Taped-Up Heart

II. It Suits You Better

Chapter Two

It Suits You Better

The whole drive was just pure silence. I couldn't speak, because of what he just said. Ewan ko ba kung bakit? Nasaan na ang kadaldalan mo ngayon, Asia?

"Where do you live?" he suddenly asked. Tsaka ko lang napagtanto na hindi niya nga pala alam ang bahay ko.

"Just bring me to my condo," I told him. Hinding-hindi ako magpapahatid sa bahay, no, then what? Give my parents the chance to meet this monkey? No way!

Tsaka, I was wearing his clothes for goddamn's sake! Ano na lang ang iisipin nina Mommy? Na ganoong klase ako ng babae?!

"Segara Heights," I said.

After a few minutes, we finally arrived at Segara Heights, where I live. "I'll return your shirt and shorts na lang kapag nalabahan ko na," I told him.

He only nodded at me. Binuksan ko na ang pintuan ng kotse niya at bumaba na. I thought he was going to go already. Pero, nanatili ang kotse niya doon. After a few seconds, he rolled the windows down. "What?" I asked.

He smiled. Mukha talagang unggoy! "No need to return my shirt and shorts, it suits you better," he said as he revved his engine at mabilis siyang nawala at ang kotse niya sa harapan ko.

What was that?

* * *

"Are you alright?" salubong ko kay Yannie. I sat beside her here at the room. She was busy reading a book. Napaka-book worm talaga.

She looked at me. Pugto pa rin mga mata niya. I rolled my eyes. "Yannie naman, it's been a week! Hanggang ngayon ba naman iniiyakan mo pa din 'yung Tiunggong 'yun?" I asked her.

"Asia, it's not easy to move on..."

"It is easy to move on," paliwanag ko sa kanya. "Kung gugustuhin mo, Yan. Mahirap talaga mag-move on kung hindi mo naman tinutulungan 'yang sarili mo."

She looked at me weirdly. "What?" I asked.

"Have you ever been in love with a Tiu, Asia?" she asked.

Umiling ako. Waves of memories from yesterday flashed back. Oh, god, erase! "If you haven't been in love with one, then you don't have any right to tell me that," she said before she resumed reading a novel entitled 21 Proms.

I didn't answer back. Kasi kung sasagot pa ako, sigurado akong mag-aaway lang kaming dalawa. Iba palang ma-broken si Yannie, nagiging mataray siya bigla. Besides, wala akong balak mainlove sa isang Tiunggo!

I got my earphones out, nakinig na lang ako sa music. May fifteen minutes pa kasi bago mag-start iyong class. I was busy listening to the music ng magulantang ako ng mag-ring bigla ang cellphone ko. Napatingin tuloy sa akin 'yung ibang nasa room. Porket hindi nila rinig! I saw an unknown number calling. "Hello?" I answered.

"Asia? Is this your number?"

I ended the call immediately. Kilala ko na kaagad kung sino 'yon! Boses niya pa lang! At saan niya naman nakuha ang number ko? 

Sinabi ng forget about that night. Feeling ko naman walang nangyari, kasi 'di ba, masakit daw 'yun kapag first? Wala namang masakit! Kaya hindi ko alam kung ano pa ba ang gusto ng Tiunggong 'to mula sa akin!

My phone kept on ringing kaya inilagay ko na siya airplane mode. Ang gulo-gulo niya! I'm stressed bigla because of him! Good thing the class started already, kaya nawala na din siya sa isipan ko.

At lunch, hindi sumabay si Yannie, pupunta daw muna siya sa library. Wala na akong nagawa, inintindi ko na lang. Maybe she has a point, I've never been in loved with a Tiu kaya I had no rights to judge her or tell her when to move on.

Hindi ko din alam kung ano ba ang mayroon ang mga Tiu na 'yon na gustong-gusto ng mga babae? Mukha namang mga tsinong hilaw! Okay, gwapo naman sila. Pero—I just don't get the logic and all! Ang dami namang mas higit na guwapo sa kanila, no.

Si Duane pa nga lang, talong-talo na siya sa ka-gwapuhan... and speaking of Duane, he's right in front of me. He popped out of nowhere.

"Asia," he called. Then, I remembered, ni hindi nga pala ako nakapagpaalam sa kanya nung birthday niya. Ni hindi ko nasalubong kasama siya. We always do that thing, sasalubungin iyong mga birthdays namin.

Tapos, sinagot pa ni Tiu number two 'yung tawag niya. And my bad, I didn't even bother texting him after that kasi nahihiya talaga ako.

"Duane, I'm sorry, hindi na ako nak—"

He cut me off. "It's alright, Asia. At least you were present at my birthday," he said. "Where's my gift?" he said smiling at me. Fake. Hindi ko alam, bigla akong nainis. I was expecting him to ask who answered the call, tapos, ganito lang? Wala lang sa kanya?

"Right," I said. "Hindi ko nga pala naibigay 'yung gift ko sa 'yo." And speaking of my gift, saan napunta 'yon?! "Wait, wala sa 'yo?" I asked.

He shook his head. "You didn't give it to me that night," he said. "You didn't have anything with you, except for your bag."

"It's in my bag."

"Where it is now?"

"Uh..." Oh, god. Nasaan 'yun? Wala 'yun sa bag ko! "I'll bring it tomorrow. I forgot it, nagpalit kasi ako ng bag."

He nodded. "Okay. Where's Yannie?"

"Nasa library."

"Let's have lunch," yaya niya. Of course, sumama ako at pumayag. Kahit pa kuripot si Duane—sabi ng mga kapatid niya—palagi akong libre sa kanya. Ewan ko nga ba.

"Ducci," I called. I was curious. China told me about Duane's so called kuripotness that night. "I've heard you're very thrifty... according to China."

He looked at me. "She told you that?"

I nodded. "Yes. If you're very thrifty, then how come na palagi mo na lang akong nililibre?" I asked while wiggling my brows at him.

He pouted. Ibang-iba talaga si Duane kapag kasama ko. Super suplado niya kaya talaga, pero tingnan mo, sa harapan ko, pa-pout-pout lang siya. "Ano? Bakit? Super special ko ba sa 'yo na ako lang ang ginagastusan mo?" I teased.

He stopped walking and looked straight into my eyes. "Yes, Asia. You're that special to me."