THE FORBIDDEN LIST (UNIPHANT)

Chapter 13

Ella's POV

I've never felt this scared before, and there's no way to say that I'm in love. Napasobra lang ata ako ng inom ng kape kaya ganito. Tama. Yun lang yun. Di na nga ako iinom ng kape, kung ano anong nararamdaman ko.

11pm na, di parin ako makatulog. Samantalang tulog na tulog naman si Gabb dito sa tabi ko. Nakaharap sya sakin. I can see her lips. No Ella--stop!. Nababaliw ka na ba?. Hindi, napasobra ka lang talaga sa kape na hindi ka na makatulog at parang natutunaw ang utak mo na ang tanging naiwang idea ay si Gabb. This is bad.

KINABUKASAN

Breakfast.

"Sama ka?." Biglang tanong nya.

"San?."

"Sa langit."

"Huh?."

"Joke haha kina Sela."

"Bakit?. Anong meron?."

"Magpapatattoo lang ako, andyan daw kasi yung kaibigan ng Kuya niyang tattoo artist kaya--"

"T-teka, magpapatattoo ka?."

"Kakasabi ko lang diba?."

"As in yung totoong tattoo?."

"Oo."

"Ay naku Gabb, wag. Para ka nang preso nyan."

"Hindi naman malaki. Maliit lang. Siguro dito sa wrist, ankle or dito nalang sa bandang tiyan para di kita."

"Ang katawan ay templo ng esp--"

"Hindi naman natin bababuyin. Konting design lang. Saka ako lang magpapatattoo, sasama ka lang. Ano?."

"S-sige. Basta maliit lang ah. Sige ka, ampanget mo na pag marami kang tattoo."

"Alam ko naman po yun."

So after naming kumain ay dumiretso na kami kina Sela. Nagpatattoo na si Gabb. Sa bandang tiyan nya nga pinagawa. Ayokong makakita ng dugo kaya lumabas muna ako at nagstay sa poolside. Sumunod pala sakin si Rans. Tinabihan nya ko sa may bench.

"Humihilik parin ba siya pag tulog?." She said out of nowhere.

"What?."

"Si Gabb. Pansin ko lang kasi na medyo nagbago siya simula nung dumating ka. In a good way ah. I mean okay naman syang kaibigan before, pero most of her time was spent with Chester. Palagi syang walang time samin. Si Chester kasi ganito, si Chester kasi ganyan. Puro nalang Chester. Pero nitong mga nakaraang araw ikaw na yung bukambibig nya. She's not possibly in love with you right? Kasi--"

"H-hindi naman siguro."

"Malay natin. Everything's possible."

"But not everything that's possible is good."

"Pano mo nagagawa yan?."

"Ang alin?."

"Yang ganyan. Yang pagiging mabait, masunurin--I mean rules are meant to be broken. Don't you think that following rules takes away your freedom?."

"Rules are meant to protect you from breaking yourself. And no, it doesn't take away anyone's freedom."

"Well, you can't do whatever you want."

"2+2."

"Anong connect?."

"Sagutin mo nalang. 2+2."

"Malamang 4."

"Hindi ah. 5."

"Hahaha anong 5?. 4 yun tangek."

"Pano mo nalamang 4 yung tamang sagot?."

"Malamang nag-aral ako. Tinuruan akong magbilang. 2+2 is equal to 4 Ella, period."

"Freedom is to believe that 2+2 is equal to 4. There are two choices, right and wrong. Do what's right which means follow the rules and be rewarded or do what's wrong but face the consequences. How can you say that you don't have freedom if you have choices given?. You're given the opportunity to do what's best for you and you still choose the worst."

"Pero may rules parin  Ella."

"Imagine practicing an instrument. Your idea of freedom is to do whatever you want. Ngayon itatanong ko sayo, will you actually learn how to play it if you do it in your own way?. Without following the rules and learning musical theory. You have no idea what chords are because you try your best to avoid them. You know rules are maps para di ka maligaw. It restricts you on doing the same mistake over and over again. It's making it easier for you to reach your destination or goal. And for that to happen, you must first have self-discipline by following the rules. Hindi pwedeng kuskus lang ng kuskos, pindot lang ng pindot. Once you master those rules, that's where freedom comes in. Freedom is to make something good out of hard work. You can't make good music out of ignorance. Kung sa doctor, mag-aral ka muna bago ka mag-opera."

..

Gabb's POV

Lunch time. Kumakain kami ngayon kina Sela. Magkatabi sila ni Ella at masayang nagkukwentuhan kasama sina Abby, Belle at Coleen.

"You're right. She really is something else." Mahinang sabi ni Rans.

"Huh?."

"Si Ella. I never met someone as passionate as her."

"Oo nga. Magkasama nga pala kayo kanina. Anong pinag-usapan nyo?." Tanong ko.

"Bakit? Selos ka?." She smirked.

"Oo. Dapat kasi akin ka lang love. Yieee." Tukso ko sa kanya.

"Parang tanga to haha. Mamaya nyan may makarinig sayo, mabuking pa tayo ay." Ganyan lang talaga kami magbiruan sa isa't isa.

..

Belle's POV

Parang di ata ako natutuwa sa nakikita ko. Madalas ko namang makita na nagkakasiyahan sina Gabb at Rans pero ngayon parang iba. Para na kasing ewan--di ko maexplain.

Katabi ko si Sela sa kabilang side at nasa tapat ko naman sina Abby, Gabb at Rans.

So basically,

           Abby, Gabb, Rans
Coleen
           Ella, Sela, Ako.

"Ah Gabb, pusit pa oh. Diba paborito mo yan?." Sabat ko.

"Ay hindi na. Okay nato Belle, medyo busog narin ako." Sabi lang ni Gabb at bumalik na sa pakikipag-usap kay Rans.

3pm napagpasyahan ng lahat na magmovie marathon. Medyo masaya ako kasi nakatabi ko si Gabb dito sa bandang pinakalikuran. Pinatay na ang ilaw, tanging ilaw lang sa widescreen ang nagbibigay ilaw samin.

Nakikita kong medyo nabobored na si Gabb kasi parang inaantok na siya. I offered na sumandal sya balikat ko. But she didn't accept it, she just held my hand and smiled at me. I felt my cheeks heating up. But why?. Madalas nya naman tong ginagawa samin na friends niya.

We stared at each other. Gosh, why am I staring at her lips?. Why am I closing our gap?. She's doing the same thing. Ilang centimeters nalang sana nang biglang nagvibrate ang phone niya. May nagtext ata. And no, hindi ako nanghihinayang. Hindi kaya ako nag-iisip na halikan si Gabb. Hindi nga ba?.

Nang basahin nya yung text parang biglang nalungkot siya.