The One Who Stares Behind

KABANATA 9

I couldn't sleep. I had been tossing and turning in bed since I got to the room, while the three others in the room were sleeping soundly. I grabbed my phone from the bedside table, and when I opened it, there was a message from Xandrev.

Xandrev
Thanks for taking care of me. I'll make it up to you. I'll send you lots of bananas tomorrow. Don't worry, El's fine with it. He's fond of you.

Goodnight. I love you.

Wtf Drev! Too much for embarrassment.

Zafhyrna
Sayo na ang banana mo! I hate you. Both of you.

Xandrev
Of course. My banana will always be MINE.

My jaw literally fell. It's not what I meant to say. I almost forgot who am I talking with. A perverted one.

Another message..

Xandrev
You hate Michaelson now huh?

Wait. What. Why would I hate him?

Zafhyrna
It was Isaac I am talking to.

Speaking of.

Isaac
Check your FB account lovely Couz. You'll love what you'll see.*wink*

Xandrev
Take care of your heart. Goodnight Zafh.

Zafhyrna
Take care of your girls. Goodnight.

I suddenly found myself opening my Facebook account. There are notifications. I opened the latest one.

Jan Isaac Valdez tagged you and 2 others in a post.

It was the four of us: Drev lying on his bed with a banana muffin, Isaac smiling like an idiot while holding banana chips, and El caught in a candid shot eating a banana waffle. Adorable, but what about my face?! It was a photo of me seriously eating a banana!

#Bananafever
It was the caption.
Isaaaaaaaac!

Debbie Antonette Morley commented on a post that you're tagged in.

Debbie Antonette Morley:
Why so serious eating banana? Ya' like it?

Damn Debbie!

Lynette Isabella Tan:
She liked it.

Maureen Shane Embry:
Glad you're back. I miss you Michael.

I immediately logged out and turned off my phone, irritation consuming me tonight.

He could have messaged Eli directly. Why did it have to be in the comment box?

Who are you kidding, Kasianna? She's the fiancée.

But every time I see how Eli laughs and smiles in front of me, I remember that I was there. I was with him when he laughed. I was with him when he smiled. I witnessed it all. But I can't be with him. He's not mine, after all.

"Siann, you hated bananas?"
biglang nanlaki ang mata ko sa tanong nito.

"I-it's not that I-i hate it at all, uhm..I just don't like it."

Bakit kailangan ko pang mautal? Stupid Zafh. Stupid.

"It tastes good."

Hindi naman obvious na ginagamitan na ako ng 'what they so called charm' nito. At heto naman ako at nagpapadala masyado.