Invisible

18

Chapter 18 : Never

"WAS that your boyfriend?"

Nilingon ko si mama nang tanungin niya iyon. I cleared my throat. "Yes."

Nagtuloy-tuloy ako sa paglalakad papasok sa kusina namin para sana ilagay na doon ang mga gamit na dinala ko kagabi.

I felt mom following me.

"Bakit hindi tumuloy? Akala ko ba ipapakilala mo na siya sa akin?" she asked once again. Parang kuryosong-kuryoso siya dahil nakasunod pa rin siya sa akin kahit na palabas na ako ng kusina. Wala si manang doon kaya iniwan ko na lang ang mga dala ko doon. Except syempre sa damit na sinuot ko kagabi.

"Puyat siya, ma. May inutos kasi ang school samin kaya naisip ko baka hindi ngayon ang oras na ipakilala ko siya sayo." sagot ko. "Aakyat na muna ako. Puyat na puyat rin ako. Excused din naman kami kaya ayos lang na hindi pumasok sa school."

Umakyat na rin ako sa taas ng hagdan. Pero hindi pa man ako tuluyang nakahakbang ay nagsalita pa siya.

"Ask him to be here. Tonight. Have him dined here." may diing sabi niya. "I need to see him."

Tumango ako saka humikab. Akala ko magagalit siya o kaya naman ay sasabihin niyang pinagpapanggap ko lang si Weslee para maging boyfriend ko pero wala siyang sinabi. I took that as a good sign.

"Okay, ma. Papakilala ko siya sayo mamaya. Matutulog na muna ako."

I stumbled on my bed the second I arrived in my room. I closed my eyes and Weslee suddenly came into my mind. The scene inside the car hours ago came in flashback.

Should I take what he said to me seriously? That was like ... like he was confessing ..?

My eyes immediately opened up and the ceiling came into picture.

"He did not ..."

He did. That was like confessing, right? Was that his way of confessing? Did he confess like that to Trisha before too?

Iniling ko ang ulo ko. I closed my eyes once again.

"You're overreacting, Gwy. Wala naman siyang sinabi ..." I paused. "He didn't say he loves you. Or sort of ... something like that. Just. Stop thinking about it."

Did he even say it was for me?

Tumunog ang cellphone ko na nasa loob ng bag. Pikit mata ko iyong kinuha saka tinignan kung sinong nag-text.

From: Weslee

You up?

I quickly typed a reply then waited a couple of minutes before I pressed the send button. Baka sabihin niya atat akong replyan siya.

Tumunog ang phone ko. This time he's calling me.

"Yes?"

"Are you going to school this afternoon?" his husky voice asked.

"No. I'm going to sleep all day today. Bakit mo tinatanong?"

"Bawal ba akong magtanong?"

"I was just curious. Bakit mo nga tinanong?"

"Wala lang." he answered.

Napataas ang kilay ko. Wala lang?

"Why did you call me then?"

I heard him sigh. "Wala lang."

I chuckled. "I don't think 'wala lang' is an explanation, Weslee."

Hindi siya sumagot.

"Wala lang talaga ang - Wait. Tumatawag si Dab. Ibababa ko na muna 'to." I said and quickly ended the call. Hindi ko na inintay pa siyang magsalita at sinagot na ang tawag ni Dab.