Cinderella is Gay (EDITING)

💫 XXVI 💫

Chapter Twenty-Six:
Date

**

THEN
October 2008

FIRST day of the month.

I intended to start this month with positivity. Happy lang, wala muna sanang drama hangga't maaari.

"Ready?" Phil asked me pagkasakay ko sa kotse.

"Yup."

Pinaandar na n'ya ang kotse at nagsimula kaming bumyahe papuntang school. Yes, we're back to our normal routine. Magkasama na ulit kaming pumapasok sa school at sabay ulit kaming umuuwi kagaya ng dati. Mag-bestfriend pa rin kami, but we hold each other's hands sometimes. We hug each other in private. Pero hanggang do'n lang. Walang matinong label, but we're both happy.

I didn't want to think that I was settling for something less. Sinubukan kong makontinto na lang muna sa kung ano lang ang kaya n'yang ibigay sa ngayon. I did what he exactly asked me to do. I waited and gave him time to figure things out. I stayed beside him and tried to extend my patience every day. I know it may look pathetic in other people's perspectives, but it still made me happy. And I was also fully aware na hindi lahat ng nagpapasaya sa'tin ay nakakabuti para sa'tin. But I chose my happiness over what's right.

"Tuloy nga pala ang vacation natin sa island namin this sem break, ah," sabi niya habang nagmamaneho.

"Hala, oo nga pala, 'no?"

Parang ang tagal na mula no'ng sinabi n'ya sa akin ang tungkol sa extended celebration ng birthday n'ya.

"Don't tell me, nakalimutan mo na ang tungkol do'n?"

"Medyo." I gave him a peace sign. He just smirked at ginulo ang buhok ko. "Kainis naman 'to," reklamo ko habang nag-aayos ng buhok.

"Ang sama mo. Kinalimutan mo ang plano natin."

"Diyos ko, sa dami ba naman ng nangyari lately, in-expect mo bang maaalala ko pa ang tungkol sa bakasyon?"

"Point taken." He smiled. "Basta tuloy tayo, ah. If you want to bring your friends, you can."

"Talaga?!" Bigla akong na-energized at mas naging excited. The idea of having a vacation with Phil and with my friends was just too perfect. "Pwede kong isama sina Mikaela at Kim? Seryoso?"

"Just remind Michael not to flirt with my friends. Baka masuntok s'ya," he joked.

"Promise, ako ang bahala sa malanding baklita na 'yon," I assured him. "And just a gentle reminder, don't you dare call him Michael, or else, magkakaro'n ng gyera. It's Mikaela, okay? Mi-ka-ela."

"Fine, fine." Napalingu-lingo siya.

Ilang saglit lang ay dumating na kami sa university.

"Mauna na ako, ah. Bumaba ka na lang after a minute or two," I told him habang tinatanggal ang seatbelt.

"Why?"

"Hindi tayo pwedeng maglakad nang sabay sa loob ng campus. Baka kung ano'ng isipin ng mga malisyoso."

He didn't say anything.