Scarlet's Letters

SL: Fifteen

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Raspberry yawned and did some stretching exercises. Ikinurap-kurap niya ang mga mata at pinagsawa ang mga mata niya sa tanawin sa baba. Nakatambay lang siya sa terasa ng bahay. Minutes ago, she was checking her old email and encountered an email from the publisher. She received congratulations, and she was even offered a writing contract to be officially their author. The problem is, she's not really into writing romance.

Iniisip niya kung itutuloy niya o hindi ang offer nito. Paano kung hindi niya ma-meet ang expectations ng publisher, ng mga editors? Isama na ang mga readers na ng Scarlet's Letters. Katatanggap lang niya ng Royalty sa libro niya. Harmony even knows her bank account. Ano pa ang hindi alam ng babaeng iyon?

Nag-reply na lamang siya na pag-iisipan pa niya ang alok nito at nilagay na rin ang impormasyon niya, her writing style and her genres preferences. It's her day off now and she decided to just stay at home.

"If you'll get close to me. Would it stay the same? Magkausap pa rin ba tayo hanggang ngayon?" she asked and bat her eyes. Mixed emotions. If she's having mixed emotions, her eyes have this tendency to create tears and she didn't want it to show to Lirio. Her crying face and that would mean, she's really affected.

"I don't know. I don't understand why keep yourself away from me. Ilang beses kong inisip noon kung may ginawa ba akong masama sa 'yo. But it turns out..." he trailed off and looked at her straight in her eyes. His face was reflected by the moonlight. Kahit ang paghampas ng alon ay hindi sapat para pahupain ang delubyong gumugulo sa sistema ni Berry.

"I don't like you scheming and setting up plans to make it more chaotic," she said, trying to maintain her composure. "If you're planning to sue me, then do it."

"I am not that shallow. Even though I became a silly laughingstock at my company because of the book, I will not sue you. Gusto ko lang malaman kung bakit sinulat mo iyon."

"And what? To flatter yourself?" Naging matiim ang mga mata nito. She avoided his eyes because she couldn't stare at them any longer. Instead, she turned her head to the silent sea. "Are you sorry for my teenage self?"

Hindi ito nakaimik at doon niya nalaman ang sagot niya. "You don't have to be. It takes a mutual agreement, even a silent one, to get closer to a person but I decided to be just on the side."

"Makikita pa ba kita?" he asked randomly and she was a bit taken aback. They're from different worlds now. She left the corporate and he's in corporate now. After this Alumni Homecoming, they would go on their own ways.

"I hope not," she muttered but enough for him to hear.

"That kinda hurts, you know?"

Naipilig na lamang niya ang ulo at tuluyan nang tumayo sa upuan. Mas lalo siyang kukulitin ng isip niya kung nakatambay siya sa bahay.

Nagpalit siya ng damit, oversize shirt at baggy pants. Itinali lamang niya ang buhok into a bun at tanging islander lang ang pansapin niya sa paa. She prefers wearing comfortable clothes. Minsan lang siya kontodo bihis. And she's not fond of putting some make-up. Nangangati siya.

Nssa CDO na nakatira ang kanyang buong pamilya maliban lamang sa nakababata niyang kapatid na si Freya na nasa Oslob.

Minsan, pinagtutulungan silang tuksuhin ng mga dahil maski boyfriend ay wala siya pero wala naman siyang pakialam. Choosy? Not really. Wala talaga siyang amor sa mga lalaki. Well, except for one but that was years ago. Naitirik tuloy niya ang mga mata niya nang maalala na naman ang lalaking iyon. It's been months since she left the resort in rush.