decoding the boys ✔️

18 - photos || edited

Uminom lang ng tubig si Lhyle at naghanap na ng bagong equipment na magagamit.

Tinawag ko na sina Maxxie, Hiro, at Anjo matapos n'on para ayaing mag-freshen up. On our way to the shower room, doon lang ako nagkaoras para tingnan ang cell phone ko.

I had a lot of notifications coming in from Facebook. Kahapon pa 'to, actually. Nag-post na kasi ng official photos si Christelle from the Youth Camp. Ang ilan doon, naka-tag ako. Nakikita ko sina Gwen, Ivan, at James na tina-tag ako sa comments.

Ngayon ko pa lang din makikita kung ano-ano ang mga 'yon dahil na-busy ako sa dance rehearsals after dismissal at may tinapos naman akong write-up pag-uwi.

Nando'n na rin na umiwas akong makita siya kasi baka mawala pa 'ko sa focus.

Clicking the topmost notification, I got led to a group photo, the one taken from after the treasure hunt. It was a photo of Angelo, Racel, and me.

Seeing his face again, the flutter of butterflies immediately returned, and my heart started making somersaults in my chest. I frowned at my reaction.

Agad kong binaba ang tingin ko sa mga comments.

Geon at Racel? Walastik.

Wew, this team. #plottwist

Sana pala sumama ako :( #gwapofest :(

Yan ba kapatid ni De Villa? Hahahaha. Mukhang may magsasapakan ulit ah.

Lalo akong 'di natuwa sa nabasa ko.

Quickly untagging myself, I exited the app.

'Di ko alam kung bakit natutuwa pa yung iba na makakita nang mga nag-aaway na tao. What was so fun about seeing people getting hurt? Or hurting others?

How could people be so violent and vicious like that?

Sana lang 'di na makita pa ni Kuya Jacob yung album. Iniisip ko pa lang na matatanong niya 'ko, kinakabahan na 'ko.

* * *

It was past noon and I was already starving when we arrived at Starbucks. Lhyle went to the counter to order our brunch for us while the girls were busy looking at their phones.

Kinukuhanan ko sila ng stolen shots when Anjo suddenly made a disappointed noise.

"Saklap naman!" she muttered before placing her phone down in dismay. "Wala na. Finish na. May tumapos na ng pila."

Napalingon kaming lahat sa kanya.

"Anyare?" tanong ni Maxxie.

Anjo looked at us with sad, puppy eyes, almost pouting. "Si Racel, babe. May girlfriend na pala."

I froze in place. What?

Mabilis akong pinasadahan ng tingin ni Ahron bago kinuha ang phone ni Anjo para silipin 'yo. "Hmm. Oo nga. Seems legit."

"Talagang legit. Look oh. May pagyakap pa talaga? Instagram-featured pa talaga?"

To prove her point, pinakita niya pa sa 'min yung Instagram post na tinutukoy niya.

Totoo nga. May babae ngang nakayakap kay Racel doon sa photo. Her arms were wrapped around his waist, her head placed against his chest, while his hands rested on her lower back. Parehas silang nakangiti sa camera.

Shit.

Ang intimate ng shot. According sa Instagram, sa Fort 'yon. It was recent, too.

I looked away. May kung anong matutulis ang tumutusok sa dibdib ko ngayon at biglang bumigat ang paghinga ko. Fudge.