Her kind of Red Flag

Yellow

Cheer and Zeke have been friends since elementary school.

Grade 3 sila noong maging magkaklase sila at naging magkatabi rin sa upuan. But they didn't click right away. Pareho kasi silang mahiyain. Hindi rin naman nagtagal ay naging magkaibigan sila.

They were introduced to each other by another classmate. Elementary seats are usually by four. Dalawang tao sa isang lamesa. Another boy was seated on Cheer's left, while Zeke is seated at her right. Beside Zeke was the girl who introduced them.

The three of them became best of friends as time passed by. Palagi silang magkakasama tuwing recess. Sabay sabay silang lumabas ng classroom. Magkakasamang kumain sa tanghali at sama samang naglalaro.

Naglaon ay nadagdag sa grupo nila si Seth, ang lalaking katabi ni Cheer.

The four of them became inseparable. They were always at each other's necks pero sila sila rin ang laging magkakasamang maglinis ng classroom, kumain, at mag aral.

But then they reached their final year in elementary,  things started to change.

They had their first puppy love. Seth confessed to Cheer. And when she turned him down, they slowly parted ways. Noong gumraduate sila, they lost contact to both of them. Cheer and Zeke were the only ones left and remained friends, until now in their first year in college.

Natigil si Cheer sa pag rereminisce nang pitikin siya sa noo ni Zeke. Nasa cafeteria sila ng university at kumakain ng lunch.

"Stop staring into space. Malelate ka na sa klase mo. Bilisan mong kumain."

"Yes dad" she replied sarcastically while rolling ber eyes.

Hindi rin kasi siya makakain ng ayos dahil maya't maya ang tingin ng mga tao sa table nila. Rinig na rinig din niya ang mga bulungan ng mga ito.

"Grabe, ang gwapo niya no?"

"OO! OMYGOD. And you know what? Balita ko kasali agad siya sa first five ng basketball team natin kasi he's really good daw!"

"Sporty na gwapo pa. Ang swerte ng girlfriend niya. AAAAAHHHHH"

Gusto niyang sabihing bestfriend lang naman sila pero ayaw niya namang mapahiya. Mamaya hindi pala siya ang tinutukoy ng mga ito. Pero sigurado siya na si Zeke ang pinagtitinginan at pinagbubulungan nila.

Zeke is really good at sports. Lahat ata ng sports, ay kaya nitong laruin. But he said he loves basketball the most, kaya naman nag apply siya  sa Rune University, dahil kilalang malalakas ng mga myembro ng basketball dito.

Cheer on the other hand, was already planning on studying at R.U. from the start. Bukod sa mataas na academic ranking ng school na ito, ay may iba't ibang clubs dito na pwede niyang pagkaabalahan. Cheer has a passion for photography. But not so much that she wants to earn money from it. Applying to R.U. was like hitting two birds with one stone.

"Huy. Tulala ka nanaman. Halika na. Hatid na kita sa klase mo."

"Nah. Wag na. May practice pa kayo diba? Pumunta ka na dun."

"Hindi ka nakikinig sakin no? Mamaya pang 2 yun. Mag a ala una palang oh? Bilisan mo jan. Ikaw ang malelate na."

She immediately fixed her things when Zeke said that. He was right. Di nga siya nakikinig. She was lost in her thoughts, remembering their childhood memories.

It was exactly 1pm when they arrived at her last class for the day.

"Bakit walang tao? Akala ko ba 1pm ang klase mo?"  nagtatakang tanong ng kaybigan

"Akala ko nga rin. Wait." Kinuha niya ang cellphone sa bulsa niya.

"Guys, wala daw class today. Nanganak ata yung wife ni Sir."

She mentally slapped her forehead. Bakit ba hindi siya nag babasa ng groupchat? Edi sana kanina pa siya nakauwi.

"Wala pala kaming klase, Z. Nagchat sila."

"So pano yan? Uwi ka na? Hatid na kita."

"That's alright. Mag cocommute nalang ako mamaya. Samahan muna kita tumambay bago yung practice nyo."

"Sure?"

"Yep. Tara sa oval."

Both of them walked slowly towards the big field, eventually sitting down at a spot shaded from the sun.

They talked about all the random things they could talk about. Like the anime they last watched together.

"And that part where he decided to just blow up their boat? Sasaglit lang yun pero ang bigat ng scene na yun para sakin."

It was actually more like a listening party for Zeke. Masiglang nagkukwento si Cheer ng kung ano ano habang nakikinig lang ang kaybigan. Replying with hums and nods.

"Anong oras na? It feels like we've been talking for hours. Hindi ka pa ba late?"

Cheer asked while reaching for the bottled water beside Zeke.

Inabot naman ito ni Zeke at binuksan bago ibigay sakanya.

"Nope. May 20 minutes pa."

"Uuugh. Ang tagal pa palaaa" She said lazily

"Gusto mo na bang umuwi? Halika ihahatid na kita."

"Ano ka ba. You have practice nga, diba? Tsaka hindi ko pa naman gusto umuwi." She paused and motioned to lay down on the grass.

Zeke, reacting almost immediately softly guided her head into his lap.

"Kanina pa ko nagkukwento. Ikaw naman. Wala ka bang chismis dyan?" She giggled as she asked him.

Napangiti naman ang binata sa asal niya.

"No, but I have a question."

"Hmm." Cheer closed her eyes, trying not get blinded by the bright sky.

Zeke brushed some tendrils of her hair off her face.

"Are you..okay?"

Napamulat si Cheer sa tanong ng binata. She gave him a questioning look.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

He let out a deep sigh. Ayaw sana niyang ipaalala pa ito pero gusto niya rin namang malaman kung ano na ba ang lagay ni Cheer.

"I mean. Okay ka na ba sa panloloko sayo ni Sean? Sa paghihiwalay nyo."

Zeke looked at her. Waiting for her answer. Hindi niya alam kung bakit pero kinakabahan siya sa pwedeng maging sagot ng kaybigan.

There was a long pause before Cheer opened her mouth to give him an answer.

"Hmm..Well, I..guess? It's been what? Four months? Akala ko matatagalan pa ko bago maka move on. Pero sa buong four months na yun, I coped very well. And now that you've mentioned it, I realized that it's not hurting me anymore. So yeah. I guess I'm fine, now."

Hindi niya namamalayang napangiti siya sa sagot ni Cheer. He was about to speak when she sat down abruptly.

"Uy, mag aalas dos na. Lakad ka na. Aalis na din ako."

She spoke and fixed her things simultaneously. Tumayo na rin ito pagkatapos mag ayos.

Zeke  could only nod and oblige to what she said.

Tumayo na siya at ginulo ang buhok ng kaybigan bago ito magpaalam.

"Sige na. Ingat ka pauwi ha?"

"Aye aye, Captain!" Masiglang pag sang ayon nito at sumaludo pa sa kanya.

Inihatid niya ng tingin ang kaybigan at nang makita niyang nakalabas na ito ng gate ay naglakad na siya sa kabilang direksyon.