Friends
Ed Sheeran
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"@iamthomastorres: Bestfriends... :)"
***
"Kuya Thomas!" A group of girls shrieked as I came out of the dug-out here at the Arena. "Pa-picture po!!" I happily agreed. It's nice to see my fans, and it's nicer to know that I'm able to put a smile on their faces or even make them twitterpate.
A few shots were taken. They introduced themselves as I gladly shook their hands. I thought they would skid away after that, but I was wrong. They smiled mischievously at me and I looked at them waiting for what they're going to say or do.
"Kuya sino sinusupport mo sa game ngayon?" Lysa, the girl with a shoulder length hair asked.
"Lady Spikers syempre." A girl shrieked as I answered, weird. I think that's April? Not sure.
"Sino sa Lady Spikers?" Elli, the one with glasses asked.
I chuckled. I think I know what these girls are tryin' to do. "Lahat sila syempre." I answered with a smile.
"Pati si Ate Ara?" Lysa asked. I simply nodded. And then boom, kinilig na sila. I guess that's the term for it.
"Friends kayo ni Ate Ara?"
"Uhm, we know each other." I simply answered. Actually we're friends, bestfriends even. But I don't know. For me, she's more than a friend. More than my bestfriend. She's my gem, my emerald (because emerald's green haha).
"Sige kuya, sorry ang dami naming tanong at makulit kami. Pero bagay talaga kayo ni Ate Ara." Tin said. I think she's the calmest of the four of them. I laughed in my mind with what she said.
They waved good bye and I waved back, I even heard one of them pray for ThomAra to be real. Haha! I pray too.
Speaking of friends, and of Ara... we're bestfriends, but I don't know. We could be anything though. She's not my friend because I treat her differently than that of my friends. I know I'm not just a friend to her also, because friends don't treat each other like we do. Friends don't constantly text each other good-mornings and good-nights. Friends don't get jealous of another girl/guy right? I remember one time, I was having a shoot slash interview with a student from our school, It was a week-long shoot and it occupied all of my free time--mosts of which I spend with Ara just to eat out or make tambay anywhere. The next week after, she ignored me and was super cold with me! She would say na dun nalang ako sa 'girl' na yun sumama at mas nage-enjoy daw ako dun. I asked her if she was jealous, well obviously, she denied it, but I was sure of it. She was so cute! I had to treat her food the whole week just so that she would not ignore me or be mad at me.
But what's not fair was, when I was the one who got jealous of her hanging out with one of her guy friends and said they were doing their project. I admitted that I was jealous nung nainis siya that I was not talking to her when we got to hang out. Nag-sorry pa nga ko and said na alam kong wala akong karapatan. What hurt me was she said the words, "Friends lang kami nun. Tsaka friends lang din naman tayo ah?" Ouch.
Friends don't hold each other's hand out on a stroll at the park or at the mall. Friends don't have access on each other's social media accounts. Friends aren't suppose to have feelings for each other. And it's the secret that I've been keeping. Heaven knows that I would not want anyone to know about it, for I fear that it will all go wrong, heaven knows no one wants it to go wrong.
But she knew, because I cannot hold it in any longer. And I knew that I had to tell to her sooner or later. And thank the heavens nothing went wrong. And I won't ever believe her if she's going to tell me that I'm just a friend to her, that she doesn't feel the same, even a bit. Because my friends don't love me like she does. If she just saw how I see her, and if she just knew me like I know her, then she'd be able to love me too.
"Bans!" I was at the entrance to the bleachers, watching the second game from there when a familiar voice called me. My friends don't call me like that, it's only her who calls me that. I smiled as I turned around and saw her beaming at me. I know how happy she's feeling today since I am an athlete like her too. It may just be a simple game, but winning a game means a lot for athletes like us.
"Hey." I walked towards her as she dragged me all the way their dug-out, but just outside by the door. "Congrats!! Player of the Game!! Lakas talaga ng Labs ko!" I congratulated her when we made a stop. No one else was outside, I guess they're taking their showers pa.
"Itigil mo nga yang Labs na yan. Nakakainsulto!" She said, hugging me. She doesn't like it when I call her Labs. Ang cute niya lang kasi pag naasar kaya I like calling her that.
"Then stop calling me Bans. Quits lang noh. Bans for Bansot, then Labs for Labi." I laughed as I earned a hampas from her.
She broke the hug and kissed me on the cheek.
"Thanks for watching the game." She smiled, the Ara-Galang-Smile I fell for.
Friends don't kiss me like she do.
"Saktong inspiration ba?" I smirked.
"Nah. Sobra pa!" She giggled.
Well, come to think of it, if this girl and I were not friends, then someone would have loved her too. Someone would have taken her. And if we're not friends in the first place, then I wouldn't have had anything to do about it.
My professor once told me that there's a limit to everything, even in friendships. But my friends won't love me like she do. My friends would never make me feel the love that she makes me feel. My friends would never make my heart have premature ventricular contractions. For me, even the sky is not the limit. Because the impossible is just the possible that has not been done yet.
"Kaya Labs na labs kita eh." I told her as I squeezed her in my arms.
"Ahh! Bans! Puro pawis pa ko!"
"I love you, therefore I love your pawis too." I laughed.
"Gags." She laughed. "Bitaw na!"
"Ayaw. Namiss kaya kita. Masyado mong kinacareer trainings niyo."
"Syempre ako kaya captain. Baliw!" I laughed, I know, obvious naman. Naglalambing lang ako. And I really missed her.
It's really funny. How a lot could happen in a year. Just last year, I knew her as a co-athlete and then she just surprised me. Like I met her and I hardly paid any attention to her. But we became friends, and as I got to know her more, I noticed myself falling. This girl who once was nothing to me has became everything. All of a sudden she was the most beautiful person I've ever met. It's just funny looking back. I never saw it coming, it just kind of... happened. Like a wattpad story turned into a reality. Well, literally it did.
"I love you." I hugged her tighter and pulled my arms away from her.
"Love you too!" She cupped my face and gave me a peck on my lips and immediately went inside of their dug-out.
Damn this girl.
Damn Ara Galang.
Friends aren't supposed to be like this, right?
Then I guess, we're not really friends. Yet the world knows we are, bestfriends... but for us, we're more than that. And it's enough that we both know it, deep in our hearts.
