Sleeping Beauty

Kabanata 28

Kabanata 28

Rain

-Iya-

I decided to stay in our van for a while as I calm myself. I don't want them to see me at my worst, weak and vulnerable state. Tama na'ng si Jerome ang makakita noon. Maybe, I trusted the wrong person, I wasn't able to guard my heart well. I fell on a trap... on their trap...

I fall in love. Maybe with the wrong person. But at least I finally know how deep love is. I finally experience to love someone. How love can make your heart beats uncontrollably. How it can make you nervous sometimes. How it can give you a flattering and a blissful feeling. How it can hurt and break you.

"Ma'am, hindi na po kayo pupunta doon sa meeting? Tumigil na po ang ulan," tanong sa akin ng isang guard ko.

Bumaling ako sa kanya. Wala na sana akong planong pumunta kung hindi lang nagtext sa akin si Jethro para tanungin kung okay lang ako. I'm pretty sure they already know what happened earlier. I don't want them to think that I'm bitter or I'm avoiding them.

Gusto kong makita pa rin nila ang Iya'ng nakilala nila. 'Yung wala pakialam sa lahat.

"Pupunta na ako..."

Hinatid nila ako sa tapat ng building. Bumaba ako na walang dala na kahit ano bukod sa sarili at sa coin purse ni Hayley dahil sigurado ako na baka nandoon si Jerome o di kaya kung sino man sa mga kaibigan niya. Pagpasok ko sa room ay kaagad silang natahimik. Mas marami silang nandito sa ngayon dahil kasama ang lahat ng mga magpeperform for that night. They all looked at me.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. May inasikaso lang ako," I gave them my sweetest smile.

"It's okay, Iya. We understand," sambit ni Miccae at iminuwestra ang upuang malapit sa kanila na katapat ni Jerome. "Sabi ni Jethro, kausap mo daw kasi si Keith Falcon. Ano na ba talaga ang real score sa inyong dalawa?"

"I don't think this is the right time to tell you about that,"

She gave me a teasing smile. "Okay, mamaya usap tayo ah?"

Bahagya akong natawa sa sinabi niya. I looked at all of them and my eyes stopped at Jerome and his friends. Nandoon pa rin ang ngiti ko hanggang sa umupo ako. They're looking at me carefully, lalong lumawak ang ngiti ko sa kanila bago binaling kay Jethro na katabi ko lang din.

"I'm sorry," sambit ko sa kanya. "Tapos na ba?" bulong ko.

"Oo," aniya at ngumiti. Sumimangot ako sa kanya. Pinapunta niya pa ako dito eh no? "I'll explain our discussion to you later. But for now, you need to decide on this..." humina na ang boses niya at humarap sa harapan kung saan nagsasalita na si Calvin.

"So many students and even professors are requesting for a duet between Jerome and Iya as the last part of our concert." Calvin looked at me. Kumunot ang noo at bahagya pa akong nagulat sa sinabi niya. "I already asked Jerome about this, Iya, but he told me na ikaw ang dapat kong tanungin at pagdesisyunin tungkol dito. So ano? Payag ka ba?"

Napatingin ako kay Jerome, he's still looking at me. It's a mixture of curiousity and a bit of coldness. We're only few meters apart from each other but it feels like a lightyear. The pain overwhelms me again. Pakiramdam ko talaga ang layo na namin sa isa't isa. Hindi ko na siya maabot... this was supposed to happen before, when he's not yet bugging me.

I smiled at him, keeping all the pain to myself, and nodded. "Sure," I answered.

They all looked shocked except for Jerome. His eyebrows furrowed curiously. Tumikhim ako at tinignan silang lahat. "It's okay, we're friends naman. We can do that. Di ba?" sabi ko sa kanya.