She's My Cousin Xyleen

Chapter 48

A week has passed simula nung magpunta kami sa Baler. Isang linggo na rin ang nakakalipas simula no'ng magkagulo sa pamilya namin at nanahimik lang ang parents namin tungkol dito. And isang linggo na ring nag-sstay dito si Cha.

She's pestering me for how many days, telling me to explain everything. Nagpapa-kwento na naman sya kung ano ang nangyari. Everytime she does this, I'll just gave her a faint smile tapos hindi na sya magtatanong pa.

Pero she's just so persistent. I wish I can be like her, that I can push someone to their limit until they get tired of me and speak up. But I can't be like her.

"Xy, tell me your story please? Kaya nga ako umuwi rito para malaman kung anong nangyari sa inyo e," sabi nya sakin habang nagpapa-cute. This girl, really. Napapailing nalang ako sa kakulitan niya. I think she really got this attitude from her parents. Maybe it's from Tito Frank.

Narinig naman ni Allyca ang pangungulit niya. Kahit si Allyca napapailing na lang din sa kaniya e. Actually, si Allyca ang pinaka-mailap saming magpipinsan. Bihira namin siya makausap pero atleast lagi siyang nakakasama sa mga lakad namin, unlike Sapphire. I sighed. Maybe that girl is suffering from her academics life lately. I think she should take a breath from all of those for a while. Nakaka-suffocate ang sobrang pag-aaral.

"Why, Lyca? Totoo naman kasi. I really want to know what happened," Cha said while pouting. Gusto kong matawa sa istura niya ngayon. She's trying so hard to look cute but nonetheless, she looks like an idiot.

"I'll give you a summary, Dony. She got cheated on," maikli at matipid na sagot ni Allyca sa kaniya. And look, they got each other cute nicknames – Dony and Lyca.

Cha rolled her eyes. "Can't your words get any softer, Lyca? And please, ayoko ng Dony. Ang chaka pakinggan," reklamo pa niya.

"You called me Lyca and I did not say anything about it. May narinig ka bang reklamo sakin ha? At tsaka, totoo naman na niloko sya ng hayop niyang ex-boyfriend. Noon pa man, ayaw ko na talaga ro'n sa lalaking 'yon, Xy. No offense meant pero he really look like a man who made billions of girls cry," Allyca stated.

Her last statement sounded like Kristen. That's also Kristen's first impression about him. Come to think of it, Kuya Cayle doesn't like him too. Ganon din si Jasper. Gaano ba karami ang haters ng ex ko sa pamilya ko? Parang lalong sumasakit ang ulo ko sa sobrang pasaway ko. I drag all of them into this mess.

Pagkatapos sabihin 'yon ni Allyca, nagdatingan naman sina Anthony, Patrick at Jonathan. These three can never be separated. Nakakatuwa naman.

"Mukhang seryoso ang pag-uusap n'yo ah? Sali naman kami," pambungad ni Jonathan. Ngiting-ngiti siya sa amin nina Cha kaso inirapan sya ng huli. "Oh, Cha. Bakit naman nawawala 'yang kulay itim sa mata mo?"

I giggled. Si Cha kasi, pikunin siya. I doubt if naging lawyer ang babae na 'yan. Siguro susuntukin niya nalang yung prosecutor during the hearing. Naalala ko dati, sabi nya raw kay Tito, she wants to be the greatest lawyer in the world.

"Tigil-tigilan mo ako Jonathan, hindi maganda ang timpla ng mood ko ngayon," may halong banta na sagot ni Cha. Napailing ako. Pikon talaga e.

"Mapait ba ang umaga mo, Cha?," dumagdag pa 'tong si Ton. Kitang napipikon na si Cha e.

"Tigilan nyo na 'yan bago pa kayo tuluyang magkapikunan dyan. Nasan yung iba? Call them. Kakain na tayo," authoritative na utos ni Allyca bago tumayo.

Agad naman siyang sinunod ni Pat. Takot talaga sa kanya ang mga pinsan namin, lalo na 'yung mga lalaki. She always has this intimidating aura na mapipilitan ka talagang sundin siya. "Papunta na raw dito si Jasper, kasama niya si Kristen," sagot ni Pat.

Kristen is still with us. Nabulok na kasi ang Daddy nya sa kumpanya. I rolled my eyes. Ang sarap kasi nilang pag-untugin ni Saff, they're both workaholics. Their work has eaten them alive and I don't know how they managed to survive with that kind of lifestyle.

We just nodded at Pat. Itinigil ko na ang showbiz life ko. I just wanted to have a normal life, without reminding me of him. I don't want to dwell on my past anymore. I may sound bitter but that's just how it is. I don't want any traces of his memory and of our past. It makes me cringe.

Sa nangyari kasi, parang pinagtyagaan niya lang na maging girlfriend ako. Parang pinilit niya lang ang sarili niya sa akin kahit si Cumia naman talaga ang gusto niya. Cumia or whoever, I don't care. Wala na akong paki sa kanila o kung sino man ang bago niya. As long as they're not bothering me, I'm fine with it.

Bumaba na sina Kristen at Jasper. We started eating with Allyca's prayer before meal. And with that, we ate heartily. Wala rito ang iba naming pinsan. Leeya and Jennica watched some Marvel movie together. 'Yung Endgame ata, basta ayon. For sure, they're going to have lunch there. Silang dalawa lang ang fan ng Marvel samin that's why they understand each other.

Si Shaira at Yuan naman, magkatulong sa kumpanya. I still can't believe na single pa rin ang status ng dalawang 'yon. They're both in their 20's! They should move forward now. Si Yuan nasa 27 na tapos si Shaira naman 25. I mentally shook my head at my own random thoughts.

And I remembered Saff suddenly. So I decided to go at her place later. I want to go there with my cousins so I asked them.

"Do y'all have plans for later?"

My question caught their attention and they were silenced by that. Nagkukwentuhan kasi ang mga lalaki kanina habang ako may sariling mundo.

"Aalis kaming mga lalaki, maglalaro kami ng basketball mamaya," sabi ni Jas. "Kristen's coming with us."

"I'll go check my files later if pwede na ba akong bumalik sa States," sabi naman ni Cha.

"I'll sleep later," sabi ni Allyca. Natawa naman kami sa sinabi niya. Kakaiba talaga 'to. "Wag nyo nga akong tawanan. Puyat ako kagabi kakanood ng anime."

So, I'll go alone? I sighed. Basta gusto ko pa ring puntahan si Saff kahit ako lang mag-isa. "Okay."

"Why? Do you have plans?," tanong ni Jothan. I paused for a while and mentally debated if I should tell them that I want them to accompany me to Saff's place kahit na may kanya-kanya silang lakad. I bit my lips in frustration.

"Xy?," sabi naman ni Cha.

I took a deep breath and decided to tell them. "Gusto ko sanang samahan niyo ako pumunta kila Saff mamaya e. Naisip ko lang na baka kailangan nya muna mag-refresh sa lahat ng ginagawa niya ngayon. It's a bit unfair to Saff lao na't hindi natin sya nakaka-bonding ngayon. Kaso, you all have your own plans for later, so it's okay. I don't want to be a bother."

After telling them my plan, they were silent. Ayoko magpaawa pero kasi parang ganon ata yung dating ng sinabi ko sa kanila kanina. "Don't worry, I can manage naman at tsaka–"

Jasper cut me off. "No. We'll go all, together. Totoo naman na nagtatampo na sa ating lahat si Saff. We should go."

And with that, all my cousins agreed. I felt relieved, I'm not going to be alone because of mg cousins. Nakakahiya lang kasi. They have to cancel all their plans for later dahil lang sa sinabi kong gusto kong magpasama kay Saff. They're making me feel extra special. I'm really blessed to have my cousins with me. Di bale nang maging single, wag lang mawalan ng mga pinsan.

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