Braylee

          I woke up to a text message from my Mom. Normally, whenever I receive text messages from them, I'd be glad and delighted but I guess today I just can't. Seeing their message made me feel heavier, like my chest is about to sink into the abyss and no one's there to save it because everyone else is in need of being saved too.

Mama:

Advance Merry Christmas baby

We love you so much and we really really miss you

How's your week? Are you doing okay?

         I started typing for my response... I'm not okay. I miss you, dad, and kuya so bad. I want to see Kuya healthy and okay again. I want us to be together this Christmas. I'd give up all of this just for us to be together again because I hate being away from you. I'm not happy. I'm not okay.

        Instead of tapping send, I chose to smile and delete the message instead. I'm crazy but not crazy enough to actually send that message to my Mom whose having a really hard time seeing my brother suffering from a monstrous disease.

You:

I'm doing pretty good hahaha

Maaa! December 1 naaaa!

Merry Christmaaaas! Miss you guys so much!

I'm having a great week Ma, I have a new friend and she's got a super sweet dog named Moo. Send u pics later!

Don't worry about me, I'm doing great and I'm having a great time here with my friends. 

Love you po... you, dad and kuya <3

       I sat on my bed and opened the radio on top of my table. And wouldn't you know, boses agad ni Jose Marie Chan ang narinig ko; palatandaang December na at napakalapit na ng pasko. Paskong hindi ko kasama ang pamilya ko.

****

        "B, don't wear that!"

         I stopped brushing my hair when Piper cried out. Piper tends to over react when she sees me wearing something that doesn't suit her taste, what's new.

        "What's wrong with my clothes?" I asked with a smile.

         "See for yourself!" Piper said as she grabbed me towards the tall mirror plastered on the wall.

         I saw my own reflection—a not so tall girl wearing yellow doll shoes, red pants and blue intramurals shirt. She's kinda cute, a fact that's backed up by my parents and crazy big brother.

         "And your point is?" I couldn't help but to laugh since there's literally nothing wrong with what I'm wearing.

        Piper's eye grew wide and I swear she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. "You look like a walking Philippine flag!" she spitted out fast and loud like a mad rapper.

       "A cute Philippine flag?" I grimaced , lowering my face and lifting my eyebrows to give her that cute baby satan look. 

       As expected, Piper looked at me disgustingly. That's the thing about Piper, she tends act disturbed but deep down, she's trying to hold back her laughter. 

****

        My day went pretty busy; I had to perform some lab experiments and catch up to all the quizzes and activities I missed since i've been absent for a dew days I also had to massage our Dorm-mother since her back was hurting again so it was already 10 PM when I got back to the dorm. Nadatnan kong mahimbing nang natutulog si Piper habang nakapatong ang libro sa kanyang puson, nakatulog na naman siya habang nag-aaral.

         Magbibihis na sana ako ng pantulog nang bigla akong makatanggap ng tawag mula kay Hawthorn. Parang nagiging schedule na namin ang oras na'to ah?

        He's calling through a mobile application; a videocall. Dahil videocall, ayokong marinig kami ni Piper kaya binuksan ko ang sliding door patungo sa balkonahe at naupo sa railings saka sinuot ang headset ko. Nang sagutin ko ang tawag niya, nakita kong para siyang nakahiga sa kama niya. Madilim ang background niya pero dahil sa ilaw ng cellphone niya, naliliwanagan bahagya ang mukha niya . Hindi gaya noon, hindi na masyadong malala ang eyebags sa ilalim ng mga mata niya. He still looks stressed, but not so much.

       "Videocall? This is new," biro ko. Napatingala ako sa kalangitan, kusa kong hinahanap ang mga bituwin sa kalangitan at hindi ako nabigo. Napakarami ngayong bituwin sa kalangitan.

       "Where are you?" tanong niya.

       "At our balcony," pagmamalaki ko.

       "Mag-jacket ka, mukhang malakas ang hangin," aniya. Siguro napansin niyang nililipad ng hangin ang mahaba kong buhok.

       "The cold breeze of air feels good, you shouldtry it some time," pang-eeganyo ko para naman gumaan ang pakiramdam niya.

        "Nga pala, may ik-kwento ako sa'yo!" Bulalas ko nang maalala ang nangyari kanina sa campus grounds.

         "Teka, hindi naman siguro to kwentong pambabae diba?" tanong niya na para bang takot makarinig ng girl-talk.

         "Nope!" Taas-noo kong pagmamalaki. "This short story is called the flag incident!"

          Nasa campus grounds kami ni Piper kasama sina Lucho, Warren at Riley. Dahil 7am ang klase namin, kailangan kaming umattend ng flag ceremony kasama ang iba pa naming mga kaklase. Ngunit hindi kami umabot sa gym, nasa campus grounds palang kami nang umalingawngaw bigla ang banda na tumutugtog ng lupang hinirang.

         Napakarami namin sa campus grounds. Napako kami sa kinatatayuan at napahawak na lamang sa mga dibdib namin at sinubukang sumabay sa pambansang awit.

        "Saan tayo haharap?!" narinig kong bulalas ng isa sa mga schoolmates namin.

         "Kay Braylee!" Biglang sigaw ni Piper at sa isang iglap ay nagulat ako nang nakaharap na ang lahat sa akin habang sumasabay sa pambansang awit. Tawang-tawa ang mababait kong mga kaibigan, si Warren nga ay kulang nalang mangisay sa sahig. 

          Sobrang nakakailang dahil nakaharap silang lahat sa akin habang nakahawak sa kanilang mga dibdib at kumakanta ng lupang hinirang. Hindi ko alam saan ako haharap kaya tumingala na lamang ako sa kalangitan, walang humpay sa pagdarasal na sana'y matapos na ang awitin.

         "Ba't sila humarap sa'yo?" tanong ni Hawthorn kaya natigil ako sa pagke-kwento't pinakita sa kanya ang suot kong yellow shoes, red pants at blue shirt.

         Tawang-tawa si Hawthorn nang mapagtantong ang suot ko ang dahilan kung ba't nila ako ginawang personal flag. Nakakainsulto na nang konti dahil sa lakas ng kanyang pagtawa pero hindi ko narin napigilan pang matawa sa sarili ko.

         Pinagmamasdan ko ang mukha ni Hawthorn habang tumatawa, ang saya-saya niyang tingnan.

        "Hindi ka ba nahihiya?" tawang-tawa parin si Hawthorn.

        "Nahihiya pero napatawa ko ang mga kaibigan ko, yan ang importante," giit ko dahilan para agad na maglaho ang ngiti sa mukha niya.

        "Ba't ba gustong-gusto mong pasayahin ang mga kaibigan mo?" tanong niya.

        "Because they've experienced so much pain and right now, they deserve to be happy," walang pagdadalawang-isip akong umamin.

        "Anong naging kasalanan mo at parang ambait-bait mo?" biro ni Hawthorn.

        "Marami," sabi ko. At sa pagkakataong ito, seryoso ako.

END OF CHAPTER 23!

Note: Advance Merry Christmas! Baka after Christmas pa ulit ako maka update, I won't be able to write on the 25th but I still have something up on my sleeves for you guys, just not Goodnight Enemy hehehe :)

my twitter handle is @serialsleeperwp 

THANKS FOR READING!

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