CHAPTER 20
LEXI POV
Rick told me about what happened in the library.
Lexi: You mean to tell me baliktad yung libro ni Kris habang kunwari binabasa niya?!
Derrick: Oo! Sobrang basag no? Haha!
Lexi: Ang funny naman nun! Haha. May pagka-loser din talaga si Kris paminsan-minsan no?
Derrick: Hindi naman ganyan dati yan eh. Ewan ko ba, ngayon lang yan, when it comes to Joyce. Haha!
Lexi: Pero babe, you have to admit, nakakatuwa na he made an effort na puntahan si Joyce sa library to try to talk to her. At least it’s a start.
Derrick: Oo naman. Kilala naman natin si Kris eh. We both know na special si Joyce for him. He was just too stubborn and too blind, figuratively speaking, to see it before. Pero ngayon na inamin na niya sa sarili niya ang totoo, i’m sure he’ll do everything to win her back.
I fell quiet for a moment.
Lexi: Rick, mahal naman ni Kris si Joyce diba? I mean seryoso naman siya diba?
Derrick: Don’t doubt it Lex. Mahal niya si Joyce. Teka, why all these questions? You seem bothered. May problema ba?
Lexi: Babe, kasi, naaawa ako kay Joyce eh. I mean, nakita ko kasi how devastated she was during the time na nagka-fall out sila ni Kris. Nakita ko kung gaano siya nasaktan. Honestly Rick, nahihirapan mag-move on si Joyce until now. So if masasaktan lang siya ulit kay Kris, kung trip trip lang ito kay Kris, wag na lang sana.
Derrick: Ako din naman eh. I won’t allow Kris to hurt Joyce again. Pero babe, you don’t have to worry. Kilala ko si Kris. Seryoso talaga siya. He really really loves Joyce. Kaya, let Kris do what he has to do. Wag mo na problemahin yun.
Lexi: Sige na nga.
Derrick: Pero Lex, wag tayo makikialam ha? Let them do this on their own. They have to fix this by themselves. Promise yan Lex, ha?
Lexi: Ha?
Derrick: I mean it. Promise yan ha?
Lexi: Fine. Sige na nga. Nga pala, sleepover ako kina Joyce tomorrow ha? Alam mo na, girl bonding. We haven’t done this in a very long time. And I have a feeling that my sis needs me.
Derrick: Ok. Hatid na lang kita sa kanila later.
Lexi: Thanks babe. You’re the best!
Derrick: Haha! Siymepre naman! Ako pa?!
JOYCE POV
I invited Lexi over for a sleepover. Ang tagal na din kasi namin walang bonding and I badly needed one right now!
Lexi: Hi sis! Bought you chocolates!
Joyce: Uy sis, thanks ha? Buti naman pumayag si Rick na mag-sleepover ka dito.
Lexi: Siyempre naman! Saka wala naman siya karapatan di pumayag no!
Joyce: Really? Talaga lang ha? Aminin mo, kung hindi siya pumayag, hindi ka din naman pupunta eh!
Lexi: Haha! You know me too well sis. Oo na sige na. Pero ganun talaga pag may boyfriend ka. Kasama na rin siya sa mga decisions mo. Pero hindi naman sa lahat ng oras. Anyway, speaking of boyfriend...kumusta na kayo ni Kris?
Joyce: Huh? Ang layo naman nun. And hindi ko naman siya naging boyfriend, remember?
Lexi: Ganun na din yun. You know what I mean. So? How is he?
Joyce: Bat mo sa akin tinatanong? Ewan ko? Wala naman kami communication eh. Mukha naman siyang ok, I think. Mukhang back to normal na siya. Diba dapat mas alam mo? Kayong tatlo kaya ang laging magkakasama.
Lexi: Nag-usap na ba kayo?
Joyce: About what?
Lexi: About sa inyo?
I shook my head.
Joyce: Wala naman kami dapat pag-usapan eh. I’m sure closed book na yun sa kanya.
Lexi: Eh ikaw? Closed book na ba siya sa yo?
Joyce: Sis, you already know the answer to that.
Lexi: And the answer is a big NO. Bakit kasi hndi niyo subukan mag-usap? I’m sure, maaayos naman ang lahat eh.
Joyce: What’s the point? Wala naman na ata dapat ayusin. Simple lang naman ang puno't dulo ng conflict namin eh. I like him. He doesn’t like me. End of story. That’s it. Siguro, the most the pwede mangyari is maging civil na lang kami to each other. Yun na lang siguro ang ending namin.
LEXI POV
Haay naku! Joyce, if you only knew kung ano ang nararamdaman ni Kris ngayon! Gustong gusto ko na sabihin kay Joyce ang totoo pero I remembered yung pinag-usapan namin ni Rick. We’ll let them figure this out and work this out on their own. So all I can do for now is to try to make her see things in a different light.
Lexi: Well, what if there’s the slightest possibility na may feelings din pala siya sa iyo?
Joyce: Sa akin? Malayo mangyari yun. Kung dati nga na super close kami wala siya ibang naramdaman, eh di mas lalo na ngayon? The circumstances are different now. I mean we haven’t even spoken for more than 2 months na
Lexi: Do you still love him?
Joyce just nodded her head. She seemed tired and resigned to whatever has happened between them.
Joyce: Kaya nga hanggang ngayon naguguluhan pa din ako
Lexi: Why? May nangyari ba ulit?
Joyce: Lexi....nagpunta si Kris sa lib kanina.
Lexi: Ah really? So ano nangyari?
I pretended not to know. I wanted to hear her side of the story.
Joyce: Tumabi siya sa akin kasi he needed the window light daw. Siyempre, nagulat ako. I wasn't expecting to see him there. So I offered to transfer to another table. Sabi niya no need. He insisted that I stay there so we sat next to each other. He looked ok sitting next to me. Pero ako? I really felt awkward and uncomfortable so I left. I guess I’m still not ready.
She continued. And I just listened.
Joyce: Naguguluhan na ko sis. I thought he doesn’t want to have anything to do with me anymore? Sabi pa niya dati he wasn’t even sure if we could even be friends. Pero why is he doing this? Why is he acting like he wants to be close to me again? Una, dun sa coffeeshop, tapos ngayon sa library. Am I reading too much into things again? Or, baka talagang closed book na ako sa kanya and he’s completely moved on kaya wala lang sa kanya na to be near me kasi indifferent na siya sa akin. Ewan ko Lex, my thoughts are really in a mess right now.
I could see how confused Joyce is. So I quietly asked her.
Lexi: Joyce, did you even stop to think that maybe, Kris has never let go of his feelings for you?
Joyce: Lex, wala nga siya feelings sa akin eh. He made that absolutely clear the last time. So what’s not to let go?
Why did I even agree with Rick about this STUPID promise?! Gustong gusto ko na sabihin kay Joyce ang totoo!
Lexi: Joyce, try to look beyond the hurt. Alam ko masyado ka nasaktan sa mga nasabi niya sa iyo dati. But just try, ok ? See beyond the hurt and think of the possibility that maybe, Kris REALLY loves you.
Joyce: I don’t know sis. I just don’t want to take chances anymore.
Lexi: But what if…
Joyce: Tulog na tayo. Siguro, my thoughts would be much clearer in the morning.
So I just let the subject drop...for now. Joyce is obviously not ready to face anything yet. Kris is definitely going to do much much more and take a lot of effort to win her back. But as long as both of them still love each other, I'm very much hopeful that they will still have their happy ending.
