"The Man behind ᜄᜓᜈᜒᜆ (Gunita), everyone! Heart eyes... Heart eyes," Mon read, rolling her eyes before laughing. "Hindi man nila pinansin yung caption eh, they only focused on Yohan's face!"

She slumped on my bed, looking giddy. Dumiretso siya sa bahay after training, gusto raw niya kasi makipag-sleep over.

"Ako rin naman, yun din papansinin ko!" I bit my lip to stifle a laugh as I stared at his face for the fifth time this hour.

Biro mo, ako raw yung tinitignan niya! Pero hindi ko mapigilang bumuntong hininga.

Ever since Yohan posted that photo of him, mas lalong dumami ang mga kaagaw ko! Hay...

People also started to praise his work even more. Tapos ang dami na ring nakikipag-kaibigan sa kanya. Marami na siyang kaibigan dati, but ngayon dumoble!

But who could blame them?

Matalino si Yohan, mabait sa lahat, tapos gwapo!

I also couldn't blame the girls that would flock around him all of the time, asking him to take pictures of them.

He deserves recognition, even though he wasn't after it. Ang talented niya kaya, and it was odd how most of the students never knew. I guess hindi sila monthly buyer ng school paper kagaya ko!

Kahit isang week na yung picture na yun, ang dami pa ring nagpo-post sa kanya, they even found out what his real instagram was dahil tinag niya si Kyle.

"So kayo na ba?" I snapped back to reality nang mag-salita si Mon and I didn't even realize I was smiling habang iniisip ko si Yohan.

Umupo ako at umiling, "Gusto niya raw muna magpakilala kina mama."

Nanlaki ang mata niya nang sabihin ko yun, mood. "Good luck, babe. Bukas na yung intrams diba?"

Tumango ako, "Bukas na rin yung birthday celebration niya!" I grinned, may gift na akong binili para sa kanya, and we're eating with his friends after Day 1. Since hindi pa naman talaga bukas yung birthday niya, hindi ko na muna siya ige-greet sa story, pero naka-prepare na yung mga epic pictures na gagamitin ko, hehe.

Pagkatapos naming mag chikahan ni Mon, natulog na kaming maaga because we were going to head to her house early in the morning, maaga na rin kaming pupunta sa school dahil kailangan pa siyang ayusan for the opening.

"Beh, kinakabahan na ako!" Sabi ko sa kanya nang makapasok na kami sa sasakyan nila. Sinundo kaming dalawa ni Kuya Jerry kahit na ang aga-aga pa, hay nako Kuya Jerry best boy!

"You've been training for weeks now, you can do this." Pag-reassure sa akin ni Mon, but I still couldn't help but dread going to school.

May isa kaming laro mamaya pero hindi pa namin alam kung anong team yung kalaban namin! Since yellow kami... Baka green?

After pa naman yun ng opening kaya mamaya nalang ako mago-overthink.

Pero what if mapahiya ako mamaya tapos makita ni Yohan tapos kapag nakikita niya ako yun yung unang maiisip niya tapos mag-iiba na paningin niya sa akin tapos hindi na niya ako magugustuhan and then may makikilala siyang mas magaling sa akin mag-laro tapos yun yung aayain niyang kumain mamaya imbes na ako, hindi na kami magpapakasal, yung anak namin na sina Kristine, Jake, at Bernard hindi narin lalabas sa mundong ito dahil sa kahihiyan na yon!

I took out my phone to message him, 'what if hindi ka nanuod ng volleyball mamaya hehe.' Yun nalang ang paraan, this is for you Kristine, Jake, and Bernard.

'See you later, Riles. I'll be taking your pictures hahahaha.' I frowned. 'and don't forget the interview.' He replied, kaya napabuntong-hininga nalang ako.

'goodluck :))'

"Triple block!" Sigaw ng ka-team ko sa akin so I went ahead and tried to do a line shot sa pinaka gilid.

Natamaan nung bola ang kamay nung kalaban pero napunta ito sa labas ng line kaya nakakuha kami ng point.

The referee blew the whistle and gestured to our team, making me grin. Limang points nalang! If we get those, second win na namin yun.

So far, madali namang kalaban ang green, kahit na team ito ni Ate Drea. Nung una siyempre kinakabahan pa ako, ang dami pa namang nanunuod sa gym! But things were going smoothly so far, sana tuloy-tuloy na.

Because of our streak, napa-timeout ang kabilang team, making me sigh.

Pumunta ako sa bench kung nasaan ang mga inumin namin and I grinned when I saw Yohan's bottle, binigay niya sa akin kaninang umaga!

I drank from it bago ako naglakad papunta sa mga ka-teammates ko. Pinagsabihan kami ni ma'am saglit hanggang sa mag-start nanaman ang laro.

Hindi kami pinayagang manalo kaagad, and this is what I've been fearing.

Ate Drea's tactic was to tire out her opponent until the last set. Dapat una palang alam ko na 'to! Na-discourage na namin sila kanina, halata naman sa mga mukha nila na ayaw na nilang lumaban. But they managed to win the second set and now... they had hope.

Nag-seryoso na ako ulit, ayaw ko nang magkamali pa. Ilang points nalang ang kailangan. Kaya pa!

My arms were starting to hurt from diving so much. Halata namang ako yung tina-target ni ate Drea, she knew how I was at court. She knew what frustrated me, she knew how to pressure me.

But she should also know that I don't run out of energy.

I took a deep breath at nagkunwaring nagsi-stretch ng braso. From my peripheral vision, nakita kong nakita yun ni Ate Drea, making her smirk. Luh.

I nodded to our libero, tiwala naman akong makukuha niya yung bola eh. So when ate Drea jumped to hit the ball to my direction, tumabi na ako and grinned when our libero dived to get the ball.

Lumipad ang bola pataas at tumakbo na ako nang mag-set na ang setter namin. I jumped and hit the ball as hard as I can, breaking through their blocks at napangiti ako nang marinig ang pag bagsak ng bola.

Out of all the teams, ang green siguro ang pinaka-kinatatakutan ko, siguro ng lahat na rin, because ate Drea was there.

But now, I'm reminded that I have to look at a team like... a team. And in a team, there's always going to be that loose thread.

In this case, marami sila. Wow yabang! Pero totoo, the other players in her team, parang hindi pa nakakapag-practice. They were all over the place and they didn't know how to work with each other.

Kaya gagamitin namin yun sa advantage namin.

Kapag hindi niyo alam kung paano maglaro kasama ang ibang tao, minsan makikipag-agawan ka ng bola, minsan naman i-eexpect niyo na sasaluhin nung isa, kaya walang naka-salo sa inyo.

Alam ko na kung sino ang ta-targetin ko, dahil sila ang nakikita kong wala palagi tuwing training. Tumatakas sila kaya... Pasensya.

After a while, nakuha na rin ng mga teammates ko kung ano ang gusto kong gawin and they pulled through.

Ate Drea was still so focused on me, which was her mistake. Hindi lang naman ako ang player sa team namin.

When her focus would stir away, I would keep it on me ulit by scoring a point or two. Kapag nasa akin na ulit, dun ko na ibibigay ang points sa team mate namin.

The whistle blared into my ears as the ball hit the floor from behind me. From across the court, nakikita ko ang malalim na paghinga ni Ate Drea. She hit the ball too hard nung nagse-serve siya, lumabas tuloy ito sa linya.

I smirked, she got frustrated.

And we won.

Natalo namin ang team ng captain namin meaning whoever was coming next... Easy win na yun!

Tinignan ko ang bleachers kung nasaan ang mga kaibigan namin, they were all so busy talking to each other. I frowned when I didn't see him there, alam ko nandyan siya kanina. Umalis ba siya?

Niyakap ko ang mga ka-team ko and acknowledge the green team before going back to the bleachers, tinawagan na kasi ako ng mga kaibigan ko. I couldn't help but feel... disappointed?Nakakalungkot, pero ayos lang yun. Baka busy lang siya.

Hindi lang naman ako yung inaatupag niya, he has many responsibilities lalo na ngayong nag-simula na yung events. I guess nag-expect lang ko nung sinabi niyang manunuod siya.

"Riley!"

Natigilan ako sa paglalakad nang marinig ang boses niya, but it didn't come from the bleachers. I looked around and my eyes widened when I saw him staring at me from the scoreboard, hawak-hawak pa niya ang camera niya at mukhang kanina pa siya kumukuha ng litrato ko.

He didn't leave. Lumapit pa siya sa court!

Nilapitan niya ako and chuckled when he saw me pouting.

"Akala ko 'di ka nanuod."

Napawi ang ngiti niya at napalitan iyon ng nguso, napakunot din ang noo niya, "Crush ko yung naglalaro tapos hindi ako manunuod? Hilo ka ba?" Mataray niyang saad, making me grin.

"Ay weh? Sino kaya yung crush na yan.. Hm..."

Mayabang siyang umiling before clicking his tongue, "Here, I took pictures of her."

Hinarap niya sa akin yung screen ng camera niya at nag-expect akong makakita ng maayos na picture ko. But instead of that, epic na picture pa yung pinakita niya sa akin!

"Hoy, i-delete mo yan!"

Sinubukan kong kunin mula sa kanya ang camera pero pilit niya itong nilalayo sa akin, "'Wag! Isa." Pagbabanta niya nung muntikan ko nang makuha, "Ang cute mo kaya!"

"Yohan naman eh, ang pangit ko!" Kunot na kunot ang noo ko dun sa picture, I was blowing on my cheeks too, mukha akong angry bird! Yung sumasabog!

"This photo stays, non-negotiable!" He bit his lip at binigyan niya ako ng mayabang na tingin. I huffed and stopped trying to get the camera kaya binaba na rin niya ang kamay niya.

Pikon na pikon ako habang tinitignan niya ang picture ko, maloko pa ang tingin niya! "Gagawin ko palang tong profile picture..." He trailed kaya nag-init nanaman ang ulo ko.

"Isa!"

He put his finger over my mouth before shushing me, "Joke lang. Joke lang. Wallpaper nalang." He grinned, making me roll my eyes.

I took the camera from him at nanlaki ang mata niya, hindi ko naman ide-delete! Ang OA!

Nung ilipat ko ang picture, napabuntong-hininga siya. Tsinek ko yung ibang mga litrato at masama ko siyang tinignan, ang daming maayos tapos yun yung pipiliin niya!

There was even a shot wherein I was spiking mid-air. Ang angas! Yung mga dives ko rin nakuhanan niya!

"Anong ilalagay mo sa paper?" Tanong ko bago ko siya nilingon, tinitignan niya rin ang mga litratong kinuha niya.

He tilted his head and pursed his lips, thinking. "Hm... 'Di ko alam. Gusto kong angkinin lahat 'e."

Ampota.

I smacked his arm, making him laugh. Gusto ko sana i-sigaw 'yours' eh, bwiset 'to!

"Since hindi pa naman sigurado kung sino yung winner, I'll keep them for now. Pero bukas, I'll take more photos."

I scrolled through his shots at napakunot ang noo ko, pagkatapos ng mga pictures ko, pictures ko na ulit nung isang araw pa. "Bakit ako lang kinukuhanan mo???"

He clicked his tongue, "Kasi alam kong mananalo ka. Hayst. Gawa kaya kami ng twitter para sa SC? Para ma-post yung iba dito."

"Wala pang twitter yung council?"

"Meron kaso hindi active, nakalimutan ata yung password? Pa-update ko mamaya, hindi ako yung naghahandle eh, si Julienne." I pursed my lips when I heard her name at tumango nalang ako.

Tinaasan niya ako ng kilay kaya tinaasan ko rin siya ng kilay, bakit ba?? Tumatango lang naman ako!

Hindi ko siya pinansin at naglakad nalang ako papunta sa mga kaibigan ko. Halatang gustong mang-asar eh!

Bahagya siyang tumawa mula sa likuran ko, kaya nairapan ko ang kung sino mang nasa harapan ko. Nakakainis ang pogi ng tawa!

Nang makarating na kami kina Mon, naroon na rin si Theo and I congratulated him before taking a seat. Inilapag ko sa aking tabi ang sports bag ko at sa kabilang banda ko naman umupo si Yohan, tahimik lang siya habang may kinakalkal sa bag.

My friends congratulated me at tinanong din nila kung kailan yung next na laro ko, "Hindi ko alam pero mukhang bukas na," sagot ko kay Daphne, making her frown.

"Kung bukas pa yung laro niyo, magbihis ka na. Ang pawis na ng jersey mo." I heard Yohan say from beside me and my eyes widened when he started to wipe my neck with a towel.

"M-may training pa ako mamaya..." Pinupunasan din naman ni Mon ang pawis ko dati pero hindi naman ganito yung tibok ng puso ko! I felt my cheeks heating up pero buti nalang hindi halata, pagod ako eh.

"You're coming with later, right?" Seryosong tanong niya and I swallowed hard before nodding my head, ang intense nanaman ng titig niya, parang mabubutas na leeg ko!

Suddenly, I grew conscious of myself. Ang lapit-lapit niya sa akin baka ang baho ko na! Napakunot ang noo niyang nang lumayo ako nang konti, "I probably smell," sabi ko habang inaamoy-amoy ang sarili, ano ba yan bakit wala akong maamoy!

Nanlaki lalo ang mata ko nang lumapit siya sa akin para amuyin ang leeg ko, ang- ang.. Ang lapit! Masyadong malapit! Hindi ko kaya 'to! He was almost kissing my neck!

He hummed, making my breath hitch when his breath fanned my neck. "You still smell like vanilla." Bahagya akong napasigaw nang hilain niya ako gamit ang aking beywang, "So stop moving away and answer my question properly. Sasama ka mamaya, diba?"

I took a deep breath, sinagot ko na yun ah! "Oo nga, sasama ako!" Pag-ulit ko at lumawak ang ngiti niya.

"Nanuod kanina si Mama."

My eyebrows shot up at nilibot ko ang tingin ko sa gym, sinusubukang hanapin si tita. Na-discharge na siya! He chuckled kaya binalik ko ang tingin ko sa kanya,

"Bumalik na siya sa canteen. Pero tignan mo." He opened his phone at pinakita niya ang text ng nanay niya sa kanya,

'Nak, ang galing galing mag-laro ni Riley' pagkatapos no'n may sinend si tita na maraming stickers, may puso, may asong pwet yung puso, tapos meron pa yung thumbs up kung saan may text na 'good job!'

I couldn't help but smile, ang sweet! Gusto ko sanang pumunta sa canteen at kumain muna pero narinig kong pupunta roon sina Mon, pinigilan tuloy namin ang ibang kaibigan, we wanted to give them alone time! Hehe.

For the meantime, nanuod muna kami ng basketball ni Yohan, pero may third wheel kami.

Or baka ako yung nakiki-thirdwheel.

Gusto raw nilang malaman kung sino ang makakalaro nila kapag nanalo na sila, ang yabang din talaga ng dalawang 'to pag magkasama eh.

"Bakit naman ganun yung laro ni Pas, it's like he doesn't train. Subukan niyang gumanyan sa laban namin," naiinis na saad ni Kyle, malapit na kasi laban nila sa ibang schools at yung Pas, ka-team niya.

Yohan clicked his tongue, "Nung isang araw pa yan, ang yabang pa," pag-agree niya kay Kyle at tumango-tango nalang ako, walang ma-gets. Mukhang ayos lang naman kasi siya mag-laro!

Nakikinig lang ako sa gilid habang pinag-uusapan nila ang laro, kahit anong pilit ko talaga wala akong maintindihan. Basta pag naka-shoot yun na yun!

When Yohan saw how confused I was, bahagya siyang natawa at pinaliwanag niya sa akin ang sinasabi nila so that I could relate with them.

"Sasali pala ako sa volleyball mamaya, pre." Pagpapaalam ni Yohan kay Kyle at tumango lang siya.

"May interview niyan ako, diba?" Tanong ni Tanda at napakunot ang noo ni Yohan.

"Yabang mo, wala pa namang nanalo! 'Di ako in charge sa basketball, si Jessica siguro, yieee." Pang-asar niya,

"Ulol mo, tigilan mo nga ako nakakakilig ka naman pre." Nakangiting saad ni Kyle, making me cackle, tangina, baduy!

Nang matapos ang laro, kumain muna kaming tatlo at nakita ko na si tita! Nag-kwentuhan kami tungkol dun sa volleyball game ko kanina at dahil daw nanalo ang team namin, libre ang isang ulam ko! I chose her burger steak of course, tapos ang unang ulam na pinili ko ay yung sinigang.

"Weird talaga ng gusto mo," comment ni Kyle, kaya inirapan ko siya.

"Tikman mo muna kasi. Ang sarap kaya!" Pag-defend ko sa taste buds ko and I looked at Yohan, asking for support. He told me he gave it a try when he remembered the first time we interacted, na-curious daw.

"It does taste good,"

I smirked and when Kyle asked if could have a taste. "Bili ka," pagbibiro ko, making him roll his eyes at me.

Pinatikim ko rin naman sa kanya, he found it odd at first pero masarap daw. Siyempre luto ng mother in law ko, hays!

After eating, pinanood ko ang laban nina Yohan pero palipat-lipat siya ng gym! Minsan hindi pa siya naglalaro, puro lang siya kuha ng litrato. Hingal na hingal ako kakasunod sa kanya, alam niya ba yun?!

Pero after a while nagpaalam na ako sa kanya, kailangan ko kasi mag-training para bukas, ang kalaban namin ay yung blue.

Hindi ko alam pero mas kinakabahan pa ako sa blue ngayon, magagaling kasi ang mga napuntang players sa blue! But green was the team that was winning left and right, buti nalang nakakuha na kami ng spot maging second or first sa basketball at volleyball, malaking points yung mga yun!

After training, naligo ako sa usual at napangiti ako dahil bumungad sa akin ang mukha ni Yohan pagkalabas ko ng shower room.

"Tara na gutom na ako!" Napawi ang ngiti ko nang makitang kasama niya pala si Tanda, ano ba yan, wala ba kaming alone time??

Alam kong sasama ang mga kaibigan niya pero hindi ko alam kung sino-sino ang mga yun. My social skills weren't the best pero I hope they would include me sa conversations nila, friendly naman siguro sila.

Sinundan ko sila sa sakayan at medyo nahihirapan pa ako sa pag-keep up sa dalawa, ang hahaba ng biyas! Ang bilis pang maglakad.

When Yohan saw me struggling, binagalan niya ang paglakad niya to match my pace at pinauna na niya si Kyle.

"Sino-sino mga kasama?" Tanong ko sa kanya, smiling because finally nagka-oras din kaming mag-usap!

"The friends I'm with tuwing lunch," sagot naman niya pero busy siya sa phone niya, making me frown. Tumango nalang ako at hindi na umimik dahil baka may importante siyang ginagawa.

Sumakay kami sa dyip at bumaba malapit sa mall, pagkatapos noon ay nagkalad ulit dun sa unli wings restaurant kung saan kami ililibre ni Yohan. They were going to drink too, pero ayaw ko namang umuwing lasing, baka kasi dumating si Papa.

His friends were already waiting inside nung makadating kami, they were seated at a booth at may dala-dala silang cake.

When they saw Yohan, they started to sing and I took that opportunity to look at them. Sila nga ang mga kasama niya palagi sa school. I haven't interacted with any of them except for two. Kyle and...

I tried my best not to frown when I saw that we'd be eating with Ate Julienne. Hindi ko alam kung gusto pa niya si Yohan, hindi ko rin alam kung nag-uusap pa sila.

"Ooh, sino 'to? Atabs mo?" Tanong nung isang kaibigan niya kaya natanggal ang tingin ko kay Julienne.

Binigyan ko sila ng ngiti at bahagyang natawa si Yohan, "Guys, si Riley. Riley, mga kaibigan ko. Uno, Terrence, Bobby, Ella, and you know Julienne."

They all greeted me a hello at pinaupo na nila kami.

I sat beside Kyle kaya napakunot ang noo niya sa akin, I just made a face kaya inirapan na niya ako at hinayaan. Sana hindi ako ma-op.

Yohan's friends were fun to be with. Hindi nga lang ako maka-relate sa mga sinasabi nila. Sometimes, they would talk among themselves at nakikinig lang ako, nakikitawa, at walang mai-ambag. Hindi naman ako HUMSS, hindi ko rin alam yung mga nangyari sa birthday ni Ella, sa party ni Bobby, sa classroom nila.

I didn't feel comfortable and I felt left out. Even Yohan was busy talking to his friends. Sinusubukan ko naman talagang kausapin sila, pero wala talaga! Tapos yung atensyon pa ni Yohan lagi nilang kinukuha, so I gave up.

Buti nalang nandito si Kyle, siya nalang yung kinausap ko at lumamon lang kaming dalawa. Pati kasi siya hindi niya masyadong ka-close ang mga kaibigan ni Yohan. Sabi niya, mga smart and academically active ang mga yun, palaging present sa events sa school, kaya hindi niya masyadong maka-vibe, mayayabang din daw so it made him wonder why his best friend hung out with them.

Kyle started to tell me about Jessica, at first time kong makausap si Kyle ng ganito. "Nung grade 9 ko pa siya gusto," nakangiting saad niya and I almost barfed. Pero ang tagal na panahon na rin, ah!

"Nililigawan mo pa rin?" Tanong ko, he must really like the girl to court her for this long.

"Anong pa rin?? Last year lang niya ako pinayagan pero ilang years ko nang nilalandi," tumawa siya, "Ganda kasi ng personality niya, ang bait pa, tapos bonus nalang yung maganda."

Nalaman ko rin na hindi pala siya rito pinanganak sa Pinas, tapos dapat college na siya pero kinailangan niyang mag-repeat nung lumipat siya. "Ano lahi mo ba? Half labrado- ay."

Tinignan niya akong masama, making me laugh. "My mom's German."

"Wow! Ano yung bonjour-"

"Tanga ka talaga," pag-insulto niya habang nakangiti. And then, silence enveloped us, making us both sigh. Lumapit siya sa tainga ko upang may maibulong at nagpasalamat ako dahil parehas lang nararamdaman namin. 'Tara labas.'

May convenience store sa harap, siguro mas mag-eenjoy pa kami kapag pumunta kami roon.

"Riley," tawag sa akin ni Yohan kaya napalingon ako sa kanya, trying my best not to frown. Akala ko hindi na niya ako papansinin buong gabi. But it looked like he was the one who asked his friends to talk to me.

He smiled, "Bobby asked you a question."

Tinignan ko yung Bobby at nginitian ko siya, "Ah.. bakit po?"

"We just wanted to get to know you. STEM ka diba? Like Julienne." Tanong niya, at muntikan na akong matawa nung sikuin ako ni Kyle.

Tumango ako bilang sagot at nagtanong ulit sila, but this time, it was Julienne. "Anong course mo niyan?"

"Biology po. Tapos med school." I wasn't in the mood to elaborate, iniisip ko na yung ice cream sa convenience store. Pero iniisip ko pa rin kung aalis ba kami o hindi, nakakahiya naman eh.

"Ay pati rin si Julienne!" One of the guys said at tumango lang ako, pursing my lips dahil sinisiko na siya ng mga kaibigan niya, nagpipigil ng tawa.

"Sa HMC ka rin ba niyan magta-trabaho?"

I nodded my head, halos lahat naman ng pinagtatanungan ko, gusto rin magtrabaho sa ospital namin, so I wasn't surprised if Julienne wanted to as well. So anong ipinararating nila?

"Oh, boom! Julienne na Julienne. May type ka ba Yan?" Tumawa ang mga lalaki except for Yohan who looked at me, both ticked off and uncomfortable.

Sinubukan niyang kunin ang kamay ko pero iniwas ko iyon by getting water for myself. Tinulungan ako ni Kyle at tinaasan niya ako ng dalawang kilay, asking me if I was okay. Pasimple akong um-oo gamit ang kilay bago ako uminom, and I could see Yohan's clenched fist.

"Itigil niyo nga yan," sabi ni Julienne but I could see that she wanted to smile as well, I knew how amusing this was for her. "Why do you want to work sa HMC, Riley?"

I forced a smile before shrugging. "I have to," I answered honestly, "How about you? Po."

Mukhang memorized na niya ang sagot niya, pang interview na eh. "...plus, family friend yung may ari ng Hera."

My eyebrows shot up in amusement, pati si Kyle napapakunot na rin ang noo. Yohan on the other hand was looking at me like I was supposed to know her answer pero I haven't seen her in any of the gatherings ng ospital.

"Itong si Julienne talaga, ang daming connections! Feel ko makakapasok ka kaagad. Maganda, matalino, mayaman, hay nako Yohan.." Pagpaparinig nanaman nung isang lalake, making me fight the urge to roll my eyes.

"Ano na kasi surname mo, ate?"

"Santiago, bakit?"

Santiago... Santiago... Santiago.. "Santiago... Huh. Wala po, hindi po kasi kayo nababanggit ng lola't lolo ko."

Napakunot ang noo niya, "Lola't lolo mo? Why, are they friends with Hera too? Baka hindi masyadong nakakausap ng mga magulang ko."

"Uh... No Julienne. Riley's Hera's granddaughter." Singit ni Kyle, nagtataka rin kung bakit hindi alam 'to ni Julienne at ng mga kaibigan nila.

I couldn't blame them though. My name wasn't revealed to the public, baka raw kasi ano'ng mangyari sa akin kung nalaman nilang apo ako nina Helena at Raymond.

Wala naman silang balak i-reveal yon because they knew how much I liked going out, nakakalabas lang naman ako ng walang bodyguard dahil hindi alam ng mga tao kung sino ako, and everyone who did are asked to sign an agreement. Buti nga mga kaibigan ko di pa nila pinapa-pirma eh.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ng mga kaibigan ni Yohan and I awkwardly smiled, not knowing what to do or who to answer dahil sabay-sabay na silang nagtanong.

Sino raw nanay ko, sino raw tatay ko, kilala ko raw ba ang may ari ng mall na'to, ka-close ko ba si ganito...

The drinks started to come at inaya nila akong uminom, pero siyempre, tumanggi ako.

"Minsan lang, birthday naman ni Yohan!" Pagpupumilit nung isa, kaya umiling ako ulit at sasagot na sana pero inunahan ako ni Yohan.

"She said no," he said, his voice stern, kaya natahimik silang lahat. He looked at me and I gave him a reassuring smile, something in his eyes just made me feel like he wanted to leave as well. Pero party niya 'to.

Hindi siya uminom dahil hahatid pa raw niya ako and everyone was quick to call him a killjoy. The fuck. Si Kyle din hindi na rin uminom dahil wala raw siya sa mood, nakikita ko rin na ginugulo na niya si Daphne.

His friends ordered more drinks after the first round, tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang pag-kain nila sa chicken wings. Siyempre, tuloy-tuloy rin ang pagku-kwentuhan nila.

"Ang cute talaga nung Justin 'no, yung tropa niyo, Kyle," sabi ni Ella, making me look at her in amusement. Cute daw yung tukmol na 'yon?

Tumawa si Julienne bago niya hinampas ang braso nito, "Mahilig ka na sa atabs beh??"

"No! I'm just saying, parang mini Yohan siya, yie. Baka type mo, Yen," pang-aasar nila. Konting konti nalang talaga.

"Bakit nga ba kasi kayo nag-break, ha? You guys were meant for each other kasi, I miss Yen and Yan. No offense to Riley of cou-"

"Pwede bang tumigil na kayo?" Yohan snapped and I saw how white his knuckles were turning from clenching his fist too hard.

Sinubukan kong hawakan ang kamay niya, pero nung kunin niya ang kamay ko, tumayo na rin siya. Kumuha siya ng pera mula sa wallet niya at ibinaba ang bayad dun sa table before dragging me outside.

"Mga gago, sandali lang!" Rinig kong sigaw ni Kyle mula sa loob bago niya kami hinabol and I so badly wanted to laugh pero naalala kong may sama pala ako ng loob sa mga kaibigan ni Yohan.

Bahagya kong hinila ang kamay niya so that he would stop walking so fast, halatang galit na galit siya sa mga kaibigan niya. Kahit na galit din ako, I couldn't help but feel guilty.

He stopped at the convenience store at lumuwag na nang konti ang hawak niya sa kamay ko. He took a few deep breaths before facing me, just to see if I was okay.

Nakahabol sa amin si Kyle pero nang makita kaming dalawa, pumasok siya sa loob ng convenience store para mabigyan kami ng space, I'm sure he wanted to buy the blueberry slushy rin, kanina niya pa sinasabi sa akin eh.

"I'm sorry," panimula ni Yohan as he looked at the ground, hindi ako kayang tignan sa mata. Bumuntong hininga ako bago ko nilagay ang kamay sa baba niya, lifting his head up before caressing his face.

Nang huminahon na siya nang konti, inalis ko na ang hawak ko sa pisngi niya, wanting to talk to him. "I'm not upset because of what they said. Well, actually I am. I found them very rude. But don't apologize for them, it was out of your control."

He took a sharp intake of breath at umiling siya, "Hindi. Dapat ko nalang sila sinama, I should have known they were going to do this."

Napakunot ang noo ko. "What do you mean?" Ayaw ba talaga ako ng mga kaibigan niya? Wala naman akong ginagawa sa kanila ah!

"I only became friends with them dahil kaibigan sila ni Julienne. They were happy for us, at nung nalaman nilang nag-break kami, pinipilit nilang balikan ko si Yen. Alam siguro nilang gusto pa niya ako, but I've told them countless times na naka-move on na ako and I'm happy. I thought they would at least show decency tonight, pero-" He took a deep breath, "tang ina," malutong niyang mura.

Even though I was still upset with him for almost ignoring me all night, hindi ko mapigilang yakapin siya.

"Please don't listen to them. Hindi nila alam ang buong kwento, hindi ka rin nila kilala. I just wanted to give them a chance to get to know you tonight but- God, I'm so mad."

Hinigpitan ko pa ang yakap ko sa kanya and smiled when he finally hugged me back, he was breathing so heavily. "'Wag mo na silang isipin. They're your friends at siyempre, nasanay sila sa inyong dalawa."

"That's not what friends are Riley. They were fucking rude to you, and they didn't even show us an ounce of support. They never once cared for me or cared for what I felt." He sighed and buried his head to the crook of my neck. "I would've enjoyed eating with just you a whole lot more. I'm sorry for dragging you to that place."

Napataas ang kilay ko at pinalo ko ang likod niya, "Ulol mo. Saya-saya mo nga kanina eh." I pushed him away, "Nagtatampo pa rin ako sa'yo, you ignored me all night."

"I thought you were enjoying talking to Kyle." He scratched the back of his neck, halatang nagi-guilty. "Was it unbearable?"

I thought about it for a second at tumango ako, wanting to tell him what I felt. "Alam ko naman na hindi ako makaka-relate sa inyo, but I wish you included me? Sana nag-kwento ka man lang sa akin or nag-explain para naman ma-gets ko kung ano'ng tinatawanan niyo."

Nagkamot siya ngayon ng ulo at muntikan na akong matawa, he looked so sad! "Shit. Sorry sorry sorry." He pulled me into another hug at hinigpitan niya iyon, "I'm so sorry. I'll make it up to you."

I nodded against his chest, I didn't want him to feel worse. "Bukas, party mo kasama ang pamilya mo, diba?"

"Yea. With you."

"Ha?"

"Sama ka ulit." He muttered into the crook of my neck.

I snorted, "Okay clingy."

He held my shoulders at inilayo niya ako sa kanya, nakataas ang kilay. "Nasaan pala ang letter ko, hmm?"

I jokingly shook my head, acting disappointed. "Deserve mo ba?"

He pouted, naiinis. "Come on, Riles. Babawi naman ako eh, and that's a promise."

I playfully rolled my eyes at him before getting something from inside my bag. Kinuha ko na rin ang gift ko sa kanya, well, one of them. Bukas na yung iba!

He laughed when he opened the paperbag because I gave him a bottle of my perfume, making me giggle. "Bukas na yung totoong gift mo."

Nilagay niya sa pocket niya ang letter, "Thank yo-"

"Mga tukmol mamaya na yang bebe time niyo, tangina." Naiinis na saad ni Kyle, he was standing by the door of the convenience store and looking at us with a bored expression.

Dahil maaga palang naman, kumain muna kami ng icecream bago kami umuwi. Hinatid kami ni Kyle sa bahay namin and since maraming mga bagay sa passenger seat, pinaupo niya kami sa likod. Nagmukha tuloy siyang driver!

"You didn't answer their question," I whispered to Yohan dahil ayaw ko namang marinig kami ni Kyle.

"Hmm... What question?"

"Bakit kayo nag-break?" Tanong ko, I felt really curious. "You guys seemed like an 'it' couple, kahit na hindi kayo, you guys had chemistry."

He groaned. "Riley, I don't want to answer that. I don't want to talk about Julienne, you'd just get upset."

"I want to know, I won't get hurt. Kapag nasaktan ako, ako pa manunuyo sa sarili ko!" Pagpupumilit ko and it looked he didn't know if he wanted to laugh or roll his eyes.

"She cheated on me and tried to justify it by telling me that it was my fault. I couldn't give her all the things she wanted, she was never satisfied, things like tha- "

"Aba putang-" Tinakpan niya ang bibig ko dahil napalingon na rito si Kyle.

"I told you not to get upset."

"Hindi naman ako upset, galit ako! Tapos ngayon sasabihin niya gusto ka pa niya, tapos ikaw pa raw yung best... What the fuck."

He laughed bago niya ako inakbayan, caressing my hair to give me comfort. "Oo, hindi ka nga upset. Hindi ka upset sa lagay na yan."

"Don't hang out with them anymore." Nakakunot-noo kong pag-utos sa kanya. "Alam kong wala naman akong say sa ginagawa mo sa buhay, but if they're going to treat you like that, please know your worth. Hindi ka nila deserve. Hindi ka niya deserve."

He kissed the side of my head, carefully dahil ayaw niyang makita kami ni Kyle. Baka pababain niya kami sa daan!

"I know what I deserve now, Riley. And she's sitting right beside me."

"Jojowain." Walang malay na saad ko, making him chuckle.

Nagulat ako nang makitang nakatingin kami si Tanda mula sa rear-view mirror. Napalayo tuloy ako kay Yohan, pang tatay na kasi yung titig ni Tanda! "Eh kung pag-untugin ko kayo riyan, maghiwalay nga kayo!"