Inspired by Kita Kita ;)
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Sabi nila 10 seconds lang daw, 10 seconds of fucking courage ang kailangan, either to try something you're so afraid to do or kung aamin ka sa crush mo. 10 seconds....
But I hate her, for making me do both.
"I hate you so much," bulong ko sa kanya.
"Oh I know you love me so much," sarcastic niya namang sagot.
"Ly, nooooo!" reklamo ko, "please, iba na lang! I will do anything wag lang 'to!"
"Nah uh uh," nang-iinis niya pang sabi, "di 'ba I told you na once ma-late ka na naman sa usapan natin, you'll be punished? This is your punishment. Tsaka malay mo this is the start of the Den version 2.0," sabi niya habang tumatawa.
"Ayokong maging Den 2.0 okay? I love myself, my flaws, everything about me," seryoso kong sagot.
"Chill! Just... give it a try, Den," pang-eencourage niya pa.
"I hate you so much Alyssa Valdez!!!" she laughed at me as an answer, ugh, bakit ko ba naging kaibigan 'tong babaeng 'to?!
"Come on, you can do it," sabi ni Ly habang nasa backstage kami.
"Ang daming tao, Ly!!" reklamo ko.
"Malamang, GA natin eh," sarcastic niya pang sabi.
"Baka ma-guidance tayo!"
"We'll run, don't worry, HAHAHAHA!!" sabi niya tsaka nagpatingin tingin sa paligid. Then...
"LY!" sigaw ko when she pushed me at nakita ko na lang na nasa stage na ako at lahat nakatingin sa akin. Agad akong napayuko, fuck, I hate people!!
"Den!!" narinig ko yung boses ni Ly, napatingin ako sa kanya at nasa baba na siya. Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin at tanging tawa lang ang sinukli niya, nakakaasar!!! Lahat ng cellphones sa bahay namin lalagyan ko na ng alarm para hindi na ako ma-late next time na magkikita kami, "10 seconds, Den!!"
Napatingin ako sa crowd, nakatingin pa rin sila sa akin, pati yung organizers ng event. Shit, sila Maddie pala 'to, kaya pala walang pumapansin sa'kin. At nakangiti pa talaga sila.
I sighed deeply. Fuck. Do I really need to confess?!
"10!" dinig kong countdown ni Ly. I sighed deeply and I slightly smiled when I remembered something.
Sampu.. it's unbelievably 10 years of friendship. I'm the freaking introvert one while you're the most outgoing person I knew. Hindi ko rin talaga alam pano kita natagalan.
"9!!"
Siyam na beses.. 9 times mo kong nahuli na nakatitig sayo, pero sa loob ng siyam na beses na 'yon, nginitian mo lang ako, there was no trace of wondering kung bakit kita tinititigan, siguro nasa isip mo gandang-ganda ako sayo, hay.
"Den, come on!! 8 seconds!"
Walo, of all the times that we watched movies together, it was the 8th time when I knew in myself na gusto na kita. And how funny fate is, Paano Na Kaya pa talaga yung movie na 'yun, sho-shotain mo rin ba ang bestfriend mo, Ly?
"7!!"
Pito. It was never a lucky 7 for me. Remember when we both turned 7 and you were in Cali? I wanted to celebrate our birthday together, Ly. Kasi that day was also the first year since we met. When you just dragged me in your house dahil sabi mo birthday mo at wala kang bisita. I almost punched you that time, pasalamat ka cute ka.
"Den, ano na?! 6 seconds!!" sigaw ni Ly, tinignan ko lang siya.
Anim na ang naging ex-girlfriend mo. Anim na beses na rin akong mag-isa at palihim na umiyak dahil bakit hindi mo ko makita gaya ng kanila? Bakit hindi mo rin ako kayang mahalin?
"Your time's running out, Den!! 5!"
Limang beses mo na rin akong pinagpanggap na girlfriend mo para lang makatakas ka sa mga stalkers mo, do you know that in that 5 times, I wished and I hoped that you will say to me na ayaw mo na kong magpanggap kasi gusto mo nang maging totoo, na maging girlfriend mo talaga ako?
"Four!!"
Apat. Ly, remember when I was gone for 4 days without saying anything? I didn't reply to any of your texts nor answered your calls, sinukuan na kita no'n. Loving you secretly is fucking hard for me. Alam ko namang kasalanan ko kung bakit ako nasasaktan, kasalanan ko kasi ayaw kong kaibigan lang kita, kasalanan ko for falling in love with my bestfriend, falling in love with you. I was so damn tired of hoping, and I was also scared of losing you, so I was gone for 4 days. But when the 5th day came and you sneaked out in my room, crying in front of me, telling me you were so worried and you thought you lost me, I realized na balewala lang pala yung ginawa ko, kasi mas minahal kita sa ginawa mo.
"3 seconds!!"
Tatlo, tatlong segundo na lang at malalaman mo na ang sikretong pinakatatago ko. Are you even ready to hear those three little words, Ly?
"2!!"
Dalawa, hindi ko alam kung pagkatapos nito ay ang dalawang tayo ay magiging isa. But I'm taking the risk. This time, magiging selfish na ako.
"One!!" Isa.
"I LOVE YOU ALYSSA VALDEZ! MAHAL NA MAHAL KITA," I shouted.
The next thing I knew, hatak hatak na ako ni Ly habang pareho kaming tumatakbo. I didn't bother to talk kasi siya rin naman hindi nagsasalita, kinakabahan ako sa pwedeng maging reaction niya, but somehow, I felt relieved because of two reasons, I bravely confessed and she's still holding my hand. Nang tumigil kami, nakita kong nasa likod kami ng Engineering building. I looked at our hands na magkahawak pa rin. I mentally smiled.
"What was that, Den?" napatingin ako kay Ly na hingal na hingal pa.
"What do you mean?"
"That, yung ginawa mo. Binabawian mo ba ako?" tanong niya sa akin.
"No," sagot ko.
"Wh-what?" she asked, kitang-kita ko sa mukha niya yung gulat.
"You dared me to be the center of attraction and confess kung sinong gusto ko, I just did what you asked me to do, Ly," seryoso kong sagot, "mahal kita."
Nagkatitigan kami.
Isa
What are you thinking, Ly?
Dalawa
Are you afraid, too?
Tatlo
Will you say back those three little words?
Apat
Do you love me, too?
Lima
What's that look, Ly? Why are you looking at me like that?
Anim
Or am I just imagining things? Is that look means sorry?
Pito
Mali bang nagpaka-selfish ako? Mali bang umamin ako sayo?
Walo
Hindi mo ba talaga ako kayang mahalin, Ly?
Nine
My gosh, why did I even cross the line?
Sampu
"I--"
"Sabi nila all we need is just 10 insane seconds of courage," bigla niyang sabi, "remember when I dragged you in my house roughly 11 years ago? Crush na kita dati pa, bata pa lang tayo. I did not want to cross the line pero di ko lang pala na-realized na matagal na kong tumawid, I was so scared Den, if staying as your friend means having you for the rest of my life, ready ako to sacrifice my feelings... it's safe to say that I loved you first... and I still do."
Hah. 10 seconds of courage, huh?
