Saving Summer (BTSXBlackPink)

10 - See You Later

Jennie and Maddie was staring at me the whole time, I was trying to read the book I borrowed from Nick but I feel so distracted by Jennie and Maddie's stare.

I took a deep breath and I lowered the book I was holding as I exhaled. "What is it?"

Maddie and Jennie quickly changed what they were doing and acted as if they were talking, but all I could hear was rubbish.

"What is it? Seriously, I couldn't read. You've been staring at me for like an hour."

Tumango si Maddie kay Jennie, at ibinalik naman ito ni Jennie kay Maddie.

"Ikaw na, mabait naman si Sam, e." Bulong ni Maddie, habang sinisiko si Jennie.

"Anong ako? Ikaw na, mamaya ayaw niyang pag-usapan tapos ako pa mapapagalitan." Pabulong na sumbat ni Jennie.

"I'm here, you know. I can hear you." I rolled my eyes.

"Well," Jennie started, "itong si Madison kasi—"

Mabilis na binigyan ni Maddie si Jennie ng isang suntok sa braso. "Anong ako?! Nakita mo rin naman, e!"

"Manahimik ka nga! Ako nag ku-kwento dito, diba? Gusto mo, ikaw na! Nyeta, ha."

"Oo na, sige na. Ituloy mo na. Ito naman hindi makakuha ng joke." Sabi ni Maddie.

"Buong gabi mo atang kasama si Terrence kanina, a." Jennie stated.

Nang marinig ko ang litanyang iyon bigla akong napaatras sa kama ko. I couldn't deny the fact that my heart was fluttering and the memory of his fingers intertwined with mine came flashing back.

"Nagdi-date ba kayo?" Dagdag ni Jennie. "Nakita kong holding hands pa kayo habang naglalakad sa beach, parang sa teleserye lang. May pa swing-swing effect pa 'yung mga kamay. Tapos iba ang titigan niyo, e. Parang may secret meaning—"

"We're not dating." Agad na akong sumingit, baka kasi may masabi pa si Jennie. "We're best friends and that's all there is to it. I told you we were childhood friends, kilala na namin ang isa't isa since the beginning. He's like a brother to me."

"Weh?" Jennie scoffs, and I'm pretty sure she already caught me lying. "Hindi ba parang ang weird naman makipag-holding hands sa kapatid mo, like what the fvck. I can't imagine me and my bro holding each other's hands. Gross! Mahal ko naman siya, pero hindi sa punto na magho-holding hands kami sa beach with sweet titigan, 'no! Yuck."

I once considered Terrence as my brother by heart. But the truth is that it's clearly more than that. Today at the beach, I see him as a man. My man. And I want to keep it that way.

"Gosh, you love him." Maddie leaned forward on her bed as she examined my face.

"As a friend, of course." Dugtong ko. "I mean... unang araw palang natin dito sa summer camp—"

"Pero kilala mo na siya for ten years or even more..." Maddie's eyes were full of curiosity.

"Oh God, please, he's just my best friend. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't want you to think that we're dating or something, because it might ruin our friendship. I mean... if you go around the camp with false information that is."

"Good." Maddie snaps. "Akala ko naman may feelings ka na sa mokong na 'yun. Sa tingin ko naman mas kilala mo siya kesa sa amin, you've been friends for..."

"Sixteen years... or maybe less than sixteen years."

"Kita mo sixteen years! Sigurado naman ako na you know him better than us. He's not a boyfriend material. He's no good for you. You deserve someone else better. Kaya mabuti nang kaibigan lang turing mo sa mokong na 'yun. Delikado ka pag na-in love ka sa kaniya. Tanga pa man din 'yun." Maddie sat on the edge of my bed.