End of the Day (Mystique Trilogy 1) (COMPLETED)

Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

"Congratulations, best friend! College no more!"

Napangisi nalang ako at ibinaba ang graduation cap ko. It's been a quick two years for me. Kael left Manila and went back to Batangas. Lumayo talaga siya sa 'kin katulad ng sinabi niya. He didn't chase me back just like what he said that night. His cousin, Cedric, told me that our break up wasn't the main reason why he left, but I didn't bother to ask the real reason because I'm a no one to him anymore. I don't have the rights to know what happened anymore.

I still may be concern to him but that's all it. Hanggang doon nalang 'yon, wala nang ibang mangyayari o dapat pang mangyari sa aming dalawa dahil tapos na kami. Masakit pa rin dahil malaki rin ang naging parte niya sa buhay ko. All the I love you's, the memories, the kisses, the late night talks, the laughter, and the commitment we shared were all gone in one night. I was dead inside out. Pakiramdam ko wala na 'kong gana sa buhay noong gabing 'yon, pero alam kong may malaki pang mundo sa labas ng nararamdaman ko. Alam kong sa kabila ng mga napagdaanan ko, may tatahakin pa 'kong magulo at nakakatakot na mundo.

"Huy, smile naman diyan!" Kate said and hugged us both. "Grabe, after all the deadly plates, tapos na rin ako! Konting tiis nalang!"

"Yeah, right. Congratulations, future Architect Tolentino!" Yana said and smiled at her.

Dalawang taon na ang nakalipas pero sariwa pa rin ang sugat ng nakaraan. Sariwa pa rin ang mga nangyari noong second year ako. Sariwa pa rin ang sakit na nararamdaman ko. I never forgot. Tandang-tanda ko pa rin ang mga sinabi niya. I memorized it, to be honest. The words that he said that night were the words that finally made me let go for the both of us. I understood if he got tired of me, I'm a mess. I understood that he had met someone else, someone better than me.

I know it's been the worst year of my life pero mas masakit ang sumunod na mga araw. There had been days that I longed for him, for her, and for my brother. There had been days that I kept missing him kahit na alam kong hindi na siya babalik. May mga araw na napapatingin nalang ako sa bakanteng upuan na katabi ko at iniisip ang mga nangyari. Tama bang hinayaan ko siyang umalis? Tama bang sinukuan ko na rin ang kung anong mayroon sa amin kasabay ng pagbitaw niya?

Yana got out of the hospital two days after that night. Kuya's hand finally moved yesterday but still didn't wake up. My Dad won the election... again. He didn't ask me if I'm fine with what happened. I know that he knows what happened between me and Kael. He just kept his mouth shut and hid all his actions with the smiles and waves he shows when he won the election. The Navarro family wasn't going out of their house ever since the death of Monica came out publicly.

During her wake, I was the only one who attended. Ginawa ko 'yon kinabukasan ng gabing 'yon. I didn't bother to tell Darren about it. He went through a lot, too, katulad ko. 'Di ko na nga rin siya masisisi kung nagalit siya sa 'kin o kaya napagod na rin siya katatanong kung ayos lang ako. Her body was cremated and the urn stayed with me for two months until I decided to put it in the cemetery. I'm still staying at Kuya's condo unit at may area roon na puro picture namin. I just want to remember her every single day.

I was fine, I was too numb to feel things. I was too dead to ask myself if I'm still okay. I really can't feel anything noong panahon na 'yon. My father checked on me once pero katulad ng lagi kong ginagawa, I pushed him away. I shut myself out from the world dahil hindi ko na kaya. But as my circle gets darker, DJ went closer to me and brought the light who never turned me down, not even once. I am so thankful for him because of what he did, or what he always does. Darren's always there for me through the tough times. And personally, I know that he set aside his feelings for me and stayed beside me, ready to wipe my tears away.