The Perfect Boyfriend List

Chapter 35

[Chapter 35] A Secret

I thought having a dinner with Mom and Dad was the awkwardest dinner I have in my entire life. But I guess another record has surpassed the past one.

Wala kasing makakatalo sa thrill at horror ng mag dinner kasama ang dalawang bombang handang sumabog anytime. When I tried to open a topic, para akong aatakihin sa grabeng bilis ng tibok ng puso ko. They're acting like angry animals with fake smiles plastered on their lips. Grabe. Palagi silang poker face.

Ilang araw na rin akong naghihirap dahil sa paggawa ko ng dahilan to at least lighten up the mood. I tried joking about something but Kuya Troy is not the same Kuya I'm playing with before. Parang sa pagdating ni Wren, he suddenly changed.

He was always dragging me onto something na hindi namin makakasali si Wren. Ito namang si Wren, todo iwas sa bawat plano kong paglapitin silang dalawa. I'm the one whose having too much stress thinking about what kind of activity should I do para lang mag-usap silang dalawa.

"Don't stress yourself about this," Liesl suggested. "The world is made for the opposite. Sadyang ayaw nila sa isa't isa. Pabayaan mo na. It's not a big deal anyway."

I decided to get some help to the world's bestfriend, si Liesl. Pero parang hindi din niya masasagot yung mga tulong ko. Because at some point, she was so problematic about Clay.

"Bakit ba ganyan ka ngayon? Ang tamlay tamlay mo," I said. "Last few weeks, you were so happy. Bakit parang bumaliktad ata ang mundo? Okay ka pa naman nung party. May sakit ka ba?"

She sighed. "People change, Rach. And no. I have none."

"I know. It was only a phrase," I said. "Ano bang problema? Is there a problem between you and Clay ba?"

"Wala," she answers even though I know na meron. Ganon kasi si Liesl. She doesn't particularly shouts her problem in the whole world. And if she doesn't want to share her problem to me, I'll just keep quiet and wait for her to say anything. "Just don't think too much about it. Magkakasundo din yung dalawang ugok na yun. Birds from the same feather, flock together nga diba?"

Kuya Troy does have a bad name. May pagkabad boy kasi siya. But with his charm, matching dimples and sweet smiles, you'll probably misunderstood him as a bad boy-slash-prince-charming. Kagayang kagaya ni Wren, ika nga ni Liesl.

"But this one's different," I countered. "Kung ikaw kasi yung makakakita ng itsura nilang dalawa facing each other, you will instantly see that they have a hidden bitter history behind them."

"Baka assumera ka lang," Liesl said. Kapal! At ngayon, nahawa na siya sa kabwisitan ni Wren? "Knowing you, napakadami mong maling akala sa mundo."

"Shut up," I said. "I trust my instincts and I believe that my hunch is true this time."

She shrugs. "If that's what you want to believe, I can't force you," she tells. "Pero hindi mo ako mapipilit na maniwala sa isang maling bagay na ayaw kong ipilit mo nang ipilit sa utak ko."

Inirapan ko siya. "It's weird though. Bakit tayong dalawa lang ang magkasama ngayong lunch?"

We were used to have Will on our side. Wala din naman kasi siyang ibang kaibigan aside from us. Kaya wala siyang pwedeng ibang samahan sa recess and lunch but only us.

Nasaan kaya yung lalaking yun? Bakit MIA?

She gathered her books. "Aalis na pala ako."

I frowned.

"Wag mo akong tignan ng ganyan, babae," she said. "Wala akong magagawa kung sobrang busy ng mga tao ngayon. Uso din kasing gumalaw galaw. Usong maging busy."