First Meet

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I kept myself busy for the past weeks. Minsan, nag-uusap kami ni Kiko kapag nagtatagpo ang oras namin while Imo and I haven't talk properly since that. Pinipilit ko rin ang sariling huwag na masyadong isipin iyon dahil may mga bagay na mas mahalaga pa kaysa doon.

And I assume that they are already in a relationship so...

I accept my defeat.

At ngayon mukhang halatang halata na naman na may problema kami ni Imo kaya gumawa na naman ng paraan ang mga magulang namin para magtagpo kami. May salo-salo daw na hinanda ang Mama ni Imo kaya pinapapunta kami doon. Tinawagan nga lang ako ni Papa kaya nauna na doon si Mama at sinabing sumunod na lang ako. Madalas kasi akong utusan ni Mama na pumunta sa kanila at lagi naman akong may excuse kaya nahalata nila. Ang hirap pa kasi kahit anong tago ko alam ni Mama ang nangyayari.

Noong hindi na niya napigilan ay tinanong niya ako kahapon kung ano talaga ang nangyayari sa amin ni Imo na lalong nag udyok sa kaniya na paglapitin kami ni Imo.

"Gusto mo ba siya?" she wiggled her brows. I sighed. It's her nth time to ask that. I'm doing some plate and here's my mother, annoying me. I gave her a scowl.

"Ma, may ginagawa ako oh,"

"Oo o hindi lang naman tapos titigil na ako," she giggled.

"Oo na, Ma. Sige na..."

She laughed and turned her back to me. Kung alam ko lang na hindi niya na ako guguluhin kapag sumagot ako sana kanina ko pa ginawa.

That's her reaction when she heard my answer. Hindi naman na niya ako kinausap tungkol doon pero minsan kapag kumakain kaming dalawa bigla na lang siya titingin sa akin at mangingiti bago mag-iiwas ng tingin. Gustong gusto ata si Imo sa akin. Unfortunately, I think the news that he likes me is false information.

Umasa ako, oo.

But I just need to keep my life going.

Mukhang mababaw pa lang naman ang nararamdaman ko sa kaniya at baka may pag-asa pa na makaahon ako. Iniisip ko na lang na baka masyado lang ako nadala nang nalaman kong nagkagusto sa akin si Imo.

He's the one I spend my life with after all.

It's just normal to misinterpret my feelings for him.

At mukhang bagay naman sila ni Julia.

But still, fuck him.

I wore a maong skirt and a gray shirt with a graphic design on it while wearing my Air Force 1. Katatapos lang ng tawag namin ni Papa kaya ngayon lang ako nakapag-ayos. Agad naman akong umalis ng bahay dahil tawag na ng tawag sa akin si Mama, sinisigurado kung pupunta ako.

As if naman na may magagawa ako.

I stopped 50 meters away from their house as I felt my heart stung at what I saw...

I saw them...

Kissing...

I want to back out...

I probably underestimated my feelings...

Because it hurts...

So much...

"Julia-" my forehead creased when Imo tried to push but Julia pinned herself more. Mukhang ayaw niyang hawakan si Julia pero noong huli ay tinulak niya ito.

My mouth went open.

What's happening?

"Julia, ano ba?!" he pushed his hair back. "I already told you right? I didn't like you. Can't you understand?"

I know it's wrong, it's wrong to hear this, it's wrong that I'm invading their privacy and especially it's wrong that I found hope when Imo said that he didn't like her. It's wrong... It's all wrong...

But it feels so right at the same time...

Julia looked at her with teary eyes pero sinubukan pa rin tatagan ang loob ang muling hinalikan si Imo. Bigla akong nakaramdam ng awa sa kaniya at lalong tumindi iyon ng malakas siyang tinulak ni Imo.

I immediately saw the guilt in Imo's eyes. Tutulungan na sana niya si Julia ng kusa itong tumayo at malakas siyang sinampal.

"How dare you!" she sobbed. "You make me feel like I'm special to you! Then you're rejecting me right now?!" She punched Imo's chest. "Dahil ano?! Sa kaibigan mo, ha! I'm even more beautiful than her! You fucking idi-"

Hindi siya pinigilan ni Imo. Tinanggap niya lang ang bawat suntok ni Julia sa kaniya. I really want to pull Julia's hair because of what she's doing. But I understand where she's coming from and I know that Imo will understand her too.

"I'm sorry..." Imo whispers. "But I'm not sorry about the part where I fell in love with my best friend..."

What...

"You may look more beautiful than her in other people's eyes but for me...

I bit my lip.

"Claud is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen..."

I gasped as I saw the pain in Julia's eyes.

"I'm sorry if you misinterpret my actions towards you... I just didn't imagine you would think that because this is how I normally treat others. I'm sorry if you think I make you feel that you're special to me like what you're thinking... But I just like you as a friend and not more than that... I hope you understand..." he smiles. "We should probably stop seeing each other 'cuz you deserve someone that will like you the way you like them and I'm not that person."

He chuckled. "I'm hopeless. I don't think I can't unlove her anytime soon. Iniisip ko nga baka dumating na ako punto na habang buhay ko na lang siya mamahalin ng patago..." he warmly smiled.

The words he said went free in my mind. I just stand there at the back of the tree for an hour kahit nakaalis na silang dalawa. Nakita ko pa na tumango si J ulia at may sinabi kaso hindi ko na narinig dahil iniisip ko pa rin ang mga salitang binitawan ni Imo. I don't know what to feel. It's mixed emotions... I'm happy, at the same time I'm scared of not knowing why and at the same, nervous... I feel like I want to break down and I don't know why!

I don't know what to do.

"Nasaan ka na ba, Claudia?!" bungad sa akin ni Mama pagkatapos kong sagutin ang tawag niya habang nakatayo at nakatulala dito sa likod ng puno. "Hindi kami makapag-umpisa dahil wala ka pa! Hindi ka ba pupunta?!"

"U-uh... papunta na po..." I hung the phone up and zone out for another 10 minutes before I finally decided to come inside.