Faking Delays

12. No.

Kristeena Abegaile
  

"OH, YOU done already?" tanong ni Fella pag kasakay ko sa kotse. Sa likod na ako umupo since silang dalawa ang nasa harapan. Ngayon ay naka palit na si Sandy ng damit. "What happened?" tanong niya pa.

Naka pasalumbaba akong umiling. "Not now" my action seemed to say.
  

'I want you,' sabi niya. Natigilan ako. 'I want you to be my girlfriend.' Lumipat kami sa may parking lot, kung saan walang tao. Ayaw ko kayang ma isyu kapag nakitang kausap ko 'tong mokong na 'to.

Natawa ako. 'Tol, ayos ka lang? Nakikita mo ba kung sinong kinakausap mo? I'm not the kind of girl who does those kind of things! At isa pa... kung mag jo jowa man ako, hindi ikaw ang gusto ko.'

Now it was his turn to laugh and smirk. 'You're pretty picky for your own good, aren't you,' aniya. 'Don't you think that it's my loss and not yours?'

'What do you mean?' tanong ko.

'Like you said earlier... look at yourself. No sane guy would like to have you for a girlfriend.' Humakbang siya ng isang hakbang palapit sa akin. 'If I knew that you're the same girl that I talked to back at the Clubx, I'd never go through with this. But what's done is done, and you agreed.'

Napa hilamos ako ng aking mukha. 'Tanga ka pala e. Eh kung matino rin ako nung mga panahon na 'yun, eh 'di hindi rin ako papayag!' Dinuro ko siya. 'Walang matinong babae ang magkakagusto sa hambog na kagaya mo.'

He crossed his arms. 'Okay, enough with this bullshit. Sober or not, you still agreed. I don't give a fuck whether you remembered it or not.'

'Eh ba't ba kasi ako? Ang dami-daming babae d'yan! Just pick one and stop bothering me!' naiinis kong sabi.

'I already picked you,' kalmado niyang sabi. 'Why can't you get that? I want you.'

Kung kagaya siguro ako nila Fella at Sandy, kikiligin ako sa mga pinag sasasabi niya. Good thing that I'm not. 'Eh sa ayaw ko nga e. Anong magagawa mo?'

'Do you hate me, Kristeena?' tanong nito, totally diverting the question.

'Oo naman, yes!' proud kong sabi.

'That. That's exactly the reason why I want you to play the part. You hate me. You won't take anything personally. Ayaw ko ng babaeng clingy. Those girls who can't understand the word 'fake' and 'temporary'.'

'Ba't ba kasi kailangan mo ng jowa, ha? Ano, tigang ka na, ganun?' prangka kong tanong.

His nose cringed. 'What? No, of course not!' tanggi nito. 'I can take every girl I want to fulfill my needs. I'm never arid.' At talagang pinagmamalaki niyang fuckboy siya ah. Yabang talaga! Shet!

'Pwes, ibahin mo'ko. I won't be your whore.'

Tumawa siya. 'Yung tawang-tawa as in. Pinanliitan ko siya ng tingin. 'Tawang-tawa?'

Nang humupa na ang kasiyahan niya, nag salita na rin siya. 'I don't need a whore, Kristeena,' sabi niya habang pinupunasan ang gilid ng mata. 'Didn't you hear me? I said I need a fake girlfriend. Not a whore.'

'Eh para saan nga---'

'To make my ex jealous,' putol niya sa sinasabi ko.

'Ex? Which one of them?' I mocked.

He became serious all of the sudden. 'No,' sabi niya. 'I've never been in a relationship before. She was the first one. And I want her back.' Kita ko ang sinseridad sa kaniyang mga mata.

Ahh, isa pa 'to sa mga taong hindi maka intindi ng 'break up'. Tapos gagamit ng mga gan'tong eksena para magselos kunwari si girl, tas babalik siya sa boy. Tapos happily ever after na. Tapos hindi nila alam na nainlove na pala 'yung rebound tapos iiyak siya at magmumukhang kawawa tapos wala na. Etsapwera na.

Pwe! 'Wag ako oi! Alam ko na 'yang mga ganyan!

'I'm really sorry,' I finally said. Kung may problema sila, sila ang mag-usap. 'Wag na nila ako idamay, jusko naman. 'Kung anuman ang napag usapan natin noong gabing iyon, nadala lang talaga ako ng kalasingan ko. I never really meant anything that I said last night.'

'Even the part where you said that you hate being you?' tanong niya. Bigla akong natigilan. 'You said that you agreed to go with your friends because you want to know how it feels to be pretty and appreciated. Do you remember that?' I said that? Hala, wala man akong maalala!

Napa iwas ako ng tingin. 'And you said that you want me to make you feel it,' dagdag pa nito. 'I can, Kristeena. Just say yes.'

'I was just drunk,' I said with finality. 'Lahat naman ng lasing kung ano-anong pinagsasasabi.'

Nanatili ang pag titig niya sa akin. 'Everything that comes out a drunk person's mouth, is either nonsense or the truth,' he reasoned out. 'Just tell me, which is which.'

'Can I go now? Inaantay na ako ng mga kaibigan ko,' pag-iiba ko ng usapan. I just hate it when I'm being cornered. Fucking hate it, really.

Nilabas n'ya ang kaniyang wallet at may kinuha sa loob. It's a calling card. 'Take this.'

Umiling ako. 'I don't need your number.' Anong akala ng gago na 'to? Gusto ko siya maging ka textmate? Ew, no way.

'I know. But you're gonna need it.' He insisted on giving it to me. Inabot ko na lang ito. 'I'll wait for your call.'

I laughed. 'I'll never call you, asshole. Over my dead body.'

He plastered a sly smile. 'I doubt it. If you want to do this the hard way, then fine. I'll have you by hook, or by crook.' Tumango siya at tumalikod. 'I'll go now, Kristeena. See you in a few days.' Kumunot ang noo ko sa sinabi niya. Few days? Anong meron?

'Anong ibig mong sabihin?' Pero hindi siya lumingon. 'Uy!'
  

"Let's just go, guys. Please," sabi ko sa kanila. Hindi sila kumibo at nanatiling naka tingin sa akin. I sighed. "I'll tell you everything later."

Tumango sila at umalis na rin kami. Buti naman at hindi na sila nangulit pa.