LOVE-NAT, isang makulit na love story! ♥ [ 1 of 2 ]

Chapter 34-1. Stuff Toys & Ferris Wheel!

For once in my life,
I don’t have to try to be happy,
when I’m with you, it just happens.

Darren Max Sanchez has an eye for Ellie, kaya madali nitong natanaw ang dalaga despite the crowd. He easily saw her sitting alone on an empty bench. She was just looking down on her feet, fumbling over with her fingers. With just one look, Max knew something was wrong with her. Atchaka asan si Sef? Bakit niya hinayaang mag-isa si Ellie?

“Japo, sandali.” Max said pagkalabas nila sa sinakyan nilang ride na Hot Air Balloon. “Si Ellie yun.” With that Max approached her without more ado.

“Anong nangyari sayo?” Ellie looked up, her face was blank. Not a small smile greeted him. Max sat beside her. “Si Sef?” Kahit hindi pa alam ni Max ang nangyari, he has the sudden impulse to beat the crap out of Sef. Wag lang siyang magkakamaling pakita ngayon.

Ellie gave off a fake smile. “Ah, wala.” She said, shrugging. “Nakita ni Sef mga kaibigan niya kaya ayun, sumama muna siya.”

Max’s frown deepened. Sa tagal-tagal na ng pagkakaibigan nila ni Ellie? It wasn’t hard to tell what she was feeling. Yeah, people might find her unpredictable pero si Max? He could read her like an open book. He didn’t speak. Tinignan lang niya si Ellie.

“Naiinis kasi ako kay Sef ee!!” She then suddenly blurted out. “Sabi niya aken yung stuff toy na Patrick the Star!!” She gave off her usual expression na parang batang hindi nakuha yung gusto niya. “Tapos binigay naman niya dun sa kasama niyang mukang bakla!!” Para lang siyang nagsusumbong sa kuya niya ee.

Max couldn’t help but smile. “Yun lang?” He asked, placing a hand on her head and patted her like she was a cute little puppy. “Tara, ikukuha kita ng maraming Patrick the Star!!”

Alam ni Max na hindi lang yun ang dahilan. But if there was something about Ellie that others didn’t know? Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan hates it kapag may mga taong nagaalala sa kanya. She has that character kaya nga siguro she always acts tough, to make others believe na masaya siya, na okay siya.

Dati nga, Ellie and her brother Eddy had a major fight. Walang pinagsabihan si Ellie even though she was deeply troubled by it. As much as possible, gusto niya i-resolve ng mag-isa prublema niya. Without actually asking others for help. Pero kapag kaibigan niya may prublema, she would lend her ears to listen and do everything she could to help. May pagka loka-loka talaga itong babaeng ito ee. That perhaps could be the reason why her friends love her so much – including Darren Max Sanchez. He would do anything for this lady right here.

Sabi nga ni Max dati, if there was one word to describe Ellie. Isang salita lang ang laging pumapasok sa isip niya. Matapang.

Max took her hand and pulled her up. Siyang dating naman nila Japo. “Oh, asan na si Sef?” Borge asked.

“Jan-jan lang.”Ellie answered naturally.

They headed back to the game booths. At tinotoo nga ni Max ang sinabi niya, he got Ellie another stuff toy na Patrick the Star.

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Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde has to admit, he was charmed by Bea. She possessed a beauty quite hard to resist. Kaya pala gustong-gusto nila Jerry na makilala niya ito. Wala na siyang nagawa as both Jerry and Paul dragged him to go with them. He could only watch Ellie’s retreating form as she walked away. Para siyang tinaga sa dibdib ee. Pero ang masakit dun, wala siyang ginawa. Bakit, meron ba dapat siyang gawin? He wasn’t obliged to follow her. He wasn’t required to do something. She was just his Clown. Someone to amuse him. She was just the remedy of his boredom. At ngayon meron ng replacement for Ellie.

“Finally,” Bea was saying as she was striding beside him. Yakap-yakap pa din nito yung stuff toy na para dapat kay Ellie. “I get to meet the Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde.”

Sef should have been enjoying himself in her company… but his mind was completely somewhere else. Gezuz, Ellie doesn’t deserve to be treated that way. How in the world should he apologize to her? Siguradong umaapaw na ang galit ng dalaga sakanya. Yun pa naman, napaka daling uminit ng ulo. How will he face her again?? Darn it. What was he thinking?? Atchaka, dapat nagsalita siya kanina… bakit ba nakiki-Clown sila Jerry sakanya? He was the only one who has the right to call Ellie that.

“Sef?” Bea was trying to get his attention. “Is everything okay?”

Sef tried to smile. “Actually Bea…” He was just about to retrieve the stuff toy from her when…

“Dude.” Umakbay si Paul sakanya. “Si Japo at Nico yun diba?”

Sef followed the direction Paul was looking at. Instead of seeing Japo and Nico… it was Ellie who caught his attention. Nasa game booth siya with Max… and Sef watched as Darren Max Sanchez handed another Patrick the Star to her. There was suddenly a pool of heavy feeling na parang gustong kumawala kay Sef.

He continued to watch. Tawa ng tawa si Ellie and to Sef’s annoyance niyakap pa talaga ni Ellie yung stuff toy. Samantalang nung siya yung nagbigay kanina, she only smiled.

Darn it.

Just darn it!!

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Ellie was glad to have another stuff toy na Patrick the Star. Totoo, masaya siya. She was thankful na kinuha ulit siya ni Darren. She hugged it tightly then found herself staring at it with a smile.

Yeah, it may look similar but then somehow, it was still not the same…

It was no longer from Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde.

To be continued.