Officially Meeting You

Chapter 12: Only For Myself

"Sabrina?" tanong ni Anna at tumango ako.

She frowned and didn't say anything for the next minutes. Pero biglang nanlaki ang mga mata niya at napahampas pa sa lamesa namin dito sa cafeteria.

"Oh my! You mean Slade's sister?"

"Yeah. Wait, kilala mo?"

Tumango siya. "Sino ba namang hindi makakakilala sa kanya?"

"Ako?" I unsurely asked and she showed me a poker face.

"Ikaw kasi hindi ka marunong makichismis."

"Chismosa ka naman kaya okay lang 'yon," biro ko at sinamaan niya ako ng tingin.

I just shrugged and chuckled. Well, that's a half-truth. Magaling sumagap ng balita si Anna at palagi niya iyong kine-kwento sa akin kahit hindi ko naman tinatanong. Daig niya pa ang FBI agent kung makapag-imbestiga at makakuha ng impormasyon.

"So, balik tayo kay Sabrina. Paanong naging friends kayo?"

"Tinanong niya kung pwede tapos sabi ko oo," I answered.

"I mean, bakit?"

"Sabi mo paano."

"Iyon na din 'yon," giit niya at nagkibit-balikat na lang ako. "So bakit nga?"

"She said she likes me." She gasped and I almost rolled my eyes. "She's a woman. A straight one. Huwag kung ano-anong iniisip mo."

Ngumuso siya. "Hindi pa nga ako nagtatanong eh."

Napailing-ilang na lang ako at sumubo. She did the same and drank. After that, tumingin ulit siya sa akin at nagtanong.

"So naging magkaibigan kayo dahil nagustuhan ka niya? Pero teka nga, bakit ba kayo nag-uusap in the first place?"

I wasn't able to answer immediately when I remembered the reason. It was because of Zeus. I still feel guilty about disappointing her but I don't regret turning her down. At mukhang naiintindihan naman ni Sabrina iyon.

"Dahil ba kay Zeus?"

Nagbalik kaagad kay Anna ang atensyon ko. "Paano mo nalaman?"

"Everyone knows that Sabrina has something for him. Pareho silang sikat sa Rutherford kaya gano'n. Pero alam din naman ng lahat na kaibigan lang ang tingin ni Zeus sa lahat ng babae. Well, maybe except from you," she said and grinned.

"We are just friends."

She shrugged. "So, hiningian ka niya ng pabor?"

"Paano mo din nalaman 'yan?"

"Cleo, ang dami na kayang estudyante ang nakakapansin sa closeness niyo ni Zeus. Tapos hindi din masyadong nakikipagkaibigan sa mga babae dito si Sabrina. Kaya if ever na lapitan ka niya, automatic na si Zeus lang ang dahilan," she said and my lips parted.

I sighed. "She asked kung pwede ko siyang tulungan. But I said no, of course."

"Good," sabi ni Anna and seriously looked at me. "But be careful. Baka kasi iba talaga ang agenda ng pakikipagkaibigan niya sayo."

"Sa atin," I corrected and she sighed.

"Fine. Pero mag-iingat ka pa din. Iba pa naman ang nagagawa ng pag-ibig."

I frowned at hindi kaagad nakapagsalita. I appreciate her advice but it doesn't really matter to me. I don't trust Sabrina neither Anna. I just consider them as my friends. That's it.

If they'll betray me, use me, or stab me at my back, that's their choice. But they cannot expect me to feel excruciated by that betrayal. Because I didn't expect them to be trusted at the first place.