Love, Alice

Chapter 24

Guilty

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It was the surge of guilt. More than the heartbreak I have right now or the instinct to deny her accusations.

"You purposely seduce Ren! Inahas mo siya kahit alam mong ako ang gusto niya!"

The poor girl wailed. Hilam sa luha ang mga mata na animo'y kanina pa pinipigilang umiyak. The pen in her hand speaks of how she must've ran here to catch me.

Hindi ako makasalita. Puno ng gulat sa lahat ng mga salitang binabato niya sa akin. Hindi ko makilala ang taong tinutukoy niya sa mga salita niya pero kaagad akong nilamon ng konsensiya dahil sa walang awat na mga patak ng luha niya.

"Ano?! Masaya kana ha?! Now that everyone's pitying me do you feel like you've won?"

I thought about the rumors lately. It's true that everyone's sympathy is on her but I didn't once feel like I won. Kasi kung babalikan ang istorya, parang ako naman ang dehado. I'm the third party, ako iyong nang-agaw. But I don't know who I stole? Was it Ren from her, or Ren from them?

"Kung gusto mo akong kausapin huwag kang sumigaw, nasa eskwelahan pa rin tayo—"

"Bakit? Nahihiya ka bang malaman nila na totoong inagaw mo siya?" She wiped her tears and her eyes sharpened.

Kunot noo akong tumingin sa kanya.

"Hindi kami ni Ren, inaya niya lang ako sa prom dahil may—"

"Gano'n na rin 'yon! You bewitched him kaya mo siya napapayag!"

Bewitched? Naririnig niya ba ang sarili niya? This argument is getting petty because of her baseless accusations!

"Siya ang umaya sa akin."

"Dahil nilandi mo siya!"

I gasped. How can a girl a year younger than me think of lashing out and label me a flirt all based on those rumors?

"Anong sabi mo?" My blood boiled. Parang nagpanting ang tainga ko sa narinig.

"You knew how close I am with him! Yet you managed to stick yourself in between just so you could seduce him!"

"Temi, hindi ko nilandi si Ren. Wala akong inagaw sayo o kay sino."

"Really? Ren is mine! I've been there since he went here! I introduced him to my brother. I introduced him to his friends. Everyone knows him because he had me!" Hinabol niya ang hininga pagkatapos niyang sabihin 'yon.

My brows furrowed and I can't help but let out a big scoff.

This girl thinks Ren owe him what he had now, all because she's been there since day one for him?

"So this is why you came for me?"

She raise her brows.

"Tinawag mo akong malandi dahil naging malapit ako sa kanya?"

So Cas' hunch was true. This girl only likes the spotlight she has when she's with him. She likes Ren because he has all of his eyes on her?

"Bakit, hindi ba gano'n naman 'yon? Before you came it was me, but suddenly he's rejecting me now that you're here!"

Rejecting?

"You knew there was something between us even then!" Her tears doubled. Galit niya akong tinuro.

Now I feel like the intruder. Totoo naman ang sinabi niya, before I came there was something between them. This must be why there's guilt. Did I really seduce him? Inagaw ko ba siya sa kanya? Gusto ko si Ren, I wished for him to like me. Did that made them drift apart? What part did I play to cause them pain?