My Lonely Girl

My Lonely Girl: Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Stella's Point of View

OUR FINAL destination was the playground. This was the playground I went to, the place where all you could be seen are the kids who were busy playing around.

My gaze wandered to the kids who were chasing after one another. That was when the guy beside me spoke, "Gusto mo rin bang maglaro at mag-slide doon? Hahaha!" sabi niya habang nakaturo sa padulasan kung saan matatagpuan ang mga batang abala sa pagpapadulas. Ang mga batang 'yon, nakakatuwa silang panoorin.

Here he comes again. Hayan na naman siya't nang-aasar. Madalas, hindi ko tuloy maiwasang isiping ipakain siya sa buwaya. But that idea is brutal so I am always trying my best not to entertain it.

"Parang nagsisisi na akong sumama ako sa 'yo," sabi ko.

"Parang lang! Alam kong hindi mo pinagsisisihan 'yon, 'no! Just look at your face and you'll see how happy you are that you're with me. Hahaha! Nagpapalusot ka lang, sigurado 'yan."

"Are you joking? Mukha ba akong masaya o may diperensya lang 'yang paningin mo? Tingnan mo nga nang mabuti ang mukha ko at sabihin mo kung talaga ngang masaya ako."

What he did after that made my eyes widen and made my body freeze. I didn't really mean what I just said, but he had taken it seriously. He moved his face closer to mine, he did. I wanted to move my face away from his, but I couldn't really move! He was so close to me and it felt like I couldn't breathe anymore. Our eyes met. I couldn't avert my gaze from his. Hindi ko na kaya! At mukhang wala siyang balak tapusin ang kakaumpisang "staring contest" na ito.

"Stop it now. Please," I thought but did not and could not say a word.

"Ate Stella, ikaw ba 'yan?"

Because of the voice of a girl, I went back to reality. And I finally, I was able to move and avert my gaze. I was the one who ended the "staring contest."

"Ikaw nga, ate!" I looked at the girl. It was Kaycee and she looked so happy to see me. She looked at the guy standing beside me and pointed a finger at him. "Hmm.. sino po siya? Boyfriend niyo po ba siya?" Then she looked at me again, waiting for an answer.

Natigilan ako sa huli niyang tanong. Did I hear it right? She was asking if Andrei is my boyfriend? What made her think that way?

"Little girl, I'm your Kuya Andrei. At si Ate Stella mo naman ang manliligaw ko," sabi ni Andrei kahit hindi naman siya kinakausap.

I was to speak when the little girl talked again, "I'm not a little girl anymore! Malaki na po ako," nakasimangot na sabi niya. "But wait, kuya, bakit po si ate ang nanliligaw sa 'yo? 'Di ba, boy po dapat ang gumagawa no'n at hindi girl?"

It seemed like Kaycee knows more than I do when it comes to that thing. And she was relly right. Supposedly, girls shouldn't be the one making the first move, ngunit sa panahon ngayon, nagbago na ang lahat at ganoon na rin ang mga tao. Noon, todo effort and mga kalalakihan sa panliligaw at mahawakan lang daw ang dulo ng daliri ng babae, kailangan na siyang panindigan at pakasalan ng lalaki. Ngunit ngayo'y wala na yatang gano'n. And why am I thinking about it? Bakit ba kasi sinabi ni Andrei na nililigawan ko siya? 

"Kaycee, hindi ko nililigawan ang unggoy mong kuya," sabi ko sa bata at baka kung ano pa ang tumatak sa isip niya. "Siya ang dumidikit sa akin na parang glue na sa sobrang dikit ay hindi ko na matanggal-tanggal. You understand what I am trying to say, Kaycee?"

Andrei was about to speak but before he could, Kaycee replied to me, "Ate, bakit po kayo dinidikitan ni kuya? Crush niya po ba kayo?" Ano raw? "E, bakit hindi niyo po siya paalisin, ate? Kung ayaw niyo po sa kanya, dapat po matagal niyo na siyang pinaalis kahit dikit siya nang dikit. Crush niyo rin po ba siya?"