When Destiny Plays

Chapter 54

"Pwede ba kahit 17 pa lang?" tanong ni Koeli.

Madison shrugged her shoulders, but grinned at her. Alishabeth on the other hand, pouted and started examining her surroundings. After the confrontation happened between her and Glenn, she never spoke to him again and same goes to Glenn.

"Siguro naman pwede..." Madison answered, but she wasn't sure.

Nagkatinginan silang apat at natulala sa isa't isa. Silence was built among the four of them. No one dared to speak.

"Shall we go?" Carmine asked to break the silence.

"Tara na, nananghalian na ba kayo?" Isa-isang pinagmasdan ni Alishabeth ang mga kasama niyang matipid lang ang naging sagot sa kanya.

Madison responded by nodding her head while the other two responded no, but for Alishabeth, she wanted all of them to be full and comfortable before applying for a summer job.

"Kain muna tayo. Dapat busog tayong lahat."

***

Nakarating sila sa isang karinderya at doon muna sila nagpalipas oras upang makakain. Bago pa man sila mag-apply ng summer job, sinigurado muna nilang tatlo na hanggang apat na linggo lamang ang kanilang papasukang mga araw.

Alishabeth and Madison took their seats beside one another while Carmine and Koeli started ordering their foods and drinks over the counter. Maiging pinag-iisipan ang kanilang kakainin dahil hindi naman sila gaanong gutom.

"How are you, my friend?" Madison asked happily.

Alishabeth slowly turned her head towards Madison, but didn't open her mouth. She never wanted to open up about the confrontation happened between her and Glenn, but some of her friends noticed that they weren't that close anymore and doesn't even speak whenever they see each other before their semestral break came.

"Okay lang..." she lied. She turned her head away from Madison as her chest started pounding heavily.

"Kumusta kayo ni Glenn?"

Before Alishabeth could even speak, Madison noticed her facial expression. She just recognized at that point of time that her friend was hiding something from them—she could see it in Alishabeth's eyes that she was suffering from something.

"Would you like to tell anything... to us? O, kahit sa akin na lang muna?" Alishabeth took a deep breath as she saw Madison's worried face.

"W-wala 'to... okay lang ako..." Madison gave Alishabeth a pat on her left shoulder, asking her to tell it right away.

"I don't like seeing you suffering. So, please... tell me," Madison pleaded.

Muling bumalik ang nangyari sa araw na iyon, ang kasamaan ng loob niya ay bumalik. Ang tiwala niyang nasira dahil sa paulit-ulit na paglabag ni Glenn sa kanya. For her, rules are rules, it must be followed.

"I didn't accept Glenn," matipid niyang tugon habang nakatulala.

"What's the reason?"

"He broke his promise multiple times."

***

Habang nakasakay sila sa jeep, tahimik na nagmamasid-masid si Alishabeth sa labas ng bintana. She finally said it to her best friend, but refused to let Madison tell it to their other friends. She wanted to keep it as secret in the meantime.

She felt someone snaked their arm around her waist causing her to startle a bit. She suddenly realized that the person sitting beside her was her one and only best friend, Madison—giving her a warm smile as she noticed Alishabeth staring at her. Madison tried her best to let her friend feel comfortable for the meantime.