Virtue of Love in Mendiola (Manila Series #1)

Chapter 20

"WHAT?" gulat kong tanong sa nalaman ko.

"Sorry Ara, but yes. Kio and I went on a date last night. I'm sorry for not telling you." Ali said.

"No, no. You don't have to apologize. Nagulat lang ako." sabi ko. "Wala ba tayong kwento dyan Miss Reyes?"

"Save that kwento of yours. Let's get our orders first." ani Jazen dahil dumating na ang orders namin. Idinistribute niya ang mga orders namin at tsaka kami nagsimulang kumain.

"So ano na nga?" tanong ko kay Ali.

"Napakachismosa mo talaga Arabella. Di pwedeng kumain muna?" Allen said.

"Quiet, you friendless human." sabi ko at natawa naman si Ali at Jazen habang halatang naiinis si Allen.

"Eto na! Atat na atat sa tea? Ang hilig sa tea amp." sabi ni Ali na tinawanan naman ni Allen.

"Anong tea ba yan? Hahaha!" natatawang tanong ni Allen at nagtinginan pa silang dalawa dahil mukhang sila lang nagkakaintindihan.

"Alam mo ikaw, dami mong ebas." sabi ko kay Allen kaya mas natawa si Jazen at Ali. "Ano na mars. Waiting ako sa chika."

"Nagdate kami ni Kio last night. But, we're not yet official. Nanliligaw pa lang si kuyang Tomasino." ani Ali.

"Akala ko pa naman kayo ni Allen magkakatuluyan." sabi ko.

"No way!" ani Allen.

"Over my dead body, Ara. I said what I said." sabi naman ni Ali.

"Bakit? Kayo kaya madalas magkasama dati. Halos alam niyo na routine ng isa't isa. Isa pa, pareho kayong single. I see nothing wrong with that." I explained.

"Sobrang comfortable namin sa isa't isa na we don't see us being in a romantic relationship with each other." Ali said.

"So kailan niyo balak sabihin sa amin kung hindi namin nalaman ngayon?" tanong ko.

"Alam ko na bago niyo pa malaman." Jazen said which made the two of us look at him with confusion.

"Kio told me that he's into Ali even before siya umamin kay Ali." Jazen explained.

"So nung nagtruth or dare tayo, Ali's the one Kio's pertaining to?" I asked and Jazen nodded.

"You saw naman na I was shocked din non nang malaman ko na Kio's into someone. I can't even imagine Kio liking someone. He's studious and not into romantic relationships." Jazen said.

"How about you, little demon. Bakit hindi mo man lang nakwento sa akin?" I asked Ali.

"Nahihiya ako. Hindi yun yung kilala mong Ali. I'm not used to it. Wala lang akong lakas ng loob ikwento kasi i'm still confused." Ali said as an answer to my question.

"So, meaning, sa ating tatlo, ako lang hindi nakakaalam?" Allen asked then Jazen nodded. "Hashtag, felt betrayed."

"Luh bhietrayed ka bhie?" natatawang tanong ko kaya natawa rin si Ali at Jazen. Nang matapos na kaming kumain ay umuwi na kami. Hindi na ako hinatid ni Jazen dahil yun ang sabi ko para masabayan ko si Ali na umuwi sa condo.

The next day, in the middle of listening to my prof discussing about today's lesson, I received a text message from Jazen. He told me that he's gonna be having a training after class. So during lunch break, it's just Ali and I who had our lunch at the cafeteria.

"Do you wanna watch scorpions' training after class?" I asked Ali.

"Sure! G lang ako." Ali answered. After having our lunch at the cafeteria, we attended our last class for today. We went to a store to buy some snacks and energy drinks for the boys because I asked Ali to come with me and luckily napapayag ko siya.

"I grabbed some Gatorade for our monggoloid friends. Also, kumuha na din ako ng dalawang water in case." Ali told me.

"Thanks, Alijah!" i said while looking for some snack i could get for the boys.

"Yeah whatever." plain na sabi ni Ali. After paying for the snacks and drinks we grabbed from the store, we headed out then bumalik na kami sa school to watch Allen and Jazen's training. Pagdating namin doon ay naabutan namin ang dalawang nakaupo sa bench kaya nilapitan namin sila.

"Di pa kayo magistart or break lang?" I asked.

"Not yet. Coach attended a meeting. Di naman daw magtatagal." Jazen said.

"Oh, here." Ali said habang inaabot ang plastic bag na lalagyan ng mga binili namin sa store. "Ara bought those for the two of you."

"Wow! Girlfriend material bro!" Allen said while checking what's inside the plastic bag. "Thank you Ara! Sana masarap ulam niyo later!"

"Para kay Jazen lang talaga 'yang mga 'yan." Natatawang sabi ko at sumimangot naman si Allen. "Biro lang! Wag kang sumimangot, di bagay."

"Jaze! Kailan laban niyo?" I asked Jazen nang tabihan ko siya habang umiinom siya.

"Wala pang scheduled. Training lang." He answered. "Aren't you busy? Or wala kang gagawin ngayon?"

"Wala naman." sagot ko. Nang dumating na ang coach nila, nagpaalam na sa akin si Jazen at ganon din si Allen. Habang nagpapractice sila ay nanonood lang kami ni Ali o kaya'y nagchecheck lang kami ng schoolwork sa canvas. After a while ay bumalik sila sa bench kaya napatigil kami ni Ali sa pagiscan sa canvas.

"Done na kayo?" Ali asked at umiling si Allen.

"Break lang daw. Hindi ba kayo nagugutom?" tanong ni Allen.

"Kumain ka na?" Jazen asked me.

"Pa-fall yarn?" I asked Jazen then I chuckled. "Kumain na kami ni Ali. We had our lunch kanina sa cafeteria. " I said then Jazen agreed with that. Hindi nagtagal ay bumalik na sila upang ipagpatuloy ang training nila. Bumalik na rin kami ni Ali sa pagscan ng canvas namin habang nanonood.

After their training ay nagmeet muna sila kasama ang coach nila sa isang bahagi ng court. Ali and I stood up waiting for them to go back here. After them, having their meeting, Jazen wasn't able to go back here because this group of girls asked him to take a photo with them. Gross.

"Wala ka pala kay King Scorpion eh. May pa fans club." Ani Ali kay Allen na kakalapit lang.

"Ganyan talaga yan. Sanay na kami. Part din naman kami ng varsity pero ewan ko nalang talaga. Boss Jazen lang malakas." sabi ni Allen.

"Ano, Ara. Hihintayin pa ba natin yang chix mo. Baka next year pa matapos yan." sabi naman ni Ali. Naglakad ako papunta sa grupo ng mga babaeng kasama ni Jazen nang hindi ko pinapansin ang sinasabi ni Ali.

Habang papalapit ako ay naririnig ko ang sinasabi ng mga babae kay Jazen.

"Thank you King Scorpion!"

"Number one supporter mo ko, Jazen!"

"Ang gwapo mo po pala sa malapitan, Cap."

Bago pa man ako makalapit ay may narinig nanaman akong isa pang nagsalita matapos nilang kumuha ng litrato kasama si Jazen.

"Jazen, do you have a girlfriend?" tanong ng isang babae na tumabi pa kay Jazen.

"Yup!" I said which made them look at me with confusion including Jazen. "I'm the girlfriend."
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