TITLE: CURE 
WRITTEN BY: @talajeane

"Congratulations!"

Gray pulled me into a tight hug. Niyakap ko rin sya pabalik at bahagya pang napapatalon.

We just completed High School but it feels like we also completed college.

"Congratulations, too, Gray!" malaking ngiting wika ko. Wala na sigurong makakasira ng araw ko ngayon--

"BESTIEEE! GRAAAAY! MAYAAAA! AAAAHHH! WE MADE IT! AT DAHIL DYAN, MAGBIBIGAY AKO NG QUIZ!"

--or just as I thought.

Napabitaw ako sa yakap ni Gray at napalingon kay Jeremy. Pare-parehas pa namin suot ang mga uniforms namin. Yeah, hindi kami nakatoga since moving up at hindi naman graduations. We also have medals. I think I'm gonna cry any moment.

"Ito, bakit tayo umakyat sa stage kanina no'ng tinawag pangalan natin?" tanong ni Jeremy.

I frowned and refused to answer. Gano'n din ang itsura ni Gray. Si Math lang ang tila naaaliw.

"Hey, you two, don't give me such look!" tinuro pa kami ni Jeremy then he pouted. The hell? Hindi bagay sakanya!

I shot a disgusting look pero hindi sya natinag at mas hinabaan paa ang pagkakanguso nya! Gray hit his face kaya agad syang napa-aray.. "ARAY KO GRAY, AH! BESTIE OH--" 

"Don't pout, pun. Hindi bagay sa'yo," Gray strangulated. Sinamaan sya ng tingin ni Jeremy bago ito muling lumabi.

"Nice try, Gray," Jeremy said, grinning. Napangiwi nalang ako sa paiba-ibang reaksyon nya. Oh well, that's Jeremy.

"Nice try? What?" naguguluhang tanong ni Gray. Lumapit si Math sa pwesto namin bago ako yakapin at batiin. I congratulates her, too. Bumaling rin sya kay Gray at binati rin bago-- What the hell?

HINALIKAN NYA SI GRAY! 

Uh, why do I have to Capitalize those? I rolled my eyes on my own thought. 

"HOY, MAYA! PRIVATE PROPERTY! RESERVED! OFF LIMITS NA YAN! YOU'RE TRESPASSING!"  

Agad na hinila ni Jeremy si Math palayo kay Gray. Nakatitig lang si Gray sa'kin na parang gustong magpaliwanag. Napaiwas ako ng tingin. At hindi naman nya kailangan magpaliwanag. Kahit maghalikan pa sila dyan ni Math. Wala akong pakialam.

"Ano ba, Jeremy. Gusto mo bang ikaw ang halikan ko?" Pagpupumiglas ni Math.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Jeremy bago takot na binitawan si Math. Tinakpan nya pa ang bibig nya.

"Kabahan ka nga sa sinasabi mo Maya! Mas lalo namang private property 'tong sa'kin!" Halos hindi maintindihang sabi ni Jeremy dahil natatakpan nga ng palad nya ang bibig nya. Math rolled her eyes.

Tinggal ni jeremy ang kamay nya na humaharang sa labi nya bago itinuro si Gray at Math. He even squinted his eyes.

"Kayong dalawa, iniiba nyo 'yong topic, e! Hindi nyo ba talaga masagot ang quiz ko?" wika ni Jeremy.

Napabuntong-hininga ako. Akala ko pa naman nakalimutan na nya 'yong tinatanong nya kanina.

"Bestie?" Humarap sa'kin si Jeremy and he batted his eyes lashes! Pinigilan ko ang sarili kong sakalin sya ng suot nyang medal! 

I glare at him bago napilitang sumagot. "Don't do that again. Ano nga ulit 'yong tanong mo?"

Napapalakpak sya. "Bakit tayo umakyat no'ng tinawag ang mga pangalan natin kanina?" 

"Uh, kasi tinawag tayo?" sagot ko.

Sinamaan ako ng tingin ni Jeremy. Pati si Gray at Math napailing. What? Sinagot ko na nga, e!

"Ewan ko sa'yo, Bestie." Bumaling sya sa dalawa. "Gray? Maya?" 

Gray shrugged. "Shoot." 

"Kasi sasabitan tayo ng medal?" si Math. 

Napahawak si Jeremy sa noo nya na animong stress na stress sa mga sagot naman. Aba, kami nga dapat ang ma-stress sakanya!

"Matatalino ba talaga kayong tatlo? You even completed high school yet you can't answer my question? My gad!" exaggerated na wika ni Jeremy.

"Just shoot, Pun."

"Sabihin mo nalang, Je." 

"Bakit nga?" 

Napailing si Jeremy sa mga sinabi namin. "Kay tayo umakyat kanina no'ng tinawag tayo kasi nga, MOVING UP 'to! Gets nyo? MOVING UP! Edi aakyat tayo tapos kapag Moving down bababa! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA." And he starts laughing like a retard.

Napapalingon na din samin ang mga tao. Napatakip ako sa mukha ko sa kakahiyan.

Hindi pa man humuhupa ang tawa ni Jeremey when we heard a loud scream. Mas malakas pa sa tawa ni Jeremy.

"KYAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" 

Sabay sabay kaming napalingon sa bandang stage ng makita ang mga nagkukumpulang tao sa back stage.

"It looks like the Triumvirate plus one is needed." wika ni Jeremy habang nakatingin sa babaeng naka-bigti at wala ng buhay.

It looks like crimes won't leave us even if in this kind of celebration.

And I never thought that that would be the last crime scene that the Triumvirate Plus One will solve.

"For richer or for poorer--" 

It has been five years. The next day after our Moving up, Gray told me that he will study abroad. In Singapore, to be exact. 

"You will wait for me, right?" said Gray. Napaiyak na ako habang nakayakap sakanya.

"Gray..." 

He caresses my hair before planting a kiss on the top of my head. "Shh. . . Babalik naman ako." 

Napatango ako pero hindi pa rin tumitigil sa pagluha. Babalik sya? Kailan? After 3 years? 4 years? 5? 

I waited. I patiently waited for him to come back but I never thought

I waited. I patiently waited for him to come back but I never thought that while I'm waiting, he finally found someone who he wants to be with for the rest of his life.

"No I pronounce you, Husband and Wife. You can kiss the Bride." 

The whole place was covered by the loud applause when the Groom and the Bride took their first kiss as a newly weds. 

Napapalakpak din ako. Before, I thought I will be the one who'll walk down the aisle while Gray will be the one who'll wait for me. But, now. I guess, this is the sign that I'm looking. Senyales na kailangan ko ng tanggapin na Gray and I are not meant to be. That I have to let go of Gray even though he's not mine to begin with.

When I learned that Gray has found someone. I put my heart under quarantine due to its broken damage. Until now, My heart is still under quarantine. I'm still looking for the cure. For the remedy.

"Amber." 

Napalingon ako sa lalaking naglalakad papalapit sa'kin. He never leave my side when I'm on my darkest moment.

"Khael," I smiled. 

Maybe the cure was in my front all along but I chose to ignore that because I'm still hoping for a chance. But now, Siguro hindi na kailangan i-quarantine ng puso ko 'cause the cure is in my front, looking straight at me.

Mikhael Timothy Alonzo.

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