Chapter 13

Jade's Point of View

"Leroi, i don't think this is a good idea. Also, i never skipped classes before!"

He chuckled and pulled me inside his car. "It's fine! Minsan lang naman 'to hahaha!"

Nitong Biyernes, niyaya ako ni Leroi na umabsent just to attend a party. It feels exciting and scary at the same time dahil first time ko 'to.

Habang nagda-drive na sya ay medyo kinakabahan ako. What if hanapin ako sa school today? What if biglang tumawag 'yung mga teacher kay dad kung bakit wala ako? What if nalaman 'to ni dad at pagalitan ako non?

Na-stress na 'ko kakaisip ng bigla akong hawakan ni Leroi sa balikat. "Don't overthink it Jade, tsaka may event ngayon sa school. Walang klase. And I think 'yung event tungkol sa play ng theatre club."

Parang medyo nakahinga ako ng maluwag sa nabanggit nya. Pero medyo nanghihinayang din ako dahil gusto ko rin manood nung play. I was kinda looking forward to see Ruben do his role on stage.

Even though our friendship is over, there's still a part of me that wants to support him because he was my bestfriend.

"We're here! Tara na Jade! This is going to be damn fun." Then we stopped right infront of a huge building. Pagkapasok namin doon ay nag-elevator kami papuntang 5th floor kung saan nandon 'yung party.

And while we're on the elevator, i kind of feel anxious about this party. I don't really know what i should exactly do on this party, so maybe i might just stick with Leroi the whole time. At pagkarating nga namin sa 5th floor ay bumungad sa amin ang party.

Feeling ko parang ang onti nila dahil nabibilang ko kung ilan ang tao rito. There's around ten people on this floor and i was very surprised to see someone so familiar. "Wha... Leroi, andito si Caiden?" I asked.

Pero parang di nya ko narinig ng tawagin sya ng isa sa mga tao dito. "April!" Sambit nung lalaki kay Leroi. Medyo naguluhan ako dahil hindi naman April ang pangalan ni Leroi, but maybe it's just some nickname for him.

"Dude! Ang angas ng lugar ah?" Nakipag-usap pa sya sa kaibigan nya habang naghihintay lang ako sa tabi nya.

"Well yeah, si July namili ng lugar eh." They just kept talking and talking. And as it was over, sumama lang ako kay Leroi. He just kept talking with these people that i don't even know.

I started to feel so uncomfortable and out of place kaya nag-paalam ako sa kanya na uupo muna ako sa ibang lugar. Hinayaan nya lang ako. Napa-isip naman ako na sana di na lang ako sumama.

Pagka-upo ko sa isang lugar, napapatingin na lang ako sa mga dekorasyon sa mga pader. Nadapo din ang mata ko sa isang gilid kung nasaan si Caiden.

Sya nga talaga 'yon. But isn't he supposed to be studying in abroad?

"Hey..." bigla namang may kumausap sa akin. Napatingin ako sa aking tabi to see who it was, but then again, si Leroi at Caiden lang ang namumukhaan ko rito. I don't know this guy.

"Uhm hey." He looks kind of nice, so maybe he's just being friendly with me.

He smiled and offered me a drink. "Here, you can have this."

"Thanks." Tinanggap ko naman ang binigay nya.

"Aren't you with Leroi? I think you should stick with him." Sabi nya.

"I-It's fine, may mga kausap sya eh."

"Really? I don't think it's fine for a girl to be apart from her boyfriend here, since you're the only girl in this party." Now that he mentioned that, napansin ko nga na ako lang ang babae na nandito. "Hmm well, may babae din kaming kasama sa grupo na 'to. But she's kinda busy with the theatre club, sya kasi president don eh."

"Ah, okay." This is really kind of awkward to me. Di ko talaga kilala 'tong lalaki na 'to and yet he's talking so casual with me.

"Ah right! I almost forgot to tell you my name, Zachary nga pala. Zach na lang for short." Then nakipagkamay naman ako sa kanya.

Nangiti na lang ako at sinabi din ang pangalan ko. "I'm Jade."

"I know." He whispered, and that kind of freaked me out. Pero baka namention na ko ni Leroi sa tao na 'to. Di na lang ako nagsalita pa.

We both fell silent after knowing each others name. Akala ko tatahimik na din sya pero di pala. "Sometimes, the person who's really meant for you is the one who was always beside you. Kaya nagtataka lang ako sayo kung bakit bigla ka na lang sumama kay Leroi. That guy is the worst, you know?"

Para akong natanga sa mga sinasabi nya. Di ko magets, di ko maintindihan ang pinag-uusapan namin.

"What are you trying to-- he cut me off by continuing what he was saying.

"Well i can't blame you for your stupidity. Also, i just can't imagine how Ruben handled you."

"What does Ruben got to do with this?" I asked. Everything started to feel bad.

I didn't saw this coming.

"Hmm, yeah he got nothing to do with this. He quit the club anyway."

"What are you talking about!?"

Napangisi naman sya. "Oh nothing! Nevermind me, i was just talking unconsciously." Is this guy trying to make me crazy? He definitely wasn't talking to himself.

I just glared at him and then tried to leave, but before i could go may pahabol pa syang nasabi. "Nga pala, goodluck mamaya! Also, i hate you. Baka matalo pa 'ko sa pustahan na 'to pero h'wag naman sana hehe."

This guy is really crazy!

"Ugh whatever."

Then i was glad that Leroi called me. Bumalik ako sa tabi nya at kinausap nya naman ako. "I hope you're liking all this so far." Not really.

I just faked a smile. "Yeah, this place is great." I just wanna get out of here right now.

All of a sudden, lumapit na sa amin si Caiden. Binati naman sya ni Leroi. "Yo, Caiden!-- or should i say October?"

Natawa naman si Caiden. "Please drop the codenames Leroi, i'm sick of it."

Nagtama naman ang mga mata namin ni Caiden, then he just smiled. I feel so bad for feeling all flustered because him when my boyfriend is beside me. I think di pa talaga ako maka-get over kay Caiden.

Pagka-upo nya sa tapat namin ni Leroi, a smirk got plastered on his face. Then he said, "Damn it Leroi, ikaw na panalo."Di ko nanaman maintindihan ang mga nangyayari. Nag-uusap ang magpinsan at parang taga-kinig lang ako.

"You damn right i am, akin na 'yung susi!" Tas binigay ni Caiden kay Leroi ang isang car keys. Tuwang-tuwa naman si Leroi sa nakuha. "Hahaha! Walang bawian 'to tol."

"Oo na! Sayo na nga yung kotse. Letse." Napakunot lang noo ko sa kanila. Muling napatingin sa akin si Caiden at nangisi. "Okay, so let's finish this Leroi."

"Eh? I think i'd feel bad if i do it."

"Nakokonsensya ka na ba? Dude, kasama 'yon sa usapan. H'wag kang talkshit dyan."

Leroi sighed. "Fine." Nagulat na lang ako ng biglang tumayo si Leroi.

"Jade..." damn, sa pagbanggit nya pa lang sa pangalan ko ay parang may di magandang mangyayari. "...i've got something to tell you."

"Hey everyone! This is the moment of truth!! Manood kayo ng maigi!" Natatawa pa si Caiden ng tawagin nya ang iba pang tao sa party na 'to. Mukhang nagpipigil pa ng tawa si Leroi sa mga nangyayari.

"Okay... Hazelle Jade Garcia, i'm breaking up with you." Parang huminto ang mundo ko ng marinig ko ang mga salita na 'yon mula kay Leroi. At mas nasaktan ako sa kasunod ng nasabi nya. "I never really liked you. Did you really thought that someone like me would ever like someone like you?"

"L-Leroi, anong... I thought you love me?" Napatayo ako't napatingin sa kaniya ng diretcho. And it scares me that he can look me straight in the eyes with a scary grin.

"Everything was just a bet, you know? So no hard feelings please, let's act like nothing happened." What he's showing looked like a whole different person. And i hate to accept the thought that this is actually who he really is.

"But Leroi!-- y-you're kidding right?! Is this some sort of joke!?" I still tried to make this change, but i think it won't ever change.

"Mukha ba 'kong nagjo-joke dito, Jade?... well maybe everything that happened between us in the past month was the joke. And so as you being here right now." Natawa naman sya at pati na rin ang iba pang tao na naririto. At ang may pinakamalakas na tawa pa ay si Caiden.

Everything felt so horrible. My boyfriend never really loved me at all, and then the guy i used to like is way worse, and every guys in this room is just laughing at me.

I couldn't explain the what i'm feeling right now. Parang naghalo-halo ang emosyon sa kaloob-looban ko. Anger, humiliation, my heart hurts so much that i just wanted to get out of this place.

Pero na-estatwa lang ako sa kinatatayuan ko at tulo lang ng tulo ang mga luha ko habang nakatingin kay Leroi. They all kept laughing, and laughing.

So am I just one big joke right now?

Pero nawala ang tawanan nila ng biglang may dumating. He went straight to Leroi and gave him a good punch on the face. "What the!?--" then hinila nya din ako paalis sa lugar na 'yon.

Pagkalabas namin ng building, we still kept on running. Then huminto din kami sa isang cafè na medyo malayo sa pinanggalingan namin kanina. "...w-who are you?" I asked even though i'm still sobbing.

He took out his handkerchief and wiped my own tears. Di ko sya napigilan dahil di ko ineexpect na gagawin nya 'yon. "Nevermind me yet. I think you should fix yourself up first, you're quite a mess right now."

Nang ayusin ko nga ang sarili ko ay dali-dali akong nagpasalamat sa kanya. "T-Thank you. T-Thanks for saving me back there." Pinigilan ko naman ang mga luhang gustong kumawala sa mata ko. Umorder naman sya ng kape para sa aming dalawa tsaka ako sinagot.

"That was nothing. In fact, I think kulang pa 'yung suntok na nakuha ni Leroi sa akin."

"But who are you? W-Why did you helped me?" Sinubukan ko syang mukhaan, then as he smiled naalala ko kung sino sya. "...ikaw 'yung lalaki sa gym!?"

"Yeah! You guessed it right!" Natuwa sya sa tamang hula ko. Pagdating nung mga order nya ay binigay nya sa akin 'yung latte. "It's on me." Aniya.

Napakunot noo ko sa kanya, he's being way too nice to me. "Why are you doing this?... and ano nga pala pangalan mo?" Then he looked at me straight on the eyes and seriously said the stuff he wanted to tell me.

"I'm someone that's happy just to get noticed by you. I'm someone who just wants to see you smile. And i'm someone who liked you for a very long time." His words were familiar, but i couldn't just remember where i heard all those.

He just chuckled and introduced himself. "I'm Austin Marques, and i go by the nickname August."

I got shocked when i heard that from him. All this time i thought Leroi was August, but i was wrong all this time. "S-So every gift i got at my locker was from you!?" He nodded.

I can't believe all this. Everything that happened today feels so fast that it's not sinking in my mind. Parang di ko na alam kung anong gagawin.

"...August, i'm... i'm sorry." Sabi ko na lang sa kanya.

He sighed. "Yeah, I really understand that you need some time for yourself right now. But i hope you don't forget that i'm just here for you."

Napatango na lang din ako at muling bumagsak ang mga luha ko. Habang nagpupunas ako ng mga luha ko ay napabayad na lang si Austin sa mga inorder nya. Then suddenly nahulog nya ang wallet nya, tas natapon din ang laman nung wallet.

Then i saw something that i think i shouldn't have. Pictures of me from his wallet got scattered on the floor, napatingin sa akin si Austin na parang nataranta at minadaling kuhain ang lahat ng litrato.

Parang nanlamig din ako ng makakita ako ng picture ko na nagbibihis sa school at iba pang picture na di ko na gustong makita. Napatayo ako kaagad at biglang nagsalita si Austin. "W-Wait, Jade let me explain!" Pero di ko na sya hinayaan pang magsalita at umalis na ako kaagad.

That fucking guy's a pervert! A fucking pervert stalker!!

I took a cab to go straight home. Parang di ko na kaya ang mga nangyayari ngayong araw. I just wanna stay inside my room and cry it all out.

But I unconsciously went straight to a place where i felt a bit comfort and helped me calm down. Ayoko din naman kasing makita ako ni dad na ganito. Ayokong mag-alala sya sa akin.

Napa-upo na lang ako tsaka naiyak. Then when i kind of sense that someone was behind me, napatingin ako sa likod ko at nakita ko sya. "Wow, haven't seen you in a while." Sabi nya.

Napapunas ako sa mga luha ko. "...Ruben." then i also unconsciously mentioned his name.

"Ano? Akala ko ba masaya ka sa kanya?"

to be continued