Aware ako na nagtataka na ang mga tao bakit dikit nang dikit sa akin si GD.

He'd wait for me even after practice and he would always insist na ihatid ako kahit hanggang sa sakayan lang pauwi sa amin.

Some people would think na nanliligaw siya sa akin but I know better than most people.

Meron bang nanliligaw na walang ginawa kundi asarin ka each and everytime na magkikita kayo?

"Bakit ang ganda mo ngayon?" he asked me one time and I immediately knew that comment was not going to go anywhere good.

"Bakit mo ako kinukulit dito?!?! Nagdi-drills kayo dun diba? Bumalik ka na nga!"

A normal guy would have cowed at my words but I have come to learn that GD's skin is even thicker than a hedgehog's. "Iinom lang ako nang tubig at saka may masama ba na sabihin sa'yo na maganda ka ngayon? Kung si Kuya Hero nagsabi nun malamang kinilig ka na."

"Hindi ako kikiligin no."

"Hindi totoo yan. Nakita na kita kinilig dito e inaabutan ka lang niya nang tubig nun."

"KWON JIYONG TIGILAN MO AKO AT BUMALIK KA SA LINYA NYO!"

By the way he turned around and sauntered back towards his team mates, you would have thought I said something nice.

I don't understand at all how his brain functions.

"Hi Dara!" I saw Bom, Kuya Hero's girlfriend, walk up to me the moment GD got back in line.

"Hello" binati ko ito pabalik.

She looked out of sorts as she handed me a small box.

"Pakibigay naman to kay Hero."

Lalong lumakas ang kutob ko na parang may mali. I couldn't help but pry.

"Ow? Uhmmmm... gift ba to?"

I was surprised to find her near tears as she struggled to answer.

"Alam na niya kapag nakuha niya yan."

Logically putting things together, I mustered up courage to ask "Nag-away ba kayo?"

There was no mistaking the catch in before she dragged me outside the gym.

"DARA!!!!!!" she exclaimed before hugging me and crying into my arms.

I was so surprised I could not move.

"Ah Eh... bakit Bom?"

"Nakikipag-break na siya sa akin!!!!!"

Para akong pinakawalan nang gravity tapos hinatak pabalik sa nadinig ko.

HUH?!?

That statement contradicted everything I knew about Kuya Hero.

He wasn't the type to just walk away from someone who was making him happy as of yesterday at kaka-celebrate lang din nila halos nang first month nila together.

He even kept saying how he was so happy that his girlfriend was such a good cook at malamang e ikatataba niya ang laging pagsama dito.

Paano naisip ni Bom na nakikipag-break na ito sa kanya?!?!

"Sigurado ka ba? Si Kuya Hero?"

"OO!" Bom answered passionately "Nag-away kase kami kagabi e. Tapos akala ko ok na pero magsimula kaninang umaga, tinatawagan ko siya pero di siya sumasagot! Eh hindi ka ba mapapaisip nun? Bakit biglang may cold treatment Dara? Saan galing yun? Siya pa nga nagsabi na mababaw lang pinag-awayan namin e tapos di niya ako kakausapin!"

Pinigilan ko ang sarili ko na matawa. Hindi ko alam kung gusto ko bang i-untog itong babaeng kaharap ko o i-untog ko na lang ang sarili ko mismo.

"Bom, nag-post si Kuya Hero sa FB nang status na nanakaw yung phone niya. Hindi mo ba nabasa?"

She looked bewildered for a bit and then looked at me curiously.

"Totoo ba yan???"

I nodded. "Check mo FB niya. Nandun yung post."

"Ay ganun ba? Naku sorry. Sorry. Nakakahiya sa'yo" she was as red as a tomato.

"Ok lang naman pero next time, sana wag ka padalos-dalos. At saka pag may napag-awayan kayo tapos may nangyari ulit na ganito, mas maganda siguro kung si Kuya Hero na yung diretso mong kausapin diba? Para maging malinaw talaga ang lahat sa inyong dalawa."

She nodded, still fiercely blushing. "Thank you Dara. Hindi ko kakalimutan lahat nang sinabi mo. At saka sorry kung ang OA nang dating ko ha? Siguro natakot lang ako kase yung ex ko ganun nakipag-break sa akin e – biglang hindi nagparamdam na lang tapos nalaman ko may girlfriend na na iba. I guess natakot lang ako nang sobra at ayoko lang magmukhang tanga ulit."

"Ahhhh Ok. Uhmmm... kilala ko naman si Kuya Hero e. I am sure na kung sakali ay kakausapin ka din niya. Hindi niya ugali ang mang-iwan sa ere nang tao."

I cannot believe I am actually giving this piece of advice to the one who took Kuya Hero away from me.

But I have never been the kind of person to not play fair and as much as it hurts, I knew na Kuya Hero really likes being with his girlfriend.

"Sorry talaga Dara ha? And tama ka. I should trust in Hero more. Super sorry and thank you!"

She kissed me goodbye and I was sure I had the same expression on when she suddenly hugged me.

Bom was like a tornado.

I wondered how much energy it would take to jump from one emotion to the next just like that.

"Bakit di mo pa sinabi na nakikipag-break na talaga sa kanya si Kuya Hero? Edi sana single na si Kuya Hero ngayon."

I looked behind me and saw GD.

I sighed. OF COURSE HE WOULD SEE THIS.

"Bakit ko naman gagawin yun? Hindi tama naman na lokohin si Bom and besides, hindi ganun ang ugali ni Kuya Hero."

"Wala naman yan sa totoo e pero ang sinasabi ko sayang lang kase sigurado pwede maging kayo na ni Kuya Hero kapag nag-break sila."

Tinaasan ko siya nang kilay. "GD, hindi ako ganung tao. At isa pa, I want Kuya Hero to be genuinely happy. He deserves that. Sino ba ako to take that away from him?"

I was about to walk back towards the gym when he grabbed my arms and then trapped me in a hug.

Muli na naman akong itinapon nang gravity palayo.

Ano ba ang nangyayari at bakit niyayakap ako nang lahat nang tao ngayong araw?!?!

"Be my girlfriend" he whispered and I swear parang nadinig ko na nag-launch nang atomic bomb ang North Korea.

After pestering me continuously to go on another date with him, he is now asking me to be his girlfriend?!?!

SAAN BA GALING TONG TANONG NIYA NA TO?!?!?!

ANO BA ANG PINAGSASABI NIYA????

I pushed him away.

"Hoy GD, nakakainis na ha! Sabi ko sa'yo tigilan mo na ang pang-aasar mo sa akin e!"

He did not let me budge.

"Hindi kita inaasar. Seryoso ako."

Did I just step into an episode of Twilight Zone where people are acting out of character?!?

"Sinabi ko sa'yo wag mo ako paglaruan e. At kung seryoso ka talaga, titigilan mo ako ngayon na!"

He hugged me tighter that I could almost hear his heart beating.

"Gusto kita" idiniin niya ang bawat syllable nun "Gustung-gusto kita. At lagi kita inaasar kase gusto ko pansinin mo ako. Hindi ko alam paano sasabihin sa'yo to pero yun ang totoo. So please... be my girlfriend?"

This was too much.

I put all of my energy in to pulling away from him.

"JIYONG HUWAG MO AKONG PAGLARUAN! AT HUWAG MONG SABIHIN YUNG GUSTO MO AKO NANG GANUN KADALI! Kase kung totoo talaga na may gusto ka sa akin, hindi mo yun masasabi nang ganun-ganun lang!"

I took a breath.

"Pag gusto mo ang isang tao, may mararamdaman ka na parang sakit sa puso mo kapag nakikita mo siya. At hirap ka na sabihin na gusto mo siya kase napakalaking bagay para sa'yo nun. Yun ang gusto mo marinig galing din sa kanya so you CANNOT take it lightly and you CANNOT blurt it out just like that!"

I looked him in the eye angrily. "Pinagbibigyan lang kita sa pangungulit mo but this has gone far enough."

I wasn't going to be toyed around like that.

And I wasn't going to waver just because when I turned around for a bit, he looked crestfallen.

Ramdam ko ang pag-akyat nang galit ko sa kanya.

How could he throw around words like that easily?

And why am I letting it affect me this much?

BWISIT! BWISIT! BWISIT!