Just Me

chapter27

Alex

"He was there. All this time. He's there", I whispered.

"Yes. He's there. I thought you have a good memory. How come you never realized he was there all along?", Eve scoffed at me.

I closed my eyes and take myself back to the time I visited the bookstore.

We bumped into each other quite a few times.

I caught him looking at me once.

His shoelaces were neon green.

He's wearing thick eyeglasses and braces.

A dark dry looking hair.

Crumpled clothes.

Awkward gestures.

And he read at the bookstore with me 2 weeks before Daniel approached me.

He was there.

I saw him on my way to the basketball court.

I saw him taking photographs on sidewalks.

He was standing opposite me across the room at the party.

Every time I'll change school. He was there.

Lying at the field.

Goofing around at cafeteria.

Sleeping at the library.

Looking a little different each time.

But he was there.

"You see, it's not enough that you saw him that time. It's not enough even if everything was engraved in your memory and you can remeber every single thing. Because he doesn't matter. He doesn't mean anything to you. He's like one of those books in the bookstore that your eyes passed on but never picked. You never recognized him because you didn't spare a time to look at him, glance at him. Just like everything else, he didn't matter because you didn't care. You never really cared about any one. You only care about yourself. Don't you know you are too self-centered? Kind of selfish in my opinion" Eve continued.

I stayed silent.

I breathe in.

Open my eyes.

"Tell me where Xander is".

Lance

"MJ alas onse na hindi pa rin gising si Alex?" Tanong ko sa babaeng wala nang ginawa kundi manood ng mga koreano sa phone nya.

"Huh? Si Alex? Wala na sya sa kwarto nya kanina pa. Umalis daw sabi ng kuya nya", sagot naman ni MJ sakin.

"San naman kaya pumunta ang babaeng yun?"

"Ba't mo hinahanap si Alex? Ikaw ah" asar ni Prince habang sinisiko ako sa tagiliran.

"Wala. Masamang hanapin sya? Sya kaya nagdala satin dito tapos lalayasan tayo ano kaya yun?" Asar kong sagot kay Prince.

"Kasama sya ni Eve".

Napalingon ako kay Jem.

"Ha? Anong sinasabi mo diyan? Paki-explain nga" tanong ko kay Jem.

"Tumawag sakin si Eve kagabi. She asked me where Alex is. Sabi nya kailangan na daw ma-settle ang lahat nang ito at matapos na once and for all para makapunta na sila ni Xander sa U.S." Jem said casually.