CHAPTER 2

*JAMEA POV*

SATURDAY. PARTY. FOODS. LOUD MUSIC.

Nakakapanibago talaga. Grabe is it real? Salamat talaga sa pogi kong Bespren eh. Teka san na naman yun? Ke hilig hilig mang iwan. Charot!

"Ysa!" Tawag niya sa akin, hays sa wakas!

"Neil, ang pogi mo ay este nasan sina Mara?" Malakas siyang napatawa sa sinabi ko. Sige lang pagtawanan moko! Pasalamat ka at pogi ka hmp!

"Ohh them? They're upstairs." Ani niya na tumatawa pa rin.

"Naiihi na'ko, asan ba CR dito? Nahihilo na ako kakaikot!" At masyado kang gwapo sa paningin ko ngayon. Baka diko mapigilang yakapin ka.

Ayyy! Ano ba yan. Tsk.

"Ahh Okay, sa taas ka nalang mag CR. Hatid na kita, nandoon naman na sina Mara at Crisa." sabi niya habang paakyat kami sa hagdan.

"Ha? Bat nandoon sila?"

"Nahihiya raw sila sabi ni Bryan."

"Ganon ba? Sige dun muna kami siguro." nakangiti kong sagot.

"Sure," he said smiling then pinch my cheeks. Ampogi talaga may dimps pa huhu. "oh we're here na, just go inside. And call me if you need anything, alright?" Nakangiti niyang sabi pagkabukas ko ng pinto ng kwarto.

"Sure Neil. Thanks." Tanging sinabi ka na may pagtango.

"Anytime Ysabel. Sige, bababa na ako."

Tumango lang uli ako sa kanya sabay kaway ng kamay bago isinara ang pinto at agad nakipag kwentuhan sa mga kaibigan ko.

*NEIL POV*

YSABEL wears Gray sleeveless dress and 2 inch stilleto tonight. My Mom gave it to her as a gift, amazingly she nailed the 1st sem again! Wow! Just wow. Engineering is not a joke but she always make sure she'll be on top.

Scholar na DL pa. No wonder my parents like her.

"Hey Dude," bati sa akin ni Bryan, my best friend pagkababa ko galing sa itaas.

"Oh Bryan, man, whats up?" Ani ko sabay tapik sa kaniyang balikat ng mahina.

"Grabe ang daming chicks pare hahahaha." Lokong sabi niya habang nililibot ang tingin na ikinailing ko.

Tsk! This guy. "Bryan man, remember that Mara's upstairs." I said and smirked.

"Oh! Neil, I'm just complimenting you know." he said while laughing.

I raised my brow to him. "Complimenting? Really? Bryan, you can't fool me dude." I said and sipped on my wine.

"Yea yea, whatever man. Anyway, nakita ko si Ysabel kanina ah, nawala nga lang bigla." Sabi niya looking straight to my eyes.

"She's upstairs, with the girls." I simply said and looked away.

"Hmm... The very innocent and shy Ysabel." he said.

"Yeah. She is," I agreed. "What?" Kunot noong tanong ko nang bigla siyang tumingin ng seryoso sa'kin. Itong unggoy na'to.

"You like her." He suddenly said where I almost spit my wine to his face.

'What the heck!'

"Damn man what are you talking about?" I angrily said na ikinatawa niya lang.

"Neil, the way you treat and look at her? Tsk tsk tsk. Just a piece of advice my Man, if ever you're planning to court her, please don't hurt her. You know what she had been through in her life." He seriously said.

I tsked. Came from this playboy? Really?

"I know man, and yes, I promise I won't hurt her."

"That's good man," he said and playfully wink at me.

*BRYAN POV*

HELLO PEOPLE!!
This is me Bryan Smith, the only child of Mr. Fabio Smith my Father and Andrea Gautengco my Mother.

My parents are both chef, that is why then our family business is Restaurant and a Hotel - namely as Domino Restaurant and Hotel.

Neil Anderson is my childhood best friend, his parents are both strict, but for some reason they like Jamea Ysabel that much compared to Era Madrigal, Neil's ex girlfriend.

I can say that because I really saw before how they treat Era, which is far from how they treat now Ysabel.

Neil invited me to his Father's Party, a Party full of Business man's and Doctors. I actually laugh at myself why the heck happen that I say Yes to Neil's invitation. Where I even invite Mara, my long time crush, and Crisa her friend.

Neil and I are talking while drinking wine, and we are in the middle of talk when I saw Ysabel walking down the stairs.

So I purposely said to Neil that 'He like Her' when she got near to our side. I saw her froze and slowly hide to the wall behind Neil's back.

Hmmm... seems like they're both inlove to each other

I smirk with the thought. At maya maya pa ay nagpaalam sandali sa akin si Neil nang makita niya si Era, his Ex, together with her parents - Doctor Edbert Madrigal and Doctora Selena Gonzales.

Kaya naglakad ako papunta sa kung saan ko huling nakita si Ysabel.

"Hey Ysa," mahinang tawag ko sa kanya na ikinagulat niya.

"Ay butiki!" Sabi niya sabay hawak sa dibdib at nanlalaki ang mga matang nakatingin sa akin.

"Hahahahaha luh! Ang pogi ko naman masyado para maging butiki?" Tinawanan ko lang siya para mabawasan ang kaba niya.

Hay Ysabel....

"Sorry, nagulat lang ako," nahihiya niyang sagot habang nakayuko.

"No, it's okay Ysabel." nakangiti kong sabi sa kanya. "By the way are you looking for Neil?"

Kunot noo niya akong tinignan pero halata kong nagulat siya sa sinabi ko. "Anong Neil?" Ani niya sabay iwas ng tingin sa akin.

"Neil, my bestfriend, are you looking for him?"

"Ahh hehehehe. Oo eh, nagugutom na kasi ako hehe." nahihiya niyang sagot kaya tumango lang ako.

"Hmm i see. He's in the pool area by the way. with Era." nangingiti kong sagot. Trying to see her reaction.

"Si Era? Nakauwi nasya?" Halatang pilit na pinasaya niyang tugon. Pero ramdam mo ang lungkot sa kaniyang mukha.

"Yeah. They're talking something serious there so I decided to go inside." makahulugan kong sabi.

"A-ahh hehehe. Okay, sige! Kukuha nalang ako dun ng pagkain. Gutom na kasi ako eh. Hehehehe." magiliw niyang sabi sabay ngiti ng hilaw.

I look at her seriously na ikinailang niya."You're jealous." I stated.

"H-huh?" Nauutal niyang sabi.

"Yeah, You are. I can see it in your eyes Ysa," sabi long may kunting ngiti sa labi. "You're maybe too smart to hide your feelings, but your eyes, masyadong halata."

"H-hahahaha ano bang pinagsasabi mo dyan Bryan?" She's stuttering.

"Ysabel, ysabel, ysabel," I tsked and shook my head.

"Alam mo Bryan, gutom lang yan. Total gutom nadin ako eh, tara ikain natin yan." Sabi niya sabay hila kaya nagpatianod nalang ako papunta sa lamesa ng mga pagkain sabay tingin sa gawi kung saan si Neil.

Gusto kong matawa nang makita ko siyang nakatiim bagang. So I just wink at him when our eyes meet.

Ysabel happily put some foods on her plate, while I only put Carbonara my favorite.

Masaya kong nilalantakan ang paborito kong carbonara nang bigla siyang magsalita na ikinatigil ko.

"Bryan, may sasakyan kabang dala?" Nakangiti niyang tanong sa akin sabay subo ng pagkain.

"Sasakyan? Oo bakit?" Kunot noo kong baling sa kanya habang ngumunguya. "Di kaba ihahatid ni Neil sa inyo?" Dugtong ko.

"A-ahh hehe. Ewan ko, tsaka nag-uusap pa sila ni Era eh," Ani niya sabay sulyap sa dalawang masayang nag-uusap."

I intently look at her before nodding my head while smiling. "Okay sige, gabi narin naman at inaantok na'ko. Uwi na tayo, sabihan ko lang sina Mara at Crisa nandoon sila sa loob eh."

Napangiti agad siya sa naging sagot ko sabay tango pa.
"Sige. Kukunin ko lang bag ko sa loob at ako na bahala magsabi kina Mara para makapag paalam na ako kina Tita Estela."

"Sure Ysa, I'll just wait you guys here." I said smiling showing my perfect set of teeth to her.

Nginitian lang din niya ako pabalik bago pumasok sa loob ng bahay, kaya binilisan ko na ang pag ubos ng carbonara ko.

Ang sarap pang kumain eh! Hays

"Di bale. Papalibre nalang ako kay Mara my labs ko ng carbonara bukas." Mahinang bulong ko sa sarili sabay lagok ng natitirang wine.

Maya maya pa ay lumabas na ang tatlo kaya sabay sabay na kaming naglakad papuntang parking lot.

Sa backseat nakaupo sina Ysabel at Crisa, at sa harap naman si Mara na ikinatuwa ko ng lihim.

Una kong naihatid pauwi sina Mara at Crisa dahil mauunang madadaanan ang kanilang subdibisyon bago ang apartment ni Ysabel.

At habang nasa biyahe kami papuntang apartment niya ay tinawag ko ang kanyang pansin.

"Ysa," napatalon siya sa kinauupuan niya na ikinatawa ko ng mahina.

"H-ha? Ano yun? may sinasabi ka?" Gulat niyang baling sa akin.

Ngumiti lang ako ng tipid sa kaniya bago binalik ang tingin sa daan. "You okay?"

"Ahh Oo naman, hehehe." Sabi niya sabay balik ng tingin sa labas ng bintana.

"Piliin mo sana 𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑎𝑘𝑎𝑦𝑎 kang ipaglab𝑎𝑛, 𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑔𝑎𝑛" seryoso kong sabi na ikinakunot ng noo niya.

"A-ahh hehehe, Oo alam ko Bryan." Tanging sagot niya na ikinailing ko nalang at hindi na nagsalita pa hanggang makarating kami sa apartment niya.

"Salamat." Nakangiti niyang sabi na tinangoan ko lang sabay kaway.

Agad na akong umalis pagkapasok niya sa loob ng apartment niya at nagmamadaling mag drive pauwi ng bahay.

SHILAMOI || shilamoi