LOVEBITES

Chapter 2

Nanginginig ang mga kamay na hawak hawak ni Caitlin ang kwintas na ngayon ay nakasuot na sa kanyang leeg. She sat up straight. Her eyes streaming with tears. Anong nangyari? or more accurately the most perfect question this time, Bakit nangyari iyon? Ito na ba ang tamang oras para paniwalaan ang una niyang naging reaksyon ng magpakita ang ama sa panaginip niya--that all of it wasn't true. Na ang mga panaginip niya ay dala lang ng pagka-miss niya dito at imposible talagang kausapin siya nito. It can't possibly be true; her real father wouldn't even do what he did in her dream. Nababaliw na siya. Naguguluhan. And she needed to think straight, analyze everything, make a logical explanation to all of this.....but she came up blank. It's like she was rob of her mind and all she could focus is her erratic beating heart, and the tingle in her lips. Oh my freaking G!

Mabilis na pinahid niya ang kanyang luha, pagkatapos ay sinimulan ang kanyang breathing exercise. Breathe in. Breathe out. In. Out. Makailang beses iyong ginawa ni Caitling bago niya bahagyang napakalma ang sarili. Nang medyo nasa huwisyo na siya, tumayo na siya mula sa kanyang kama, at tinungo ang full length mirror niya na nakapwesto sa may tabi ng vanity table. Pinagmasdan niya ang sarili-- at hindi niya mapigilan ang mapangiwi. She look awful--aside from the redness, she could pinpoint a wild and crazy look in her eyes. Her hair sticking out in different angles, that added to "she's definitely gone mental" effect.

"You're crazy" she muttered to herself.

Her reflection nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I'm crazy" her other self agreed.

"Sana hindi na ulit ako managinip ng ganoon" dagdag pa niya

"Sana makita ko ulit siya" the other one answered. All the hair in her body rose, and she felt a shiver deep in her body. No way! She's not having some freaking Daddy issues, and she's not crushing on her father. That's...just not right. Hell! It's immoral.

"Just forget about it" she commanded herself.

"Yes, I think let's for--get about him...and move on" pilit namang sagot ng isa. Napahugot siya ng malalim na hininga. Mariin niyang ipinikit ang kanyang mga mata, imagining herself digging a hole somewhere inside her brain and forcefully trying to capture the memory of the kiss and then immediately burying it. She felt a sweat trickled down her face. Gah! Ang hirap ng ginagawa niya. She's concentrating so hard--hindi niya napansin ang pagbukas ng pinto at pagpasok ng ina sa kwarto niya. Napatalon siya sa gulat ng maramdaman ang kamay nito sa balikat niya.

Nang imulat niya ang mata ay sumalubong sa kanya ang nag-aalalang mukha ng ina.

"Ma..." hindi niya napigilan ang panghihina ng boses niya. Her mother caught her off guard

"What's wrong?" seryosong tanong nito

"Nothing" agap namang sagot niya

"Sigurado ka?" tanong ulit nito, clearly fishing for more details than her so-ever-vague answers.

"Nightmares" hindi niya napigilang saad. Lumipad ang kamay niya sa kanyang bibig, realizing what she said, then suddenly felt awful about it. It was never really nightmares. The times she spends with her Dad in her dreams are not nightmares--this time it's just different...weird...but it's not a nightmare.

"Ang ibig ko pong sabihin, medyo weird lang ang napanaginipan ko ngayon" pagtatama niya

"Alright, if you say so..." nag-aalangang sang-ayon nito. Nanahimik siya. Hindi niya alam kung ano pa ba ang dapat niyang sabihin. She's still reeling from her dream---mababaliw na siya sa kakaisip. Mabuti na lang at naisipan ng Mama niya na basagin ang katahimikang umaalingawngaw sa pagitan nilang dalawa.