"What the hell are you doing here Slade?!" Pabulong kong bulalas nang madatnan ko siyang nakaupo sa sala at nanonood ng TV, patawa-tawa pa ito sa pinapanood na cartoons. 

Slade being in Katalin Island never crossed my mind, let alone seeing him in our beach house.

"Hey!" Bumungisngis siya nang mapatingin sa akin. "Sinamahan ko lang si Uncle, may aayusin daw kasi siya rito sa Katalin Island. Saktong andito ka rin kaya pinuntahan na lang kita. May pinapabigay rin kasi si Silver sayo."

Nang sabihin niya iyon, itinuro niya ang dalang isang malaking kahon na kulay puti. 

"Please don't tell me it's a dead body." I joked with a straight face.

"What if it's Haji's dead body?" Slade smirked.

"He's gross while alive, ano pa kaya kung patay na?" I shot back as I winced.

"Kawawang Haji." Magno casually commented as he descended down the stairs like lifelessly. "You got a point though." Dagdag pa niya.

"Magno, did you even sleep?" Napahawak ako sa magkabila kong bewang sabay taas ng kilay ko.

Umiling si Magno at lumapit sa ref. Binuksan niya ito at kinuha ang box ng fresh milk. "Parang meron na parang wala. Magdamagang Fortnite." Uminom pa ang loko mula sa mismong box ng fresh milk. Ugh! Ba't nga ulit maraming nagkakagusto sa pinsan kong 'to?!

"And you didn't even ask me to play with you?!" Inis kong bulalas pero winakli ko na lang ito. Magno's too sleepy to drive me away from this house.

I turned back to Slade. "Hey, you busy today?"

Umiling si Slade. "IHindi. Ayokong distorbohin si Uncle eh. Susunduin ko lang siya mamaya pag tumawag na siya. Diba gusto mo ring umalis? Tara i-tour mo na lang ako sa lungsod na'to." Pagyayaya niya kaya kahit papaano ay natuwa ako. 

Finally! A chance for me to getaway from this place even  just for the day!

"Take care kids." Wika ni Magno na naupo na harapan ng nakabukas na ref at kinakain na ang Spaghetti na ginawa ni Lolo. 

***

"Wait, how did you know I'm here at Katalin Island?" Tanong ko matapos kong maisuot ang seatbelt ko.

He chuckled as he cranked up the engine. "You told Silver and I that you'll be at Katalin Island for the Christmas Break."

"But how did you find the beach house?"

"Magno."

"Oh." Napatango ako nang maalala ko. "So, where to?"

"I should ask you that. Ikaw tour guide ko ngayon." Pabiro siyang bumusangot.

"Tour guide? Eh ikaw ang nagd-drive!" I sighed heavily as I grimaced. "Kung sana tinuruan mo lang akong mag drive ng four wheels!"

And tour guide? Eh first time ko nga iyon sa Katalin Island.

"I told you, that's not my Job to do, Rei-rei," he chuckled again as he drove away from the beach house. 

Nakakainis lang eh. Gusto ko rin magpaturo kay Sawyer o kay Magno pero ayaw rin nila kasi magagalit daw sa kanila si Lolo. Kapag naman tinatanong ko si Lolo, puro next time nang next time. Halatang ayaw akong matutong mag-drive ng four wheels. 

"Ugh. I'll just pay Apollo for driving lessons." I surrendered. 

"How about your Mom and Dad?" He asked but I could feel the hesitation in his voice. "Maybe your Mom or Dad could, you know, teach you and then you can bond."

"Ha!" I let out an exasperated laugh. "I'd rather teach myself, thank you so much."

"Damn that parental-issue angst!" Slade chortled. "Great initiative though."

"How about Silver though? When are you going to teach her how to drive? At least if I can't drive, I could just ask her to drive for me," I shrugged jokingly.

Slade's forehead creased as he glanced at me begrudgingly. "You want to use my sister for your own gain?"

"You make it sound like it's such a bad thing, Villafranca!" I joked.

"Tell you what, De Juan..." He paused and smiled. "Ask your Mom to teach you how to drive and I will drive for you anytime, anywhere, so long as my time permits."

I gaped over how nonsense his conditions were. "You idiot! You know that barely even makes sense right?"

"Yeah..." The idiot just grinned.

****

That was my first time to be at Katalin Island. I guess it was Slade's too. We had no idea where to go so we dropped by the nearest coffee shop. Saktong malapit lang daw ito sa dagat kaya naman naglakad-lakad kami ni Slade hanggang sa tuluyan naming marating ang dalampasigan.

With Frappés in our hands and our toes in the sand, Slade and I sat by the shore just inches away from the crashing waves. I bent by knees up to my chest and hugged it and Slade did the same just to annoy me.

The sun was high but it didn't hurt much thanks to the Rainy December weather that year. 

Good thing I chose to wear my over-sized black hoodie and shorts that day, I didn't have a hard time sitting on the sand. Slade on the other hand wore ripped jeans and over-sized white muscle shirt kaya kitang-kita na naman ang compass tattoo niya.

"Did it hurt?" I couldn't help but ask as I took a sip from my Cherry Mocha Frappé.

"What?" He asked, taking a sip from his Caramel Frappé.

"When you fell from hell to earth." I smirked sarcastically.

He looked at me with a straight face as his lips let go of his straw. "Kung makapagsalita ka, parang hindi ka rin demonyo ah?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm talking about your compass tattoo, dumb-dumb!"

He chuckled as he stared at the sparkling ocean right in front of us. "If I'm trying to impress a lady or a buddy, i'd say it didn't. But since I'm talking to a demon like you, well yes, it hurt like hell."

"Why did you have it?" I asked in between my laughter. "And while we're on the subject, bakit compass? Ano yun? Naliligaw ka na demonyo?"

"Gusto ko lang." He shrugged. "And compass because I think it looks cool."

"That's it? No deep meaning?" I joked. 

"Okay Fine..." He sighed as he chuckled. "I am own compass. I'll figure out my way on my own, without anyone ever dictating me where to go or where I should."

"Oh what a rebel you are." I smirked sarcastically as I took a sip from my Frappé. "A cheesy rebel at that."

"Come on, make fun of me all you want but you know I'm right." He tilted his head and looked at me with a grin. "And you might even have the same principle as I do."

I shrugged. "Perhaps?"

"You know what... I'm thinking of getting inked too." Napatitig ako sa dagat at napangiti. 

"What will you get?" Tanong niya.

"I'm still figuring it out." I smiled.

"Let me guess? You're thinking of having Riley's face tattooed on your chest?" Pang-aasar niya.

"'Wag mo na ngang ipaalala si Riley!" Bulyaw ko sa kanya dahilan para lalo pa siyang natawa.

Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin at tinaasan pa siya ng kilay. "Kung makapagsalita ka, baka mamaya ikaw 'tong may tattoo ng pangalan ng first love mo."

"Wala." Umiling siya at ngumiti. "Siyempre siguro nagpalagay ako kung naging kami, kaso hindi eh."

"Kadiri ka!" Biro ko sabay siko sa kanya dahilan para mas lalo siyang matawa.

"Ano nga ulit pangalan ng first love mo?" Tanong ko.

"CJ." He said straightforwardly. 

I faked a shocking expression by opening my eyes wide. "Omg! Bakla ka rin?!"

"Caitlin Joy!" Pabalang niyang giit at umarte pa na parang kukutusan niya ako.

"Sorry naman!" Mas lalo akong natawa dahil sa reaksyon niya. 'Tong si Slade defensive agad.

"Have you made a move already?" Tanong ko.

"She doesn't want to talk to me." Slade chuckled bitterly kaya naman pabiro kong tinapik ang tuktok ng ulo niya na lagi niyang ginagawa sa akin.

"Welcome to the club, Slade..." I sighed as I took a sip from my cup again.

"There's a club?" He asked, surprised. I wasn't sure if he was just kidding around though.

"The Broken Hearts Club." I nodded. "Sawyer, Apollo, and I are the members. Wanna join?" Of course I was kidding. Well, it was more of an imaginary club. 

"Reika, you little shit." Natawa lang si Slade at napailing.

****

"Reika! Saan ka galing at bakit ngayon ka lang?!" 

Napako ako sa kinatatayuan nang sa pagpasok ko sa beach house ay sumalubong agad sa akin ang galit na galit na si Mommy. Her eyes were red and I could tell that she was fuming mad.

At that instant I wanted to laugh and berate her for being right because in my mind, she had no right to be mad at me. She had no right to suddenly start acting like a furious Mother because that role were taken over by my loving Grandparents a long time ago.

"Abbey, may mga bata rito." Kalmadong paalala ni Tito Addam, ang kapatid ni Mommy na siyang ama ni Magno. 

Napalingon ako at nakitang nasa sofa pala si Magno at ang mga nakababata naming pinsan.

Gustohin mang magwala at ipamukha kay Mommy ang lahat ng mga pagdurusa ko, ayoko namang marinig ito ng mga pinsan ko. Kung ano man ang problema namin, labas sila rito.

Tiniis ko ang labis na galit at patakbo akong umakyat patungo sa aking silid.

Nang makapasok, nanginginig ang aking kamay at nanlalabo ang aking mga mata dahil sa namumuong luha rito. Sobrang bilis ng tibok ng puso ko at pakiramdam ko'y sasabog na ito.

Biglang tumunog ang cellphone ko kaya mabilis ko itong kinuha mula sa aking bulsa. Nakita kong may natanggap akong mensahe ngunit dahil sa tubigan kong mga mata, hindi ko ito maaninag nang maayos. Ni hindi ako makatipa nang maayos dahil sa mga daliri kong nanginginig.

Narinig kong biglang pumihit ang door knob ngunit bago ko pa man ito mapigilan, tuluyang bumukas ang pinto at pumasok si Magno. Mabilis niyang isinara ang pinto at humarap sa akin.

"Okay ka lang?" Nag-aalala niyang sambit.

Sa puntong iyon, tuluyang bumagsak ang mga luhang kanina ko pa pinipigilan.

It was not a cry out of sadness. It was Anger.

END OF 20