Of Thunders, Cigarettes, and Heartbreaks (Sweater Weather Series #1)

Chapter 34

Home

I never truly understood how a person's eyes could light up until I saw his after I kissed him on the cheek and the fireworks in the night sky reflected in them.

Kasabay noon ay ang malakas na sigawan ng mga kaibigan namin sa paligid. Mayroong sumasayaw, nagpapaingay gamit ang takip ng kaldero, at nagwawagayway ng alak. Everyone was having fun, and even though my heart felt heavy earlier, their presence, along with Sanjo's, made everything feel lighter.

"Merry Christmas, baby..." he whispered back.

I grinned widely, holding his hand before looking up at the sky to admire the fireworks. After a while, I wrapped my arm around his and leaned my head against his shoulder.

"Our first Christmas together..." I said unconsciously, my gaze fixed on the stars glistening in the sky, as if they were demanding attention.

"Una sa marami pang Pasko na magkasama tayo," sagot niya.

A soft, contented sigh escaped my lips. Hindi ko alam kung bakit mas masaya ako ngayon dito kumpara noong kasama ko ang pamilya ko kanina. Tila madilim lahat ng bagay sa bahay na para bang hindi Pasko, o siguro hindi lang talaga pamilya ang turing nila sa isa't isa.

Nanatili kami sa ganoong posisyon nang ilang minuto, pinapanood ang mga ilaw na kumikislap mula sa rooftop ng bahay nila Hayes. Mabuti na lang at hindi umiral ang kalokohan ni Sanjo. If it were a normal day, we wouldn't be sitting in silence for so long. I knew he would be rambling on about random things.

After a few minutes, we decided to join our friends on the dance floor. Some people on the rooftop were playing billiards, while others were busy dancing. The chorus of "Rocketeer" blasted, the beat almost feeling like it was pounding in my chest due to the loud speakers.

The vibrant lights danced above, illuminating the faces of everyone on the rooftop, all caught up in the moment.

Umangat ang mga kamay nilang may hawak na alak at tumalon-talon upang sabayan ang kanta. Si Hayes na may hawak pang kaldero ang pinaka nangunguna sa lahat. Nakahubad na ang pang-itaas, nasa gitna, habang may suot na shades na hindi ko alam kung may nakikita pa ba siya lalo na't gabi ngayon.

Primo and Silas, who were once the killjoy types, are now dancing. Hindi sila kasing gulo nina Ysaac at Hayes, ngunit base sa pula ng mga pisngi nila, halatang nilasing ng mga kaibigan upang mapasayaw sa gitna. I doubt Primo would even dance in front of others if he were sober, so I'm starting to believe he's really drunk right now.

Nandito rin sila Heather at ang iilan pang mga hindi pamilyar sa akin, galing yata sa extended group of friends ni Hayes ngunit mukhang schoolmates din namin. They were playing billiards with Ives on the opposite side of the rooftop. Nang makitang nakatingin ako ay kumaway sila agad sa akin. I waved back and smiled at them.

Sanjo didn't let go of my hand even with the chaos around us. Makalipas ang ilang segundo ay nakitalon na rin ako at sumabay sa pagkanta. I closed my eyes and felt the rhythm of the music, realizing that I would never have experienced this if I had stayed home earlier.

"Kit!" Ysaac found us in the crowd, his hair slicked back and sweat trickling down his forehead. Pasigaw na ang tono ng boses niya upang magkarinigan kami. "Nasaan si Haru!"

"Hindi mo ba nakakausap?" I asked with furrowed brows.

"Tang ina, ghosted yata ako!" He chuckled, but the pain shining in his eyes didn't escape my notice. "Simula nung umuwi siya sa kanila, hindi na nag-reply sa 'kin!"

"Sinubukan mo bang tawagan?" kuryosong tanong ko. "Hindi kasi pala-reply si Haru eh. Minsan lang talaga siya mag-social media lalo na kapag nauwi siya sa kanila."