Chapter Two

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HINDI AKO NAKAPASOK NANG biyernes. Nagising na lang kasi akong inaapoy ng lagnat at hindi makatayo.

Ito siguro yung sinasabi nilang 'sa bawat saya ay may kapalit na kalungkutan'. Kay bilis namang bawiin, ano?

Kinausap ni Mama ang aking adviser kaya excused ako sa klase but my mind was worrying about other things.

A person.

What if makahanap si Soren ng ibang partner para sa Arts? What if we suddenly lose our connection just because we did not talk today?

I can already imagine the conversation he's having with some of our classmates.

Soren, may partner ka na ba sa Arts?

Meron na sana kaso wala siya ngayon, e. Gusto ko na sanang umpisahan.

Gusto mo tayo na lang?

I internally screamed.

But it wasn't internal at all.

"Zander, napano ka na?" Umalingawngaw ang boses ni Mama mula sa unang palapag ng aming bahay.

"Ha- ah, wala po, Ma! May pinapanood lang po!"

I scolded myself for worrying over such thoughts. Kahapon ko lang nakausap nang ganoon si Soren, bakit kung tratuhin ko siya e parang matalik kaming magkaibigan? Si Soren lang naman siya, why would he matter that much?

Dahil si Soren siya.

I almost cried at that thought.

And once again, I was in the classroom with him. We were talking about mundane things, and he was laughing— his laugh that sounded like clouds on a sunny morning; enough warmth but not too blinding.

Ano bang nangyayari sa akin?

When I looked at the door, my sister was frowning at me. Para bang hinuhusgahan niya ang buong pagkatao.

"Bakit para kang iniputan ng sanlibong kalapati? Did your boyfriend break up with you?"

She sounded so dull and uninterested, parang naistorbo ang tulog.

Nang akala ko'y wala na akong lakas, mayroon pa palang sapat para ihagis ko ang isang unan sa aking nakatatandang kapatid (na walang kahirap-hirap niyang sinalo).

"Wala nga akong boyfriend!"

Ever since I came out as gay to my family (which was years ago), hindi natigil ang ate ko sa pang aasar sa akin tungkol sa mga naging nobyo ko. I was never in a relationship.

"Whatever- naghihintay sa'yo yung manliligaw mo sa labas. Paaakyatin ko na."

Before I could process anything, ate Elisse started walking away.

Manliligaw? Sino? I do not have a guy friend. Or maybe she's just toying with me?

SoulmatesTahanan ng mga kuwento. Tumuklas ngayon