Chapter 2

My Girl

"Hindi na talaga kayo okay ni Ethan?"

Bumaling ako kay Kassie na nagtanong at nagbuntong-hininga na lang din ako.

"How about Janine?" She asked again.

"Of course they're okay! As long as Rina dumped Ethan, okay na 'yon kay Janine. Mas magagalit pa siya kapag hindi ginawa ni Rina ang gusto niya."

"It's not like that, Bianca." I said.

And Bianca just shrugged her shoulders.

Siguro nga ay kilala na rin kami ng mga dati pa naming kaibigan at alam na rin nila ang mga nararamdaman namin...

In high school we met both Kassandra and Bianca. And beside them may iba pa kaming mga kaibigan na nakilala rin sa high school. At naging malalapit kaming lahat sa isa't isa.

"You know what, let's just forget about this for now. I mean, let's just meet up with Echo and the rest?" Bianca's talking about our other friends from high school as well.

Tumango naman si Kassie sa kaniya. "Okay lang. Wala naman na akong gagawin."

"Okay, then!" Bianca clapped her hands once.

At wala na rin akong nagawa na sumama na lang din muna sa mga kaibigan ko. Hindi na rin kami palaging nagkikita at nagkakasama lahat since we also went to different colleges and universities. Sina Janine at Ethan, and these two Kassie and Bianca enrolled in the same university as me. Iyong iba naman ay sa ibang university rin pumasok. And we're meeting our other friends now.

Gusto rin mag-party ni Bianca at wala na halos kaming pasok pa lahat kaya naman nagkasundo rin kaming magkakaibigan including our friends from other universities to meet.

"My friends! Bianca, Rina and Kassie!" Ang lakas ng boses ni Echo sa loob ng bar nang makita niya kaming magkakasamang dumating.

"Shut up, Jericho." sabi naman sa kaniya ni Kassie.

While Bianca just laughed at him.

Ngumisi lang din naman si Echo sa amin. Gan'yan na talaga siya kahit noong high school kami. Medyo makulit talaga si Jericho Sarmiento at pasaway pero mabait naman at caring din sa aming magkakaibigan.

"Pupunta sina Ethan?" Henry asked.

Napabaling ako sa kaniya.

"Dunno." si Bianca ang sumagot.

"They'll be here. I asked Ethan." sabat naman ni Echo.

"Oh, look! Isn't that Kalyx Sevilla?"

Napatingin din ako sa tinitingnan na ngayon nina Bianca at Kassie. At agad kong naramdaman ang pag-iinit ng mukha ko sa kahihiyan dahil sa ginawa ko lang noong isang araw...

"Girls, Ethan's here!" Natawag ni Echo pabalik ang atensyon namin.

Nakita ko rin si Ethan kasama si Janine na nandoon na nga dumating.

"Janine..." tawag ko sa kaniya.

Tipid lang naman siya na ngumiti sa akin.

Hinila rin ako ni Bianca pagkatapos. "Tara! Samahan mo muna ako, Rina."

"Oy, oy, where are you girls going?" tawag pa sa amin ni Echo pero hindi na siya pinansin pa ni Bianca at tuloy-tuloy lang ako nito na hinila papunta kung saan.

"Hayaan mo na sila." I heard Kassie told Echo.

Iniwan namin ang mga kasama namin at dinala ako ni Bianca para ipakilala sa iba pa niyang kakilala na nandito rin ngayon sa party. "Do you see him? That nerdy guy over there with the glasses? I'll introduce you to him." She said.

"Huh? Why? Who's he..." I asked.

"He's a good guy, Rina. And I know that you really are a good girl, too. And don't you think good people should be together? And I'm telling you, Rina. That without his eyeglasses he really looked handsome, too." Bianca said.

Malapit na kami doon sa taong tinutukoy niya nang naunahan pa kami ng isang grupo...

Gusto ko agad tumalikod nang makita ko kung sino iyon at hinarap din kami nito, covering the guy that Bianca was just talking about.

"Kalyx. What are you doing? Are you bullying him again?"

Bumaling sa amin si Kalyx Sevilla. "What? Oh, Bianca..." Tiningnan niya si Bianca.

"But what are you talking about? What bullying? It's been ages ago. Freshman year pa 'yon. You still think of us like that?" He acted hurt. "We're not like that anymore. We grow up, too." He said. Pagkatapos ay ngumisi siyang nakatingin.

I didn't exactly know what they were talking about.

Bumaling din siya sa akin. And then Bianca went in front of me as if protecting me from the person in front of us.

"Bianca, is this your friend?" Nakangiti siyang tumingin pa rin sa akin kahit halos nasa likod na ako ni Bianca.

"Leave her alone, asshole. Anyway, we're here to talk to..." Natigilan si Bianca sa sinasabi niya dahil wala na rin doon iyong lalaki na sinasabi niya sa akin kanina.

"Oh, he left." Kalyx noticed that, too. At nagngisihan pa sila ng dalawa pa niyang mga kasamang lalaki. Probably his friends, too.

Hindi na pinansin ni Bianca si Kalyx Sevilla at ang mga kasama niya pagkatapos. Hinila na rin niya ako paalis doon at pabalik na sa mga kaibigan namin.

"Iniiwasan ka pa rin, Bianx? Dinamay mo pa talaga si Rina just to talk to him."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Kassandra."

Nakita ko na ngumisi lang naman si Kassie kay Bianca.

And then our food and drinks were served. At kumain na rin muna kami. I noticed that Ethan was looking at me. I caught him looking when I looked their way, too. Katabi niya naman si Janine. Mula sa pagtitingin kay Ethan ay tumingin na rin sa akin si Janine.

I looked away.

At nang hindi ko na makayanan ay nagpaalam akong magbabanyo lang.

Tumayo ako at nagtungo na sa CR. Pero sinundan din ako ni Ethan. "Ethan, what are you doing—"

"I can't stop thinking about this, Rina. How could you say that you like such a guy? And since when did you know him? I really don't buy your reason, Rina." He said.

Umiling naman ako sa kaniya. "It's not anymore your concern, Ethan." I said coldly. Nahihirapan na rin ako sa sitwasyon namin ngayon at naiipit din ako sa kanilang dalawa ni Janine... I just want our friendship to remain the same...

"Rina—"

But then Ethan was cut off and Bianca was there, too. "Cut it, Ethan. Rina already dumped you. She already said no. Are you forcing her?"

Napatingin kaming dalawa ni Ethan sa kaniya.

"Bianca..."

Lumapit siya sa akin at hinawakan ako sa braso ko. "Let's go, Rina. Magwa-washroom din ako." She said and then we went together.

Tumango na ako kay Bianca at iniwan na namin si Ethan doon.

Pagkatapos ay sinundan din kami ni Kassie sa banyo. "Janine look like she's in a bad mood when she couldn't stop Ethan from coming after Rina." She said.

Tahimik lang naman ako sa pinag-usapan nila ni Bianca.

"She shouldn't direct her anger towards Rina. Kasalanan ba ni Rina na siya ang gusto ni Ethan?"

"Bianca..."

Bumaling sa akin si Bianca. "And how about you? Really, Rin. Wala ka rin ba talagang gusto kay Ethan? Or you're just saying that because you're being considerate of Janine's feelings..."

I opened my mouth to say something only to close it again because I didn't know what to say anymore...

Kassie sighed beside us. "Don't worry about Ethan. Pagsasabihan na rin 'yon mamaya nina Echo at Henry. I'm sure he will listen to his best friend Henry. Let's just leave Ethan to him."

Nagbuntong-hininga na lang din si Bainca pagkatapos.

And after partying for a few hours, Janine said that she wasn't feeling well kaya niyaya na rin niya si Ethan na umuwi na at ihatid siya sa kanila.

"Alright." Ethan agreed with her as well. Pero bumaling din siya sa akin. "Rina, go home with us, too. Ihahatid na rin kita sa inyo." He said.

Hindi naman agad ako nakakibo. But then I saw Janine's reaction like she didn't like the idea. Umiling na lang din ako kay Ethan pagkatapos. "Hindi na, Ethan. Uh, uuwi na rin naman ako pagkatapos... Sasabay na ako..." I looked at our friends who looked like they're still enjoying the party.

"Kanino ka sasabay? Kalyx Sevilla?"

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa sinabi ni Ethan.

"Are you guys talking about me?"

And talk of the devil and the devil is here...

Lalo pa yata akong pinanlakihan ng mga mata ko. At agad akong bumaling kay Kalyx Sevilla na nasa likod ko na pala.

My lips parted. But I couldn't say anything...

"Kalyx, are you really going home now? Sabi nina Theo uuwi ka na raw. Totoo ba? Ang aga pa, ah..."

Nagkatinginan kami ni Kalyx. Pero inalis niya rin sandali sa akin ang atensyon niya. "Sorry, girls. I'm really going now. And," walang pagdadalawang-isip na bigla na lang niya akong inakbayan. "My girl here will bring me home. Right, babe?" He sweetly smiled at me when he turned back to me.

While my eyes were just wide as I looked back at him. At hindi na rin ako nakasagot pa...

"Let's go, Ethan. Let's just leave Rina with him..." I heard Janine say. Pero hindi ko na rin sila mapagtuunan ng atensyon ko dahil nabigla pa ako sa ginawa ni Kalyx Sevilla.

"What did you say there?" Bumitaw ako sa kaniya nang matapos na niya akong dalhin sa parking lot at nasa harap na kami ng sasakyan niya.

But he still smiled at me. "What? I said that you're my girl... Uh, I heard your friend saying na sasabay ka sa akin..." His annoying fake smile was already getting to me.

Umiling ako. "It's a misunderstanding—"

"I don't think we've ever talked before..." He looked like he's thinking. "What were you probably telling your friends about me?" Tumingin siya sa akin. At sa mga mata ko.

Nag-iwas naman ako ng tingin. "It's not like that..."

"Hmm..."

Muli akong tumingin sa kaniya. At nakatingin din siya sa akin na para bang pinag-aaralan niya ako...

"Anyway, just drive me home right now. Damn... Ang sakit ng ulo ko. You know how to drive? Or not?"

Unti-unti akong napatango sa kaniya.

"All right, then."

And then I don't know why but I also went in his car with him...