Faking Delays

66. Black and Blue

Harris Luigi

  

"DIDN'T KNOW goody-two-shoes smokes," may biglang tumabi sa akin habang naka sandal ako sa hood ng kotse ko.

I blew a smoke into the air and looked at the woman Cent introduced me to earlier. "What are you doing here?" simple kong tanong. Humithit pa ako ng isang beses bago ito tinapon at inapakan.

"You know, you should stop hangga't maaga pa." She sat on the hood, feet hanging, evading my question. "Hindi mo ma mamalayan, you'd be dependent of that shit until you can't live without it."

"Are you here to lecture me about my smoking habits?" I sarcastically asked. Hindi na naman siya sumagot. Tch. "I'll make sure to keep it in mind, thank you," I said, not meaning it.

She chuckled. "You boy's looking for you inside. Kind of worried, too. Mainly because no one's willing to drive his drunk ass home other than you," aniya.

I pushed myself from leaning and took my keys out. "You take him home. I'm ready to call it a night." I unlocked my car and walked towards the door.

"Killing yourself with cigarettes won't help you ease the pain, you know," she said all of a sudden. I stopped. Tinignan ko siya, confused "I'm just sayin' alright," she smiled while looking at me over her shoulders. She flipped her hair and laid down on my car while staring at the sky. "Being happy is the best remedy you can give yourself," she muttered.

"What a useful piece of information. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm in a hurry," saad ko bago pumasok sa loob. A minute passed and she remained unmoving. I honked and she just laughed. Her shoulders shaking, pero bumaba na rin siya.

Thank God.

She leaned on my window and smirked. "Impatient, are we, Mr. Everett?" I sighed and rolled the windows up. She took a step back with her hands up. "Geez, fine, no more teasing!"

I glanced at her for the last time before I started the engine.

She knocked on my door and mouthed, "have a good night, okay." I gave her a short nod before driving away from the place.

---

I tossed and turned all night. Every position, either sitting or standing, I couldn't take Kristeena's gaze out of my fucking mind.

Reading and drinking couldn't even help me sleep like it used to.

Fucking traitors.

Shit, I thought, this is going to be a long night.

I sat up then pulled out the sleeping pills in my bedside drawer when my phone lit up because of a notification.

Ibinaba ko muna 'yung bote at tinignan ito.
 

Kocent:

Fck u, , Harris! Why u go ho  em witjyt me???!
 

I looked at the clock and it says 3:45 am. So kakauwi niya lang pala. And based on the way he typed, I can assume that he's completely drunk. Typical.

Me:

You tell me.

Kocent:

Y fo y u always bkame m mssn!!!!
 

Translation: "Why do you always blame me, man!"

I sighed and typed a reply.