Play Pretend

C.01

It had been a tiring day for Nicx, pigang-piga na ang utak niya kakaisip kung anong gagawin niyang storyline. Sa tingin niya halos lahat nagawa niya na kaya stuck siya ngayon.

As she spends her time thinking and typing endlessly in her laptop for God knows what it is about, she failed to notice the door sa coffee shop kung nasan siya opening and closing kasabay ng pagpasok ng best friend niyang si Arin.

Arin who looked really pissed at the moment.

"Nicx!" it is just now she noticed her fuming best friend walking close to her.

She smiles at the woman despite the obvious anger in its form and greeted her, "hey Arin!" however, it's then she noticed na galit talaga ito and wala siyang idea kung bakit.

"wag mo akong ma hey Arin hey Arin ha?!" her best friend's voice louder than she's ever heard yells at her.

Napatayo naman si Nicx sabay naglakad palapit dito, meeting Arin halfway.

"what's wrong?" she asked, confused.

"bakit mo pinatay si Narda?!!!!" her best friend yelled and she stopped in her tracks, looking at Arin as if she's grown two more heads.

Unang-una, who on earth is Narda? Pangalawa, based sa narinig niyang reaction ng mga tao sa coffee shop sure na siyang iniisip ng mga 'tong mamamatay tao siya. Those two reason is enough for her to gain authority and try her best to calm Arin.

"what the heck Arin? Tumahimik ka nga!" she says, voice louder than her usual calm, lively and sweet one. Arin seemed to stop her emotions, as if Nicx pushed some buttons para mawala ang galit nito.

"dang it. My best friend is a writer! Wala po siyang pinatay!" Arin says, apologizing to people inside the shop.

The tension around the area seemed to fade kaya with a sigh, bumalik na si Nicx sa upuan nito na sinundan naman ni Arin.

"what on earth was that? and who is Narda?" takang tanong nito sabay nag offer ng blueberry cheesecake sa best friend niya. She wasn't even able to eat even a bite dahil stress na stress na nga siya.

"salamat." says Arin sabay kumain nito bago nagsalita.

"I'm sorry sa outbursts, pero kasi, ginalit mo ko." paliwanag nito sa kanya.

"I can see that, pero bakit nga?" she asked sabay nagsimula na ulit mag type.

She somehow thought of an idea already.

"eh kasi nga, pinatay mo si Narda." sabi naman ni Arin that made her roll her eyes.

"who on earth is Narda?" she asked, fingers still busy.

"Narda Custodio, yung doctor na character na jowa ni Atty. Regina Vanguardia sa Unforeseen. D mo naaalala?" tanong nito sa kanya making her stop what she's doing.

Nakatitig lang siya sa screen niya habang inaalala ano tinutukoy ng best friend niya.

Somehow, those name sounds familiar.

And like memories of yesterday, she finally remembered who those two names are.

"kailan ka pa nagsimulang magbasa ng stories ko? I wrote that what? 7-8 years ago?" she asked, now back sa pagta type niya.

"I was bored, naka log in pa din sa phone ko yung mail mo from that time, may nag notif kaya na curious ako..I wanted to know you in that level, like, the old writer version of you kaya binasa ko and yeah, natapos ko agad yung story. Also, that's 9 years ago actually, College pa tayo nun eh. But that's not the point, you killed Narda. Why?" tanong nito sa kanya.

She stops typing, recalling her reason why, though it was something Arin would not like.

"wag mo nalang alamin, masasaktan ka lang." she chose to say sabay nag type ulit.

"noooo, just tell meeeee." pangungulit naman nito sa kanya in a child like voice sabay sinubuan siya ng blueberry cheesecake which she happily ate.

She thinks hard, but then, she's sure na d siya tatantanan nito if d niya sasabihin and if she lies, she's sure the woman will be hurt more, so she sighed and looked at her.

"Arin. It's a stupid reason, you'll be hurt." she said sabay sinave ang file na ginagawa niya at sinara ang laptop.

It's going to go downhill from this kaya hindi na niya ipipilit for now na magsulat muna.

Tinignan niya si Arin bago magsalita, "you really wanna know?" she asked and her best friend nodded.

"gusto ko lang, that was me not wanting a happy ending, trying to show life doesn't always go the way we plan it to. Regina and Narda deserved their happy ending, but I couldn't give it to them." paliwanag niya and Arin glared at her.

"bakit kailangan patayin?! gago?" Arin asks her and she shrugged.

"I'm sorry, it had to be done.." she said staring at her best friend, "at least, that's what I thought it should end..I'm sorry." sabi niya dito.

Arin still looks at her with a hint of anger and disappointment. She can't blame her though, unang story niya 'yun na binasa ng best friend niya tapos ganun pa ending.

She'd be mad as well if she's Arin.

"hey, Arin, I'm sorry okay? I cannot take it back na, it's been years since then. Ano nalang, ahm, I'll make it up to you..kung may request ka? as long as I can do it, gagawin ko." Nicx said, meaning every word she said as she holds her best friend's hand in hers.

Arin shook her head and shot her a smile.

"it's okay, I'm a bit still sad about it but I shouldn't have lashed like that. Alam mo naman anong ginagawa mo eh, ikaw yung nagsusulat..I'm sorry I made you feel like need mong bumawi." Arin told her, holding her hand as well.

She stares at her best friend, smiling at how everything just unfolded like that. How she's one minute mad at her then next she's not.

She shouldn't find it cute, but really, it's a rare occurrence when she's mad and that look of being mad is cute for her. Strange, yes.

"ano na naman iniisip mong bading ka?" Arin asks her suddenly that made her chuckle.

"wag mo ng alamin..let's go somewhere else?" she asked back instead.

"sure, pero may dinner sa bahay mamaya.. kailangan maaga akong umuwi." Arin tells her as she picks her laptop up for her.

"no worries, I'll send you home before that. manunuod lang tayo movie, I heard my new horror daw na palabas eh." Nicx told Arin as they exited the shop.

"yun! let's gooo!" Arin told her at inalalayan pa siya papunta sa motor nito.

"Arin, I have my car with me." sabi niya dito as she stood in front of the woman.

"eeeiii, gusto kong kasabay ka. papakuha ko nalang kay Deen 'tong motor, tara sa kotse mo." Arin told her sabay inalalayan ulit siya.

"makaalalay ka sakin, I can handle myself Arin." she said, chuckling as to how her best friend is looking after her.

"ba't kasi need mag heels eh sa shop ka lang naman tumatambay." saway nito sa kanya.

"what? I like it." she replies as she still lets Arin help her.

But she admits, it's one thing she admires about her best friend.

"sabi ko nga." sagot naman nito as they now settle inside her car.

"you should call Deen now, pag yang motor mo nawala ulit, ewan ko nalang.. I'll laugh at you na for real." she said as she started driving.

"yes mom, don't worry, I will call him now." sabi nito sabay kinuha na ang phone at tinawagan si Deen.

Nicx could only shake her head at her best friend.

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NOTE: Hi?