Sunset Promises (Euphoria Series #1)

11

"Why are we here?" I asked Rio.

Pagkatapos kasi namin kumain ay nagpalaam na kaagad siya sa kanila na may pupuntahan lang daw muna kami.  Buti nalang at pumayag ang mga professor na kasama namin and gave everyone 2 hours to roam around the mall.

Solace and Javi is also nowhere to be found after eating. Basta nalang kasi nagpaalam si Javi at hinila si Solace na tahimik lang nakaupo sa tabi niya.

"Don't you miss skating?" he asked habang papasok kami.

We are at the ice skating rink of the mall right now. Hindi ko alam anong pumasok sa utak nito at bakit dito niya naisipan na puntahan namin.

Pero hindi naman ako nagrereklamo because seeing the ice rink made my heart flutter already.

"Of course I do!" masayang tugon ko sa kanya.

He smiled at me before holding my hand at hinala na ako papunta sa counter.

He paid for an hour bago kami kumuha ng skating shoes na gagamitin namin.

While we're still tying our shoes I can already feel the cold coming from the rink kahit medyo malayo-layo pa kami sa rink. God! I miss this so much!

When we were kids, Rio and I used to go to ice skating when our parents decided to bring us to the mall. Parati dun ang punta namin.

I even remember how excited I was the first time we went to an ice rink. Kahit hindi naman ako marunong magskate. My first step inside the rink was a disaster dahil natumba kaagad ako.

I was crying so hard that time. All the excitement I was feeling suddenly vanished at napalitan iyon ng pagkadismaya and fear.

But Rio was there beside me. He told me that he won't let go of my hand. I was hesistant at first of course. But eventually trusted him.

True to his words, Rio indeed never left me. Kahit nasa gilid lang kami, he never got bored. He was just there holding my hand tightly.

"You will never get hurt when I'm around." He promised to me that day and I hold onto that promise of his growing up. I thought I would never get hurt because he is there. He will protect me from all of the pain in the world.

But I realized there there are still things he can't protect me from, and it is the pain of falling in love with him. The pain of loving my best friend who only sees me nothing more but a best friend.

"Do you still remember how to skate?" he asked while he was helping me with my skate shoes.

"Of course Rio. My teacher was the best, how could I forget it." nakangiting sagot ko sa kanya.

"I'm always the best." he said proudly even raising his chin.

Napailing nalang ako at tumayo na when he was done checking if it is securely tied.

Rio was the one who taught me to skate when I was about to give up. Naasar na kasi ako kasi pabalik-balik nalang kami nun hindi pa rin ako marunong magskate.

Matigas rin kasi ulo ko nun when he told me he will teach me. I'm a prideful kid kaya kahit nahihirapan I still tried learning on my own. But of course I failed and was about to give up yet he didn't let me.