T-Shirt Girl (COMPLETED)

TSG 30 - Be Your Everything

"I'll be your shelter. I'll be your storm. I'll make you shiver. I'll keep you warm. Whatever weather, baby, I'm yours. Be your forever, be your fling, baby, I will be your everything." --Be Your Everything, Boys Like Girls

--

"B-Buntis ka?"

At first, he thought she was just joking. Akala pa nga niya, sinabi lang iyon ni Jae because he dared her. But she looked so serious. Siguro naman ay hindi nito iyon sasabihin just to prove that he would leave her for something she said or did?

When she nodded, pakiramdam niya'y tinakasan ng kulay ang mukha niya.

"And you're the father. Don't ask me if I'm mistaken because I'm sure. You're my first and I only did it with you."

"Alam ko," sagot niya nang makabawi. "Y-You're my first too."

He was a bit ashamed to admit it. He would have done it with Jazz back then but of course, he could not have taken her by force. And she could not have given it to him willingly.

"I won't ask you to take responsibility, Toby. I won't ask you to marry me because it would be a mistake. I don't want us to end up like my parents."

What she's asking is just impossible. Aminado siyang hindi pa siya handang magkaanak. Magpapatayo pa siya ng bahay para sa nanay niya. Plano pa niyang mag-ipon para makabili ng kotse. But he couldn't just turn his back on her.

"Dalawa tayong bumuo nyan, Jae. Responsable rin ako."

"I don't want to drag you down."

"You won't drag me down." Kinuha nya ang kamay nito. "Let me father my child."

"P-Pero--"

"I won't marry you. Not when we're both not ready for it. But I will take care of you."

And he intends to.

--

Para syang nabunutan ng malaking tinik sa lalamunan. Akala talaga ni Jae ay tatanggi si Toby. She will get hurt, sure, but she was expecting it. But she should have known better. Kilala niya si Toby. Responsable ito and maybe he just sees the baby as another responsibility... but it's better than nothing.

"Sasabihin mo ba sa parents mo?" tanong nito sa kanya.

She shook her head. "I don't know."

Hindi niya alam kung paano tatanggapin ng parents niya ang nangyari.

"Ako, sasabihin ko kina nanay."

That made her worry. "Baka magalit sila."

"Kung magagalit man sila, baka sa 'kin lang," he assured her.

And so he convinced her to come with him to his tell his family about the baby. He helped her pack a few set of clothes. Baka hindi raw ito makapasok ng Monday,  depende kung ano ang mangyayari.

--

Tuwang-tuwa ang nanay niya nang makitang kasama niya si Jae. Nagluto pa ito ng maraming pagkain. They couldn't bear to break the news over lunch so they waited until the dishes were washed and his sisters were enjoying the noontime show on  TV.

They pulled his parents aside.

"May sasabihin kami, nay, tay."

Nakalipas ang limang minuto nang puro kabadong buntong-hininga lang ang lumalabas sa mga bibig nila. Parang nakaramdam ang nanay niya sa gusto nilang sabihin.

His mother gasped.

"A-Anak... hindi ba masyado pang maaga?"

"Masyado naman yata kayong nagmamadali?" dagdag ng tatay niya na mukhang nakatunog na rin.