The Girl Not The Fan 2

026

026: Fair and Square

I was nervous, really nervous. Ni hindi ko din alam kung bakit... hindi ko naman sila mga magulang. They're my brothers, I guess. Kaya hindi ko alam kung bakit ako kinakabahan ngayong ipapakilala ko na siya.

I smiled at Dency who was beside me. He smiled back before he held my other hand. Nang makarahting na kami sa practice gym, they were all busy talking about something. I scoffed for them to notice my presence. Napatigil sila at napatingin sa amin ni Dency, maging sa kamay naming magka-hawak.

"So... totoo nga?" sabi ni JM. Nakatingin lang silang lahat sa amin na para bang hindi kapani-paniwala na nandito kami ngayong dalawa sa harapan nila.

I nodded bago kami lumapit ni Dency. "Ah... ayun nga, sabi niyo ipakilala ko na siya... this is Dency."

They didn't smile.

"My boyfriend."

Their jaws dropped.

"You weren't joking," sabi ni Kuya Renzo.

Umiling ako. "Bakit naman ako magjo-joke?"

"Pero, 'di ba 'yung somed-" kaagad na naputol si JM ng batuhin siya ni CJ ng towel sa mukha. "Sabi ko nga, tatahimik na ako."

"Dency, sila nga pala ang UST men's basketball team or also known as the Growling Tigers," sabi ko sa kanya.

"Nice to meet you all," he awkwardly said.

"Nice meeting you, par," si Toby ang naunang tumayo at nakipag-hand shake. sobrang tahimik lang ng lahat na para bang pinapakiramdaman ang bawat galaw ng isa't -isa. Sumunod sa kanya sina Kuya Germy, Renzo at Zach. Then, the rest of the team followed.

Saglit lang naman si Dency doon, dahil marami pa din siyang gagawain. I stayed at the gym dahil may gagawain din muna ako dito kaya hindi ako papasok sa klase.

"Bye!" paalam sa akin nina Nat.

"Why are you doing this?" Brent asked ng nakaalis na silang lahat. Kaagad akong napalingon sa kanya.

"Ang alin?"

"Ano 'to? Para makabawi ka kay Toby? Para quits na kayo? Para masabi mong okay ka na din?"

Napaawang ang labi ko. "What?"

"Nag-boyfriend ka for him to see that you are finally okay too, right?" tanong niya at hindi ko nagustuhan ang tono.

I tried to stay calm. Wala naman siyang alam sa nararamdaman ko. "You don't get a say on what I'd do with my life. Boyfriend ko si Dency ngayon hindi dahil gusto kong maging parehas kami ni Toby na mayroon, boyfriend ko siya kasi gusto ko. Kasi choice ko. Kasi napapasaya niya ako-"

"What about me?"

"Anong-"

"Don't I make you happy?"

Umiwas ako ng tingin sa kanya. "You make me happy..." I almost whispered. Malaman ko nga lang na number three iyong jersey mo sa D-League, napaka-saya ko na. "Pero... hanggang dun ka lang, e. Hanggang sa napapasaya mo lang ako."

I was about to turn my back on him when he held me by the arm. "Ang unfair mo talaga minsan."

"Ako nga ba ang unfair?" I asked. He didn't answer. "We're just fair and square, Brent. Kayo na rin naman ni Ate Frida, hindi ba?"

I got no answer from him. I smiled genuinely at Brent. "I guess... silence really means yes." I said as I turned my back on him and left the gym.

"Dency," napatigil ako ng makita ko siya sa labas ng gym. He smiled before he offered his hand to me. I smiled before accepting it. Nag-simula na kaming maglakad. Siguro, narinig niya ang lahat. "Sorry," sabi ko na kaagad.

"No need," he slightly squeezed my hand. "Pero... ginawa mo lang ba talaga akong boyfriend dahil napapasaya kita?"

"Dency..."

"I know," sabi niya at nginitian niya ako.

"Ayaw sa 'kin ng Mama mo," I told him. We were sitting at one of the concrete benches here at the park.

"Paano mo naman nasabi 'yan?"

"Wala, ramdam ko naman..." sabi ko sa kanya. "Kaya huwag mo ng ituloy 'yung panliligaw mo sa akin, mamaya nyan, magka-galit pa kayo dahil sa 'kin."

He pouted. Ugh. Bakit ba unti-unti ng na-cute sa paningin ko 'tong chinitong 'to? "My mom would always remind us, since we were kids... that a Chinese is for a Chinese," he started. "Madalas kami sa parties nina ahia noon, my mom would always introduce us to girls... chinese, the same in our age."

"She never failed to remind us, that when we grow up and the time comes that we'll court a girl, she must be a Chinese... I remembered way back in elementary, nagka-gusto ako sa isang babae. Her name was Reese... I told about my crush to my mom and my mom scolded me for liking somebody who wasn't Chinese.

"From then on, I stopped myself from liking anybody. All those girls from Taft, Katipunan... universities around U-belt, they were just girls that my mother wanted me to date. I just gave it a shot, kasi baka nga tama si Mama, but I tried... I really tried liking a Chinese... but, then I ended up liking a Filipina instead, when you came."

I frowned at him. Kaagad siyang napangiti sa akin. "I thought... attracted lang ako sa 'yo, kasi maganda at cute ka. Gaya nga ng sabi sa isang movie, you're the combination of sexy and cute," napatawa ako sa kanya. "Andrew noticed that too, kaya sabi ko, ah siguro nga, nagagandahan lang ako sa kanya."

"But, that changed nung maging magka-group tayo sa isang project. You were running a bit late, nalaman ko kay Matthew na student manager ka pala ng basketball team. I don't know... pero humanga ako kasi wala parang ang astig lang na napapagsabay mo 'yung pagaaral tyaka 'yun. Ang galing mo."

"Pinigilan ko naman talagang maging crush ka eh, tas ayun nga... may lagi na sa 'yong sumusundo sa labas ng room. Kaya, kaya... pinilit ko talaga. Kaso hindi nawala eh, ang lala," he slightly chuckled. "Nagseselos ako kahit hindi naman dapat. Kahit alam ko namang may boyfriend ka na. Kahit alam ko namang masaya ka na sa iba... tas ayun, nag-break ata kayo. Sabi ko, this is another chance... kaya hindi ko na pinakawalan pa. I want to know you well. To know you better."

"Nung pumayag ka ng ligawan kita, sobrang saya ko nun. Kaya wala na akong pake sa sasabihin ni Mama. Whether you're Chinese or not, who cares? I'm willing to cross the line for you. I'm willing to break the rules and the boundaries in between us.

"Who cares about what my mom thinks? You may not be a Chinese... but one thing is for sure."

"I'll turn you into one."

"Pinapaiyak mo naman ako," I told him. I was really touched and happy. Hindi ko akalaing totoo nga palang ang Chinese ay sa Chinese lang. And he was very much willing to cross the boundaries... and I think that's really love.

Ngumiti siya bago niya hawakan ang kamay ko. "I'll make you happy, I promise you that. Hindi kita sasaktan. I don't know... pero feeling ko ikaw na talaga eh. Ikaw ang endgame ko, kasi kung hindi... wala na. Hindi na lang. Pass na ako kung iba."

Naalala kita bigla, bab.

"Kaya... Please, be my girlfriend?"

I hugged him as I nodded. "Yes." Basta ba huwag mo akong sasaktan katulad ng ginawa niya.