I Think I Love You{on going}

Chapter 7: Fault

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“So, Pare. What happened last night?” atat na tanong ni Charles habang prenteng-prenteng nakaupo sa basketball bench ng gym. It’s Sunday so barkada day nila ngayon at isa sa mga hobbies nila ay ang maglaro ng basketball.

Kinukulit nilang lahat si Xander sa kung anuman ang nangyari ditto noong nakaraang gabi. They were just so excited to bug him about his love life.

“Oo nga, pare. Bigla ka nalang nawala kagabi kasama ang isang neneng! Haha! Pare, huh! Baka magkaroon ka ng kasong child abuse.” Sabad ni Tristan na noo’y nagdi-dribble ng bola. (Cross-over and between the knees.)

Xander just chuckles while drinking some energy drink beside Charles on the bench. Hindi niya mapigilang hindi matawa kapag naaalala niya ang lahat ng nangyari kagabi. Hindi niya pa rin maintindihan but it brought him some strange feeling. Yung pakiramdam na ma-excite, mainis, matawa at maguluhan sa di niya maipaliwanag na dahilan? Everything seems so new to him.

“Oh my! Holy cow! Don’t tell me pare,-- you. . . you. . . .AWWWW!” nag-iinarteng bulalas ni Ethan pero bago pa man niya ituloy ang sasabihin ay nabatukan na siya ni Brenan. Tahimik at preserved guy. Madalas siya lang ang nakakaintintindi kay Xander dahil hindi rin nagkakalayo ang ugali nilang dalawa. Their only difference is when Xander becomes very much playful and witty. Just like today, he seems to be in his game-time once again.

“Cut the crap, Ethan.” Saka niya binalingan ng tingin sina Charles at Tristan na noo’y nagtatawanan din. The moment Brenan does that, they all get through their senses. Kapag sumeryoso na itong si Brenan ay natatahimik na silang lahat. Yet they can’t just get enough of Xander being bullied. Ito kasi ang unang beses na nagkaroon ng interes si Xander sa isang babae.

“Ehem, so bro. All throughout the night you did nothing but stare at her?” Charles teased him. Tila ba may halong pang-aalaska ang tanong niyang iyon. Besides asking the question, he wanna know whether Xander has gotten score to that girl.

At nagtawanan na naman silang lahat; samantalang nanatiling nakaupo si Xander at tila ba nag-iisip. Then so, Brenan gets into the way. Ayaw niyang kung saan pa makarating ang ganitong usapan, mahirap magalit si Xander.

“Guys, stop it.” He stood up and gave them a stare down.

“Okay, Okay!” itinaas ni Charles ang dalawang kamay na para bang nagsasabing oo na, suko na ko! Hindi na ako mang-aasar. “Pero bro, curious lang talaga ako, ano bang nangyari kagabi?” seryosong tanong ni Charles?

Then so he stood up, held up one ball and started talking. To his surprised, they are all shocked about what he had just said.

“Holy shit! My God, Xander, have you gone crazy? You spent millions just for that young girl?!” Tristan exclaimed. He is pertaining to those documents na nagsasabing “free of debts” na ang pamilya Del Castillo.

“Why not?” he answered back with another question.

Lumapit si Ethan kay Xander para sapuin ang noo nito “Pare, may lagnat ka ba? Are you in some sort of an illness? Nagdedeliryo ka ba? Anong nakain mo at nagpamigay ka ng ganung kalaking pera?!” sarkastikong tanong nito.

Tinapik ni Xander ang kamay ni Ethan na noo’y nakapatong padin sa noo nito. He creased his forehead na parang nagtatanong pa kung ano’ng mali sa ginawa niya. “Wag nga kayo! OA lang?!” kunot-noong sabi nito. “Parang 3M lang eh! Don’t worry guys, kikitain ko ulit yun.” Pagmamalaki pa niya.

“Wow pare, 3M lang?! Makapagsalita ka parang 3K lang ang pinag-uusapan natin dito huh?!” sabad ni Charles. “Isa pa hindi lang ito yung issue, above all, sinaling mo na naman si Mikael. Alam mo naming kumukulo dugo nun sa’yo eh! You even try meddling with his business, dude. YOU’RE REALLY DEAD!” dagdag pa niya.