These Lines Between Us

Letter

"So... Why did you gave me that letter?"

"Hey! I didn't gave you that letter personally!" she sounded defensive but she didn't care. Basta makalusot lang siya sa lalaki ay okay lang na magmukha siyang defensive.

"--Diba? Inabot sayo ni Ara at Ciara yon? So technically, I was not the one who gave you that. Sila. Sila ang nagbigay." she added as a matter of fact.

"But you wrote it for me right?" dahan-dahan nitong tanong like he's confirming it.

Nasaan na ba ang mga kabarkada nya? Why did they left them alone? Gusto nyang sabunutan ang mga ito. They planned this! For what?! Nakamoved on na siya! Saka bakit pa kailangan ni Paolo na i-confirm kahit matagal na itong nangyari.

It's been two years! Ang dating "siya" na medyo baliw sa lalaki ay nakaraan at tapos na. So no need to confirm it since she knew how obvious it was.

"Mariah?"

She jumped when he called her name. Bakit pa? Hay. Yes or No lang naman ang isasagot nya diba? At saka it's been two years na nga, so ano pa ba kung sagutin nalang nya ang tanong nito.

"Y-yes..."

"Why?"

Halos mahulog siya sa kinauupuan nya sa follow up question nito. Bakit ba tanong ito nang tanong? Napataas nalang ang kilay nya at taas noo nya itong sinagot.

"I wrote it for you because its my entry sa task na ibinigay ng student teacher natin sa English non. Its just a friendly letter!"

Half truth. Half lies. Well, totoong entry and friendly letter iyon but it is letter that conceal everything about her feelings for him. Ayaw niyang magfreak out ito kung love letter ang ginawa niya so instead, she wrote a friendly letter. In that way, kung papayag ito ay mapapalapit siya sa long time crush niya.

She didn't expect him asking her about that letter two years ago. Sa pagkakatanda nya, halos wala naman itong naging respond sa ibinigay niya. He's not that interested back then.

Nakita nyang ngumiti ito. He leaned back on the sofa and looked at her amusedly.

"Alam mo bang nabasa ni Ate yung ibinigay mong letter?"

Halos manlaki ang mata niya sa narinig nya.

"W-WHAT?! Bat mo pinabasa?!"

"Di ko pinabasa. Nabasa niya."

Napatampal siya sa noo sa narinig niya. Imagining Ate Pauline reading her letter back then humiliates her. She shouldn't have read it! Buti nalang, Ate Pauline didn't teased her but knowing that she read it embarrased herself. Pero paano nito nabasa ang letter niya? Sa pagkakaalam niya, itinapon nito ang sulat na ginawa niya.

Sinamaan nya ng tingin si Paulo. He just stood while shrugging. Halos kumulo ang dugo niya sa inakto ng lalaki.

"At saan ka pupunta?!"

Hindi siya pinansin nito at tuloy lang sa paglalakad sa palabas ng entertainment room ng kaibigan nila. Napairap nalang siya at inis na ibinaling ang sarili sa TV na nasa harapan niya. Kinuha niya ang remote at akmang bubuksan ang TV nang magsalita si Paolo na akala niya'y tuluyan nang umalis.

"I still have it."

Napalingon siya dito. Kitang-kita niya ito na nakatayo sa pintuan at nakatingin sa kanya. His stares almost melt her but she acted like she's not. Nagawa niya pang magtanong kahit halata sa boses niya ang pagkabigla.

"H-ha?"

"Your letter. I kept it." pagkasabi nito ay kaagad itong tumalikod at umalis.

She was stunned for almost 10 seconds. Did she heard him right? He just said that he still have it. That he kept her letter. All these years, ang akala niya itinapon niya yon after her friends gave it to him. Tapos ngayon? Oh my gosh!

Unti-unti siya napangiti. Knowing that he kept her letter up until now, made her happy.