It All Started With: We're Just Friends

Four

Part 7:

FLASHBACK 1:

Julia and I were in the cafeteria waiting for Ricci. "Napakatagal naman ni Ricci." I said irritated na. "Wait mo lang. Minamadali mo kasi. Wag mo siya pangunahan." Julia said. "Anong pinagsasabi mo jan?" I asked with matching kunot ng noo. "Wala! Kapag wala pa siya within ten minutes una na tayo." she suggested. "Anong ten minutes? That's too long! Five minutes lang." I said.

After ten minutes, wala pa ring Ricci na dumadating. So nauna na kaming pumunta sa org meeting. We were walking in the hallway when we saw Ricci na parang nakikipaglandian sa girl from Tourism department. "Hoy Ricci!" Julia called. Napatingin siya samin at ako inirapan ko siya. Pag antayin ba naman kami ng thirty minutes hindi naman pala dadating at nakikipaglandian lang kung kanino. Sana nagsabi man lang di ba? "Hala sorry. Didn't notice the time. I'm talking to that girl eh." He said. "Yes. Nakita nga namin Ricci." Sagot ko naman. "You mad? Or jealous?" He asked with full confidence pa. "Asa boy!" sagot ko naman tsaka naglakad na.

"Bakit ganyan yan?" Ricci asked.

"Time of the month maybe?" Julia answered.

"Ilang minutes ba kayong nag-antay?"

"Thirty minutes! Alam mo namang mainipin tong si Deanna! Sana nagtext ka na lang."

"I did! I texted her! She didn't reply tho."

When I heard what he just said, patago kong inopen yung phone ko. Dude! He texted me nga. My gerd. How stupid Deanna.

"Shunga mo kasi Deanna. Ikaw pa may ganang mainis sa kanya nun di mo naman pala binasa yung text niya." Julia said right after naming maalala yung time na yon. "Well from now on, wala ka ng reason to not read his messages. Right?" She asked. "Yeah. But that girl talaga from the Tourism department eh. Sino yon?" I asked inuungkat yung past. "Baliw girlfriend ni Kuya Prince yon." She said. What?! "Bakit parang ang sweet nila that time?" I asked. "You didn't see Kuya Prince no? He's covered kasi ng door kaya si Ricci at si Ate Pat lang nakita mo." Julia explains. Ohhh. Kala ko may nilalandi siya eh.

FLASHBACK 2:

I was in the library reading some book entitled Sea of Strangers. Grabe yung message sobrang deep and hugot talaga. Tapos yung music pa na pinapakinggan ko, more of sad love songs. "Ew. Geek." I heard someone talking. When I turned to face that person, isang Ricci Rivero na nakangisi ang bumungad sakin. "What the... I'm not a geek! Judger." I whispered. He laughs pero yung mahina lang. "I didn't know na you're into books pala?" He said looking through the pages of the book I'm reading. "Well yeah. More of poems and novels yung gusto ko." I shared. "Well yeah. I didn't asked you that." I'm about to whisper the word 'btch' but someone calls him.

"Hey, Ricci. Are you free tomorrow lunch?" Some random girl asked. Tumingin muna sakin si Ricci tsaka sinagot yung girl.

"Sorry, my girl's right here." He said pointing at me. I saw the girl rolls her eyes at me. Ugali netong lalaking to. Gusto niya atang magkaron ako ng bashers!

"Hoy Rivero! Anong girl ka jan? Hindi mo ko girl!" I said removing his hands off my shoulder.

"Oh soon baby." Napaka neto. Sarap sapukin sa private part eh.

"And now you are! Grabe talaga kamandag ng pinsan ko." Julia said. "Who wouldn't thought na all those times na iritable ako sa kanya, ngayon magpapakilig na sakin." I said. "Cheesy." Julia said. Remembering the times na lagi kaming nag-aaway ni Ricci makes me think of what if hindi ako na-fall sa kanya? Mag tutuloy tuloy pa din kaya away namin?

"Last time na nairita ka at inamin mong mahal mo na siya yung dumating dito si Jelay eh. Hahahaha! Gusto ko yung scene na yun talaga. Pang teleserye girl." Julia laughs mocking me. "Uy, pero ang sakit naman kasi nun. What if kung nagkabalikan sila? Edi kawawang kawawa na bestfriend mo?" I said with paawa face. "Well, knowing him better than you do. Hindi na sila magkakabalikan talaga kahit hindi ka man dumating sa buhay niya. Kapag ex niya na. Ex na." Julia said. "For real? How absurd. What if ex niya destined for him? Hindi siya mananalo kay tadhana." I said. "Bakit mo ba iniisip yan? Wala pa nga kayong one day nega ka na agad." Julia said.

So niyaya ko na lang siya mag SM Megamall. But humirit siya, "Ang layo! Ayoko magcommute ng ganon kalayo ano ba." she complains. "Fine! UPTC."

Pagdating namin sa UPTown, nagcall sakin si Ricci asking where I am. Then he told me na he's on his way na raw with Mark. Wow ang bilis ah.

Julia and I were waiting for them inside Ramen Nagi. They arrived after 5 minutes, so we look for our table and ordered foods na. "Ano meron? Why are we having double date?" Julia asked confused. "Oo nga? Ano meron?" Tanong ko para kunwari hindi ko rin alam. Binatukan ako ni Ricci pero mahina naman, kasi hindi daw ako magaling umarte. "Hoy. Itong lalaking to. Kakasagot lang sayo binabatukan mo na? Tsaka anong right mo to do that to her? She's a girl!" Julia defended me. "Julia it's fine. We do it all the time naman eh. Normal na samin yon." I said defending Ricci naman.

When Ricci and I noticed na Mark and Julia were not comfortable beside each other or maybe kasi kasama kami, I gave Ricci a sign to leave for a while after the meal. They both nodded naman and I winked at her telling her na she got this.

"Babe. Wala akong maisip na date nating dalawa. Kasi ayaw mo nung mga surprise like the two of us having dinner at the beach where some band was playing our favorite songs sa gilid." Ricci started the conversation. "Te girl naman. Ayoko namang gagastos ka pa ng ganon. Well, that counts as an effort naman to make a girl kilig and all. I don't hate it but I can't see myself kasi na kiligin nang ganon. Gets mo ko?" I said. "Well, yeah. I understand. Pero if ever na halimbawa ako naman gagawa sayo nun and for special occassions lang naman? Okay lang? Hindi ka magrereklamo?" He asked. "Yes of course. For special occassions okay lang, but yung madalas na ganon dates natin. Dude don't even think about it."

Sabihin na nating ang demanding ko, but I'm giving him tips to make our relationship work. Well, ganto gusto ko mangyari eh. Hindi naman sa under siya sakin, ayoko lang yung masayang effort niya. Well if he did it I will definitely appreciate it naman.

"Babe, if lagi ba tayong magkasama? Like sige kunwari hindi tayo but what if couples were always dating like almost everyday? Magkakasawaan ba agad yon?" I asked. "Well, if lagi lang naman tayong nag ddinner sa labas hindi naman siguro. Bakit ayaw mo ba lagi tayong magkasama?" He asked. "No, hindi naman sa ganon. I mean I know so many people kasi na nagkakasawaan daw sila kasi lagi daw nila nakikita isa't isa. Hindi daw sila nag papa-miss ganon." I said. He just nods and we went back to the two lovebirds na lang.

We then went home sa dorm, and he kisses me goodbye lang then pumasok na ko sa room. All of my teammates were already in deep sleep so I changed my clothes lang and brushed my teeth. Tsaka tumabi kay Ponggay.