NewIt was already 10:45 in the evening. Mahigit isang oras na simula nang makipagtalo ako kay ate dahil sa damit na gusto nitong ipasuot sa akin at sa mga koloreteng gusto nitong ilagay sa mukha ko.Tinuon ko ang tingin sa ilaw ng matatayog na mga gusaling tanaw mula sa kinauupuan ko. Ate then slightly clapped her hands when she’s finally done with what she has been doing to my face. I drew my attention back to the mirror and the sight of the glistening pinkish tint on my lips only made me bite it. Its sweet yet slightly bitter taste quickly dispersed in my tongue.Sinubukan ko itong punasan gamit ang likod ng palad ngunit dito lang din napunta ito. Habang nililinis ang kamay ay muli namang hinuli ni Ate Aizel ang mga labi ko para malagyan ulit ito ng lip gloss.“Punasan mo pa at lalagyan ko lang ulit,” she warned.I looked at myself in the mirror again. The glossy pink tint on my lips complemented my blushing cheeks. And as I trace the plunging neckline of my dress with my eyes, I c
TopherMula nang makaalis hanggang sa marating namin ang kinaroroonan ng sasakyan niya, hindi niya binitawan ang kamay ko. Wala ring kibuan. I only followed his steps and watched his wide back the whole time.Nagmukha na naman itong higante ngayong natabi sa akin. Now that we’re outside and it’s brighter, I just noticed that he has a slightly tanned complexion. His jet black hair is messily brushed up with a neat classic cut at both sides. I could see a little bit of his tattoo peaking from the collar of his shirt. I also examined his huge hand and long fingers tightly holding my hand. At hindi ko namalayan ang bigla na lamang na paglitaw ng ngiti ko.Huminto kami sa gilid ng sasakyan niya at doon niya pa lamang ako nilingon.“Do you have a place in mind? Somewhere you wanna go to?”Umiling ako. “Wala pa akong masyadong alam na mga lugar dito.”He beamed as if he suddenly thought of a good place. Dahil sa poste ng ilaw, mas naging malinaw sa paningin ko ang mukha ni Kuya Topher. His f
I would have liked this tickle in my heart, if only it wasn’t caused by him. I would have loved the freezing breeze of the morning at wee hours, if only he wasn’t the one with me. I would have loved the hue of the yellow luminescence from the street lights permeating through the windshield, if only it wasn’t his hands manipulating the steering wheel.But because of that mistake, of that one avoidable mistake, I started hating all of this. I began hating myself and him… Topher.Nakarating kami ng condo nang walang umiimik. I have only heard him breathe heavily and let out a sigh from time to time. Maybe he, too, was reflecting on what happened between us, on how wrong it was.Neither of us could change what has happened. But we could hide it. That’s what I have been thinking the whole time. If we would just pretend like it never happened, if we would just act like nothing happened, and forget about it.“Nothing happened,” mahinahon kong saad nang buksan na nito ang pinto sa gilid niya.
“Dominic,” halos pabulong na at kabadong sambit ko habang nakatanaw sa kaniya.Topher slowly shifted his gaze into the figure that is now walking towards us. May bahagyang bangis ang mga yabag niyang umaalingawngaw sa tahimik na pasilyo. The fury in his brows is visible under the dim lights.Alam kong nakita niya ang nangyari. Alam kong magagalit siya. At alam ko na ang kasunod na mangyayari.I thought very hard on what to tell him at that moment. Piniga ko ang isipan kung anong idadahilan, kung paano makakalusot. But after seeing us kiss, seeing us in this position, just what excuse can I still tell him? Just how can he still believe whatever I am going to say?Naramdaman ko ang paglayo ni Topher sa likuran ko. Hinarap nito si Dominic na ngayo’y matalim ang titig sa kaniya habang nakatayo na sa tapat namin.“Dominic.” Napatingala ako sa kaniya nang tawagin niya ito sa pangalan.“Topher,” Dominic replied back, making me even more surprised that they know each other.Katahimikan na uli
The clock reads 7:30 a.m. but the skies are still gray. May nagbabadyang pag-ulan. I looked down to the highway right below this condominium, nag-uumpisa na itong mapuno dahil Lunes at ito ang karaniwang oras ng pasok ng lahat.I wasn’t able to go home to San Joaquin last Friday. Hindi ko alam. After that confrontation with Topher, I just suddenly felt all tired and lazy. I put back all the things I’ve packed and waited all night for the three to come home.Although I was also partly aware of the reason why I decided not to go anymore. Isa sa mga rason ko rin naman para umuwi noong gabing iyon ay para iwasang makasalamuha si Topher dahil sigurado akong sasama siya sa paghatid sa tatlo.But because he already came here himself that night, there was nothing to run away from anymore. Hindi rin naman siya nakasama sa paghatid nila. Siguro hindi siya sumunod sa kanila sa bar pagkatapos akong puntahan.I don’t know. I shouldn’t even bother myself about that anymore. Tapos na iyon. He alread
“Ah! Naalala ko na!” Bernard exclaimed out of nowhere.Kapwa kaming tatlong napahinto sa ginagawa para bumaling sa kaniya. Nakataas pa ang hintuturo nito at malawak na nakangisi, animo’y may isang napakaimportanteng bagay na naalala.“Yung alin?”He smirked, raising a brow as if telling us would cost us a fortune.“Yung daddy na dumating kanina.”Nangunot ang noo ko noong una pero nang makita ko sina Loren at Myint na lumingon sa gawi ni Topher natanto kong siya ang tinutukoy nito. Anong daddy?“Isa siya sa mga engineers yata. Yung nagwo-work doon sa bagong building.” Sinundot ako nito sa tagiliran.“Weh? Hindi mo talaga kilala, bakla? Nakita ko kayo ng frennies mo dati kausap sila ng mga daddymates niya eh.”Anong daddymates?I glanced at Topher’s direction. I could see him sharing laughters with the woman. Mabilis kong binalik kay Bernard ang tingin nang mapatingin din siya sa gawi ko.“Mga kaibigan sila nina Ate.”“Close mo?”Ewan ko ba kung bakit ako napapatingin na naman sa kaniy
May mga bagay nga talagang kahit anong pagtago ang gawin natin, may makakaalam. Mga bagay na kahit anong pag-ingat pa natin, may makakadiskubre. After that night, at the riverside, after that kiss with Topher, I have only been occupied of how to keep them safe under my hat.But here I am now, walking with my hat off this time, as if boasting to the world where I’ve been and who I was with.“That’s Topher’s,” nagtatakang puna ni Ate sa akin nang makarating ako sa condo, tinuturo ang suot kong jacket.Ang jacket na tuluyan ko nang nakalimutan, ni hindi man lang ito sumagi sa isipan ko habang paakyat sa unit ko, kahit na ang makita ang sariling repleksyon kanina sa elevator, hindi man lang sumagi sa isip ko kung sino ang nagmamay-ari nito.Napalunok ako. Lying would be impossible from now on. Hindi ko na ito malulusutan kahit na anong kasinungalingan pa ang sabihin ko.I silently marched to the kitchen, making it my subtle excuse to formulate an answer. I then put my things on the counte
“Hindi pa rin ba kayo okay?” imik ni Chezka. I only realized we’re already halfway our destination when she suddenly spoke, which quickly made me turn to look at her, walking beside me. Siguro napansin niya ang bahagyang pagkagulat ko sa tinanong niya o batid niyang lumilipad ang isip ko kaya inulit niya ang sinabi. “Ni Dominic. Hindi pa rin ba kayo nakakapag-usap?” Sa halip na sumagot ay napayakap lang ako nang mahigpit sa dala kong mga libro. I don’t know how to answer her, lalo na’t ito ang unang beses na nagkaroon kami ng hindi pagkakaunawaan ni Dominic. At mahigit isang linggo na ang nakalipas ngunit hindi pa rin kami nagkakaayos. I know this is already making the three of them worried. Wala namang nagbago sa aming apat, pero dama ko pa rin ang kagustuhan nilang malaman ang nangyari o ang gumawa ng paraan para magkaayos kami. But knowing them, I know they wouldn’t do anything. They are only waiting for one of us to finally tell them what happened. And I just know that that so