Dangerous Addiction (BxB, 2022 COMPLETED)

Kabanata 25

KABANATA 25

“KUYA Keith? Pupunta ka ba sa bahay ngayon?”

Huh? Nakatulalang pinagmamasdan ni Keith si Leon na noon e hinihintay ang sagot niya. Nakalagay ang mga braso nito sa likod ng ulo, hawak lang din nito ang bag pack imbes na isuot sa mga balikat. Nang mapagtantong may dala itong bag pack, naguluhan siya lalo.

Wait, doesn’t Leon look young? And is he wearing his Senior High School uniform? What’s... up?

“Kuya Keith!” muling tawag sa kanya ng binata.

Napamaang siya nang muli siya nitong tawaging ‘Kuya’. What’s happening? Nagbaba siya ng tingin sa sarili para tignan kung anong nangyayari at nang makita niyang suot niya ang uniporme niya noong kolehiyo pa siya, hindi niya naiwasang mapangiwi.

Is he dreaming? He’s probably lucid dreaming, isn’t he?

“Bad trip naman. Ba’t ‘di ka sumasagot?” dagdag pa ni Leon.

Nag-angat siya ng tingin sa binata at pinasadahan ng tingin ang buong kapaligiran. Then it registered to him that they’re standing outside a familiar building, in front of Leon’s school. The thing is, their background looks vague. Si Leon lang ang malinaw.

“Yeah...” he trailed off and nodded slowly. “I’ll go. May gusto ka bang gawin?”

When this young Leon heard his response, he grinned widely and almost punched the air. “Laro lang tayo ng PS4, Kuya! O kung gusto mo, dota? Gamitin mo na lang PC ni Kuya Nards. May laptop naman ‘yon.”

“Baka gamitin niya.”

“Papahiramin ka naman no’n basta ikaw! Sa ‘kin lang naman madamot si Kuya, e. ‘Di ko alam kung ikaw kapatid o ako.”

Noong magsimulang maglakad si Leon, tahimik niya itong sinundan. Nakikinig siya sa kwento nito pero sa hindi niya malamang dahilan, hindi niya marinig ang sinasabi ng binata. Kaya kapag lilingunin siya nito, ngingitian lang niya.

No, ‘cause seriously. He can hear this Leon speak but he can’t understand a word he’s saying. He’s speaking their language but something about this dream makes the every word he spouts vague. If anything, Keith just really wishes that he hasn’t said something important because even though this is a dream, he doesn’t want to deal with a bratty Leon.

Right. Leon’s always been bratty. Kaya naiirita si Leonardo rito noong mga bata pa sila dahil spoiled daw. May history yata na hindi na pwedeng umisang anak si Tita dahil may problema sa matres o sa ovaries pero nabuntis pa rin ito sa pangalawang anak. That’s why he always got what he wanted and he’s always been doted off.

“—boyfriend! Mataas pa naman pride nilang dalawa kaya ‘di ko alam kung magwo-work out,” kwento ni Leon na nakapagpabalik sa kanya sa huwisyo.

This conversation is familiar.

Keith tilted his head. “Are we talking about your friends, Le? ‘Yong kakambal ni Zachariel at ‘yong kapatid ni Aaron.”

“Yeah.” Leon nodded before blowing out a trill. “Kasi nga sinet up sila ni Zach! I’m not against it since they’ve literally been stuck together since we’re kids. Naba-bad trip lang ako.”