Nasa hallway si Thirdy at Charl nagtatalo nang dumating sina Angelique at Savannah mula sa labas.
"I said, give me back my phone already, Thirdy! I need to check my text messages. May hinihintay akong text. I need to read it now." Inis na sambit ni Charl.
"What's going on here?" Tanong ni Angelique kasama si Savannah. "I can hear Charl's voice over there, turo nya sa may elevator.
"I don't know what's with him, actually!" Inis na sabi ni Charl.
"Thirdy, why are you hiding Charl's phone." Tanong ulit ni Angelique. Tahimik lang tabi nya si Savannah.
"It's none of your business, Angelique." Seryoso na sagot ni Thirdy.
"Really, we're together in this vacation trip, we're supposed to be enjoying here, Thirdy. Not fighting." Matapang na balik ni Angelique kay Thirdy.
"Give it back to me now!" Charl's demanded. Pero ayaw talaga ibigay ni Thirdy. Frustrated na sobra si Charl.
"If you worry about Chris text message to you," he paused. "He said, he can't make it." And then tumingin kay Angelique.
"What?" Hindi sya makapaniwala sa narinig nya kay Thirdy.
"He said, he can't make it." Tugon ni Thirdy.
"What!" Pagalit na sambit ni Charl. "I can't believe you, you got through with my text messages?! I just lost my privacy! Nakakainis ka, Thirdy." Nag-walk out si Charl. Pinasundan ni Angelique kay Savannah ito para i-comfort ang kinakapatid.
"Hey, what happened? You're being rude with Charl! Why you got her phone? Thirdy, answer me." Desperate na si Angelique malaman ang dahilan bakit nag-aaway ang dalawa. She's really looked puzzled.
"She lets Brian kissed her on her cheek." Mahinang sabi ni Thirdy. She knows now what's wrong with the two.
Lumabas ang nakakalokong ngiti ni Angelique. "Is that it? Wow! Possessive?" Hanggang sa tuwama ito.
"Angelique, don't laugh at me. I'm serious. I don't like it." Seryoso nga ito.
"You sound like a jealous boyfriend." Tawang-tawa padin si Angelique. Naive pala kasi kahit paano itong si Thirdy. Ang cute lang na nagseselos pala ito.
"What? No! Stop it. Stop laughing!" Pakiusap ni Thirdy. Hiyang-hiya sya sa pag-amin ng dahilan nito kay Angelique. Pulang pula na pisngi nito.
"Eh, ikaw naman kasi, yan pala pinagpuputok ng butse mo. You look cute, though. Now you're starting to grow as a young man." Tawang-tawa parin ito.
"Please, don't tell anyone else? Enrique got hint, but I didn't tell him exactly."
"Then how will you explain it to Charl?"
"It's on me, but I'm not gonna tell her a lie, just an excuse. Please Angelique." Pakiusap nito.
"I have a question, do you like, baby Charl?"
"Yes." Deretsang sagot nya.
"Okay. I never expected you will admit it, actually. Just tell her what you need to tell her. But stop being rude, it's not the way it should be. You have to be gentle with her. She's young. Naive. She doesn't know things like this yet. You're thirteen and she's twelve, you should enjoy being young, be friends, pursue her if you're old enough. And you have to apologize to her, though."
"I know. I was being rude. And ungentleman, but I just don't like what I saw, and then she ignored me because of the text message, so I snatched away her phone." Nahihiyang pag-amin nito.
"You're so cute." While pinching his cheek.
"Aw, Angelique, stop pinching me." Reklamo ni Thirdy.
"Let's go?" Anyaya nito para puntahan si Charl.
"What? No! I'm not gonna apologize to her in front of you, watching me. I will approach her later, promise. And thank you, Angelique."
"Sure." Ngiti nito. "Well, I gotta go, puntahan ko lang sila. It will be ok." Bago nakaalis si Angelique pinapaabot na sana ni Thirdy ang phone ni Charl pero ayaw tanggapin ni Angelique.
"Ikaw dapat magbalik nyan sa kanya, so that you'll have a reason to talk to her. See, I'm helping you?" Tuluyan na itong umalis.
"Okay." Pero hindi nya alam paano harapin si Charl. Pumasok ito sa kwarto nila, ng kanyang parents.
Si Angelique naman ay pinuntahan sina Charl at Savannah. "Nandito lang pala kayo." Nakita nya mga luha sa mga mata ni Charl. "Hush now baby." Pagpapatigil kay Charl ng iyak
"Did you get my phone?"
"No." Gusto lang nya bitinin si Charl.
"What? Why does he doesn't want to give it back to me? Nakakainis sya! That's my phone!" Tumulo na naman luha nito. Hagod lang ng hagod sa likod nya sa Savannah.
"Angelique, ano daw ba sabi ni Thirdy?" Tanong nito.
"Hey baby Charl, don't worry he will return it back to you. Just don't get hard on him, okay?" Pakiusap ni Angelique.
"Hard? Sya nga itong harsh sa akin." Galit na sambit nito kay Angelique. "Kinuha na lang nya bigla ang phone ko."
"Opps tama na, baka makita tayo dito nina Tita, mahirap mag-explain. He will explain it to you later. Fix yourself, please. Pulang-pula na ilong at mata mo."
"Tara, doon na lang muna tayo sa beach, magpahangin saglit." Anyaya ni Savannah.
"Mabuti pa nga." Sagot naman ni Angelique. Tumayo na si Charl at sumakay na sila sa elevator palabas ng hotel.
Paglabas ng hotel nakasalubong naman nila sina Brian at Enrique. "Is something wrong with Charl?" Kunot-noo nagtanong si Brian.
"No, nothing?" Nag-alangan naman sagot ni Angelique. Nagkatinginan naman si Enrique at Angelique.
"Bro, come on. Baka naman nag-girl talk lang sila?" Sabi nya kay Brian. "Right, Angelique?!"
"Yes." Sumang-ayon na lang din ito sa sinabi ni Enrique.
"Let's go. Let look for Thirdy." Anyaya nito. Nalagpasan na nila sina Angelique, lumingon naman si Enrique sa likod nya, sakto naman lumingon din si Angelique. She just mouthed, "Thank you." Ngumiti lang si Enrique.
Hinila naman ni Savannah si Charl palapit sa isang cottage, sumunod naman si Angelique. Naupo silang tatlo doon at sandaling nanahimik at nakatingin sa sumasayaw na dagat.
"Okay ka na ba, Charl?" Basag ni Angelique sa pananahimik nila.
"Angelique, nagmu-muni-muni tayo." Nilingon nito si Angelique tapos si Savannah. Ngumiti ng matamis. "Pero okay na ako."
To be continued..
📝 Jannmr