EZH #6: Storm Fortalejo [ON GOING]

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

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Kay Kuya Jareth ulit kami sasabay pauwi since siya rin ang available na Kuya for today, just like yesterday. Habang inaantay namin siya sa parking lot ay mukhang inis pa rin si Storm. It was obvious from the way he pouted.

"Uy," I bumped my shoulder on his arm. "Something the matter?"

Storm sighed.

"Nothing," he answered quickly. Di mukhang nothing kasi he was still huffing.

"Ano nga?" Pagpipilit ko. Hinawakan ko siya sa braso at pilit pinapaharap sa akin. "Tell me now while I am still asking nicely kasi ayoko na mamaya aawayin mo ako nang di ko alam ang dahilan."

Storm cursed under his breath, a habit of his when I was getting him more riled. Nag-iwas siya ng tingin sa akin. At this rate, talagang mag aaway na naman kami niyan. Storm wasn't used to me being this vocal. Ako rin naman. Minsan nagugulat din ako sa sarili ko kasi parang nagiging confrontational na ako when usually kapag naiinis si Storm about something, iiyak na lang ako sa kaba.

Iiyak ako tapos lalayasan ko siya at uuwi ako kay Daddy. Susunod siya sa akin after ilang oras tapos iiyak siya habang sinusuyo ako na magbati na kami. Pag bati na kami, uuwi kami sa bahay ng parents niya para makapag-bonding kaming dalawa at hindi ma-stress sina kuya sa amin. Pag-uwi namin sa unit, okay na ulit kami.

Ever since I got to know my Ates, natuto na ako na kapag may issue, dapat pag-usapan kaagad. Minsan na lang ako mag-walk out at maglayas, kapag sobrang inis na lang ako. In relationships, kahit pa sa best friend, communication with comprehension was important. Dapat alam namin ni Storm pareho paano mag communicate para maintindihan namin ang isa't isa.

I was trying. Storm, too. Kaso minsan talaga ganito siya. Iyong... how do I put it? Grumpy? Di willing mag-talk? Para siyang babae na may regla, just like how Ate Demi described Kuya T when he was grumpy about something Ate did tapos wala siya magawa kasi di niya kaya si Ate.

"Sige, if ayaw mo akong kausapin, bahala ka. I won't force you to talk but don't expect me to know what you want me to do, either," sabi ko nang di pa rin talaga siya natinag. Ate Demi taught me a trick or two about how to make boys do what I wanted them to without being forward about it. Ate Ivana frowned at what Ate Demi taught me, pero may sense naman, now that I thought about it. May mga instances nga na useful iyong sinabi ni Ate Demi na trick. Sabi ni Ate Demi, parang bata raw ang mga boys at late sila mag mature, so dapat marunong ang girls na sabayan ang tantrums nila. "Also, uwi na lang ako kay Daddy. Baka siya gusto akong kausapin."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Storm sa sinabi ko, panic immediately appearing on his face. Oh di ba? Effective talaga iyong itinuro ni Ate. Di ko alam ang tawag dito, e. Basta raw I had to say na I will do something that Storm would hate or cry about para masunod iyong gusto ko. A little manipulative trick, if I might say. Di naman sinabi nina Ate Ivana, Ate Miggy, at Ate Starr na 'wag ko gawin. Baka ginagawa rin nila kina Kuya minsan?

I was already feeling guilty about doing this to Storm, but I really need him to talk. I knew the ends doesn't really justify the means but... ano pang dapat gawin ko? Pilitin ko siya magsalita? Parang di rin naman tama 'yun.

May tamang 'way ba? I need to know if there was a better and non-manipulative way. For now, okay na muna 'yung trick ni Ate Demi.

"Sorry," Storm immediately said, looking slightly afraid. "It's just me being too overprotective again. We've talked about this before and I know ayaw mo na pinipigilan kita sa choices mo," huminga nang malalim si Storm, he talked to fast he got out of breath. He then stood in front of me before held my hands in his. Nakatingala lamang ako sa kanya, waiting for what he was going to say next. "Naiinis lang ako kasi narinig ko sabi nung lalakeng patpat aantayin ka raw niya. He was talking about you with his friend, you know?"