced as I got worried and worried.

"Hello?" his deep voice greeted me.

"Hello! bakit? anong nangyari?!" I asked half screaming.

The line was silent for seconds.

"Lance! anong nangyari?! okay ka lang?!" I screamed.

"Ate! hiiii!! hahaha" nagulat ako at napatigil sa paglakad lakad when I heard my siblings' excited voice. Hindi muna ako nakapagsalita.

"Ate! andito si kuya Lance may dalang mga pagkain, kailan ka uuwi ate?!" singit ng bunso kong kapatid who's currently in high school.

"Di na babalik yan" I heard Cassandra's voice in the background.

I finally tried to calm down as I realized he just wanted me to call kasi nasa bahay namin siya.

"Lance?! bakit ka nanjan? wala ka bang pasok?" I asked.

"Really Soph? yan parin nasa isip mo? I'm here cause I want to, I had a two-day leave e saka matagal na akong hindi nakapasyal dito" he reasoned.

I sighed holding my forehead.

"Puta Lance nagalala ako" I couldn't hold it back so I just whispered my anger away.

"Sorry na, I just needed you to call asap" he sounded so soft kaya napahinga nalang ako ng malalim.

"Okay, but I have to go nakigamit lang ako ng phone. Spoil my sisters okay? habang wala ako jan" I smiled.

"Sus no problem, gusto mo ikaw rin ispoil ko e" banat niya. I crossed my arms and shook my head, a smile formed.

"Sige icash mo nalang" I joked.

He laughed softly.

"By the way, kanino ka nakigamit ng phone? I don't know this number" my smile slowly faded.

".. Ha? kay Al-"

"Lance iho patulong naman magbuhat ng bigas!" I suddenly heard yung boses ni mama sa linya, napangiti nalang ako.

"Oh sige na den muna Soph, tumatanda na si tita hehe kailangan ng tulong ko"

"Hoy isusumbong kita"

"Joke lang to naman haha, sige na ingat kayo" the line got cut after. I put my hand down holding the phone, I looked at the now slightly dark sky.

"Kay Ali.." I whispered, continuing my cut off words kanina.

"Kay Ali nanaman" huminga akong malalim closing my eyes before deciding to go back dahil pinagaantay ko na sila.

~~~~

uwu :>