Lovesick: Book 2

09

Chapter 9
My Champion

Being torn by choices must be the most stressful self-destructing part of being a teenager. Torn who to be with, torn to do something more, and torn between wanting to do lesser bad decisions. But the enemy isn't really the act of missing chances, it's always been about time.

Time is the chance killer. It could either be your ally or your rival. It's an unpredictable character that isn't really the protagonist or antagonist of the story of my life. It's more like the writer itself.

Kahit na marami akong gustong gawin, hindi ko kakapampi ang oras ko ngayon. Well, that's because Marvin's game will happen at the same time that our organization event will happen. Nasabi ko naman na 'to sa kaniya at napag-usapan namin na kaya kong sumunod. It would be tiring but that's not what I am worried about. Baka lang hindi ko pa siya maabutan sa mismong laro niya.

This is what I've been overthinking now that I'm standing at the train door of Metro. Pagbukas sa station na binabaan ko, nag-message na ako kay Noah na dito niya na lang ako kitain. Nag-aya kasi siya na kumain lang sa labas, to catch up, at kasama namin si Louis. Pero ngayon, wala pa ring reply sa messages ko si Louis.

When I reached Louis' apartment, I grabbed out the duplicate keys he gave and open the door after knocking for three times. And my guts told me right, wala nga siya dito. I sighed, sat into his floor carpet, and leaned to his bed frame.

Louis has this rule that I can crash into his apartment whenever I like. But from the past few months, hindi ko na magawa ito sa sobrang occupied naming dalawa. He's been very distant recently, siguro dahil lalo siyang busy sa part time job at school activities nila.

Dito na ako nagpasundo kay Noah. Ang ending, kaming dalawa na lang ngayon ang nag-roadtrip at naghanap ng makakainan.

With our weird cravings, Jollibee ang bagsak namin ngayon. Nakahanap kami ng branch sa highway na dinaanan namin ngayon ni Noah. He went straight ahead through the Drive-Thru and took our orders.

Kung ikukumpara kaming dalawa ngayon ni Noah, kung anong kinalaki niya ay ganoon naman ang kaliit ng kaniyang tapang para lang mag-order. I get that he's more extroverted than me, pero pagdating talaga sa pag-oorder, OA kung mag-panic ang lalaking 'to.

"One piece chicken with fries, pa-upgrade na lang po ng Cokefloat ang drinks, tapos po one peach mango pie and chocolate sundae." That's for me. "Two piece chicken with spaghetti, additional two rice and medium fries, and Coke Zero po yung drinks, medium din po." That's for my driver.

Pagkakuha namin ng orders, naghanap ng parking spot si Noah mula sa likuran ng establishment. Sakto lang ang tama ng palubog na araw sa amin at wala rin gaanong tao ngayon kaya parang kami ang nagmamay-ari ng lugar.

"How's your varsity life naman?" I was only eating the fries. Busog pa kasi ako kanina at wala pa akong ganang kumain ng heavy foods kahit breakfast pa lang kinain ko buong araw. Iuuwi ko na lang 'tong chicken at rice.

"Hmm, it's fine. Ganoon pa rin. May laro kami, gusto mo ba manuod?" He's savoring the two pieces of chicken we ordered like the athlete that he is.

"Kailan ba para makanuod naman kami sa laro mo?"

"Siguro two weeks from now pa naman, kaya ba?"

"Try ko. Si Jun naman laging free 'yun basta laro," paglabas ng ngiti sa labi ko.

"'Yun pa, sawang-sawa na nga ako sa mukha nun kapag nagchi-cheer eh," kaunti na lang ay puputok na ang pisngi niya sa pagtawa dahil sa sunod-sunod na pagsubo nya ng pagkain.

"Pasalamat ka pa nga nakakapunta 'yun sa mga laro mo. Complete attendance pa!" Pagsiko ko sa kaniya.

Napansin niya ang naiwang plastic sa likuran ng kaniyang sasakyan. "Hindi mo pa kakainin 'to?"