Treston School for the Arts [Hiatus]

XIII

Song: I Know Places

Artist: Taylor Swift

(Epal note: Ugh. 1989 is heartzzz.)

--

"I-Iryz?"

Naaninag ko siya nang maayos nung malapit-lapit na siya sa akin. Nakahinga ako ng maluwang kasi siya pala talaga yun at sa wakas, nakita ko na rin siya. Pero maya-maya, biglang may nag-click sa utak ko. Nakaramdam ako ng kaba kaya napaatras ako. Pero naharangan ako ng grand piano kaya di na aka=o nakausog pa. He looks so serious. Nakakatakot pala siya kapag nagseryoso.

Gosh. I've been seeing sides of a lot of people these days.

He stopped stepping forward. Mga ilang inches yung pagitan namin pero nawawalan ako ng hininga. I know it's cliche that he's taking my breathe away, but that's what I'm feeling right now. Para siyang buwan na hinihila yung... I'm talking weird again.

"P-Pano mo nalaman na nandito ako?"

He sounds so... broken. So that kind of explains the sad hymn of that guitar strumming a while ago. I wonder if it's still the same pain he's singing. Though I don't know what pain that is.

I want to joke to break off the tension—because I can definitely feel there is even if it's just me who's feeling it—and tell him that it was just a lucky guess. But the seriousness of the scenario calls for a serious answer as well.

"Si-Sinabi sa akin ni Adrian na baka raw nandito ka." Great timing, Iryz. Ngayon ka pa talaga nautal. Baka isipin niya na natatakot ka sa kaniya kasi nasa madilim kayong lugar. You know he's a good guy, okay? Sure kang wala siyang gagawin sa'yo. He's not that person... Ugh. Why am I telling myself this? Dirty thoughts... shoo.

"It's nice to have you here," he said calmly, softly. Coldly. A shiver ran down my spine. Maybe that's a bit too cold.

As if he sensed my spacing, he opened up his phone to create a tiny light. Naisip ko kung bakit ayaw niyang buksan na lang yung ilaw, but I realzied that he's hiding away... from something. Feeling ko tuloy panira ako ng pagtatago niya. But he said it's nice to have me here... right? O baka ako lang yung nakarinig nun?

"B-Ba..." Lumunok muna ako, nagdadalawang isip kung tama lang ba kung itatanong ko to. There was a bit of awkward silence that enclosed us so I decided to speak up. Bahala na. "Bakit ka umabsent kanina? Medyo... marami-raming ginawa e at announcements."

"I needed some time to think," he murmurmed. Umupo siya sa likod ng grand piano. I think it's just right to follow him so I sat beside him. He smiled shyly. He's still... not okay.

I want to ask him what he has to think about but I think that's waaaaay to far. I've already demolished his quiet time by finding his hideout tapos pepersonalin ko pa siya. It's pretty amazing that I have this freaking mind to stop me from doing such nonsense things from happening.

He went back on strumming that sad song again and even hummed the sadness away. Ako yung kinikilabutan e, He's trying to sing away the pain but the pain just... won't let him go. I want to help but... I don't know how. I want to sing that song he's playing but the song is too damn unfamiliar.

He continued to strumming and humming the same song again and again. Out of the blue, biglang sumagi sa isip ko yung sinabi ni Adrian kanina. I have to end this gaya ng sabi ni Adrian kanina but... I just... can't. Lalo na nangayong nakita ko na si Ace at nakita kong he's still not fine. That he's still suffering. As a... friend, I have to do something. I have to stay by his side.

Though I have to tell him something. I guess this is both important and adjacent to the issue I'll keep for myself for now.

"Uhm..." Tumingala siya para tumingin sa akin. Napaatras tuloy yung dila ko.