Two Steps Behind

Third year

It's been a month since we got back from California, Myrtle and I still lived in the same house, I still drop her off and pick her up from class when I have the time. We still ate lunch and dinner together, paminsan-minsan lumalabas kasama sila Abby at Batch na ngayon ay nasa 4th year na nila.

I already had most of my stuff back at my flat, eventually hindi na ako dito uuwi, doon na ako sa flat ko. At ngayon linggo na ang simula ng pagiging busy namin ni Myrtle sa school.

"Devin, so yung upcoming tour ng Sinthesis, ok na ba ang schedule na nakuha ko?" Cara asked me.

"Yeah, ok na yun. We start the tour as early as this year, pero mga overnights lang." I replied while, I was digitally processing a new music we were going to release next month.

"Yeah, studies first." Cara smiled.

"Yeah." I smiled back at her.

"Okay naman ba si Myrtle sa schedule mo?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Cara.

"Yeah, we have an agreement na over the summer, tigil muna kami sa madalas naming pagkikita at pag-hang out. Naintindihan naman niya."

"Dude, alam mo bilib din ako kay Myrtle. She's gone through a lot at hindi madali ang gusto niya, pero kinakaya niya. Hay, kailan kaya ako makakahanap ng tulad niya?" sabi naman ni Cara.

"Baka hindi pa pinapanganak, Cara." I said chuckling at her.

"Gaga ka talaga eh no? Anong akala mo sakin? Desperada na pati baby pa lang papatusin ko?" naiinis na sagot ni Cara.

"Uy, ako nga eh, two years senior kay Myrtle." I said to her.

"Hay naku, ewan ko sayo Devin." she said as she picks up her guitar and strummed.

"Cara, sino ba talaga kasi ang muse ng mga lyrics mo?" I asked her mischievously.

"Wala nga. Wag mo kong i-hot seat." sabi nito.

"Sus, wala daw. The way you wrote Cara, there is something about the things you wrote that tells me you've drawn them from experience." I replied to her.

"Alright, dahil 3 years naman na din tayong magkakilala at lahat ng baho mo eh alam ko na, dapat mo na ding malaman ang baho ko." she chuckled.

"Okay, this is interesting." I said as I stopped what I was doing on my laptop.

"So, there was once a girl, her name is Anne. Magbest friend kami for the longest time. Until our senior year." she started.

"Tapos?" I asked her.

"I knew I was in love with her, nung bata pa man kami. The summer before we became seniors, nagconfess ako sa kanya na I'm bisexual. I also confessed to her na matagal ko na siyang mahal. She said it was okay that I am gay, she accepted me with her whole heart, but she said she couldn't be with me, dahil hindi nya nararamdaman ang pagmamahal para sa akin more than her best friend. She eventually had a boyfriend ang masakit, it was my twin brother Erwan she chose to be with."

"Oh God, Cara. I didn't know." I said to her as I hugged her.

"That's okay, okay na ako Devin. Mas okay na magbest friend na lang kami ni Anne."

"Well, kung yan ang magpapasaya sayo, go lang friend. I will support you." I smiled at her.

"Salamat, ikaw na lang ang di pa nakaka-alam ng kwento ko na to, lahat ng bandmates natin alam na." she chuckled.

"Hay naku Cara, You can't hide from me as much as I can't hide from you." I chuckled at her.

"Tara na nga, malelate pa tayo sa pinag-gagagawa natin eh." She said as she stands up to get her stuff packed in her backpack.