Blooming Romance

THE GIRL WHO CAN'T DATE

13

A week has passed and things haven't changed much. Back to school na, pero di pa rin nag-uusap si Orion at Ira, iniiwasan ni Maggie si Eros dahil nahihiya ito, busy na naman sa ospital si Aries at Seah, at si Ira... mmm... walang araw na hindi nakangiti. Wala ring break time na hindi nito hawak ang phone.

"AHEMMM! Sana all masaya love life!" parinig ni Maggie isang araw nang mahuli nitong nakangiti na naman ang kaibigan habang may ka-chat sa Facebook. "Oh, sandwich mo!"

Tinanggap ni Ira ang sandwich na inabot ni Maggie. Nakangiti lang ito, yung ngiting kinikilig. Pilit man niyang itago, tila kusa itong pumipinta sa kanyang mukha.

"Thaaaaaank you!" pasweet na pasasalamat ni Ira sa kaibigan.

"Hala, wow! Pa-sweet na siya oh! Sana all talaga inspired!" tumawa lang si Ira sa mga hugot ni Maggie sa kanya. "Huy, girl! Ikaw ba in love na diyan sa Stelios na yan?"

Agad na umiling si Ira. "Hindi ah! Kinikilig lang pero di in love."

"Pero, like mo?" pangungulit ni Maggie.

"Mmm... di ako sure eh. Ang alam ko natutuwa ako sa kanya. Masarap siyang kausap. Lagi niya akong ini-encourage at kino-compliment. Tsaka, funny!"

Umirap si Maggie. "You definitely like him."

Napaisip si Ira. "Baka nga, pero..."

Habang masayang nag-uusap at kumakain ng sandwich si Maggie at Ira sa favourite spot nila sa Faculty Room, biglang dumaan si Skye na pakanta-kanta.

"Marurupok na gagamba umaasa na naman."

"Nagpaparinig ka ba?" Ira snapped.

"Tinatamaan ka ba?"

Di sumagot si Ira. Nakatingin lang ito ng masama kay Skye. Then, he sat beside her and stole her sandwich from her hand and ate it.

"Heeey! That's my sandwich!" Tiningnan lang siya ni Skye unapologetic sa pag-kain ng sandwich! "Naghahanap ka ba ng away?"

"Maitanong ko lang, ikaw ba gusto rin ng lalaking yan?"

Ira was quite surprised with Skye asking that out of the blue.

"Oo!" Ira confidently answered.

Hindi nakumbinse si Skye. "Sinabi niya sayo na gusto ka niya? Sigurado ka?"

"Oo nga!"

"Nililigawan ka ba?" Ira paused. Her face went bland. "Pft! Ginagawa ka lang pampalipas oras niyan."

Ira got offended. "Excuse me! Ba't naman niya ako liligawan agad eh we just met? And besides I told him na I just want us to be friends."

Skye crossed his arms. "Kung gusto ka talaga ng isang lalaki, liligawan ka pa rin niyan kahit sinabi mo pa na gusto mo lang ay maging friends. And why is that guy confessing to you kung wala naman pala siyang intention na manligaw? Sinasayang niya lang ang oras mo!"

"Why are you so triggered, dude?" pagtataka ni Maggie.

"At bakit ka ba nakikialam? Napaka-mema mo, alam mo ba yun?" mataray na sagot ni Ira.

Skye stood up and shrugged his shoulders as he left.

Ira made a face nang umalis si Skye pabalik sa kanyang mesa.

"Napakachismoso ng instik na yun!" ani ni Maggie.

"Sinabi mo pa!"

"But you know what, Ira. My point din siya eh. If di naman kayo nagliligawan, then what are you guys doing? Flirting? Fling?"

"Being friends?"

"May bigayan ng mga bulaklak, pahatid-sundo, everyday magka-chat, pero friends lang? So friends with kilig benefits, ganun?"

"So, ano bang dapat kong gawin?" Ira's eyes drooped. She clearly has no idea what to do because honestly, first time niyang magkaroon ng ka-fling.

"I think you should talk about it. I mean make it clear kung ano kayo. Mahirap yang nag-iinvest ka ng emotions sa relationship na walang label. Di ba nga ikaw na ang nagsabi na ang pag-ibig parang business? Siguraduhin mong di yan scam."

"What if willing akong mag take ng risk sa taong 'to?"

Maggie was surprised. "Talaga? Susugal ka?"

"Why not? He clearly likes me."

Though apprehensive, Maggie cheered Ira. "Well, masaya ako na nagiging matapang ka na."

Marahang tumayo si Maggie at sumunod naman si Ira. Patuloy sila sa pag-uusap habang hinahanda ang gamit nila for their class. Pinagmamasdan ni Ira si Maggie and just recalled that things weren't fine yet between her and Eros.

"Eh, ikaw Maggie? Kumusta ka?"

"Hmmm? Okay lang ako. Why?"

She wanted to ask how she felt for her brother but at that moment she held her tongue. She smiled instead and shook her head.

"Siya nga pala, Ira. My parents are home. So mamaya, I'll get my stuff at your place and uuwi na."

Nalungkot si Ira na marinig na aalis na ng bahay nila si Maggie. For a while, nasanay na rin siya na may kasama sa kwarto.

"Awwwe! Mamimiss kita, Maggie!"

"Parang sira 'to. Para namang di na tayo magkikita sa school."

"Well, I'll surely miss having a roommate. Anyway, anong oras ka mag-iimpake? Tutulungan kita at sasamahan na rin sa bahay niyo."

"Excuse me!" sumabat na naman si Skye. "You can't leave early!"

Irritated, hinarap ni Ira si Skye na nakasimangot ang mukha. "And why not?"

"Did you forget? Or di ka nakinig sa meeting kanina? Ang MAPEH Department ang naka-assign na mag-decorate sa stage and just to remind you, our MAPEH Day is tomorrow."

Ira dropped her jaw. Nakalimutan nga niya na MAPEH Day na bukas. At ang dami pa niyang kailangan i-prepare- score sheets, bola na gagamitin sa laro, score board, at marami pang iba.

Maggie tapped her shoulder. "I'll be fine. Wag mo na akong samahan."

"Sure ka?"

"Yes. At saka, if in case na something bad happens, may taser naman ako eh. I bought one the other day."

"Okay! Just take care, okay?"

Maggie assured her worried friend with a smile.

At Pardilla Residence...

Tahimik na nag-iimpake ng gamit si Maggie sa loob ng kwarto ni Ira. Nobody's home yet. Me and Pops were in the bakery. May duty si Seah at Aries. Di pa nakakauwi si Orion from school. And Eros, well, he's somewhere na siya lang ang nakakaalam.

After packing her things, she went out of the room, turn off the light and quietly went downstairs. Nakasalubong niya kami ni Pops pagdating niya sa sala.

"Oh, ija! Uuwi ka na?"

"Opo, Tito! Nakauwi na po kasi ang parents ko from their trip. Sobrang thank you po letting me stay here."

"No problem, ija!"

"Mamimiss kita, Ate Maggie!" that little cute fluffy kid voiced out.

Yumuko si Maggie para kurutin ang pisngi ko. "Awwe! Ako din, Usher! Will surely miss you too!"

"Eh, si Ira? Di ka ba niya sasamahan?"

"Kailangan niya po mag overtime eh! Pero ok lang naman po ako. Wag niyo na akong alalahanin."

"We're home!" Eros announced upon entering the house. Seah and Aries followed behind him.

Napatingin naman si Pops at Maggie sa kanila.

"Uy, himala ata at nakasabay niyo sa pag-uwi si Eros?" bati ni Pops.

"Oo nga Pops, eh! He actually texted me to pick him up nang malaman niyang pauwi na kami." Pambubunyag ni Aries as he took off his coat.

Seah gently took it from him and placed it on her arms together with hers. Lumapit siya kay Pops upang magmano. Nakasunod sa kanya si Aries na nagmano na rin kay Pops.

"Sabi ko nga sa kanya, Pops, eh na he should buy a car or a motorbike para naman magka-girlfriend na siya."

Umirap si Eros and made a wheezing noise. Seah sniggered at his reaction.

"Pretty sure, malaki na ang savings mo. You can afford it."

"I can but I don't want to." Eros answered arrogantly walking passed through his brother and sister-in-law, saka nagmano kay Pops. "I don't find it a need, so no. I'm not buying anything luxurious."

Aries weaved a sigh. "Here we go again with this conversation."

Just when they were about to go up, saka pa lang nila napansin si Maggie with her bags.

"Maggie!" Seah, surprised to see her bags packed, gasped. "Uuwi ka na?"

"Yeah!" Maggie answered smilingly. "My parents are home so it's safe to go back now."

"Paano ka uuwi?" Aries was mindful.

"Magta-taxi. I can get one right outside your front door."

"But it's late na. Mmm..." Seah looked at Eros who was pretending to be busy scrolling his phone right at the staircase. Pwede namang umakyat na siya pero it's just weird he was hanging out there like an idiot. "...Eros? Pwede mo bang ihatid si Maggie?"

"H-huh?" kunwari di niya narinig, kunwari di niya alam kung anong pinag-uusapan, kunwari di siya natutuwa sa pakiusap ni Seah. Haaay naku, Eros!

"Sabi ko, pwede mo bang ihatid si Maggie sa bahay nila? Gabi na kasi." Ulit ni Seah.

Maggie grabbed her things and prepared to leave. "Ok lang, Ate Seah! I can manage. Ayoko na rin mang-abala pa. I'll be fine."

"Maggie, we insist." Aries stopped Maggie. "At saka, para naman magamit niya rin ang driver's license niya."

"What? Kuya Eros has a license but no car?" I asked.

"Kid, wag kang sumabat sa usapan ng matatanda." Eros eyes were cold and scary when he said that, so I shut up. Then he turned to Maggie. "Okay lang naman sa 'kin, eh. It won't be too much trouble."

Huminga ng malalim si Maggie. Her fingers were fidgety while holding the straps of her bag.

"Well, if you guys insist then, okay. Let's go?"

Eros pocketed his phone and caught the keys that Aries threw at him.

"Dahan-dahan lang sa pagmamaneho!" paalala ng kapatid.

Then they slowly went out of the house and walked to the car. Binuksan ni Eros ang trunk at tinulungan si Maggie sa paglagay ng mga bag. They were both veeery quiet. Maggie opened the backseat at papasok na sana sa loob nang binuksan ni Eros ang pinto sa front seat and said,

"I'm not your driver, Miss!"

Maggie pressed her lips and forced a smile. "Sabi ko nga."

Sinara ang backseat at naupo siya sa front seat. As soon as Eros got into the driver's seat, pumatak ang ulan.

"Imagine if you waited for a cab and then biglang umulan."

"I could have been a wet cat in the rain."

"I thought so too."

Nagpatugtog ng jazz music si Eros saka nito pinaandar ang sasakyan. The music made Maggie feel at ease somehow. In fact, it was a serene evening for the both of them. Raindrops falling on the window, cool weather, and jazz music while being stuck in the middle of the traffic, it wasn't so much trouble.

Tinitigan ni Maggie si Eros. He looked very calm despite the heavy traffic and the rain. She thought that being stuck in traffic would be the best moment to make a conversation, to break the awkward wall they built for a week.

"Uhm, Eros?"

"Mmm?" Eros turned his face to her, his left elbow resting on the window, and his right hand on the wheel.

"I just wanna apologize for how I behaved in the party and the night after that... I, I don't really always act like that, and..."

"It's okay. I understand. You're drunk." Maggie bowed her head in shame. Eros noticed that and sniggered. "Maybe next time you shouldn't drink too much."

"Noted, sir!" Maggie embarrassingly answered.

15 seconds more and the traffic light will turn green. The two looked at it with anticipation. Suddenly, biglang tumunog ang mga tiyan nila. Nagtinginan ang dalawa for a few seconds, at nagtawanan.

"Do you mind if we grab a bite first?"

Sinilip ni Maggie ang labas, and checked the time.

"We can eat at Town Center. We still have an hour before the mall closes."

"Got it!"

As soon as the light turned green, the driver made a right turn going to the mall. At isang date ang naganap between Eros and Maggie.

At Grayson University...

Skye snatched Ira's phone nang mahuli niya itong scroll ng scroll sa messenger.

"Huuuy! Ano ba! That's my phone!" Ira stood from sitting on the floor para sundan si Skye. She was calling him but he wasn't listening. "Skye, ano ba! Give me back my phone!"

Nilingon ni Skye si Ira. He wasn't amused. He wasn't smiling at all.

"Alam mo ba kung anong oras na? Mag aalas otso na pero di ka pa tapos sa ginugunting mo dahil chat ka ng chat. Kailangan ko ng ipaskil yan sa dingding. Mag-concentrate ka nga!"

"Hindi ako nagcha-chat, okay? May sinilip lang ako. At isa pa, matatapos na rin ako sa ginagawa ko kaya ibalik mo na ang cellphone ko!"

Skye placed the phone in his pocket and stared at Ira sternly. Then isang malutong na "NO" ang sagot niya sa katrabaho.

"Ibabalik ko lang 'to kapag tapos na tayo sa trabaho. Wag ka ng makipagtalo kung ayaw mong itapon ko 'to sa field at hayaang mabasa sa ulan."

Ira was challenged. Of course, di siya magpapatalo. She crossed her arms and stared back at Skye. Lumapit ito kay Skye at sinubukan ang intimidating powers niya.

"Talaga? Kaya mong gawin yan?"

"Wag mo kong subukan, Ira Micole Pardilla! You wouldn't like it when I'm pissed off."

Di natibag si Skye sa intimidating eyes ni Ira. Nagulat din ito ng banggitin niya ang full name nito. So she surrendered. Umirap na lang ito saka bumalik sa pag-gunting ng mga letrang ipapaskil ni Skye sa dingding.

Habang nagtatrabaho ito, di naman mapakali si Ira. Gusto niyang makuha ang cellphone niya at i-check kung may mensahe ba siya galing kay Stelios. At the same time, nanggagalaiti naman ito sa inis sa tuwing nakikita niya si Skye.