Red Strings (Strings Series #1)

Chapter 1

"Yca"

Tawag ng blockmate kong si Janine dahil malapit na magsimula ang klase.

"Bilisan mo Yca, baka dumating na yung prof tatakbo tayo papuntang room"

Bakit kasi napakahaba ng pila dito sa canteen. Gusto ko lang bumili ng makakain kahit papaano bago ang first subject. Pero nevermind, I can't afford to be late on the first day of class.

"Tara na nga, napakahaba ng pila dito. Mamaya nalang ako bibili"

Tumatakbo na kami ni Janine papuntang classroom dahil ayaw naman naming ma-late pero bahagya akong napahinto nang makita ko si Gab na papasok na rin sa classroom nilang nasa 3rd floor kaya napatingala ako. I saw how he quietly entered the room and bowed to his teacher.

I divert my attention and look ahead sa dinadaanan namin ni qJanine habang tumatakbo papunta sa classroom.

"Buti nalang wala pa si Sir. Ayokong magkalate sa class record" sabi ni Janine nang makaupo kami sa mga silya namin.

"Nakita mo ba?", tanong ko.

"Ang alin?", Tumahamik kami saglit.

"Ah si Gab! Kamusta na ba kayo?"

Mejo napalakas ang pagkasabi niya kaya sinenyasan kong hinaan ang boses niya.

Naalala ko na naman ang ginawa kong katangahan noong summer vacation. I just really can't get it out of my mind. I am always reminded of it kapag nakikita ko siya.

*Flashback*

I messaged Gab para umamin.  Supposed to be, magbibigay ako ng letter sakanya sa grad ng SHS kaso hindi ko nabigay dahil sobrang aligaga ako and it just happened too fast.

Me: Hello Gab! I don't know if you'll read this letter that I was supposed to give you but I forgot to give it to you so I took a pic nalang hehe. Nakakahiya but yeah I feel like I really need to tell you this.

The letter:

Hi! I think this will be the first and last letter ko for you since we will be parting ways na. Thank you for being part of my Senior High School Journey. I don't even know if you are like... familiar with me but yeah. I don't usually write letters but  here I am hehe. I faced my fears to write this and give it to you. I think I've liked you for a long time now and it's dangerous lol. Btw, I hope that when you are reading this, you are alone because I can't with anyone who'lll read this other than you. I am not asking you rin pala to reciprocate my feelings. It is my decision to confess and you don't have any responsibility towards me. Thank you for being the best in me and I hope mag succeed ka in the path that you will take. Xoxo, take care!

- Yngrid Caroline

Gab: Hi! Thank you for the admiration towards me. I really appreciate it, really. It's okay, wag ka mahiya. It tooks a lot of couraga para umamin so I understand.
                                                - Gab

Omfg!!!! I'm screaming!! He did not-

Hindi ko na siya nireplyan. Kaya lang naman ako umamin kasi akala ko magkakahiwalay na kami ng school ngayong college. I thought I could save myself from embarrassment after umamin but I'm wrong. Maraming options na school but I enrolled here in Ateneo to pursue AB Literature and he also did came to the same school to pursue Engineering.

*end of flashback*

"Janine! Why naman ang ingay mo! He probably forgot about it already. After 3 months of vacation, maalala niya pa kaya yon?"

"Oo naman pero what if ma develop pa nga kasi same school kayo"

Janine wasn't my schoolmate in SHS but we met during enrollment and it happened that we always go to coffee shops during vacation and we eventually got close. Luckily, magka block pa kami.

"I don't even know if I'm rejected or not. He just thanks after all pero sabi ko rin naman na he doesn't need to reciprocate my feelings. Di ko rin naman akalain na same school kami sa college. Sobrang nahihiya ako sakanya, mas gusto kong umiwas."

After all the self-introduction like the usual first day of school scenarios, luckily wala pang mabigat na school tasks. As it should!!! Baka next week pa? Please wag naman, please!! We decided to go in the Cafeteria since hindi ako nakabili bago magstart ang class kanina. Sobrang nagugutom na ko and my stomach speaks for it.

Marami na ring tao nung dumating kami kaya mejo siksikan pero nakabili naman ako agad dahil well, we find ways!!! Hehe.

Umupo na kami ni Janine at kumain nang parang nabawasan ang ingay kaya nagtaka ako.

"Ahh", mahinang bulong ko sa hangin. May dumating na 4 na lalake. They have different personalities, you can tell just by looking at them. I am familiar with them because they are my batchmates from Senior High. I suddenly thought andaming taga dati kong school ang nag enroll in Ateneo. Ibang klase!

I am most familiar with that one person who is with them. Gabriel Carlos.

He wears glasses and you can tell that he's very studios. He plays piano and tops our class way back then. Too good to be true as I must say. He looks very quiet kaya mukha siyang intimidating. No wonder kaya andami ring nagco-confess and nag a-admire sa kaniya.

The other 3 is his friends which I knew as well. We are not that close but we casually talk during SHS days.

Alfred, Felix and Vince. Compared kay Gab, they look outgoing and radiate big extrovert energy. They already attract the crowd ngayong first day palang.

"Hello Yngrid, may kasama ba kayo? Can we join you guys here?", tanong ni Vince sakin. I just nod and continue eating. They initiated to start a conversation.

"We went to the same school pala nung SHS. Oh and btw I am Vince, you can call me "Iche" pronounced ee-che. That's just a nickname tho, for informalities.", he laughed a little.

There's a bit of silence so ako na ang sumunod para mag introduce. I hate awkwardness and sinusubukan kong basagin yun to set the momentum lalo na't kailangan kong kumalma. Nandiyan lang si Gab sa gilid.

"I think you guys already know me since tinawag niyo 'ko kanina but you can call me "Yca" as in ayka as my nickname rin. Di kasi ako sanay sa Yngrid."

"I am Felix. Wala akong nickname so it's just as is. Sino nga pala siya?"

Oh they probably don't know Janine and I haven't introduced myself yet.

"This is Janine, my friend from and also my blockmate." They all extend their arms for a shakehand, pati na rin si Gab.

"Hello, nice to meet you all! Actually, Jananica name ko pero I go by the name Janine or Ja. I just feel like it.", ngumiti naman ako at napansin ko rin ang pag ngiti ni Felix. Hmmm...

"Well, me. My name is Alfred. I just hangout with these dudes, I have no choice". Tumawa ang mga nasa table setting a light mood.

"Oh btw this is Gab pala!"

"Stfu Iche! I can speak for myself. Hello please call me Gab!", Tipid niyang sabi.

What happened with the letter, confession or whatsoever? Did he already forget it? Well that's a good thing to avoid awkwardness. Just pretend that it didn't happened, cool. Pero bakit there's a part of me na nalulungkot? Maybe he also remembered but didn't want to open since we're with other people. Ang hirap niyang basahin, to be honest.