Sailing Alone

It Begins

It's been a week since she has returned to the U.S. Her ever busy life with trainings and university is back to it's normal track.

So there she was, sitting in front of her laptop on the dining table, trying to start a paper required for her Master's degree in Business Administration. To no avail, unfortunately, because of her two extremely loud best friends who were watching a basketball game.

She was in the two-bedroom apartment she shares with Zach. Umalis na rin kasi sila sa bahay ng parents ni Zach a few months after they arrived sa U.S. She used to pay half of the rent but after making a deal with Cameron, whom she shares a studio-type apartment, Zach refused to let her pay for rent. Pero nagbabayad pa rin siya ng bills.

So yeah, meron pa siyang isang apartment, 30 minutes away from where she was. Cameron offered it to her since it was a lot closer to the university. She pays half the rent and bills. She stays there whenever she is really busy with schoolwork or when she just needs to find some peace and quiet.

Like now.

How can she do her paper when her best friends were cheering and screaming? Going inside her room was no use because the TV was much louder there.

From the front door, you would immediately encounter the living room then the dining room/kitchen (not separated by any kind of divider); the first room on the right was her room, then the bathroom, then Zach's room.  The TV was attached to the wall separating her room and the living room. So no, hindi pwede sa room niya.

Oh, her? Wala siyang alam. Ever since she left the Philippines, Vic never tried to contact her. Nakausap at nakatext na nga niya lahat ng kaibigan niya pero si Vic wala talagang paramdam. She shrugged it off. She took it as a sign na natauhan na ang mokong at itinigil ang kalokohang iniisip nito.

Nasabi na rin naman niya ang nangyari kay Zach at Cam. Sobrang galit siyempre si Zach. Si Cam naman nakakaloko lang ang ngiti at tingin na ibinigay sa kaniya. She also told Bea, Jho, and Jessey. Ang JhoBea, walang ibang ginawa kundi asarin siya. Si BF naman niya supportive lang sa kung ano man daw ang gusto niya.

Siya naman ay kibit-balikat na lang. Noong nasa plane na siya at nakapag-isip-isip na, narealize naman niya na wala siyang dapat problemahin. She was gonna let things happen. Basta siya sigurado siya na masaya na siya, with or without Vic. If i-pursue siya ni Vic, okay lang kasi wala naman siyang obligasyon na sagutin ito or subukang mahalin ulit ito sa ganoong paraan. If hindi, better kasi mas makakapagfocus pa siya sa career niya. So iyon na nga, medyo wala siyang pakialam kung kausapin siya or hindi ni Vic. Priorities. At hindi si Vic iyon.

Naputol ang iniisip niya nang may kumatok sa pinto. 

Ay, wow. She waited for one of her best friends, who were literally a few feet away from the door, to open it. Pero wala talaga.

"Babe, the door," sabi ni Zach.

Ay, wow, talaga.

Isinarado na lang niya ang laptop niya at pumunta na sa pintuan. Sinadya niyang bagalan ang lakad niya noong nasa tapat siya ng TV.

"Babe!" sabay na sigaw ng dalawa.

She stuck her tongue out before opening the door.

"V-Vic?!"

She was so surprised that she did not notice Zach stood beside her as soon as he heard her say Vic's name.