Chapter 4: Mahal Kita, Mahal Kita
And 15, is me and Nathan's favourite number and always will be. 15 is our favourite number because the day some of us friends met including Nate, well, it was the 15th day of the month. Today was Friday. 12:27 in the morning only and I was up on my phone laying on my bed in the dark. I texted Nathan on iMessage asking to gather everyone (our bestfriends) to go out today. For street food! You're probably wondering why we are going to go out and not go to school. It's because a girl named Liane in our school had lice. So technically, it spread in alot of areas in the school. So yesterday (Thursday) they allowed us to go home early to evacuate so we do not catch the lice.
Nate replied "Okaay." "Boom panes"! Then I locked my iPhone.
So anyways me and Nate have some great friends, besides me and Nathan's friendship we have other strong yet funny friendships with others.
My bestfriend is Josephine Alexandra "Alexa" Ilacad Bagaporo. She was born on February 26. She likes my other guy bestfriend Alexander "Alex" Jairus Aquino Oineza. He was born April 1. He is 4 days older than me. April Fools Day hahaha! He always gets pranked and fooled on his birthday. Josie (short for Josephine has a crush on Alex. But I always think that Josie and Alex are so very very very bagay and meant to be because they're so cute together and Josie's second name Alexandra and his very first name Alexander are almost the same by so much! Even their nicknames for Alexandra and Alexander -- Alexa and Alex! So much the same! There's not even a difference! I think that the name Alexandra is just the girl version of Alexander. And the name Alexa is the girl version of the boy name Alex! So cu-teee! Josie likes Alex alot but we all don't know if Alex likes Josie...Team JoseLex! or Alphine?
That afternoon, our other friends couldn't come. Like Marinella and Martin. I was so shocked and surprised because for food, Marinella and Martin would come. They'll eat anything! Hahaha! Me and Nate met up and as we walked to the area where all the street food was, we talked.
"Bro, ano tayo"? I asked him.
"Di ko alam eh," he replied scratching his head.
"Hoy Mr. Mayabang, answer my quest"! I yelled. "Joke lang." I said.
"Sabi ko na eh di ko alam."! "Bro, anong problema mo"? "What's wrong with you"?
"There's absolutely nothing wrong with me"! "Ang sabi ko, ano tayo"? "Yun lang"! "That's it"! I yelled as we continued walking down the sidewalk as my eyes became watery.
"Sobrang makulit ka hah"! "What do you expect me to say Lindsay, Miss. Sobrang Kulit"?!!??
"Eh kasi mahal kita eh"! I yelled as the super-watery tears from my eyes were about to come out. We stopped walking in the middle of the sidewalk as I turned to face him then I grabbed his arm. He looked at me as I cried, with his very confused, straight, face.
"Di mo alam yun"? I continued as I was still holding his arm tight, his lower arm, above the area of his wrist. "Siguro, di mo iisipin ako lagi, how I feel about this friendship or ano tayo..." Whatever we are. He looked down at my hand touching his arm then looked back up at me. "Siguro gusto mo si Josie"? "Si Marinella"? "That's why you're not telling me anything". He got my hand off his arm then walked further. Then he stopped and stood there on the sidewalk ahead of where I stood and yelled "Ako rin, mahal kita"!
I walked up to him. Tears ran down his face. "Seryoso ka ba"? I asked. "Mahal kita." He said. "As we grew older that's when I started to fall in love with you." "How was I supposed to tell you"? "I never knew what to say." "I never knew where to say it." "And I never knew when to say it." "Until my heart told me that I needed you." We were both crying. Tears ran down both of us while we started walking again.
"Kasi ang close mo kay Josie"/"Kasi ang close mo kay Alex" we both said at the same time.
"Let's not include them." "This was just one big problem." I said to Nathan.
"Oo nga," he said. "But - you don't like Alex, do you"? He asked.
"Hindi," I said. "But - you don't like Josie, do you"? I asked.
"Hindi." He said. Then we stopped walking and hugged. We were still crying.
As we were hugging, we talked.
"How could I not love you when
we knew each other for over a decade
of a brother-typed friendship
because of Dara
and now because of that-
I can tell you many times
mahal kita, mahal kita." I said.
Then we continued walking to the street food area where we would meet Alex and Josie.
