Perfect Match (Completed)

Chapter 12 - Ice Cream

"How's your long weekend?" Tanong ni Mika.

Si Ate Rox ay nagaayos pa ng gamit pero alam kong nakikinig siya.

"Wala. The usual. Ano bang bago?" Sagot ko nang hindi siya tinitignan.

I inspected my nails longer than needed.

"Cole's new roommate! Eris? Ring a bell?"

"Never heard of him."

She grunted and sat in front of me so I was force to look at her.

"Walang nangyari? Hindi kayo nagusap or what? I mean since kayong dalawa lang ang naiwan something must have happened?"

"Nope." Sabi ko. Pero alalang alala ko ang ganap nung Saturday night. But they don't need to know that.

"Ano naman mangyayari dyan sa dalawa? Parang aso't pusa 'yang dalawa pag pinagsama sa isang kwarto." Ate Rox chided in.

I grinned. "Told you."

One would think that after that night we would turn out to be okay. Well it didn't. He still find teasing me a hobby but I'm not the only one he likes annoying.

Jake is the other one. Sa tuwing susubukan akong kausapin ni Jake ay sisingit siya sa usapan o haharang siya sa daan at uunahan niya si Jake.

When I'm in the mood nakikisakay ako sa trip niya and every single time Jake looks like he was gonna murder Eris.

I don't know if Eris is just oblivious to his glares or he really doesn't give a fuck about Jake or anything that doesn't interest him.

And I would stifle my laugh whenever that happens. Nakakatuwa pala pag hindi sayo nangyayari.

We spent the afternoon watching movies. Naglatag kami ng kutson at nagsiksikan kaming tatlo. Ang iba ay maraming beses na namin napanood pero gusto lang namin ulit ulitin.

Halos pagabi na rin kami natapos at sumasakit na ang mata namin kaya tinigil na namin.

Tumayo ako at nagstrech. Humiga naman ng maayos si Mika pagkaalis ko at humikab. "Anong kakain natin? Magluluto ka Ate?"

"As usual ako nanaman. Ano bang gusto niyong kainin?"

Nagngitian kami ni Mika at nagsabi siya ng mga gusto niyang kainin sa Ate habang ako naman ay nagpunta sa kusina. I might as well cook the rice since I'm not the one cooking.

I just closed the lid of the rice cooker when I heard the knock on the door.

I made my way there before I thought about my clothes. Nakamaiksing shorts lang ako at maluwag na t-shirt at doon agad napatingin si Eris.

He grinned when our eyes met.

Tumaas lang ang kilay ko sa kanya. I know I have long legs and all pero makatingin talaga siya.

I snapped my fingers to get him to stop looking at my legs. "If I didn't know better I'd say ngayon ka lang nakakita ng legs. Anong kailangan mo?"

Hindi nawala ang ngiti niya. "Nandyan sila Mika?"

I looked behind me and nodded.

"Naguwi si Cole ng pagkain. Kung gusto niyong nagdinner sa amin."

I'm a bit surprised because he asked so nicely. Minus the teasing voice.

Sumimangot ako nang naalalang kakasaing ko lang. "Nagsaing na ako."

"Ulam lang naman ang dala niya. We'll share it if you share the rice." He said suggestively.

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Akala ko ba kanina nagaalok ka lang tapos ngayon may kapalit na kanin na?"

"Kung ayaw mo edi wag. Hey Mika." He said behind me. "May pagkain kami sa room pero mukhang ayaw ni Mor."

I glared at him. "Fine. Oo na. Punta kami sa inyo pagnaluto na 'yung kanin. Happy?"

Nag hello lang si Mika at bumalik na ulit sa loob. Seeing that it's not Cole who knocked.

"Very." With that he pivoted but he stopped and turned around very slowly.

"Mor?" He didn't sound so sure so I just raised my brows.

"Wait, that's twice now." Nanlaki ang mata niya. "Wow. You're not correcting me? What happened to 'Maureen'?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Hindi ka naman nakikinig. Nakakasawa."

He grinned like an idiot for the whole night after.

Nasa magkabilang dulo kami ni Eris but he managed to find a way to annoy me still. He kept asking for food that is near me. Ayaw naman niya pag iaabot ko sa kanya ang tupperware. Gusto niya ako ang maglagay sa plato niya ng pagkain.

I behaved because Ate Rox is watching us and this is their room at nakikishare lang kami ng dinner so I acted nice.

"Ang sarap talaga magluto ng Mama mo, Cole!"

Tumawa lang si Cole. "Pinabaon talaga ni Mama sa akin 'yan nung sinabi kong type niyo iyong adobo niya. Eris goes to our house for food."

"Shut up!" Eris said but grinned.

Nalaman ko kay Cole na madalas si Eris sa bahay nila at Mama pa niya ang nagsuggest na makidorm nalang si Eris kay Cole dahil umalis na naman 'yung roommate niya.

I also saw how Eris light up whenever Cole's mom is mentioned.

"Who wants ice cream? Ang sarap mag ice cream!"

Dahil sa sinabi ni Mika tumayo si Cole at pumunta sa ref pero wala na palang natira at medyo nalungkot si Mika.

Bababa sana si Cole para bumili but I volunteered to buy ice cream since sa baba lang naman ang 7-eleven. Nakakahiya naman kay Cole kung nakikain na nga kami tapos pabababain pa namin siya diba.

Sila Mika ang nagligpit ng pinagkainan kahit na sinabi ni Cole na iwan nalang.

I pressed the button going down and waited until I hear footsteps behind me. Nakita ko nalang si Eris sa tabi ko habang dala dala ang cellphone at wallet.

We rode the elevator in silence and I didn't expect it to be comfortable but it is.

I think the tension between us lessen since Saturday.

Pinanood lang niya ako pumili ng ice cream at hindi rin siya nakipagaway sa flavor. He waited until I paid before he moved. Kinuha niya ang plastic sa kamay ko ay siya ang nagbitbit.

We walked in silence again. I don't get why he followed me here if he didn't feel like talking to me at all so when I started talking when I couldn't take it anymore.

"Close kayo ng Mama ni Cole noh?"

It took him a second to realized I'm talking to him. Because come to think of it I think I've never initiated a talk with him before. Not casual conversation.

"Palagi ako pumupunta sa bahay nila dati para makipaglaro kay Cole so yeah."

Naiimagine ko itsura nila nung bata sila. Naghahabulan at naghaharutan and I almost smiled at the thought.

"Bakit pala hindi ka umuwi?"

"My parents are.. busy." He said after hesitating.

I regret asking because it looks like he don't wanna talk about it. I think parents might be the topic we both can't talk about so I kept quiet after that.

Naabutan namin sila na may pinapanood sa laptop ni Cole at ang lakas ng tawa ni Mika.

Kumuha si Eris ng baso at kutsara and we sort of scooped ice cream for everyone since they look so busy.

I handed him the next one. "Oh sayo."

"Sayo na 'yan. Ako na sa akin."

I practically have to shove the mug to his chest bago niya tinanggap dahil matutunaw na rin iyon. Then he gave me a tight smile.

Might be a first that he smiled at me. Mukhang pilit but it was a start so I smiled back.

He quietly joined the three and I sat beside Ate Rox after I'm done.