THE UNIVERSE THAT MISSED US (1st look)

Part Four

WONDER

BY EMILY

Since it's lunch time and we stopped by our lockers to get our stuff and then made our way to the canteen. "Trinidad Tecson Girls High?" Pagtataka ni Amethyst habang kinukuha ang pom-poms nya mula sa locker niya. "Isn't that school sounds familiar to you, Emily?"

"Oo, doon nag-aaral ang girlfriend ni Austin." Sagot ko sa kanya habang kinuha ko rin ang box ng cupcakes na ginawa ni mi'tit kaninang umaga.

"Ah, oo nga! Alam mo ba ang tungkol sa sports fest Austin?"

Of course, we're with Malcom and Austin. Ugh.

"Hindi no, kanina ko lang din nalaman." Sagot nito habang sinusuot ang varsity jacket na kulay Cyan may na naka-imprint ang Orcas sa likuran nito na galing sa loob ng locker niya.

I turned to him at pinadala ko sa kanya ang box ng cupcakes. "Well, it's about time na makilala naman namin ang girlfriend mo in person, Austin." He's not a secretive person when it comes to his girlfriends, he just don't talk about it with anyone or even to me, his best friend, most of the time.

Sumang-ayon naman si Amethyst sa sinabi ko. "Oo nga Austin ipakilala mo naman siya sa amin."

"Girlfriend ko lang siya sa messenger, okay? It's no big deal." Sabi nito habang dala-dala ang box ng cupcakes. "At saka, wala na kami noon." Sinirado na niya ang locker niya.

"Kakabreak mo na naman?" Nag-aalalang tanong ng pinsan nito sa kanya. Natulala nalang din kami sa binalita ni Austin, nabangga pa si Malcom sa likuran ni Amethyst sa narinig.

"Ano ba Malcom, nasa canteen tayo bakit kaba nagbabasa ng libro habang naglalakad? Muntik ko na mabitawan ang pom-poms ko dahil sa iyo!" Naiinis na sabi Amethyst kay Malcom dahilan para mapansin nito kung ano na ang kababalaghang nangyayari sa kaibigan.

"Kelan pa?" Pahabol kong sigaw kay Austin.

Na-una na itong maglakad papunta sa favorite table spot namin sa canteen na para lang walang nangyari. "Matagal na iyon, huwag na nating pag-usapan."

"Does that mean he's still in denial?" Pagtataka ni Malcom dahilan para magkatinginan kaming tatlo at sinundan na namin si Austin.

"Omg! Kailan pa kayo nag-break, last week?" Dali-daling tinabihan ni Amethyst si Austin dahil hindi natiis nitong ma-curious. "Sino nga ulit ang girlfriend mo sa Trinidad Tecson Girls High?"

"Si Lily Herrera." Sagot ko kay Amethyst at sumunod narin kaming umupo ni Malcom just across them.

"Oh yes, of course, Lily Herrera the poison-est Ivy of them all sa squad nila. You had to pick that girl Austin?" She turned to her cousin who is busy opening up the cupcake box.

Nilapit ni Amethyst ang mukha nya sa gitnang parte ng table namin at bumulong dahilan para mapahinto sa pagbabasa ng libro si Malcom at naki-chika na din. "I heard she's a real poison to the boys if you know what I mean." She nodded along with her double hair buns.

I asked Austin. "Bakit hindi mo kami binalitaan tungkol sa break-up ninyo?"

"Para saan pa? Last month pa kaming wala."

"I thought you liked her?"

Austin shrugged his shoulders. "I thought so too."

"Well, the Orcas' favorite boy is back at collecting hearts and tearing love apart. What else is new?" Pagpaprinig ni Malcom at binuksan ulit ang libro niya para magbasa muli.

.Hindi na iwasan ni Austin na mapakali sa mga direretso naming mga tanong and he suddenly voiced out the reason why he broke up with Lily. "Hindi lang ako naging sure sa relasyon namin hanggang sa nagkalaboan kami, okay? "

"Huh, anong ibig mong sabihin na hindi ka sure?" I asked.

"I like someone else." He said and took a bite on his cupcake without even looking at me.

"You like someone else? Wow, ang dali mong maka-move on ah?"

Austin just shrugged his shoulders again and didn't answer. I looked at him and creased my forehead in confusion.

"The feeling was mutual when we broke up Emily, kaya huwag ka nang mag-alala, okay?" He somehow looked pathetic. I think Malcom is right; he's really back at breaking hearts.

"Hay, ewan ko sa'yo."

"It's a good thing that you broke up with her, couz. She's a real trouble." Amethyst then patted Austin's shoulders as if she was tolerating him.

This actually started when we stepped in our freshman year. It was the year when we both had our own mobile phones and learned how to use social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram. Since then, Austin gained a lot of attention from the girls because he actively updates his status every day.

I mean, he's not that attractive. My gosh! Ugh.

I don't know why girls seemed to like him a lot because all I see is, he's smelly and a glutton whack!

Yeah, sure he had a couple of girlfriends he meets through texting or through social media accounts but unfortunately none of those survived! I think the longest relationship he had only lasted for five months.

Hinihintay ko lang kasi siya makipag-usap sa akin tungkol doon. It's his private life anyway, it's none of my business. Minsan iniisip ko nalang baka nahihiya lang siya mag-share kasi lalaki siya.

You know, guys don't want to look vulnerable in front of their friends because of a girl. Now that I think about it, Austin would break up with them even before I meet them personally myself which is still a wonder to me.

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