Chapter 9: Play, Secrets, and Lies

XEÑA🎯

So Ace was the first boyfriend of my sister? Napailing na lamang ako. Hindi kami close ni Zyrille pero I knew some of her whereabouts kagaya nito. Alam kong nagkaroon siya ng boyfriend since Grade 7 and it was a secret dahil walang alam ang parents namin regarding their relationship. How did I know? Narinig ko sila noon ni Manang Lucia na nag-uusap. And I admit na sa ganung bagay ay may pagkakapareho kami ni Zyrille. May mga bagay na hindi namin kayang sabihin sa mga parents namin na nagagawa na lamang naming i-open kay manang. I could say that Manang is our living diary. In addition to that, I could sense if Zyrille has problems or some things she tries to hide. Well, advantage naman sa amin ang makapagtago ng secrets sa mga parents namin because of the reason na palagi silang wala o di kaya ay busy.

Ilang beses ko ng nahuli si Zyrille na bigla na lamang napapangiti o kinikilig habang tumitingin sa cellphone. Lagi siyang masaya noon at kapag Saturday o Sunday, kapag wala sina Mom at Dad ay umaalis siya na bihis na bihis. But not until she was in Grade 10.

It's Saturday, lumabas ako ng kwarto noon at naabutan ko siyang nagpapaalam kay Manang. She was in a white dress at todo ang ngiti. May bitbit pa siyang paper bag and I concluded that it was a gift, maybe their anniversary.

Napaisip pa ako noon na she was so lucky para di malaman nina Dad ang sikreto niya o di kaya'y ganun na ba kalaki ang trust nila kay Zyrille that she's too good as a child? But then,knowing these things made me worried for her. Kahit papaano, kapatid ko pa din naman yon. That day, afternoon nasa terrace ako noon ng kwarto ko at nanonood ng video sa Youtube nang matanaw kong bumaba si Zyrille ng taxi at nang pumasok ito sa aming gate ay napansin kong naging marumi ang damit niya at ilang beses niyang ipinahid ang kanyang mukha gamit ang kamay meaning that she was crying. And also that day, habang papasok siya ng bahay, there's a car which had stopped in front of our house for a minute. I don't know what had exactly happened to her, to their relationship but after that day, pinipilit niyang magmukhang masaya sa harap ng parents namin at araw-araw na nagpapakasubsob sa mga school works o di kaya ay palagi na lang siyang nag-a-archery.

And now, wow! What a scene! What a surprise, not because I had known her thing with Ace from the past but rather to the fact on how she approached Ace with her feelings after two years. Just wow!

Pupunta sana ako ng cafeteria pero natanaw ko ang HQ. Since that Faulker allow me to know the password, ba't di ko kaya gawing tambayan din ito? Hmm. I entered the password and the door opened. Pagkapasok ay pumunta agad ako sa kusina at kumuha ng tubig sa ref at isinalin sa baso tsaka ininom dahil parang nanuyo ang lalamunan ko. Argh! Bumalik ako sa sala at natanaw ko ang dartboard sa 'bar styled counter'. Ipinatong ko ang basong may tubig doon at iniusog ko ang mataas na upuan papaatras making the range between me and that dartboard became far enough. I started to throw one dart and there, bullseye! Hanggang sa nasundan pa ito ng ilang tira. I had found myself enjoying this but not until the door opened. Iniluwa nito si Ace at napairap na lamang ako bago ibinaling ang atensiyon sa dartboard.

"Is it the new cafeteria?" He said while standing in front of the door and basically, looking at me. Tss, whatever Ace. I remained silent.

"Enjoying with the dartboard,huh?" Sambit niya  nang tumira ako ng isang dart. Still, silent.

Napabuntong hininga siya at nagsimula ng maglakad sa harapan patungo sa direksiyon ng kusina. But before he could cross the line between me and the dartboard, I threw a single dart as it passed through with just an inch in front of his face making him stunned for a while before his gaze shifted towards the dartboard.

"Bullseye!" I declared.

"What the--!"

I smirked bago umalis sa kinauupuan ko at kinuha ang baso na nasa counter at inubos ang laman nun bago ito inilaoag ulit.

I felt his presence on my back and when I tried to face him, he put both of his hands on the counter on each side of my body making me locked on his arms while looking at me intensely in the eyes and have our bodies that were almost closed with each other.

"What's with that move?" He asked as I could feel his breath towards my face.

"Just olaying, I guess?" I responded and acted like it was nothing before I shifted my gaze out of nowhere.

He smirked.

"Do you know what play means to me?" Natigilan ako sa naging tanong niya. I met his eyes and damn this guy, papalapit ng papalapit ang mukha nito sa akin with such amusement while looking playfully at my lips. Kaya before pa magbunga ang play na sinasambit niya, I immediately inserted my right hand between our faces as my palm was facing at him and afterwards, covered and pushed his face with no much force but it made me flee from him.

"Not that fast. Just to remind you, we're already in a 'play along' situation because of your consequences," i said while walking slowly away from him.

"Vrielle..."

I stopped.

"What will be your response if one day, you discovered such dark secrets of someone whom you already trust? What if one day, you found out that you've been tagging along the whole time with such a lie you've been believing as truth?" He suddenly asked that made me frowned. What's with this guy? Ang lalim yata ng hugot. Napabuntong hininga na lamang ako.

"I don't know but one thing's for sure, I will be in great pain," I answered.

But as soon as I resumed walking, hindi ko napansin ang isang dart na nakakalat sa sahig making me be out of balance pero bago pa ako matumba ay bigla akong nahigit sa bewang ni Ace pero sa kasamaang palad ay natumba pa rin kaming dalawa, hindi nga lang sa sahig kundi sa sofa causing me to be placed above him. Sa bilis ng pangyayari at dala na rin ng gulat ay hindi namin nagawang gumalaw sa puwesto. We're both looking at each other's eyes and gasping for such air.

"Oh guys? Are we really that slow to be here that because of hunger, they decided to already eat each other?" What the fuck, Fredrich!

Bigla akong umalis sa puwesto na iyon. Inayps ang sarili bago humarap sa kanila na may bitbit na pagkain.

"What did you say, Fredrich?"

"Oh hi there, Xeng. Gutom ka na ba? May dala kaming pagkain," at sinimulan na nilang ipatong yuns sa mesa.

"I called them na magdala na lang ng pagkain dito nang mapansin kong dito ka pumunta," paliwanag ni Ace na ngayon ay maayos na nakaupo na parang walang nangyari.

"Kakain pa ba kayo o busog na kayo? I sent a glare to Kaizzer at nagkibit-balikat lamang ito.

"Hey, tama na iyan. Kumain na nga kayo!" Saad naman ni Darryl.

At nagsimula na kaming kumain dalawa ni Ace.

"Teka nga, ba't nandito ka Xeng sa taas?" Vendrick asked.

"Wanted to escape on us." Si Ace na ang sumagot. I looked at him.

"It's true but I never told you that!" I insisted.

"I had just seen it in your eyes when I asked you while we were in the room," he answered. Eh? Nababasa niya ang ekspresiyon ko?

"That means you know why Ace is here then?" Darryl asked.

"Uh, yeah."

"Does it affect you, Xeng?" Fredrich asked.

Napatigil ako sa pagsubo. Ako? Affected? What a boring question!

"Why would I? This Faulker and I are not that kind of couple who are in a serious relationship. I don't have any feelings for this guy as well as he on me. You know, I'm just dealing with him because of consequences he stupidly made," I explained before looking to Ace na napainom agad ng tubig.

"Oh, what a word," Kaizzer commented while smirking at nakaharap sa amin na nakaupo pala sa high chair na nasa counter.

At dahil sa naiinis ako at malapit sa akin ang lalagyanan ng dart, pina-experience ko kay Kaizzer ang naranasan kanina ni Ace.

"Bullseye."

🎯Rhianjhela🎯