We are having our lunch in the canteen. This is how it is; we eat here together during interval and lunch, kasama ang mga kaklase naming boys. They are our kuyas, a guy best friends. Kapag may hindi magandang nangyari sa aming mga girls, to the rescue naman sila.
They are our constant support strength during any life problem. We can trust them blindly with all our heart and soul. Aww~ matouch kayo. We know they won't let us down.
"Do you guys remember when we were in grade 11?" Kalix, one of our male classmates.
"We were so naughty then, as teacher Femia called us 'section tae,'" we laugh as we recalled what Kalix has said.
They make sure that we always keep smiling, and nothing troubles us.
"Hindi naman kami iyong mga makukulit dito e, kayo 'yon." Lilla is pointing her finger at them as if she's blaming them at those moments.
"Hmm lahat tayo 'no!"
We can be furious at them anytime and make up for it later. We feel they will be around. We can crib about others to them, and they patiently heed to all rubbish and ludicrous conversations.
We can count on them always because they're our home. This class is our home. Our comfort zone. We know they'll always be there.
I'll surely miss this kind of bonding with them. It's priceless, dude.
Amid our laughter, I could not help but think that Aaron was no longer making me feel better. No more text, chat, or calls from him.
The students returned to their respective rooms.
*ting*
Tiningnan ko iyong phone ko. Tuno iyon ng messenger e. I got confused when I saw who just messaged me. I thought it's Aaron. Hindi pala..
Ephraim Sylvester •
Hi. Can I ask?
I was about to answer when Teacher Ciara arrived in our room.
Hindi ko aakalain na magchachat sa akin 'tong taong 'to. Anyway, may itatanong lang naman 'yon.
Uwian na, nakita ko si Ephraim na kasama si Jasper. Sila palagi iyong magkasamang umuuwe. Naalala ko tuloy iyong chat niya. Hindi ko pa siya narereplyan. Hays. Ang bad ko. Hinanap ko si Aaron pero wala.
Dumating na ako ng bahay at nakita ko si My na nanonood ng balita sa TV. I kissed her cheeks and went upstairs. Kinuha ko iyong phone ko saka ako nag open ng messenger. I saw Ephraim's name on my chat list.
I typed "Ano 'yon?" and I send it to him.
Nagpalit na ako ng damit at tiningnan ko kung may reply na o wala. I lay down on my bed.
*ting*
I grabbed my phone, and there's a reply from Ephraim.
Ephraim Sylvester •
Never mind. Regarding sa student council. Atsaka nasagot na. Thank you.
Wala na akong maisip na irereply. So sineen ko na lang.
I went to my contacts and clicked Aaron's name there. Tawagan ko na kaya siya?
Why don't I see him at school anymore? Or was he running away from me?
Instead, I called Noah.
"Hi, Emine!" Ang bilis sumagot ha.
"What's the prob?" she added.
"Uh.. Nothing. I want to ask sana if you see Aaron at school."
"Oh.." she fell silent.
"Look. Three weeks he’s had to get in touch, Emine. You’ve been sending him messages, calling him, all sorts of other things that very plainly I’d never expect of someone like you, and yet – no reply. It's a love we are discussing, and it hurts. But it doesn’t stop hurting until you understand the truth and move on." Noah preached to me the last things she said.
"I’d move on if I surely knew that he completely wasn’t interested. But I don’t." It was like a whisper when I said my last words.
"Ewan ko sa'yo, Emine. Nakakainis ka." I just laughed at what Noah said.
I wanted power over this uncontrollable mood. I couldn’t sleep; the thought of food brought my insides to convulse. I couldn’t focus on anything, and I leaped on my phone with the rage of a starving animal when it buzzed. Exhaustion gathered at me throughout the day, great fibrous heaps of it; suffocation, at moments, and yet I wasted most of the night wide awake, staring into the pitchy darkness of my room.
Perhaps it's true; I should let him go. I'm the only one who's pathetic between the two of us. I have to motivate myself without him.
