It All Started With: We're Just Friends

Four

Part 2:

The day after magkaayos kami ni Ricci, I decided na manood ng training niya cause after this week start na ng season nila. I was waiting for him at the cafeteria and checking on my emails lang.

"Hey! Kanina ka pa?" He asks then umupo sa tabi ko. "Not really, mga 30 minutes lang siguro." I said sarcastically. "Oops. Sorry, ang bagal kasi maligo ng teammates ko. Inuunahan ako eh." he explains. "Tara? What food do you want? My treat." He said then tumayo para pumila sa athlete's line. "Kahit ano, alam mo naman na kinakain ko dito eh." I said. "Huh? Hindi ko alam eh." he teases. Then pumila na siya.

Julia saw me so nakiupo na rin siya sa tapat ko. "You look so fine and all na ha. I heard okay na rin daw sa training si Ricci? Kayo na ba?" Ngayon ko lang kasi nakausap si Julia after naming magbati ni Ricci. So I haven't told her yet about what had happened. "Not really. More of ligawan stage siguro?" I answered unsure. "Did he asked you already na he's going to make ligaw?" she asks. "Ngayon pa lang. Inuunahan mo ko eh." Ricci said holding the tray. "Uy. So ako pala magiging witness?" Julia teases. "Ano pang magagawa ko? Hindi naman kita pwedeng palayasin sa harap namin." Ricci says. Natatawa ko sa kanila. Lagi nilang pinipikon isa't isa. Wala namang nagpapatalo. Laging may sagot yung isa. "Kasi magagalit sayo si Deanna pag pinalayas mo ko. Right, babe?" Julia answered confidently kasi alam niyang kakampihan ko siya but then, this time, "Sorry Julia. Need namin time for each other alone. Tagal naming hindi nagkausap eh." I said, politely. "Hay nako. Sabihin niyo na lang kasi na kayo na. Para hindi na ko didikit sa inyo. Nagiging dakilang third wheel ako dito eh. Bye na nga. Bwiset kayo!" Julia said then left us alone na.

"Wala pa bang boyfriend yon?" Ricci asks. "Wala pero may guy daw na nangungulit sa kanya these past few days eh." sabi ko naman. "Kasi may friend akong taga-Lasalle. Matagal niya nang tinatanong sakin si Julia, eh ayoko ilapit si Julia." he said. "Hala bakit naman? Kasi bet mo yung guy before?" I teased. "Siraulo."

After eating, pumunta kami sa gym kasi mag sstart na training nila. So ako nanonood lang and I can see his hard work naman talagang desidido siyang manalo. Well, all of us naman is rooting for that championship but I can see him na he's really desperate and eager to win.

May lumapit sakin na guy na naka-Lasalle uniform. Sino to? Bakit nasa Katipunan to?

"Hi, you're Deanna Wong right?" The guy asks. "Y-yes? H-how d-did you k-know m-me?" I asked with stutter. Gwapo siya doe. But mas gwapo si Ricci syempre. "Nice. So you're best friends with Julia right? I'm Mark. Her suitor." Wait. Mark? She hasn't mentioned a guy Mark to me before ah! "How come? She didn't tell me about you." I answered making sure if he really does know her. "I don't know. But I'm here to give her these foods kasi. She's craving for these pa last week eh. Mind if you help me find her?" he asks while showing me the bag filled with chips and etc. Lumabas kami ng gym, I was about to ask permission to Ricci but he's so focused on his training so I texted him na lang instead saying, "I'm with a guy Mark. He's a suitor of Julia daw. I'll be okay. Meet na lang tayo after training mo. Sorry. Call me agad ha."

I tried calling Julia but she always ends the call first ring pa lang. Ano bang problema netong babaeng to.

"Galit ata kasi sakin yon." The guy Mark started. "Pinipilit ko kasing pumunta dito, but I don't have time. May practice kasi ako sa band namin. Hindi siya nagrereply sakin, hindi niya rin sinasagot tawag mo?" He asks. "No, she didn't. Ano na bang meron sa inyo? M.U?" I asked. "Well, ayaw niya ng M.U. but I know she likes me back. Kasi she'll not entertain me naman if ayaw niya talaga first place pa lang."

"Well yeah. Julia is more of a person na kapag interesado siya dun lang siya mag entertain ng guy. But if ayaw niya talaga, ayaw niya." I said. After half an hour hindi pa rin namin makita si Julia around campus. He gave up na, pinaabot niya sakin yung dala niya and asked me to give it to Julia na lang. And trusts me to explain everything to her na lang.

Bumalik muna ako ng gym baka kasi tapos na training nila. Nung malapit na ko sa gym, I'm seeing a guy na nakasandal sa wall. "Hey! Tapos na kayo agad?" I asked. "Yeah. Almost all of us have classes kasi before lunch. Later at 6 PM na lang daw kami magtuloy ng practice." He said. He looks fresh na ulit so probably kanina pa siya nandito sa labas. "Bakit sumama ka dun sa Mark na yon? Kilala mo ba yon? Sure ka bang nanliligaw kay Julia yon?" he asks successively. "Relax ka lang boy. He's nice naman eh." I answered. "Saglit lang kayo nagkasama nice na agad sayo yon? Tsaka ano yang bitbit mo? Ano yan douceur?" He asked. "Huy. Ugali ah. This is not a bribe. These are for Julia, we can't find her kasi although we roam around the campus already. I think tinataguan niya si Mark eh." I said. We walk around papunta sa room namin, cause we got classes together.

I saw Julia sitting sa chair niya. "Hoy, san ka nagpunta?!" I asked. "Nandito lang ako. Why? Uy! Was dat?" She asked grabbing the bag I'm holding. "Huy! I love all of these! Para sakin ba to?" Inirapan ko siya and answered, "Gaga ka. Bigay yan ni Mark." Before she could open one of the snacks napatigil siya. "Mark? As in Mark from Lasalle?!" she hyterically asks. I nodded. "But wait, how did you know him?" Ricci passes by, "Pumunta dito eh. Tiyempo pang si Deanna natanong. Pagsabihan mo nga yang manliligaw mo! Tsaka ikaw pinunta dito bakit di ka nagpakita?!" Galit na tanong ni Ricci. Problema neto? Kanina pa nakasigaw. "Eh kasi! Tagal tagal niya nang sinabi na pupuntahan niya ko dito. Hindi naman matuloy tuloy. Kaya hindi na ko umaasang matutuloy siya ngayon. Di ko naman alam na makakapunta talaga siya." Julia answered. "Itext mo. Nanggigigil ako kay Mark ha. Sabi kong wag kang lalapitan eh." Ricci said. "Sino ba yon?" I asked kasi na-out of place na ko sa usapan. "Yung friend ko na ayoko paligawan kay Julia. Kasi babaero yon, eh ito namang pinsan ko na-fall na ata." Ricci said then umupo sa tabi ko. "Hayaan mo na. Eh kung nagbago naman na yung Mark eh. Ikaw naman kasi, wag ka nang pabebe. Text mo na. Pati sakin nagagalit tong pinsan mo."

After our classes, 1:32 PM. We haven't eaten our lunch yet. So Ricci and I went to a Korean Bbq Restaurant na I really wanna try. When we arrived there's a lot of spaces pa. So luckily, nakaupo kami sa magandang view. We ordered immediately and while we were waiting for the foods, he speaks. "Deanna. Okay lang ba na ligawan na kita?" Napatitig ako sa kanya. He seems sincere naman. Hehe keleg eke.

"Hindi ka pa ba nanliligaw?" I asked. "Well, yeah. But syempre gusto ko may permission mo. So, oo?" he asked. I nodded right after our food arrives.