Faizan

Two

Kinaumagahan, bumangon ako sa kama na para bang ordinaryong araw lang. The weather outside was gloomy, but I didn't think much of it. Tuloy pa rin ang pasok. Mawawalan lang naman ng pasok pag nag announce or nagpost nang announcement yung mga officials sa city.

I prepared for school, carrying my usual bag and wearing my uniform. Everything felt the same, but deep down, I knew something was off. Something about the past few days had been weighing on my chest, but I tried my best to brush it off.

Pagdating ko sa school, I sat at my desk, fiddling with my phone when suddenly, I heard someone shout, "Guys, suspend na raw!"

I looked up, at first unsure if I heard it correctly. Then the cheers of excitement started to fill the room.

"Yayyyyyyyy!"

Everyone was thrilled. I should have been too, but for some reason, I felt a little pang of disappointment. Maybe it was because I wouldn't get to see Faizan today or maybe because I had no reason to see him. I shook the thought off and stood up to leave when I heard Maia call out.

"Uy, tara mall tayo!" Maia said, her voice full of energy.

"Sige," I replied with a smile, trying to match her enthusiasm. I didn't want to feel down, not today. This was supposed to be fun.

As we gathered our things, I instinctively looked for Faizan. I didn't want to admit it, but a part of me was hoping he'd come too. Before I could stop myself, I found myself asking, "Sama ka, Faizan?"

He hesitated for a second but when I mentioned Maia's name, he eventually nodded. "Sige, game."

---
At the mall, we decided to do a bit of everything, pumunta kami sa arcades and we plan to sing at KTVs.

This should be fun, I told myself.

Unang stop namin, the arcade. We each bought our tokens and went our separate ways, exploring different games.

I walked around, looking for something to play, when I noticed Faizan standing in front of a claw machine. He was focused, eyes narrowed as he carefully moved the claw over the plushies.

Claw machines are tricky, I thought. But Faizan, being competitive and determined, kept trying.

Finally, after several attempts, the claw grabbed a plushie, a small, cute pinky teddy bear. He smiled triumphantly, and I couldn't help but feel a small tug at my heart. It was such a simple thing, but it made him happy.

Maybe he'll give it to me, a tiny voice in my head whispered, but I quickly dismissed the thought.

Bakit naman niya gagawin 'yun? Of course kay Maia niya ibibigay yung pinaghirapan niya.

I stood there, a few steps behind him, watching silently as he turned around.

"For you."

But instead of handing the plushie to me, he walked over to Maia and placed it in her hands with a shy smile.

My heart sank. Oh. I stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to feel. Jealousy and sadness washed over me like a cold wave.

Nandito lang ako sa likod mo... pero kay Maia mo ibinigay. I tried to smile, to pretend it didn't hurt, but deep down, I felt something twist inside my chest.

Before anyone could notice my silence, I quietly slipped away.

Wala namang dapat ipakita eh. Kaibigan lang ako. That's what I kept telling myself.