Chapter Theme : Alone Together - Fall out boy

As days passed, Slade and I almost became inseparable. During my free time, we'd always hang out together, he'd practice writing while I would do my homework. Minsan naman tinuturuan niya akong tumugtog ng gitara. Hindi man niya maigalaw ang kanang kamay, hindi naman ito hadlang para makapagturo siya.

"I guess it really runs in the blood." Slade smirked after hearing me play the riff of 'Highway to Hell using Oggy', his precious Electric Guitar. I didn't even want to ask why he named it like that.

"Now you're just pulling my leg." I retorted sarcastically as I sat on his bed and leaned on the headboard. 

Tumayo si Slade mula sa kanyang upuan at bigla na lang hinila ang paa ko dahilan para muntikan akong malaglag mula sa kama. 

"Gago!" Bulaw ko sabay bawi ng paa. Kung hindi lang talaga siya injured, nasipa ko na ang mukha niya.

"That's pulling your leg." He grinned mischievously and sat right next to me, leaning his back against the headboard the same way I did. Hinilig niya ang ulo sa balikat ko kaya pasimple ko siyang siniko.

"Mabigat ulo mo." Pabulong kong reklamo pero ang totoo, natatakot akong makita kami ni Daddy lalo't bahagyang nakabukas ang pinto ng kwarto. Ayaw ko rin naman itong isara dahil baka mamaya kung anong isipin ni Daddy o ni Silver.

They never asked about our real score but I'm sure they noticed how Slade and I were always together. To be fair, I wasn't so sure about our relationship during that time as well. All I know was that Slade and I liked each other and we were enjoying each other's company. 

"Just a few minutes." Aniya habang nakahilig pa rin ang ulo sa balikat ko. Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako at hinilig pabalik ang ulo ko sa kanya. Kapwa kami nanatiling ganoon habang nakatingin sa kawalan nang bigla na lang tumunog ang cellphone ko.

7:32 PM

Villafranca #1:

Pauwi na ako

gutommmm

ano ulam?

"Si Silver 'to?" Tanong ni Slade na nakibasa rin pala sa cellphone ko. 

"Yup." Sagot ko naman.

"Villafranca number 1?" Lumipat siya at naupo sa harapan ko, kunot-noo. "Anong pangalan ko sa cellphone mo?"

"Villafranca number 2." Naguluhan ako bigla sa ikinilos niya.

"Number 2?!" Napahalukipkip siya ng mga braso at tiningnan ako nang walang kaemo-emosyon.

"I met Silver first. Bakit ba?" Katwiran ko naman pero sumimangot lang siya at inigaw ang cellphone ko. "What the hell, Slade?"

Aagawin ko sana mula kay Slade ang cellphone ko pero naawa ako sa kanya nang makitang mabagal ang kanyang pagtitipa gamit ang kaliwang kamay. Hinintay ko na lang siya na matapos.

"Reika's Guy?" I looked at him flatly when he handed me my phone. "Could you get any cheesier?!" Pabalang ko pang dagdag pero ngumisi lang ang loko at bumalik sa tabi sabay sandal ng ulo sa balikat ko.

Binuksan ko na lang ang bagong group chat namin na ginawa dahil sa palagian naming pagpunta kanila Braylee. 

Black Parade

7:38 PM

Haji ni Bray:

Schedule cleared!

Sasama na ako sa libing ni Kuya Bryan

Magno:

Yehey! Rest in Peace Haji Kazemi!

Sawyer:

Ako na mismo maglilibing sayo! Tagal kong hinintay to!

Haji ni Bray:

Pag ako namatay humanda kayong mga bwisit kayo

Sawyer:

Her brother will be cremated. Walang libing. 

Tomorrow's just a memorial to pay tribute.

Reyna impakta:

Anong oras nyo kami susunduin?

WHO THE HELL CHANGED MY NICKNAME?!

Magno:

BUMBAY

SAWYER:

BUMBAY

Haji ni Bray:

Imbes na mainis, natawa na lang ako dahil kay Haji. Kahit si Slade tawang-tawa rin. 

"Your friend is sometimes so annoying it makes you want to kill him, but sometimes he's outstandingly hilarious." Slade mused.

"Parang ikaw," biro.

"Hey, I'm cuter than him!" Aniya.

"Reika!" Biglang tawag ni Daddy. Kinabahan ako kaya naman dali-dali akong bumaba.

I took a deep breath and started skipping, pretending like I wasn't guilty over keeping a secret.

"Hey old Man." Kaswal kong bati kay Daddy nang madatnan ko siyang nagluluto. "Ba't di mo ako tinawag? Sana ako na lang ang nagluto." Dagdag ko pa.

"Ang galing mo nang tumugtog, naririnig ko mula rito. Ayaw kitang abalahin." He faced me with the ladle and made me taste the soup. Nag-thumbs up naman ako bilang sagot. 

Dad smiled at my answer.

"How's your teacher?" Dad asked in a low voice as we set the table. He probably didn't want Slade to hear us.

"He's great. You can take the guy away from the music scene but you can't really take the musicality from the guy." I shrugged.

"What about his well-being? Kapag kasi tinatanong ko, laging okay lang ang sagot. I know he's not okay." Dad sounded worried.

"He's actually doing better, Dad. I mean, I can't tell you everything that he told me because that would be betraying his trust, but what I can tell you is that he's been doing his best." I paused to smile at him reassuringly. "He can write with his left hand too. Well, his penmanship is still bad but I think it's been that way kahit pa noong right hand ang gamit niya." Biro ko pa.

Dad chuckled while shaking his head. He then sighed while looking at me in the eyes. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Natawa ako.

"How are you?" Tanong ni Dad. "Hindi na rin kasi sumasagot si Slade kapag tinatanong ko kung kamusta ka na? He said the same thing about betraying your trust. Mukhang nagkakaintindihan na talaga kayo." Pabiro niyang dagdag.

"Well, if you have a question. You can just ask me." I shrugged. "By the way, I'm doing fine. Even better because I can cook, drive, and even play like a badass now."

"Don't push it." Dad grinned.

I sighed heavily. "Okay fine, Almost! 

****

Nagtipon-tipon kaming lahat sa paboritong restaurant ng pamilya nina Braylee. Kasama rin namin ang lahat ng mga taong nagmamahal sa kuya niyang si Bryan. It was a really sad moment but at the same time, it was very special.

Sa isang maliit na stage, isa-isang tumayo at nagbahagi ang lahat ng kamag-anak at kaibigan ni Bryan ng mga alaala tungkol sa kanya. Gaya ng dati, lumuluha man ang lahat, mas nananaig pa rin ang ngiti sa kanilang mga mukha. 

And that's when I realized something... How important memories are.

I've always heard how near-death experiences made people change their ways of living, how it gave them a new leash on life, but to me it felt like everything just went downhill after that unfortunate accident that I couldn't even remember. God gave me a second life it but it felt like I just wasted it.

Nang si Braylee na ang umakyat at nagsimulang magsalita, hindi ko na kinaya. Iba talaga kapag nakikita mong nawawasak ang mga pinakamatatag mong kaibigan. 

Lumabas ako mula sa restaurant at naupo sa gilid ng sidewalk. Wala na akong pakialam kahit pa naka-dress pa ako na kulay puti, ang mahalaga makalayo ako roon dahil sigurado akong maiiyak lang ako sa loob.

"Heavy room huh?" Tumabi si Slade sa akin. Hindi ko namalayan ang pagsunod niya.

Ipinatong niya sa hita ko ang hawak na jacket, inayos ko naman ito para matakpan ang hita ko.

"What's in your mind?" Tanong ni Slade kaya napatingala ako sa maulap na kalangitan.

"Ano ka? Facebook?" Biro ko.

"I'm a soundcloud kind of guy." He shrugged and grinned kaya natawa na lang ako.

I sighed deeply as I hugged my knees. "I just wonder... When i'm gone, what will people remember me by?" I chuckled at my questions. "Probably just the weird rude girl that always wears the color black."

"While I'll just be remembered as the hot guy from a band." Slade chuckled. "Kidding aside, you're more than that and the people around you knows that."

I looked at him and smiled. "Don't worry, to me you're more than just a guy from a rock band too. I'm not going to get tired of reminding you that."

"What do you say to making good memories together?" He laid out his palm.

"One day at a time." I smiled and held his hand.

****

"I guess this is the end of our Black Parade huh?" Tanong ni Sawyer habang pauwi kami. Gaya ng dati, siya nanaman ang nagmaneho. 

"Next time ulit kapag si Haji na ang nachugi," biro naman ni Magno na nasa front seat kaya halos mabingi ulit kami Slade lalo't nakaupo sa likuran namin ang hari ng drama.

"Walang nagmamahal sa'yo Magno! At least sa akin may iiyak!" Sigaw ni Haji.

"Meron din sa akin ah! Reika, sample nga ng iyak!" Ganti ni Magno kaya napairap na lang ako.

"Grabe talaga kayo, ang dali lang sa inyong mag-usap tungkol sa kamatayan." Puna ni Slade.

"I'm with Slade on this one." Sawyer chuckled and glanced at us from the rear view mirror. "Law of attraction guys. 'Wag naman sana." Pananakot pa ng mokong.

"Wait guys..." I paused and looked around. "Naiwan na naman natin si Silver!" 

Everyone fell silent but all of a sudden, they all cracked into a fit of laughter. 

The entire ride we all just kept laughing, joking, and singing around. We had so much together that we didn't even notice we were already back at Filimon Heights. Hindi kagaya noon, kami na ang unang hinatid pauwi nina Sawyer.

 Dahil nagugutom, bumaba rin sina Sawyer, Magno, at Haji mula sa sasakyan nang makarating sa bahay. Dahil maaga pa naman, naging kampante akong hindi nila makikita si Daddy lalo't nasa Redwood naman ito at nag-aasikaso ng shop. Gabi pa ito makakauwi.

Pero mali ako dahil nang pumasok kami sa bahay, laking gulat naming lahat nang maabutan si Daddy sa sala... at hindi siya nag-iisa.

"M-mom?" I froze on the spot. I couldn't move nor speak a single word while looking at my Mom's crying eyes.

She stood up like she was already expecting my arrival. Dad stood up too and looked at me with sorry eyes. 

"Your things are already on the car. You're coming with me." Mom said sternly as she trembled, tears streaming down her face. I could feel the burning anger just by looking at her eyes.

"D-dad?" No voice came out of me as I looked at Dad's direction.

"Reika! Now!" Mom screamed, making me jump a little.

i looked at Slade who was as speechles as I was. Before any of us could even say anything, Mom grabbed me by the hand and dragged me to the car. I tried to fight and stay but when I looked at Dad, he nodded and mouthed a single word. "Go."

▬ end of 45// thank u ▬