Euphoria: Dosage of Rhapsodies

Chapter 48

He disappears from my sight without even talking to me. Kahit simpleng 'hi' ay hindi niya ako nagawang bigyan. And I don't have someone in my mind rather Stacy who I should blame. 

Sinamaan ko ng tingin ang ngingiti-ngiti sa akin na si Stacy, kaya para maputol ang kaligayahan niya, I dragged her away from the set. Hinila ko siya sa lugar na makakapag-usap kami nang hindi nakikita ng mga crew.

"You intentionally do that, do you?" 

"Do what?"

"Huwag ka nang magtanga-tangahan! Alam kong sinadya mo na itulak ako palapit kay Echo… just so Eli will be able to see me standing close to Echo! You're aware that he's coming and that's why you do that, 'di ba?!"

And as she giggle at me while watching my face beginning to form a line, mas lalo lang niya akong iniinis. 

"Hmm, what if I really intentionally do that-"

"You!" Instead of slapping her face, I just grabbed the collar of her polo shirt. "Hindi lang paninira ng pamilya ang itinuro sa iyo ng nanay mo, 'no? Now, you're training yourself to ruin my love life. What's next, Stacy?"

"Buhay mo naman." 

At hindi na ako nakapagpigil pa na sampalin ang mukha niya. I could clearly see her attempt na ibalik sa akin ang sampal na ibinigay ko sa kanya, ngunit kaagad ko siyang napigilan.

"You will never touch my face unless you sanitize your hands." Sa kabila ng inis na nararamdaman ko towards Stacy, I managed to draw a smirk on my lips. "And how much you try to ruin my life, you will always end up with only one result---you will just end your life miserable… not mine."

I winked at her. "Mark my words."

Pinabayaan ko na siya roon na maiwan bago ako bumalik sa set. I'd still hope that would be enough para tantanan na ako ng babaeng 'yon… but I know her… mukhang walang pagbabanta ang makapipigil sa kanya. I will accept my defeat because that woman successfully ruined a half portion of my life… Now I'm being problematic about how I will make up for Eli? 

"I'm sorry if naging reason man ako kung bakit ganyan ang mukha mo," wailed Echo as he sat next to me.

Clasping a bottle of water and keeping rotating it in my hands, I was just silent until he approached me.

"But if he truly trusts you, he'll still listen to you after a couple of days. Bigyan mo lang siya ng oras na makapag-isip, sigurado naman akong hindi gagawing big issue ni Eli ang tungkol sa nakita niya kanina."

"Hindi man kami gano'n ka-close sa isa't isa, nagkakaroon naman kami ng interactions ni Eli kahit papaano. Nagkakilala kami nang makasama ko siya sa second lead role drama niya, ang 'Snow Flower,' and being part of the drama had give me the opportunity na makilala ko pa lalo si Eli. I could say that he's a good person. He's very understanding."

By just letting my peripheral vision work at this time, I could clearly see that from facing the ground, Echo turned his gaze at me. "One thing you should do is to trust him, and I know he trusts you very much. Hindi ako 'yong lalaking pagseselosan niya. Believe me."

Still remaining of playing the bottle around my hands, I forced a small smile. "I really hope that one of these days, he'll let me speak. He'll let his ears hear what my tongue has to say." 

"It makes me feel nostalgic as I start reminiscing the old days… of my old self, being weak since then. And it feels like I'm getting back to my old self right now. Still weak… still not capable of standing strong like I always wanted for myself," I added, out of the blue.

"Stop saying that." And his hands are looking for my shoulder to hold. He forces me to look at him while I countlessly avert his gaze to meet mine. "No one deserves to be labeled by their past, especially those who are trying to be better."