University Student

Chapter Three: 3 IS TO 1

A/N: Merry Hearts Day everyone! Hope you had a blast day with your love ones. 

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Chapter Three: 3 IS TO 1

Surprises are originally meant to exite

Not to to creep someone up

Please be careful for my life could be at stake

I am hormephobic for goodness sake!

Syl's POV

I'M TAKEN ABACK by Cam's statement. I don't know how to react. It's the most unexpected scenario to think of. Never did the thought cross my mind. I'm totally shock.

"News Flash—Cam to Syl: I am your beau young lady."

... "News Flash—Cam to Syl: I am your beau young lady..."

"Hey! You, okay?" Nakangiti pa siya n'yan ha! Bigla nalang ako kinabahan ng kakaiba ng hawakan niya ang magkabila kong balikat. Fudge! Fudge! He's completely out of his mind! I need to get out of here!

"Hoy! Saan ka pupunta? Kami na ang susunod na magpeperform oh."

Dire-diretsiyo pa rin ako sa paglalakad. Walang return botton. "Kaya nga pupunta ako sa labas..." Mahina pero alam kong naintindihan niya.

Surprisingly, konti nalang ang nadatnan kong tao na nagsisiksikan sa harap ng stage compared kanina. Maybe they like watching shows playing fire and simply listening to a band performing.

Umupo ako sa pinakagilid na bench enough para makita ko ang banda nila Cam. Siya ang lead vocalist.

Hindi sakto pero napagtutugma ng kanta ang mga bagay na nasa utak ko ngayon.

♫ ♪ But I'm gone
So don't tell me how you're gonna change your mind and stay
We were never quite like young hearts
We were never meant this way
But I'm gone
So don't tell me how you're gonna change your mind and stay ♫ ♪

Cam is the one friend I have. He's the onlyone I could trust aside from Mom. The only person who knew both the Sylvia from the past and present. The person who stayed when I pushed almost everyone away.

♫ ♪ We were never quite like young hearts
We were never really meant to stay
We were never quite like young hearts
We were never meant this way
We were never quite like young hearts
We were never really meant to stay ♫ ♪

Should we take it to the next level if I haven't found myself yet? Hindi ko naman kayang i-dismiss yung sinabi mo. Ayaw kong matulad sa tipikal na taguan ng feelings at friendship over ng magbestfriend. Ayaw na ayaw ko. Hindi na'tin yun deserve.

♫ ♪ Story goes the love is blind, just like the night before the break of dawn
But you had hidden all the certainties
Why did you take me for a pawn
Answers ache beneath your skin that I have always wanted to ignore
Always wanted to ignore~ ♫ ♪

My heart was thumping against my chest because of his voice. I know this thing and I need to think through it.

***

Pagkatapos na performance kagabi, nag-text na ako kay Cam na kailangan ko ng umuwi. Buti at hindi na siya nagkukulit.

He knows me well, and I hate him for that.

Sanay akong hindi matulog at magdamag na tumunganga sa kahit saang parte ng bahay. Pero iba 'tong ngayon. Hindi 'to yung basta pagtunganga lang kasi madami akong gustong gawin pero hindi ko alam kung alin ang uunahin! Kapikon!

Pagulong-gulong ako sa kama nang tuluyan ang mahulog dahil sa may nagdoorbell. "Aaahhhh!" Napasabunot ako ng buhok at mabibigat na yabag ang ginawa ng paa ko pababa ng kwarto. Bago pa man ako tuluyang makababa, nagulat ako dahil nakita ko si Mama na nakatayo sa pintuan habang nakangiti sa akin.

"Wahhh!" I trip when I tried to ran up the stairs. Good thing that the railings are there to hold unto.

"Sylvia, ano ba 'yan?! Para kang nakakita ng multo." Narinig kong sabi ni Mama kaya mas napakapit ako sa railings. I developed hormephobia na madalas lang kung mangambala. Baka natrigger nung pagkabagsak ko kanina.

Bumuntong-hininga ako. "Ma, ba't hindi man lang kayo tumawag?" Slowly opening my eyes, I saw mom wearing a white satin dress hands on her hips standing in front of me.

"You're not answering your phone. Akala ko kung napano ka na kaya kinailangan kong umalis muna dun sa event. Ba't ba kasi ayaw mo pang sumama?" Tumabi sa'kin si Mama sa pagkakaupo sa hagdan. Tinanggal ko na rin ang pagkapulupot ng braso ko sa railings.

"Alam mo ang rason Ma. Kamusta pala 'dun?" I intentionally diverted the topic from me to her business.

Stike two! Surprises are up for today.

***

Mahaba-haba ang naging usapan na'min ni Mama. Dito na raw siya sa bahay matutulog at babalik na lang sa venue ng medaling araw. Opening pa lang naman at bukas pa ang main event.

"Look Sylvia, I have this favor I've been meaning to ask you." I nod my head in response.

"Okay, Ma." Tinigil ko ang pagkulikot sa mga papel na kanina ko pa fino-fold. I am making paper cranes and other origami stuffs on my bed while Mama on the other hand is watching her favorite sci-fic movie, In Time.

"I want you to get out of here." Nag-loading ako sa sinabi niya. Does that mean...?

"Ha?! Ma naman!" Napatayo ako kaagad ng ma-absorb ng utak ko ang kahulugan statement niya.

"No! What I mean is mag-aral ka sa isang university. You need to get out of this house. Hindi pwedeng palagi ka nalang nandito. You need to get out there and explore life. You need friends..." Inabot at hinawakan niya ang magkabilang kamay ko. "Look. Naiintindihan kita pero para rin 'to sa'yo. I want you to be like other kids. Ayaw kong mamat—"

"Ma!" Ayaw kong matapos ang sasabihin niya. Just the thought of not having her with me for the rest of my life scares me. Nakakatakot. Siya na lang ang pamilyang meron ako.

"Matalino ka Sylvia. You decide and bear in mind that you can't be like this all your life. Tama na pagtatago. I gave you plenty of time to rest and now's the time to get back to business." She planted a kiss on my forehead before exiting my room.

Left thinking of what just happened, there's a debate of the right and left hemisphere of my brain. Stike three...

"May kasunod pa ba 'to?" I said staring out the window looking at the stars. "Buti pa kayo aware sa halos lahat ng nangyayari. Parati kayong nasa labas at ini-enjoy ang buhay. You have a lot of friends wherever you go. You leave by day but come back eventually. You can go around the world without worrying on what is to happen..."

Then Mama's words crossed my mind...

"You need to get out there and explore life."

"A life that's sometimes unfair. I'm afraid to ruin the outside world..." Napagulong-gulong ako sa kama at ipinatong ang unan sa ulo ko sa pagbabakasakaling mawawala lahat ng nasa isipan ko.

"You need friends..."

"Friends. I don't like having bunch of that stuff." Silence embraced me, eyes focused on the clock. Quadrant 1 of the Cartesian Coordinate Plane. All positive. Right angle.

I made up my mind... until my phone buzzed.