Change Me

Chapter 25: Surreal

[ CJ's POV ]

Nang napansin kong matagal-tagal na palang nakabuka ang bibig ko ay agad kong tinakpan ito ng dalawa kong kamay. I looked around me and checked everything, still too flabbergasted to even talk. What I saw was still the same before I closed my eyes. There were trees everywhere. Nasa likod naman ni Justin ng pinakamalaking puno among them all.

Guys, I wasn't in heaven. I'm still alive.

'Di nya ako pinatay.

'Di nya ako pinatay.

Hindi ako pinatay ni Justin McCann.

By the look on his face, halatang iritado ito sa reaksyon ko. Syempre, sino bang hindi? Ang ginagawa ko lang ngayon ay ang tumutok sa mukha nito at ang pilit i-sink in sa utak ko na buhay pa ako. Well, he can't blame me.

Nakita kong inilagay nito ulit ang baril sa likuran nito. "If you're depressed, let me know." sabi nito sabay talikod. "I'd be very happy to end your life."

I honestly couldn't care less about his statement 'cause I was too busy fighting my tears. Malabo na ang paningin ko and I was biting my lower lip to keep myself from sobbing out my happiness.

Justin, on the other hand has no idea how he made my day. I owe him my life, like literally. Magsisimula na sana 'to sa paglakad nang 'di ko na mapigilan ang sarili kong hilain sya and hugged him from behind.

I felt him stiffened. Hindi ko nakikita ang mukha nya but I'm pretty sure his eyes right now were bigger than it's normal size.

Nalala ko tuloy 'yung unang beses na niyakap ko sya- nang biglaan rin, of course. Ganito rin 'yung reaksyon nya. He was too surprised to even push me off of him.

"Let go," sabi nito maya-maya.

I tightened my arms around his waist, not wanting to let him go. "Thank you," I sobbed. "T-thank you so much, Justin."

He sighed. I think that was his way off showing me na ina-allow nya akong yakapin sya kahit labag sa kalooban nya.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang dahilan nito kung bakit 'di nito tinuloy ang plano nito. Sa totoo lang hindi ko nga rin alam kung totoo ba talagang buhay pa ako ngayon. Gusto kong mag-thank you kay Justin to the point na mairita ulit ito sakin, wala na akong pakealam basta masayang-masaya akong buhay pa ako ngayon.

Habang nakayakap sa kanya, pilit ko 'wag pansinin na ang bango nya. It was the second time that he made me realize na mas mabango pala talaga ang natural na amoy ng lalaki kesa sa mga naka-perfume.

"Salamat talaga," ulit ko. I was aware that I was soaking his black Drew House shirt at the moment, pero wala ako pakealam. "Thank you thank you thank you tha-"

"What the fuck, oo na nga." he chuckled. "You happy now?"

Wait- Can someone tell me kung totoo bang narinig ko syang tumawa? I-

Naging dahilan 'yun nang pagbitaw ko sa bewang nito. Siguro nabigla ito sa biglaan kong pagbitaw kaya't lumingon ito sa'kin. Agad ko namang iniangat ang ulo ko para tingnan ito, which was a very very wrong move.

Una kong nasilayan ang nakakatunaw na ngiti nito. It was so pure and genuine. It was the smile that could light up the whole world. It was the smile that could wipe away all your problems. It was the smile that any woman would just want to drop their panties down once nasilayan nila ito. It was the smile that would hit you harder than puberty to the point na gusto mo nalang maligo ng holy water to keep you from imagining something unholy.