Playing with the Dark (COMPLETED)

Chapter 10

"So pinabantayan ako sayo ni kuya dahil lang kailangan mo raw akong iligtas?" I weirdly asked Amber.

"Oo nga, kadiliman. Kulit ah. Paulit-ulit ko na yatang nasabi yon."

"What do you think of the Raven lady?"

"Miss Raven is okay. I think she's matured enough. A woman that your brother really needs."

"Don't you feel jealous of her?"

"Why would I?"

"Kasi, parang mas close na sila ni kuya."

"So? Your brother is a friendly guy. Hindi na ako magtataka kung kaibigan na non ang buong campus nila."

"I'm not talking about the friend thing, Amber," I told her. "I could see that Raven and kuya could be a thing. Are you somehow jealous about that whole thing?"

"No. He could court every girl at his school. I won't really care."

"Are you seriously his friend?"

"Of course! Pero hindi ako yung kind of friend na magshi-ship sa kanila noh. I only want to observe pero matchmaking isn't my kind of thing, you see."

"So hindi ka nga nagseselos?"

"Saan ka ba pinaglihi at paulit-ulit ka magtanong? Nasagot ko na iyan kanina ah? At bakit nga kasi ako magseselos?" she sounded really irritated this time so I tried to think of the safer things to say.

"I'm just curious. Didn't you really have a thing for my brother? Kahit a simple crush man lang?"

"No," she said simply, as if she's just plainly comfortable of talking about this. "I'm a kind of friend that would never be inlove with another friend."

"But I'm your friend and you're courting me, remember?"

Amber glared at me. "You're different. I'm playing with the you, with the dark, remember?" she asked then rolled her eyes at me.

"Sure."

"Ikaw kasi, pati iyang kuya mo, puro mga kaibigan ang nagugustuhan. Ewan ko ba sa inyo. Bat ninyo kinaibigan kung iba pala yung pagtingin ninyo?"

"Are you referring to my feelings with Ashley?"

"Malamang, sino pa bang gusto mo diba?" she asked but didn't let me answer. "Mana ka rin sa kuya mong denial e."

"I don't deny my feelings once I figured it out."

"Edi ang minana mo lang ay ang pagkakagusto sa kaibigan."

"Let's shift the topic," I said while groaning. "Why were you avoiding me again?"

"I avoided you? Hindi ako informed," she was raising a brow at me. Ang taray talaga ng babaeng 'to. Ayaw gagaya kay Raven e, medyo mahinhin.

"Nevermind," I told her.

Bigla nalang pumasok si kuya na para bang bad mood siya. Pero mas na-bad mood ako noong pumasok siya. Nagdabog pa e.

"What's up?" Amber asked him pero humiga lang siya sa kama ko. Ang kapal din, akala mo sobrang close na kami.

"Oh bat bad mood ka na rin?" tanong ni Amber sakin dahil pinapatay ko na si kuya sa tingin.

"Don't worry. Hindi ako manggugulo."

And like what he said, he just stayed quiet. Amber continued talking to me pero there are times na sumisilip siya kay kuyang akala mo sobrang lalim talaga ng iniisip.

"Tsk, kung si kuya ang gusto mong kausap, sabihin mo lang. Pwede naman akong lumabas."

"Nananahimik na nga ako rito, nadamay pa ako."

"I'm only bothered kasi hindi ako sanay na malalim ang iniisip ng kapatid mo," she explained to me, then raised a brow. "I didn't even know na may isip pala siya!"

"Ako na naman ang napansin ninyo," pagbangon ni kuya sabay upo nalang sa kama ko.

"Just tell us what your problem is," sabi ko. Na-curious na rin kasi ako sa inaasal niya. Para siyang malungkot na ewan. Di pa mapakali.

"It's not a problem. Bothered lang din kasi ako. I met Paulo."

Natawa si Amber kaya naman napakunot ang noo ko sa kaniya. Then she started talking. "Nabakla ka ba don? Sabi ko na nga ba e, bakla ka talaga."

Napailing nalang ako. Alam mo yung seryoso yung usapan tapos bigla siyang babanat ng ganon. Nakakaloko rin ang babaeng ito. Pero walang pakialam si kuya at nagtuloy lang. Mukhang seryoso talaga siya sa pag-iisip ng malalim tungkol dito. Akala mo ni-rehearse na niya ang mga sasabihin.

"It was a very awkward meeting. Raven kept on looking at me, parang gustong-gusto nang umalis. Pero I thought that it's best if we'd stay a lil longer para malaman niya kung okay na ba siya. As soon as Paulo broke the ice between them, parang nakalimutan na ni Raven na kasama niya ako," may pagtatampo pa sa tono niya. Tsk, tunog bakla lang e.

Nagpatuloy pa ang ugok. "Tapos biglang dumating yung Recheen. Iyon pala yung kaibigan ni Raven na nagustuhan nung Paulo. Di hamak naman na mas maganda si Raven, ano kayang nagustuhan ng Paulo don sa-----"

"You're actually talking about miss Recheen Mondragon. Kaisa-isahang tagapagmana yon ng isa sa kilalang kompanya sa buong Pilipinas. Sir Paulo Zerzues and her is like a perfect match, actually. And miss Recheen is a very beautiful lady, anong nangyari sa paningin mo, Raiko? Miss Raven is a pretty woman pero pang-model ata si miss Recheen so don't compare them."

"How did you know them?" kuya asked.

"I stalked, obviously."

I facepalm. "Ganyan talaga kapag nagugustuhan ang isang tao. Hindi na napapansin kung gaano kaganda ang iba," bulong ko.

Kuya didn't even notice our statements. May gana pa pala siyang ituloy.

"So yon, nang makaalis kaming dalawa..." kuya stopped as if nag-play yung flashback sa utak niya. Ang drama pala nito sa love life. Tsk.

"Tapos?" tanong ni Amber nang mainip.

"She cried in front of me. Oh f*ck. I could f*cking kill that Paulo right now."

Nagkatinginan kami ni Amber.

"Alam na," sabi niya.