Hansel & Ingrid [JULNIEL]

Fourteen: Something 'bout Hansel

HANSEL

       Parties are not my thing.

       It was. But not anymore.

       It's too rowdy. Too many people clashing and bumping against each other. It's too messy. Too crowded and everything's a trainwreck afterwards.

       Actually, parties were never my thing. I just used parties to release the stress I've been building up, let it loose the simplest way possible. Yung tipong magsisisigaw ka and magmukhang normal lang since nasa environment ka na fit yung pagiging wild.

       Ilang buwan na akong hindi nakakapunta ng kahit anong public gathering, kaya hindi ko alam kung paano kami papasok na lang basta basta sa party na'to.

       First, we're uninvited. Second, Clark is fuming and si Ingrid? Pahirapan pang sumama. But mapilit si Clark so napasama na lang din siya. We closed the cafe and rampaged on for the party.

       With coffees in our stomach,  we stood outside of the venue.

       "Somebody stop me or I will explode right now." Clark growled, eyes glued to her phone, now chatting with her girlfriend. "She's saying sorry na di daw niya napagpaalam! And she's spamming me with I love yous as if it's going to fix everything!!"

       Ingrid had her arm wrapped around Clark's shoulder. "Wag kang mag-alala, kakausapin natin siya ngayon."

       Clark nodded, typing something on her phone, before closing it and hiding it in her pocket. "Sinabi ko na na nandito tayo sa labas." She paused. Ipinikit niya ang kaniyang mata, before taking a deep breath. "Guys..."

       "Oh?" Sagot ko. Her cheeks were red and dama ko na, konti na lang maiiyak na siya.

       "I don't think this is a great idea. Oh my goodness." She mumbled, "Nagpadala ako sa emosyon, this isn't logical, hinahadlangan ko yung kasiyahan niya. I look like a paranoid possessive girlfriend. I just... I just wanted her to tell me the truth but..."

       "Nandito na tayo, hindi na tayo pwedeng umalis." Sabi ni Ingrid, "Okay lang yan, nangyayari talaga yan."

       Clark opened her eyes, only for them to flicker behind me. Nakarinig ako ng rustle mula sa likod ko, so lumingon ako.

       Nakalabas ng entrance ng maliit na club house ang isang babae. She looked like someone who'd break everybody's heart, and that's judging palang sa pananamit niya. She was just as tall as I was, so medyo naintimidate ako, pero nang nag clear sa paningin namin ang pag-aalala niya, nawala ang plano kong magalit sakanya from making my cousin worry.

       Nagtitigan lang kami. Binitawan ni Ingrid si Clark at tumabi sakin.

       "Clark." Nagsalita ang babae, "Babe."

       And there you have it. That's Clark's girlfriend. Levity. Sinubukan kong hindi matawa sa pangalan niya, kasi nang pinagsama ko kanina ang Clark at Levity, Clarity ang kinalabasan. Too poetic na naging cringe sa huli.

       Sumakit ang ulo ko sa naganap na akapan nila. Inakap ni Lev si Clark, tuluyan na nga umiyak si Clark, at satingin ko hindi na din kinaya ni Ingrid ang drama kaya naglakad siya palayo sa dalawang babaeng nagkakakaayos. Sumunod ako sakanya.

       "Ingrid!" I called out. I wanted answers. "May girlfriend si Clark?! And walang nagsabi sa'kin?"

       Ingrid chuckled, carefree lang talaga katulad ng dati, "Hindi ka naman nagtanong. Tsaka akala ko alam mo na."