BLUE ORANGEADE.

• final

orange

una sa lahat, ang gulo ng isip ko.

secondly, hindi ko alam ano'ng gagawin ko.

and - lastly, kinakabahan ako.

major major ateng, as in.

siri was snuggling close to my body habang nakahiga siya sa hita ko. dahil na rin sa kabang nararamdaman ko, hindi ko namalayang nanginginig na pala ang mga kamay ko habang hinihimas ang balahibo niya.

nitong nga nakaraang araw na inaalagaan ko si siri at on travel pa si mama, kahit feeling confused sa mga bagay-bagay, siri managed to comfort me. cats don't really gain much recognition of their owners pero kapag hawak ko na siya, she doesn't budge at hinahayaan niya lang akong himasin ang malalambot niyang balahibo. as for my allergies, it hasn't gone away as i silently wished so. kinailangan ko pang uminom nang antihistamine bago makipaglaro sa kanya. after all, she was my only company. school ended a while back, mga tatlong linggo na ang nakararaan at magbubukas na naman ang bagong school year in roughly a month - kaya nga tambay-bahay lang ako nitong nakaraan.

so, ano na? siya 'tong nagrequest, siya pa ang late? aba magaling. kahit crush ko siya nang konti, it doesn't give him the right na hayaang paghintayin ang babae. well, that's a stereotype tho.

teka lang, crush nang kaunti? crush nga lang ba nang kaunti, ha orange?

mababaliw na ata ako kakahintay sa blue na 'yon! nagmomonologue na mga ako sa sarili ko, aba nakakaloka na ah.

oa ka inday, sampung minuto ka pa lang nakaupo diyan.

hay, ewan. nasa'n na ba kasi yung blue na'yon? mas lalo tuloy akong kinakabahan.

"orange marmalade,"

i admit weakness. kahit orange lang, kinikilig na ako nang kaunti. ngayon na full first name ko na talaga - ah ewan!

marupok ka talaga!

siri jumped from my lap, siguro babalik na 'to sa rightful owner niya. sean, on the other hand, ran swiftly towards my direction. namiss ko ang aso na 'to. imbis na lumingon kay blue, i focused myself on petting sean - tagal na rin kaya since the last time.

"orange marmalade kang, look at me. please,"

adding a please to his command broke all my walls. totoo nga na kabado ako, pero the way he said it was too compelling. looking down, i slowly turned my head to his direction.

sino ba kasing nagsabing sa likod siya pumwesto, ha? masakit kaya sa leeg!

he sighed. nakikita kong papalapit ang mga paa niya.

uh oh.

before i knew it, blue's warm hand held my chin, leading it to look up to him.

i've seen this in romance dramas and it was always so cringey, but i never knew it could be this - this bothering! kinikilig ba ako? kinakabahan, oo kinakabahan lang.

"i know you know already,"

"know what?"

"i drunk called you two nights ago, and i have to deeply apologize to that for bothering you. but, i know i've said something that made it even worse, didn't i?" his eyes were evident of moisture, the sincerity in his apologies can be deeply felt.

"a-ah o-oo. w-walang problema. o-okay lang,"

"it's not okay, orange. douglas told me you were getting rid of your feelings for me and the moment i drunk called you probably sent you into so much confusion,"

douglas, that brother of mine.

"i--hayy. kung sinabihan ka nga no'n ni douglas, alam mo na siguro diba? and i must clarify one thing: i wasn't getting rid of my feelings. i resolved to let it be and just allow it to fade naturally. i wouldn't risk breaking our friendship. we're friends naman, diba?" a bitter smile came out when i said the last phrase.

"friends, yes. but i don't think the way we treat each other are far more than that. you're special to me and-- i'm saying this for the second time around: orange marmalade kang, i like you," hearing it straight from him na puno ng sincerity at walang bahid ng kalasingan sent my heart into overdrive.

"you know this already, but i think it won't be fair if i don't say it verbally. blue choi, gusto kita -- a-achoo!" nasira ng paghatsing ko ang momentum.

maliban sa paghatsing, nagsimula na ring mangati ang katawan ko.

wag mong sabihing--

"orange, have you taken your antihistamines?"

okay, may nalimutan nga ako.

i shook my head in response. hinawakan niya ang kamay ko and pulled me up. he patted my head, almost as if i was a puppy. the gap between us was small at dahil kapwa kaming nakatayo, nagmumukha na naman akong hobbit sa tabi niya.

"to show my sincerity - would you, orange marmalade kang, allow me, bluementritt choi, to take care of you as the first step to this courtship?"

courtship? ano daw?

"h-ha?! ligawan? hindi naman ako um-oo ah--"

"but i know you wouldn't say no, either. right, kang?"

pusanggala.

bumuntong huminga ako bago sumagot.

"bluementritt?"

he stared back at me. not a second later, i gave him a very weak punch on his arms.

"a-aray! what was that for?!" arte nito, parang weak punch nga lang.

"that's for making me so confused. yung pagngiti mo, yung pagiging gentleman mo, yung pagtawag mo sa pangalan ko, yung pagkanta mo sa'kin, tapos bigla-biglang di ka nagpaparamdam, di ka nagrereply, may kasama ka nang babae sa milk tea shop ni mr. sese--"

"that was armi and she's my cousin and best friend, marmalade. were you jealous?" the look in his eyes were obviously teasing me.

"n-no! why would i be. na bother pang siguro ako. oo nabother nalang ako nang konti-- a-achoo!" depensa ko sa sarili ko.

he only smiled at me.

sabing marupok ako eh.

"i still have to take care of you, right? come on."

habang hinihila niya ako pabalik, with the two pets the tailing behind us. as expected, hindi nga magkabati ang dalawang to. habang sumusunod sa'min, i can see them exchanging glares.

"oh, blue orangeade?" blue exclaimed. i followed where he was looking at and true to what he was saying, may stand na na nagtitinda ng blue orangeade.

oh, may ganun?

"should we try?" pag-aaya ni blue. i nodded in response.

blue orangeade, weird but it looks pretty.

blue ordered for us. hindi nagtagal ay nakuha na namin ang orders. funny enough, ako ang nakakuha sa asul na lalagyan habang orange naman kay blue.

the taste complemented well.

odd combination, but it's perfect in a unique way.