The Only Girl

CHAPTER 48: Back Home

GABE'S POINT OF VIEW.

Nagising ako sa sinag ng araw. Who the hell would dare to wake me up?

I opened my eyes, seeing Nathan in front of me, arms crossed in his chest.

"You didn't go to school for a week. Wag ka nalang kaya mag aral?" Inis na sabi ni Nathan. Nagtakip ako ng unan.

"Ge." Tipid kong sagot. I heard him sigh.

"This is enough. You don't go to school, you don't enter your competitions, you don't eat--ah no, you eat a lot."

Ingay naman nito.

He sighed again.

"And you don't talk to Kale anymore. What happened?" I opened my eyes and sat down. Nathan looked like a mother scolding her son for not doing his homework.

"That's none of your concern." I said.

"Well it is so.." he looked at the door so tumingin din ako doon, only seeing Kale leaning by the door.

"Umayos kayong dalawa. I've had enough." Sabi ni Nathan at umalis na siya.

I was left alone with Kale.

Ano ginagawa nya dito?

I looked at him for a second then I laid down again, covering my face with a pillow.

I heard his footsteps going near me and I felt his weight on the bed. He sat down beside me.

"I broke up with her that day." Kale said. Nagulat ako sa sinabi nya.

"But I want you to know na sineryoso ko siya. At first, I didn't agree with hiding it from you, but I eventually did cause, I love her."

Parang may kumirot nanaman sa puso ko.

I heard him sob.

"I never felt a heartbreak. My heart never got torn in two. Kahit pag nag aaway kami ni Maddison, di ko naramdaman yun..."

I just remained silent.

"I only felt that with you."

A single tear fell from my eye.

"Putangina, ikaw pinaka ka close ko eh. Di na tayo mapaghiwalay..."

He sighed.

"I regret na di ko sinabi sayo. But I didn't regret loving Maddison because she was the best thing that ever happened to me."

I removed the pillow from my face.

"But if loving her means losing a brother then I would rather not."

Kale continued. I sat down, and faced him.

"Gabe, forgive me." He said.

I finally talked.

"Knowing that you loved her is enough, I know she was happy with you, and that's enough for me."

Mommy taught us to forgive even those who are impossible to forgive.

I forgived them both.

Kale and I went back to the way we were back then. But I didn't talk to Maddison anymore.

After that school year, I decided that I wanted to go back gome, to the philippines, and study there. I want to start a new life.

Gaya gaya naman tong si Nathan, siya din daw. Kale insisted that he wants to study college in the same school with me and Nathan. Noah and Arthur dreamed of Harvard since they were little so sa U.S. sila nag aral, pero sumama sila samin pauwi, but not for long.

Everything was going my way pag uwi ko. Masaya din kasi nandun yung kambal. I was already happy and contented with my life.

I eventually forgot about her already.

But she came back.

Hade called me the night we were at Grandma's birthday. He told me that Maddison will study at my school.

She really didn't giv up huh?

"Hello, I'm Maddison May. Nice to meet you all." She introuced herself in front.

At talagang classmate ko pa siya?

Ayaw nya talaga akong patahimikin ano?

Lumabas ako ng classroom, dismissal na. I saw Blythe and Lucas, and Maddison were talking to them.

"Kaibigan mo?" Lucas asked.

I stopped walking and answered.

"She used to be."

She's not my friend anymore, and she never will be.