LOVE & PROMISES [Editing]

[Special Chapter] Chapter 9 || Reason why I love her

I, Leo Garcia, is inlove with a girl. A girl who had no interests on boys nor girls. She considers herself a tomboy. Her name is Blythe Alexandra Clemonte, also known as Alex. She doesn't know anything about my feelings. I am too afraid to let her know.

Why? Because I know I don't have a chance. Lalong-lalo na kung ang kaagaw ko ay ang childhood bestfriend niya na si Yohan. He's so loyal to her. Gagawin niya ang lahat para sa kanya. I could see in her eyes that someday, kung magkataon mang i-consider niya ang sarili niya na straight na babae, I know she'll pick Yohan over me na tinuturing lamang niya na malapit na kaibigan.

I've known her since she moved to the university. Naging ka-close ko siya through the basketball team. At first, I was against at the thought of having a girl member in our team. Pero wala naman akong magawa dahil hindi ako ang team captain at lalong-lalo na dahil napakatahimik kong tao. I was so reserved back then.

Naalala ko pa non nung nagkalaban kami sa pagkuha ng pwesto bilang Captain ng team, it makes me laugh that I hated her so much because I thought she hates me too. We fought and even played 4 sets para lang malaman kung sino ang may mas deserve ng titulo na 'Team Captain'.

I don't what happened pero binigay niya sa akin yung titulo. She became the Vice Captain. I still remember yung ngiting binigay niya sa akin nung sinabi niyang, "You deserve to be the Team Captain, Leo". Simula noon, everytime I feel discouraged, her smile just kept reminding me what she said.

What made me love her even more is that, she believed me. Noong natalo kami sa first game namin with me as the new Team Captain, I kept blaming myself. I kept saying sorry. Nagulat pa ako non nung bigla niya akong sinampal sa harap ng maraming tao, muntik ko na nga siyang masigawan non kaso inunahan niya ako.

Dinig na dinig sa buong court yung boses niya. Pinagalitan niya ako. She was so furious back then. I thought it's because it was my fault pero hindi ko inasahan yung sinabi niya.

"You idiot! Hindi lang ikaw ang may kasalanan dito! Lahat tayo may kasalanan dito. We didn't work as a team! Kaya isa pang beses na sabihin mong ikaw ang may kasalanan kung bakit natalo tayo, ilulublob na kita sa tubig! Hindi lang ikaw ang nagfail sa role mo. We.all.failed. Kaya wag kang humingi ng tawad, it hurts my pride. Dahil kapag sinabi kong karapat-dapat ka bilang team captain, I know you'll be a great team captain. Trust me, Leonel Garcia, you are worthy to be a team captain."

Until now, kumakabog-kabog parin yung puso ko kapag naaalala ko 'yon. Since that day, I became so confident, I became who I am today. The Leo who's leading the basketball team so perfectly. Ang tanging kinakatakutan ko lang ngayon is rejection. Halata naman diba? I feared rejection from her because I know I am nothing more than a friend to her. All those words from her is because of our friendship.

Maybe someday, I will have the courage to go and say that I'm inlove with my girl bestfriend. I was so inlove with her that my heart aches when she begged my parents to hide the truth from her parents. I just want to protect her all my life. Kahit hindi nalang ako yung piliin niyang mahalin, basta maprotektahan ko siya sa lahat ng pupwedeng makasakit sa kanya.

"Alex Clemonte, kahit hindi ako ang piliin mo,

ikaw parin ang mamahalin ko.

Pero kung wala ng pag-asa, ako na ang magpaparaya

Ikaw ay bibitawan na."