And Then You

8 / inggo

INGGO goes back to the Kuya Inggo Rinn knows.

The one before that night and before the kiss in the car.

The one who waves and smiles when he sees her and doesn't hold her gaze. The one who goes to lunch with one girl and goes to dinner with another. The one who didn't know na takot siya sa SOM Forest and na she can play good basketball, too.

No more hanging out alone. No more spontaneous bike rides at night. No more kissing and touching and thinking about his best friend's fucking sister—

"Kuya!"

Sabay nag-turn ang ulo ni Inggo at ni Migo sa boses na 'yon. Kalalabas lang nila from Berchmans papuntang Gonzaga.

He swallows thickly seeing Rinn's head pop out of Migo's car window, waving excitedly.

"Oh my God—Mau!" Migo runs over. "Kakagaling lang nito sa repair shop!"

"I know, kaya kinuha ko and sinundo kita." Rinn smiles proudly. "Get in!"

"Anong get in, ikaw ang mag-get out!"

"Hay nako, Kuya. I need to practice my driving din."

"Not in my car."

She raises an eyebrow. "Sabi ni Mama patay ka sa kanya if you don't let me drive it."

Hindi natuwa si Migo do'n.

Migo grits his teeth and glares at her. "Fine. 'Wag mo 'kong papatayin, ikakasal pa 'ko kay Valle and aanakan ko pa."

Kadiri, punyetang punyemas kinginang gago—

"Ew!" sabi rin ni Rinn, disgust on her face. "I love Ate Jiya, but shut up, Kuya. Kadiri ka. Pumasok ka na nga, aren't we picking her up?"

Lumapit si Cas, giving her a high-five. "Uy, Mau! Are you our chauffeur today?"

She clears her throat. "Pwede na." Her gaze goes to him, and he stills. "Hi Kuya Anton, Kuya Inggo."

Her voice is small, but she's smiling at him.

Fuck.

Anton opens the door sa backseat and ruffles her hair, and Inggo doesn't want to do this.

He doesn't want to, but he needs Rinn to know.

Walang nagbago sa kanila. Nakikita niya siyang nagf-flirt with girls 'pag nadadaanan nila ang isa't isa around Katip, pero one more clear message won't hurt, right?

He steps backward and looks at his phone. "Hi, Rinn. Sorry 'di ako makakasabay. May pupuntahan pala ako."

Migo turns to him with a smirk. "Sino na naman 'yan, bro?"

Ayan si Migo. He knows kung ga'no ka-fuckboy si Inggo, kaya hinding-hindi siya papayag kung mangyayari man si Inggo at Rinn.

Sa dinami-rami ba naman ng mga lumabas-pasok ng condo nila, what did he expect?

Even if Inggo wanted to, he could never convince Migo Rinn would be—is—different.

At gets naman niya. Kung siya si Migo, he wouldn't want someone like himself around his little sister.

So ang nasagot niya sa tanong niya: well, 'di rin naman niya kasi alam, tangina naman. "Basta."

"Ah, 'di maalala pangalan." Cas snorts. "Baka honey number four ang contact name."

"Four? Baka thirty-one," sabi ni Anton, tapos natawa sila pareho. "Bro, so what you say in bed is 'honey' ba para hindi ka magkamali sa pangalan?"

"Shut the fuck up, assholes," Inggo answers, jaw clenching. Shit. "Alis na nga ako." He claps Migo on the back and turns around.