"So, how was it?" Belle asked.
"Is he a good kisser?" Cassey asked.
"Is it just a kiss, Liza? Or there's something more?" Francine asked.
"Are you two officially dating?" Mary Gale asked.
Questions from her friends bombarded Liza after she open-up about Harry. She shared a brief history of her love life but not the intimate one, she wanted to keep it to herself. Besides nahihiya siya mag share kahit kanino tungkol doon. Ngayon, hindi niya alam kung tama ba ang desisyon niya na magsabi sa mga ito. Kanina pa siya kinukulit ng mga ito na mag kwento in full details.
They stared at her with anticipation. Nabitin sa ere ang sana'y isusubo na nilang pagkain sa bibig. Pati pagnguya at pag-inom ay saglit na natigil. They even stopped breathing while waiting for her answers as if their lives depended on it. Hindi alam ni Liza kung maiinis o matatawa sa mukha ng mga kaibigan niya.
Nakaupo sila sa pang apatang mesa malapit sa basketball court kung saan nag pa-practice ang mga kabarkara nilang lalake. Ito iyong favorite tambayan nila dahil malapit lang din ito sa canteen. All of them have the same love and passion for eating and pigging, hindi naman sila tumataba.
"Well..." She cleared her throat. Nahihiyang napahalukipkip. "He's a good kisser—"
Kilig na nag sitilian ang mga ito at naghampasan ng mga braso. "OMG! OMG!" they screamed in kilig. "I'm so kiliiiiig!" tila mga loka-loka nilang hiyaw.
"Aw!" she hissed nang kuyugin siya ng mga ito. "Ikaw na talaga girl!"
"Tell us, Liza! How did it happen?" Mary Gale asked with stars twinkling in her dreamy eyes.
"Who made the first move?" Belle asked while shaking her elbows.
"Masarap ba?" tila loka-loka na tanong ni Cassey.
"Uuy, magkwento ka nga!" busangot ni Francine.
Pinandilatan ni Liza ang mga kaibigan. Her friends has a massive crush on Harry, bagamat in a relationship na ang mga ito sa apat na pinakagwapong estudyante sa Juleto's.
She sighed. "W-well... It j-just happened and—"
"Just kiss? No intimate happenings?" putol ni Cassey sa sinasabi niya.
Napaubo siya sa tinanong ng kaibigan. Biglang namula ang buo niyang mukha sa itinanong nito. Pati ata tenga niya ay namula. Nais niya mang mag deny, but her reactions told them otherwise.
"OMG!" they gasped in chorus at nagkatinginan pagkuwa'y napatili nang malakas dahilan para pagtinginan sila ng mga estudyante roon.
"Hey!" inis na saway niya sa mga kaibigan. "Ano ba kayo nakakahiya! Hinayaan niyo ang boses niyo, ano ba—"
"So, how was the performance?"
"Is he good in bed?"
"How many times have you done it?"
"When and where did it happen?"
Halos sabay-sabay nilang tanong ni hindi niya na alam kung sino ang uunahin.
She sighed exasperatedly and glared at them. "We never had sex, okay!" she scowled in a low voice at napalinga-linga sa paligid, worrying if someone might hear.
"Huh?"
"Ano 'yon?"
"Kamay-kamay lang ganern?"
"Walang kahalayan na naganap?"
Inis na napangiti si Liza sa kaharutan ng mga kaibigan. Basta ganoong topiko ay alerto ang mga ito.
"It's just a kiss and—t-touched... But we never had sex.."
Tatango-tango ang mga ito sabay sabi ng 'aah..'
"Tama nga ako, kamay-kamay lang." wika naman ni Belle and the other girl's grin.
"So, meaning kayo na?" Cassey asked.
That caught her off guard.
Wait? Oo nga...
Are they official?
Did Harry confirm something?
Oh no...
Napatingin si Liza sa mga kaibigan. Nakabitin na naman sa ere ang pagnguya at pagsubo ng mga ito. The anticipation and suspense were interrupting them.
"A-actually... I-I don't know if—if what is our status eh—"
"WHAT?!" halos sabay na bulalas ng mga ito. May nabulunan, may biglang napatayo to catch some air, may napabuga ng soft drinks at may napatampal sa noo. They all looked at her with total dumbness on their faces.
"Goodness gracious, Elizabeth Mortoni!" maang na bulalas ni Francine. "Don't tell me na muntik mo nang ibigay 'ang petchay mo tapos..." saglit nitong ibinitin ang sasabihin para pandilatan siya. "Tapos wala kayong label?!"
"Yes! Label. As in, L. A. B. E. L.!" Cassey spelled it to her at tila nahihibang na umiling. "Nakipagchukchakan ka hindi mo jowa?!"
Oo nga naman ano? "K-kase—" Liza tried to explain only to be interrupted.
"Ano kayo, friends with benefits?!" Belle asked sternly. "Mag lalandian lang pag bet?"
"Klaruhin mo 'yan sa kanya, naku!" talak ni Mary Gale. "I don't wanna say this but, Harry Fortaleza has a reputation among women. I asked about him sa ate ko dahil naging magkaklase sila before, and OMG Liza, my ate told me that Harry Fortaleza almost slept with half of the girls population of this school during their time!"
Nanlake ang mga mata ni Liza sa narinig. "T-Talaga?"
"OMG, Liza! Ingatan mo 'ang petchay mo. Di bale nang mabulok na muna yan diyan. Huwag lang ma harvest ng maling tao," wika naman ni Loisa.
What she learned from her friends about Harry bothered her. What if, she's one of those women he kissed and bedded and dropped after. Iyon ba ang dahilan kaya pagkatapos ng nangyari sa yate ay hindi na ito nagparamdam? It's been a week but Harry didn't show up. Napalunok siya. Biglang nanuyo ang lalamunan.
No. Harry won't do that. He likes her. He said that.
"Malay mo hindi lang siya sayo malambing ano!. Marami kayo, naku!" Wika ulit ni Loisa.
Now she feels miserable and stupid. She fell into a deep conversation with her mind and heart. Hindi kaya na turn off si Harry sa pagiging straightforward niya at naisipan na nito na talikuran siya? Hindi nga nito sinasagot ang tawag at messages niya. Halatang iniiwasan siya nito.
The school bell rang, but she didn't hear it. Kung hindi pa siya hinawakan ng mga kaibigan sa braso ay wala siyang may napansin. "Huh?" She asked blankly.
Nagkatinginan ang magkaibigan pagkuway masuyo siyang nginitian.
"Hey," Cassey smiled at her. "Don't think of it too much, okay?"
"Oo nga," wika naman ni Francine. "If he's into you, gagawa iyon ng paraan para maging okay kayo,"
"But let me remind you again," Loisa said gently. "Huwag magpapahawak ulit ng petchay pag walang label okay?"
Hindi na napigilan ni Liza ang ngiti sa labi sa sinabi nito. "Pechay!" she yelled out and made a laugh kahit pilit iyon.
"Yes. Huwag padiligan ang pechay sa maling hardinero." bungisngis naman ni Mary Gale at nagtawanan silang lahat.
********
A friendly reminder, huwag padiligan o ipa harvest ang petchay sa maling tao. Hahahaha!
BINABASA MO ANG
Bewildered 🌸 (kja)
RomanceIt seems like every girl in town has their eye on Harry Fortaleza. He is both extremely wealthy and strikingly good-looking. He reigned supreme over the entire world with undying grandeur. He was successful in all areas of his life, and the beautifu...