We'll Always Have Summer (WAHS #1)

3 | Three Old Friends

"Bestfriends are together through it all. Like soil & roots. One needing the other through chilling winters, scorching summers, through hailstorms & lightning strikes. They weather it together."

- Lisa Schroeder (Chasing Brooklyn)

🔸🔸🔸

"Jake!!!!"

Sigaw ni Claire habang tumakbo itong palapit sa lalaking nakatayo hindi kalayuan sa amin. Matangkad ito at maputi. Nagyakap sila at bahagya nitong binuhat si Claire. Tumingin ako para panuorin sila.

That's Jake. Not the boy I used to remember. But the adult-version of Jake on my mind. He's wearing a white cotton shirt paired with khaki shorts. His built was more masculine. His shoulders were broader. Para ding tumangkad pa ito ng husto. His features edgier this time but his brown hair still looked the same with the sun hitting on every strand. I heard Claire's soft chuckle when they let go of each other.

Though it's a hot summer day, pakiramdam ko nilalamig ang buo kong katawan ng tumingin sila sa direksyon ko. I forced a shy smile and raised my hand a bit to give a shirt wave. Nanginginig pa nga ang labi ko habang nakangiti. When I shifted my eyes on him, I caught his eyes staring at me kaya agad kong iniwas ang tingin sa kanya. I wished I could linger on that stare, just like Claire. Claire is more comfortable being around Jake. She can spend solid 24-hours with him without being self-conscious about it. I wish I had that kind of relationship with him. Sana kaya ko rin siyang yakapin at makipag biruan sa kanya gaya ni Claire.

Nilapitan ako ni Claire at hinila sa braso para yakagin ako palapit sa kanila.

"Ang OA niyo ah. Wag niyong sabihing hindi niyo na kilala ang isa't isa," natatawang sabi ni Claire.

"Gabo," I heard him said. Tumawa naman si Claire at hinampas ito sa balikat.

"Hoy! Wag ka, baka maasar yan!" natatawang hirit ni Claire. I felt my face burning with embarrassment.

"Hindi no. Bakit naman ako maaasar?" I said in defense. Gabo. That's what Jake used to call me kapag gusto nito akong asarin. Asar talo kasi ako dati. Si Claire kasi hindi. Kaya niyang sakyan ang lahat ng kapilyuhan ni Jake. Kaya gustong gusto ako nitong asarin, usually pa naman nagba-blush ako pag napapahiya. I hope I didn't, right now.

Naramdaman kong nakatingin pa rin ito sa akin. Hindi ko siya matignan, hindi ko rin siya makausap. I don't know where to begin. Kaya nga kapag magkakasama kaming tatlo, laging si Claire ang nag-uumpisa ng kwentuhan.

Claire tiptoed over Jake's shoulders, "Wala kang kasama?"

Tumingin naman si Jake sa likuran niya, where their house was located. Umiling ito, "No, just me."

"Ah, wala ka man lang bang pasalubong sa'min ni Gabo?" tumawa si Claire ng tignan ko ito ng masama. Madalas silang ganito dati, pagtutulungan nila ako para asarin.

"I mean Gabby," she said, emphasizing my name.

Ngumiti ito at inanyayahan kami papunta sa loob ng bahay nila, "Marami."

Pinauna ko silang dalawa pumasok. Nang mapansin ni Claire lumingon ito at hinila ako muli.

"Tara na!" sabay akbay sa balikat ko.

May tree house sila Jake sa gilid ng bahay nila kung saan madalas kaming maglagi dati. Puno iyon ng acacia na halos sumasakop sa buong bakuran nila. The tree house has been there for fifteen years now. Kaya ng umakyat kaming muli roon, natakot ako na bumigay ang nasabing bahay dahil sa impit ng kahoy ng magtungo kami roon.