"HEY CAL."
Nagtaas ng tingin si Caleb mula sa pagkakasubsob nito sa libro. He was studying. Pero para kay Autumn, ito ang tamang oras para kausapin niya ang binata tungkol sa mga tanong na kanina pa bumabagabag sa kanya. She isn't the prying type of person, pero pagdating kay Caleb ay ibang usapan na ang pagiging matanong niya, especially when it greatly concerns him.
Alam ni Autumn na hindi niya dapat iniistorbo ang kaibigan. Minsan na nga lang niya ito nakikitang nag-aaral, iistorbuhin pa niya.
"Yep?"
"Can I ask you something?" Umusog siya papalapit dito. She placed his pillow on her lap at ginaya ang pagkakasandal nito sa headboard ng kama.
Nagkibit ito ng balikat. "Fire away. Just don't ask about my sex life," he joked.
She rolled her eyes. "As if I'm interested to know. Anyway, it's about your tattoo."
Bahagyang kumunot ang noo nito. "What about my tattoo?"
She fumbled on his pillow. "What does it mean? I saw a sticky note kanina sa table mo with that sign. Minsan ay nakita ko rin na may painting sa kwarto niya si Daniel na ganoon ang design." It was true. Kanina lang niya naalala na hindi lamang niya nakita ang simbolong iyon kay Caleb kundi pati na rin sa kwarto ni Daniel.
Iniangat nito na wala sa sarili ang braso na may tattoo. The marking of the triangle with a cross inside glistened in the light-lamped room. "It symbolizes my kind." His voice was almost inaudible.
Umabot sa pandinig niya ang sinabi nito. "What are you talking about?"
Nang mag-angat ito ng tingin ay tila noon lang ito nagising sa realidad. Nanlaki ang mata nito at umilap. "Nothing. Don't mind me." Binalik nito ang tingin sa libro.
She nudged him on his side. "So, what does it mean?" She isn't giving up.
He cleared his throat. Why does she have a feeling na parang hindi kumportable ang binata sa paksang binuksan niya? "It's a family thing. Don't mind it, okay?"
"But are you Christians?"
He nodded his head. Humarap ito sa kanya. "Wait. What is this? A Q and A portion?"
She grinned. "Yep. I ask, you answer." Hindi pa kontento si Autumn sa sagot ng binata. She bet he was holding back something.
"No. No more asking. At isa pa, you're disturbing me. Bakit ka ba kasi narito? Nasa harap lang naman ang bahay niyo," sabi nito.
She pouted. Tinataboy siya nito. "I hate you. Hindi ka naman nag-aaral before eh. You said that studying was a just a past time for you because you have a different purpose in life, tapos ngayon pinapaalis mo ako kasi iniistorbo kita. You're mean to me now. Hindi ka naman ganyan noon. Hmp." Totoong naiinis siya rito. Bakas kasi ang pagkairita sa mukha nito ngayon. Parang nagtatanong lang naman siya eh.
She stood up and started walking out of his room. Uuwi na lang siya.
Pero napatigil siya nang habulin siya ng binata. He held her arm. "Let go." She was still pouting.
He messed his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. His expression was a mixture of amusement and guilt. "Okay. I'm sorry."
She crossed her arm. "Not forgiven."
Ganoon talaga sila magkatampuhan. "Fine. What do you want me to do?" His shoulder slumped in pure surrender. I won! I knew it!
She grinned triumphantly. "Tell me the truth. What's the symbol all about?"
He furrowed his eyebrows. "We're back with the symbol thing again?"
She nodded.
He huffed. "I told you. It's a family thing, nothing more. It symbolizes the Strauss. Am I forgiven now?"
She thought for a moment. It seemed like he's telling the truth. "Okay. You're forgiven. But I'm still going home. You seemed pissed having me around." Tinalikuran niya ito.
"Autumn, baby. C'mon." She heard him. "You can hang out, okay?" But she continued going down the stairs.
She stopped in the middle of the stairs. Nasa sala ang mag-asawang Strauss at nanonood ng telebisyon. She smiled at them.
"Trouble with my boy?" Her Tita Ashley asked.
"Ayaw na niya sa 'kin,"sumbong niya sa mag-asawa.
Both of them smiled. Narinig naman niya ang papalapit na pagtawag sa kanya ni Caleb. She waited for him. He emerged at the top of the steps. Magulo ang buhok nito at hindi niya mawari ang ekpresyon nito.
"That's not true, okay? Come on, Autumn. I can't believe that you're still angry with me. You said, napatawad mo na ako." He sounded a bit irritated this time.
"You're pissed at me. Ayaw mo na sa 'kin." Pinaliit niya ang mga mata.
"I'm not pissed, okay?" diin nito. "Mom! Give some sense to this girl, please," baling ni Caleb sa ina.
"I'm not going to involve myself. And so will your dad." Hinila ni Tita Ashley ang asawa papasok sa kusina habang ngingiti-ngiti. Sanay na ang mga ito sa mga bangayan nila ni Caleb.
Hinarap niya si Caleb. "You look like you're gonna eat me alive."
He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I'm really gonna eat you if you don't get you butt up here. I'm not mad. I swear." He tried so hard to mask the annoyance in his handsome face.
Autumn fought back a grin. "Okay." Umakyat siya at nilagapasan ito. She heard Caleb sigh. Parang napagod ito sa pakikipag-patintero ng usapan sa kanya.
Dumiretso siya sa kwarto nito at binuksan ang closet ng binata. Naramdaman niyang nakatayo sa likuran niya ang binata. "What are you doing?" His voice was near her ear.
Hinarap niya si Caleb. She wasn't shocked to see him in close proximity. "Preparing your 'shitty suit'. And that's according to you, my dear best friend."
Tila hindi ito makapaniwala sa sinabi niya. He was staring at her like she had grown two heads. Or an alien from Andromeda galaxy. Or someone who spat on his face. He looked like he was amazed. "What?"
"Did you know that you just get psycho-freak at me and all of a sudden, like a good old concerned mother?"
It was her turn to look at him weirdly. "What?"
Iiling-iling ito. "You're bipolar."
She laughed hard. "Yes. I am. Now, nasaan na iyong suit mo at nang ma-hang ko na nang maayos? Bukas na ang party."
They spent the next few minutes looking for his suit and arguing which tie looked better on him. Of course, she had the upperhand. Siya ang pumili ng tie nito pati na rin ang sapatos na susuotin. His black suit was ravishing and his tie suited perfectly with his built and stance.
"Hindi ka pa ba uuwi?" Narinig ni Autumn na tanong sa kanya ni Caleb.
Hindi siya nag-angat ng tingin mula sa pang-iinspeksyon ng mga drawing nito sa sketch book. "Nope. Nakapagsabi na ako kay Manang Flo na dito ako ngayon matutulog. Pumayag naman siya. The perks of having you as my neighbor and not having my parents around." Kinindatan niya ito na siyang ikinatawa ng binata.
Ilang sandali pa ay pumasok ang ina ni Caleb bitbit ang isang malaking comforter at unan. Alam nitong doon siya matutulog dahil nakapagsabi siya rito kanina.
"Caleb, you'll be sleeping on the floor. Let Autumn have the bed."
Caleb just smirked. "As if I have a choice," he murmured more to himself.
Autumn fought a grin. This night will be just like all the other nights of sleepover. Fun.
BINABASA MO ANG
THE WATCHERS TRILOGY: Caleb (book I)
Romance"One day, he just woke up realizing that Autumn wasn't just his Mortal Half, she was his other half." Some angels are meant to walk amongst us. Some have a purpose to fulfill; a duty to uphold; and a human to protect. But what will you do if you rea...
