Between the Spaces

Kabanata 1

Kisses

It's almost the end of our junior year. I have all the good words to say during my entire stay in our school. Maybe because everyone just felt so much like a part of me. And it makes me feel emotional now, that in a short span of time, we'll all be leaving what used to be our home.

May isang taon pa naman bago kami pumasok sa college, pero wala lang. Nakaka sentimental. Mamimiss ko lahat eh. I'll miss how we all grew up together like a real family. I never knew i could feel something so good and so bad at the same time by thinking about this.

(5:30pm school grounds)

I took a deep breathe at pinagmasdaan ang kabuuan ng school. It was already peaceful since kaninang kanina pa natapos yung class hours. I just did some research sa library kaya natagalan akong umuwi. I was trying to get hold of the books that I got from the library when someone beeped me from inside the car.

"Kisses!" binaba niya yung bintana ng sasakyan niya sabay tinawag ako

"Ahm. Yes?" I answered and smiled. It was Donny, classmate since grade 2 until now.

"May sundo ka ba? Sabay ka na, pauwi na ako." he kindly offered.

Although classmates kami for more than a decade now, nahihiya parin ako sa kanya. I don't know why. Hindi lang siguro kami sanay sa isa't isa? I mean we are friends but not the friend kind of friend. Alam nyo yun? Hindi kami masyadong nagkakausap kasi nga nahihiya ako sa kanya? Or siya sa akin.

Kaya nabigla ako ngayon na bigla syang nag offer na ihatid ako pauwi sa bahay.

"Ay naku Donny. Wag na. Hintayin ko nalang din si Dad. Sunduin niya daw ako eh." tanggi ko sa kanya

"Sigurado ka ba?" tanong niya sa akin

"Yup." sagot ko sabay nag thumbs up at ngumiti sa kanya, "Thank you for offering anyway."

Hindi pa muna siya nagsalita at tinitigan pa ako

"Alis ka na. It's getting late. Your mom's probably looking for you already." sabi ko sa kanya, he then maneuvered his car to go

"Sige. Ingat ka." sabi niya at umalis na

I always had this feeling kay Donny everytime nakikita ko sya. I mean sa araw araw na nakikita ko siya. He seemed too distant? Naaawkward ako sa kanya. Maybe because he's a school jock and everygirl in the school likes him except for me.

Ka gusto gusto nga naman sya pero hindi ko alam. I just find Donny like a star. I always see him but he is very hard to reach.

Donny

I am off home from practice when I saw Kisses walking om the school grounds. I was already on my car nung tinawag siya and offered her a drive home.

Kaso, it was Kisses kaya tumanggi. I don't know with her. Pero sa lahat ng babae sa school siya lang yata yung may kakayahang tumanggi sa akin. And it's not like it's the first time but a lot of times already.

Kahit sa mga simpleng bagay lang na offer like carrying her books or opening a door for her. She is Miss Independent. Kaya niyang walang gumagawa ng ganun para sa kanya and that's what makes her different from any other girls I know.

Kahit nung mga bata pa kami, she ought to be a strong girl who have grown beautiful and smart but intimidating. Baka akala pagtitripan ko kaya laging umiiwas.

So yun. She declined the ride home so I drove away. Nasa may gate na ko nung napansin kong umaambon na pala kaya naisip ko agad si Kisses na nagmamadaling tumakbo para makasilong.

I drove back at her and automatically opened the passengers seat.

"Get inside!" sabi ko sa kanya but she just looked at me so I rolled my eyes at her. "Kisses get inside nababasa ka na!"

Nabigla yata kaya pumasok na. I offered her a tissue para mapunasan niya yung sarili niya

"Thank you," she says while still busy wiping herself,

"....for coming back."