Cervantes' Match

Chapter 3

She stood on the spot where he left her... Unable to move. Hindi niya alam kung ano man ang nararamdaman niya... Desire? Galit? Inis? Teka... May desire din? Umayos ka!

Naiintindihan niya ang pinanggagalingan ni Lance, he felt that she spread those rumors... In a way, she did and she acknowledges her fault pero for him to hold it against her all this time, isn't that childish and petty? Nilock niya ang pintuan ng opisina at napasalampak sa sahig.

What is wrong with me? Sigaw niya sa kanyang isip. Ni-reject na nga niya ako before bakit gusto ko pa rin siya? Heart... Ano bang problema mo?

She had never considered liking another human being after that incident. Not for lack of trying, she tried... She just never got over the rejection kaya naman kahit alam niya na may mga taong attracted sa kanya, she pretended to be a dense person. Ayaw na niyang maranasan ang masaktan ulit...

Ayaw niyang muling mamisunderstand ang good intentions ng sinuman na lumapit sa kanya. Aminado naman siyang may pagka overly dramatic siya lalo na ng teenage years niya kaya naman she became closed off from people at iilan lang ang mga kaibigan na nanatili niyang ka close.

She'd become a loner... Most of her friends who didn't understand what had happened that day left her too.

Biglang nag-ring ang kanyang cellphone kaya agad siyang tumayo para tignan kung sino ang tumatawag,

[Ciel calling...]

Agad niyang pinick-up ang tawag nito. "Ciel... Napatawag ka?" malamya niyang tanong.

"Anong nangyari sa boses mo?" batid ang pag-aalala sa boses nito.

"Okay lang ako. Stressed lang sa huli kong appointment." Sagot naman niya.

"Okay. Tatanong ko lang kung naibigay na sayo ni Josie yung invitation sa reunion... Iniwan ko kay Josie the other day." Sabi ni Ciel sa kabilang linya.

"Ha? Ah... Oo, nasa akin na." wala sa loob niyang sabi habang hinahanap ang invitation na sinasabi ni Ciel.

"Ano ba talagang nangyari? Bakit matamlay ka?" batid ang pag-aalala nito.

"Wala naman... Pagod lang ako sa trabaho." Hindi niya gustong pag-usapan sa ngayon ang nangyari kanina. She wanted to think about it by herself bago niya sabihin sa bestfriend.

"If you say so... Siguraduhin mong pupunta ka sa reunion." Sabi pa ni Ciel bago nagpaalam.

Noong una ay sigurado siyang gusto niyang pumunta sa reunion nila pero hindi na niya alam ngayon.

Tinawag niya si Josie at sinabihan na i-transfer kay Lyka ang account ni Luke.

"Lance Cervantes... Let's not meet again." nausal niya ng tahimik habang tinitignan ang hawak na invitation bago ito itapon sa trash can.

-

Lumabas si Lance mula sa kotse niya at dumiretso sa gym ng building. He wasn't sure what happened between him and Chris kanina pero hindi niya ini-expect na halos walang pinagbago ang dalaga, if there was any... she just became more prettier...

What the hell is he thinking? Napahawak siya sa kanyang sentido at huminga ng malalim. He dived into the pool and started swimming. He sounded petty and childish bringing up the past. Sira kang talaga!

I should have been more civil towards her. Well, that was the plan... Kaya lang sa pagbalewala nito sa kanya kanina ay parang nakaramdam siya ng inis. Her actions clearly made me react that way... It's her fault.

He tried to swim a few more laps but he keeps ruining his breathing, wala kasi sa paglangoy ang isip niya. He got out of the pool and hit the showers. Yup, I need a cold shower. Nang nakapagbihis na siya ay umakyat siya sa opisina niya via his private elevator at tinawag niya sa intercom ang sekretarya, "Lalaine, messages?"

Agad naman na pumasok ang sekretarya niya at lumapit sa table niya upang ilapag ang dalawang envelope. He looked at her and she began explaining, "Sir Luke wants you to call him Sir. No other messages since you've left Sir but the courier brought these two letters for you and Sir Will." Matapos magreport ay lumabas na ang kanyang sekretarya.

He dialed Luke's cell at agad naman nitong pinick-up ang tawag.

"Luke..." pauna niya.

"What the hell Kuya?! Anong ginawa mo kay Ate Jane?" naiinis na tono ng boses ni Luke na dirediretso ang patutsada sa kanya.

"Calm down. Ano bang nangyari?" Lance asked, curious as well.

"Josie, her secretary, called me just now. She assigned the event to an associate, Lyka. What did you do Kuya!?" mataas and tono ng boses ni Luke.

"I didn't do anything in particular..." pagmamaang-maangan niya. He didn't need to disclose to Luke whatever transpired after he left. It has nothing to do with your wedding.

"Well, Kuya... She doesn't want to deal with you or me... Fix this." Malakas na sabi ni Luke at binaba ang telepono.

He smirked. She's shaken with her encounter with him. Good. At least, hindi lang siya ang bothered sa pagkikita nilang dalawa.

Napansin niya ang logo ng high school nila sa envelope na inilapag ni Lalaine. He held the envelope addressed to him and opened it, it was an invitation to their high school reunion. He held the invitation in his hand and sighed. He didn't feel inclined to attend the reunion...

Hindi siya ang mas sociable sa kanilang dalawa ni Will. Isa pa, matapos ang rumors na kinalat ni Chris, lalo pa siyang nahirapan na makipagkaibigan.

Speaking of Chris... Nabalik sa isip niya ang nangyari kanina sa opisina nito. She really did become prettier and more confident. Alangang-alangan sa mahiyain at average na itsura nito noong highschool... He felt attracted to her... and seeing her after all these years, he realized that he missed her and that it was clear that she was trying to avoid him.

"Payback... I should demand compensation from her..." he thought. He'd play a joke on her and that would make them even. Then, they could try and be friends again... Or more.

He looked at the invitation again. He knew she would never miss the reunion... Isa si Chris sa mga active na organizer everytime the class has one. That's why he never came to any of those, he didn't want to see her... Or so he thought.

Meeting her today had stirred something in him and he was definitely getting to the bottom of things.

He looked at the envelope and shook his head, I guess I'll be attending the reunion then.

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