"Encore! Encore! Encore!"

Everyone cheered so loud that my little hands had to cover my ears. I started screaming for them to be quiet but my voice was drowned by the hype. I wasn't in the mood. If I remember it correctly, it had something to do with my cousin not letting me borrow his box of crayons with 120 colors. 

"Ano ba yan! Ba't may bata dito sa bar?!" 

"Ang iresponsable naman ng mga magulang!"

"Anak daw yan ng vocalist ng banda!"

"Seryoso? May anak na pala siya?"

During those days, I had no idea what people were talking about. Well, I knew they were talking about me but it felt like nothing. Maybe because I got used to everyone talking about us, or maybe it was because I just didn't care. After all, I was just a little kid that time.

I sat by the bar counter as I waited and waited. When I saw that they were finally coming down the stage, I turned at the bartender and asked for my backpack. Funny how the Bartender also became my babysitter whenever I was at the bar.

Next thing I know, Dad was already right in front of me. Dressed in an over-sized white shirt and drenched with sweat, his guitar bag hung by his shoulder. He smiled wide and raised his hand, asking for a high five. "Hey Kiddo!"

Umiling ako habang nakabusangot. "Ayoko!"

Dad chuckled as he knelt a little . "Inis ka pa rin kay Kuya Weewee mo?"

"Madamot siya! Di niya ako pinahiram ng crayons! 120 colors pa naman!" Paghihimutok ko.

Dad chuckled as he grabbed my Spiderman backpack and took out a juice pack inside it. He punched in the straw and gave it to me before wiping his sweat using the towels in my bag. "Reika, diba binigyan ka ni Kuya Weewee ng biscuits last week?"

Napabusangot ako lalo. "Hindi naman ako humingi!"

Dad smiled and carried me down the chair. He wore my Spiderman backpack on the other shoulder, obviously not minding the people who were looking at us. 

 He held my right hand as my left held the juice that I was sipping. We walked out of the bar, holding each other's hand like we always dId.

"Reika, hindi sa lahat ng oras mapagbibigyan ang gusto mo. Diba sinabi ko na 'yan sa'yo?" Dad asked with his gentle cold voice as we stepped outside the cold streets of Filimon Heights.

I had no idea what time it was but I  think it was late considering the streets were close to being empty and the air was colder than usual. 

"Reika, are you even listening to me?" Dad asked again so I giggled. I was an easily-distracted kid.

"Ano nga iyon Dad?" I asked as I started skipping. Aside from being easily-distracted, I was really moody too. 

Dad sighed and chuckled. "Kiddo, the world won't always give you what you want and you can't expect people to give you everything. That's not how life works."

"Then how does life work?" I pouted as I continued sipping on my juice. My hands tightly holding onto my Dad's as we walked along the sidewalk.

Dad laughed and shrugged. "I don't know."

"Why don't you know? You're Dad!" Giit ko. 

"Kiddo, no one knows how life really works but we never stop learning," He said.

"Huh?" I frowned in confusion as I looked up at him. "Does that mean I have to go to school for the rest of my life? Ba't kayo wala na sa school?"

He looked down at me and smiled. "Someday, when you're older, you'll understand what I mean. You'll figure things out. For just enjoy being a kid."

"Will you help me figure things out?" I asked. 

Dad stopped walking and so did I. He let go of my hand and knelt right in front of me. I saw that my shoe laces were untied, guess he noticed it before I could.

"Your Mom and I will be there to help you every step of the way." Dad assured me as he tied my shoe lace into a cute ribbon. "Even when your hair is Grey."

"Promise?" I asked.

Dad looked up to me and smiled. "What did I tell you about Love?"

"Love never abandons." I repeated what Dad always told me.

"And who loves you the most in this world?" He stood up and laid his hand right in front of me. 

"You and Mom." I smiled as I held is hand.

"We love you so much and we will always be with you," He promised. 

"Bullshit." Natawa ako at napailing dahil sa naalala. Good thing Dad wasn't struck by lightning that night... or was it a bad thing that he wasn't struck with lightning that night? 

Ba't ko ba siya biglang naalala? Eh baka nga nakalimutan na nun anong pangalan ko. 

"Akala ko ba bati na tayo?" Bulalas ni Slade na saktong naglagay ng pinggan sa aking harapan. 

I looked up at him flatly. "You're still full of shit, Slade."

Slade pouted, trying to look cute and shit. "Inaalila n'yo na talaga ako."

Natawa na lang ako sabay turo sa niluluto niya. "Kumukulo na ata 'yung sabaw!"

Slade heaved a sigh and walked up to the stove. Having Slade in the house may be annoying but at least Silver and I got to eat home-cooked meals. Mahilig din kasi itong maglinis kaya tiba-tiba rin. Wala na kaming ibang aalahanin ni Silver kundi maglaba ng mga damit namin. 

 Slade is actually good at cooking. I guess that's the bright side of his independence; he got to learn so much. 

"Good Morning except kay Slade," bati si Silver nang bigla na lang pumasok sa dining room. Nakaligo na ito at nakabihis na para pumasok kaso halata ang antok sa kanyang mga mata. Abutin ba naman kasi ng madaling araw sa kaka-netlflix.

"Hey, you heard what happened last night at the game?" tanong ni Silver kaya nakunot ang noo ko.

"Why what happened?" I stayed at home yesterday, I didn't even attend a single class. I don't even have the energy to attend class today.

"There was a brawl." Si Slade na mismo ang sumagot habang abala sa kanyang niluluto. Ba't ganun, kanina pa kami rito pero hindi niya kinwento sa akin.

"Yeah and Braylee got punched in the face." Dagdag pa ni Silver na labis kong iginagulat.

"Ano?! Sinong nanapak kay Bubbles?!" Bulalas ko agad. Of all people na masusuntok, si Braylee talaga? That weirdo doesn't even like confrontations. I mean mas maniniwala pa ako pag sinabing si Piper kasi hindi iyon umaatras sa away.

"Relax. Siguradong hindi naman 'yon sinadya. Sino ba namang gustong manapak kay Braylee?" Agap ni Silver kaya napabuntong-hininga ako. Besides, Braylee got so many friends that would avenger her.

"Teka, si Riley! Sangkot din ba siya? Hindi ba siya nasapak?" Aagad akong nag-alala para sa kanya. Si Riley pa, walang 'yung inuurangang away eh.

Silence suddenly filled the room as the twins looked at me flatly.

I rolled my eyes. I know what they're thinking—I'm being a lovesick fool over a boy who doesn't love me back.  

Silver sighed. "I saw the video, sinabunutan lang naman ni Riley 'yung tomboy ng Rosepike. Don't worry about him, you should worry about the scalps of his enemies."

I shrugged like it didn't bother me. "Okay."

"Talaga lang ha? Hindi mo susugurin 'yung kaaway ni Riley?" Natatawang sambit ni Slade habang dala ang mangkok na kinalalagyan ng aming ulam. Inilapag niya ito sa gitna ng mesa saka naupo sa unahang bahagi as if siya ang tatay sa bahay. 

Hindi ako kumibo. Siguro aawayin ko na lang sa facebook?

By now, my one-sided feelings for Riley has become an open secret among the three of us. Silver knows since she's the only person I confided to for the past year, while Slade.... Unfortunately, I released all of my frustrations that night at the beach and he was there to hear all of it. He even saw me cry! Bakit ba kasi ako uminom nang gabing iyon?! Umaga na nang mapagtanto ko ang kamalian ko. Shit lang! I even cried like a pathetic fool right in front of him! Ugh! I'm never getting drunk again!

Sa kabila ng mga pinagsasabi at pinaggagawa ko nang gabing iyon, mabuti na lang at hindi iyon ginamit ni Slade laban sa akin. He never brought it up, not even once. He acted like it didn't happen and I am grateful for that. 

"Papasok ka na ba ngayon?" Silver asked as we ate.

"Medyo masakit ang ulo ko." I lied. Sa ngayon hindi ko pa talaga kayang makita si Riley sa school. Siguro bukas, okay na. Kung hindi bukas, edi sa susunod ulit na araw.

Bigla na lang tumunog ang cellphone ni Slade. Naiwan niya ito sa kitchen counter kaya tumayo siya at kinuha ito. "Uncle?" Sambit niya agad saka naglakad patungo sa sala.

"Mas close ba siya sa Uncle n'yo kaysa sa parents ninyo?" Pabiro kong tanong.

"Yeah." Silver answered coldly as she stared at her food. "His Uncle supported him with his passion while our parents saw it as a distraction."

"His Uncle?" Kunot-noo akong natawa nang bahagya. "Let me just remind you na kambal kayo... wait kambal ba talaga kayo?" 

"We're fraternal twins." Silver nodded to confirm. "His Uncle isn't blood related. Hindi naman kami close kaya parang kay Slade lang na Uncle iyon. I just call him Uncle as respect since he took care of Slade when he ran away from home when we were like 15."

"Damn, at 15? Looks like Slade is the real rebel here." Biro ko.

"More like stupid." Silver rolled her eyes. "My twin brother is stupid and I always get tangled in his mess." 

Natawa ako saka tumango. I can totally relate. "If it makes you feel better, lagi rin akong nadadamay noon sa mga kasalanan ni Magno at ng mga kaibigan niya. I even have scars to in my elbow to prove it."

Itinaas ko ang sleeve ng university sweatshirt ko at ipinakita sa kanya ang peklat ko sa siko. "Got it when I was ran over by a car."

"You got ran over by a car?" Namilog ang mga mata ni Silver.

"There's so much you don't know about me." I smirked mysteriously.

"Nang masagasaan ka, sino ang mas napuruhan? Ikaw o ang sasakyan?" Silver joked even if her expression was as cold and static as before.

I sighed. "Unfortunately, the car won. I almost even died. Sayang nga eh. Grandpa said this is my second chance at life."

"You and your dark humor... Tsk-tsk," Silver expressed as she shook her head.

"And dark soul!" Pahabol kong biro. 

"Maybe napasama ang concussion mo kaya nagkaganyan ka?" She joked with her usual chill expression.

"Ikaw? Nabagok ka rin siguro sa bato." I quipped. 

****

Gaya ng inaasahan, naabutan ko si Slade na nakahilata na naman sa sofa at nanonood ng TV. Wala na naman atang practice. 

"Aalis ka?" tanong niya.

"Yup." Sagot ko sabay kuha ng aking wedge boots mula sa shoe rack.

"Pasama naman oh! Nababagot na ako rito," aniya kaya kunot-noo akong natawa.

"Nababagot? Slade there's wifi and cable. And besides, you have tons of friends. Hang out with them," I pointed out. "Wait do you even go to school?"

"Dalawang subjects lang inenroll ko. Ayokong pumasok, absent din naman lagi ang professor." Umingos siya na para bang naiinis. Lakas magreklamo tungkol sa professor, as if naman nakikinig ang isang 'to. 

"Wow ha! Dalawang subjects na nga lang ayaw mo pang pumasok!" I poked fun of him.

"Eh ikaw nga, masakit ang ulo pero lalabas pa rin. Saan ba ang punta mo?" Usisa niya.

I rolled my eyes and huffed. "Siguro kung naging monotonous yang boses mo at nagkaroon ka ng wig, iisipin kong ikaw talaga si Silver. Grabe kayo makausisa eh."

"Come on, just let me tag along. I'm bored to death here!" He said dramatically as if he's dying from boredom. May pa tirik-tirik pa ng mata!

I sighed. "Okay fine! I need a driver anyway!"

He immediately ran up to his room to change.

"Flower shop? Bibilhan mo talaga ng bulaklak si Riley?" Hindi makapaniwalang sambit ni Riley nang makarating pinahinto ko siya sa isang flower shop.

Agad ko siyang pinandilatan. "Gago ka ba?! Ba't ko naman siya bibilhan ng bulaklak?!"

He chuckled and immediately raised a peace sign.

"Hindi naman 'yun mahilig sa bulaklak," pabulong kong agap na ikinatawa niya.

"Ano bang gusto niya?" aniya sabay patay sa makina ng sasakyan. 

"Hindi ako." I shrugged. Masakit man, pero wala eh—idadaan ko na lang sa biro.

Slade burst into a fit of laughter. "Oo nga pala, ako ang gusto niya."

The smile left my face. I looked at him flatly.

"Too much?" He asked as the smile on his face slowly vanished as well.

Panay ang tanong ni Slade kung para kanino ang bulaklak pero hindi ko siya sinasagot. Nakatuon ang atensyon ko sa paghahanap ng kulay pink na bulaklak, alam ko kasing ganitong klase ng bulaklak ang magugustuhan niya. 

"Pink? So it's a girl?" Hula niya nang bayaran ko ang napili ko.

"Bold of you to assume she's a girl just because I got her pink flowers." I shot him a disappointed look. I really don't like it when people judge because of a color. Boys can like Pink as much as Girls could like brown.

"You used the pronoun she and her, therefore you're buying flowers for a girl." He smirked triumphantly.

I sighed. He got me there.

"You win this round Villacorta." I had no choice but to accept defeat.

Slade and I were laughing around as we sang along the punk rock songs playing on his car. However, the moment he realized where we were, he fell silent and looked at me with a gloomy expression.

"Are we visiting your Grandma?" tanong niya pero umiling ako. 

Nang mai-park ang sasakyan, nauna akong bumaba upang bumili ng mga kandila at posporo. Hinintay ko si Slade hanggang sa sabay kaming pumasok sa sementeryo.

Dahil weekday at tanghali pa, walang katao-tao sa paligid—Well technically maraming tao kaso yun nga. It was so peaceful and silent that all we could hear were our footsteps and rustling of trees and plants. 

"Cemeteries are really peaceful." Kaswal na komento ni Slade.

Umihip ang napakalakas na hangin dahilan para mas lalong gumalaw ang mga puno at halaman. "A little bit creepy too."

"Sa lagay mong 'yan, marunong ka pa palang matakot sa multo?" Pang-aasar niya.

"Pag ako namatay, mumultuhin talaga kitang hayop ka." Pagbabanta ko.

"Dapat pati si Silver din!" Aniya. Gago talaga.

I smiled the moment we reached her grave. I sat on the grass right in front of her tombstone and gestured Slade to do the same.

Narito pa ang mga bulaklak na dinala ko nang huli ko siyang binisita. Nalanta na ang mga ito kaya naman isinantabi ko ito at pinalit ang mga bago kong binili. Kusa namang sinindihan ni Slade ang mga kandilang binili ko.

"Hey Vicky. Sorry if it took me awhile to visit this time." I whispered as I wiped the tombstone where her name is carved. "This is Slade by the way, kambal ni Silver." Itinuro ko si Slade nang hindi nililingon. 

"Hey?" Slade said awkwardly kaya natawa tuloy ako.

I wiped the dust off her tombstone using the tissue I kept in my backpack. Nakakalungkot dahil mukhang ako lang ang bumibisita sa kanya. Mukhang nakalimutan na siya ng kanyang pamilya.

"8 years old?" Tanong ni Slade. Siguro kinalkula niya ang Date of Birth at Death na nakaukit sa kanyang lapida.

Tumango ako. "We were 8 when she died."

"Rei, sino siya?" tanong ni Slade na mukhang curious na curious na.

"A childhood friend." I couldn't help but smile upon remembering our happy moments together. How we always played to our hearts content and pranked Magno and his friends. Lagi kong iniisip, ano kaya kung buhay pa si Vicky hanggang ngayon? Si Kirsten, kamusta na rin kaya?

"Disease?" tanong ni Slade.

Umiling ako. "Murder."

"Seryoso?" Hindi makapaniwalang sambit ni Slade kaya halos matawa ako.

"Yeah. She went missing for a few months and then one day, they just found her body floating in the outskirts of Filimon Heights." I took a deep breath and sighed. "Luckily, they found the killer and brought him to justice."

"May nangyari palang ganun dito sa Filimon Heights?" Hindi makapaniwala niyang sambit.

"Believe me, Filimon Heights had a dark period."

"Is that why you left?" Tanong niya. "I mean, Silver told me that you used to live here but then you moved away."

I shrugged. I'd rather not answer the question.

"You don't want to talk about it?" Hula niya.

Tumango ako. "Teka, ang unfair ah? Dami mo nang alam na baho tungkol sa'kin, tapos sa'yo wala?" pabiro ko siyang siniko.

"Okay, what do you want to know?" Humalakhak siya na para bang game na game magkwento tungkol sa kanyang sarili.

"Gago ka ba talaga since birth?" I squinted my eyes jokingly.

"Hindi ko alam kung nagbibiro ka lang ba o hindi." He said flatly, as if he was offended by my question. 

Bago pa man ako makapagsalita ulit, huminga nang malalim si Slade at bumuntong-hininga.

"Hindi lang ikaw naman ikaw ang tanga sa pag-ibig." Bulalas niya kaya agad nakunot ang noo ko. Parang napantig ang tenga ko sa narinig at nanlisik agad ang mga mata ko.

"Hindi ako tanga sa pag-ibig!" Protesta ko. 

"Shhh. Oo na, hindi na." He tried pacifying me by patting the top of my head but I continued glaring at him. Hindi ako tanga sa pag-ibig! Hindi! Makakalimutan ko rin naman si Riley! Hindi pa nga lang ngayon! 

Umingos ako at humarap ulit sa lapida ni Vicky. Saktong namatay ang apoy kaya sinilaban ko itong muli.

"Hindi pa ako nakaka-move on sa first love ko." Pag-amin niya. 

"May pumatol pala sa'yo? Akalain mo 'yon?" Pang-aasar ko para naman gumaan ang hangin sa pagitan namin.

"Aba't! Nakakasakit ka na ah?" He bit his lower lip and acted as if he was so mad but I could tell he was just joking.

"'Yan ba yung bumasted sa'yo?" I sat back and looked at him.

Tumango siya. "Kaya naiintindihan kita. Mahirap naman talagang magkagusto sa taong walang gusto sa'yo."

"Teka! Hindi tayo pareho!" Protesta kong muli. "Hindi ko naman niligawan si Riley! Umamin lang ako!"

"Umamin ka sa kanya?" Gulat niyang tanong kaya tumango ako.

"Anong ginawa niya?" He looked so curious when he asked.

Nagbaba ako ng tingin sa damuhan. "He threw up right in front of me—"

"Seryoso?!" Humagalpak si Slade sa kakatawa. Tawang-tawa ang damuho samantalang para sa akin sobrang sakit na.

"—And then he abandoned me." Dagdag ko dahilan para agad sumeryoso ang kanyang mukha.

Ako naman ang natawa at napatingala sa asul na kalangitan. "How about your first love, did she abandon you too?"

"She avoided me after I confessed." Mula sa gilid ng mga mata ko, nakita kong tumingala rin si Slade sa kalangitan. "She even avoided Silver too."

I heaved a deep sigh. "Ba't ba sila umiiwas? Kailangan ba talagang umiwas?"

"Tatanungin kita, how would you feel if someone would suddenly confess to you?" tanong ni Slade kaya saglit akong napaisip.

"If si Riley? Siyempre, magpapa-party ako!" Natawa ako sa sariling biro. "But that will never happen." I sighed but my smile remained.

"Ikaw, what would you do if you see your first love again?" tanong ko naman sa kanya.

Slade fell silent for a few minutes as if he was drowning in deep thoughts. 

"What would you do if you see your first love again?" tanong ko ulit.

"I'll take my chance to be with her again." He smiled and I could see determination in his face.

"Good luck with that, Slade." I patted his back. 

END OF 16.