Denying Affinity (Affinity #1)

Missed

Inakyat ko ang hagdan, wala nang paki kung may masanggi akong mga katawan. I just want to get my sister and get out of here.

I found Maria Celestine sitting on the cold floor of the extravagant bathrooms in one of the rooms upstairs. She was throwing all of her guts out in a toilet bowl.

I sighed. This night isn't going well with me. Kung sana ay pumayag na lang akong makipagdate kay Logan ay baka iba pa ang nangyari ngayong gabi. Nilapitan ko si Les at inangat ang buhok habang hinihimas ang kanyang likod.

"Thank you," she murmured, not even bothering to find out who was giving her a hand.

"You're going to be grounded the entire summer, so don't thank me yet." Les turned her head to look at me. Mapupungay ang mga mata niya dala ng kalasingan.

"Avis?" she croaked.

"Let's get you home." I gripped on her shoulders to help her stand up but Les made no attempt to carry her own weight. "Come on, Maria Celestine. Can't you stand up?"

She shook her head and a curse escaped my lips. I'm not strong enough to lift her on my own and carry her all the way downstairs and to my car. Great. Anong gagawin ko ngayon?

"Avis." napatalon ako nang bahagya nang may tumawag sa pangalan ko. Lumingon ako sa doorway at doon nakita si Luke Dashiel na mukhang naiilang at hindi pa sigurado.

Images from what happened earlier started to flood my head and bitterness started to stir inside my chest once again.

"Can I help?" tipid na tanong nito sa akin. Napauwang ang labi ko dahil walang kahit anong bakas na pang-aamo mula sa boses niya. Ibang-iba sa nakasanayan ko noon... Sa narinig ko kanina nang nakita niya akong nanonood sa kanila nung Natalie na iyon.

"Where's your girlfriend?" himala na lang na naging malamig pa rin ang boses ko kahit na gusto kong sumabog sa pagka-inis ngayon.

Luke Dashiel's forehead creased in puzzlement. "Adriana is-"

I asked for it but didn't really want to hear him answer. I couldn't make myself listen to him talk about her. What is wrong with me? I mentally shook my head.

"Nevermind. Just carry Les to my car." iniwas ko ang tingin ko mula sa kanya at hinintay ang paglapit niya para buhatin si Les nang hindi siya tinitingnan.

Sumunod na lang ako sa kanilang dalawa. Pasan-pasan ni Luke Dashiel ang lasing na si Les. Gising pa rin ito hanggang ngayon at nagrereklamo sa pag-ikot ng buong bahay. Nang makarating kami sa main door ng malaking bahay ay nakaabang na ang girlfriend ni Luke Dashiel. She looked sincerely worried and I'm sincerely annoyed by her too.

"Okay lang ba siya?" singhap nito kay Luke Dashiel na hindi ko alam ang reaksyon dahil nasa likuran nila ako.

"She's drunk." tipid na sagot nito sa babae. Sinilip ako ng babae mula sa likod at bahagyang nagulat nang makita ako na nakataas ang kilay sa kanya. Mabilis na inalis niya ang mga mata sa akin at ibinalik kay Luke.

"Natalie," Les clumsily mumbled.

"Bakit, Les?"

"I don't like you." I choked. I don't think I've ever laughed over my sister's antics but this one's the funniest yet. It was hard to hold my laughter but I managed to keep my straight face on.

"Maria Celestine," Luke Dashiel hissed and my sister just laughed.

The girl cleared her throat after recovering from her beet red face. "Uh... Uuwi na ba tayo?"

Tayo? Napataas ang kilay ko doon.

"I'm not going to give you a ride. Hindi kita gusto, hindi tayo close at hindi mo ako driver." walang emosyon na sagot ko at umuwang ang mga labi ng babae na parang hindi niya inaasahan ang sagot ko.