Bad For You

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Operation

I'm waiting for his answer. Just say yes and I'm willing to give you my all, Mac...

"I need to go," he said and walked away.

Naiwan ako roon, mag-isa. Tears are starting to flow down my cheeks. And there goes my heart, broken into pieces once again.

"Gwy?" Boses iyon ni Art.

Huli na bago ko mapunasan ang aking mga luha. Nakalapit na siya sa akin. "Are you okay? Why are you crying?" sunod-sunod ang mga tanong niya.

Napayakap ako sa kanya dahil ang bigat-bigat ng dibdib ko, parang kaunti na lang at sasabog na. "Is it okay to be sad about someone you never really had?" I asked him.

Mac and I were never together. We never really had a commitment to each other. Hindi naman kasi talaga naging kami.

We parted ways because we have to... Because I'm a daughter of a criminal. I'm bad for him.

But my feelings for him are still the same. All I need to know if he still feels the same way for me, too... Kung hindi na, masasaktan ako pero ayos lang. Kung ganoon pa rin, bakit siya ganyan?

"All feelings are valid," Art said and hugged me back softly.

I just felt like crying. I really want it all out.

They said that people cry not because they're weak. It's because they've been strong for too long.

Nang medyo nahimasmasan na ako ay kumalas na ako sa yakap at hinarap si Arthur. "Bakit ka nga pala nandito? May kailangan ka ba?" tanong ko sa kanya.

Umiling siya. "Wala naman, may narinig akong tricycle kaya tinignan ko lang kung ikaw na 'yun. Gabi na kasi, mahirap na."

Napangiti ako roon. "Salamat... I appreciate it, Art." Arthur is really a good friend.

Habang kumakain ay biglang tumunog ang phone ko. Agad ko naman itong sinagot nang makita kung sino ang tumatawag. "Lance?" I answered.

"Hey, Li..." aniya sa kabilang linya. "I'm sorry, ngayon lang ako nakatawag. Beau makes it so hard for me to get an information."

Natawa naman ako. "What did he ask you to do?"

Si Beau pa ba... Kailangan may pabor na kapalit palagi, eh! At saka best friend niya si Mac, papanigan niya iyon!

"He want my biggest Pikachu stuffed toy collection! That cruel piece of shit!" ani Lance na tila masama pa rin ang loob.

"Binigay mo?" tanong ko pa.

"Yeah... Palitan mo 'yun, Li. Hays," aniya.

Natawa ako roon. "Oo na! Papalitan ko pag nagkapera na ako!"

He laughed on the other line. "Mac is okay, Li. That's the only thing I could say... No accident. No sickness. 100% De Guzman."

Nang marinig ko ang mga salitang iyon ay tila kumalma ang nagwawala kong puso. I feel so relieved. Nawala kahit papaano iyong bigat sa dibdib ko.

Muling nanubig ang aking mga mata. "Thank you, Lance. It really means a lot to me... Akala ko kasi baka hindi niya na talaga ako kilala," saad ko.

"He does," Lance said.

Tumango ako na para bang nakikita ako ni Lancer sa telepono. "I did all I can... But nothing triggers him, you know? He's still acting like he don't know me." I told him.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit biglang laughtrip si Lancer. "You want to trigger, Mackenzee? Damn, Li... It's easy as one two three."

Kumunot ang aking noo. "What are you thinking then?" I curiously asked.

It's Lancer... He's like the king of schemes.

"Remember what Paige and I did to Kairon back then?" He asked and I immediately remembered when they set up a date and all that to make Kairon jealous. It worked, hundred percent!

Agad akong nakaisip ng plano. Pagkatapos ng pag-uusap namin ni Lancer ay tinawagan ko naman si Arthur.

Mac, it's now or never... I'm going to get you by hook or by crook. Operation to trigger Luke Mackenzee De Guzman is now on!

Pumayag si Arthur sa plano ko. Alam na rin ni Emi ang tungkol doon. Both of them will help me and I'm so lucky to have them as my friends!

Ang sabi ko kay Arthur, kailangan ay sunduin niya ako pagtapos ng English Class. Mac needs to see it... Reminding him the days where he waited for me outside my room. Let's see then.

Patapos na ang klase namin kay Sir Luke at nang makita ko si Art sa labas ay agad akong napangiti.

Mac is actually a great professor. He explain things really well. He is so smart and I'm not even biased! I never thought I could hear his voice this loud and I'm so proud of him because of it. He's always been soft spoken.

When Mac dismissed us, Emily and I immediately stood up.

"Oh my God! Bakit nasa labas si Art? Susunduin ka ata, Gwy!" malakas na sabi ni Emi. Kasama iyon sa arte namin.

"Hala... Oo nga, ano?" ako naman, kunwari ay walang alam.

"Art doesn't deserve you!" asik ni Nova at lumabas na sa room.

Napahinto ako saglit dahil hindi ko iyon inaasahan, but if she will behave like this, pwede na rin. I want Mac to be triggered anyway.

"'Wag mo na pansinin... Sige na, puntahan mo na si Art," sabi ni Emi. Tumango ako rito at kinawayan na si Arthur.

Lalabas na sana ako nang bigla akong tawagin ni Prof. De Guzman. "Ms. Chen, can I talk to you for a second?" tanong niya at sumilay ang ngiti sa aking labi.

I composed myself before going near him. "Yes, Sir?"

"Umm," he trailed off. "I need some help with these test papers, can you help me later?"

Muntik na akong mapangiti pero agad ko ring pinigilan ang sarili. "I-I'm not sure, Sir... May date po ata ako mamaya, eh." sabi ko, halos mapalunok ako roon. Date pa ha, Aurelia Gwyneth!

"With who? Arthur Buenaventura?" he asked like he is so curious about it.

Tumango ako. "Sige, Sir... May next class pa po ako," sabi ko at umalis na.

Ngiting tagumpay ako habang naglalakad palabas ng pinto at palapit kay Arthur.

Lancer, I'm going to buy you a big ass Pikachu stuffed toy, I promise!

Ngayong uwian, pupunta ako sa coffee shop kasama si Emi at Art. Si Emi para magtrabaho at kami ni Arthur ay para mag-date kunwari.

"Do you think it's working?" Art asked me.

"Hopefully," I told him. "Sabi ko, may date ako kaya hindi ko siya matutulungan sa test papers."

"Let's date well, then..." aniya at nag-order na para sa aming dalawa.

Uupo na sana kami ni Arthur nang biglang dumating sa shop si Mac at Megan. What a great timing?

"Art, nandito ka pala!" si Ate Megan iyon.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang biglang umakbay si Art sa akin. "Gwy and I are dating, Ate," anito at kitang-kita ko kung paano umigting ang panga ni Luke Mackenzee.