Downtown Girls: Arrivederci Santander

Memory

CHAPTER 13

Arrivederci Santander

I kept on tilting my head as I searched for someone along the crowd, hoping that I'd see her around. It's our prom night and I agreed to be her date, but the girl who asked me is nowhere of sight. H'wag niyang sabihin na hindi niya ako sisiputin by the last minute? Maganda ang naging usapan namin sa Friendster, na dito na kami sa venue magkikita pero kanina pa nagsimula ang program ay hindi ko pa rin siya nakikita.

"Riv, what's wrong?" Clio asked as she sat down beside me. Tapos na pala ang prom dance at susunod na ang dinner pero wala pa rin kahit anino ni Alaska Graycochea. Hindi niya talaga ako sisiputin? "Kanina ka pa hindi mapakali diyan," puna pa niya.

I kept on searching every table and flock for her but still no sign of her. Nasaan ka na ba Alaska? I tried not to think that she might have ditched our plan but I'm not losing hope, siguro kaunting tiis pa at baka late lang siya. "Where's Raj?" I asked her, kaibigan kasi nito si Alaska.

"Nasa CR, kasama niya si Carmela," sagot naman ni Clio. "Bakit?"

"Hindi ba niya kasama si Alaska?"

Wala akong nakuhang sagot mula sa kaniya kaya naman ay napatingin ako kay Clio. She was eyeing me. Oh, dear. I know that look. "Why are you asking about Alaska? Don't tell me, siya ang hinahanap mo?" Sunod-sunod na tanong niya na may kalakip na panunukso. Napairap ako, I think I'm being obvious. But I still nodded. "Ikaw, ha?"

"H'wag kang maingay at baka marinig ka ni Selene. I don't want to be roasted tonight."

Pareho naming sinilip si Selene, thank God and she's busy flirting with Mnemosyne. I don't like her way of teasing, she's too brutal and straightforward. I'm pretty sure na isang tanong palang ay malalaman na agad niya kung sino, namumula pa naman ako sa sobrang kaba. At siya pa naman ang tipong hindi titigil hangga't hindi siya satisfied sa makukuha niyang resulta.

"Anyway, hindi yata daw dadalo si Al." Kumunot ang noo ko, anong hindi siya dadalo? We had an agreement! She can't just leave me hanging without a proper reason. "Raj told me that for the past days, Alaska was not herself."

"Bakit daw?" Nagkibit-balikat siya. Hindi ko rin alam dahil wala rin akong idea. We never even meet after our online interaction, siguro 'yong nasa labas ng hallway ang unang pagkikita namin. Kasi kapag hinahanap ko siya, she's always missing. Yes, I was secretly searching for her, hoping we could have a longer and personal conversation.  "Uh, Clio?"

My cousin didn't reply, instead, she handed me her phone. Tinanong ko kung bakit pero inginuso lang niya ang screen. When I glanced at it, Alaska's phone number was on it. "Tawagan mo na, walang Santander na duwag."

I thanked Clio for cheering me up at nagpaalam rin ako sa kaniya agad para mauna na sa kanila. Hahanapin ko si Alaska, I somewhat needed to know her reason why she's not showing up. Tumayo na ako at mahinang nagpaalam ulit sa kaniya, nagbilin na nalang ako na siya na ang magsabi ng kung anong alibi para sa akin if hahanapin ako ni Selene. She nodded and shooed me after. Nagmamadali naman akong lumabas ng Sinclair Hall para tawagan si Alaska.