Happy birthday to the person I am dedicating this whole story to! I hope you enjoy the rest of the book! :-))
Pride
"I heard you've been suspiciously hanging more often with Ross lately?" tanong ni Sasha.
Syempre, agad kong ginawaran ng masasamang tingin si Tati na paniguradong pinaggalingan ng impormasyon.
"Don't give her that look. It's makes everything look more skeptical. Are you like... a thing now?"
Sa tanong ni Sasha ay agad ko siyang pinanlakhan ng mata sa gulat. Where did that come from?
"Saan mo naman nakuha yan? We're just talking like any normal friends do. He's my brothers' bestfriend. What are we supposed to be like? Strangers?"
"Well you were acting indifferent before the holiday break, within those days you've been able to somehow change the way you act around him. It's obvious Natasha, you can't deny it. You have a crush on him, I heard you confessed already?" si Sam naman ngayon ang nag spill ng information na siguradong kay Tati na naman galing.
Since we were all squeezed in at back of the car at katabi ko lang si Tati agad ko kinurot ang tagiliran niya. "What the hell Tati? Can't you keep your mouth shut for at least a few days? I'd tell them naman. Why'd you have to make it look like I'm a bad friend, keeping them in the shadows?"
Kiniliti ko siya hanggang sa maubusan na siya ng hininga. Magulo na ang mga buhok, she raised both her hands while catching her breath. Sumusuko na. She's not even defending herself.
"So, tell us Ash. What's the real score?" Sasha ulit.
Parehas na ngayong nakatingin ang kambal.
"You're stressing me out," napahilamos pa ako sa mukha ko.
"Yes, I have a crush on him and he knows about it. Because I did confess. But there is nothing romantic going on between us. He sees me as a little sister for all I know. He even teases me about confessing to him during the few minutes we were left alone."
"Are you sure? Are you not keeping this a secret from us?"
Hinawakan ko ang magkabila nilang mga pisnge bago ko pabirong pinaguntog ang mga ulo nila.
"No, I'm not! You'll see it when you see us together. Walang malisya talaga. Hetong source niyo lang talaga, masyadong chismosa."
"We're suppose to catch up while on the way to school right? How was London?" pagiiba naman ng topic ng pinatatamaan ko.
She even eyed me a couple of times pero kapag titingin ako sa kaniya ay siya ang iiwas ng tingin.
Pagtigil ng sasakyan ay bumaba na kami at syempre dahil first day namin in school this year after the holiday break, people are all over the place. Maingay at puno ng mga nagkwekwentuhan ang hallway.
We wanted to be an hour early so that we can still have time to catch up inside our classroom. Kahapon lang din kasi nakauwi ang magkambal from their vacation kaya kanina ay nagrereklamo pa sila. Jet lagged pa daw sila pero they have no choice. Sila kasi ang nagpumilit na isagad ang bakasyon nila sa ibang bansa.
On the way, makakasalubong namin si Joaquin kasama ang mga barkada niya. Napapagitnaan siya ni Levi at Kerion. Kumpleto na sila this early in the morning, infairness heto ang totoong new year, new life.
Nang nasa harapan na nila kami mismo ay nginitaan ko ang tatlo pero nagulat ako ng may nilabas si Joaquin na matingkad na kahel na paperbag. Sa kulay pa lang alam na ng karamihan kung anong luxury brand ito kaya nagulat ako ng pilit niya itong iniaabot sa akin.
