GAYLE stops by the park pagkatapos magdinner. Ilang araw din siyang hindi lumabas ng bahay. The wind is calm to her skin. It gives her the same calmness inside. The night is deep. Madilim ang paligid yet she saw a colored piece of paper na naiibabawan ng mga tuyong dahon. She bends down to look at it in curiosity only to realize it's a sticky note just like what she had but it isn't one of those she had written.

Dear Someone;
       Hello? I've been looking for a note sticked by this bench but there isn't any. Buhay ka pa naman noh? Maybe you're feeling better? I hope so. Sana habang binabasa mo ito, okay ka na.

Gayle smiles for the first time reading this someone's letter. She must be feeling a little lighter now.

Dear No One;
     For the first time in my life, I felt lighter. There is this person who made me realize what I have. Maybe I was just overthinking things, assuming I'll lost them. For the first time, I felt.. different.

When she heard what that call-boy was ranting about her sulking for days, it stays in her head. Magdamag niyang napagisip-isip ang mga bagay. Maybe the only key to happiness is acceptance.

Little by little, natanggap niya na mas magiging masaya ang mommy niya out there. Maybe she really needs that space to move on. She caged herself into believing it was her fault. Na kung hindi siya dumating sa buhay ng mag-asawa, they wouldn't be separating like this.

All of that, self-inflicted pain lang. Siguro darating din yung time that her dad and mom will see each other again and start over. She just needs to be happy for them.

Magaan ang pakiramdam na nilisan niya ang bench leaving the letter for that someone who's been talking to her by pen.

Pagkarating niya sa tapat ng bahay niya ay rinig niya agad ang boses ng lalaki sa bakuran niya kaya dali-daling pumasok siya. They both glance at her when she arrived. Rant checks the time on his cheap old wristwatch.

"Kanina ka pa umalis sa barbeque house, ah. May iba ka pa bang pinuntahan? Nakita mo naman diba na hindi safe sa daan kapag gabi na." Rant scolds her like someone who should act concern. He's occupying her hammock with his dog sitting on the ground.

"I don't think I should be reporting to you." Gayle acted coldly.

"Nagaalala lang naman ako noh. Kumbaga, may experience na ako sa danger sa kalsada kapag gabi. Eh ikaw pa naman, babae ka. Paano ko naman ipapaubaya sa'yo si askal kung maaga siyang mawawalan ulit ng amo dahil sa pagiging careless?"

"You're giving him to me?" Natigilan si Rant when Gayle unconsciously smiles walking to askal. He gulp. How come he's just seeing that charming smile now?

"What? Wala nang bawian. He's mine now." Gayle stood infront of him after petting askal. "What are you looking at?" Rant shook his head.

"Wala naman. You know you should smile often. You're prettier that way." Rant complimented her and here her heart rumbling again!

Hindi niya alam kung paano magrereact kaya napaatras na lang siya bumping to the table. Her hand accidentally touches a knife resting there close to a mango.

"Okay ka lang?" Mabilis din namang nakalapit si Rant sa babae nang makitang napadikit ito sa kutsilyo. She had a small cut on her finger.

"I'm fine." Hinablot ni Gayle ang kamay from him. Whenever this Rant shows up recently, she always felt.. unfocused.

Nakita niyang naghalungkat sa bag ang lalaki at lumapit ulit sa kaniya. "Give me your hand."

"Don't overreact. It's just-" Rant just took her hand and ignores her mumbling. He covered the cut with a.. bandaid. Gayle stared at it then up to his face.

"Madalas din akong masugatan kaya lagi akong meron niyan. Wag mo na lang pansinin yung stripes. Kung maglalagay din lang kasi ako ng bandaid sa mukha maigi na yung may design para cool tingnan, diba?" Nginisian pa siya nito proudly telling her the story of his bandaid.

There is also one story Gayle knew about this bandaid. Alam niya rin kaya? Tulirong tumitig si Gayle sa kisame ng kwarto niya at itinaas ang daliring nilagyan ni Rant ng bandaid.

It's his? Napaupo bigla si Gayle sa isiping iyon and askal watches her being distracted in the middle of the night.

"It can't be him. It's not like he owns all this kind of bandaids." She convinced herself.

But how come she haven't got curious about that someone writing back to her? Did he knew it was her?

No. He mustn't. Ugh! Why that Rat! Gayle curled on her bed and buried herself under her blanket.

KINABUKASAN, she brought askal to take a walk in the park. Mainly because she should check kung may reply na ba sa note niya. She badly wants to know. Pagkarating sa park, nakasalubong nila si Rant.

"Askal! Good morning, buddy! And same to you, lady." Her heart has been constantly reacting to his disgusting pa-charming smile and wink. At dumagdag pa ang posibilidad na ito yung kausap niya sa mga notes niya.

"W-What are you doing here?" Pinigilan niya ang sariling matanong agad ito tungkol sa pagpalitan nila ng notes. Pwedeng hindi naman siya yun, eh di nagmukha lang siyang tanga. Not for the second time. Naging tanga na siya nang akalain niyang may gusto ito sa kaniya when infact, he didn't.

"Hinihintay ko si askal. Alam kong magaaya yang mamasyal dito lalo na't wala namang pasok." Rant keeps his smiling and bright face. Lumagpas lang naman ang paningin ni Gayle sa lalaki patungo sa bench sa dulo.

"Then take him with you for a while. Bi-Bibili lang ako ng pagkain." Pagdadahilan ni Gayle para lang makalapit sa bench.

"Ililibre mo din ba ako?" Lalong lumapad ang ngiti sa kaniya ng lalaki. Humakbang pa ito palapit sa kaniya while trying to look pleasing.

"Pagiisipan ko." Inirapan niya lang ito saka na iniwan ang dalawa. Nilingon niya pa ulit ang lalaking abala nang nagpapahabol sa aso bago niya sekretong nilapitan ang bench.

And there, her note was sticked by the bench with the same design of the bandaid on her finger. Her eyes stares back to Rant. Tahimik na binasa niya ang nakasulat sa papel.

Dear Someone;
      You like him. Whoever that person is, well kung lalaki ba siya. Your heart must be beating for him now kaya nabago niya ang mindset mo. Reach out and keep him. You're doing great, lady.

Shelovesrain❤