Sticky Notes

Chapter 1

"Grabe si bully, one week na yan ha." Pang-asar ni Ara sakin, "Haba ng hair din, no?" Dagdag ni Kim at nagtawanan pa sila. "Wag nga kayo!" Sinabihan ko at kinuha nlng yung sticky note sa medyo mainit na kape at binasa ito, 'Good luck' palagi ang nakasabi at may kasama pang smiley face.

"Sigurado ka ba na alam na ni Kiefer to?" Tumango ako at umupo sa table ko. "Sinabihan ko sya noong day 3 pa. Boyfriend ko yon, syempre dapat alam niya." Nagtinginan silang dalawa, "Ah ganun."

I looked at them suspiciously, "Bakit?" They looked at me and I noticed Ara's shoulders fall, "Ano yung reaction ni gago- este Kiefer." Hinampas siya ni Kim at napatingin ako sa mga kamay ko. "Syempre hindi niya gusto. Pero hindi rin namin alam kung sino at sinabihan ko siya na wag mag alala pero nagalit pa din."

"Ye, bakit hindi mo kasi putulin?" I went silent at Kim's question. "Mahal mo padin?" Ara was the one who asked that. Mahina akong tumango. "Ye, okay lang sana kung ang minamahal mo walang mahal na iba." I flinched at that and their faces softened. Kiefer is cheating on me for Alyssa but he hasn't told me yet and neither have i confronted him about it. Alyssa was the one who told me, she said she didn't know we were still together and she's trying to distance herself but Kiefer keeps sticking.

"Baka kasi obstacle lang ito para sa relasyon namin." Hinampas ni Ara ang table ko, "Ye, naman!" Tinignan ako ni Ara, "Hindi na 'to obstacle eh. Sinasaktan mo lang sarili mo sa pagpangap na hindi mo alam na hindi ka na mahal ni Kiefer!" Tumulo and mga luha ko, "Ara!" Sinigawan siya ni Kim.

Nanghina si Ara nung nakita niya yung mga luha ko, "Ye, alam ko mahal mo pa ang tao pero pwede ka namang mag move on at humanap ng iba. May mga tao na mahalin ka ng totoo at hindi ka saktan ng lubos."

Tumahimik kaming tatlo, alam namin na tama si Ara. "I know. I'll try to confront him, okay?" I tried to reassure them with a weak smile and they smiled back softly. "Nandito lang kami, Ye." Ngumiti ako sa kanila at pinunasan ang aking mga luha, "So about that vacation."

...

The three of us had planned to have a vacation somewhere and we had decided on Boracay seeing as we just wanted to go to a beach and have fun. We would be going on Saturday and spend 5 days there. Today was Thursday and I planned to confront my soon to be ex.

"Kief, pwede ba tayong magkita mamaya?" Kinakausap ko siya sa call ngayon, "Sige, babe, san ba?" Ngumiti ako ng saglit sa kanyang tawag sakin, "Sa Fifty Fifth Café, na lang, mamayang 5PM, pwede?" Tumahimik siya ng saglit at sumagot pagkatapos nang ilang segundo, "Ah, sige." Napahinga ako, "Lo-" hindi ko natapos ang sinabi ko dahil binabaan niya ako.

May narinig akong kumatok saking pinto, "Pasok." May pumasok na isang babae, hindi ko kilala. Masmatangkad sakin, hindi masyadong maputi pero baka dahil yun sa sports dahil yung itsura niya parang naglalaro o pumupunta sa gym, mababa din ang buhok at medyo kulot. Pero ang naninibabaw sa kanya ang kanyang ngiti, ang saya, parang maimpluwensya ka na ngumiti din. Naramdaman kong namula ang aking mga pisngi noong natutugunan ang aming mga mata. 

"Miss Reyes?"

"Y-yes?" I cleared my throat and looked away, distracting myself from that embarrassing moment by placing my phone on my desk, "Ma'am, may nagpadala po." Tinignan ko siya uli at nakita kong may hawak siyang kape na may kasamang sticky note. 

'Good luck :)'

Ngumiti ako at kinuha ang kape sa kanya, "Sino ang nagpadala?"

"Hindi ko po pwedeng masabi eh, pasensya po." Ngumiti siya at ako'y namula ulit noong naalala ko ang nangyari kanina, "Ah. Sige." Noong papaalis na siya ay tinigilan ko siya, "Wait!" Nanlaki aking mga mata sa aking pagtawag sa kanya, pero ako'y kumalma, "Ano nga yung pangalan mo? Parang hindi pa tayo nagkakilala." Humarap siya uli sa akin, "Echo Lopez po, Ma'am Reyes."

"Mika."

"Ano po?"

"Mika na lang tawagin mo sakin." Ngitian ko siya at siya naman ang namula, nahiya ata, "Parang ang impormal naman po." Tumawa ako nang saglit, "Sus, Mika na lang talaga, okay lang." Ngumiti kami sa isa't isa. "Upo tayo." I gestured to the couch against the wall in my office, walking over and patting the place next to me. She sat down and we immersed ourselves in lighthearted talk.

"How old are you?"

"25."

"Masmatanda ka nga sakin eh! 22 pa lang ako!" Nagtawanan kami, "Siyempre, mataas respeto ko po sa inyo. Idol na idol ko nga kayo noon pa!" Napatingin ako sa kanya, "Bakit naman?" Lumaki ang kanyang ngiti, "Ang galing niyo kaya sa UAAP! The Taft Tower! Number 3!" Tumawa kami, kilala na niya ako noon pa, ang galing.

"Ay hala! Ma'am- este Mika pala, alis na po ako, baka may gagawin pa kayong importante."

"Sus, okay lang, gusto ko kayang magkaroon nang bagong kaibigan."

Nagpaalam na siyang umalis nang tumunog ang cellphone ko.

"Hello?"

"Mika?" Nawala ang ngiti sa aking mga labi, "Bakit, babe?" Kumunot ang aking noo, bakit siya tumatawag. "Nandito ako sa baba." Binababa niya ang tawag. Tinignan ko ang relo, 3PM pa lang, 5PM pa kami dapat magusap.

Nilagay ko na lang cellphone ko sa lamesa at lumabas ng aking opisina, papunta ng elevator. Bumaba ako sa first floor at nakita siya sa lobby, "Kief?" Humarap siya sa akin, "Usap tayo sa labas." Tumango ako at lumabas kami.

"5PM pa ang sabi-"

"I want to break up with you."

"Well having the talk two hours early is fine I guess." I said at bigla siyang napatingin sakin, "Ano?" I was going to break up with you at 5, but since you're already the one who mentioned it first then why not do it two hours earlier." He looked conflicted, "Why?"

"I think the question, Mr. Ravena, is 'Why not?'"

"Ha?"

"I. Want. To. Break. Up. With. You." I told him word by word, giving emphasis to each one but making the last word stand out above all. "Bakit hindi? We both know you're cheating on me with my ex." Parang napipi siya sa sinabi ko, "Hindi mo alam na alam ko?" Tinignan niya lamang ako. "Sinabihan na ako ni Alyssa, pero sana ikaw nag sabi para malaman talaga yung real score pero okay lang din eh. Basta alam ko na."

He cleared his throat, "I'm sorry, Miks."

I closed my eyes when he called me 'Miks', I guess we'll be going back to those names now. "It's fine, Kiefer, I can understand that you fell for her, you two are a match made in heaven, I just wish you could've broke it off with me first."

He nodded and we just spent a few moments looking into each other's eyes, both full of conflict but mine were filled with more sadness. I took a few steps forward and cupped his cheeks then met my lips with his. It didn't even last a second when I pulled away and stepped back.

Looking deep into his eyes I say, "I hope this will be the last time you'll hurt someone this much."

---

A/N

I am so sorry if I messed up on many parts, Filipino isn't exactly my best language when it comes to writing, speaking I can still handle. I'm also sorry if this one seemed rushed, I just had an idea and had to put it down so that I wouldn't lose it. 

Please tell me what I can improve on with my writing style, I'm trying my best. :D