When I Escaped

Chapter 14

"H-Ha? Kailan?" tanong ko, nalilito. "Sandali, sino bang tinutukoy mong nagustohan mo?"

Umiling lang siya.

Tinapik ko siya sa braso. "Ay grabe siya oh! Hindi ko naman sasabihin sa iba at tutulungan pa kita."

"Tutulongan mo ako? Really?" sarkastiko niyang tawa.

"Oo naman!" I exclaimed.

"Help yourself." His eyes were locked on mine like magnets then he walked outside and I followed.

There were unexplained things happening inside my stomach again when Travis said that. Hindi ko alam ba't ako nagkakaganito.

Tumigil ako sa paglalakad ng malapit na ako sa kanya. "Do you like me Trav?" I arched an eyebrow.

He chuckled at lumapit sa kinatatayuan ko. "I like you so damn much as my best friend, Jul." his voice is coarse parang nakalunok ng buto.

My heart skipped a beat.

"Oh, umm..joke lang 'yun kanina!" I tried my best fake laugh pero hindi siya sumabay sa tawa ko kundi seryoso niya akong tinignan.

Yung boses niya parang nanginginig pero hindi masyadong halata. "So, dinner tayo?"

I nodded. "Okay, libre kita." he was about to protest but "Once in a lifetime lang ako nanglilibre, wag mo namang tangihan." I insisted.

When we eat, I keep on forcing him to tell me kung sino yung "mystery girl" na tinutukoy niya.

"Naks naman Trav! eh halos lahat na ng babae sa school nasabi ko na." I said

"Not quite yet." he smiled.

I rolled my eyes so hard that I could see my brain. "I almost forgot, Ella?"

Umiling siya.

"Umm.. about her. Err what happened to both of you?" hindi ako chismosa, curious lang.

He talked in a serious tone. "When we were kids, we were good friends but our families forced us to be together because of business. I had a big crush on her and I courted her but then she didn't wanted me cause she said I'm a nerd at wala raw akong abs."

Tumawa ako and he continued.

"And now, she wants me so bad at hindi ko gusto na minahal lang ako ng isang tao sa kung anong nakikita nila. She love me because, I'm popular?" Umiling siya. "I was always there for her pero pinagtataboy niya ako noon at masakit but I eventually got over her."

"Ganon pala. Eh paano yung mga flings mo?" pinaliitan ko siya ng mata.

He sighed. "I used them to get over Ella pero noon pa yun at seryoso na ako ngayon sa babaeng mahal ko."

"Ay nakakaloka ka talaga! Sino nga?!"

Umiling siya. "Anyways, yung surpresa ko sayo." he went to his car immediately.

Inarapan ko siya. "Psh. Change topic."

We were riding in his car but he  is taking me in a different place.

"Kung may plano kang kidnapin ako, wala akong pera. Alam mo naman diba?"

I saw he had a thin smile in his lips.

He parked his car at the cemetery and he brought me in the cliff.

"Wait I have something for you." he went back to his car.

I sat down the cliff with darkness. The moon was covered with clouds and the breeze is so cold.

"Hoy bakulaw! Malapit nang mabuhay mga zombies!" takot kong sabi. Para kasing eksena sa isang movie na napaanood ko, yung bobong lalaki iniwan yung girlfriend niya at ipinakain sa alaga niyang zombie.