Letters never sent

Chapter 5

"Hindi na, may lrt pa naman!" I smiled.

Lalakad na sana ako ulit pero pinigilan na naman ako ni Archie. I gave him a confused look.

"I brought you here, 'diba? Let me take you home, come on, I insist," He said seriously.

Hindi naman talaga niya 'ko kailangang ihatid dahil nandito lang naman ako dahil gusto ko rin sumama. Hindi rin naman sasama 'yung loob ko kapag umuwi ako mag isa!

"Please?" He said.

Pucha, please raw! Nag please siya! Kailan pa natutong mag please si Archie? Bakit ba tuwing gabi, bumabait siya? Ayos din 'yung transition namin, 'no? From gustong sagasan to gustong isakay.

Hindi ko na sinubukang mag protesta pa dahil alam kong hindi naman siya papayag na hindi ako maihatid. Archie walked towards his car and opened the door for me again. Kanina pa 'to bukas nang bukas ng pinto para sa'kin, ah? May kamay naman ako pero okay, thanks.

"Kailan ka pa natuto mag please?" I asked the moment he entered the car.

"Ang sama talaga ng tingin mo sa'kin," Seryosong sabi niya habang nakatingin pa rin sa kalsada.

"De, naniniwala ako na mabuting tao ka pa rin deep inside, hindi lang ako sure sa kung gaano kalalim ba 'yang pinagtataguan ng kabaitan mo," I jokingly said.

Hindi naman siguro mabubuo ang letters never sent kung hindi dahil sa paniniwala ko na mabuting tao siya 'no.

"Ask me questions," He suddenly said.

"Okay lang ba kung itutuloy natin sa ibang araw 'yung interview? Sabihan mo ako kapag totoong free ka," I said shyly.

Archie glanced at me. Nakita ko na kinuha niya ang cellphone niya nang tumigil kami dahil sa stoplight. Hindi na siya nag abala na mamili ng kanta— hinahayaan niya lang ang random shuffle ng isang playlist.

"Ask questions... sa labas ng publication. I thought you wanna get to know me?" He arched his brows at me.

Wow, Archie exclusives ba ang tawag dito? Why does he seem so nice to me? According sa sources ko, hindi na siya kasing troublemaker kagaya noong senior high pero ganon pa rin, masungit pa rin sa lahat si Archie. Bakit parang hindi reliable ang source ko?! Si Archie ba talaga 'to? Bakit mabait naman?!

"Mukha ka naman palang mabait eh, 'no?" Wala sa sariling sabi ko. Archie laughed but it still wasn't a genuine one.

"Why? Do you expect me to punch you out of nowhere or what?" He asked.

This is the side of him that everyone hasn't seen yet. He doesn't have walls tonight. He doesn't seem pretentious. Para lang siyang isang normal na kaklase. Hindi siya ang Archie na masungit. Hindi siya 'yung bully. Hindi siya ang Archie na mataas ang tingin sa sarili dahil mayaman at galing sa maimpluwensyang pamilya.

Archie's a completely different person when he's calm.

"Hindi naman! Para ka kasing laging galit, alam mo 'yon? Lagi kang naka simangot, laging naka kunot 'yang noo. Ayos ka lang ba?" I asked genuinely.

"Before I answer, do you really wanna go home na? Can I still take you somewhere?" He said instead of answering my question.

"Saan na naman?" Sagot ko habang naka kunot nang bahagya ang noo. Hindi ko rin alam kunh bakit hindi ako tumanggi kahit na alam na alam kong madami pa akong gagawin.

"Trust me lang," Sabi niya bago iniliko ang sasakyan papunta sa kabilang direksyon. Hindi ko na kinulit pa kung saan kami papunta. Trust daw eh.

Sandali pa kaming naging tahimik bago tuluyang sagutin ni Archie ang tanong ko.

"Hindi naman ako galit kapag nasa parties, ah? I smile a lot when I'm there, hindi mo alam kasi you don't go to parties naman," He said.

Archie may be a normal college student without his facade tonight but he's still reserved. He's still not allowing me to get to know him fully.

"Hindi naman genuine mga ngiti mo don!" Pag amin ko sa napapansin ko. The smiles he had on parties were never genuine. Kumbaga ngumingiti lang dahil kailangan o kaya dahil sa alak— pero hindi dahil totoong masaya.

"As if you know how my genuine smile looks like,"

"I just know they aren't genuine," I shrugged.

Malalim na ang gabi at hindi ako sigurado kung anong ginagawa ko sa sasakyan ni Archie. Hindi na rin ako pamilyar sa dinaraanan namin pero naniniwala naman akong hindi siya kidnapper.

"I don't even know what my genuine smile looks like— ikaw pa kaya?" He said in a low voice.

I shifted my seat in order to see him a little clearer this time. Archie glanced at me for a second but his eyes immediately went back to the road.

"I don't even remember the last time I smiled genuinely," He continued.

I felt sad at what he said. Gaano katagal na ba siyang ganyan? Ganoon na ba katagal para makakalimutan niya kung kailan siya huling ngumiti?

"Sulitin mo 'tong letters never sent ko tsaka 'yung music video mo! Hindi matatapos 'yon nang 'di kita nakikitang ngumiti," I said, revealing my plan.

Archie looked at me with amusement but he remained quiet as a familiar song comes in. It was a taylor swift song.

"Wow, nakikinig kay Taylor si Archie Aguerro?" Sambit ko na tila namamangha sa nakita ko.

Hindi ko na nga halos mawari na nakikinig pala siya sa underrated opm artist, ano pa kaya kay taylor swift?

He chuckled.

"Z loves her so much eh. She used to ask me to sing for her bago siya matulog pag tapos ng therapy sessions niya before. Music calms her daw kasi. It's the least I could do," He explained. Napatigil ako sa dahilan kung bakit siya nakikinig kay Taylor.

Ever since, Archie has always cared for his sister. Magagawa niyang magalit sa lahat, maliban kay Z. Archie could be everything, but I am pretty sure that he would never be a bad brother.

"Mabait ka talagang kuya, 'no? Ayon lang yata gusto ko sa buong pagkatao mo,"

"Atleast you like something about me," He said proudly.

"Feeling ka na naman, tigil ka nga," Sabi ko kasabay ng pag irap ko sakanya.

Archie let out a small chuckle. Narinig ko na lamang muli ang boses niya nang sabayan niya ang huling linya ng kanta.

"If I'm going to be drunk, might as well be drunk in love."

Delikado 'to. Bakit parang ang gwapo bigla ng boses niya?