Cinderella is Gay (EDITING)

💫 XXIV 💫

Chapter Twenty-Four:
Bitchfest

***

THEN
September 2008

YOHAN'S POINT OF VIEW

THINGS have really changed. Alam ko naman at tanggap ko rin naman 'yon. Pero hindi rin ibig-sabihin na madali 'yon para sa'kin. Wala naman sigurong madali sa akin kung si Phil ang pinag-uusapan.

Ako na mismo ang dumistansya sa kanya after ng confession ko. I waited for him to approach me and to talk more about everything, but it didn't happen. Kaya ako na lang mismo ang lumayo. I wanted to ask him about the status of our friendship. I wanted to ask him about his thoughts, pero hindi ko ginawa. Maybe because I was too afraid to get hurt. Alam ko rin naman kasi na malaki ang possibility na mare-reject ako.

"One week na kayong hindi nagpapansinan? Seriously?" tanong ni Kim habang tumatambay kami sa study hall ng university. "Ang hirap niyan, ah. Lalo na sa case n'yo na sobrang lapit lang ng bahay ninyo."

"Nag-uusap naman kami 'pag kailangan. Like, 'pag uutusan ako ng mama ko na linisin ang kwarto n'ya or something. Pero mga gano'n lang. Hindi na kagaya ng dati. Awkward na. Alam mo 'yong mararamdaman mong may gap na talaga? Gano'n."

"Talagang may gap na. Alam na n'yang hindi ka straight, eh. Hindi na siya magiging gano'n ka-comfortable na kasama ka sa iisang kwarto. Straight s'ya, remember," sabi naman ni Mikaela na hindi man lang inisip kung masasaktan ako sa slap of reality na ibinigay n'ya.

Tama naman s'ya. Minsan nga gusto kong i-wish na sana hindi na lang naging straight ang bestfriend ko. Baka sakaling magkaro'n pa ako ng chance sa kanya. Pero hanggang asa na lang talaga ako. Parang ayaw talaga ng universe na maging kami.

Ang daming nagbago. Isa na do'n ang hindi ko pagsabay sa kanya papunta at pauwi galing sa school. Hindi rin naman s'ya nag-effort na yayain ako, which was a relief because I wouldn't have said "yes" dahil awkward.

"Hi, Yohan." Isang santang demonyita ang sumingit sa usapan namin.

Nakatayo s'ya na parang kung sinong prinsesa, looking regal as ever. Almost all guys — single or not — looked at her with admiration and maybe lust in their eyes. I couldn't blame them, though. She was a sight to behold. If only they knew who she truly was.

"Adriana."

"Ahmm... Kim and Michael, right?" She pointed my two friends sa napaka-arteng paraan.

"It's Mikaela, okay?" mabilis na pagtatama ng baklita kong kaibigan. Gusto ko sanang tumawa pero pinigilan ko ang sarili ko.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Mikaela," aniya na kunwari ay natutuwa. She was such a good actress.

One would think that she was genuinely nice to everyone around her. She had perfected the goody-two-shoe act and she was convincing. Pero hindi sa aming tatlo dahil kilala namin s'ya.

"I'm sorry, may kailangan ka?" rude na tanong ni Kim. "Kasi, ano, may pinag-uusapan kaming importanteng bagay. Obviously, hindi ka kasali, kaya pwede, shoo!" pagtataboy niya rito.

"Ano'ng pinag-uusapan n'yo?" she curiously asked in a nice way. Alam kong nagkukunwari na naman s'yang hindi na-offend sa kamalditahan ni Kim. But I knew she was raging deep inside.

"We're plotting your death," diretsahang sagot ni Mikaela while wearing a murderous look.

"I'm sorry, what?" naguguluhang tanong n'ya at nanlaki ang mga mata.