I Can't Make You Love Me

Chapter II - Frozen

"I'll pick you up later okay? Bye." Eros said before leaving me in front of my building. He has been acting sooooo weird for the past, i don't know, days? a week? I guess I lost count. 

Anyway, I still have a class. Mamaya ko na lang muna iisipin si Eros. Maybe I'll talk to him too. Yeah. That sounds nice. 

I reached my room. Wala pa ang prof. Nahagip ng mata ko ang tatlong nagmamalditang babae sa isang gilid. Mukhang may binubully nanaman sila. Tsk. 

Lumapit ako, "What's going on here?" Tanong ko sa tatlo. 

"Caths! Thank Goodness you're here!" Sabi sakin ni Dem. Bigla naman niya kong hinatak at nakita kong sumisigaw naman si Hes. Sinisigawan niya yung isa ko atang blockmate. I can sense na takot na takot na siya. 

"Hestia! What the hell?" Nang makita niya ko, tumigil naman siya sa ginagawa niya. 

"Caths!" Sabi niya sabay yakap sa braso ko. "You are one lucky bitch huh? Umalis ka na dito bago pa kita kalbuhin! Malanding to!" Sabi naman niya sa blockmate ko na dali dali namang tumakbo palabas. 

Tumatawa namang lumapit samin si Nyx. "Thanks for ruining my entertainment Caths."

"Ano bang nagyayari?" I am so confused. 

"Well." Panimula ni Dem. "Let's just say na nagmamaganda nanaman yang si Hes. " Then she eyed on Hes who is just ignoring Dem's glare. "Nalaman niya kasing may bagong kalandian- i mean- bagong dine date ang kuya Dion mo. Ayan. Sinugod. Kawawa nga si ate girl eh." 

Si Nyx naman, natatawa na lang. Ohh ~ so wala na man pala silang binubully. Si Hes lang. Well, Hes is quite obssessed with my brother, which I really find weird. 

"Stop harassing them Hes. You're not my kuya's Girlfriend."

"I know right. 'Cause, I'm his wife!" then she maniacly laughed.

Minsan gusto kong sapakin tong si Hes. Napunta nanaman siguro sa talampakan niya ang utak niya. 

After that, we had our class. Course? AB English. Actually ako at si Nyx lang. Dem and Hes are fashion designing. Hindi na 'ko nagugulat kung nangangapit-bahay ang dalawang yan. Even my blockmates. Sanay na sila. 

Napatingin naman ako sa pinto ng may biglang pumasok. It's Selene, one of my childhood friend. 

"Hi!" Bati niya samin ni Nyx. She seems happy. 

"Hi. Where have you been? Akala ko aabsent ka nanaman."

"Diyan lang sa tabi-tabi." Sabi niya sabay upo sa left side ko.

"Lumandi." Bulong naman ni Nyx kaya bigla ko siyang siniko. 

"What?" She said. I just eyed her before she plugged her earphones. This girl has her own way of words.  

I ignored her then faced Selene. 

"Sooo. How are things? How are you and your boyfriend?" Mukha namang natigilan siya sa tanong ko? Am I not allowed to ask such question?

"Uhh. Ayos naman kami." Then she smiled awkwardly.

"Are you alright?"

She released a sigh before answering, "Yeah. We just had an arguement, but nothing to worry about."

I just nod to her response. A few minutes after, our prof arrived. As usual, he's late. 

~ 

After our class, we decided to eat lunch. 

"Nasan si Selene?" Tanong ni Dem sa akin.

"She left. She said she has to do something important." I replied.

Tumango na lang siya. We're currently heading to the cafeteria nang may makabangga sa akin. 

"A-Aphrodite! I'm so sorry!" Mukhang natataranta naman yung naka bangga sa akin. I just stared blankly at her, at dali-dali naman siyang umalis. 

Why am I like that? Well, let's just say na iba ako sa bahay, iba ako sa school, at iba ako pag kasama ko ang mga kaibigan ko. Split personalities? Maybe? Basta iba ang impression nila sa akin. Ma impluwensiya kasi ang pamilya ko. Takot sila sa side ng mom ko eh. Why? You'll find out. 

After namin makakuha ng pagkain, we found a table for four sa pinaka sulok ng caf. We were peacfully eating ng magbukas ng topic si Nyx. 

"I really don't like Selene." Napatingin naman kami sa kanya. Sanay naman na kong ganyan si Nyx.

"Maski naman kami ni Dem eh. There's really something about her that screams 'you can't trust me' " Sabi naman ni Hes.

"What do you think, Caths?" Tanong sakin ni Dem. 

"Girls. I know you don't like her. Matagal ko ng alam yan. But Selene, she's a good friend. She's nice." Sabi ko naman sa kanila. 

"Yeah. Right. Nice. Oo. Sayo." Sabi naman ni Dem habang tumatango-tango pa.

But that's true. Selene is very nice. She's smart and pretty, too. I just can't get why these girls don't like her. Baka naman nag seselos sila? Yeah right. Asa.  

As I've said, Selene is a childhood friend. Before she left, kaming lima ang laging magkakasama. Pero mula nang bumalik siya from States, the girls' perspectives changed. I really don't know why? 

We finished lunch without mentioning Selene's name once more. I texted her, asking where she is. Our class will start at any moment, and still, wala pa din siya. 

Nag start na kami sa oral recitation, still wala pa din siya. Nag focus na lang ako. Mahirap namang bumagsak. I'll just text her again later. 

~ 

Eros called me, saying na he can't make it. May biglaang group work daw sila. And as an understanding girlfriend, hinayaan ko na lang siya. I won't let him fail because of me. Nag pasundo na lang ako sa kuya Dion ko since wala akong dalang sasakyan o motor. We study at the same university naman. Nandito siya sa school, though wala siyang pasok. Mambababae lang siya. 

Graduating student na si kuya Dion with a course of Business Ad. Si Kuya Hermes naman, is already working with dad. Ako? 2 years pa before graduating. 

Nakita ko na ang kotse ni kuya Dion. Bumaba siya wearing his shades. He walks towards me, smiling. Hindi ako nakatingin sa kay kuya, dahil busy akong tignan yung mga babaeng nakatingin sa kanya. Pathetic. My inner bitch screams. 

Before he could get to me, may lumapit sa kanyang babae, asking his number. Of course, ang malandi kong kapatid ay binigay naman. His middle name is Flirt, of course. 

"Hi bunso! Kamusta?" Then inakbayan niya ko.

"I'm fine." And bigla kong naalala yung kanina. "Oh yeah. Hes, threatened, your flavor of the month a while ago." Sabi ko habang naglalakad kami papuntang sasakyan niya. 

"Let her. I already have a new one." See? Minsan, iniisip kong hindi ko siya kapatid. Baka ampon lang siya. 

"Bakit nga pala ako ang sumundo sayo bunso?" Sabi niya as he starts the engine.

"Wala kasi si Eros. Group meeting." Sabi ko as I was buckling my seatbelt. 

"Really? I just saw him a while ago. May kasamang chicks pero di ko nakita yung mukha."

And that froze me.