Words I never Tell

Chapter 33

Candice

Napatayo ako mula sa pagkakaupo sa labas ng unit ni Hariette na dating unit ni Ate Rail nang matanaw ko sina Ate Alli kasama sina Ate Van at Ate Leigh. Kasunod ng mga ito si Ate Sammie. They were all laughing about something funny. Nagkakantyawan pa kasi ang mga ito tapos si Ate Van yung nakasimangot na talaga. Siguro si Ate Van yung pinagtritripan nila lalo pa at iyon pa naman yung mukhang pinakapikon sa kanilang apat.

Nawala lang yung ngiti ng mga ito nang makita ako.

Shit! Are they mad at me too?

"What are you doing here, Candice?" Tanong agad sakin ni Ate Leigh nang makita ako. Hindi naman sya galit but obviously her enthusiasm in seeing me is no longer the same na gaya nung dati.

Lalo naman akong kinabahan ng irapan ako ni Ate Van at sinamaan ng tingin ni Ate Alli. While Ate Sammie is just giving me a passive face.

"I'll go inside first na, Leigh. Sumunod ka na lang. I don't want to see some brat running around the hallway of this floor." Mataray na sabi pa ni Ate Van na nauna na ngang pumasok sa unit ng mga ito. Pabalibag pa ito magsarado ng pinto.

Tiningnan lang ito ni Ate Leigh bago tila humihingi ng pasensya na nginitian ako. "Sorry about that. She's pregnant kasi kaya medyo moody na."

"Don't sugarcoat things, Leigh. Slap her the truth. She's no longer a kid right?" Pagsusungit pa sakin ni Ate Alli. Feeling ko nga gusto nya akong sampalin pagkakita pa lang sakin e.

I shyly bowed my head. I've done something terrible and they all have the rights to get mad at me too.

"Bakit ka naligaw dito? May kailangan ka na naman kay Hariette? Just so you know, she got everything laid infront of her. Where are you getting that thick skin to even come up here matapos mo syang hindi siputin sa supposed date nyo?"

"Alli, Stop it!" Saway agad dito ni Ate Leigh. "Have you eaten na ba, Candice? Do you want to have meal sa unit ni Sammie?"

"Uhm, Sorry." Umubo pa si Ate Sammie. "I am not letting in someone who made my bestfriend cried. She can have meals elsewhere."

"Pati ba naman ikaw, Sam?" Takang tanong pa ni Ate Leigh.

Nagkibit-balikat lang si Ate Sammie. "Hariette seldom cry. That brat made my best friend cried. What do you expect me to do? Exchange pleasantries with her when all I want to do is to slap her face? C'mon, Leigh. I am not that nice."

Si Hariette umiyak sa kanila? I made her cry? Dahil ba sa ginagawa ko sa kanya these past few days? Hindi ko naman sinasadya na masaktan ko sya. Akala ko kasi..

Hays, Me and my assumptions. My immaturity is really kicking in.

Sige lang Candice. You really owe this to them.

"Yeah, exactly. Stop being nice to her nga, Leigh. She's effortless na nga, ganyan pa sya umasta. Samantalang si Hariette masyadong pinapahirapan ni Grant. Imagine that woman swallowing her pride just to ask for your help para sa perfumery business na gusto nyang simulan. Hariette is not the type who'll do that but she's still trying it dahil lang iyon yung gusto ni Grant."

"We all know why Grant ask her that. Hariette has to learn how to ask for our help din naman kasi. She's not a bothersome. I will gladly help her pero ayoko din naman sya pangunahan kasi. It has to come from her as my way of respecting her too."

"Grant is just making it hard for Hariette. For what? Dyan sa kapatid nyang brat na yan? What have that woman done for Rie? Wala pa naman di ba? Ganda at utak lang ambag. Rie is even exerting effort and getting out of her comfort zone."