pink skies // donny pangilinan

thirteen

Billie

I'm currently walking in the way inside the school building, hindi ako late ngayon hahaha. Hinatid ako ng service ni dad kasi the van had to be checked today kaya ayun, napilitan akong gumising ng maaga.

"Ate BJ!" a familiar girl voice from the back called out, I turned to look seeing Hannah. "Hi Han," I stop from my tracks tapos nagbeso kami then we hug each other, matagal na kaming hindi nakapag-usap. Kahit we have the same school, bihira kaming magkita if ever man magkita kami, exchanging 'hello' is enough kasi we have things to do, sobrang busy kasi.

"I need a favor ate Beej, can you give this to kuya?" inabot niya yung shoe bag ni Donny for his training later, we continued walking. I groan, "Your kuya Donny and I are not okay." I make it clear sa 'not okay' part. Then she chuckles, tinanong niya kung bakit tapos kinuwento ko sa kanya yung nangyari. Mabuti't hindi niya na ako pinilit na ako yung magbibigay kay Donny kasi di kami okay.

Isang linggo na yung nakalipas pero hindi pa rin kami nag-uusap ni Donny. Ano siya sinuswerte? It can't be kasi eh, ako na yung palaging mag-aadjust. Goodness Billie, wag mo ng problemahin ang mga taong hindi ka naman binibigyan ng halaga.

As we gathered in the cafeteria, panay yung pag-uusap nila. As usual. Nung tumayo si Donny at kumuha ng tubig, bigla-biglang nagsalita si Tino sa'kin. "Beej, di masyadong halata na iniiwasan niyo ang isa't-isa noh." he said sarcastically, "LQ ganun?!" sulpot naman ni Claudia. "Who?" I take a sip from my juice. Kunwari di ko alam sino tinutukoy nila. "Pa blind-blind ka rin eh noh." Dave teases, "Sino nga?" irita kong tanong, "Si Donny!" kulang nalang isigaw ni Tino ng sobra. Pinagtinginan kami nung mga students na malapit sa table namin, good thing di narinig ni Donny. "Tanungin mo yang magaling mong best friend." sagot ko kay Tino who is also his best friend, then I just rolled my eyes.

Nung nakabalik na si Donny, iniba na nila yung topic at ako naman, nanahimik na sa gilid. Di ko siya nahuhuling nakatingin sa'kin, yung parang virus ako para sa kanya. Isang tingin lang, dadapuan siya kaagad ganun kasi kahit sa paglingon lang hindi talaga eh. Ang feeling mo rin kasi BJ eh, mukhang malaki talaga galit niya. Naisip ko na kung ako yung unang kikibo sa kanya sasanayin niya sarili niya. Nakakapagod kayang mag-adjust, dapat siya naman yung mag-adjust this time bruh.

"So, ano? Yung usapan mamaya ha, it's Friday naman eh so okay lang." Carlo announced then everybody cheered, "What's going on? Ba't di ko to alam?" I knitted my brows while I continue eating. "Another late night out," Stella grinned, I'm kind of scared though. "I-I don't think so," I stuttered then sabay silang nag-'What?!?' which I thought was cute except for Donny, di niya kasi ako pinapansin eh. "The last time we went out at night was bad, hinabol kaya tayo ng aso nun." I crossed my arms then tumawa lang sila, "Don't worry, sa mall tayo this time." said Karina, then I sighed as a sign of relief. Finally.

Dumaan muna ako sa stadium kasi sa pagkakaalam ko ay may training yung basketball and I have to give Kobe's drafts kasi I finished polishing it, he gave it to me earlier at lunch time so I can check it. I went in hearing the boys' voices and of course nakalamang talaga yung sa coach nila. Pagtingin ko, nagwa-warm up pa pala sila. I take a seat in the first row sa bleacher kasi idadaan ko lang yung draft niya, I found him naman and my friends are also here.

After ng warm-up nila, lumapit na si Kobe sa'kin. "I finished polishing it, basahin mo lang ulit if ever magbago pa isip mo sa sinulat mo." inabot ko yung papers niya, tapos nakita ko si Donny sobrang sama nung tingin niya sa'min, sa'kin I mean. "Thank you talaga ah, sige sige." he said, "Uy, salamat talaga."

"Kobe! Matagal pa ba yan?! Magsa-start na yung shooting!"

I can't believe this, okay bye. But Donny yelled at Kobe, kitang-kita sa mukha ni Donny na nai-irita siya sa'kin. Nadamay na tuloy si Kobe. "Ano na? Tinatawag na ako ng suplado mong boyfriend." bulong niya na may sabay na asar at dahil dun kinurot ko yung tagiliran niya at biglang tumawa, "Tumigil ka, suntukin kaya kita jan' eh." sabi ko habang nanggi-gigil. qiqil mo si acoe eh. Nagpaalam rin yung bois hahaha, yung mga friends ko tapos pinaalala nila ako sa usapan mamaya. After that, sakto dumating na rin yung van.

•••

I wore a set of maroon cropped hoodie and sweatpants, then I throw on some Nike flipflops. It's almost 10pm. I grab my car key and my phone, nagpaalam na rin ako kay dad. I drive myself to the mall. Sobrang weird ni dad kasi he won't let me bring my car to school kasi baka maglakwatcha raw ako pero paggala, pinapayagan naman. Hay nako. After ten minutes, I arrived to my destination, medyo malapit lang kasi yung mall na pupuntahan namin sa village kung saan kami nakatira.

I got out of the car then sa parking lot kami nagkita-kita. "Where are we going first?" Dave asks and we all groan, "Andito na nga tayo, but we have no idea where to go." Karina rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Alam ko na, why not we go bowling?" Tino suggested and luckily, most of us agreed para naman may mapuntahan man lang kami.

Pagkadating sa bowling house, biglang nagsalita si Carlo. "Okay guys, by pair tayo." So ayun na, Karina paired with Tino, Claudia and Paolo, Stella and Dave, and Reggi with Dani. "What about me?!?" I yelled and started stomping.

"Andyan naman si Donny oh! Diba Dons?"

"Go Donny and BJ!"

"Sige na guys! Bawal KJ ngayon!"

"Para naman kayong hindi mag best friends eh."

Those are few of the many things they said, they keep teasing us which I do not like. Alam naman nila na hindi kami nagpapansinan. Mga walang hiya, feel ko scripted to eh. "Sige, kayo nalang maglaro." I sighed and sat on a seat far from him. I took my phone then naglaro ng Mobile Legends, favorite namin ni ano... Nevermind. Pero panay pa rin yung sigawan nila and pagpipilit, when I felt someone's shadow covered the view. Boo, walang impact jk hahaha.

"Let's join already, pagbigyan mo nalang sila." his voice was too serious that I didn't recognize it, I was too busy playing though. Kinabahan ako to be honest, meron pala siyang impact haha. "Ayoko," I mumbled, hinawakan niya yung kamay ko at hinatak ako papunta sa kanila. Shookt, my heart beats so fast that I couldn't hear na inaasar ulit kami. Pinagpi-piestahan eh.

Ang warm pala ng kamay niya, never in my life na nahawakan ko yung kamay niya, like yung holding hands talaga. Ganito pala pakiramdam yung mahawakan kamay niya. I can feel my cheeks burn like how the sun burns my skin while playing Football. Actually until now, hinahawakan niya pa rin yung kamay ko. Deadt huhuhu. Kahit di kami friends ngayon, iba pa rin pala impact niya.

"Maglalaro pa ba tayo or mag-aasaran nalang?" Donny frowns then he lets go when he realized, "Mag-aasaran nalang!" sabay nilang sigaw and tumawa, nagpoker face lang si Donny and sabi na nila na maglalaro na talaga. Palakihan kasi ito ng score eh, kung sino yung pair na talo, sila ang manglilibre for tonight. Nakalimutan ata nila na naglalaro kami ng bowling ni Donny, dati. And super competitive namin, di naman sa ano pero tancha na namin dito kaya madali lang. We didn't have verbal communication but we just play, focus lang ganun.

Sobrang saya at ang ingay nila kasi hindi marunong yung iba. Huling nakaharap namin sina Karina and Tino, and we won. Yay. Talon-talon ako then pagharap ko kay Donny, napahinto ako. Ang awkward na kasi eh. Pumunta ako kina Stella na patuloy pa rin yung pang-aasar, di na namin pinapansin. Ang manglilibre tonight ay sina Claudia and Paolo, sila yung may pinakamaliit na score eh. We head to Pancake House and I check the time it's almost 12midnight. Taking snaps and ig stories are also our thing and so we did, ako busy pa rin sa Mobile Legends.

1am. We head to our car, I let the others go first before I leave. I texted dad that I'll be home soon and not to worry about me, I'm still alive pa naman. I heard knocks from the passenger's door, wait what?!

It's Donny.

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eyy :) hanggang jan muna hahahah don't forget to vote and comment 💖