Beneath Your Smile (The Old And The New Series #1)

Kabanata 37

Kabanata 37

"Is she okay?" Uella.

"Lumalabas pa ba ng room si Eanne?" Nova.

"She dropped out of school?" Sora.

"No. No, she's not." Toby sighed. "She's... She will be back at school after this week ends. Mom won't side with her. Eanne already had enough."

"Maybe... I think she needs time. There's no wrong in stopping for a year." Uella.

"Mom would accept it if she wanted to stop going to school but... Eanne's already graduating. This is her last year..."

"I won't mind if she will be my classmate for the next school year." Sora.

"Stop talking about, sweet E. Pumunta na kayo sa baba. Rito pa talaga kayo sa harap ng kuwarto niya nag-uusap usap. Paano kung narinig kayo no'n? She will be mad at all of you. Baka hindi na naman tayo nito pansinin." Ely.

"Tatawagin mo siya?" Nova.

"Yup. Tita Artemisia asked me to fetch her."

"Okay." Toby sighed. "You're the one who can understand her. She won't even accept our help so... good luck."

I heard retreating footsteps.

"I am the one who can understand her because you're all giving her the reason of not going to believe in love again. You kept on dictating Eanne to stop thinking about him... that he will not come back. That's not right. Let Eanne think that he will go back again until she gets tired and her own body will eventually stop thinking about him... Just don't push a person's mind, body, and soul to move on because it can't be done in just a snap of a finger. It needs time... realizations and the drive to eventually forgive and forget a person whom you think will be your partner in life..."

The silence enveloping the whole place broke when I heard my door's door knob being twisted. Agad akong humarap sa kabilang pader at nagpanggap na natulog.

"Sweet E?" Ely's voice and footsteps rose in my room.

I closed my eyes and didn't move. Ayaw kong lumabas. I am just going to see their pitiful looks on me and it's already too much. Gano'n na lang sa tuwing lumalabas ako ng kuwarto ang ipinapakita nila na mukha sa akin. Kinakawawa dahil sa nangyari na pag-iwan sa akin ni Demetrio.

I felt Ely hug me. Kahit na may makapal na comforter na nakabalot sa akin ay ramdam ko ang init nito. "Sweet E, kain na tayo." Ngunit hindi ko ito pinansin. Hindi rin ako gumalaw para isipin nito na tulog ako. "I know you're awake. Nakita kong gumalaw ka kanina pagpasok ko."

I mentally groaned.

Ely kept on hugging me not until I moved. Lumayo ito nang kaunti nang ako'y humarap sa kanya.

He smiled. "See. You're just pretending to be asleep."

"Did you like Nadia Maria?" I asked, ignoring what he said.

His forehead creased at my question. "I don't?" Hindi ito sigurado.

"Did you like her when you introduced her to me the first time when I asked you to buy me food at McDo?"

"What? That's not your first time meeting each other! The first time was when you also requested food from McDonald's. Masakit lang tingin na binigay mo kay Nadia noon at hindi nagpakilala. Maybe you already forgot about that 'cause the second time you and her met was the only thing you remember."

"But you like her?" ulit ko

"No, of course! She has someone she loves, okay?"

"And who's that? I bet it's you." Nagtaas pa ako ng isang kilay habang tinitingnan ito sa mata. I don't want him to to lie kaya kapag magsisinungaling lang din ito, I want to catch it.