Damgeen High School Musical (Double Trouble Series #2)

Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Secrets

Matagal bago ako nakaahon mula sa pagkakagulat at mukhang ganoon din siya.

"W-What are you doing here?" I asked.

Nasa bintana siya kung saan ang daluyan ng liwanag mula sa labas. Nakaharap siya doon nang nadatnan ko at nakahawak. Ngayong nakita ako, napabitaw siya at nakatanaw sa akin mula sa kanyang balikat, mukhang naabala ko sa kanyang pagninilay-nilay.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that," Bridgette Madrigal answered coldly, gone was her bowled over reaction a while ago.

I gripped on the nearest chair from me. Should I get going or stay? Especially now that I learned that she was probably crying a while ago because of those swollen eyes and nose. Mayroon ding kumikinang pang luha sa kanyang pisngi na hinuha ko'y madalian lang na pinalis kanina.

Nanliit ang mga mata ko habang pinagmamasdan siya. Above all that, of all the places, why does it have to be here? What's with the Madrigal sisters that they always ended up crying inside this abandoned, dark, and worn-out room? And there's me... making them caught in the act.

"What happened to your ugly face?" pagtataray niya nang nakalapit na ako.

I gave her a one-shoulder shrug.

"You're one to talk," I mentioned, referring to her swollen face. And ugly face.

Hindi man lang siya naapektuhan sa sinabi ko at muling humarap lang sa tanawing nasa labas.

I bet she's pertaining to the scratches her fake friend gave me. Kumpara kanina, paniguradong mas litaw na iyon ngayon lalo na't ramdam ko na ang pagkirot, mukhang nagkasugat pa. How dare that bitch do this to my face? Sa sobrang haba ng kalmot, pakiramdam ko ang hapdi-hapdi ng leeg ko dahil sa namumuong pawis na dulot ng init!

I took my hanky out and wiped my neck gently. Iyon ang pinagkakaabalahan ko nang biglang humarap ulit sa akin si Bridgette Madrigal habang hinihilig ang likod sa bintana.

I couldn't help but return her gaze.

Nakakapanibago. Wala man lang bakas ng kamalditahan ang mukha ngunit wala ring kahit anong emosyon. She looked like she struggled a lot... to cause her to deflect any emotions right now.

She felt that, too, huh? The irony of feeling no feelings?

Bridgette took a deep breath and glanced at the ceiling before spilling me her attention.

"I bet after all this time, you've already had enough laughing at me," she claimed and smiled without any whiff of humor. "You know too well how special you are... That's why you're indifferent with all those stupid assaults before, aren't you?"

"You really see the worst in me, huh?" I sneered, now reflecting the coldness of her bearing. "That sounds unfair to my side that I always lend you the benefit of the doubt, Madrigal... Despite your cruelty, I keep considering you're just facing your own dilemmas causing you to behave like that."

That time, I perceived a vestige of flinch on her composure.

"Why can't you be the same?" I continued. "Why is it so easy for people to judge me?"

I waited for her response but basing from her constant silence, it was far-fetched. I nodded to acknowledge her treatment.

"Tell me, what did I do to deserve these judgments?" I asked quietly.

To my surprise, she suddenly gave out a strained laugh as if what I dished was risible.

Baon niya pa rin ang mapaklang ngiwi nang iangat patungo sa akin ang tingin. "Tell me, too. How could I bother to see the best in you... when I couldn't even see mine?"