Gunita [EDITING]

doce

Truth be told, heeding Uno's suggestion actually did me good, aside from the fact na inaasar-asar ako ni Chen dahil masiyado raw ako nagpadala sa sinabi ng huli. I just let her tease me though, since breathe of fresh air din naman, lalo na sa part niya. A lot has happened the past few days, we deserve to have a break.

Biochemistry wasn't easy, o siguro dahil hindi ko pa masiyadong sineseryoso ang pagbabasa—the terms weren't really new for me since I graduated in Medical Technology, but I wasn't really buying it. Maybe it was the pressure—I didn't really know anymore. Ayos na rin naman 'yung pagbabasa ng kaunti, at least may introductory na ako.

That's one thing I never do when I don't feel like doing it—study. Pakiramdam ko kasi I'm just killing time for two hours tapos the rest of the day, I'll just slouch tapos I'll totally forget everything that I've read. Every time I study, I'll always... always set days tapos do'n ko lang talaga itutuon 'yung attention ko, and then probably two days before examinations, I'll let myself rest. If it didn't help, I think I won't graduate as a Summa Cum Laude.

"Seryoso ka, 'yun na 'yun? I can manage watching you dread yourself naman," Chen asked laughing as she slouches on the pink bean bag near me.

I shrugged, "I don't wanna force myself," I said. "Mas lalo ko lang makakalimutan."

Chen chuckled, "Crush mo na si Uno 'no? Suddenly you want to impress the guy."

"Baliw," I said, crinkling my nose as I set aside my books on the study table. Napaupo na lang ako sa gilid ng kama ko. "What's there for him to be impressed? I literally do stupid things all the time, that includes me looking like a stupid underdog for the Manumbayaos."

Chen looked at me, "Crush mo nga?"

"Hindi!" I said in defense. "Hindi, okay? I was just asking."

"Wala namang mali pag inamin mo."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed a pillow and threw it at her. "Alam mo ang kulit mo."

She laughed, "Sure," she said. "If it wasn't really obvious, I won't even bother you about Sanchez."

"My god," I said. "Hindi nga!" Mas lalo tuloy siyang natawa sa reaction ko. I frowned upon watching her laugh, pero sa huli nakitawa na lang din ako.

At least she's happy with me.

Something Alfonso Isaiah Juarez can never.

"Tsaka, how can you fall with someone na nakasama mo within just a span of 2 weeks? Baliw."

Chen shrugged her shoulders, "Matagal mo na siyang kilala."

"I literally know nothing about him aside from him being a vocalist and a Law student!" I protested kasi totoo naman! I never liked meddling with personal lives, tsaka we weren't close since, four years ago lang din naman sila nagkakilala nila Uno, kaming tatlo lang talaga 'yung magkakadikit noon. Nobody took the risk to befriend me ever since I was in grade school, and they didn't even want to talk to me! Sobrang adamant ko lang yata talagang makinig sa pagtugtog nila every after class hours sa music room, kaya ang ending, hindi na nila kami napaghiwalay.

And then Uno came to the picture—just months before the tragedy.

I wanted to keep it from everyone somehow—but I didn't really want to keep it from Dash and kuya Kirk. I asked Zachary to keep it from them the moment he found me after I asked for help.

Na akala ko hindi malalaman ni Fallon.

But I was so stupid that I sent Zachary to his own death table the moment Fallon caught him helping me.