We Could Have Been

Prologue

Ares Llana Valdomero

My eyes were still stuck on my phone. Iniisip ko kung sino si Ares, pero walang mukha ang pumapasok sa utak ko. I really didn't know her. Not at all.

Hanggang sa mag-close ang phone ko ay nakatatak sa utak ko ang pangalan na 'yon. Napahinto lang ako ng bigla akong kalabitin ni Adam. We were going to the football area. Tumayo ako at naglakad na. Wala talaga akong balak hintayin siya.

''You look... problematic? Ano meron?'' he asked. I cringed. There he was. Meron na namang malaking ngisi sa mukha nito. ''Let me guess, girlfriend dilemma?''

Huminto ako at humarap sa kanya. Binigyan ko siya ng matalim na titig. Adam looked at me like he was embarassed and then gave me a peace sign. He's a total jerk.

''Why don't you break up with her, Sanchez...'' sabi niya ulit habang naglalakad kami. 

Hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi pa din siya tumitigil. I just wished we didn't really meet. Mas maganda pa. Kung sana robot nalang ang kaibigan ko at pwedeng patayin kapag alam mong hindi na maganda ang tabas ng bibig.

''Break-up if it won't work-out.'' what he said, stopped me again.

''Why don't you mess with your life, Del Prado?'' sabi ko. Nakita kong ngumisi siya. This asshole. Alam na alam niya kung paano ako inisin. And why was he interested in my life?

''Eto naman. Di mabiro...'' sabi ni Adam at inakbayan ako. Nanatili lang ang tingin ko sa dinadaanan. Hindi ko nalang siya papansin. Ganyan naman siya, kapag nagsawa na ay hindi na ako kakausapin. I would just be silent for a while. ''If you only tell us who is your girlfriend, promise, tatahimik na ako.''

My heart felt a little stung when he said that to me. He knew I wouldn't. Alam niyang kahit kelan ay hindi ko sasabihin kahit kanino ang tungkol sa girlfriend ko. At sa kung anong meron kami.

Everybody plays a secret- and I'm one of them.

Mabuti nalang at may lumapit sa kanyang mga babaeng fans kaya naiwan siya sa likod ko. I didn't entertain the girls and I snobbed them. Wala talaga ako sa mood kaya wala akong ganang makipag-usap. Lumingon ako saglit at nakita kong nagkumpulan ang mga babae sa tabi ni Adam. Right. He fucking deserved that.

Buong araw ay nasa football area lang ako. We were always excuse with classes. Alam naman ng lahat kung gaano kamahal ng University ang football team namin. We made a name. We won titles. Malaki pasasalamat nila sa amin kaya tuwing practice ay hinahayaan kami. Pabor sa amin 'yon.

Nang magkaroon kami ng break ay umupo ako para sana kumuha ng tubig pero tumunog ang phone ko at nakita ko ang pangalan niya. Mabilis ko 'yung kinuha. My forehead scrunched. It wasn't a text. A photo of a girl that was sent by her.

She was wearing her respective uniform. If I had known it correctly, it was the BSBA uniform she was wearing. Naka-sideview ito sa picture at nakangiti. It was a candid shot, she probably didn't know that somebody took a photo of her.

So that's her, that's Ares.

But who cares to her, anyway?

I did my usual routine the next morning. Pero bago iyon ay dumiretso ako sa cafeteria. Hindi pa ako nakakaupo ay hinila na ang kamay ko ni Adam. Of course, the intruding-jerk. Bumuntong-hininga nalang ako bago umupo.

''You don't really like me, don't you?'' he said. Tinitigan ko siya at ngumisi. Hinampas niya ako sa balikat. He knew that I didn't like how nosy he was.

Tinignan ko ang laman ng tray ko. There was a steak, a tuna pasta and a caramel cake on the side. Napangiti ako ng kaunti. Malaki talaga ang pagmamahal ng cafeteria sa mga katulad naming football player.

I was about to take a bite to my steak when I heard a name.

''Ares dito!'' napalingon ako sa pinanggalingan ng boses. Hindi nagtagal ay nakita ko 'yung tinawag nung kasama niya.

Ares. So that's her.

I looked at her and she had a shy smile on her face. She looked pretty in person... she looked innocent.

Tinignan ko ang bawat galaw nito. Hanggang sa magsimula na siyang kumain. I just had to remove my gaze when she found out that I was looking at her. Nagkunwari akong nakatingin kay Adam. When my peripheral vision showed me that she wasn't looking at me, bumaling ulit ang tingin ko dito.

Pagkatapos ay ibinalik ko kay Adam. ''Del prado, do you know Ares?''

Huminto siya sa pagkain. Nakita ko ang pagkunot ng noo niya. Nakahinto ang pasta sa bibig nito. And then he started talking. ''Si Valdomero?''

He asked. Mabilis akong tumango.

''Heard of her. Pero hindi masyado. She's a snob.'' Sabi ni Adam at bumalik na sa pagkain. Hindi na ako nagsalita pagkatapos noon.

Noong hapon ay hindi ako umattend ng practice. I just lied and said that I wasn't feeling fine. Naniwala naman sila kaya pinauwi nila ako.

I was walking with my mountain bike when my phone vibrated. Mabilis ko iyon kinuha. I thought that her message was different. But it was still the same.

Ares... Ares again.

Would she be the answer to my problem? Would she help me?

Papalabas palang ako ng bigla ko siyang makita. She looked the same. This time, she was wearing a pout while looking at her phone.

This girl. She was my key.

Mabilis akong bumuntong-hininga bago ako umakyat sa bike ko. And I bike fast and halted as I went toward her direction. Pagkababa ko ay nakita ko ang gulat sa mukha niya. She was the girl.

Pagkalapit ko ay ganoon pa din ang mukha niya. She was still shock. Maybe because a complete stranger was trying to block her way.

''Hi... I'm Constantine Rio Sanchez. Can we be friends?'' I asked. A stupid question to ask.

But I could do more stupid things... if that was the only way. If she was the only way— then I'll get her. I'll get the girl. No matter what it takes.