Drop in the Ocean (Upper East Side Three)

Chapter Seven

07 - Time

One week had passed since our trip to Balesin. Despite having that short vacation with Creia, Reizo, and his friends, I still enjoyed it and learned new things about them. It felt like I gained new friends that I will keep for a lifetime.

"Hi, Ridge!" I waved my hand and flashed my smile as soon as I saw his face. He called through Facetime.

I saw him playfully smirking as he looked at me on the other line.

"Missed me that much, Kaela?" He mocked. I glared at him remembering his fault for not calling me for almost two weeks!

Nakita ko ang pagtawa niya sa kabila ng talim ng tingin ko sa kanya.

"I hate you!" I snapped at him and rolled my eyes, which earned him a mocking laugh, which made me more furious.

"I hate you, Alistair!" I said again, and his grin never faltered despite my shouts at him.

He tried to stifle his laughs before speaking, "You don't hate me, Kaeline. You love me." Natatawang sabi niya na inirapan ko ulit.

Lagi niya 'yang sinasabi tuwing sinasabihan ko siya. Alam na alam talaga, Ridge Saavedra.

"Why didn't you call me?" Galit kong tanong sa kanya.

"I just did something." He replied. My eyes squinted at him.

"And it took you more than a week to call me? Really, Ridge Alistair?"

"Come on, Kaela..." He tried to find words but, failed. Mas lalo ko siyang tinignan at may naalala.

Ridge never did this. Well, when he does, there's something he's hiding that he can't tell me.

Tuwing ganito siya at hindi nagpaparamdam ng matagal ay talagang may tinatago siya. Because knowing Ridge, with the long time I am with him and as his best friend, he can't keep his secrets with me.

That's why, for him not to tell me things, he'll avoid me. He'll just send me a message, coming up with excuses that he can't visit me.

Sometimes, I call him when I notice that it took him long not to visit me. At tuwing nangyayari 'yon, he'll talk to me for a short time before telling me to end the call because he's busy.

And now, I know for sure that he's hiding something which took him not contacting me for more than a week.

"You're hiding something from me!" I accused. He chuckled lightly, watching me knowing his intentions for not calling me.

"I'm not." Wow! The nerve of this guy to lie in front of my face even though he's already busted.

"You're lying!"

"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry. But, I'm not lying. This isn't lying." Natatawa niya pa ring sabi kahit naiinis na ako sa kanya dahil sa ginawa niya.

"See, you're lying at me again." Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mata. "Nakipag-away ka 'no?"

Mas lalo naman siyang tumawa dahil sa tanong ko. "Ridge, I'm serious! You fought with someone again?"

Most of his secrets from me was because he punched or brawled with someone. Ayaw na ayaw niyang nakikita ko siyang nakikipag-away dahil tuwing nangyayari 'yon, nagtatampo ako sa kanya at hindi ko pinapansin.

Sino ba namang matutuwa kapag may ginawang gulo na naman ang kaibigan mo? And sometimes, nakakainis ang mukha niya tuwing nakukuha pang ngumisi kahit may pasa. Tuwang-tuwa pa talaga!

Sakit sa ulo talaga, Ridge Alistair!

Kaya ang ginagawa niya, siya ang unang nagtatago sa akin para hindi ko malaman na nakipag-away siya at hindi ako magalit sa kanya.