pink skies // donny pangilinan

twelve

Billie

I check my phone and it's almost ten. I'm so full and I think I'm about to explode, dad took me to dinner kasi matagal na kaming hindi nakakapag-dinner sa labas kaya ngayon ay may time siya. After dinner, we stroll around BGC then nagshopping ako ng kaunti eh. Dun' kami sa Adidas natagalan eh, nagpabili ako ng new shoes dahil matagal na akong hindi nakakabili for Football naman kaya okay sa kanya yun. We head home immediately since it was getting late.

I opened my laptop and watched Netflix, it feels good to just sit and not bothering to check my phone kasi alam ko naman walang magte-text. Ouch, bye. I heard knocks from my window, pagtingin ko. It's Donny.

"What are you doing here?" I slide open the window for him to get in then closed it afterwards, "Kailan mo pa alam tungkol kay Abegail? That she's cheating on me." he gritted his teeth and I was shook. Like really. Paano n'ya nalaman? Ang pagkakaalam ko, ako lang may alam. Wala kang alam BJ. When I didn't respond and I looked at him who looks disappointed, I just look down while he takes a seat on my bed.

"Can you please answer me?!" he raised his voice a little, alam kong galit na s'ya. "L-last night," I stuttered then I take a seat on my chair, he didn't respond and it was a sign for me to continue. "It was at Rockwell, naisipan ko kasing maglibot-libot kaya yun. I bumped into her and that guy... Hand in hand." I paused and then I continued, "When she saw me, alam kong natakot s'ya kaya kinausap niya ako na huwag magsalita tungkol sa nakita ko like it never happened. So I did."

"Why did you tolerate her?" his brows knitted, "Nagmakaawa s'ya, I told her na kailangan niyang sabihin sa'yo and she said na sasabihin niya raw sa right time." I explained. "Right time," he chuckled with disappointment on his face, "Kailan pa ba ang right time sa kanya?" he mumbled enough for me to hear, I didn't say anything.

"Is that the reason why iniiwasan mo ako?" out of nowhere, napunta na naman yung topic sa'kin. Hanu ba problema n'yo sa'kin. "Hindi rin," sagot ko. "Eh kasi yung girlfriend m-" he cutted me with, "Ex." I sighed, "Yung ex-girlfriend mo nakipag-away sa library na layuan ka kasi inaagaw raw kita sa kanya." Tinignan niya lang ako at nagsalita na rin siya, "Dahil dun? Iniwasan mo ko?" Napayuko lang ako at nanahimik.

"You should've told me para hindi ako naging tanga sa harap ng lahat!" what shook me is that he raises his voice, not the usual. He usually raise his voice not in this type of situations and I don't know Donny right now. "I don't think I have to explain myself to you, your ex has the problem not me." I was in the middle of talking when he sighed and left my house. That was the end.

It wasn't my fault that his girlfriend, I mean ex, is not faithful. Why would he be so mad at me? All I did was shut my mouth up then here he is showing himself getting mad at me for not telling the truth. Di ko na rin alam kung saan ako lu-lugar. I asked myself, was it the end of our friendship?

•••

I was so stressed out, I fell asleep without knowing it. I got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower, hala anu na? Sobrang laki ng eyebags ko, umiyak nga pala ako kagabi. After getting ready, I head downstairs seeing dad in the breakfast table 

"Good morning dad," I greeted weakly while giving him a hug, I look sick because my eyes are puffy. He greeted back and continued eating, after a while he got up looks like he's running late. Ako rin, running late pero chill pa din. "I have to go, Billie. See you later." he reached his fist on me then we fist bump, another thing you should learn about me and my dad is that we fist bump to say either 'hello' or 'bye.'

I looked at my phone, 8:32 am. I'm really late, I screwed up with my attendance, damn. I ran towards the car and manong drives me to school. Pagdating ko sa school, the hallways are almost clear. It means students are in their classes except for few familiar faces who are late like me. Sakto pagdating ko sa school tapos na yung first period then I have to go to my Math class which is on the other wing of the school building.

"Uy, you're late again?" Franco chuckled while I passed by, we are fast walking right now. "Yeah, I should be asking the same thing to you though." I laugh and I fast my pace, "I'll go ahead before I get super late with my class, bye!" I ran off to Math class which is in the third room. "Bye!" he laughed but seems to fade away because I was a bit far.

I look at the glass portion of the door, great. Our teacher is already in. I opened the door slowly, "Ms. Cojuangco, you're too early for the third period." she frowned and my classmates chuckled then I just look down, "But I'm in a good mood today so I'll let you get away with this. Take your seat." I sighed as she said it, I took a seat at the very back. After I was settled, I saw Donny glared at me in my peripheral vision when I looked at him, he immediately looked away.

i M E S S A G E

kobhe 🙉
11:17 am, Tuesday

destiny

i NEED HELP

for what ?

can we pls eat
lunch together?

i'll tell u at the cafeteria

if it's ok ?

yea i'll see u

T

he hours passed by so quickly, I didn't notice it was lunch time. I told Claudia and the rest of the girls that I'm sitting with Kobe because he needs help with something, at first they weren't convinced because maybe they think I'm just making it up but Kobe really approached me and begged the girls to let me sit with him and so they did.

When we are sitting on the table. Not the usual spot, not with usual people. I'm with Kobe's friends, I have few close friends from his friends as well but not anymore, not really. "So, what help do you need?" I asked facing him, I barely touched my food. "It's about my English homework, I have this Spoken Word Poetry performance task and I don't know what to do." he pouted, "Are you serious?" I grinned at him who just smiled at me, he looks embarassed. "Okay, fine. I'm not going to do it for you but I'm going to give you points and tips on how to write it, okay?" I managed to say it then he nodded. Mukhang seryosong edukasyon na siya eh hahaha.

So ayun na, sabi ko sa kanya na his topic should be something that he can relate to in order for him to have the idea on what the poetry is all about. It is also easy for him to write it because he can relate to it then I told him to show me his drafts so I can help him polish it. "Thank you so much, destiny. I'm so glad you're here to help me." he fake cried, kainis haha. "Anything for my destiny, ayee. Bye, I have to go." I stood up and said good bye to them even though I have few classes with most of his friends.

Kobe wasn't the only person who asked help from me about the Spoken Word Poetry stuff, they were quite few though because a lot of them admire how I write mine which was corny in my part. One of those people was Donny, he once came up to me and asked for the drafts I wrote for the performance task as well when we were still in Sophomore. Damn, wish we could turn back time. He admired my writings, pero hindi talaga ako aw. He would ask me how I write.

Then one day, I had this idea of sending him poems anonymously. I would drop it in his locker, how cliché. The next day, he would show me the poems his 'admirer' wrote for him, that's what he said admirer niya raw. He didn't have a clue that it was all me, I didn't make it obvious na ako kasi of course best friends kami he knows a lot about me, so I was careful with it. Kasi in that way, I can express how I feel about him, by writing those poems. Until now, he doesn't have a clue who gave it, and I hope he really doesn't kasi hindi kami okay.

________

heyyy i know it's really late to update but hahahah. don't forget to vote and comment! Let me know what you think about the story :)