"Are you sure you didn't do anything?"

"Siraulo ka ba?! I just wanted to spook her! 'Yon lang talaga! That was purely coincidence!"

"Okay, okay. I was just kidding. Jeez . . .  baka isumpa mo rin ako"

"Hey!"

"Okay, seryoso na. Anong nangyari pagkatapos?"

✦ ✦ ✦

"Girl, pumunta kaya tayo sa church?" bulong sa akin ni Carri habang nasa kalagitnaan kami ng pagche-check ng test paper.

"What will we do there? Ask God for forgiveness because you exist?" I grinned, only wiping it off my face as soon as she glared at me.

"Papabendisyunan natin 'yang dila mong may sapi ng demonyo," she said flatly.

I rolled my eyes and sighed, choosing to pay attention to the our teacher instead. However, no matter how much I try to focus, I couldn't help but feel bad for Marika. Overnight her life crumbled. At sumaktong pagkatapos pa talaga ng pananakot ko sa kanya.

Sure, I was angry at the girl for her cruelty, but I didn't really want her life to be ruined. All I wanted was for her to realize how awful she was being. 'Yon lang.

After checking our papers and recording our scores, the school bell rang. Excited to see Blueberry, dali-dali kong iniligpit ang mga gamit ko.

"OMG! OMG! OMG!" Nagulat ako nang bigla na lamang lumapit sa akin si Carri na para bang isang uod na binudburan ng asin. Mabilis niyang pinakita sa akin ang cell phone niya. "Girl, tingnan mo 'yong tweet, oh? Goodbye Marika raw?"

"She unalived herself?!" My heard dropped. 

"No! It's like they packed their bags in the middle of the night and left as fast as possible! Pati mga aso sa bahay nila, wala na rin!" Carri explained, giving me a bit of relief.

"You know what?" Pumikit na lamang ako nang mariin at huminga nang malalim bago dumilat. "This is all just a coincidence, so I will stop feeling guilty about this. Let's go eat lunch?"

"Sige." Carri sighed as a grin suddenly crept up her face. "Libre na kita dahil baka isumpa mo rin ako."

I raised my book, but before I could even smack her with it, kumaripas na siya ng takbo. Dali-dali naman akong humabol sa kanya. Para kaming mga batang naghabulan patungo sa cafeteria, pero bago pa tuluyang makapasok dito, huminto na ako sa pagtakbo.

Nakita kong nagpatuloy si Carri sa pagtakbo papasok, patawa-tawa at pasigaw-sigaw pa kasi akala niya hinahabol ko pa rin siya. 

Tumayo muna ako sa isang tabi at nag-ayos ng buhok. Wala akong salamin kaya cell phone ko na lang ang ginamit ko upang masiguradong presentable akong tingnan. Habang nag-aayos ng buhok ko mula sa screen, nakita kong naglalakad si Braylee patungo sa akin. She looked so cute as she waddled toward me like a penguin, peace signs raised above her cheeks.

Braylee was too adorable that I had to take our photos. Paiba-iba pa ang pose namin sa bawat pindot ng capture button.

"You're in a good mood?" salubong ko sa kanya nang tuluyan siyang makalapit sa akin.

Braylee giggled, her smile almost twinkling. What I would do to see Blueberry smile at me like this.

"Hindi ah!" She stopped smiling and tried to pout, but the glow in her face was too obvious to ignore.

"'Yong manliligaw mo?" I playfully squinted my eyes.

"Hindi, a!" tanggi niya agad, para bang natatawa pa. "Walang nanliligaw sa akin, ate! Promise!"

"Want me to set you up?" I grinned. "I know this nice guy in your batch. Very talented na musician. Interested?"

Braylee smiled warmly, pressing her lips together while shaking her head.

All of a sudden, I noticed it. The look of apprehension on her face. Para bang masaya siya pero pinipigilan niya lang.

"Is there something wrong?" I looked around, trying to see if anyone could hear us before facing her again. "If you can't tell your brother, feel free to talk to me about it."

Braylee bowed down her head as her fingers unconsciously began scratching each other. Moments later, she looked up, clearly conflicted about something. "Am I a bad person for feeling this way?"

"What do you feel?" tanong ko kahit na pakiramdam ko ay may ideya na ako sa ibig niyang sabihin.

"For the first time in a very long time, I'm not anxious about going to school or walking around the halls. I'm not scared of suddenly bumping into her or her friends. I'm no longer silently wishing to transfer schools." Her lips thinned to a small smile as her eyes began to water. "Every night since freshman year, I've included them in my prayers. Lagi kong pinagdarasal na sana huwag na nila akong maging target . . . na sana maging invisible ako para huwag na nila akong pag-usapan o pagtripan. At ngayong umalis na si Marika na nangunguna sa kanila, pakiramdam ko pwede ko nang tanggalin ang linyang 'yon sa mga gabi-gabi kong dasal."

I was left speechless. All I could do was look at Braylee and hope that I never made anyone feel the same way Marika made her feel.

God, I hope I never made anyone feel this way. And if I ever did, I hope they know how sorry I am.

She closed her eyes shut and took a deep breath before confessing. "It's not that I'm glad for her downfall, it's just that I'm so happy that I'll never get to see her again. I just really really don't want to see her again."

To others, what she said may have been too cruel, but I understood her. That was just how she felt.

"You know what?" I sighed and smiled at her. "If you're more comfortable that Marika's no longer around, who cares? It's your feelings."

She opened her eyes, looking all surprised. "Talaga?"

I nodded and smiled. "I know I'm in no position to sound like your moral compass, but I guess it's fine as long as you're not wishing her to die or something?"

Braylee quickly shook her head. "No way. I never wished for her to die even if she made me want to die more times than I could count."

I froze, completely speechless. Braylee said it so casually but I could tell she was speaking from her heart. I suddenly wanted to give her a huge hug.

"Ate?" She smiled hesitantly, snapping me out of my reverie.

Umiling ako at pilit na lamang na ngumiti. In the end, I laid out my arm to her like I was some gentledude. "You know what? Enough about her. How about let's have lunch together? Libre ni Carri?"

And just like that, her bright smile returned. Mabilis siyang kumapit sa braso ko. "Yay! Libre! Aasarin ko talaga si Kuya mamaya, sobrang wrong timing ng pag-absent niya."

"Absent ang kuya mo?" Kasabay ng paglabas ng mga salita ko ang pagsisisi ko. 

Braylee instantly turned to face me, grinning. "Malungkot ka kasi absent ang kuya ko?"

Agad akong ngumiwi para masalba ang sarili ko. "Malungkot? Oo malungkot kasi walang magtuturo sa akin sa exam."

"Hmmm . . . . " She grinned wider and intentionally made her nostrils flare just to tease me.

"Tara na nga! Gutom na ako!" pag-iiba ko na lamang ng usapan at agad siyang hinila patungo sa pinto.

Habang patawa-tawa kaming dalawa habang nag-aasaran, bigla siyang natigilan. "Nga pala ate, hindi ko alam anong ginawa mo, pero thank you."

"Para saan?" Bahagyang nakunot ang noo ko.

She shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "Marika's friends came to saying they're sorry for everything that they did to me. Gusto rin daw nilang mag-sorry sa 'yo. Hindi ko alam anong ginawa mo para magsisi sila nang gano'n, pero thank you."

Shutangina. Sira na ang image ko.

***

"Girl! Apparently, right after your whole karma speech, nagkuwento raw pala agad si bagets sa friends niya kaya 'yon, iniisip na nilang lahat na sinumpa mo siya. I can't believe it! May phobia na sa 'yo ang mga high schoolers! Pero come to think of it, buti na lang hindi ka suspect ng mga pulis sa nangyari sa restaurant!"

I rolled my eyes and slammed my book close."Carri, ano ba! Pangmalakasang exam na natin bukas tapos dadaldalin mo ako? Umuwi ka na nga sa inyo! Anong oras na, o!"

"Jeez! Oo na, mag-po-focus na! Mamaya isumpa mo pa ako," she hissed before rolling to the other side of my bed to focus on her reviewer.

Before I could even snap back at her, my phone rang. My phone was just next to her, so I kicked her butt, and gestured for my phone.

Inirapan ako ni Carri, pero pinulot niya pa rin ang cell phone ko. At nang maibot ito sa akin, nakita kong si Braylee ang tumatawag. 

"Just exchanged numbers with this kid kanina and now she's calling me. She reminds me of you when you had your first phone. I think this girl is a mini you," pang-aasar ko kay Carri.

Carri grinned. "That girl called me pretty kanina, so I will take that as a compliment!"

I stuck my tongue out and made a face just to mess with Carri. However, as I answered Braylee's call, I suddenly heard a familiar gentle voice from the other line, "Hey, it's your favorite client? Can we talk?"

It felt as if lightning struck my body. I was so shocked that one word just came out straight from my mouth, "Putangina."

"Hoy gago, ba't mo minura si bagets?" Biglang naupo si Carri, nanlalaki ang mga mata.

"Ako ba 'yong minura mo?" Tumawa naman si Blueberry mula sa kabilang linya.

Kaagad kong pinutol ang tawag, pigil ang hininga habang nakatulala. "Someone please kill me now."

***

As soon as I closed the bathroom door shut, I took a deep breath and muster up every brain cell I have. Ayokong mapahiya ulit sa crush ko!

The ringing from the other line felt agonizing, but as soon as I heard his voice from the other line, it felt like I was in heaven.

"Mumurahin mo ulit ako?" Blueberry joked. I couldn't see him but I could already picture out the grin on his face.

I pressed my lips together just to stop myself from giggling. "In my defense, nakakita kami ni Carri ng ipis."

"Good job, Ipis." He chuckled. "Nga pala, may gagawin ka ba sa sabado?"

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko at kasabay nito ang pag-alboroto ng bulkan sa utak ko. Is he asking me out on a date?!

"Saturday? Ugh. That's my rest day." I have a crush on him but I would never want to make it obvious. "What's in it for me?"

"Makikita mo ako?" biro niya, dahilan para halos pagsisipain ko ang toilet bowl sa harapan ko.

Deal! Deal! Deal!

"May iba pa bang rason? Kakasuka naman yan," I scoffed, but truth is I was already grinning from ear to ear.

"Libre kita ng—"

"Game!" I chuckled, absentmindedly punching the air.

"Hindi ko pa nga sinasabi anong libre," aniya.

"Mahilig ako sa lahat ng libre, Blueberry," paalala ko naman sa kanya.

The monkeys in my stomach were shooting up fireworks again, while my mind was coming up with reasons why he would want to meet on a Saturday. At hindi lang kami basta-bastang magkikita, ili-libre niya pa ako!

I also realized how Blueberry technically broke his own rules by calling me, even if it was through his baby sister.

Is Blueberry really asking me out on a date?—I couldn't help but think to myself.

"Ano nga ulit ang gagawin natin sa sabado?" Pangiti-ngiti akong napakamot sa dulo ng kilay ko.

"Tutulungan mo akong magpaalam sa ex ko," aniya.

Agad naglaho ang ngiti sa mukha ko. "May ipis ulit. Bye."

//