Chapter 11

Ruben's Point of View

"...for never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo." Then that was the end of the final act. Napapalakpak ang mga members na nanonood at lalo naman si pres dahil natapos din namin.

"I can't wait for this to be shown on stage! You guys did a great job!" Aniya.

Nagligpit na ang mga members at nadismiss na ang iba. Balak ko na sanang umuwi ng nilapitan nanaman ako ni pres. "What is it this time?" Malamang may ipapagawa nanaman 'to sa'kin.

"Pabalik kay Eliza 'tong script nya." Sabi na nga ba eh.

"Ba't di ikaw magbalik? Ikaw nanghiram diba?"

"Sige na Ruben! Marami pa 'ko aasikasuhin, please?" I just sighed and took the script from her. Hinanap ko naman si Eliza but she's not in the clubroom.

Napatanong naman ako sa kasamahan ko rito sa club. "Hey, where's Eliza?"

"Ah, i think she just left earlier." The heck?

"Saan naman sya pumunta?"

"I don't know, maybe sa classroom nya para kunin gamit nya." Aniya.

Then i excused myself and went my way to her class. Pagkarating ko roon ay wala ng katao-tao, but i saw her sitting at the back seat while staring outside the windows. She seemed so lost in her thoughts because she didn't even noticed me coming in the classroom.

"...give me my Romeo, and, when i shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heaven so fine, that all the world will be inlove with night, and pay no garnish to the sun." She whispered a whole line to herself, then a little smile appeared on her face.

Am i seeing things? Nawala sa loob ko at inabot sa kanya ang script nya. "Hey, you forgot your script Juliet." Nagulat sya sa akin at namula.

"Y-You! How long were you here!?" She snatched the script and glared at me.

"Long enough to hear you mutter those lines, it's crazy to hear you like that. I guess gusto mo talaga ang role mo bilang Juliet noh?" Napa-iwas na lang sya ng tingin at sumagot.

"Not really, i just like being on stage. That's all there is to it." Wow, am i having a calm and normal conversation with her right now?

"Oh really? Well keep up the good work, good luck na din for next week." I said. And as i was about to leave she stopped me.

"W-Wait!"

"...what?" I asked.

"I... I want to tell you something..." she fell silent and suddenly seemed flustered.

I'm not stupid but i hate to assume things, kaya hinayaan ko syang ipagpatuloy ang sasabihin nya. "...i'm sorry... i know that you always had a bad impression on me. And i believe that's because we started off wrong--"

"So you want to start over? Is that it?" Pilit kong pinipigilan ang sarili ko na matawa.

"Y-Yeah... something like that..." napayuko sya at parang naghintay ng sagot ko.

Then this was all i can say to her. "What's to start over when nothing even ever started between us."

She got quite shock from what she heard. "I, I thought that you hate me."

"I do hate you, but that doesn't mean i give any shit about you even if you want my forgiveness. So is that all you wanted to say?" I saw her hands turning into fists.

"You're really a jerk, aren't you?" Aniya.

"Not really, this is just how i really am. Now if you'll excuse me." At nakaalis na din ako sa wakas.

Habang naglalakad paalis, i can't help but have this smirk on my face.

Jade's Point of View

Watching Leroi play basketball bores me a little bit. I know he looks cool and all, but i'm just not really into his sports. Napakalkal na lang ako sa gallery ng phone ko at pinagtitignan ang selfies namin ni Leroi this past weeks.

It was only a few but they're all good. Napangiti ako ng makita ang picture namin na magkasama sa garden nila, it was our first real date that day. But then nawala ngiti ko dahil sa sumunod na picture.

It was me and Ruben doing a movie marathon. Napabuntong hininga na lang ako at dinelete ito.

"What's with the sad face?" Nagulat ako sa taong biglang nagtanong.

Napatingin ako sa kaniya and it was the weird guy from before! "Ikaw nanaman!?"

Napangiti sya at umupo malapit sa akin. "Hahahaha! Can't believe natandaan mo 'ko."

Well duh, you were kinda weird.

"Ano ginagawa mo dito?" I asked.

"Isa kaya ako sa mga players, ako lang replacement pag-absent isa sa kanila." He seriously doesn't look the sportsy type. I just shrugged it off and talked to him.

"Really? Di kita nakikitang naglalaro eh." Napasimangot sya habang natingin kina Leroi na naglalaro.

"Ayaw ata nila ako palaruin kaya lagi lang ako naghihintay dito. Ikaw? Ba't ka nanaman nandito?" Tanong nya.

"Oh, uhh... isa sa mga players yung boyfriend ko."

"Kaya pala." Then we both fell silent while watching the game. It was quite awkward dahil parang feeling close nya masyado kung kausapin ako, pero ayoko naman magtaray dahil mukhang mabait naman sya.

"I guess you guys turned friends into lovers huh? Dati sabi mo kaibigan lang yung hinihintay mo dito."

"... oo nga 'no." It just feels weird that i don't feel anything about it.

"So sino nga dyan yung boyfriend mo?" Tanong nya pa.

Wew, makatanong 'to parang kaclose ko talaga ah?

"Mm, si Leroi Delgado."

"Woah, talaga!? 'Yung lalaki na 'yon?"

"Yeah, bakit?"

"Well, i heard he likes wild girls, but you?-- well nevermind, people's standards changes after all, even Leroi." Aniya.

Napakunoot naman noo ko don. Magtatanong pa sana ako ng magpaalam na sya, saktong tapos na din ang game ni Leroi 'non. Paglapit sa'kin ni Leroi, tuwang-tuwa nanaman sya. "Did you saw all that!? What a damn good game!"

"Yeah, you did well Leroi!" I just cheered him while he kept on talking about his game.

But i was still kind of bothered by what the weird guy mentioned earlier.

***

Ngayong Linggo, pinagplanuhan namin ni Leroi magroadtrip. Na-aamaze lang ako ng malaman kong marunong pala mag-drive si Leroi. I don't why he suddenly made plans like this pero mukhang masaya naman kaya game ako sa plano nya.

"Buckle up! I'm gonna start the car now." Aniya.

Then as we gone straight through the roads, it kinda has a nice feel to it. Just me and Leroi in a car and talking to each other all day.

"...you know what? I still can't believe we're together now. Being with you feels like a dream." He said.

Napangiti naman ako. "Di rin ako makapaniwala na magkakagusto ang tulad mo sa'kin."

"Hmm, why not? I mean, you're pretty, nice, and . To me you're like a breath of fresh air. Eh ikaw? What made you think to date someone like me?"

Napa-isip ako, pero i suddenly remembered something that made me regret having this kind of conversation. Ruben's voice is like echoing inside my head, because it really hits hard.

"STOP TRYING TO MAKE EXCUSES! GUSTO MO LANG SUBUKAN MAKIPAGRELASYON KAY LEROI AND YOU CAN'T CHANGE THAT FACT!"

I hate myself for remembering that, and it's so damn hard to forget about his words.

"Uhm, well you were sweet and sincere. So maybe i liked you for that." Sabi ko na lang.

Napanguso naman sya. "Ba't parang di ka pa sigurado sa sagot mo?"

"Hahaha, i really don't know." Oh no, maybe i answered wrong.

"Dali na, sabihin mo naman sa'kin! Baka nahihiya ka pa, boyfriend mo naman na ko eh hahaha!" Thank god this guy is so optimistic.

"To be honest, i really don't have any reasons. Maybe i just really liked you for you, you know? Pwede na ba 'yon?"

"Pfft, dunno..." Nang magred ang traffic light ay kinurot nya ko ng mahina sa pisngi. "...why you so damn cute? Hahahaha!"

"Trip na trip mo talaga pisngi ko 'no?"

"Yeah, it's so soft that i just wanna kiss it." Woah, didn't saw that one coming.

Natahimik lang kami ng ilang minuto when he just broke the silence with his laughter. "Sorry, did i just said something that made you uncomfortable?" Obviously.

"N-Nevermind it. Let's just turn on the radio." Sabi ko.

"Yeah, agreed." Then we just let the music fill the silence between the two of us. Sometimes he would sing along, and sometimes it's the both of us. It was kinda sweet.

And whenever our eyes meet, he would always smile.

"Hmm, can i ask?" Aniya.

"Go ahead." Sagot ko.

"What did you actually liked about Caiden?" Napangiwi naman ako sa tanong nya na 'yon. It kinda feels awkward that i had a crush on his cousin.

Still, i answered. "Well, i really like studious guys. He's also cute and i find him very sweet when he just smiles there and laugh with his friends."

"Sweet din naman ako ah?" Biglang banggit nya.

I chuckled. "Yeah, you are."

"Nag-aaral din naman ako ah, mas matalino lang si Caiden kasi nerd yon hahahaha!"

"Pfft, ahahaha!"

"And also, Caiden maybe cuter than me and i can't deny that, pero di hamak na mas gwapo ako don 'no."

"Hahahahahaha!" Di ko mapigilang tumawa sa bawat salita nya. Talagang sinasapawan nya pinsan nya sa'kin, and it's kinda adorable. "Can you stop being jealous of Caiden? You do know that i'm dating you, right?" Sambit ko.

"I know, i still hate remembering that though. Seriously, Caiden's just a nerd." Napanguso pa sya na parang batang nagtatampo.

Ako naman ang kumurot sa pisngi nya. "Aray ah! Gumaganti ka na ah."

"H'wag ka kasi pa-cute dyan, hahahaha!"

"Di kaya ako nagpapa-cute, i'm naturally cute. But i'm more hot and handsome if you think about it." Jusko, nakatodo talaga aircon dito. Napa-iling na lang ako at napatunganga sa labas ng bintana.

"...you know, sometimes i wonder if you'll leave me. I mean, i'm a bit scared whenever the thought comes into mind." Bigla namang nagbago ang mood nya, he went from happy to anxious real fast. I reached for his hair and caressed it to make him feel a bit better.

"Leroi, you don't have to worry about that. I'll never leave you." I told him.

"You promise?"

"Promise." And as the traffic lights turn red, kinuha nya kamay ko at hinalikan ito. "You better keep that promise, and don't you even dare think of leaving me." I don't know if that was a threat or what, napalunok na lang ako sa kaba ng makita kong seryoso sya.

"Y-Yeah, i will." Napa-iwas na lang ulit ako ng tingin. Nakakatakot din makatingin 'tong si Leroi.

After the long ride, nag-stop kami sa isang restaurant para kumain for lunch. And as we were done eating, namasyal naman kami sa isang water park.

Leroi is really a sweet guy. He would always smile whenever he see me. He would always kiss my hand after telling me the sweetest things. He would always hug me from behind whenever he has the chance. I felt so lucky to have him.

And after the long day, we decided to finally go home. "I hope you enjoyed all of that." Aniya.

When i buckled up tsaka lang ako sumagot. "I really did! Let's go there again some other time." Parang nakaka-excite isipin ang pagbalik namin. Natutuwa din ako habang napapatingin sa mga pictures namin sa phone ko.

"Yeah, sure! Wherever you like." Then we got into the road again on our way home.

This day felt like a blast. It was fun, and i really enjoyed being with him. Sana nga ma-ulit. While we were just listening to the music on the radio, i told him this out of nowhere. "...i love you." It was a whisper, but he heard it.

Napatingin sya sa akin at parang nagulat sa narinig. Nagulat din ako dahil bigla ko lang din 'yon nasabi. But he suddenly smiled and replied. "I bet i love you way more than i do."

Napatingin na lang ako sa reflection ko sa phone and saw my face burning red. That was so embarassing! Telling him that out of nowhere!!-- i must be going crazy!

"Uugh!" Napatakip na lang ako sa mukha ko. Then he just laughed and kept on teasing me.

Aish. I should've just said that in the back of my head. But geez, nevermind!

to be continued