That Summer When She Cried

That Night Made for Confessions, Drinking, and Rejection

It was Jessica and Drew all over again. Her no was too long it lasted for a minute for her to finish it, the effect lasting for more than what I could think of. But like what happened to the movie, Drew ended up with Jessica. I have to make mine end the same.

-Jeric

-

"Dinner's ready."

I lowered my hand after his Mom went straight to her seat. I didn't know what I would feel.

Parang gusto ko na lang lumubog sa kahihiyan o di kaya pakitaan ko na lang ng kasamaan ko.

Anyway, that's who I really am. The bitch queen.

"Let's eat now, Tanya. Take a seat," Almira smiled.

Jeric pulled the chair for me beside his and we started dining. He was very attentive he was the one who put food on my plate. Kung wala silang lahat sa mga oras na yun, baka iba pa ang naramdaman ko.

"So Tanya, nag-aaral na ba si Luke?" Jeric's dad asked me.

I shook my head. "But he goes to the preschool where my twin works. He listens and he's learning."

"Ah really you got a twin? Identical?" Alyssa asked.

I nodded.

"Pero graduate na sya?" Almira.

"Yeah. I needed to delay mine," I answered. Again, for Luke. Kung may scoreboard sa mga oras na yun, minus five na ako sa qualification.

"Don't you find it weird that we met at the supermarket when you knew Jeric after all?" Sir Alvin smiled. He seemed cool with the idea of 'me', except Jeric's mother. But I couldn't blame her.

Mothers know best. She knows what's best for her Jeric. And obviously, it's not me. In fact, I agree. Kaya nga hindi ko alam kung anong ginagawa ko sa upuan na 'to.

But I don't even know why I felt so concerned with what they were thinking of me.

Normally, I give people what they want out of me. But of course I do not have the guts to act like a bitch that time. Isa pa, I have to know more about my enemies.

Are they really my enemies though?

I smiled thriftly in response to his dad's question.

"Kumusta pala yung naconfine sa ospital last time? We noticed Jeric was going in and out of the house to go there. Ikaw ba yung naconfine?" Alyssa asked.

"It was Luke, my son. And he's doing good now," I answered. Damn. I felt so intimidated.

"How old is he?" tanong naman ni Karl.

"He's five, turning six in a few months."

"Magkakilala na sila ni Jeric?" Almira asked.

"Yeah. We know each other. Luke's a smart boy," Jeric answered. "We love each other too much we pinch each other when his mom doesn't see us."

Everyone laughed.

"No offense meant Tanya," Jeric's mom interrupted. "But where is Luke's father?"

I stopped for a while when I heard her question. I knew I couldn't use my usual line about Luke's father burning in hell and being fed to the sharks.

"It's okay if you don't want to answer my question," Tita Susan followed up.

"No, it's okay. I don't know where his father is," I admitted.

"Hindi na ba kayo nagusap? Luke's such a wonderful boy. He's missing a lot for not knowing his kid," Tito Alvin commented.

"We never talked when Luke came into the picture," I told them honestly. I know who Luke's father is. I just do not know where he is.