S C A R L E T T
"Are you sure you're okay?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Violet.
Tumango ako sa kanya telling her I'm fine and from the small sad smile on her lips, alam kong hindi sya naniniwala sa akin.
"Ready ka na bang makita siya?" agad namang kumunot ang noo ko sa kanya.
"Hindi kami magkikita, Vi." determinado kong sabi.
Nag-shrug lang sya at huminga ng malalim, "You'll never know, Scarlett."
Oh yeah, hindi niya ako ina-"ate" since we're just a year apart and ako na rin mismo ang nagsabi sa kanya nito since I want to be both her sister and friend.
"Kahit na lumipat tayo sa ibang bahay, we are still within the city." Pumikit ako at nag-groan. She has a point.
Kahit na wala na kami sa aming bahay - para mas malapit na kami sa university at dahil gusto namin magpaka-independent - nandito pa din kami sa loob ng city. Ang city kung saan nakatira si Vin Parker. Ang aking former childhood friend and neighbor.
Sh¡t! Kailangan pa naman naming umuwi in a few weeks kasi birthday na ni Mama. Ugh, damn it! Sana naman mag-bakasyon siya sa isang beach or somewhere.
"So that... guy... that sexy piece of meat," tumingin ako kay Clarise na sampung minuto na sigurong nakanganga sa akin, "is your childhood friend?!?" tanong niya for the nth time. After ng mini-breakdown ko, kinwento ko kay Clarise kung sino yung lalaki na nasa TV and our history together.
"Was. Was my childhood friend." pagco-correct ko for the nth time.
"And hindi mo man lang naisipang i-kwento sa akin? Ako? Na BFFFL mo?"
Napangiti ako saglit. Ngayon ko na lang ulit narinig yung abbreviations na BFFFL since highschool ah. Best Friends for Fcking Life. Syempre, si Clarise ang nag-isip niyan.
"There was nothing to tell, Clar. He's in my past, and I buried him and everything there. Every damn thing." hindi ko alam kung galit o sakit ba ang narinig niya dahil bigla na lang siyang lumuhod sa harapan ko with sympathy in her eyes.
"Don't worry, Scar. I don't care if he's a sex god, I'll still punch him in his perfect nose if he ever hurt you again!"
Napatawa ako ng mahina - hindi dahil sa pinatawa ako ni Clar, kundi dahil sa irony ng statement niyang iyon.
If he ever hurt you again.
We were both hurting, Clar. Hindi lang siya ang may kasalanan dito.
We both deserve that punch.
*
Few days after the news, pinilit kong magpaka-busy para makalimutan yung impormasyon na yun sa isip ko. Hindi ko alam kung ilang cupcakes na ang nagawa ko within that time and I guess sobra-sobra na to the point na kinaladkad na ako ni Clar palabas ng kitchen at pinagbawalan akong papasukin doon for a few days.
Kakabukas ko lang ng shop nang biglang nag-ring ang telepono. Kumunot ang noo ko. Bakit naman may tumatawag ng ganito kaaga sa shop?
BINABASA MO ANG
Out of Reach (On Stage Casanovas #1)
RomanceYou see that person on stage? He was once mine, and I was once the only girl he looked at. But now, he's definitely out of my reach. So, this leads to my story - a story about a rockstar and me.
