I'm a former HUMMS student who enrolled in psychology, and he's a former STEM student who took the same course as mine.
We met during cheer dance, he was the first one who talk to me. At first, I thought we were just friends, but as time went by, I slowly fell in love with him.
I was afraid I might ruin our friendship, so I admired him secretly.
“Are you taking psychology too?” the former STEM student asked me. Habang nakayuko, tumango ako.
“Me too” ani nito. Mula sa pagkayuko, ay gulat ko itong tiningnan.
“T-Totoo?” utal kong tanong. He nodded his head.
Halos hindi ko na ito matignan dahil namumula na ako, tapos magiging classmate ko siya. No way.
“You look not happy. Ayaw mo ba akong maging classmate?” he ask again.
“H-Hindi naman, gusto nga kitang maging classmate eh”
Naging busy kami sa pasokan. We often saw each other but still communicating, and I didn't stop writing corny letters to him. He didn't know that it was me.
Hanggang sa nakilala namin si Mela, she's a nursing student. Naging kaibigan namin ni Lorenzo pero mas close kami.
“Magkaibigan lang ba talaga kayo ni Lorenzo?” she ask curiously while biting her chips.
I nodded as a response. “Oo, kaibigan lang ako sa kanya” malungkot kung sabi.
“Oh please, don't tell me na ikaw yung nagbibigay ng mga letters sa kanya?” gulat na gulat niyang tanong.
“Then I won't tell you” kibit balikat kung sagot.
“Ang corny” pag-aasar niya.
Nang mag-ring na ang bell ay kanya-kanya na kaming ligpit at pumunta sa sunod naming klase.
Naabutan ko pa doon si Lorenzo na hawak-hawak ang letter at may nakapaskil na ngiti sa labi.
“Hey!” pukaw ko dito, gulat na gulat naman ako nitong tinignan.
“Magkasama na naman kayo ni Mela no?” he ask, so I nodded.
“Kaya pala wala ka eh” hindi ko na lang ito pinansin kahit na naghuhurumintado na ang dibdib ko.
Nang dismissal ay agad ko nang iniwan si Lorenzo doon para puntahan si Mela. As much as I wanted to be with him, ay hindi muna so I could not disturb him.
“So, ikaw nga 'yon?” pangungulit ni Mela.
“Oo na, ako na nga nagpapadala. Gusto ko siya since senior high kaya lang natatakot ako kasi kaibigan ko siya at alam ko doon lang ang kaya nang kung anong meron kami ngayon” sumusukong ani ko.
“It's normal, we can't force someone to like us back” ani nito at umupo sa harap ko.
Tumitig ako sa mata nito. “Mela, you won't betray me, right?” I ask seriously.
Kunot-noo naman itong tumango. “Of course, I will not.”
“You know that I like Lorenzo so much, diba? I hope you won't say anything and don't betray me. Ikaw na lang ang kaibigan ko, maaasahan ko sa lahat” I sincerely said.
“I won't betray you. I value our friendship more than anything” ani nito.
I thought I had already found a friend I could lean on, but I was wrong. Unti-unti kong napapansin ang pagiging malapit nila ni Lorenzo.
Hindi dapat ako magselos, dapat ko siyang pagkatiwalaan, hindi dapat ako magduda, pero hindi ko maiwasan.
Hanggang sa may kumalat na lang na rumors na sila na. Lorenzo is quite famous in our school kaya hindi na kataka-taka na mabilis itong kumalat.
Halos lamunin ng pait ang buong sistema ko. Nang makita ko ito ay agad ko itong nilapitan, kita ko sa mata nito ang pinaghalong gulat at takot.
“I-Is it true?” nanginginig kung tanong.
Kabado itong tumango. “I-I'm sorry, I can't stop it. I can't help myself from falling in love with your friend.”
Doon na kumawala ang luha ko. “How?” nanghihina kung tanong.
“Remember the letter you wrote for him? He thought that I was the one who wrote it for him since I put a paper in his locker” nakayukong ani nito.
“Why did you choose to betray me? Did you even value our friendship?” I ask weakly.
“Oo, pero nilapitan kita kasi gusto ko siya pero ikaw ang gusto niya. Yung babaeng naglalagay ng sulat sa locker niya ang gusto niya.”
“Na realize ko na mas importante siya kaysa sa pagkakaibigan natin” huling sabi niya bago ako tinalikuran.
The days that followed were unbearable. Everywhere I went, I saw reminders of Lorenzo and Mela. They were together, happy, while I was left to pick up the pieces of my shattered heart. The pain was too much, and I felt so betrayed.
