CHEERLEADER SERIES - JULIE

Chapter XIV

The night just started and they were taking a dip on the falls.

Kakatapos lang nilang kumain and now they were sharing some wine while swimming.

Hindi pa masyadong malamig ang tubig kaya nag-eenjoy pa siya.

They brought a mini Bluetooth speaker that played some music for them. Walang bisita sa tree houses so they had the place all to themselves. To say that the place is beautiful would not even suffice. It was holistically magnificent.

She's having the best time and she still could not find enough words to even describe it in the best way.

She took a sip of the white wone they brought and placed the glass on the space beside where the bottle was.

"So, what do you plan to do after you graduate?"

"If.."

"Okay. What are your plans if you graduate?"

Napangisi ito sa tanong nya.

"I guess I'm getting married. What else is left in this world to even consider than marriage."

She splashed his face with some water from the falls.

"Tanga... Ganun na lang 'yun? What a cliche. Marrying after studying."

Natawa ito sa tinuran niya.

"Of course not. But my father seemed to have it all figured out. He planned on marrying me to one of his associate's daughters. Someone who could add up to the scorecard of his already massive reputation."

"Uso pa ba yan ngayon? Arranged Marriage?"

"I guess for the ELITE!" he exaggerated the last word to make a point.

"Sabagay. It's a good thing my father never thought of that."

Biglang nag-iba ag ekspresyon ng mukha ni Julie. Bigla ay naging malungkot ito.

Tumikhim si Brad and took another sip of his wine.

"What about you? What are your plans?"

Her face slowly lit up again.

"I have a lot of plans. I plan on getting my family business back. Buying our old house back and building a new empire for me. A new business. Like a phoenix rising back into the ashes. Something like that."

"What if you'd achieve all of that someday? Would you still know me? Would I still be your friend?"

"Of course. And what if you get married someday? Makikilala mo pa rin kaya ako?Baka naman 'di mo na ako kakaibiganin kasi magseselos na and asawa mo?"

"Well, what if ikaw and pakakasalan ko?"

She smiled. 

"Bakit kaya ang daming what if's sa buhay ng tao?" she stared straight into his eyes. 

"Well, dahil yun lang ang tanging paraan para mapaisip sila kung tama ba ang ginagawa nila? If tama ba ang mga naging desisyon nila sa buhay."

"But our what if's has not even happened yet."

"Then ours are the what if's that would make us think ahead. The once that would help us think if we are doing it right by the time that we're actually in those situations."

"Life-changing once?"

"Yes. The life-changing once."

"Then... what if..."

Dahan-dahan siyang lumapit kay Brad. All of a sudden, the surrounding became chilly. Tila nanlalamig siya. She looked at him as though her life depended on it.