Weeks passed by and everything went smoothly. I was able to bring Adrian to our house and formally introduced him as my boyfriend to my mom. The news spread like wildfire in the campus but it also died down later on. A lot were expressing their opinions on the matter but we didn't mind it. All I could think about was how happy Adrian and I are right now especially with all the years we spent in waiting just to be with each other without hindrance. Finally, I was able to choose for myself.
"So, kumusta naman kayo ni Adrian?" tanong sa akin ni Misha na humahagikgik pa. Kaka-isang buwan lang naming ni Adrian nung isang lingo and the way we celebrated it was simple yet majestic. Dahil meron silang ensemble kinabukasan nung araw na 'yon, we decided to just bring extra snacks over lunch at nagpicnic kami under a shade sa football field. It was only over an hour of celebration, but it was more than I could ever ask for. If I may exaggerate, it was perfect.
"Masaya." Sagot ko nang naka-ngiti.
"Wag nyo pag-antayin yung pagkain, may mga klase pa tayo." Malamig na sabi ni Riley at tumuloy ng kain sa binili nyang beef pares sa cafeteria.
Simula nang maging kaming dalawa ni Adi, dumistansya na sa akin si Riley. Ika nga nya na, ang daming beses ko nang nasaktan dahil kay Adrian. Katwiran nya rin na hindi naman aabot nang ganun katagal kung talagang ayaw akong saktan ni Adi. Ilang taong pagdudusa nga raw kasi ang naranasan ko kay Adi, at hindi sya naniniwalang ganun lang kabilis ang lahat. Ganun kadali, makalimutan, magpatawad, at patawarin. Hindi ko magawang magtampo kay Riley dahil totoo naman ang kanyang mga sinasabi. Sa totoo lang, sa mga kaibigan ko lang ako hindi ma-pride, dahil alam ko naman na ang gusto lang nila ay ang ikabubuti ko. Totoo naman na hanggang ngayon, kahit masaya kami ni Adi ay may duda pa rin ako na talagang hindi nya na ako sasaktan, hindi nya na ako iiwanan. Masaya lang ako pero handa ako kung sakaling iwanan nya ako, kasi hindi na kapani-paniwala kapag sinasabi nyang hindi nya ako ipagpapalit, pero kasalanan ko rin kasi ako naman pumili ng ganitong kalagayan, ang magpakatanga.
Sa ngayon, ang gusto ko lang ay maging maayos na ulit kami ni Riley. Pero, paano ko gagawin 'yon kung tila pinapapili nya ako? Ayoko namang pumili dahil napapasaya ako ni Adi, pero tila kung hindi ako pipili ay pumili na rin ako na wag piliin si Riley.
"Can I join you, girls?" isang nakakakilabot na mataas na boses ang bumungad sa aming lima. Si Rose.
"I thought you already left for Australia?" naka-taas na kilay na tanong ni Riley kay Rose.
"Huh? Fake news ka! Saan mo naman napulot yang joke mo?" tumawa naman nang nakakairita si Rose.
"Issa prank." Riley said sarcastically at lumapat ang tingin nya sa akin. Nanlisik muna ang kanyang mga mata bago ito nagsaad ng tingin na, "I told you so."
"Wala ka bang group of friends?" banas na tanong ni Josie kay Rose.
"Alam ko namang name-miss nyo na 'ko, wala na ring maganda sa grupo na 'to." Kinindatan ni Rose si Josie na lalong kinainis nito.
Nami-miss? Oo. Pero, kung gusting bumalik? Malabo na. Yes, you all heard it right. Rose was a dear friend of ours, kaming tatlo talaga nila Riley ang OG. But after what she did to get Adrian away from me, Riley made sure she can steer Rose away with all her might to protect and save me from humiliation. Kaya, naiintindihan ko sya kung bakit ganun na lang yung disappointment nya sa akin when I got back with a man who has hurt my heart many times, and who knows kung ilan pa ang heartbreak ko kay Adrian but truth be told, I don't really care. Tanga na kung tanga, but I'd rather weep from the pain than the regret of not knowing.
"So, mukhang masaya kayo ng ex ko, Terrie ah? He's all over your instagram feed." Ngisi ni Rose sa akin.
"It's Miss or President Caldez for you. Pangalawa, he's labeled as a person and not as your ex. Pangatlo, ano bang pake mo?"
"Wala lang. I just find it quite odd na hindi nya pa rin pinapalitan ang mga bio nya sa lahat ng accounts nya and ako pa rin nasa feed nya." Pang-aasar na naman nya.
"Adi doesn't use his account that often. Balita ko rin na ikaw in naman mostly nag-set nung mga yon."
"Ano na lang sasabihin ng campus kapag parang ginagawang kabit yung prinsesa nila?"
"Queen." Sinamaan ko sya ng tingin.
"Pardon?" maarte nyang tanong.
"I AM the Campus Queen and I might as well use that because I've clawed my way through it."
"Sure, like you never slept with the professor, Caldez."
Kinuha ko ang bread knife na gamit-gamit ni Josie at tinutok ito sa leeg ni Rose.
"You mean, the fucking professor you fucking slept with and I did everything that I could as the good friend to save you from that, you ungrateful ass."nangigigil na sabi ko sa kanya.
"Girls." Pag-sasaway sa amin ni Victoria.
Rose smiled at me. "But, no one knows that right? You're just a slutty whore who became on top because of that incident. Pathetic bitch."
Sasampalin ko na sana s'ya nang Makita kong kinakaladkad na sya palabas ni Misha mula sa kubo.
"I'll make sure to destroy you." Pagbabanta ni Rose sa akin.
"We've left you long ago in the ashes, hun. Matagal na kitang sinira."
YOU ARE READING
Reverso
Teen FictionTheresa Caldez, a 6o-year-old takes a trip down the memory lane as she recalls her youthful years filled with love, excitement, and pain. (Disclaimer: The following story will have a content that might be disturbing to some readers. It can trigger...
