𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗨𝗧 [𝙴𝙽𝙷𝙰𝚂𝙴𝚁𝚈𝙴 #1] 𝙹𝙰𝚈

28.

Christine's

"Tsk." Rinig kong asik niya. Hindi niya ako tinignan nang makapasok ako sa loob ng kotse niya. I also noticed that his hair is shorter compared last time when I saw him.

"Sorry. Hindi ako nagising sa alarm." Sinuot ko muna yung seat belt. Medyo basa pa rin yung buhok ko. Hindi na ako nakapag-blower sa pagmamadali.

"Yeah. Whatever. You always make me wait." Sagot niya lang. Nagsimula na rin siyang mag-drive.

It's more than a month when we last saw each other. That night when he came here. Nung Valentine's. Nung birthday ni Sunghoon.

Isang week na lang bago matapos ang March and that also means na April na. Our birth month. We haven't talked since February. Masyado rin ata kasi kaming busy sa school and I don't think that's a big deal since he didn't answered that one night when I called him.

I badly wanted to ask him about his last message pero parang may pumipigil sa akin. I don't know if I was too shy to ask or too guilty because I felt that I made him waited that day.

Mom told me that Jay went to our house at six, expecting I would be there because our dismissal is five. I don't know what's gotten to him why he suddenly wanted to tell something to me. Until now, that remains a mystery.

"About that day" I gulped when he started to speak. "Just forget about it." Pagtuloy niya. I looked at him and he was looking straight on the road.

That day, what do you really want to tell me? I felt something void within me upon hearing that words from him.

Sir, I think about it for more than a month but now you're telling me to forget about it.

"Oo naman. No biggie." Sagot ko. I turned my gaze on the window. The clouds are dark. Will it rain today?

Nagpark siya sa pwesto malapit lang sa entrance ng mall na pinuntahan namin. Tita Janine already set an appointment for us dun sa boutique ng kaibigan niya.

I remember, we stopped celebrating our birthdays together when we were in eighth grade. Since our 9th birthday, laging iisang party lang ang nangyayari. Mama and Tita Janine agreed na magcelebrate kami ng sabay since we have the same birthday. Mula nung umalis si Papa para mag-work sa Canada, I refused to celebrate my special day. I just felt incomplete. I remember Jay didn't talked to me for weeks dahil nagtampo siya nun But afterwards, bigla niya na lang rin ako kinausap, saying he's sorry and he understands me.

Kadalasan, isang beses lang siya pwede umuwi sa Pilipinas. Ever since he flew to Canada, I told him to fly back here on Ni-ki's birthday.

Mom persuaded me so hard this time to celebrate my eighteenth birthday. Tita Janine suggested if Jay and I can celebrate it together, again, just like the old days.

"You don't have to agree with Mom about this. If you're-"

"I want this, Jay. Wala naman ako dito ngayon diba kung ayoko?" Pagputol ko sa sasabihin niya.

"I was just asking. Why are you yelling?" Sambit niya at bumaba ng kotse. Ganun na rin yung ginawa ko.

"I wasn't yelling!" Singhal ko pabalik.

"You just did, again." Hindi na ako sumagot pa. Hindi ko alam kung ano ba ang problema niya. Kung masama ang gising niya kanina, huwag naman siya mandamay.

We haven't seen each other for so long but that doesn't mean that he has the right to be rude.

Umaakyat agad kami sa boutique na sinasabi ni Tita gamit ang elevator. Walang nagsalita kahit na sino. Nakakabingi ang katahimikan. Parang hindi ako sanay.