Do you catch a breath when I look at you?
Are you holding back like the way I do?
Cause I'm trying and trying to walk away
But I know this crush ain't going away

-Crush by David Archuleta

*click*

Gerald moved away from wherever the light came from and snuggled to the warm body beside him.

*click* Another flash of light..

Wait a minute.. Warm body? He opened his eyes and saw Kim’s face a few inches from his. He looked down and noticed that he has his arm around her waist and her legs around his body. How will he be able to get out of this one? Kim’s going to kill him if she finds them like this. He slowly tried to slide his arms but as he was doing so Kim opened her eyes. Too late...

“Good morning..” was all Gerald could muster. ‘Please let me live..’

Kim tried remembering what happened the night before. They were watching a movie, talked about some stuff and she ended up crying in his arms. Maybe she fell asleep too. She looked at Gerald and grinned. “Good morning.. Umm.. We fell asleep?”Gerald nodded.

“Well, well, well.. Finally, gising na din kayo..”Gerald turned his head around while Kim looked behind him to see Matt holding a camera, smiling.. “Tsk, tsk, tsk.. Pinsan akala ko ba you like guys lang?”

Gerald immediately stood up and grabbed the camera that Matt was holding. He looked and saw a picture of him and Kim sleeping in each other’s arm.

“Nakakakilig naman kayong tignan! Loveteam na loveteam ang dating ah!” teased Matt. Kim stood beside Gerald and looked at the picture.

“Matt! I’m gonna kill you!! Anong klaseng tao ka ba? Pati tulog pinipicturan mo!” Kim tried grabbing Matt but he started to run. Kim went after and started chasing him. “Wag mo akong takbuhan duwag ka!”

Melissa came in the room and stopped Kim. “Ikaw talaga Kim, ang aga-aga nag-iingay ka na. Ano namang ginawa ni Matt?”

“Eh yang boyfriend mo! Kinunan ako ng picture nung natutulog ako!”

“Eh ano naman?” Melissa asked innocently.

“Ehh.. Ehh.. Kasi..” Kim turned beet red.

“Kasi ano?”

“Kasi katabi niya si Gerald!” shouted Matt. Kim glared at Matt and started towards him but Melissa stopped her.

“Eh ano naman? Si Gerald lang naman yan Kim. You’re acting weird, he’s gay remember?”

“Ah basta!” Kim walked to where Gerald is still standing, staring at their picture. She grabbed the camera from Gerald and hit the delete button. “Sorry Matt, wala ka ng pang-blackmail. Dinelete ko na yung mga pictures.”

“Ha?!” said Gerald. “Bakit mo dinelete?”

“Bakit? Akala ko kampi tayo dito.. Baka mamaya ikalat pa ni Matt yan sige ka..” Kim looked at Melissa. “Nagluluto ka ng breakfast?”

“Yeah.. Matatapos na pero gusto mong tumulong?”

“Sige.. Diyan muna kayo..” she addressed Matt and Gerald. “Feel at home ha..” she added as she and Melissa went to the kitchen.

Matt stood beside Gerald and put his arm on his shoulders. “Okay lang yan bro..”

“Pero, yung picture.. Gusto ko sana kopyahin.. Kaya lang dinelete na niya..”

Matt took his cellphone from his pocket and browsed through it. He showed it to Gerald and said, “Don’t worry, I have another copy.”

“Wah? Send it to me bro. Sige na..” whisperedGerald.

“Send it to you? Anong kapalit? Pinaghirapan ko kaya ito..”

“Anong pinaghirapan? Isang pindutan lang yan ah? Anong pinaghirapan doon?”

“Hoy.. Nag tippytoes pa ako para di ka lang magising. Saka, pinilit ko si Melissa na dito na lang ako matulog. Ayaw kasi ni Melissa na ipagising kayo kagabi ayan tuloy diyan ako sa sahig natulog. Ayoko kasing umalis, gusto kong makita ang reaction niyong dalawa pag-gising niyo. And to tell you the truth bro, it was all worth it!” Matt started laughing.

“Yun naman pala eh! Worth it na kaya i-send mo na sa’kin yan!”

Matt raised his finger. “No, no.. Sorry bro.”

“Sige, magkano gusto mo?” Gerald took out his wallet.

“Hindi pera ang gusto ko..”

“Eh ano?”

“Later this afternoon, may basketball game kami. Nagbackout yung isa naming player kaya kulang kami. Kapag pumayag kang maglaro, I’ll send you the picture.”

“Yun lang?”

“Yun lang.” Matt nodded. Gerald glared at him. “Fine, fine.. May nameet kasi kaming isang team. Akala mo kung sinong magaling. Ayon, naghamunan ng laban. Nakipagpustahan kami.”

“Anong klaseng pusta?”

“Fifty thousand pesos.”

“FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS??!!” shouted Gerald.

Matt grimaced. “Shhh.. Wag ka ngang maingay. Baka marinig nila. Hindi alam ni Melissa ‘toh”

“Fifty thousand pesos? Where did you get all that money?”

“Tig five thousand kaming lima tapos tig five thousand din yung kalaban. Oh ano? Payag ka na ba? Sige na bro, share-an ka rin namin ng winnings.” urged Matt. “Pero in your case naman, di mo na kailangan yun..”

“Fine,” Gerald agreed, “Basta i-sesend mo sa akin yung picture as soon as the game is finished.”

“Basta ba manalo tayo eh.” Matt showed Gerald the picture one last time. “And you can have this for yourself.”

“Bwiset ka talaga..”

Kim stuck her head out the kitchen door. “Breakfast is ready.”

Gerald and Matt walked towards her. “Ang bango ah! Ano bang niluto niyo?”

“Tapsilog.. Bilis! Masarap yun..” Kim sat across from Melissa. Matt took a seat beside Mel while Gerald sat beside Kim.

“Smells good.” Gerald looked at Kim. “Thanks sa paghanda ng breakfast.”

Kim blushed and smiled. “Gusto mo ng rice?” She took the fried rice and started putting some on Gerald’s plate.

“Thanks.”

Matt and Melissa had knowing smiles on their faces. “Ano ba kayong dalawa.” Melissa commented. “Mas sweet pa kayo kesa sa amin ni Matt ah..”

Kim looked at them and stuck her tongue. “Ewan ko sa inyo..”

“So Mel and Kim, are you guys doing anything this afternoon?” Matt looked at both of them.

Melissa was the first to answer. “Wala naman.. Relax lang sana sa bahay.”

“I have to do some work... May kailangan akong tapusin na report eh.” Kim explained.

“Well, if you guys are interested, may basketball game kami mamayang hapon.”

Melissa clapped her hands. “Talaga?! Gusto kong manood..” Melissa turned to Kim. “Kim, sama ka na please.. Ayokong pumunta doon ng mag-isa..”

“I told you, I have to do some work... Kailangan ko talagang tapusin.”

“Oh, and did I mention na kasama si Gerald sa team namin?” Matt winked at Kim.

“I didn’t know you play basketball Gerald?” asked Melissa.

Gerald swallowed the food he was chewing. “I do it to pass the time.. Besides, madaming gwapong basketball players dati dun sa team namin sa university so nag-join ako.” He wiggled his eyebrows and smiled.

Kim weighed out her choices. Should she stay home and finish her boring report or go out and watch Gerald play basketball? ‘What the hell? Bakit pa ako nag-iisip? Alam ko na ang sagot..’

Melissa laughed at Gerald’s comment and looked at Kim. “Ano na best friend? Tignan mo pati si Gerald maglalaro. Sumama ka na sa akin.. Baka mamaya ako lang mag-isang babae don..”

Kim gave out a sigh. “Sige na nga. Pero kailangang umuwi agad tayo ah?”

***

There weren’t a lot of people in the basketball court when Melissa and Kim arrived. They looked for either Matt or Gerald but neither were around so they decided to just sit in the middle bleachers. After a few minutes, they saw Matt walking towards them.

“Hey guys! You made it! Thanks sa pagpunta ah.. Sana i-cheer niyo kami okay?”

Melissa stood up to give Matt a kiss on the cheeks. “Siyempre kayo pa..”

Matt leaned towards the two girls and whispered. “Oo nga pala, about Gerald.. None of these people know that he’s gay. So, don’t tell anyone okay?”

Kim and Melissa nodded. “Nasaan nga pala si Gerald?” asked Kim.

“He’s still getting ready doon sa locker. Palabas na din yun.” All three of them looked towards the door that leads to the locker room and saw Gerald coming out with another guy. He was talking to him animatedly and they both started laughing. Gerald stopped to look around and saw Kim. He said something to the guy and started walking towards the bleachers.

Kim immediately noticed Gerald’s arm around the guy’s shoulder. “Sino yung kasama niya?” Kim asked Matt.

“Oh yun? Si Rayver. Kababata namin ni Gerald.”

“Ah, I see..”

“Hello Kim! Hi Mel!” greeted Gerald. “Cheer kayo samin ah!”

Kim gave an encouraging smile to Gerald. “We will don’t worry. Gusto mo sumigaw pa ako eh!”

“Talaga? Sige ah.. Aasahan ko yan..”

One of Matt’s teammates called out to them. “Guys! Simula na tayo!”

“Sige.. Game na daw eh.” Gerald waved bye to the two girls while Matt kissed Melissa and followed his cousin.

The game started and immediately, Gerald took the ball and scored. Both Melissa and Kim realized just how good Gerald is in playing basketball. He can shoot threes, layups, jump shots, and has perfect freethrows. And with Matt and Rayver helping him out, they were pretty sure by the end of this game, they would at least be ahead 25 points. During the whole ballgame, Kim’s attention was on Gerald. She also noticed how close Gerald and Rayver where and for some reason, she felt a pain in her heart.

“Siguro, siya yung sinasabi ni Gerald.” Kim talked to herself.

Melissa turned her head to Kim and asked. “Ha? Sinong siya?”

“Si Rayver.. Siya yata yung sinabi sa akin ni Gerald.”

“Anong sinabi sa’yo ni Gerald?”

“Na there’s a person he really likes kaya lang hindi alam nung tao na yun. Gerald said hindi pa daw ready yung person na iyon to accept him kaya naghihintay siya.” Kim looked at Melissa sadly. “Tingin mo Gerald likes Rayver? Kaya lang hindi niya masabi kasi hindi alam ni Rayver na he’s gay..”

“Aba.. Malay ko ba diyan kay Gerald.” Melissa moved her face closer to Kim’s. “Teka nga, bakit parang nagseselos ka?”

“Ako? Nagseselos? Hindi no!”

“I’m pretty sure you are. Kasi, kanina pa kita tinitignan and everytime magkalapit si Gerald at Rayver parang may gusto kang suntukin eh.”

Kim sat back down on the bleachers and sighed. “Fine.. Siguro nga nagseselos ako. Pero not overly. Konting konti selos lang. Parang isang tuldok lang.” Melissa raised her eybrows. “Okay, hindi isang tuldok.. Parang piso lang.” Kim saw Melissa cross her arms. “Fine, fine.. Selos na selos ako and I don’t understand why!”

Melissa placed her arms around Kim. “Friend, aminin mo na kasi na you like him.”

“Pero imposible.” Kim shook her head. “I told myself I’m never going to like another guy again.”

“You never know when love will come knocking at your door. Minsan magugulat ka na lang nandiyan na para sa harap mo.”

“Love? Love ka diyan?!”

“Eh ano ba yang nafefeel mo para sa kanya?”

Kim looked at Gerald to find him celebrating with his teammates. They just won the game. She stood up and started clapping. Gerald saw her standing and ran towards her.

“Congrats!” said Kim. “Ang galing galing mo palang maglaro!”

Gerald blushed. “Hindi naman. Siguro, inspired lang ako ngayon. Nandito kasi siya..” He looked at Kim in the eyes and smiled.

Kim’s heart ached. So she was right. It was Rayver.

“I have to go though, magshower lang ako sandali. Can you wait for me? May papakilala ako sa’yo” asked Gerald.

Kim felt like crying. “Oo naman.” He wants her to meet Rayver.

Gerald walked closer and gave her a hug. “Thanks sa pag-cheer mo sa akin.” He let her go and walked towards the locker room.

Melissa watched the exchange between the two. She gave a sad smile to Kim. Kim returned the smile with sigh.

“Just a crush. Yun lang.. It’s nothing but a crush. And I’ll make sure that it stays like that.” she lied to herself.