SAME COURSE [COMPLETED]

XII. DON'T BLAME ME

Kinuha ko bigla yung baso and sasalubungin sina Gab pero pinigilan ako ni Jinn. I looked at him with my poker face. "I'm sorry Pao"

"No, I'm sorry" then I smiled tapos tinanggal ko yung kamay niya. Pagtingin ko sa may hagdan, andun na si Gab. SHIT.

"Anong ginagawa niyo dyan? Hinintay niyo talaga kami?" He's smiling.

"Oo" Jinn replied. "Pinakita ko rin kay Pao yung buong kaharian mo"

"Kaharian e. May binili nga pala akong beers. Ano? Inuman?"

"Gab, hindi ba uso sayo pahinga?" Si Christine "let's sleep for now,we still have like, 2 days?" she looked at us "Ano? Dyan na lang kayo?"

"Ahh. I'll just wash this" then kinuha ko na rin yung baso ni Jinn. "I'm glad you're safe guys" looking at Gab.

"Wait, diba sabi ko ako maghuhugas nan" biglang kinuha sakin ni Jinn yung mga baso then we looked at each other "go to sleep. Ako na bahala dito"

"Okay" then tinignan ko sina Gab and ngumiti lang ako tapos deretso na ako sa kwarto.

3 AM and I'm still awake. I looked at Steph at dead on arrival ang pegs niya. I want to talk about it with her pero mas importante naman ang tulog niya.

Umupo na lang muna ako sa dulo ng kama and thought na patay na naman ako later. Mukhang hindi na naman ako makakapagenjoy.

"Makalabas na lang"

Upon opening the door, nakita ko si Christine na saktong lumabas rin ng room niya.

"Hi" I said.

"Hi" she closed the door "Hindi ka rin ba makatulog?"

"Yeah. Sort of" I smiled then sabay na kaming bumaba papuntang dining hall.

Christine head straight sa fridge

"Pau, do you want beer?"

"Ahh no. I'm okay. Just had hot choco earlier"

"I see" then sinarhan niya yung pinto and I can see that she's holding 2 cans of beer "Veranda ako. How about you?"

"Ahh, sige, samahan kita"

She sat on the floor. I joined her.

"Hindi ka talaga iinom? So, anong ginagawa mo dito?"

"Just want to kill time. Hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi ako makatulog"

"Paano ba naman kasi maghapon ka namang tulog kanina. Nagtaka ka pa" then uminom siya ng beer

Silence~

Medyo iba yung mood ni Christine this time. Kalma lang siya and wala yung aura niya na mananampal.

"So, what's the score between you and Jinn?"

"Score?" I laughed "Where did you get that?"

"Pao, Jinn really likes you a lot"

"How can you say that?"

"Because he used to take care of me like how he takes care of you. He used to look at me like how he looks at you.." then nagbeer ulit siya.

"I'm sorry if you can see that but I can really tell you na wala naman. Maybe he's taking care of me because he likes my company, you see, lately rin lang naman kami naging friends. Hindi kami okay before"

"I can tell, kasi lately lang rin naman kita nakita around him and nakakapagtaka. Lagi kita nakikita sa café ni Krista but never ko naimagine na makikita kita around Jinn and" she looked at me "sobrang nakakairita" with her signature taray look then nagbeer ulit.

"I'm sorry but, I believe wala naman akong kasalanan sayo?"

"Wala naman. It's just that, I don't like you around Jinn. Pero mukang hindi ko na maiiwasan yon. You're all over him and I can only think na because of you, or, maybe because of you kaya nawalan siya ng interest sa akin"

"At talagang because of me? Hindi mo ba naisip na baka it's because of you? You're into thinking na it's my fault. You're focused that the reason why Jinn stop treating you like before is because of me? I don't get you"

"You can't blame me. Nagbago lahat nung lagi na siyang nakikipagbond sayo. Ano bang meron sayo? Ano bang ginawa mo sa kanya?"

"Anong ginawa ko sa kanya?" I laughed "You're funny Christine. Minsan ba naisip mo kung ano bang ginawa mo at nagbago ang pakikitungo sayo ni Jinn?" She just looked at me "Listen, sumama ako dito because of Steph, if you happened to remember your party na kung saan tinulak ako ni Gab sa pool in front of your guests? I almost punch Steph's face to make her stop because she's my friend and I don't want her to get hurt. Yun lang rin ang reason ko for being here" I said calmly.

"Just shut up" She said. I can see na naiirita na lalo siya.

"No. You shut up. Get me out of your head. Stop blaming others kung bakit may iba between you and Jinn. I don't really care about you two. Wag niyo kong idamay sa gulo niyo"

"Ayaw mong idamay kita sa gulo namin ni Jinn?" She looked at me "then disappear. I don't want you here. Take Steph and go home hindi yung kung ano anong sinasabi mo. Go home Pao" then tumayo na siya leaving all her beers behind.

Kung hindi lang ako matinong tao baka kinaladkad ko na siya pabalik dito tapos isasabit ko siya dito sa veranda using her hair! I am so pissed off! I'm just being nice. Also, I'm helping her to realize na baka talaga may fault siya sa nangyayari sa kanila between ni Jinn.  I know I like Jinn but I also want her to be okay with him at kung ano mang meron sila. I just want her to stop blaming me or kung sino man. Especially na I consider her as my friend now.

I looked at my watch and It's almost 4AM. What a great way to waste time. Tumayo na ako and hoping to get some sleep. Tinitigan ko yung beers ni Christine

"Ako? Uuwi? Neknek mo!" at pinagsisipa ko sila sa sobrang inis ko.

I thought makakapagusap kami ni Christine without mentioning Jinn pero siya pa rin talaga ang puno at dulo for her.

While walking papunta sa room, naalala ko yung kiss namin ni Jinn. If he'll going to talk about it later, I will slap him para naman magising siya and at the same time, para rin magising ako. Pao, hindi lahat ng fairytale masaya.

Isipin mo na lang, gift ni fairygod mother yung kiss niyo ni Jinn.