Palabas na ako ng classroom to go to another room for my second subject, pero nagulat ako nang may humila sa'kin. Nang makita ko siya inalis ko agad 'yong kamay niya.
"Akala ko ba magkaibigan na tayo?" malungkot niya kunyaring sabi.
I looked at him with my brow arched up, "oo, pero nakakaasar pa rin ang pagmumukha mo," I uttered.
He held his right chest, acting like he's in pain. Tss! "Alam mo ba, Hillary, riyan nagsimula ang lolo't lola ko. Si Lola naasar lagi kay Lolo tapos ngayon-"
"Hiwalay na sila," I interfered and I heard Clarkson laughed so hard. Yeah, he transferred school. Gusto niya raw akong makasama at bumawi sa lahat ng pagkakamali niya at ipinangako niya rin na hanggang magkaibigan na lang talaga kami. Pero, syempre, andito rin siya para mag-aral, okay?
"Hoy, hindi ah! Sila pa rin hanggang ngayon," Andrei said. Yeah, the annoying Andrei. Itong lalaking 'to 'di ako tinigilan buong summer kakatanong kung pwede bang friends na kami. Paulit-ulit lang hanggang napapayag ako. Walang hiya kasi napakaannoying talaga.
"Don't hoy me, ha. Huwag ka ngang akbay nang akbay sa'kin akala mo naman abot mo 'ko," I pulled a joke and he gave me a death glare right away. Hindi kasi katangkaran si Andrei, mga hanggang tenga niya ako. Sa standard ng mga lalaki, pandak talaga siya. Kawawa! Hindi tinablan ng mahiwagang kamay.
When we reached our room-sad to say we're classmates, almost all subject!-we immediately look for a seat.
"Doon ka, Boy Pandak, ako ang katabi ni Gold," Clarkson said and pushed Andrei through the seat in front of us.
"Nakakaasar ka, Boy Ilong!" he replied, indeed annoyed. Boy Ilong 'yong tawag niya kasi para raw siyang ilong na tinubuan ng mata at bibig. Hay, ewan ko ba sa dalawang 'to. And, maybe you're wondering why the two know each other, syempre whole summer silang dalawa 'yong kasama ko! And, I felt like that was my hell-liked summer vacation ever. One day kasi binista ako ni Andrei sa bahay at saktong nagpunta rin si Clarkson kaya nagpang-abot 'yong dalawa. Doon na nagsimula na kapag pumupunta si Andrei andoon din si Clarkson. At, ang mga walang hiya gumawa pa ng group chat sa Facebook! Wala naman silang ibang ginawa ro'n kun'di ang magbangayan!
God! Never did in my entire life that I dreamed of having friends like them! I just dreamed of having a friend like him.
I sighed.
Kanina when I wrote in his paper heart that I missed him, I really am sincere about it. No'ng vacation, lagi akong tambay sa Twitter, doon kasi siya active, nagbabakasakaling mag direct message siya sa'kin, pero damn sh*t, hindi man lang niya ako finollow back! But still, umasa ako.
Pero, I stopped when I've noticed that almost all his Tweets are about him and Veia. Pictures of them, their funny conversations, and etc. Nakikita ko nga sa comments na maraming umaasa na sana sila na.
Duh, people! Alam naman nilang boyfriend ni Veia si Sun na kambal ni Sky na kamamatay lang almost a year ago. Hala, oo nga! 4 months na lang death anniversary na ni Sun. Haaay! Nakakamiss din siya. Mga ngiti niya, tawa niya, boses niya, at 'yong mga panunukso niya sa'min ni Sky. Haaay!
"Classmate mo na naman si Boy ex-friend, Hillary," Clarkson whispered when he'd seen Sky going inside the classroom.
Oo, alam nilang dalawa na iniwasan ko si Sky noon dahil hiniling ni Veia. Ang loko-loko kasing Andrei masyadong tsismoso at itinanong sa'kin kung nag-away kami ni Sky dahil nahalata raw niyang iniiwasan ko Sky noon kaya ayon napakwento na lang ako.
"Hey, Sky!" Clarkson greeted him. It flashes on his face that he was surprised, but he smiled afterward.
He sat at the chair beside me, pero may space, malaking space. "Lumipat ka pala," Sky said.
"Oo. Just wanted to be on my best friend's side. Someone's been annoying her to hell, eh," he replied and Andrei looked at him so mad, while Sky brows knitted.
He then suddenly laughed...and sh*t, I am so happy hearing his laughter after a long month! "That's nice," Sky said.
They've been talking this and that. What they like about our program, what is Clarkson's comment about the school, at marami pang iba. Nagkukunwari lang akong nagbabasa ng libro, but honestly, I am listening to them. Ayoko lang talagang tingnan si Sky habang nagsasalita. Hindi ko alam, pero parang na-aawkward na ako. Tsk! Ilang buwan din kaming 'di nag-usap, no, tapos parang 'di pa kami magkaibigan, kaya parang ang awkward lang na nagkita kami ulit tapos magkaklase pa kami sa dalawang subject. Haaay!
30 minutes na kaming nakaupo rito, pero mukhang hindi naman papasok 'yong professor namin. Tamad-tamad! But, I just noticed, Veia's not around. Nakita ko sa tweet ni Sky na sabay silang nagpaenroll, then surely magkaklase sila sa lahat ng subject.
Gusto ko sanang itanong, but I'm hesitating to build a conversation with him. Pero, sh*t, curiosity can really kill a cat!
"Sky," he was surprised when I called him. Tss! Ano bang nakakagulat do'n? "ba't wala si Veia?" I asked.
"Ah, she took a different program, BSBA 'yong kinuha niya," he replied.
Kaya naman pala wala siya. Major subject kasi 'yong klase namin ngayon, so probably halos lahat ng andito ngayon ay Bachelor of Science in Biology ang kinuhang program.
"Hmm," napapatango pa ako, "Ah, Sky, by the way, how is she? I mean...never mind," gusto ko sanang itanong kung okay na 'yong puso niya kasi damn sh*t, gustong-gusto ko nang ibalik 'yong dating kami ni Sky! No awkwardness at all, 'yong parang tropa-tropa lang.
He chuckled and said, "she's fine and she totally moved on...sa pagkamatay ni Sun, but I know she's still into him."
"And, you're still into her," nagulat na naman siya, pero natawa lang ako, "lungkot mo nang sabihin mong 'she's still into him'. Tsk, hirap talagang icontrol ng emotion natin," I uttered.
He smiled and said, "ang hirap din kasing mag move on."
Indeed! Pero, ako, nakamove on na talaga ako kay Sun. I'm damn sure about it.
"Hillary-"
"Ano na naman?"
"Galit ka na naman!" Andrei's somehow complained. Ako pa 'yong galit, eh siya 'yong sumigaw. Napatingin pa nga sa'min 'yong mga kakalase namin, eh. Nakakahiya 'tong lalaking 'to.
I calmed myself down, "eh, ano ba kasi 'yon?" tanong ko.
"Iyang best friend mong si Boy Ilong kanina pa bulong nang bulong ng Boy Pandak!" this time, nagrereklamo na talaga siya.
"Totoo naman, ba't ka nagagalit," pagbibiro ko pa.
"Hon! Ipagtanggol mo naman ako."
"H-HON?!" sabay na tanong namin ni Clarkson. Si Sky naman natawa lang. Pero, sh*t that Hon, sa'n ba niya napulot 'yan?!
"Tumigil ka, Andrei, ha, hindi talaga kami pupunta bukas," pananakot ko sa kaniya. He invited us to come over in her Sister's debut. Actually, ako lang 'yong inimbita, pero nakakahiya naman, 'no, kaya sinabi kong isama si Clarkson at pumayag naman.
"No! You need to be there," he said.
"Wow, straight English."
"You're so good in giving me corrections, Ma'am Hillary."
Parang tanga! Natawa na lang ako sa kaniya.
"Ay, Sky, pumunta ka na rin, ha. Crush na crush ka pa naman ni Annie," Andrei said. Tss, lahat na lang yata may crush kay Sky. Naalala ko kanina kinuyog siya ng lahat ng kaklase naming babae. Nakakaawa siyang tingnan. Haaay! Mahirap nga naman talaga kapag nasobrahan ka sa biyaya, no?
"Sure," he replied.
"Dalhin mo na rin si Veia."
But, why the hell he needs to look at me first? Tss! Trip niya lang siguro.
"Sige," he said.
Ayan! We'll surely be in one frame again. Okay na rin 'yon, I can have a talk with Veia. Siguro naman panahon na para maging maayos na kami ulit ni Sky. Sobra-sobra na 'yong halos isang taon na ibinigay ko para sa kaniya para makasama niya 'yong best friend niya, 'no.