All Along

Beginning and End

Marjorie walked out of the room, made her way to their room and went straight to the walk-in closet. She hurriedly packed her bags and walked back to Gerome's room.

"I'm leaving. Just tell everyone I left. Tell them I had to leave because of a family emergency."

"No, Marj. Don't leave now. How will you get home? Plus gabi na. It's not safe that you're gonna travel alone. Please stay. If you want to leave, kahit bukas na."

"I can't stay here any longer, Gerome. Ever since I met Sierra, I knew there was something I should be worried of. And I was right. One of you is bound to have feelings for each other...and it's you. So just let me go. You're free, Gerome. I thought I could fight for you but now I know that it would just be a fruitless attempt."

Naiiyak na naman ang dalaga dahil kahit anong gawin niya, alam niyang malaki ang lamang ni Sierra sa pagmamahal ni Gerome. For Marj, it was time to end the relationship..before the pain and doubt become even more unbearable.

Gerome was left speechless once again but he managed to hug Marj tightly. He wanted to at least make her feel that he also loved her but that love wasn't enough to keep their relationship going.

"Tama na, Gerome. I'll go now bago pa mag-bago ang isip ko. Goodbye Gerome, thank you for what we had but I guess this is the end"

Marj picked up her bag and set out to go home. She managed to find a cab that would take her to Loakan Airport so she could get on the earliest flight she can find to go home.

* Back at the Rest house *

Everyone decided to get ready for dinner. The bonding they had while swimming was a good experience for all of them. It was already around 7:30 when they all gathered at the kitchen for dinner. Gerome felt well enough to join the group for dinner, he was quiet but it was obvious something was bugging him.

"Ge! Hoy Gerome! Where's Marj?" tanong ni Sierra habang bumababa ng hagdan.

"Uhm. Well I was just waiting for you to come down. Si Marj...uhhh, she had to leave. Kasi may emergency sa family nila. Her dad called her and told her to come home" pagsisinungaling ni Gerome.

"What kind of emergency?" tanong naman ni Sam.

"Marj didn't say. Kinailangan talaga siya ng parents niya so she left. Nahiya nga siya because di na siya nakapag-bye sa inyo"

"Sayang naman. Sana okay lang family niya" ani Yen.

"Oo nga bro. Send our regards to her" dagdag ni Sam.

Sierra was unsure of Gerome's story. Nahahalata niya sa aura ng kaibigan na meron itong tinatago.

"Bro, you missed out sa bonding namen kanina. At merong big na revelation si Samuel" paglihis ng usapan ni Ernest

"Revelation? Ano yun?" kinakabahang tanong ni Ge.

"Alam na ni Gerome yun, guys. That's why it took me so long to come swim with you guys. Di ba I told you guys I talked to Gerome? That was it. I told him first because I wanted to see kung okay sa kanya. Syempre si Ge ang best friend ni Sierra and he is also a good friend of mine kaya I wanted to tell him first"

Slowly, nadismaya na naman si Gerome. Alam niya kung ano ang pinaguusapan nila. Iniisip nito na dahil alam na ni Sierra ang nararamdaman ni Sam para sa dalaga, wala ng halaga na sabihin nito kay Sierra ang nararamdaman niya.

"So, S...alam mo na?"

"Uh eh...oo, Ge. Sinabi na ni Sam kanina. Nagulat nga ako e. Kala ko niloloko lang ako"

"Lolokohin? Pag niloko ka nitong si Samuel...ako ang makakalaban niya" seryosong sagot ni Gerome.

"Protective best friend! Wowww ha. Parang tatay nga actually" biro ni Fred at Enrique.

"I won't hurt Sierra. Di pa man kami or di man maging kami, I will make sure na masaya siya if she gives me the chance to court her" sagot ni Sam habang tinititigan si Sierra.

Lahat ng mga kaibigan ay inaasar si Sierra at kinikilig sa sinabi ni Samuel. Si Gerome naman ay mistulang masaya para sa kaibigan pero sa loob nito ay nasasaktan siya. Kung mas maaga lang siguro niyang na-realize na si Sierra ang mahal niya, di na sana siya nagaalangan ngayon.

"Gerome, maguusap tayo mamaya ha. I can tell that something is bothering you" pabulong na sabi ni Sierra sa kaibigan.

"Huh? What about?"

"Basta...mamaya na when we're done dinner"

Tinuloy nila ang dinner while planning their last day in Baguio. After dinner, they all decided to hang out sa backyard. They watched the stars while sipping on their coffee and making kwento about their lives. Nasa isang sulok si Gerome at Sierra at naguusap ng masinsinan.

"Hoy Gerome, I know you very well...alam kong nagsisinungaling ka kanina about Marj. Nag away kayo noh? Anong ginawa mo?"

"What are you talking about? Atsaka, kapag nag away kami kailangan ako agad ang may kasalanan?"

"Wag ka ng magkaila Gerome ha. Just tell me the truth. Bakit biglang umalis si Marj? At di mo man lang sinamahan yung girlfriend mo"

"Well... di ko naman matatago ng matagal ito sayo, S." huminga muna ng malalim ang binata at sinumulan ang kwento sa kaibigan. Ikwinento nito kay Sierra ang desisyon nila ni Marj na maghiwalay na for their own good and sanity.

"WHAAAAAT?! Wala na kayo? Anong nangyari?" gulat na sagot ni Sierra.

"Ganun talaga, S. Sometimes things dont work out the way we thought they would. Malungkot pero mas okay na yung maaga naming nalaman na we aren't meant to be together"

"At paano naman kayo tumungtong sa conclusion na yun? Did she say she doesn't love you? May iba ba sa buhay niya? Sa buhay mo? naku Gerome, wag mong sabihing niloko mo lang siya.. dahil kahit best friend kita...di ko maa-accept na nanloloko ka ng babae"

"S, di ko siya niloko. Minahal ko siya. She is special to me, as I am to her. Pero hindi na enough na reason yun for us to stay together"

"Eh bakit nga?" paguusisa pa rin ng dalaga.

"Basta...malalaman mo rin ang reason later on"

"Bakit later on pa? Now na. Sabihin mo na"

Just then, pinuna ng mga kasama nila ang sariling mundo ng dalawa at inusisa kung ano ba ang pinaguusapan nila.

"Hoy Gerome, Sierra...ano ba yang pinaguusapan niyo diyan?" tanong ni Fred.

"Yeah, what are you guys talking about? Don't tell me ako ha, kasi baka naman kung ano ano ang sinasabi mo diyan kay Sierra, Gerome. I'm a good boy, wag mo ako siraan ha" biro naman ni Samuel.

"Tangek! Meron lang kaming dini-discuss about sa next trip ng families namin." palusot ni Gerome.

"Aba, Samuel defensive ka ha? Meron nga ba akong kailangang malaman na mga kalokohan, hmmm?" banat naman ni Sierra.

Nagtawanan ang lahat at inumpisahang usisain si Samuel. Papalapit na sana ang mag-best friend sa mga kaibigan ng pinigilan muna ni Gerome si Sierra.

"S..yung sa amin ni Marj, sa atin na lang muna ha."

"Okay fine. Basta you still haven't told me yung reason kung bakit talaga kayo naghiwalay"

Tiningnan ni Gerome ng masinsinan si Sierra habang sinsero nitong sinabi...

"Remember when Marj said that destiny is something we also choose to go for? Well this is it, Sierra..... Marj is helping me go for my destiny"

**** TO BE CONTINUED ****

A/N: Hello po sa lahat! I hope you enjoyed reading the update sa story na ito. Please do comment and vote for this story and share it to all the people of the world! Chosss! Anyway, I'll be updating po again soon....hopefully in a couple of days kasi back to school na ako tomorrow so medyo busy na again. Kapit po tayong lahat for the upcoming events ng story :) God bless everyone and lots of lovelovelove to all <3

ps. Goodbye na ba talaga kay Marj? Sasabihin pa kaya ni Ge ang nararamdaman? Will love take its course for Sierra and Sam? Let's find out as I continue to write the story po and hopefully, as you all continue to read :) THANK YOU NGA PO PALA FOR HELPING ME REACH 4000+ READS. Malaki na po yun for me kaya, thank you! hehe. And sa pag-vote din po. Daghang Salamat :)