"It's so good to see you." sabi ni Mark ng nakangiti sabay yumakap siya sa'kin. Hawak ko sa kamay si Niel.
"Tito Mark, 'wag mong i-hug si tita ng matagal. Tito Kevin would get jealous." Sabi ni Niel na ikinagulat ko kaya kumalas ako sa yakap ni Mark.
"Kevin?" tanong ni Mark sa'kin.
"Uhm... Niel, didn't you miss Tito Mark?" I directed the question off me because I don't feel like answering that right now.
"Our little Niel wants a dog, huh? Let's look for one. Shall we?" yaya ni Mark kay Niel. Tumango tango si Niel tsaka siya binuhat ni Mark.
He looked back at me before leading the way to look for dogs. It's the look that tells me, "we'll talk about that later." And I'm glad he understands just by looking at it.
Nagpunta lang kami ni Niel dito sa pet shop and Mark was already outside when we got here.
After almost an hour of finding a dog for Niel at chow chow nga yung pinili niya. Nag-insist pa si Mark na siya na yung magbayad but I didn't let him. He offered to take us to lunch so we did.
Iniwan muna namin yung aso sa pet shop at dadaanan na lang mamaya. Jollibee na lang kami nagpunta dahil gusto ni Niel yung spaghetti dito, simula nung inuwian ko siya nung binisita ko siya minsan.
I just ordered an iced tea for myself. Hindi ako nagugutom kaya silang dalawa na lang yung kumain.
"Tita, maglalaro lang ako dun." Turo niya sa playground facility.
I just nodded, "Be careful, okay?" tapos tumakbo na siya.
"So, spill." Mark said.
"Spill what?"
"Reena, kaibigan mo 'ko." He smiles, his smile is adorable though but it can't compete to my favourite smile in this world, his.
And there... I'm thinking about him again when he's probably not.
"And?" patay malisyang tanong ko.
I checked my phone and he's not calling me yet. Hell, I've been checking my phone every 5 freaking minutes.
"Well, the fact that you just checked your phone again tells me something si wrong... may kinalaman ba dito yung Kevin na binanggit ni Niel kanina?"
Then suddenly I feel guilty. Bakit ko i-di discuss yung problema namin ni Kevin at kay Mark pa.
Umiling lang ako, "it's nothing." At ngumiti sa kanya.
"Come on. Kung boyfriend mo 'yun, sabihin mo na. I didn't stand a chance on you anyway." Sabi niya habang nakangiti pa rin at mas lalo pa akong nakonsensya.
"Mark, it's not-" pagsisimula ko pero bigla niyang pinutol yung sasabihin ko.
"I know what I've gotten myself into pero kung sa tatlong taon na nagkakilala tayo at wala talaga... then I suppose nasa friend zone lang talaga ako."
His statement made me chuckle, friend zone?
"Kahit na. You don't deserve it. You've done nothing but be a good friend to me." I insist.
"Precisely. I'm being a good friend to you so why not just spill already? At tigilan mo nga yang guilt na yan." He lectures me.
"Fine." Sabi ko sabay irap sa kanya. What would I do if Mark's not here? Wala akong mapagkwentuhan. Even if he wouldn't like what I'd tell him, he's still willing to listen to his sentimental friend.
I told him the story that we had an argument about a dog and he got mad when I told him about Mark at yung pag w-walk out niya sa'kin.
"Well... I'm glad nagselos siya dahil sa'kin." Natatawang sabi ni Mark pagkatapos kong magkwento.
