What Happened? || MaColet (BINI #1)

Chapter 25: Model

When we reached Aiah's house, manghang-mangha pa rin si Maloi. She was looking around the house and was mesmerized sa mga furniture na nakikita niya.

"Bakit parang amaze na amaze ka?" I asked. "You've been here before right?"

"Yep, first meet natin dito. Tapos ang sungit mo pa, akala mo never akong magiging crush." She pouted, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Buang."

"Oh, you guys here na pala. Sit down. Let's wait for my student, medyo na-traffic siya. May sinundo raw siya kasi kagabi na sakit sa ulo." Aiah smiled at us at pinaupo na kami sa couch.

Napatingin ako kay Maloi. Hindi ba siya ’yung sinundo ni Mikha kagabi?

"Sakit sa ulo raw?" Maloi asked and knitted her brows. "Pero maganda?"

Aiah chuckled. "I don't know. Ang sabi lang niya sa ’kin is may sinundo siyang friend niya tapos nang makarating sila sa condo niya is napakaclumsy raw. I don't know the details. Why? Do you know my student?"

I tried to suppress my smile. Kilalang kilala po niya ’yung sinundo at hindi na ako bago sa pagiging clumsy ni Maloi. Noong may practice pa kami palagi siyang nakakasira ng props. Ano pa kaya sa condo ni Mikha?

"Not familiar po, pero baka kapag nakita ko e masabunutan ko." Maloi smiled sweetly as if she didn't threaten Mikha. Baliw talaga.

"Gusto mo ba ng drinks, Mary? I can get you some." Aiah offered but Maloi shook her head.

"I'm fine, and it's Maloi na lang or Loi," she answered then the latter nodded. "Parang hindi pa tayo nag-usap dati, napakaformal mo."

"Ganyan talaga si Aiah, kapag nasa bahay niya akala mo sobrang bait." I rolled my eyes.

"Mabait talaga ako, sadyang sinasagad mo lang pasensya ko. Sino ba namang matutuwa, pupunta ka lang dito para manggulo. Kita mong napakabusy ng tao," she retorted and knitted her brows. "Also, Maloi is far different from you, ’no?"

"Am I missing something here?" We heard Mikha from behind kaya agad kaming napalingon. She looked surprised to see us both kaya nanlaki ang mga mata niya.

"You—"

"Yes, us." Maloi smirked. "Kilala ko na ’yung tinutukoy mo nung gabi." She wiggled her brows para asarin si Mikha, at ’yung isa naman agad na namula.

"Did you tell her anything?"

"No, why would I?" Maloi asked and smiled. "Upo ka muna. Mukhang napagod ka kasi sa bisita mo kagabi. Sakit pa ba ulo mo?"

Mikha fell silent. Halatang kinakabahan siya. I remembered hindi pa pala niya alam na I'm friends with Aiah. Last time kasi na kasama namin si Mikha at niyaya ko si Aiah ay busy siya. They didn't know that we're in a same circle. Masyado lang malaki, pero sakop pa rin.

Mikha didn't know na kilala namin ang tinutukoy niyang babae while she was drunk. May mga videos pa nga si Maloi at Sheena roon pero hindi na lang nila nilabas dahil baka maoffend din itong isa.

"Tell me what?" Aiah asked at pinagsalit-salitan ang tingin kay Maloi at Mikha. "May kailangan ba akong malaman?"

"Nothing, ate Aiah. She's bubbling nonsense." Mikha nervously chuckled at pasimpleng kinurot ang hita ni Maloi.

However, aside from Mikha, may iba pa siyang dumating na bisita. Hindi ko talaga alam bakit kami pinapunta ni Aiah rito. Lalo na ako na wala talagang hilig sa arts. Pwede pa si Maloi kasi nagd-drawing siya, si Mikha, student niya. Tapos ako?

"Ah, Christian, you're here na pala. Have a seat with my girlies." Aiah smiled at the guy at umupo naman ’yung Christian sa single couch. He wasn't smiling pero may itsura siya. I never met him before and never ko siyang nakita with Aiah so baka baguhan lang din or another customer na naman.

"Christian, this Colet, Maloi and Mikha. I know you know Mikha. And Colet, Maloi this is Christian. He's one of the best student slash artists sa department namin. He's here because he wants all of you to be his model." Aiah smiled and looked at the guy.

"Model saan?" Maloi asked. "I don't pose po."

"Hilig mo kaya magselfie." Hirit ni Mikha.

"What do you mean model, Aiah? Did you ask us to meet you para ireto na maging model nito?" I asked and even pointed Christian. Hindi ko alam pero naiirita talaga ako sa aura ng lalaking ’to. Tipong wala pa siyang ginagawa nabibwisit na ako.

"Look, ganito kasi ’yan. Let me explain okay?" She sighed. "Mayroon kasing gaganapin na event sa department namin next month. Exhibit siya, parang portrait pero with our own art style. Napili kaming dalawa na magdraw ng tag-three students from different departments at ilalagay iyon sa exhibit. I chose Gwen and Sheena already and then the dean asked me to include Jhoanna on my team."

"Sa dami dami ng magagandang babae sa University, kami pa talaga?" I scoffed. "Anong mapapala sa ’kin nito? Hindi nga ako nagagandahan sa sarili ko."

"Para sa ’kin, maganda ka." Hirit ni Maloi dahilan para mapatingin ako sa kanya.

"Harot." Mikha rolled her eyes.

"As per you, Colet. Wala ka talagang choice. Ikaw talaga pinili ng prof mo kasi alam niyang ayaw mo sa ganito. He said that if you didn't cooperate, detention ka na. May kasalanan ka pa raw sa kaniya." Aiah shrugged.

"Ako?" I asked and pointed at myself.

"Yes, he said binato mo raw siya ng papel." Christian intervened.

I furrowed my brows. Sino roon? Wala naman— "Piskit. Ang tagal tagal na non?"

"It's fine, Cole. I'll be there for you." Maloi smiled.

Hindi ko talaga alam kung anong trip ng mga ’to pero hindi na talaga ako natutuwa.

***

Maloi and Christian entered the drawing room first. Hindi kasi gusto nung lalaki na mayroong nanunuod kaya nagsara sila ng pinto. Ang nakakairita lang kasi bakit si Maloi mauuna? Pwede namang si Mikha?

"Matagal pa ba? Isang oras na sila sa loob." I leaned back on the couch and looked at the ceiling. "Miss na miss ko na si Maloi."

Aiah immediately looked at me with furrowed brows. "Ay grabe siya. Isang oras pa lang wala ang enemy." She then sat beside me. "Umamin ka nga sa ’kin, Colet."

"Bakit ako nung umamin, ayaw mo?" Mikha pouted.

"Buang." Aiah replied to Mikha before turning to me. "Kayo ba ni Maloi?"

I shook my head at umayos ng upo. "Not yet. Why?"

"Anong not yet?" she asked with a high pitch. "Akala ko ba ayaw mo sa tao tapos ngayon namimiss mo na?"

"People changed, Aiah. Once you learn how to love, you'll understand me." I stood up at pumasok sa drawing room kahit alam kong bawal.

I want to leave Mikha and Aiah for a while. I know there's something between them. Parang may gusto silang pag-usapan at hindi nila magawa ’yon dahil nandoon ako.

When I entered the room, I saw Christian smiling at my girl. He didn't smile a while ago when meeting us tapos ngayon ngiting-ngiti siya kay Maloi?

"What are you doing here, Colet?" Christian asked na halatang nawala sa focus.

"I just want to look at what you're doing." I answered while looking at Maloi with so much pride.

Who would have thought that this beautiful girl in front of me would be my soon to be girlfriend?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" tanong ni Maloi na naiilang na.

"I like to admire what's mine."