Minjeong's

"Students of SMU, please proceed to your respective rooms. No one is allowed to go out until we say so. We will be preparing for the third game. Please proceed now." Somebody announced sa speaker. I think she's an X teacher dahil hindi ko s'ya kilala.

"We'll keep our eyes on you two." Nag-agree 'yung tatlo kay Yeji. Nag 'you can't see me' naman ako. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit.

RJ gave me the middle finger. Ah, ganon?

"Enjoy ka with your ex, Ryu! Kulong pa naman sa kwarto. Yeji, ingat!" Ryujin mouthed 'inamo'. Sayang kami lang ni Ryujin nag-aasaran. Kailan kaya magkaka-someone si Yizhou?

"Ingat daw ako sa'yo?" Biglang tanong ni Yeji sa kaibigan kong ngiting aso.

"Ingat? Iniingatan naman talaga kita."

"Ang landi naman." Sabi ni Ning na hindi maitago ang cringe sa narinig n'ya.

"Dami langgam. Let's go, Ningie." Ningie? That's suspicious pero mamaya ko na lang itatanong kay Ning. They all went on their ways and now I'm stuck with Turtleneck again. Haba-haba ng leeg tapos sa balikat ko natulog.

"Hey, Bansot. Why did you take a picture of me?" Bansot na naman ampota. Umaakyat na kami ng hagdan. There are two sets of stairs para makaabot sa uuper floors, sa right kami dumaan dahil mas malapit room namin doon. Kaso, wala kaming kasama dahil kaunti lang naman ang mga students na nasa labas kanina. Halos pito lang ata ang tao sa cafeteria noong nag-eexplain ako. Ang aga siguro nila kumain ng lunch.

Nalimutan ko na 'yung tanong n'ya.

"Ha? Ano?" She stopped climbing kaya tumigil din ako.

"The picture? Why did you take it?"

Makakailang mura ba ako today? Shet, sabi na itatanong n'ya eh.

"Souvenir, para alam kong minsan ka na ring 'bumagsak' sa'kin." She snorted tapos nauna umakyat sa'kin.

"Magaling ka sa debate pero ang pangit mo gumawa ng excuse." She was going to open the door to our room pero wala sa kan'ya 'yung susi.

Nasa akin, HEHEHE.

"The key?" Nasa bulsa ng pants ko pero hindi ko sasabihin.

"Wala ba sa'yo?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Ikaw huling lumabas 'di ba? Ikaw din nagbukas after the last game." Maganda pala memory n'ya. Akala ko malilimutan n'ya eh.

"Inabot ko kanina no'ng nag-lunch tayo." She checked all her pockets pero wala talaga.

S'yempre wala naman talaga sa kan'ya. Hindi ko mapigilan 'yung ngiti ko.

"Wala kang inabot kanina. Give the keys." Bigla s'yang lumapit tapos akmang kakapa sa jacket ko.

"Keys muna." She glared at me pero hindi ako natakot, natuwa ako. Ang ganda—luh.

"Go kiss yourself. Nasaan 'yung susi?" Nagkibit balikat lang ako. My acting skills definitely improved after ko makuha 'yung role Turtleneck auditioned for. She was about to search me up again but I stepped back.

"Hep! No touching! Bago tayo pumasok may gusto akong itanong." Huminga s'ya nang malalim bago magsalita ulit.

"Hurry up. Gusto kong humiga." Hindi ito planned pero baka hindi ako makahinga kapag pumasok kami. Hindi ko kayang ma-trap ulit in a small space with her.

"Bakit ayaw mo sa'kin?" Her expression suddenly softened.

"Hindi ko naman ayaw sa'yo?" So gusto mo ako? Sasabihin ko sana kaso baka mainis s'ya ulit at piliting kuhain 'yung susi.

"Eh... bakit galit ka lagi sa'kin?" Biglang may nag-shine ng flashlight sa floor namin mula sa baba.

"Pasok na po kayo. Lalabas din naman kayo mamaya." Si Ate Irene ata ang sumigaw sa'min. Madilim na rin kasi sa labas dahil 6:30 PM na at hindi naman lahat ng ilaw ay gumagana sa buildings.

"Tara na." Nagmamadaling sabi ni Turtleneck. Is she afraid of the dark? Medyo madilim na rin kasi sa hallway.

"Takot ka ba?" She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes.

"Tara na kasi."

"Sagutin mo muna tanong ko. Upo tayo." Umupo ako sa hallway, binuhay ko ang flashlight ng phone ko para kahit papaano may ilaw kami.

Umupo s'ya sa harap ko, and adjusted her seat a little. Pantay na mga mata namin.

"I don't like dark places so I'll make this quick." Sabi na takot s'ya eh.

"Remember the day na we both auditioned for a role?" I nodded. Unang beses ko s'yang nakita noon and there was no doubt na s'ya mapipili ng mga judge.

"I practiced for that role for almost 2 months but didn't get the part. You got the part." Nagulat talaga ako when they chose me for the part. Hindi ko rin naman ginusto, nag-try lang ako.

"Galit ka dahil... I got the part?" She played with her fingers and did that habit with her lips.

"Hindi. I was how proud you were when you got picked. Tumingin ka sa'kin then you smiled in the most smug way possible. I didn't do anything sa'yo pero parang naging competition when you did that nga." Gusto kong pukpukin ulo ko bigla, hehe.

"Uhm, sa totoo lang, puyat ako that day. I tried to memorize the lines kaya I stayed up until 4 AM when the audition was 7 AM, 'di ba?" She nodded. "I didn't mean to smile like that. Nginitian kita kasi I thought you were friendly and ano, I want to be friends with you kaso hindi ka namansin after ako makausap ng mga judge."

Totoo, hindi n'ya ako pinansin kahit kinakausap ko s'ya. Nakatalikod lang s'ya sa'kin habang kinukuha mga gamit n'ya tapos umals din s'ya kaagad.

"It was a misunderstanding pala?"

"Haha, I think so? I'm sorry—" She shushed me with a finger. Akala ko sa movies lang 'to nangyayari? Para na naman akong tumakbo nang isang ikot sa track sa sobrang bilis ng tibok ng puso ko.

"No. I'm sorry. If kinausap pala kita, we wouldn't be competing against each other in the first place. I didn't mean to be rude." Parang ang understanding n'ya, ano? Parang hindi kami mag-aaway masyado kapag—masama na 'tong naiisip ko.

"Okay lang. Hindi naman natin kilala isa't isa kaya mas malaki 'yung chance na magkaroon ng misunderstanding. Okay na 'yon. Alam ko na side mo, hehe. May iba pa bang dahilan?" I checked the time, 6:35.

"Hmm, when you walked out sa debate." Okay, my turn siguro.

"Nainis ako sa'yo. Among 20 people, down to 10, then to 5, ako napili for that debate. Kahit anong side, naipaglalaban ko kaya when we debated about divorce tapos bigla kang umiyak, panalo ka na eh. You have their hears already. Ano pati ilalaban ko sa argument mo kung umiiyak ka?"

Her side was there should be divorce sa PH and mine was hindi dapat ipatupad. Una pa lang, hirap na akong ilaban dahil boto rin ako sa divorce. I think maayos naman arguments noong una; marital laws, paano 'yung mga anak, relationship stuff, all that complicated kaso...

Paano 'yung mga naaabusong bata? Paano kapag sinasaktan physically, mentally, emotionally, tapos hindi naman masuportahan financially and mother or their kids? Hindi sila p'wede maghiwalay dahil ano, they declared each other as husband and wife? Paano kung may mamatay because of abuse?

That was her argument and I agree with her. Wala na akong masabi after dahil lumuluha na s'ya. Wala pa akong napapaiya sa debate, s'ya pa lang kaya I felt so guilty kahit na alam kong hindi ko naman talaga kasalanan. Para kasing ako nagpaiyak sa kan'ya.

"Sorry, hahaha. That day kasi my Dad left us, and noong una, I thought it's because he doesn't love us anymore. That's what my Mom told me pero nakausap ko si Dad before ako umakyat sa stage. He told me na inuubos ni Mom pera n'ya, but instead na ma-guilty si Mom, she manipulated Dad to feel guilty because he can't provide for our needs." Usually may sasabihin ako na joke or something na nakakaasar pero nakinig lang ako sa kan'ya. I think that's what she needs the most right now.

"I'm a daddy's girl, close kami ni Dad sobra. Plus, hindi naman s'ya nagkulang; never s'ya nagkulang pero nagtrabaho s'ya hanggang sa ma-burnout s'ya, and nagkasakit s'ya. He then cut ties with Mom because the relationship is not good for him anymore." Nakakalungkot isipin na her life looks perfect outside pero hindi pala.

"He tried to fight for me, and I begged sa court to let me stay with him pero Mom won. He gets to visit me from time to time lang." I hung my head low.

"Sorry, akala ko nagpapaawa ka lang para manalo." Natawa naman s'ya sa sinabi ko which lightened the mood.

"Gagi, okay lang. Hindi mo naman alam."

We went silent for a minute.

Tumayo s'ya after a few seconds.

"We're good na?" She offered her hand para tulungan ako tumayo. I held my hand out pero hindi ko hinawakan kamay n'ya.

"Friends?"

"Friends."

I grabbed her hand after and I swear it was warm which made me feel warm inside, too.

 

NYZ
Today 6:40 PM Wintong (6:40 PM)
NING YIZHOU NYZ (6:40 PM)
hi po hehe
bakit po Wintong (6:40 PM)
yung sa picture
paano nila nakita :)
sabi ko diba sayo lang NYZ (6:40 PM)
kasi ano
walang password phone ko
umalis ako saglit para bumili rin ng ice cream
pagbalik ko, iba na tingin sakin no'ng tatlo Wintong (6:40 PM)
BAKIT WALANG PASSWORD NYZ (6:40 PM)
BAKA KASI MALIMUTAN PAANO KO BUBUKSAN Wintong (6:41 PM)
bat ka pa bumili ng phone na may face id kung mo l