Find me in your pages | THE WATTYS 2023

Chapter 18:

Bumalik na ako sa school and of course Lucas was happy to see me. "Good morning Xerena! Ang tagal mo din nawala. One week di ba? Everyone missed you, lalo na si Cleo."

"She called and texted me several times and told me she really missed me." Pagpapaalam ko dito. "Anyways, Raya wants to talk to us daw sabi ni Cleo. I said no, unless you want to have a word with her too of course, sasama ako sayo. Don't want anything to happen to you. Nakakatakot pa naman mindset nang ex mo." Biro ko kay Lucas.

He doesn't seem to be okay with it, and he looked like he was deep in thought. "I guess we can hear what she has to say."

"You're joking? After what she did to you?"

"Xerena I...I still love her. Okay? So maybe hearing her out could be a good thing, what if she changed? It's okay if you don't wanna go with me anymore after this. I can talk to her on my own." I couldn't believe what I was hearing right now. I can't believe Lucas still loved someone like that.

"I'm still going with you, Lucas. Minsan talaga tanga ka sa pagibig. Para kang ako nung kami pa ni Nikolai." Biro ko dito. Deep down I only wanted him to be safe. Who knows what Raya could do to him? "When will we see her?"

"I'll message her. We can go see her today so we can just get this over with." I can see the worry in his eyes, maybe he was still hoping to have Raya back. Maybe he turned a blind eye on Raya trying to win Nikolai's heart after their breakup, or maybe it's something else. "Is it really okay if I take you with me?"

"I offered to tag along, Lu. So of course ayos lang yan sakin." I reassured him.

Cleo saw me sa hallway along with Lucas kaya agad naman sya na kumaway sa amin. "Hi, Xerena and Lucas!" Bati nya pa sa amin. "What's up?"

"We're going to see Raya later..." sagot ni Lucas and Cleo seemed surprised. "I just want to hear her out before finally breaking my connection with her."

"I see...So pupunta rin si Xerena? Since she told me she will if you're gonna go kasi!"

"Yep. I'll be going with Lucas. Just to make sure he will be safe. I don't trust Raya after what she did to Lucas." Banggit ko dito. I was always blunt with my words, they say I'm pretty harsh but what matters for me is I'm telling the truth than lying. "Will Raya be okay if I have you around as well?"

"Yep she said I can be there naman if I have time...if you're going, I'm gonna go with you as well!" Cleo exclaimed. Lucas was already texting Raya on his phone as me and Cleo talks.

"She said let's meet her at the coffee bean shop in bgc." Lucas announced after nya ichat si Raya. He looked a bit gloomy but it was understandable. It was his ex that he loved after all. "We should go now. Traffic pa naman kadalasan, plus wala naman na tayong classes."

"You have a point. Tara na!" Cleo invited bago sya mauna palabas. Syempre ako na naman tong makikisakay sa mga sasakyan nila.

Sinundan ko naman si Lucas at Cleo papunta sa parking lot. "Come in." Aya ni Lucas sa akin at agad naman akong pumayag, dala ang aking bag. Doon ako sa may likuran samantalang si Cleo ay nasa civic nya. I closed the door at nagrelax sa likod. "Are you mad at me, Xerena?" Tanong ni Lucas noon nakapasok na sya sa unahan.

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"You just seem like it...Is it because sinabi ko na mahal ko parin si Raya?"

I nearly choked from his words dahil muntik na ako matawa. "Is this supposed to be some kind of joke? Why would I be mad over that kind of thing?"

"Baka kasi sabihin mo napakatanga kong tao para mahalin parin si Raya."