PabStell // crush

02.

Weeks had passed since that happened. We were at the field for our Phys Ed class. Today, we were with the other section. Some played volleyball, others basketball, and some badminton. I sat under a tree, the heat oppressive, and I didn't want to sweat. It was fine that I wasn't playing; there wasn't a teacher supervising anyway.

Pablo leaned against the tree trunk nearby. In the distance, I saw him-his laughter bright, a wide smile on his face-happily playing badminton. My attention was completely focused on him when someone spoke beside me.

"Hi, can I sit here?"

I looked up at the voice and nodded.

"Thank you," she said, settling down beside me.

I sighed, leaning back against the tree trunk. She did the same, but sat on a large rock instead. I returned my gaze to her when she spoke again.

"Siya ba?" she asked.

I looked at her, a puzzled expression on my face. She was referring to the boy playing badminton, his every move fluid and graceful.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the school grounds as she and I sat there, the remnants of our conversation hanging in the air like unspoken words.

"Siya ba ang dahilan kung bakit mo ako ni-reject?" She repeated , echoed in the quiet of my mind.

"I rejected you?" I asked back. The memory of her hurt expression, a stark contrast to her usual vibrant energy, was a painful stab.

"You don't remember, I confessed to you weeks ago, sa rooftop," she'd reminded me, her voice barely a whisper. I mused over it for a while, the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

"It's you, I remember," he'd blurted out, the words tumbling from his lips. The apology followed swiftly, a rushed, almost frantic murmur, "I... I'm so sorry."

"You don't need to apologize," Yna said, her voice soft, a hint of melancholy in her tone. She smiled, a genuine, heart-warming smile.

"I'm just here to say thank you. Thank you because of you, I experienced being in love, even if it was just for a short time. My high school days... they were fun, because of you."

Her words were a balm to my wounded conscience. The guilt gnawed at me, a persistent, uncomfortable weight.

"Still, I own you an apology," I said, my voice barely a whisper. The words felt inadequate, insufficient to express the depth of my regret. But they were a start, a first step towards making amends.

Yna chuckled, shaking her head. "You don't have to," she insisted, her eyes sparkling with a light that surprised me. It wasn't the light of unrequited love, but of acceptance, of peace. "I've moved on," she continued, her voice gaining strength. "I'm happy now. So don't feel sorry."

Her sincerity was palpable, a comforting warmth that spread through me. She extended her hand, her palm open, a gesture of reconciliation. "Friends?" she asked, a question hanging in the air, light and hopeful.

I hesitated for only a moment, the weight of my past mistake momentarily heavy on my shoulders. But then, I took a deep breath, a smile slowly spreading across my face as I clasped her hand. "Friends," I echoed, the word feeling both liberating and strangely poignant.

They talked for hours, oblivious to the world around them. the two were lost in the intricate dance of reminiscence, each memory a step closer to understanding, to forgiveness, to closure.

Unseen, unheard, a pair of eyes watched them from behind a thick oak tree.

Pablo leaned back, The humid air hung heavy, thick with the scent unspoken words.