S.T.A.I.D. 2 (COMPLETE) - Published under PHR

Deleted scene

Deleted scene from #STAID 2 <3

***************************

SCENE: They were climbing a mountain in the dead of the night hehe :D

"Can I ask you something?"

Hindi sumagot si Raen. But Ethan didn't give up. "Raen."

"Hindi ba kasasabi ko lang kanina na 'wag kang magsasalita?"

Ethan looked up at Raen and he was treated with a nice view of her legs. "Kanina yun."

"Then I'm telling you again, Ethan. Shut up." Pagkasabi niyon ay tila nananadya pang gumalaw si Raen kaya may mga lupang nahulog sa mukha niya.

"Bakit? Dahil ba ayaw mo akong kausap o ayaw mong may iba pa akong malaman tungkol sa'yo?"

"Ayokong marinig ang boses mo."

"Bakit?"

Tumigil si Ethan sa pag-akyat nang bigla ding tumigil si Raen. She looked down on him and Ethan couldn't help but smile. He didn't even know why he was smiling. "Do you want the honest answer or the bullshit answer."

"The honest answer of course."

Matagal na sandaling hindi nagsalita si Raen habang patuloy na umaakyat. Ang akala nga ni Ethan ay hindi na ito magsasalita pa. But the moment they reached the end of that slope and they were once again standing side by side, Raen looked up at Ethan and said, "Because I like the sound of your voice."

Napakunot ang noo ni Ethan sa sinabi ni Raen. He knew he was entering dangerous territory here. Dapat ay umatras na siya habang may tsansa pa. But ever since he met Raen, he just started doing impulsive things. Hindi na siya nagulat na isa nanamang personal rule ang nilabag niya nang lumapit siya kay Raen at yumuko para magkatapat ang mga mukha nila.

"If you like hearing my voice, bakit ayaw mo akong magsalita?" Yup. Another rule was definitely broken again.

It was another one of Ethan's rule to never ask anything that concerns feelings. Pwede siyang magtanong ng mga detalye pero hindi dapat siya nagtatanong ng tungkol sa mga nararamdaman ng kahit na sino. Emotion usually led to involvement, conscience, and other things he really had no business doing. Despite the kind of job he had, Ethan was not emotionless. Magaling lang siya sa pagtatago at pagpipigil ng emosyon. But he was still human. At sa oras na yon, habang naroon sila sa kalagitnaan ng bundok, pakiramdam ni Ethan ay sila lang ni Raen ang tao sa mundo. So he ignored all the warnings.

"Tell me, Raen," pabulong na dugtong pa ni Ethan.

Nagpakawala ng malalim na hininga si Raen na parang nahihirapan ito. "I thought we were friends."

Pinag-aralan ni Ethan ang mukha ni Raen. May nakita siyang mga galos sa gilid ng mukha nito. Nakuha siguro nito ang mga iyon nang dumaan sila sa makapal na talahiban. Wala sa sariling hinaplos ni Ethan ang isang maliit na galos sa gilid ng kanang mata ni Raen. He was a lot of bad things but he wasn't a liar. Pero hindi na niya gusto pang dagdagan ang damage na nagawa niya kay Raen. So he answered softly, "I don't have friends."

Sa pagkagulat ni Ethan ay bigla na lang tumawa si Raen. It wasn't loud. It was just a soft laugh. Awtomatiko ang naging pagngiti ni Ethan dahil doon.

"Ako din," maya-maya ay mahinang wika ni Raen. Sandaling nakalimutan ni Ethan kung ano ang pinag-uusapan nila. But then she added, "Wala din akong mga kaibigan."

"Bakit?"

"I think you already know."

That was true. Madaming alam si Ethan tungkol kay Raen. Tinatanggap na ngayon ni Ethan na hindi na lang ito basta trabaho sa kanya. Hindi na niya ito ginagawa dahil kailangan niyang kumuha ng impormasyon mula kay Raen. He genuinely wanted to know things about her. "I still want to hear it from you."

Pinanood ni Ethan ang pag-iisip ni Raen. She was even looking intently at him while thinking. Nakita ni Ethan na tila nakikipagtalo ito sa sarili. She was probably debating whether to tell him or not. Hindi nakaligtas sa obserbasyon ni Ethan ang eksaktong pagkakataon na makapagdesisyon si Raen. At hindi iyon pabor sa kanya. "Hindi pa ba tayo lalakad?" pag-iwas nito.

Ethan should just let it go. Pero narealize niya na hindi niya gustong gawin iyon. He really wanted to hear what she had to say. Ayaw niyang basta lang manggaling sa ilang piraso ng papel ang mga bagay na alam niya tungkol kay Raen. "We can spare a few seconds."

Pagkatapos magpakawala ng malalim na hininga ay sumagot din si Raen. "Ethan, kilala mo kung sino ang mga magulang ko. You're what? About six foot? You're probably more than two hundred pounds."

Hindi naiintindihan ni Ethan kung bakit kailangan nitong banggitin ang taas at timbang niya. But he corrected her anyway. "I'm only five-eleven and I only weigh one-seventy pounds."

Pero hindi iyon pinansin ni Raen. "While me," itinuro nito ang sarili. "I'm only five-three and I weigh one-ten pounds. But I didn't even hesitate to fight you. What does that tell you about me?" may paghahamong tanong ni Raen.

Ethan didn't even hesitate with his answer. "You're not like everyone else." Sumama ang ekspresyon ng mukha ni Raen sa sinabi niya at hindi niya naintindihan kung ano ang mali doon. Hindi ba gusto ng mga babae na marinig na iba sila? But Ethan didn't say that just to please Raen. Sinabi niya iyon dahil yun ang totoo.

"There. Now you have your answer," masama pa rin ang itsurang wika ni Raen.

"Ano?"

"Hindi ako tulad ng ibang tao. At kahit kailan ay hindi nila ako magiging katulad. I'm a freak. And normal people don't like freaks as a friend."

Raen looked so disappointed and resigned. Na para bang isang universal truth ang mga binitawan nitong salita. And for some reason, Ethan felt like he wanted to make her feel better, so he added, "But I like that about you, Raen."

"Wag mo akong tawaging Raen. We're not friends anymore."

Up to this point, Ethan could describe himself as a man who had been living a hardened life. But there was something different about tonight. Hindi pa niya alam kung mabuti ba iyon o masama. Pero hanggat hindi niya nasisiguro, hindi siya dapat na magpaapekto. "We were never friends," Ethan said in a soft but steely voice.

"I know that now. Alam ko na ngayon na ginamit mo lang ako para makakuha ka ng impormasyon tungkol sa pamilya ko." Raen's voice was sweet but sad.

And Ethan suddenly felt a tiny prickle in his heart. Ah, damn! Bakit ba ngayon pa yan nagpaparamdam? So he had a heart after all.