Unfinished Tale (✔️)

Kabanata 28

TW: Sexual Harassment

Cleotha

"L-Let's go..." Nanginginig ang boses ni Ate nang sabihin iyon. Marahan na niyang hinihila ang braso ko palayo kaya sumunod na rin ako palabas.

We were sharing the same heavy breaths as we went out of the school. I looked at her. She looks horrified for I don't know the reason why. Para din siyang nakakita ng multo.

"Ate... do you also find them familiar--"

"Yes."

Nagulat ako sa agarang pagsagot niya kahit hindi pa man ako natapos sa pagtatanong. Her grip on my hands became tight but not to the point that it is hurting me. She looks at me in the eyes as if she was proving me something.

"To be honest, iyong lalaking kasama mo sa picture, nakita ko na siya sa personal before noong nag-traffic at sa kabilang kotse nandoon siya. I remembered you looking at him too as if you felt strange feeling. We probably had the same thought that day because he's familiar to me."

Umawang ang labi ko sa sinabi niya. Naalala ko ang araw na iyon. Why would I forget that day? It was the first time that I saw him. The first time that I felt weird familiarity toward him. Familiarity of euphoria and grief. I even glanced at Ate Claire that day as if I was asking for her help to soothe that unfathomable feeling inside me.

"And... those other two guys as well that I saw in College Department, katulad lamang din ang naramdaman ko. Pamilyar din sila sa 'kin, and I couldn't really pinpoint if where the hell did I see them. Well yeah, I just recently knew Maverick when he carried you from almost falling in front of Casa de Leon last month, but that day, I already found him familiar. And the way he looks at you... brings eerie feeling to me. I can't explain it properly." Diretso siyang tumingin sa 'kin.

Napalunok ako sa sinabi niya. Akala ko ako lang ang nakapapansin. I thought I'm just too paranoid because of the way he stares. I'm somehow glad that someone can understand me because she also feels the same.

"That guy you were with on the picture, what's his name? I wanna know." Unti-unting sumilay ang ngiti sa labi niya.

Natigilan ako at hindi agad nakapagsalita. Why? Does she like him? Napakurap ako sa naisip. Paano kung oo? Pero... may kasama naman siyang ibang lalaki kanina at iba ang ngiti niya. Why would she ask his name? Baka kaibigan niya lang naman ang chinito na lalaking iyon?

"Why do you want to know his name?" Hindi ko pinahalata na iba ang iniisip ko nang tinanong ko 'yon.

Her eyes squinted at me. "Because I just wanna know? I want to know the secret rendezvous of my little sister." She grinned at me and afterwards, she laughed at my reaction.

Natigilan ako. Did I overthink too much? Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit nakahinga ako nang maluwag. Naramdaman ko ang pagsukbit ng braso niya sa aking braso nang magsimula na kaming maglakad.

"He's not my secret rendezvous," depensa ko at nag-iwas ng tingin nang nang-aasar siyang tumingin sa 'kin.

"Really? What's his name again? I think I know him."

"Leviathan Quevedo," nakayuko kong sagot, nakatingin ang mga mata sa mga paang gumagalaw. Naiisip ko ngayon na ganito pala ang pakiramdam kapag naglalakad sa labas ng paaralan. Kapag nagco-commute, nagta-taxi at sinusundo kasi kami ng parents namin ay diretso na agad kaming sakay kaya hindi ko alam ang pakiramdam noon ng naglalakad papalayo sa school.

"Quevedo..." Umaktong nag-iisip si Ate. "Sounds familiar. I think I've heard that surname before sa pag-uusap nila Mom at Dad. But anyway, I'm really happy that they've been busy the past days. It's like a freedom for me. I don't need to act as a perfect daughter and a person because I can be the person that I want to be. The authentic me." She smiled widely at me.