About You

III.

"Hey Aris! Wake up! Your squad is here!" Ugh. Ingay. I covered my face with a pillow to have peace and continue my sleep. "Hey!" Napabalikwas ako ng may biglang humablot ng unan sa mukha ko. Bad trip.

"Ano ba?!" I shouted full of iritation. My sister glared at me and throw the pillow on my face.

"Your loud squad is here and they're messing our house! Go get your ass off and stop them, Aris!" High blood na high blood si Renea while me? I was just staring at her with sore head at hindi pa din nagsisink-in yung sinabi nya like "Huh?" Inirapan ulit ako ng kapatid ko bago sya padabog na lumabas ng kwarto ko.

"Ano nga ulit ginagawa nyo dito?" Tanong ko sa mga loko-loko kong barkada who's enjoying some pastries served by our maid.

"We're here to pick you up." Max said while wiggling his eyebrows.

"Tsaka miss ka na daw nitong si Llyndon, Pre!" Kantyaw naman ni Iris.  It's just been a week simula nung wild night namin sa Tagaytay and I must say, lalong naging baliw ang mga kaibigan ko.

"Huh. Baka ikaw." Llyndon answered before asking me "Teka, did you packed your things already? Ready na ba kayo bumalik ng Manila?" I nodded absent-mindedly.

Ayt, semestrial break is almost over at uuwi na kami ni Nea ngayon. The day after tomorrow is the start of my last semester in college. Konti na lang at gagraduate na kami ng barkada ko, well hopefully.

"Kuya, did you see my book?" Nea came out of her room with iritated face. Book?

"Hi again, Lil' sis!" the boys greeted her in chorus. My sister sarcastically smiled before glaring at them. They're actually not in good terms, lagi kasing binubwisit ng tatlong to ang kapatid ko simula ng umuwi sya from States.

"Hey Kuya! Nakita mo ba?" sabi ni Nea sabay tingin sakin. Umiling ako. "Anong libro ba yung hinahanap mo?"

"Ate Heart's new book! I left it here kagabi then when I woke up wala na sya. Ugh." She grunted heavily. Nagkatinginan kaming magbabarkada. They're eyes are full of accusations, while mine's asking what the heck is there problem.

"Hay! Nakakainis, I'm already on the last chapter tapos ngayon pa nawala! Huh, this is really frustrating." Tuloy lang sa tantrums si Nea while marching towards her room. When she closed the door tsaka pa lang may nagsalita samin.

"Pre, fan na fan ni Heart si Nea ah, grabe she seems so fond of her books." Natatawang sabi ni Iris.

Hinawakan ni Maxwell ang mukha ko to look straight at him. "Umamin ka pre, you stole Nea's book no?!" I arched my eyebrow and harshly removed his hands on my face.

"Ulul. I didn't okay?"

"Weh? Cross your heart hope to die?"

Sasagot na sana ako, when a memory flashed in my mind.

Wandering along the shore, I was holding my 4th bottle of beer on my left hand, while the other was holding a book. 'Hurt-less Heart'. I read the last page of the book. It says,

'Hi Jerk! so this is me, all of me letting  my griefs go. Putting all of me back to where it should be. The heart you stole and broke are now fully restored, finally. There's no reason to cry for you anymore, neither to smile for you again. It's just me, myself and God. Cheers to me for forgiving you, but not exactly forgetting the pain you let me go through. Let's just go back the way where we begin. Strangers. Thank you for showing your world to me, for breaking mine and for being my inspiration for my past book! But this is my ultimatum. No words from me will be about you anymore. Yeah nothing will be about you, ever again. Ciao!'

I started laughing, with tears falling down. She's moving on. Nope. She moved on. While me, still here hoping for another chance of us. Pero kasalanan ko din naman e. But... "Aish!" I finished my beer at sa frustration ko, pinunit ko yung last page ng book and put it inside the bottle. One last tear dropped and I threw the bottle on the sea.'

I was brought back to reality when Max punched my arm."Hey pre! Ano?!" Walang sabi-sabi akong tumayo at pumunta sa kwarto ko. Sumunod naman sina Max sakin asking me what's going on.

I harshly open the drawer of my bedside table and face palmed when I saw that two pieces of Heart's book were there. Shit.

"O sabi na! Nasayo yung libro ni Nea!" sigaw ni Max.
"Teka bakit dalawa yan?" tanong naman ni Llyndon. Ugh. Damn it.

"I thought yung akin yung dala kong libro kagabi, turns out na kay Nea pala yon. The hell."

"Huh?" I explained them what happened. At syempre, what will I expect. Tinawanan lang ako ng mga kaibigan ko. Mga gago.

"Ito na lang sayo yung ibigay mo kay Nea pre. Pareho lang naman e." said Iris confidently. Huh. You thought so. He scanned the book and whispered when he read Heart's dedication to me.

"Haha, wrong idea pala pre." I just sighed. Bahala na nga.

*

"OH MY! What have you done Aris!" Nea shouted her lungs out when I told her what happened, but not exactly what happened.

"I'm sorry, I thought t'was mine."

"Kahit na! Why did you ripped the last  page in the first place, ha Kuya? Kainis ka naman e." nanlaki ang mata ko when I saw that she's about to cry. Agad akong lumapit sa kanya pero lumayo sya.

"Sorry na, sis. Ganito na lang, I'll just buy you a new one okay?"

She pouted "Psh. Fine. But I want a new one with her sign on it okay?! Promised me Kuya, you'll have it signed!" The heck?
Tatawa-tawa lang ang mga kaibigan ko sa isang tabi with matching pasipol-sipol pa.

"Ano sis, hindi ba pwedeng ikaw na lang magpa-sign, I'll just accompany you na lang?" Renea gave me a death glare.

"KUYA!"

Tsk. Hassle.

***

Thank you for reading my story! 💜