The Trouble with the Rule

Chapter 15: Reaching out

Piper’s POV

“Piper!”

Sandaling nanlaki ang mata ko nang marinig ang tumawag sa akin. Hindi ko man hinaharap kung sino ang tumawag, alam ko na na si Nate ‘yun. We’ve been friends since forever kaya I know everything about him. Well.. not everything pala. I’m just exaggerating .. almost everything lang.

I immediately went inside dad’s car and told him to start driving already. It’s obvious that he’s confuse why I’m rushing him but he still obliged

Napatingin ako sa may side mirror, and there, I saw Nate’s reflection. Nakatayo lang siya sa may gitna ng daan looking at dad’s car. I felt bad. Kaya lang.. I don’t know what to do anymore. I just need to stay away from them for awhile until I can finally sort things out.

“Nag-away ba kayo?”

I’m planning to deny it but there’s no use since my dad knows me well. Kaya tumango na lang ako.

“Gusto mong ikwento?”

“I’m a bad friend, dad.”

“Sa pag-iwan kay Nate sa gitna ng daan at hindi pagpansin sa kanya? Well.. hindi nga maganda ‘yun pero hindi ka naman masamang kaibigan dahil lang dun.”

“No, dad. I’m a bad friend. I’m a really bad friend. Iniwan ko si Nate ngayon. He doesn’t deserve to have a bestfriend like me. Inaagawan ko pa ng atensyon si Hailey. Hindi ko rin magawang pantayan ‘yung binibigay ni Warren na atensyon sa akin. I’m selfish, Dad. Hindi ko sila iniisip. Sarili ko lang iniisip ko. Magiging mas maayos lang sila kung hindi nila ako kaibigan because I’m not a good friend.”

Ihininto ni dad ang kotse sa gilid ng kalsada at saka ako hinarap, “You’re not a bad friend, Piper. Kung masama kang kaibigan, tingin mo ba magiging bestfriend pa rin kayo ni Nate hanggang ngayon? Bibigyan ka ba ni Warren ng atensyon? Iisipin mo ba ang nararamdaman ni Hailey? Kung masama kang kaibigan, hindi mo sila iisipin ngayon.”

“You’re just saying that because I’m your daughter.”

He chuckled and ruffled my hair, “Sinasabi ko lang ang nakikita ko. Siguro kung sa tingin mo may nagawa kang hindi maganda, then learn from it. But it doesn’t mean that you’re a bad friend already. Friendship isn’t measured by the mistakes you and your friends made. It’s normal to be and do wrong once in a while. What matters most is that you learn from those mistakes. Pagkatapos ng problema niyo.. mas lalong titibay ang pagsasamahan niyo. Basta wala lang dapat bumitaw ni isa sa pagkakaibigan niyo.”

***

The whole day, Nate and Warren are trying to talk to me pero hindi ‘yung usap na sa personal talaga since bawal ‘yun. They are secretly passing me notes asking me if may problem ba ako but hindi ko sila sinasagot. I think nakapagbigay sila sa akin ng more than 10 notes. Iniipit nila sa notebook or books ko, nilalagay nila sa locker ko or kapag dadaan sa pwesto ko, kunyari hahawak lang sa armchair ko pero mag-iiwan talaga sila ng maliit na paper.

I’m trying to distance myself from them para mag reach out sila kay Hailey kaya lang it seems that I’m just making everything worse. It’s like kahit ano namang gawin ko magpapalala lang ng sitwasyon. I don’t know where to put myself anymore.