Music Lovers (AU)

Chapter 4

Sanay na si Jaron sa hilig ng best friend niya na i-sling yung arm niya around his neck whenever they walk together. Medyo awkward maglakad ng ganun para sa kanya, pero sanayan na lang talaga. He guessed it was convenient for Harper so he wouldn't have to pull him. The guy was so hyper (at first Jaron actually thought he had ADHD) that whenever Jaron was with him, Jaron would lose his sense of direction, if you could call it. So natuto na lang siya na magdepend na lang kay Harper pag magkasama sila. Yun din yung dahilan kung bakit ayaw niyang ipasama si Harper sa dorm niya during his first day there. Siguradong di siya tantantanan.

So super surprised siya when Harper suddenly slipped his arm off him and just disappeared--well, walked away. Hindi talaga alam ni Jaron kung nasan siya sa kasalukuyan. And he didn't know where Harper had gone.

Nawala naman kagad yung mini-panic niya nung narinig niya si Harper magsalita. "Okay ka lang?"

Malapit lang sa kanya si Harper. Jaron wondered if someone had tripped or something.

"I..."

Jaron felt his heart jumped. Kilala niya yung boses na yun.

"Ria?" Tinawag naman niya. To be sure.

"Jaron..." He heard her mutter in surprised.

"What's wrong?" Jaron's question was directed at Harper.

"She's soaking wet." Harper said, sounding worried.

"We better get her back to the dorm." Sabi ni Jaron habang papalapit sa direksyon kung san naririnig niya yung boses nila.

Sabi ni Harper malapit sila sa university's botanical garden. Medyo malayo yun sa dorm nila, but at least konti lang yung tao na napapadaan dun.

As they started walking, Jaron felt Ria tug at his shirt.

-

"Sa fourth floor yung room niya. The fifth one from the stairs." Sabi naman ni Jaron kay Harper pagdating nila sa dorm.

Hinayaan na lang niya yung best friend niya na hilahin sila papunta sa elevator. The sooner Ria could change, the better.

Nag-aalala rin siya dahil hindi na uli nagsalita si Ria.

They were in front of her room soon enough and Aria had wordlessly opened the door and entered.

"Would you two be okay on your own?" Tinanong naman bigla ni Harper.

"San ka pupunta?" Jaron asked, surprised.

"Hindi ata siya komportable na nandito ako. She looked like she's been crying." Sabi naman ni Harper ng mahina.

Tumango na lang si Jaron, a little distracted by his worry.

"Try and talk to her." Sabi naman ni Harper and then he patted him on his back. Narinig siya ni Jaron na naglalakad papunta sa may elevator, and then he heard a ding.

Binalik ni Jaron yung attention niya sa door and he knocked a few times. "Can I come in?" He called out.

Tahimik lang for a long while, and then he heard Ria said, "Yeah..." Her voice sounded strange. He wondered kung umiiyak siya.

Dahan-dahan pumasok si Jaron sa room. Hindi pa siya nakakapasok dun before, so hindi niya alam kung san nakalagay yung mga gamit at furniture.

Naramdaman naman niya yung kamay ni Ria sa kamay niya, at dahan-dahan siyang ni-guide ni Ria papunta sa sofa niya kung san parehas silang umupo. Thankfully, mukhang tuyo naman na siya.

"Okay ka lang?" Tinanong naman niya si Ria. It was a stupid question, pero hindi naman alam ni Jaron kung ano pang ibang pwede niyang sabihin.

Hindi siya sumagot, and instead she asked, "Nasan na yung kaibigan mo?"