Meeting You Again for the First Time

Chapter 4

YEEESSS!!! UWIAN NA!

            “Hey Maddy! Can I walk you home?” tanong ni Aaron.

            “Hmm… Sige.”

            Habang naglalakad pauwi, walang umiimik sa kanila. To break the silence, tinanong ni Aaron kung kamusta si Maddy tungkol sa nangyari kanina.

            “How are you feeling right now?”

            “Huh? Ayos lang naman. Bakit?”

            “Dahil sa nangyari kanina, alam kong sobrang natakot ka. All eyes on you at hindi mo gusto ng attention. Sorry.”

            “Bakit ka naman nagsosorry hindi mo naman kasalanan yun .”

            “Kasi hindi ko talaga alam na ganun magrereact ang mga tao. I hope being friends with me will not be a burden to you.”

            “Sa totoo lang natakot talaga ako kanina, pero alam kong nasa likod lang kita kaya, unti unting nawala ang takot ko. Besides, I never thought something like that. Hinding hindi magiging burden para sa akin ang friendship natin.”

            “Uhmm sige dito na ko. See you tomorrow Aaron. Thank you for everything.”

            Habang nasa kwarto si Maddy, hindi niya mapigilng isipin at balikan ang lahat ng mga nangyari sa kaniya these past few days. Even she could not believe in everything that had happened. Sobrang bilis ng lahat. Di rin siya makapaniwala na sa unang pagkakataon, lumipas ang isang buong araw na hindi niya nakasama si Sarah. Kasi, since first grade, lagi niyang kasama si Sarah and could not stand a day without her. Kaya nahihirapan siya kapag umaabsent si Sarah kasi it is very difficult for her to avoid the awkwardness of being alone.

            ‘Beep… Beep… Beep…’

            Maddy received a text form Aaron.

            “You did very well today! I hope to see you smile often.”

            Maddy can’t refrain herself from smiling. Sobrang saya nya di niya alam kung dahil ba kay Aaron, o dahil finally, she’s slowly coming out from her shell.

            On the other hand, si Aaron, he can’t stop himself from singing. Habang nags-sketch sa kwarto, he eventually find himself singing, and smiling. And he can’t even understand why all of a sudden, he’s been thinking about Maddy every now and then.

            “Pssst! Pssst! Maddy! Maddy!”. Si Aaron sa labas ng veranda ng kwarto ni Maddy. Pero hindi naririnig ni Maddy si Aaron kaya he called Maddy.

            “Hey! What are you doing right now?”

            “Hmmm… wala naman just lying in bed,matutulog na sana.”

            “Talaga? Coz I can see you from a distance that you are rolling all over your bed at umiirit and continued from laughing at giggling like crazy. HAHAHA CUTE! sobra naman yang yapos mo sa bear mo, kung tao yan din na yan nakahinga hahahah.”

            Napahinto agad si Maddy, at di makabangon not even dared to look where Aaron is exacty at dahil sa sobrang kahihiyan. Maddy could only wish na sana hindi nahalata ni Aaron na siya yung iniisip nya kaya’t para siyang ewan at pagulong gulong sa kama.

            “Hindi mo ba ko pagbubuksan?”

            Ayaw man ni Maddy, pero hinanap na niya si Aaron kung nasaan.

            “Oy, bakit ka nandito? Pano ka nakapunta dyan? At pano mo nalaman yung kwarto ko?”

            “Hmm… Kanina kasi pagpasok mo ng bahay, di agad ako umalis, tinignan ko kung anong room ang magbubukas ng ilaw and I assumed that was yours. So, tama nga ako.”

            “Ohh… So bakit ka nandito? Gabi na ah, di ka ba hahanapin sa inyo?”

            “Wala lang, tara! Let’s go out, punta tayo dun sa Arcade Game Center.”

            “Baka mapagalitan ako. Teka titignan ko kung tulog na sila.”

            After a couple of minutes…

            “Okay tara na.”

            Maddy haven’t gone out to play arcade games for so long kasi madaming tao. Kaya sa tinagal tagal ng panahong lumipas, ngayon lang ulit siya makakapunta at maglalaro ng arcade. She never enjoyed arcade games before pero ngayon, they had so much fun. Hindi nagsasayaw si Maddy but because Aaron insists Maddy to play Dance Mania with him, she danced. For the first time, hindi inintindi ni Maddy ang mga tao sa paligid niya. She enjoyed the rest of the night. Breaking the previous record, they got the highest score. Dami nilang nakuhang tickets and exchanged them for a cute teddy bear. Pinangalanan nilang Hollie and Maddy is her keeper. Nag-photobooth din sila, though of course, Maddy is camera shy, nakalimutan niya iyon sa gabing iyon.

            Malalim na ang gabi, pero hindi parin nila naiisip na umuwi. Pumunta pa sila sa cake parlor para masulit ang gabi. Habang kumakain tinanong ni Aaron si Maddy.

            “So, bakit ka pagulong gulong sa kama kanina? I’m just curious. hahaha”

            “Wala wag mo nang alamin.”

            “Bakit nga? Ayan oh namumula ka? Siguro iniisip mo crush mo no?”

            “Wala nga, wala akong crush.”

            “Nako kunwari pa eh. Akala ko ba friends tayo eh bat may secret ka?”

            “Wala kinikilig lang ako dun sa book na binasa ko, natapos ko na kasi.”

            “Yun ba talaga?”

            “Oo naman wala nang iba.”

            Though Aaron knows na nagpapalusot lang si Maddy, hindi na niya pinilit si Maddy dahil ayaw nyang hindi ulit maging komportable si Maddy. Their night is almost over. They need to go home. Kahit na malamig ang gabi, they do not mind the cool breeze habang nakasakay sila sa motor.

            Pagdating sa bahay ni Maddy.

            “Aaron, thank you. I had so much fun. Good night!”

            He smiled and said, “Good night! I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

            “Okay.”

            It’s past one, pero di parin makatulog si Aaron. He is deeply lost in thoughts, thoughts about Maddy. He often thinks of her even at the most random times. Gusto pa niyang makilala pa si Maddy at mas maging close pa sa kaniya. Kung anu anong tanong ang nabubuo sa isipan nya and most of them are weird. Tulad ng, he is wondering if Maddy wraps her hair with towel after she washes them or is she styling it right away, things like that. Of course he can’t ask her about these kinds of stuffs. It’ll be really weird if he randomly asks those kinds of silly questions.