The Mendacious Top Tier

Chapter 10: Unrequited Love

"Why are you late?" he asked seriously. I looked at my phone. I was only three minutes late.

"Just tell me what you want me to do, Henry, so this would be finished right away. I still have a lot to do," I said and crossed my arms.

"The first rule is that you will be my friend. You need to make me laugh, smile, and cheer me up when I say. Let's study together at kung may hindi man ako maintindihan na topic, kailangan mo 'yun i-discuss sa akin hanggang sa maintindihan ko. Do you agree with the first rule, Lyra?"

I breathed heavily. "I don't have a choice but to agree with it."

"The second rule is that you need to answer and reply to every call and message that I make to you. Our agreement will only end in three months. Then after, I will delete all my copies of the video, and I will forget that it exists." 

"It's like you will make me look so obsessed with you even if that's not the case," I said irritatedly.

"I don't fucking care if that makes you look like a stalker of mine. All I want is to be ahead of you. Gusto kong maranasan din ang maging Top 1, Lyra, kaya ginagawa ko ang bagay na 'to," he said while pointing his finger at me.

"Stupid," I said in a low tone. He seemed to have heard it.

"I'm stupid?" I looked at his hand as it trembled with anger. "Kung makapagsabi ka sa akin ng stupid, it's like you have no weakness."

"Apart from my grades and my parents, I really don't have any weaknesses anymore. You know, you have a lot of weaknesses, like being bo—"

"Hindi mo ba kahinaan si Ash?"

I suddenly paused when he said that. Did he know?

"Ash is just my friend, but he's not one of my weaknesses," I said seriously.

He nodded. "Narinig ko masakit ang unrequited love. Hindi ko pa 'yun nararanasan, but from your reaction now, it's like you've already experienced it."

"You're wrong, Henry. I haven't experienced that yet and I don't think I will experience that one-sided love," I lied while faking my smile.
 
"Alam kong matagal mo nang gusto si Ash, but you deny it now. Natatakot ka bang sabihin ko 'yun kay Ash?" He smirked.

"As I said, I don't feel anything for him."

He suddenly looked at my hand. "I didn't know you were fond of sweets."

I looked at what I was carrying. I was carrying Mr. Milk pa rin pala. "Why not? It's delicious naman."

"Naalala ko noong first year high school tayo, someone gave you sweet drinks at itinapon mo lang sa basurahan, dahil ayaw mo nang gano'n. Did anyone give you that?"

"You still remember that one pala, but I want something different now, Henry. I think it's normal for us to change our tastes. People change, you know," I explained. He seemed to be disappointed with what I said.
 
"Tomorrow, we'll start with the rules I gave you," he said and stood up from his seat. I just nodded. 

"Good luck, Lyra." He left the restaurant after saying that.

                               ***

"Have you received the answers to your assignment na, Scorp?" I asked.

"Natanggap ko na, Ly. Thank you talaga," she answered from the other line. "Oo nga pala. Ano pala ang mga rule na ibinigay ni Henry sa 'yo, Ly?"

"He said I should be his friend, but it seems like he will make me look like his stalker," I said and got out of the car because I was in front of the school na.

"Hindi kaya may gusto siya sa 'yo, Ly? Kaya gumawa siya ng rules para may chance rin na ma-in love ka sa kaniya?" Scorp suspected.

I went to the library first. I wanted to read some books. "I don't think so. He told me that he wanted to be ahead of me, so he did it," I explained.

"Baka ginagawa niyang reason 'yan para mas mapalapit sa 'yo. Alam mo naman, Ly, marami na akong nababasang fiction books at comics na ganiyan na ganiyan ang galawan. Baka in love na talaga siya sa 'yo, Ly." She giggled, para siyang kinikilig.

"It's impossible that he's in love with me, Scorp. If only you had seen his reaction last night, you wouldn’t think of such things as that. Fiction and reality are different, so don't base what you read in fiction books on our reality."

When I got to the library, I immediately rolled my eyes at the bookshelves.

"Medyo may point ka sa last na sinabi mo, Ly."

I paused when my eyes saw something. I felt my knees weaken and my heart ache.

I had no rights, and mas lalong walang kami.  Of course, couples do that, but why do I still get hurt every time I see them like that? Why was I still stuck in this kind of pain? The pain of jealousy. The pain of loving him. The pain of choosing him. The pain of this unrequited love. What I only did was to love him, but do I deserve this kind of pain?

                               ***

"Three packs of red Marlboro cigarettes," I said. The cashier seemed hesitant when I said that.

"Minor ka pa ba?" Her eyebrows raised. 

"Three packs of red Marlboro," I said again.

"Kung hindi mo sasagutin ang tanong ko, hindi ko rin 'yun ibibigay sa 'yo," she said.

"Yes, I'm a minor. Can I have the cigarette now na?" She did not answer. "You don't need to worry, I have the money to pay for it." 

"Alam ba 'to ng parents mo?" I suddenly paused. "Hindi, 'di ba? Kaya bumalik ka na lang dito kapag hindi ka na minor. Para mabili mo n—"

"Then will you take responsibility if I commit suicide?" I asked seriously.  

She didn't seem to believe what I said. "Bakit kayong mga kabataan ngayon, ginagawa n'yo nang biro ang suicide? Para lang sa bagay na 'to, nasasab—"

"You don't know what's happening in my life and I'm not joking around. I honestly feel empty inside now, and I don't like this feeling. I just want to survive this day. So please, just give me that cigarette." I gulped after I said it. The cashier stared at me intently and handed me three packs of cigarettes. I gave her the money and left the store.

Mabigat ang nararamdaman ko every step I took. I hadn't done much today, but I was already tired. I looked like a zombie walking now. Walking like a corpse.

A few minutes later, I was here in the old park that I sometimes visited if hindi pa bukas ang palagi kong pinupuntahan na malapit lang dito.

I sat on a swing and opened a pack of Marlboro. I took one and lit it. I put it in my mouth and exhaled the smoke in front of me. My mind started to feel relaxed.

A few hours later, I had finished the three packs of Marlboro. I got up and was about to buy another pack of Marlboro when someone called my name.

I turned my attention to him. How did he know I was here?