Paper Hearts on Paper Planes

Chapter 17

Jerrick's POV

I was heading to the restroom when I noticed someone na nagmomokmok sa may swimming pool, it's Gab. I approached her.

"You're missin' out the party. Ano bang ginagawa mo dito?" with that, I caught her attention and she smiled at me.

"Nagpapahangin lang, ikaw anong ginagawa mo dito?"

"Sasamahan ka sa pagpapahangin mo." then I sat down beside her and also dip my feet in the pool. "Himala yata, hindi ka naglalasing masyado ngayon."

"May iniisip lang."

"Care to share kung anong iniisip mo?"

"Just random stuff."

"I miss those times na you're sharing your thoughts sa'kin. Ngayon kasi sinosolo mo na ang mga yan."

"Oyy.. hindi ahh... heto na nga magshashare na."

"So, ano?"

"Iniisip ko lang, now that Sharon's back. Will everything go back to the way they were before."

"Hindi naman dapat bumalik ang lahat sa dati. Sometimes changes does occur, may magbabago talaga. Pero alam mo kung anong hindi nagbago?"

"Let me guess, yung friendship natin sa barkada? Cheesy mo."

"Yun at yung nararamdaman ko para sa'yo."

"Baliw, kalimutan mo na yun. You already said na nakamove-on ka na, then where is this all coming from?"

"I lied, mahal pa rin kita. Mahal mo pa rin naman ako, di ba?"

"I think, hinahanap na tayo sa loob. Tara, pasok na tayo." tumayo na siya and I held her hand.

"Please stop dodging me and just be honest with your feelings, just like before, nung tayo pa." Yes, me and Gab had a relationship.

~Flashback~

It all started when I started using this app called blind date. Just me being curious with the app and halos all of my blockmates uses this app. And of course, gusto ko rin maexperience ang dating ulit. Last relationship ko was way back 3rd year nung highschool pa ako.

Well can't blame if I'm having the urge to date someone, ako lang yata sa'ming magpipinsan ang nagkafocus sa mga libro at sa course ko.

So the app works by giving 10,20,30 questions, it's up to you kung ilang set of questions yung sasagutin mo. The questions contains your preferences in dating. I answered 20 and after answering all the questions the app will show your results and some accounts that matches with your preferred date base sa mga questions that you've answered. The accounts only contains details about the person and their usernames, walang pictures. Well the app is called Blind Date for a reason. Next you will choose some accounts na nagmatch sa preferences mo and you can start chatting with each other.

One username caught my attention, ostRICH, ang weird but really can catch your attention. Weird tatse siguro nito, pero match kami so weird din ako? Maybe mahilig lang talaga siya sa ostrich. I look into her details, we're in the same school, and she just live nearby, kaya nagHi ako sa kanya.

I waited and after an hour, tsaka pa siya nagreply ng Hello. We chatted for hours, nang time na for the next class ko nagpaalam mo na ako sa kanya.

After weeks of chatting with each other we bacame really close that is why we decided to meet up.

***

Waiting for her really made me nervous, I bet all those who experienced meet-ups for the first time felt this way too.

We decided to meet at an amusement park, and I guess that was a bad choice kasi ang daming tao, what if hindi kami magkita because of this.

Nagchat siya na she's here na sa amusement park. Kaya replied na nasa may center na fountain lang ako, naghihintay then she replied Ok with a smile emoji next to it.

I waited and waited, but still hindi pa rin siya dumadating. I was about to leave when I saw a familiar face, Gab? Agad ko siyang nilapitan.

"Gab. Nice to see you here."

"Oyy.. Jerrick. Anong ginagawa mo dito?"

"I'm waiting for someone. How about you?"

"Same, kaso hindi na ako nirereplyan ng kameet ko."

"Nasaan na ba daw siya?"

"Sabi niya nasa may fountain na daw siya naghihintay."

"Anong suot niya? Maybe I can help you na mahanap siya, ang daming tao kasi."

"Well, polo shirt daw yung suot niya, na white."

"Yun lang?" I scanned the surroundings at may nakita akong nakapolo shirt. "Yun ba siya." turo ko sa isang babae na nakawhite polo shirt.

"Ano ka ba Jerrick, hindi naman babae yung kadate ko. And by the way may suot siyang glasses kagaya mo."

Aahh.. ganun ba. After a while nagsink-in yung sinabi niya, kadate? White polo shirt? Tinignan ko yung suot ko, check, nakaglasses? Check. Wait, don't tell me. "Gab, are you ostRICH?"

"Hmm... yup, bakit mo nalam..." she paused for a while. "Don't tell me ikaw si cheonsa?"

I chuckle then nod. "Yup, I'm the one."

"Jeezzz... nagbla-blind date ka rin? Shockers."

"Mas nashock ako sa'yo, so tara?"

"Saan?"

"Date natin, come on, tutal we're both here. Let's make the most out of it na."

"Sure ka? Parang weird naman nun."

"Sabihin nalang nating friendly date 'to. Tara."

I could never forget that day, that was the day that I felt that I like her more than just a friend.

After that date, days went to weeks and weeks into months. I must say, we really got close, sa chat at sa personal hanggang naging kami. We kept our relationship a secret from our friends, tamang secret dates lang sa rooftop ng school.

Everything went just fine, our relationship is steady not until nang umalis si Sharon. A lot of things happened, hindi ako nakapasa for the university sa States and it was fine by me. Hanggang nalaman ito ni Dad and he found out na may girlfriend na rin ako. He immediately thought na bad influence sa'kin si Gab, that she was the reason kung bakit hindi ako nakapasa.

He threatened me na kung hindi ko hihiwalayan si Gab, he's gonna make her life miserable. Malaki ang influence ni Dad sa Engineering firms including sa firm ng pamilya ni Gab, kayang-kaya niyang sirain ang image ng isang firm if wants to.

***

"Sabi na nga I'll find you here." sabay backhug niya sa'kin. "Anong iniisip mo?"

I face her. "Gab... I'm sorry."

"Oyyy.. bakit ka nagsosorry?"

"Sorry, if I'm too weak for you."

"Ano bang pinagsasabi mo diyan? Jerrick, hindi ka nakakatuwa ahh..."

I face the floor, I can't face her right now. "I'm sorry but I'm breaking up with you."

Silence filled the air.

"What?" naguguluhan niyang tanong. "You're breaking up with me?"

I nod, still facing the floor.

"Fine, madali akong kausap. And one more thing." I immediately receive a slap from her. "I don't know what your reason is and I don't want to hear it. Kung break na tayo edi break. Yun na ba yun, sige alis na ako ahh.." from the sound of it pinipigilan lang niya ang umiyak sa harapan ko.

After she left dun na nagbagsakan yung mga luha ko. I'm sorry Gab, but I'm doing this for your sake.

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