Always the Bestfriend, Never the Girlfriend

Chapter Thirty One

Unedited.

I thought I could handle it but I can't. Nasa-iisa lang kaming classroom tatlo pero nahihirapan talaga ako. How can I move in when I get to see him everyday? Oh what a torture.

"Listen up. Next week will be your OJT and I think alam niyo na kung saan kayong hospital naasign. If hinda pa, then bla bla bla bla" marami pang sinabi si Ma'am pero I wasn't listening to her. I was too busy looking at them. They were so sweet. Hindi ko talaga naimagine na kayang gawin ni Venice 'yon sa akin. She knew I was inlove with Renz. She was the very first person I shared my secrets with. Especially about how inlove I was with Renz but look at her.. Oh god. She's with him now. I really want to be mad. But I can't. I don't even know why.

"Umm.. Crystal. K-kasi. Group ta-tayong tat-tatlo sa OJT" and the devil herself was here standing in front of me. She wasn't looking at me. She was avoiding my gaze. And she was with him. Oh great. Fantastic. Wow. At sila pa talaga huh? Are you fckn playing with me huh, destiny?

"Okay" I said and tumango lang. Mukhang nagulat si Venice and smiled. How can I hate her? She's too adorable. They went back to their seats and I was here again, all alone. The Ks have their own group and the lucky bastards were on the same group, ugh!

"Excuse me, Mela right?" Tanong ko dun sa ka grupo nina Ken at Kurt.

"Yes" she said and smiled at me. Mukhang kilig na kilig siya kasi kagrupo niya yung dalawang heartthrob dito sa school.

"Pwede bang switch tayo ng group? I badly want to be with these two bastards" sabi ko sa kanya pero mukhang aayaw siya. Pumayag ka please!

"Ang sakit naman nun bebe Crystal. Anong bastards? Kami ba?" Tanong ni Ken. Pansin ko lang, kanina pa tahimik si Kurt. It was so unusual.

"Yeah" sabi ko sa kanya and rolled my eyes. Kurt only smiled. He was sad. I knew something was wrong.

"Hindi kasi pwede Crystal eh" sabi ni Mela. Kaya tumango nalang ako at bumalik sa upuan ko. Sinundan naman ako ng dalawang Ks.

"May problema ba bebe Crysal?" Tanong ni Ken at tinabihan ako. Umiling nalang ako and covered my face with my hands.

"C'mon. You can always tell us" sabi naman ni Kurt. And again, I just shook my head. I didn't want them to worry about me.

"Now now. Is it about your best friend?" Ken asked and look at Renz who was also looking at me. I was the one who looked away. I didn't want him to see me like this. Hurt. The Ks knew me pretty well. And I know I can always tell them my problems. I looked at Kurt and Ken and sighed.

"Uh-oh. Our princess has a problem" Ken said and tickled me. Aaah! My weakness.

"Hahahaha s-stop it" I said and laughed again. He stopped tickling me and wiggles his eyebrows. I looked at him and rolled my eyes. How mean of him.

"So, mind telling us what your problem is? It looked really deep" Kurt said and I had no choice to tell them everything. Not realizing that I was already sobbing and crying.

"Ssssshhh. I knew he was a jerk" Ken said and rolled his eyes. I knew they would hate him again. Kaya nga ayaw kong sabihin sa kanila eh. Renz was far from what they think he is.

I wiped my tears and pinigilan ang sarili kong umiyak o humikbi manlang. Ayaw kong makita ako ni Renz na umiiyak.

I tried to smile and succeeded. But alam naman nila na peke tong ngiting to. Umiling si Ken at tinignan ulit sila Ralph. Nakangiti si Ralph pero hindi umabot sa tenga yung ngiti niya. Si Venice naman, ganun rin. They look happy. Pero bakit ganito? Bakit ako hindi masaya? Bakit ako, nasasaktan?

Bumalik narin yung lahat sa proper seats nila at tumahimik na. Kanina kasi, sobang ingay kaya hindi nila naririnig na may umiiyak na pala (which is me). May sinabi lang si Ma'am at umalis narin.

Umalis narin yung mga kaklase ko kaya ako nalang yung naiwan dito sa room. Nagmadali kasi sina Kurt eh. Inayos ko yung bag ko at bumuntong hininga. Dahil hindi pa naman ako gutom, umupo nalang ulit ako sa upuan ko at kinuha yung cellphone ko.

One unread message from Ralph.

San ka? Can't see u right now :( busy eh. Sabay tayo mag lunch? Take care. Sorry.

Napangiti ako. He's sweet. Kung hindi lang si Renz yung mahal ko, baka matagal na akong nagkagusto kay Ralph. May qualities siya na talagang mahuhulog ka sa kanya, pero hindi ako nahulog eh.

Okay. Take care.

Sent. I plugged in my earphones at nakinig ng music. I was about to close my eyes when someone grabbed my shoulders and hinawakan ito ng sobrang higpit. I opened my eyes and saw Jessie with her alipores. Ano nanaman kayang problema niya?

Ngumiti siya sa akin ng peke and diniin pa yung kamay niyang nakahawak sa braso ko. Ang sakit!

"So, may bagong girlfriend na pala yung bestfriend mo. Hah! How sad. Sa isang nerd pa talaga siya pumatol" sabi niya at tumawa. Tumawa narin yung mga alipores niya. I mentally rolled my eyes. Eh ano bang pakialam niya? As far as I remember, wala na sila ni Renz so wala siyang pakialam kung may ibang dine-date si Renz.

"So? Ano naman ngayon kung may girlfriend si Renz? Ano bang pakialam mo? Wala na kayo diba? Get a life" sagot ko sa kanya. She smirked and binitiwan na yung braso ko, sht! Ang pula. Leche talaga tong babaeng to.

"Ako? Wala naman akong pakialam eh. Eh ikaw? Diba gusto mo si Renz? No--mahal mo siya diba? Ang sakit no? Ikaw palagi yung nasa tabi niya pero iba parin yung gusto niya. Lalo na't ikaw ang dahilan kung bakit nagkakilala yung dalawa. You dressed up that bitch and minake-over mo pa siya. In short, pinaganda mo pero look how she repa--"

*paaaak*

yes. Sinampal ko siya. How dare she call Jessie a bitch. Wala siyang alam. Tinignan niya ako ng masama and walked out. Her alipores throwed dagger looks at me before following Jessie. That's when I realized I just freaking slapped Jessie. Ngumiti ako and plugged in my earphones again.

I woke up because someone kept on tapping my shoulders. When I woke up, si Renz pala. He was smiling, and totoo yung ngiti niya. Hindi peke. I gave him a 'what-now?' look and he just shrugged and tumabi sa akin.

"I'm bored to death" he said. Ngayon ko lang napansin na kami lang pala dalawa yung nandito sa room.

"So? Ano naman? Ano tingin mo sa'kin, clown mo? Personal entertainer? Nilalapitan mo lang kapag 'bored' ka? Tapos kapag okay na, iiwan mo lang?" Nagulat siya sa sinabi ko, ako din naman eh. Kainis tong bibig na'to. Kahit ano nalang ang lumalabas. Ngumiti ako sa kanya at nag peace sign.

"Joke! Haha" okay. So halatang halata naman kung gaano kapeke tong tawa ko but whatever.

"Hooh! Akala ko nababaliw kana eh" sabi niya at inakbayan ako. Tinanggal ko naman yung braso niyang naka-akbay sa akin. May girlfriend na kaya siya. Speaking of girlfriend..

"Where's your girlfriend?" Shit! Bakit ko ba diniin yung pagkasabi ng girlfriend? Baka nakakahalata na siya. Ugh. He grinned and shrugged.

"Caf" tipid niyang sagot. Tumango nalang ako and pinagmasdan yung Gtech kong ballpen. Wow. Ngayon ko lang ito naapreciate. Ang ganda pala.

"I miss you" bigla niyang sabi. Hinarap ko siya and

*tsup*

Wtfdge! H-hinalikan niya ako. Napatayo agad ako at tinignan siya ng naguguluhan. Pero sa pagtayo ko, nakita ko si Ralph na naka tingin sa amin. Nasaktan ko nanaman siya. He walked out and hinarap ko si Renz at sinampal.

"I hate you" sabi ko sa kanya at hinabol si Ralph.

**
Panget.