Beneath Her | [R-16]

Chapter One

"I'm always here for you." I said and hugged Drey as she cries. "She's not here anymore." she sobbed and hugged me tighter.

It pains me to see Drey being hurt. Specially when I know how painful she's experiencing. 15 years of my life, we shared. "Don't leave me." she cried more.

~

"Wag mo ko'ng iwan." pilit ko. I know if my father finds out I'm hiding at Andrea's garage he'll hit me. "Okay, fine. I'll just get some jelly beans." she tried to leave but I held her elbow. "I don't want any."

"If you're gonna hide here for the rest of your life and drag me in it I might as well get candy." pilit nya. She's stubborn now and she's stubborn 8 years ago.

"What are you girls doing here?" Tita Aliya appeared with my mom. "Mommy." both of us screamed. "You're late for school." mom smiled and carried me.

"I don't want to go to school." I frowned. "Is that why you're hiding?" she asked. "No, daddy might hit me."

"Tito Fred's not gonna hit you." Drey said, not knowing my dad. Nagtinginan si mommy at tita bago magsalita. "He won't, as long as you're in school." she smiled and got me inside the car.

"School is fun! When I was in kinder, I had many friends. Now that I'm bigger I'll have more friends and you'll be one of them." Andrea said as she eats gummy bears. Hindi kami pareho ng school before and I'm happy we're classmates now.

~

"I understand how you feel. Magiging okay rin ang lahat. Okay?" sabi ko at pinaupo sya. I'm here at tita Aliya's wake. I can't help but shed tears as I see her in the coffin.

She's always been a mom to me after my own mom died. I've felt comfortable treating them as my new family and it hurts me more to know that I lost another mother.

How could I lose you, tita? Hindi ba 'ko pwedeng makaramdam ng pag aalaga ng ina? Am I not deserving?

I kept myself under control and remembered that Drey's heart is crushed right now. I hid myself from Drey while I cry. Ayokong makita nya akong umiiyak. I will be strong while she's weak, same thing she did when I lost my mom.

~

"Umiyak ka lang. I know it hurts kaya ilabas mo lang." she said and hugged me. Her voice cracked but I felt that she held it in to make me feel better. Sobrang malapit ang pamilya namin sa isa't isa kaya alam ko'ng nasasaktan rin sya.

"Where's your father?" tanong nya. "Now? Or all my life?" I asked and smiled with sarcasm. "Natalie... He'll be here." she smiled.

"Thank you for being here." ngiti ko at pinunasan ang luha ko. "Ano ka ba, wala yun. We'll always stick together, okay?" she smiled and put her arms around my shoulder.

"Natalie?" tawag ni tita Aliya saakin. "Go get us some juice, anak." she told Drey and smiled. Tuwing nakikita ko yung ngiti ni tita, minsan gusto ko'ng maging anak nya. What a horrible thing to say at my mom's wake.

But I've never seen my mom look at me the way tita Aliya looks at Drey. Maybe nasasabi ko lang yun kasi wala na sya.

"Kamusta ka?" tanong nya at umupo sa tabi ko. "Sabi ni Drey hindi ka parin kumakain. Wala ng araw oh? Hindi ka ba nagugutom?"

"Okay lang po tita. Wala po akong gana." ngiti ko, at naluha nanaman. "Alam ko'ng nasasaktan ka ngayon, nak." she hugged me, which made me sob more.