When I Escaped

Chapter 6

I can feel his arms snaked around my waist and his bloodshot eyes darted towards me.

"No, it's not what you think Trav, I was just sitting down the cliff." I tried explaining to him.

Umiling siya. "Pakiusap Julie, don't do this to yourself, don't hurt yourself, let me show-"

Tinulak ko siya bago pa niya naituloy ang sasabihin niya.

"Ano ba pakielam mo ha?!"pasigaw ko.

Umiling siya ulit, hinilamos niya ang kanyang kamay sa mukha niya at naglakad pabalik sementeryo.

I let out a sigh. "Sandali lang Trav," but he continued walking.
Hinabol ko siya at hinarangan.
"I'm sorry, I acted so immature. Hindi lang maganda ang gabi ko."

Nakikita ko sa mga mata niya na parang kakatapos lang umiyak.
"May I know kung bakit ka nandito? You're stalking me again, aren't you?"

He chuckled.

He smiled while answering me. "Dito rin inilibing si Tracey and I was here first when you arrived."

I can feel my face turning red. Nako, assuming ko talaga. Hindi ko na tuloy alam kung ano ang sasabihin ko.

"Umm..I was thinking if you want to sit with me on the cliff."
I realized maybe he also wanted to talk to someone, maybe he wanted to escape.

We were just sitting and there was silence.

"Trav, narinig mo ba kanina yung ano...ang lahat ng sinabi ko kanina?" hiyang hiya kong sabi.

"Ah ikaw 'yon? Akala ko nga gumising na yung isa sa mga patay rito" biro niya.

"Trav naman" seryoso kong sabi

He looked at me. "All of it, I heard everything."then he smiled. "There's nothing wrong in crying Julie, there's nothing wrong in letting out what you feel."

I nodded then gazed at him.

I can see him very clearly because of the moonlight, he look so good in a gray v-neck shirt and black pants, parang masisira na nga yung sleeve ng kanyang shirt dahil sa malaki niyang biceps. He's so tall even when he is sitting, at nakakasilaw ang tanned skin niya dahil sa sinag ng buwan.

"What? Do I look good?" tumawa siya.

I make that "disgusted face" then laughed. "Bakulaw"

Next thing I knew we were exchanging jokes.

"Ok my turn" aniya. "Anong bansa ang pinakamadumi?"

"Ano?" then I smiled

"GERMany." at natawa siya sa kanyang sinabi

"You're good but not better than me." I tease him. "Okay, Knock knock."

"Who's there"

"Ginabing Kokey"

"Ginabing Kokey who?" hindi pa ako nagjojoke ay tumatawa na siya.

Sumasayaw ako habang nagsasalita. "Just dance Ginabing Kokey." I burst out laughing.

"Ako naman." Travis said like he was about to answer a question. "Julie, thesis ka ba?"

"Bakit?" I said at pinaliit ko ang mga mata ko.

"Kasi handa kitang idefend sa lahat." He bit his lip and I laughed.

"I never knew you're actually weird" biro ko."Trav pinaglihi ka ba sa keyboard?"

"Hmm..I think you're winning at this." natawa siya "Why?"

"Kasi type kita." I said in a serious tone but then I start laughing.

Bigla nalang nabago ang timpla sa mukha niya. He looked at me intently. "Really? I like you too."
Then he crack up laughing.

"No, no, no it was just a pick up line, I don't mean to sound like that-"

"Fine but don't be so defensive."
biro niya.

Masarap pala na may kausap kahit paminsan minsan lang at naipapakita mo ang tunay na ikaw.

Seryoso ang mukha ni Travis ng nilingon ako. "I never saw this side of yours, you are so fun to be with."

I smiled "You too."

Silence..

"Trav can I ask you about something?"

"Anything"

Naglunok ako. "Anong nangyari kay Tracey?"

Huminga siya nang malalim. "Tracey had depression, she was pregnant during her senior year, that is why she was just a salutatorian and my mom was disappointed. Pinilit siya ni mama na ipa-abort ang baby dahil masisira daw ang image ng aming pamilya but she didn't want it so she-" he stopped, when I turned to him he broke down crying.

Natulala ako dahil si Travis, umiiyak. Jusko at hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko.

"Trav, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I shouldn't ask you." I hugged him tightly.

He look at me in shock, he didn't hugged me back but he cupped my face and I can feel his soft lips brushing with mine.

Bigla akong nagulat sa ginawa niya at inatras ko ang katawan ko papalayo. My heart is beating fast and I didn't feel butterflies in my stomach, it's like the whole zoo in it. His lips tasted like salted caramel mixed with rainbow.

I never felt this my whole life.

He blinked once."I-I'm sorry, I don't know what to say." Yumuko siya and I saw him smiling. He stood up at inalay niya ang kamay niya sa akin.

And then we were here. Standing in a cliff, wherein the moonlight is staring at us.

Shit. This is awkward, parang na tatae na ako. Ang mga paa ko parang naging jelly ace at ang kamay ko naman ay kasing lamig ng ice sa Antarctica.

I can feel that he is nervous and I don't think I've seen him like this before.

"Let's just forget about this." I know I'm not his first kiss, siguro lahat ng babae hinalikan niya na pero ako, this is my first at hindi ko inaasahan na si Travis pa.

I let him take me home at inilagay niya nalang ang bike ko sa ibabaw ng kanyang sasakyan.

"I thought you had a girlfriend" I blurted out.

Kumunot ang noo niya pero ang tingin niya nasa malayo pa rin.
"Wala akong girlfriend Julie"

"Ah so kinalimutan mo na lang si Ella, ang ganda pa naman niya." I snorted.

"What!? No, Ella is not my girlfriend. Saan mo naman niyan nakuha or did you assume again?" He clenched his jaw and he looked mad."That's why you didn't kiss me back, am I right?"

"No, well partly yes. But you don't understand it was my first Trav and you can't just steal it. I'm saving it for my first boyfriend and I know you think it's weird but-"

He stopped the car at hindi ko namalayan nandito na kami sa labas ng bahay. He opened the door for me. "I'm not yet finish talking to you Trav, I wanted you to know I take everything so special and that kiss was a mistake and we must forget about it and-"

I'm so talkative

He took my chin and he looked into my eyes."I know Julie, that was my first too."