Ang bango ni Kent. Bakit ang bango-bango nya? Kahit wala akong pang-amoy, feeling ko ang bango-bango nya.

"I told France na hindi muna ako makakapunta sa restaurant. He's pretty pissed," he told me. Tumango-tango lang ako at inamoy-amoy sya kahit hindi ko alam kung ano'ng amoy nya. Basta ang alam ko, mabango sya. Ang linis nya kasing tingnan... kahit hindi pa sya naliligo.

"Stop sniffing me. You're making me uncomfortable," reklamo nya sa 'kin.

"Ang bango mo."

"May sipon ka kaya."

"You look like you smell good." I smiled sheepishly at him. Alas dyes na yata ng umaga pero nakahiga pa rin kami. He's late for work already. Pero sabagay, hindi naman na daw sya papasok.

He smacked his palm on my forehead. "Ganito ka palang magkasakit? Para kang may sapi."

Totoo 'yon. Dati nga, vini-video pa ako nina kuya kapag may sakit ako. Para raw akong nagdideliryo na ewan. Akala mo sinapian ng masamang espiritu. Ang clingy ko rin kapag may sakit, which explains why until this hour, we're still in bed, both wrapped up in a thick blanket. "Why don't you try to get some sleep? Magluluto lang ako ng pwede mong kainin."

Hinigpitan ko ang kapit sa damit nya. Umiling ako. "I'm not hungry."

"Kahit na. Kailangan mong kumain para makainom ka ng gamot."

"I'll sleep with you!" I blurted out. "Just don't... don't leave me here. Nilalamig ako."

Napabuntong-hininga sya. It's not what I was expecting. Akala ko matutuwa sya. "Kung kailan hindi pwede, saka mo gusto. Nananadya ka ba?"

Sinimangutan ko sya. "Please... I'm sick. I don't want to get up."

"Then don't. Ako naman ang magluluto, hindi ikaw." He kissed my forehead. "I'll be quick."

"Huwag nga..." ungot ko.

Pilit nyang tinanggal ang kamay ko sa pagkakakapit sa kanya tapos pinayakap nya sa 'kin 'yong malaking unan. "Matulog ka muna."

I didn't sleep though. The moment he went out of the kitchen to cook, sumunod ako agad sa kanya. His back was turned against me. Abala sya sa paghihiwa ng carrots. Yumakap ako sa kanya mula sa likuran and giggled when he uttered a curse.

"Get back inside," utos nya.

"Ayaw." I pulled the blanker tighter around me. "I want to watch you cook."

"Then sit down. I can't cook with you clinging on my waist."

Pasalampak akong naupo. He squinted at me first before getting back to work. Maya-maya'y tumayo ulit ako para makiusyoso. Sinamaan nya ako ng tingin nang kumuha ako ng sandok.

"Sit." I grunted. "Jazz, if you pass out here, I'll tie you to the bed para matigil ka."

I scowled at him and did what he asked. Pero maya-maya, tumayo ulit ako. Hindi ako mapakali kasi. Ang tagal nyang magluto. Tuluyan na syang nainis kaya dinala nya ako pabalik ng kwarto.

"Sleep."

Nahiga ako at yumakap sa unan. I began muttering quite loudly para mainis sya lalo.

"God, you're annoying," he said while rolling his eyes. "Stop muttering and sleep. I'll wake you up when the food's ready."

I didn't realize that I fell asleep again. Ginising nya ulit ako. Dala-dala nya na ang pagkain. He laid the food on the table and sat me up.

"You have to eat para makainom ka ng gamot. Tapos matulog ka ulit," he told me.

"Bakit ikaw, hindi ka naman uminom ng gamot kahapon?"

"I don't need to. But you do." Iniabot nya sa 'kin ang bowl na may lamang sopas. "Eat."

I crinkled my nose at the soup. It doesn't look appetizing at all. Bits of carrots, cabbages, macaronis and chickens were floating on the thick broth. Ayaw kong kumain ng soup.

"Masarap 'yan," he assured me. "As if naman malalasahan mo."

"Feed me."

He bored his eyes at me. Akala nya yata babawiin ko ang sinabi ko. I just stared back. Maya-maya'y bumuntong-hininga sya. "Fine."

Then he started feeding me. I didn't hide my peculiar amusement with his mood swings. One moment he's frowning and then he'd smile and then he'd be amused of how childlike I seem to be when I'm sick. I bet the soup was delicious but I didn't taste it.

Nang maubos ko iyon ay pinainom naman nya ako ng gamot. And then he told me to sleep again. I said I won't unless matutulog sya sa tabi ko.

"I'll take a bath first," he told me.

"Okay!" I replied, quite enthusiastically.

Yakap-yakap ang isang malaking unan, I sat still until he was finished taking a bath.

Isang mahinang yugyog sa balikat ang nagpagising sa 'kin. Nakatulog na naman pala ako. It's like whenever I close my eyes, I drift to sleep.

He was toweling his hair dry at the moment. Inaantay yata nya akong magising kani-kanina pa.

"Had a good sleep?" he asked with a smirk.

I wrinkled my nose. I felt heady. Nakakahilo matulog pero antok na antok pa rin ako. He sat beside me and cupped my face. Napapitlag ako dahil sa lamig ng mga kamay nya.

"You're sweating."

Tumayo sya para kumuha ng bihisan. He pulled out a polo shirt from the drawer and told me to take off my shirt, which I did—readily. I didn't feel the need to turn away just like he didn't bother to look away. He even helped me button up my shirt.

"I hate being sick," I told him.

"I hate it more when you're sick. You're a handful."

Sinimangutan ko sya. "Handful?"

"You're whiny and clingy."

"I'm not." He didn't argue. "Sinabi mo ba sa tatay ko na nagkasakit ako?"

Tumango sya. "He asked me for a picture as proof." Kinuha nya 'yong phone ko saka ipinakita sa 'kin 'yong kuha ko. I looked like a cocoon with my head popping out of the little opening.

"What did he say?"

"He said he'd ask your annoying best friend to come over."

Ughhhh. Toby again. Why must he always interfere with my life? Why can't my father just let us be? Ikamamatay ba nya na hindi si Toby ang makakatuluyan ko?

"I'm glad you're just upset as I am," he said.

"Dapat sinabi mong hindi nya na kailangang dumalaw. As if naman gagaling ako kapag dumalaw sya."

"Magdadala lang sya ng bihisan at titingnan kung inaalagaan ba kita. Then he'll go back home. So be good and act so sickly."

Just like he said, Toby came with a small bag of spare clothes for me. He checked my temperature. "Okay ka lang ba?"

I nodded.

"Uminom ka na ng gamot?"

Tumango ulit ako.

"Kent's taking good care of me."

He doesn't look convinced but didn't press on the matter.

"Pakisabi sa tatay baka bukas na ako makauwi."

"Gusto mo bang bantayan kita?" tanong ni Toby.

"There's no need. I'll take care of her," sabat naman ni Kent.

Ngumiti ako sa kanya bago ako bumaling kay Toby, whose face was unreadable at the moment. "It's okay. Nandyan naman si Kent."

Wala nang nagawa si Toby kundi tumango at hayaan kaming dalawa ni Kent. Medyo nakunsensya ako kasi pakiramdam ko, pinagtutulungan namin si Toby. To think na best friend ko ito pero ganito ang trato ko. Ewan ko ba. Simula kasi noong naging kami ni Toby at kahit noong naghiwalay kami, parang hindi na katulad ng dati.

Hindi ko na sya mayakap ng walang awkward feeling. Pakiramdam ko lahat ng sabihin o gawin ko, bibigyan nito ng ibang meaning.

Nang makaalis si Toby, agad na lumapit sa 'kin si Kent.

"After all this time, he's still hung up on you? Why?" he asked, more to himself than me. "What's so special about you that he couldn't just let you go?"

I gave him a shrug because I really don't know how to answer his question. Toby confuses me as well. I buried my face on the pillow I was hugging. Again? Ang hirap ng may sipon. Nakakaantok. Sobra.

Kent said he'll cook dinner. Grabe parang kakakain ko lang kanina. Ang bilis lang lumipas ng oras kapag palagi kang tulog.

I felt my eyes get droopy. Hindi ko na hinintay na matumba ako sa kama. Natulog na ako ng nakaupo. When I woke up a while later, madilim na ang paligid. The clock reads 8:16pm. Ang haba ng tulog ko. He didn't wake me up. At kaya naman pala hindi nya ako ginising, maging sya e nakatulog na.

Tumabi ako sa kanya sa couch. Muntikan na akong malaglag nang maalimpungatan sya. Buti nakapitan nya ako agad bago ako malaglag.

Iniiwas nya ang mukha nya nang bigla syang ubuhin.

"May sakit ka rin?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"Nabinat yata ako gawa mo," sagot nya.

I gave him a weak laugh. "Pa'no na tayo nyan? Pabalikin ko kaya si Toby para may mag-aalaga sa 'tin pareho?" biro ko.

"Tsk. I'd rather be sick all week."

"Selos." He pinched my nose. Pero di nya itinanggi! Nang marealize ko 'yon, nginitian ko sya ng malapad. "You know, you're not my ideal guy but I like how unconventional you are. You keep on surprising me, Kent."

"You keep on surprising me too," he said as the corner of his lips curved up to a smile. "You're not as uptight and rigid as I thought."

I looked at him intently. He was looking back with the same intensity. Matagal kaming nasa ganoong ayos hanggang sa hindi ko na nakayanang pigilan ang sarili ko.

Isiniksik ko ang ulo ko sa bandang leeg nya at saka ako pumikit.

"Kent, is it too soon to tell you that I love you already?"