Smile Today

Chapter 6

"Is everything packed?" Ani Ate Polaris. Anais shook her head quickly as an answer at lalong nagmadali itong mag-ayos ng maleta at iba pang gamit.

"How about you, Isabelle?" Baling niya sa akin. Tumango lang ako rito at mabilis na sinara ang maleta bago hilain papunta sa kaniya.

Tumayo na ako at bumalik sa kuwarto ko para sandali ay tumambay bago kami umalis.

From a vacation stay at the hacienda, ngayon ay babalik na kami sa Manila dahil may pasok na in two days. We had two weeks off from school because of a heat wave or something, na ipinatupad ng school.

Calyx went outside to buy snacks for the long flight. Nakahanda na rin ang gamit niya bago siya umalis kaya wala nang naging problema iyon.

Well, it turns out Calyx told Daddy about the misunderstanding we had. So Dad told him about the stay in the hacienda and said he could join us to talk with me and settle things over.

Things really haven't been the same since we fought. The feelings I have for him... it felt like it wasn't really platonic. Parang may namumuo sa puso ko na bagay na nakakapagpatibok ng puso ko tuning kasama ko siya.

My phone rang, so I got conscious from being spaced out. Kinuha ko iyon at nakitang nagrerequest ng video call si Yori sa group chat naming apat nila Selena at Calyx.

I fixed my face and hair for a second before answering. Ayaw kong mabiktima ng pang-aasar ni Yori.

Yori and Selena have been a lot closer to each other. Feeling ko talaga mutual na yung feelings. I'll go and tease Yor later. Para hindi naman awkward if ever kasama si Selena sa video call.

Laking gulat ko ng pindutin ang accept Burton ay lumitaw si Yori na kasama si Selena. Sel was holding the phone, and Yori was beside her. They were walking side by side.

Pakshet talaga, pag ito naka holding hands pa papalayasin ko na itong mga 'to sa mga bahay nila. Malalandi!

Naunahan pa ako.

"Ahem," I cleared my throat when they looked like talking kasi simula ng sinagot ko ang tawag ay hindi pa rin sila bumabati o nagsasalita man lang. "Malalandi, tingin muna kayo dito please, maawa kayo. Kung hindi puputulin ko mga kamay niyo para hindi ma kayo makapagholding hands."

I heard them chuckle. Ang hindi ko lang kayang itolerate ay yung tunog ng tawa ni Yori. Rinig na rinig ko yung pang-aasar at pang-iinggit sa tawa niya.

"Excuse me, Yori, narinig ko 'yon. Oh ano, porke't hindi pa cinucrush back mang aasar ka diyan? Baka maghiwalay na kayo ni Selena pero going strong pa rin kami." Bawi ko.

Except those became true. They really did break up. But we aren't going strong by that time. We we're broken. How dare Calyx. He broke me into fucking pieces.

"Sus, imposibleng imposible mga pinagsasabi mo, Ris. Hindi kami maghihiwalay ni Selena. Tsaka di ka icucrush back, noh. Swear to the one sa langit, baka basted-in ka lang."

"Di kayo magbebreak kasi di naman magiging kayo! Mga hinayupak,"

Then suddenly, someone lunged at me whole I'm still holding my phone up. It hugged me from the back and layed his chin on my shoulder. Calyx.

I was startled but at the same time felt the kilig they were talking about. There were butterflies on my stomach.

Parang ilang segundo na ata ang nakalipas at hindi kami makapaniwala, kahit yung magjowa sa kabilang linya, parang papasukan na nga ata ng tuko yung bunganga ni Yori sa sobrang laki ng pagka buka.

But I assume I have the same expression as him. Or worse, maybe more than that.

Maya maya ay biglang tumawa ng nanginginig yung football player na walang itlog. Parang tanga amputa. Sige lang, ipilit mo lang bano.

Narinig ko ang malakas na hampas ni Selena sa kaniya. Ang lutong.

But I couldn't hold my laughter back anymore. Sabay sabay kaming napahagalpak ng tawa. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang malalim na boses na tawa ni Calyx na nakayakap pa rin sa likod ko.

I feel his hot breath on my skin. And the warm heat his body emits. His body was tugged into mine.

Pinilit ko nang alisin ang mga kamay niya mula sa pagkakayakap at hawak sa akin pero mas malakas ang pwersa niyang manatili. Later on, he removed his hands. Laking pasalamat naman ng kaluluwa ko iyon.

But I think he shouldn't have.

Cause right after he removed the hands, he turned me over to face him and kissed me. His kiss lasted for seconds, and my mind, heart, and body couldn't move or think.

Should I push him away, or should I let him stay?

Kahit sila Yori, I heard them gasped, but chuckled after.

Calyx stopped kissing me and said, "That's for proving that her crush will like her back, Yor."

Tumawa uli si Yori. "Par, di naman ikaw yung crush-"

Calyx ended the call and cut him off from what he was saying. Then he looked at me in the eye and winked before leaving my room.

After a few moments of lifting myself from a few deep conclusions my mind won't stop thinking about, napahilamos nalang ako ng mukha.

I lifted the hood of my hoodie to cover my self and jumped to bed.

Sana kainin ako ng lupa for now.