Chasing Hope [HIATUS]

CHAPTER 10

"Tonta! Bilisan mo na, Nadeleine," I just chuckled and continued taking pictures of her. It's just skincare, I know that product too. It's popular and effective on the skin but I use something else. When she got and perfected the poses I ordered for the photo, we finished and ate the donut she brought. "Dapat kay Euan ako magpapatulong pero may family dinner kasi siya ngayon. May pinuntahan lang kami sa Morayta, pinsan niya," tumango ako nang malaman 'yung sagot kung bakit hindi si Euan 'yung nagpicture sa kaniya.

Maeve asked me what I did at the Pop Up, she even asked if I drank and I didn't invite her to drink. I just answered that truthfully but I didn't include in my answer the part that Kiel and I were together earlier. She also knows Kiel, introduced by Andrei. Hindi naman siya nagtatanong tungkol doon kahit nalaman niyang si Kiel 'yung lalaki sa USTH. Maeve didn't even bother me to insist on talking to Kiel because she knows my past, even though she bet Kiel for me because of what he did to me in the hospital. Hinahayaan niya lang naman ako at hihintayin niya lang ako magsabi.

I only ate two glazed because my stomach couldn't take any more food. At gabi na rin, I need to balance what I eat. Nagkwentuhan lang kami ni Maeve tungkol sa mga nangyayari sa buhay namin habang kumakain siya ng donut, malapit na niyang maubos 'yung apat na donut. Hindi ba 'to kumain ng dinner? "Sa Friday, ha. Nag-aaya kumain si Andrei ng Unli Wings. Baka isama ko rin si Euan," Maeve opened the topic for Friday.

"Sama mo na, nahiya ka pa. Sa Friday, g lang ako. But..." I stopped for a moment when I remembered what Kiel said earlier that we would meet on Friday. Bakit ba 'ko maniniwala ro'n? 'Di na ako magpapakita sa kaniya after ng treat ko. Tinaas ni Maeve ang isa niyang kilay dahil hindi ko pa naitutuloy ang sasabihin ko. "Nothing. Ano'ng oras ka uuwi?" I asked her before I got up to go back to the sofa to grab my phone, I left it there when I opened the door for Maeve.

"Wala pa akong isang oras dito!" sigaw niya dahil nasa sofa na 'ko noong sumagot siya. I heard her close the bladeless fan in the kitchen and I also heard her footsteps coming towards me. Kinuha niya ang remote sa lamesa at humiga sa couch. Actually, this is her house, not mine. Iniangat ko na lang ang paa ko since nakaupo naman ako sa pang-single na sofa chair. Maeve opened netflix and clicked on her profile on my account. As usual, Grey's Anatomy lang ulit 'yong papanoorin niya dahil hindi niya pa 'yon tapos panoorin.

I just let her watch and opened my phone. I frowned again when I saw Kiel's username on my phone screen, there was a message. Akala ko ba 'stop talking to me'? Bakit siya 'tong nagme-message? Ah, I shouldn't talk to him because he's the only one who will talk to me?

ralpkiel: let’s meet tomorrow

I adjusted my seat so Maeve looked at me. What does Kiel say? Are children really like this? I wasn't like this when I was a teenager! I calmed myself down and acted normal.

nadeleine: and why would i meet that face of yours?

Nag-online kaagad siya at nabasa kaagad ang reply ko.

ralpkiel: wrong send

I rolled my eyes even though Kiel wasn't in front of me. Sineen ko na lang siya and replied to Adrian on Messenger, he chatted. He asks me when I will be home and when I will pick him up from school and he said he misses me. Si Kuya Ashton daw ay umuwi sa bahay pero isang gabi lang daw roon, Adrian said he noticed that Kuya Ashton seems to be down in the past few days. Of course, Kuya Ashton doesn't open up to us so we can't know his condition, when I ask about his condition he always says that he's fine and that he's just stressed at law school.

Nag-isip na lang ako kung ano ang puwedeng gawin. Maybe tomorrow? What if we go to Kuya Ashton's condo tomorrow? We will just visit him. Hindi na rin kami masyado nagkakasama dahil busy kaming tatlo, si Adrian lang palagi 'yung nasa bahay pero kasama naman niya si Nathalie, the problem is that Nathalie is always making plates so she doesn't talk to Adrian much. Sina Mommy and Daddy naman busy rin sa company. Ahuh, I should visit Adrian and Kuya Ashton tomorrow.