Kinabukasan, pinili ni Casey na mapag-isa muna. This means not talking nor even interacting with her friends at their university. Buti na lang nabigyan na ng heads up sila Sky and Sheila ni Alex na magiging gan'to ang trato sa kanila ni Casey whenever she's upset, kaya naiintindihan nila kundi muna sila sasamahan nito.
She couldn't bear to face them just yet after the sudden brought up about that specific topic again. One, because it would be awkward after she just dismissed herself to them yesterday; Second, she doesn't know how to talk to her friends about it. Kaya mas pinipili niya munang i-distansya ang sarili niya sa kanila.
Casey would have a bit of peace for herself, at least. Until she's ready to talk to her friends again.
"Cass? Huy!"
Or so she thought...
Apparently, sa sobrang busy ng utak niya sa masyadong pag-iisip ng mga bagay-bagay, hindi namalayan ni Casey na nasa harapan na siya ngayon ni Jamie, who's currently still by the lockers since she had arrived.
Humingang-malalim si Casey bago harapin si Jamie, "Look, Jamie, kung nandito ka para mangulit, I don't have the time to deal with you, okay?"
"Huy! Hindi naman!" Agad na depensa ni Jamie sa sarili, raising both of her hands, "Kanina pa ko nandito, hinihintay ko lang si Myles."
"Ah." Maiksi at walang kagana-ganang sagot ni Casey.
Napansin naman ito ni Jamie kaya naman 'di niya napigilang magtanong out of curiosity. "Ikaw ba? Parang 'di mo kasama ngayon sila Sky, ah?"
"Ah, wala. Kailangan ko lang ng space." Maiksing sagot ni Casey habang iniwasan ang tingin ni Jamie. She then realized something after taking some of her stuff out from her locker, "Nga pala, himala na si Sky ang hinahanap mo? Not to sound egoistic, pero akala ko ba you're after me?"
"Oh, no. Don't get me wrong, pasok na pasok ka sa ideal type and standards ko sa babae, Cass. Pero hanggang admiration lang talaga ko pagdating sa iba." Paliwanag ni Jamie sa kaniya, "Si Sky, matagal ko nang gusto 'yan. Kaso 'di niya ata alam na seryoso ako."
Casey scoffed, "Pa'no ka magmumukhang seryoso, eh nagkakandarapa pa sa ibang babae kahit gusto mo siya?"
"Grabe naman sa nagkakandarapa!" Jamie exclaimed, offended by Casey's words. "Like I said, I have a huge admiration para sa mga babaeng pasok sa standards ko. Pero iba pa rin talaga si Sky for me. Nalaman lang ng iba na ina-admire ko sila, binansagan na 'kong player, hmph!" Pagpapatuloy ni Jamie, ending her statement with a pout.
"Hindi nga ba?" Casey teased.
"Hindi! Si Myles nga lang 'tong nagugustuhan ng ibang babae, pagdating sa'kin dedma lagi. Gusto ko lang naman ma-crushback ni Sky, hay." Jamie sighed.
Casey let out a chuckle, "Try mong mag-focus lang kay Sky. Hindi ka talaga niya seseryosohin kung pati ikaw hindi mo seseryosohin. Try to show her how genuine you are with her. Malay mo biglang magbago tingin niya sa'yo, pati na rin ng ibang tao."
Napakamot ng ulo si Jamie sa sinabi ni Casey, "Ih, she's always pushing me away. Pa'no ko mapaparamdam sa kaniya na seryoso talaga 'ko sa kaniya?" Tanong niya.
"Just keep trying. Sa tingin mo, masasabi ba nating seryoso ka talaga sa kaniya kung susukuan mo na lang ka'gad?"
"No..?" Jamie hesitantly admitted.
"That's why, don't give up so easily. Mararamdaman niya rin sincerity mo if you tried hard enough."
Jamie smiled and chuckled sheepishly, "You really think so?"
Casey confidently nodded, assuring her. "It's a step towards possibility, pero siyempre na kay Sky pa rin kung gugustuhin ka niya pabalik."
"It's worth a shot naman kung para kay Sky!" Masayang sagot ni Jamie kay Casey, even maybe even to herself.
"Tama!" Casey said, giving Jamie more encouragement, "Alam mo, you're far from what your reputation says about you. HIndi ka naman talaga player. Gusto mo lang na makakuha ng atensyon ng babae for, I don't know, acknowledgement siguro?" Dagdag ni Casey, pertaining to the girl in front of her.
"Baka nga gano'n. Alam mo naman, dito sa SMU madaling kumalat ang chismis, problema lang mali-maling chismis nakakarating sa mga estudyante." Pagsang-ayon ni Jamie, "Pero ikaw ba, Cass? Wala ka bang natitipuhan?" Kwestiyon niya kay Casey, curious to know if she had a certain type or someone in mind.
"There's no one, really... Sabi ko nga sa inyo, focus lang ako sa pag-aaral. Kaya nga ayoko ng mga makukulit na tulad niyo ni Myles." Casey responded.
"Ayaw mo kay Myles? Promise, mabait 'yon." Jamie suggested.
"Out of all people? Saka 'mabait'? Iba-ibang babae nga kasama niyan araw-araw." Sagot ni Casey sa kaniya, unamused by the idea of ever having Myles as a partner, "Kung magkakagusto man ako ulit sa isang tao, hinding-hindi ko sisimulan kay Myles."
"Ulit?" Jamie thought before shaking her head, thinking that it's definitely normal for a person to have someone they've liked before already. "Myles is just misunderstood din tulad ko. Sa lahat ng mga nakilala ko, siya ata pinakamabait. Iba lang talaga naging impact sa kaniya ng ginawa sa kaniya ng ex niya kaya siya nagkakagan'to ngayon."
"Pero diba enabling na 'yang ginagawa mo? Imbis na itawid mo sa tamang landas si Myles, sinasamahan mo pa siya sa maling daan."
"Mahirap kumbinsihin ang taong sobrang sakit ng pinagdaanan, Cass."
"It still doesn't excuse Myles's behavior."
Jamie sighed, "Oo nga pero kung ito lang ang way para kahit papa'no mawala 'yung sakit sa puso niya, the least I could do, as her best friend, ay ang samahan siya to make sure na 'di siya nag-iisa."
"Hindi mo ba naiisip na you're turning her into a worse version of herself instead of a better one?" Casey questioned.
Jamie shrugged, "Nandito naman ako para sa kaniya, in case na anything bad happens. Ako na lang ang meron si Myles kasi si Alex malayo na rin ang distansya sa kaniya, 'di tulad dati. Baka nga may balak pa siyang iwanan na mismo kaming dalawa."
"Si Alex?"
"Oo." Jamie confirmed, "Speaking of... kayo ba ni Alex may something? Or kaya naman baka interesado ka sa kaniya?"
This caught Casey off guard. Once again, her mind started to become hazy. Kung ano ang naramdaman niya kahapon noong tinanong siya ng mga kaibigan niya tungkol kay Alex ay ang nararamdaman niya rin ngayon nang tanungin siya ni Jamie.
"I... I'm not. We don't have anything going on between us." Casey hesitantly answered, her voice shaky and she tried to answer, "And I don't think it's possible to have one anymore after what happened." She mumbled underneath her breath, trying to make her voice sound as low as possible in order for Jamie to not hear.
Jamie tilted her head, not quite catching what Casey said. "Ano 'yon ulit? Sorry 'di ko masyadong naintindihan."
"W-wala. Guni-guni mo lang 'yon... Excuse me, Jamie."
With that, Casey excused herself, hastily grabbing her things and left the hallways, without looking back, leaving Jamie by the area to wonder about what the girl just said a few moments ago.
"What do you mean by 'anymore'..?"
***
Sige na nga, ire-reveal ko na after ng chapter 11 hahaha. Keep safe, everyone!
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After All There Was You || Macolet AU
Fanfiction["Musika" Full length AU] Having been cheated on by her girlfriend, whom she was together with for 5 years, Myles (🐼) becomes a player, targeting feminine women's hearts as her way of taking revenge and pouring her rage out. Not until a transferee...
