Slobby Firsts

#40

Bale, pumarty-party na lang talaga kami ni Pong. Dance, party, dance, party, eat and eat. The unspoken words were eventually forgotten. Dahil naramdaman namin na hindi malaki ang chance namin na manalo dahil mukha nga kaming aattend ng prom, umalis kami ni Thomas sa clubhouse at 11:30 in the evening to walk home.

Hindi na namin pinatapos pa ang party dahil maghahating-gabi na at tutal naman, nagpakasaya na kami at nagpakabusog na dalawa. Hindi na rin kami lugi sa part na yun.

The music from the clubhouse was loud but as soon as we walked away from it. Humina nang humina ang EDM. It was replaced by the singing of the crickets, our footsteps and sound of my beating heart. The street was empty and dark except for the light posts. Most of the houses were already closed.

Thomas and I were quiet as we walked back to our little street. The cool October wind blew the strands of hair in my face. It was weird. Pakiramdam ko kasi nandoon pa rin yung mga salitang dapat nasabi na kanina. Hindi ko alam kung dahil lang sa pagod or what pero wala talaga kaming imik habang naglalakad.

"Narra?" Tanong niya na siyang bumasag sa katahimikang nakapaligid sa amin.

"Oh?" Nagulat ako dahil naunahan lang niya ako ng nanoseconds. I was about to do the same.

I caught him uttered a sigh. Napansin kong maghawak ang kamay niya ang he was twisting them weirdly. Lumapit ako sa kanya para pigilan siya sa ginagawa niya. "Huy, anong nangyayari sa'yo? Ayos ka lang ba? Inaatake ka?"

Hinila niya ang kanang kamay niya at dali akong pinitik sa noo. "Wala akong sakit."

"What the fuck, Thom?" I said.

"Kinakabahan lang ako."

"Bakit ka kinakabahan?"

He looked at me. We've shared gazes for countless time, but that particular one was different.

The one we shared at the last hour of October-where we stood under the starlit sky few yards from the nearest electric post in the midst of the empty street and I was dressed in some Greek demigod in a Roman Camp outfit and he was channeling his inner Peeta Mellark spirit. It was both weird and different but it felt absolutely right.

He inhaled and exhaled nervously.

"Pong, ayos ka lang ba-" I was so worried about his strange breathing pattern.

"YES!" He chirped.

"OKAY."

"Pwede bang wag ka muna magsalita? Wag kang tumawa, mag-interrupt o umepal habang nagsasalita ako." Masungit niya na sabi.

Grabe yung mood swing niya. Mas mabilis pa sa pagka-bipolar ko.