Sa mga di nakagets... Si Waldrin po yung nag-alok ng payong kay Maxene kaya they both felt weird. ~Author-sama

M A X E N E

"Dude watch out!" Inis na singhal ko sa lalaking natapunan lang naman ako ng beer.

"I-I'm sorry Miss, I didn't--- Marshan?" Nakakunot ang noo nitong nakatingin sakin. I grab the hanky from his hand at pinunas sa damit ko.

"Hey, sorry about that!" He was about to touch me pero tinampal ko ang kamay niya. I continued wiping my dress ng may lumapit na isa pang lalaki samin.

"What's wrong?-- Marshan! What are you doing here? Sinong kasama mo?! What are you wearing?" Hinayaan ko yung isang lalaki na ipatong yung coat niya sakin. I felt like I know him, hindi gaya nitong lalaking nasa harap ko ngayon.

"Nabangga ko kasi siya dude, kaya natapunan ko siya."

"Ma--Ma-- Err Marshan!" Vicky approached me. Napansin niya sigurong hindi na maganda ang mood ko. She removed the coat on my shoulder at binalik dun sa lalaki.

"P-Pasensya na, medyo mainit ang ulo niya ngayon." Vicky tugged me after apologizing to those guys.

"W-Wait Marshan..." The guy who lent me his coat grab my arm. Napatingin ako sa kamay niyang nakahawak sa braso ko before staring at him coldly. He sighed defeatedly before letting go of my arm.

"Magreply ka naman sa mga text ko..." He said sadly. Napatingin ako kay Vicky, lumapit siya sakin at bahagyang bumulong.

"Baka siya yung ex ni Marshan." She whispered without opening her mouth.

Muli akong bumaling dun sa lalaki and looked at him from head to foot. Not bad mukhang may taste naman ang kapatid ko. I mean of course, Blake is also a cool guy, pero alam ko ng hindi sila magtatagal ni Marshan.

"I changed my number." I kept my answer short bago ko hilahin palabas ng bar si Vicky. 

"You know, we can't just let people think you're Marshan, magkakaproblema tayo niyan." She said to me. Pumasok na kami sa kotse ko and I slightly tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. 

"You see, madali lang naman kaming i-differentiate, diba? I have ash gray eyes and Marshan has green eyes!" 

"Not when you're wearing aviators and kapag nasa bar tayo, it's too dark for them to notice the color of your eyes. And besides, you said you love wearing jackets before. That was your trade mark..." 

Nakagat ko ang ibabang labi ko. My skin was burnt and Dad decided to erase all scars and burnt marks on my skin. Kulang na lang maligo ako araw-araw ng lotion para lang mapabilis ang healing process. Hindi gaya noon, makinis na ngayon ang balat ko that's why I can almost wear everything I like. My fashion sense even changed because my foster Mom is a fashion designer and gusto niya laging maayos ang suot ko at babaeng-babae akong tignan. 

"Errr okay, but I we have to get Marshan, first." I started the engine at dumiretso na kami sa unit where Marshan stays at. I held Vicky's hand ng makaramdam ako ng kaba. 

"Sa tingin mo sasampalin niya ko?" I asked Vicky ng makasakay na kami sa elevator. She rolled her eyes at me. 

"Sometimes, you really deserve a slap on your face." She said.

Marahas kong binitawan ang kamay niya at inirapan siya. "Nakakagaan ka talaga ng loob." Tumunog na yung elevator at mas lalo tuloy akong kinabahan kaya napahawak ako kay Vicky. We walk towards Marshan's unit. Hindi ko alam kung anong mararamdaman ko kapag nagkita na kami. 

Will she blame me dahil hindi ako nagpakita sa kanya sa loob ng apat na taon? If kaya ko lang sana noon, kahit kagigising ko lang ay pinuntahan ko na siya. But I was too weak, nasa coma pa lang ako noong manganak ako and I just woke up when they were about to turn 1. 

Because of hazy memories, hindi ko pa nga agad nadigest na may mga anak na pala ako na inalagaan nina Yrew at Yasha until I could even hold them better. Ilang taon din akong nagtherapy because I could even hardly move. 

Hindi ko mahawakan ang mga anak ko, hindi ako makakain ng mag-isa, maligo, magtoothbrush. I was invalid. Hindi ko man lang naalalayan yung mga anak ko kapag natutumba sila, they were not holding my hands on their first steps. I felt like I failed as their mother. 

Vicky pressed the door bell button. Humigpit ang pagkakahawak ko sa kanya at hindi ko alam kung ilang beses akong napalunok. Vicky pressed it again and again na para bang nanggigigil.

"Ano ba?! Sisirain mo ba?!" I snapped at her. I gasped when the door suddenly opens at bumungad samin si Marshan, unti-unting nanlaki ang mga mata niya upon seeing me.

"M-Maxene..." She whispered. She held my arms at hinawakan ako ng mahigpit. "I-Isasama mo na ba ko sa langit?" She asked. Her eyes started welling up. Sumikip ang dibdib ko ng maamoy ang alak sa kanyang hininga at ramdam ko ang init ng katawan niya. She looks so thin and unhealthy. 

"Marshan no... I'm back... I'm back..." I cupped her face then she suddenly passed out. 

M A R S H A N

My head is throbbing when I opened my eyes. Naramdaman ko ang mainit na palad na humahaplos sa aking mukha. I opened my eyes at inaninag siyang mabuti. Agad akong napabangon pero agad na kumirot ang ulo ko.

"W-Wag mo munang biglain ang katawan mo. Uminom ka muna ng gamot." Agad kong hinawakan ang mga kamay ni Maxene at hinaplos ang mga braso niya.

"A-Are you real?" I asked at hindi ko na namalayan ang pagbuhos ng mga luha ko. She smiled at me and caressed my face. Napapikit ako ng halikan niya ang noo ko. Tuluyan ng bumuhos ang luha ko as I hug her so tight. 

"You're back! You're back! I was so devastated Maxene! I always prayed na babalik ka. Naniwala akong babalik ka but they did not believe me! They thought I was just depressed! Akala nila nababaliw na ko!" I cried so hard. 

"Ssshhhh... It's okay... Andito na ko. They won't hurt you again." She brushed my hair at unti-unti ko ng nararamdaman na totoo ang lahat ng ito. That she is really alive, na hindi lang ito panaginip. Maxene is really with me now. 

When Maxene died,  hindi lang ako ang halos mabaliw noon. Waldrin, too. Paeng was traumatized, naging mas aloof ito, tahimik, but he also believes na buhay pa si Maxene at babalik siya. 

Wala pang isang taon na patay si Maxene, Waldrin introduced to us his girlfriend, Leanna. Galit na galit ako sa kanila noon, they all agreed that we have to move on dahil wala na si Maxene and we have to accept that. Tinanggap nila si Leanna ng ganun kadali pero ako hindi. 

I broke up with Raven, I broke all my ties with them, and to my family who suggested me to visit a psychiatrist when I hurt Leanna before. Grabeng panlulumo ang naramdaman ko noon. Kaya naisipan kong lumayas na lang and stay here. Binili ito ni Lolo para sakin, inabandona ko na yung dati kong unit dahil marami akong masasakit na ala-ala doon.

"Are you calm now?" Maxene asked me ng ibaba ko ang baso ng tubig na hawak ko sa mesa. Napatingin ako sa babaeng nakatayo sa tabi ni Maxene na bahagyang nakapamewang. 

"This is Vicky, my best friend slash(/) assistant." Maxene said.

"H-Hi..." I said with a shaky voice. Tipid itong ngumiti sakin. 

"H-How? D-Diba sumabog yung factory? And not just that! May taning na rin ang buhay mo, diba?" I asked her habang patuloy pa rin ang pagbuhos ng mga luha ko. She softly squeezed my hand and sadly smiled at me.

"I am fine now Marshan, wala na kong sakit. And I'm sorry kung ngayon lang ako bumalik, I was too weak at kailan lang ako tuluyang nakalakad at nakakilos ng mag-isa---"

"N-N-No! It's okay Maxene..." I held her hand tighter at umiling-iling. "Ang importante nandito ka na at nahahawakan na kita.." I sobbed and kissed her hand. Muli niyang hinaplos ang mukha ko kasabay ng pagpatak ng mga luha niya.

Muli akong uminom ng tubig at pinasadahan sila ng tingin. 

"B-Bakit ganyan ang suot niyo." I asked them. Medyo daring kasi ang suot nila. Maxene is wearing a black spaghetti strap dress na mukhang backless pa. Isang bodyfit dress naman ang suot ni Vicky. "How about your scars?" 

"Galing kami ng bar, I-I don't have my scars anymore. Dad, I mean my foster Dad erased them all. I am a Chua now Marshan, sila ang sumagip sakin. Inampon nila ako." Maxene said as she held my hand. 

"Chua? Sina Yasha at Yrew?" I asked. Bahagyang nanlaki ang mga mata niya and nodded. 

"Yes! You knew them?" She asked unbelievably. Kumunot ang noo ko. 

"How can I not? Kasama natin sila noong nag-aaral pa tayo sa Zekovia." Naguguluhang tanong ko sa kanya. Napatingin siya kay Vicky bago muling bumaling sakin as she held my hand tightly. 

"I lost my memory of everything that happened when I set foot here hanggang sa magising ako sa coma." She said. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa sinabi niya. Agad kong hinawakan ang dalawa niyang kamay.

"You mean, hindi mo maalala sina Christian? Waldrin? Monique? Raven?" I asked her. Kumunot ang noo niya at malungkot na umiling. 

"Great! They are not even worth remembering." I said bitterly. 

"Well if you say so." She smiled. "Now Marshan, I like you to live with me." Nanlaki ang mga mata ko at agad na tumango sa kanya.

"Of course! Hindi na tayo pwedeng maghiwalay!" I cried again.