POSSESSIVE 24: Ream Oliveros

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5

REAM LOOKED AT his friends who decided to stay in his condo when he clearly didn't want them to stay. It was morning and they were all huddled in his living room with empty liquor bottles around them. Kahit anong pagpapalayas niya sa mga kaibigan niya, ayaw ng mga ito umalis.

"Seriously." Ream sighed. "It's morning. My head is still ringing. I'm drinking no more."

"Just drink, Oliveros," ani Lysander. "Hindi ka namin nasamahan kagabi sa paglalasing mo kaya ngayon na lang."

Nagsalubong ang kilay ni Ream. "But I'm good now, really. Makakaalis na kayo."

"We're good too, so let's drink," ani Shun sabay inom ng beer mula sa bote. "Bilhan ka na lang naming mamaya ng pang-paalis ng hangover kapag nalasing ka ulit."

Napailing na lang si Ream. "Wala ba kayong mga trabaho? It's a weekday, people. Time to work."

The lunatics in the living room just shrugged and continued drinking. Napailing na lang ulit si Ream dahil alam niyang hindi aalis ang mga baliw niyang kaibigan.

"So..." Calyx opened another bottle of beer and looked at Ream. "What happened to you last night? Come on." He grinned. "Let it all out. We will be your therapists today."

Siyempre, hindi magpapatalo si Iuhence. "Ayon sa tsismis na nasagap naming mula kay Dark, emosyonal na tumawag ka sa kaniya kagabi—"

Binato ni Thorn ng throw pillow si Iuhence. "Cut it out. Para kang tsismoso na nagbabalita. I mean, tsismoso ka naman talaga pero hindi maganda pakinggan."

Iuhence cleared his throat. "Okay. Take two. Ayon sa tsismis na sapilitang nalakap naming mula kay Montero, naglasing si Ream dahil kay Syl."

Bumuntonghininga si Ream sa kabaliwan na naman ng mga tsismoso. "Seriously, if you want to know something, just ask."

Iuhence grinned. "Great! My question is, are you broken-hearted, bud? You got drunk, after all."

"I honestly don't know what I'm feeling right now and what to do with it. I'm moving on, so..."

"Moving on?" Calyx frowned and looked at everyone. "Puwede pa lang mag-move on kahit hindi naging kayo?"

Ream showed his middle finger to Calyx. "I have feelings too, you motherfucker. Unlike you, idiots, I'm not going to force myself on her. I'm into her and I want her so much, but if her happiness means me stepping back, then so be it."

Lath chimed in. "Hindi mo liligawan? Women like it when they're being pursued."

"Not all of them." Sumandal si Ream sa likod ng sofa na kinauupuan. "It's like this, lunatics, if the woman is into you, she'll like it. But if she's not, then it's stalking. Hindi man sa 'kin sinabi ni Syl na ayaw niya sa 'kin, ramdam ko, okay? So, I'll move on, maybe visit my mom in Norway, or whatever. I have to get away."

"May mga babaeng mahilig magpakipot," wika ni Shun. "Baka isa siya do'n?"

Umiling si Ream. "I don't think so. She's just not interested. I can tell."

"So, you're just going to leave?" Lysander asked, frowning like he couldn't understand Ream at all. "Just like that? You're not going to make an effort for her to see you? To like you?"

"Callahan, I understand what a 'no' means and she said 'no'. I gave her my number as a last resort, but nothing." Ream blew out a loud breath.

"Baka naman nag-iisip pa siya." Ayaw talaga siyang tantanan ng mga kaibigan, lalo na si Vergara. "Maybe you have to wait for a little while or be persistent, maybe?"