EASE | unique salonga

quindinci | your call

LAST UPDATE FOR THIS WEEK. There's only 3 more chapters left. Thank you for the 2k reads. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter, as much as I enjoyed writing it.

:･ﾟ☆✧

Direct Messages > with Salonga, Unique T.

hey, thank you! nakuha ko na yung regalo mo sakin. i'm speechless >
i mean, that was really thoughtful of you ... pero ang MAHAL kaya gusto din kitang patayin! >
pero seryoso ... unique, thank you. >

Just when I was about to close the phone, a new notification popped up.

< Sagutin mo ang tawag ko.

Huh? A few seconds later, my phone set off;

INCOMING CALL; from Crush Kong Gwapo ❤️

Wait what? Sinave nya yung sarili niyang phone number sa phone ko? Hay, iba talaga.

"Isla?"

"Crush kong gwapo pala ha?" I snickered. "Kapal mo."

He laughs. "Luh ang sama, sige babye na—"

" ... "

"Ibaba ko na talaga –"

" ... "

"Eto na talaga –"

" ... "

"Pipindutin ko na! –"

" ... "

"Bye! –"

" ... "

"Hoy, Isla!"

"Hm?"

"Pigilan mo naman ako!"

"Ayaw ko nga! Bakit? Gwapo ka? Gwapo ka? Ikaw ba si Zild?"

I heard fake sniffing sounds. "Grabe ka sakin, pagkatapos ng lahat ... pagkatapos kong isangla ang kidney ko para jan sa cellphone mo."

I laughed. "Joke lang, tangi!" I smiled.
"Salamat."

I couldn't see his face, but I could've sworn that I felt him smile. "Wag mo akong pasalamatan, sisingilin din kita jan."

"Hoy wala akong pambayad neto!"

"Okay lang ... Pagmamahal mo lang naman ang gusto kong kapalit."

"Hahaha b-baliw ka talaga." I stuttered. Unique, bakit ka ba ganyan?

"Seryoso nga." He said play fully.

"Hahaha gago." I said flatly. "Anyway, kamusta? Bakit ka mag-isa ngayon? Ayaw mo lumabas kasama ang mga kaibigan mo?"

There was a pause again.

"Pwede ko din yang itanong sayo." He said lightly, showing me that he wasn't offended by what I said.

"Ako unang nagtanong sayo." I challenged him.

"Sagutin mo; sasagutin ko din. Yan na yung kapalit na hinihingi ko."

"Sige, whatever." I sighed jokingly. "I don't know ... I don't know how to answer that. I guess, I've been alone for too long, kaya nasanay nalang ako. I accepted it. But I don't like it."

"Nasan ang pamilya mo?" He asks softly.

"Uhm ... wag na natin yan pag-usapan."

He sighed, but didn't push me. "Kakatapos lang ng band rehearsals namin. Lumabas silang tatlo, hindi na ako sumama." He hesitated. "Tumawag si Papa, pinapabisita niya ako ... Kaso tumanggi ako. Nahihiya kasi ako ... ayaw kong makita niya kung ano na ako."

"Ayaw mong makita nya na isa ka nang successful na vocalist?" I said. "Bakit?"

He scoffed. "Alam mo na hindi yun ang ibig kong sabihin." He said. "Saka, may iba akong planong gawin ngayon."

"Ano?"

"Matagal na din ata nung huli akong uminom."

"Unique, lasing ka na ba?"

"Hindi." He laughed drily. "Mamaya pa ako iinom."

"Tigilan mo na yan ... Hindi tama na yan ang gawin mong paraan para —"

"Wag mo akong sermonan." He snapped and I couldn't help but flinch. "Buhay ko naman 'to."

In that moment, I felt so small. I felt like I didn't have a voice. And I didn't know what to say, so I didn't try.

Maybe he realized what he'd done, maybe he noticed from the silence that I was hurt. "Shit ... Isla ... I'm sorry." He sighed deeply. "Gusto ko lang naman makalimot, kahit ilang minuto lang."

"Okay lang." I whispered, even though it wasn't true. "Naiintindihan ko naman. Pero hindi naman ibig sabihin nun na papabayaan lang kita ... I-I care, Unique. Kaya sana makinig ka naman sakin..."

"I'm sorry. Tama ka." He said, and I knew he meant it. "Ang hirap lang talaga minsan ..."

"Oo pero mas mahirap maging maganda." I said childishly.

"Unbelievable ... Iba ka talaga." He laughed. "Salamat sa napakagandang moment na 'to."

"Gago, gusto lang kitang patawanin." I said, laughing.

"Anyway." He said. "Magkausap naman na tayo ngayon. We have each other. Kaya, siguro, kahit ngayong gabi lang, hindi tayo malungkot."

I couldn't help but smile, feeling a familiar warmth in my chest. "Yeah.."

"So, Isla?" There was a pause.

"Unique?"

"Ano pang gusto mong pag-usapan?" I couldn't help but smile, and I knew he did too.

:･ﾟ☆✧

Unique and I talked for hours. All the way from childhood, his experiences, and our embarrassments. We opened up a lot but we avoided negativity; atleast for tonight.

"Unique?" I said tiredly.

"Hm?"

"Siguro dapat na tayong matulog." I yawned. "2 am na kaya."

"Sige ... Magpahinga ka na, goodnight."

"Yeah.." I said. "Goodnight Unique..."

He laughed. "Sana bangungutin ka."

"Tigilan mo 'ko, music hero..."

"Si Blaster yon. Parehas kayong lutang."

"Ewan ko sayo ..." I yawned again. "Antok na talaga ako. Sawa ka na din ata sa boses ko.."

"Kahit pakinggan ko ang boses mo buong araw, di ako magsasawa."