Mary Grace

Forty-Three

Forty-Three

Before Harry or Roxanne could open their mouth, I immediately marched away from them, trying to keep my tears at bay. I heard Harry called my name but I ignored it. Mas binilisan ko ang paglalakad ko, trying to focus on not tripping because the tears are blurring my vision.

"Mary Grace!" I heard hurried footsteps towards my direction it took a sheer willpower of mine not to run. Wala ako sa mood makipaglaro ng habol-habulan kay Harry. I let him catch up with me and when I felt his hands on my arms, tears started streaming down my face.

"Mary...Grace..." He said, panting.

I sniffed and tried to swallowed a sob. Napatingin si Harry sa akin.

"Why are you crying?" He tried to wipe my tears but I swatted his hands away.

"You're seriously asking me why the fuck I am crying, Harry?" I screamed at him.

I saw him swallowed, his adams apple bobbing up and down. "Is it about Roxanne?" He asked calmly.

Hindi ako sumagot. Iniwas ko ang paningin ko at patuloy na umiyak. Then a smile formed on his face. That smile turn into a low chuckle until he started laughing.

"Don't fucking laugh at me!" I punch him on the ribs that made his face distort for a while in pain but he continued cracking up. I really wanted to kick him in the face right now.

"I'm... sorry..." He said between fits of hysterical laughter. "Oh, God..." He wiped the tears that are forming in his eyes from laughing too hard. I gaved him a confused look but remained my lips pursed to let him know that I am mad. Fucking mad at him.

"Nagseselos ka ba?" Nakangisi niyang tanong.

"Shut up!" Singhal ko sa kanya. He cupped my shoulders and searched for my eyes.

"No, seriously. Answer me. Nagseselos ka ba, Mary Grace?"

It took me for a while before I screamed back at his face again. "What do you think?!"

"So, nagseselos ka nga." He chuckled again. Nagpumigalas ako mula sa pagkakahawak niya pero hindi niya ako binitiwan. "You are aware that you're so fucking cute when you're mad, right?"

I glared at him. This conversation is going nonsense.

"Mary Grace," He said softly. "Nagjo-joke lang si Roxanne. I'm not in any relationship with her." He said slowly. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. "She was about to explain but you just ran off, crying like a baby." Then a smile split on his face again.

I cursed under my breath. Curse that Roxanne! "This isn't a joke!" I cried in humiliation. Ano nalang ang iisipin niya sa akin? Na sobrang obsess ako kay Harry?

Harry threw his head back and laughed. "Oh my God, I could live like this forever." He muttered then he turned back to me. "If you are so jealous, then why not brand me as yours?"

Natigilan ako sa sinabi niya. He smiled at me as he pulled me closer. Harry made it sure that my ears are against his chest so that I could feel his erratic heartbeat. I finally wiped my tears and turned up to him, giving him a questioning look.

"Roxanne and I are good friends. Even Annie knows her. She just loves to pull a prank like that. And yes, Mary Grace, for your comfort, I'll dutifully accept the role of being your boyfriend if that satisfies you." He grinned again.

Natahimik ako. He's finally putting a label to our relationship! I felt like my heart did a somersault inside of my chest. My tongue feels like it's tied to my front teeth because instead of saying, "Yes, Harry, I'll be delighted to," I muttered stupid words like, "Uh –duh..."

Harry laughed again, this time in delight. "Of course, you do." I slapped him slightly on the chest. I expelled the breath I didn't know I was holding.

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and grinned at me like an idiot. Inirapan ko siya. Bumalik kaming dalawa sa sakayan ng jeep kung saan nakatayo pa rin si Roxanne. She must've noticed that my eyes are red and swelling because she immediately engulfed me into a hug the moment she saw us.

"Oh my god, oh my god, I'm so sorry!" She whined. Kumalas siya sa pagkakayakap sa akin. She winced upon seeing my distorted face. "I really don't mean it to end up that way, I was just having fun—"

"Shut up Roxanne, you idiot." A smile finally spread on my lips. "Tinakot mo ako."

It was her turn to threw her head back and laughed. "I'm really sorry, Mary Grace. Hindi ko alam na magiging ganun pala ang reaksiyon mo." Then she turned to Harry and smile. "You're right about what you've said with your girlfriend,"

Namula ang mga pisngi ko sa sinabi niya. "You mean—"

"Yes, yes." Roxanne waved her hands dismissively. "Harry couldn't stop talking about you. Puro siya Mary Grace, Mary Grace, Mary Grace sa akin. He asked me to look after you and I think he doesn't really have to because you're a good company and I'm drawn to you the moment I saw you entered the classroom." She smiled at me.

"Oh," was all I can say. I could feel my cheeks burning.

She stepped back and looked at us as if she's going to take a picture with her non-existent camera. "You look good together, though."

"Uhm, thanks." I mumbled, shifting awkwardly on my feet.

Tumawa ulit si Roxanne. After a while, a guy who's a few inches taller than Harry approached us. When he saw Roxanne, his face suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree. She must've sensed him because she suddenly turned around and threw her arms around his neck. They were both giggling at each other.

"That's her boyfriend." Harry whispered to me.

Lumapit silang dalawa sa amin. "Anyway, I'd like you to meet Raffy. He's my boyfriend." Nakangiting wika ni Roxanne sa akin.

"Hi." He extended his hands towards me for a handshake. I accepted his hand and smiled at him.

"Your girlfriend is wonderful."

"Oh, you bet." He smiled and placed his hands back around Roxanne's shoulders.

"Paano? Alis na kami?" Paalam ni Roxanne sa amin. "Nice meeting you, Mary Grace."

"Yeah, me too." I answered truthfully.

She darted her gaze towards Harry. "You take care of her, okay?"

"I know."Harry grunted. "Now go away, you sick lovebirds."

Tatawa-tawang umalis ang dalawa. Sakto namang may pumara na jeep sa harapan namin, sumakay na din kami ni Harry. He couldn't stop laughing for the next 20 minutes about the hilarious situation we've put ourselves in. He volunteered to walk me inside the subdivision since the jeep just dropped us off the gate.

Habang naglalakad kaming dalawa, Harry link his fingers with mine. Napatingin ako sa kanya. Then I suddenly blurted out. "Sigurado ka ba?" Huminto ako sa paglalakad at tinitigan ko siya.

Huminto din siya, his hands still holding mine. "What about?"

"About me." I said silently.

"Yes, of course." He answered without hesitation.

"Baka kasi kung anong sabihin nila kapag nalaman nila that you're dating your girlfriend's sister—"

"Ex-girlfriend." Harry corrected. "Wala na siya, Mary Grace. And I don't think there's something wrong about you and me. I'm deeply attracted to you and I forgive me but your face shows you feel the same way too."

I nodded my head. He pulled me closer and placed a kiss on my forehead. "Mary Grace, I think I have  just fallen in love with you."

Niyakap ko siya nang mahigpit, unable to keep my tears at bay. No one had ever held or kiss or care for me like this. No one but Harry.

"Yeah, I love you too." I muttered into his chest as tears started streaming down my face again.