"Kahit kailan talaga ang talino ng frenny na 'tin, sus. Parang kinakailangan ko 'yan sa STEM ah."
"'Yong akin baka gusto mo?" Gwin asked Raign.
"Iw yuck. Baka mas kinakailangan mo pa 'yan, e," sagot ni Raign sa kaniya kaya agad siyang binatukan ni Gwin. "Aray ha! Parang mas lalo akong nagising sa katotohanan na hindi talaga ako ang gusto ni Icing sa ibabaw ng cupcake ko. Nakikisanib pwersa ako sa ngalan ni Kim Chui na sana ako nalang."
"Tumigil ka nga d'yan. Kaya hindi ka pinipili kasi ganiyan," Gwin hissed at her.
"Kanta nga sa greatest showman. I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I'm meant to be, This is me,"ani niya. "So I won't change myself, kahit si Icing sa ibabaw ng cupcake ko pa 'yan! No! Never enough, sis! Because I know I am confidently beautiful with a heart. Thankies!"
Gwin sighed and shook her head. "Alam mo? May point na sana 'yong mga sinasabi mo, e. Kaso dinagdagan mo pa ng kalokohan mo, e 'di mas kumulo pa 'yong dugo ko sa 'yo," Gwin fake smiled at her.
"Sus, crush mo lang ako antea, e," sagot niya at tumingin sa 'kin. "Pero seryoso, yiee. Talino mo talaga, sis, kaya bilib talaga ako sa 'yo, e."
"And you deserve that. Blood, sweat, tears, sleepless nights, and restless days was paid off by aiming to be first again, congrats," Gwin told while smiling.
"At siyempre hindi ko deserve 'yon, ginanun ba naman ako? hayts—"
"Oh shut the hell up, Raign Buenavista," pinutol ni Gwin ang sasabihin ni Raign dahil alam niya naman na kalokohan lang din naman ang lalabas sa bibig niya kaya kinaladkad niya na ito paalis. I laugh while Raign beating up Gwin while she was being pulled.
Kinuha ko 'yong phone ko at tinawagan si Yahwi. I don't know, kusa nalang ito gumalaw. Siguro nasanay na ako na nandiyan siya para kwentuhan ng mga bagay bagay na nangyayari sa buhay ko. Siguro nga.
["Hey, napatawag ka?"]
"Hi. Are you busy?" I asked while silently fidgeting my finger.
["Hindi naman. Why?"]
"Oh, uhm. Can we hang out a bit? Promise madali lang, may sasabihin lang ako."
There was a long silence before I heard him sighing.
["Actually, Maiana.... Meron din sana akong sabihin."]
"Then let's talk about it, later?"
["Later. At our place?"]
I laugh. "At our place, Yahwi."
Pagkatapos ng tawag ay dumiretso na ako sa faculty dahil pinapatawag ako ni Ma'am Ysa. Akala ko kung ano na, 'yon pala, she just wanted me to congratulate. Actually, Ma'am Ysa was really the most kindest teacher I ever known. No wonder there's a lot of students here that really loves her. She's very friendly and kind to anyone unless when you did something bad that she doesn't like. Gosh, she's so scary at the same time.
The class hour was finished and it was already sunset time. Pumunta ako sa park kung saan favorite place ni Yahwi. I sat there at the bench and messaged Yahwi that I'm here.
From: Yahwi
Kanina ka pa ba d'yan?
To: Yahwi
not really. u're here na ba?
From: Yahwi
Yes
To: Yahwi
where u?
From: Yahwi
Stop looking at your front, kaya hindi mo ako nakikita eh. I'm at your back, princess.
Lumingon ako sa likod ko at nakita ko si Yahwi na nakatayo do'n. He was still on his uniform and had his ID on. I bit my lower lip to prevent myself from smiling because he look so handsome on his ID.
Napatingin ako sa kaniya nung binaba niya 'yong bag niya at umupo din sa bench.
Tumingin ako sa kaniya. "Did you commute?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Ano 'yong sasabihin mo pala?"
I smile at him and to the sunset.
"I bet that is very big deal. You look so happy about it."
I chuckled. "I'm just feeling blessed."
"Why's that?"
Tumingin ako sa kaniya. "For the first time in my life. Alam mo? Ngayon ko lang na-feel 'to. I feel like I'm in a cloud 9," I chuckled. "Iba ngayon ang feeling, e. 'Yong feeling mo deserve mo 'to at hindi mo 'to ginagawa for the sake of others opinions or expectations about you? But you're doing it for yourself?" I said. "Now I understand kung ano 'yong sinasabi nila na happiness start itself not for others. Because once I start to believe in myself, when I start to accept my flaws and my past mistakes to make it motivation for me to be better person each day, I started to feel life. Somehow, I feel like I'm alive."
"Now I realize that it was stupid of me to live like that before. I feel like I'm only living for people's expectations around me, afraid to do mistakes kasi isang pagkakamali ay huhusgahan ka na, sasabihan ka na hindi ka naman talaga magaling ganiyan, gan'to. And I realize that, it's okay to do mistakes, neither the people who said that words has also flaws and mistakes, you know."
"Are you happy right now?"
"At the best feeling, Yahwi."
He smiled and nodded. "Good to hear."
"Also I ranked first again," I said and look at him. "Somehow, I think that what if you didn't left? Would I still be 2nd? Do I really deserve this? Or nakuha ko lang 'to ang spot na 'to ulit dahil umalis ka?"
"You deserve that, Maiana."
"And you don't deserve it?"
He chuckled. "It's not that I'm putting myself down—"
"But that's how it seems, Yahwi," I said. "Kaya nga hanggang ngayon naiisip ko pa rin 'yong mga katangahan ko dati and I'm really ashamed of it."
He sighed and held my face to look at his. "Makinig ka. What's in the past is in the past now. There's no better tomorrow if you keep thinking about yesterday's nightmare," he said. "Kung ano man meron ka ngayon, deserve mo 'to. God, knows that you did your best. Not only in acads, but also for you, trying to be better person than before. And everything happens for a reason, okay? So stop thinking about what's in the past."
Tumango ako. "I get it. Okay."
He chuckled as he let go of my face. Tahimik ang bumalot sa 'min at gusto 'yon. Wala nagsasalita sa 'min pero pakiramdam ko ay nag-uusap pa rin kami. We're silently watching the sunset when suddenly I remembered that he also something to say.
"May sasabihin ka pa, 'di ba?"
"May bibigay ako."
Kunot noo ko siya tinignan. " What is it?"
Kinuha niya ang bag niya at may kinuha siya do'n. I was just silently observing his moves while he was cool with it. Lumingon siya sa 'kin ulit at may inabot na isang notes na mukhang hindi lang ito basta basta na notes lang.
"Ano 'to?"
"Pagkain siguro," he said, sarcastic.
Inirapan ko siya. "Salamat talaga, mabubusog talaga ako dito," I also replied with full of sarcastic. Pero kinuha ko pa rin 'yon sa kamay niya at tinignan ng bawat pahina. No, it's a notes that full of poems. Well, not so big fan of poems but gosh, did he really create these? For me? I look at the last page and it has also a poem written. My lips parted when I read it.
'How can I say to the whole world that you're so beautiful
How can I say that you have beautiful laugh, just so perfect rhythm for my ears
How can I say that you're very important person to me when I can't even tell you how I felt for you...'
Sinira ko 'yong notes at napatingin sa kaniya. He was looking deeply in my eyes. I refuse to look at them.
I think... little by little I started to understand now.
YOU ARE READING
Adult Teenager's Matters (YOUNG ADULT SERIES #1)
RomanceMaiana Gabrielle Hermé is a high achiever on their school. She's good at everything, no wonder she's called the ace of their school. But little did people know what's behind Maiana's life was darker than anyone could imagine. Some of students dream...
