Still Into You

Scented Paper

Chapter 3

"Anong plano mo ngayon?" tanong ni Geraldine. Nasa headquarters si Leanne ng Chainstream. Sakto lang ang laki nito. Two-storey house. Sa first floor, nandito lahat ng kwarto nila, bale apat na kwarto, sa taas naman, nando'n ang studio nila. Nagkaayaan mag-inuman after ng gig nila, buti na lang talaga, patapos na ang tv series niya, iniisip nga nito na hindi muna ito tatanggap ng teleserye pagkatapos no'n, kasi gusto niyang magbakasyon.

Tumungga si Leanne ng beer na nasa lata, "ewan ko."

"Ayan! Iinom inom ka tuloy ngayon, kung pinag-explain mo lang kasi 'yong tao, hindi ka magkakaganyan," sabi ni Albert.

"Al, hindi naman kasi gano'n kadali 'yon eh. Saka kung gusto niya talaga mag-explain, ba't hindi pa noon?" sagot ni Leanne at kumagat sa chicken wings na hawak niya.

"May punto naman si Leanne, Al," sabat ni Geoff.

"Pakialamero talaga 'tong Je-yof na 'to!"

"'Jef' not 'Je-yof'. Abnormal ka lang, palibhasa walang kang sex life," pang-aasar ni Geoff kay Albert at saka uminom ng beer.

"Kaysa naman sa'yo, STD!"

"'Di ako nakikipag-ano kung kani-kanino lang 'no!" depensa ni Geoff. "Tuyot!"

Natigil lamang ang asaran ng dalawa when someone barged in. It was Sam.

Sam is their road manager.

"Hey guys! I brought something - oh, nag-iinuman pala kayo. Hindi ito bagay pang-pulutan eh," ani Sam habang nilalapag sa unahan nila ang isang plastic bag.

Sinilip ito ni Leanne, "uy ice cream!"

Agad siyang tumakbo sa kusina at dinala ang isang gallon ng ice cream saka ito nilantakan mag-isa sa kusina.

"Hoy Leanne, mamigay ka naman!" sigaw ni Anthony mula sa sala.

"May isa pang gallon d'yan, maghati na lang kayo," at tumawa si Leanne.

"Ang takaw mo talaga kahit kailan!"

Kapag ice cream talaga, walang makakapigil kay Leanne. Kahit dalawang gallon as long as she likes the flavor, she can eat it in just one siting. Buti na nga lang hindi ito tabain, it was either, she has a fast metabolism or she have a black hole inside her stomach

"Oh hinay hinay lang," she saw Sam walking towards her.

"Baka sumuka ka niyan, mainit sa sikmura ang beer tapos mag-a-ice cream ka?" umiiling na saad ni Sam sa kanya.

Binalewala niya lang ito at tuloy tuloy lang siyang kumain ng ice cream.

"By the way, nag-aaya ka raw ng outing?" Leanne opened a topic. Naalala niya kasi bigla 'yong sinabi ni Geraldine sa apartment nito na gusto raw niya ng outing if she's already free, para siguro sama-sama sila.

Napakamot si Sam sa batok niya, "ah oo. Ang tagal na rin kasi nating hindi nakakalabas eh. So kailan ka ba free?"

Nag-isip saglit si Leanne, "maybe next week?"

Sam smiled, "then next week it is!"

"Saan ba tayo pupunta?"

"You'll know."

〰〰〰

Ilang minuto pa, napagpasyahan na niyang umuwi. It was already past 10 o'clock. She drove home. Dali dali na itong pumasok sa building kung saan siya nakatira. She walked through the elevator, nang makita niyang magsasara na ito, she ran and shouted, "wait!" The guy inside the elevator pushed the button para mapatigil ang pagsara ng elevator at makasabay pa siya.

"Thank you," she mumbled when she entered the elevator.

"Hey, Leanne?"

She looked up and she saw him again- no, not Adrian, but Kyle!

"Dito ka rin pala nakatira?" Kyle said in a funny accent.

She nodded, "saang floor ka?"

"15th. You?"

Kapag pinagtatagpo nga naman ng tadhana!

"Same!" she said while grinning.

Hanggang sa nakarating na sila sa 15th floor. Magkapit-condo lang pala sila.

"So, goodnight Leanne?"

"Goodnight."

And she's finally home. Tinatamad na itong magpalit ng damit kaya agad na itong dumiretso sa kwarto niya at humiga. Pero hindi siya makatulog, hanggang ngayon ginugulo pa rin ni Adrian ang isip niya. Umupo ito sa kama niya nang may maalala siya bigla. She did get something under her bed, it was a box. Pinagpagan niya ito kasi maalikabok na dahil na rin siguro ang tagal na niya itong hindi nagagalaw.

The box contains all the memories that Leanne and Adrian made. Kaya ilag pa rin siyang buksan ito, baka kasi maiyak lang siya. She saw their pictures, kinuha niya ito at tinitigan. She looked how happy they were back then. Ibinaba niya ang pictures nang mangilid na ang luha niya. Next, she saw a notebook. She opened it in a random page. It was the notebook where she wrote all the poems that she made for Adrian.

The scented papers said it all

That for you, I already fall

I was a lost star adventuring the world to search for love

But you guided me, and I saw you fab

Then I knew you

You put my world a hue

Adrian, I love you

I turned my notebook to the last page. There were no poem in the last page, it was just a sentence composed of three words.

You broke me.

She just felt the hot liquid flowing down from her eyes. Then lastly, there was a scented paper na nasa ilalim ng box.

I loved.

I got hurt.

I walked away.

I've moved on, or so I thought?

Am I over those butterflies?

Or am I still into him?

Itinago ulit ni Leanne ang box at patuloy na umiyak. Sa isip-isip nito, sana pala'y hindi na niya naisipang halungkatin pa ang bittersweet past niya. I hate you, Adrian. I really do.