Bini: In Parallel Universe

XIII. Premium

Mikha's POV

Exam's done and my friends and I are drinking here in my condo. Well, aside from celebrating because the hell week is finally over, I decided to drink my heart out. The breakup with Dahlia is still fresh to me. How did she manage to throw our 4 years? Kung makipaghalikan siya sa bar that night, akala mo walang girlfriend na nag-aalala sa kanya.

"Grabe! Sobrang hassle nitong year. Sana may magandang prof next Academic Year." Sheena sighed.

"Siraulo!" I shortly replied.

"Bro, check this out. You'll get to talk to strangers without revealing your fucking identity." Colet said while waving her phone.

"Oh, like a dating app?" Maloi asked.

"No. You just have to put your interests in this box something and click start chat. Then it'll direct you to the stranger na agad!" Colet replied.

"Why are you telling us that ba? Hindi ko gagawin 'yan, I have Gwenny." Sheena shook her head pa to make it more convincing.

"Me too! I have Stacey. Ikaw Colet, hindi ba nanliligaw ka na kay Jhoanna? Siraulo ka talaga!" sabi ni Maloi at binato pa siya ng chips na pulutan namin.

"Not for me. For Mikha kasi, look at her, she's spacing out na naman." she defended and handed me her phone. I raised my eyebrows trying to ask her what am I going to do with a goddamn phone. "Try it. I already put your interests there." she added.

For some reason that I don't know shit about, I get her phone and tried it. Omegle.

Stranger: Hi

Mikha: Hello

Stranger: Why are you here?

Mikha: My friends and I are drinking and they made me try this one lol, and you?

Stranger: Hmm, just bored. How old are you?

Mikha: I just turned 19. What about you?

Stranger: Oh, I feel so old. I'm 24 na.

Mikha: Really? Working ka na?

Stranger: I just passed the licensure examination for phycologist but I'm planning to pursue Academe.

Mikha: That's great! I can't wait to finish College and find a job. Like what you're doing right now.

Stranger: Trust me, mas gugustuhin ko pa mag College ulit.

"Fuck! Who got you smiling like that?" Colet asked at tinapik pa ang balikat ko.

"Kill the lights, so baby close your eyes." Sheena sang the line from the song Loverboy of A-Wall.

"Dude! They're getting to know each other na!" Maloi exclaimed.

"Really? Ask for her telegram. Doon kayo mag-usap." Colet advised while grinning. Nagmukha tuloy siyang asong ulol.

Mikha: Do you wanna talk in telegram? If it's okay with you.

Stranger: Sure! Don't expect ha! I'm not that good looking.

Mikha: I'm not that good looking too. Trust me, I feel comfortable talking to you lang.

Stranger: Me too! Like out of all the strangers in here, ikaw lang may substance kausap eh.
Stranger: @iamaiah. Here's my telegram account.

Mikha: Alright, I'll just finish the drinks with my friends lang and then I'll message you. Catch you later, stranger!

And it started with that. We're still talking for like 4 months now. All the late night conversations and sharing of ups and downs made me feel something deeper to a stranger I met online. Worse is I don't even know her last name yet. She introduced herself as Aiah and we agreed that we will not talk about each other's last name.

She updates me every time she'll go out, she's telling me how her day went, her rants, and everything about her. I started daydreaming about her and the things I want to do with her. She's like a breathe of fresh air to me.

Am I stupid to like a stranger? Am I a fool to feel all these butterflies on my stomach whenever I am talking to her? Maybe yes. But one thing's for sure, I've never felt this way to anyone before.

Aiah: Mikhs

Mikha: Hmm? How are you? How was your day?

Aiah: It's fine. I have something to tell you pala.

Mikha: alright, spill.

Aiah: I think I'm starting to like you.

Mikha: Can we meet na? I have something to tell you din eh.

And when she agreed, I was jumping and punching in the air out of happiness. Finally! How am I gonna react? How am I gonna say hi? How will I tell her that I like her too?

Until the day came and I waited to the said place for hours. But she never come. I tried reaching out but she's not replying to any of my messages.

"Na-in love sa stranger tapos nauwi sa ghosting. Okay lang 'yan, Mikhs!" Maloi teasingly said. I rolled my eyes to her, first day na first day palang ng new semester, nangungulit na naman sila.

"I'm so sorry, Mikhs. I shouldn't introduced you to omegle nalang sana." Colet said sincerely.

"No, it's fine. I've learned so much from her naman eh. Hindi naman ako talo after all." I told her.

Tama naman. Ang dami kong natutuhan sa ilang buwan. I learned how to calm down whenever the world's irritating me. Kaunting "hey, relax. I'm here." lang ni Aiah, kumakalma na ako. She knows how to act accordingly. Kahit na masakit na hindi na kami nag-uusap, wala naman akong magagawa dahil hindi naman titigil ang mundo para sa akin. I have to move forward.

But part of me is still waiting to receive a message from her someday. Where she'll clarify or explain what happened that day. Sobrang daming what if's and what could've beens sa isip ko pero hindi ko alam kung masasagot pa ba ang mga ito.

"Gagi ang ganda niya. Prof ba natin?"

"She looks like Mama Mary. Lord!"

I heard my classmates murmured but I didn't pay much attention to them. Nakatingin pa rin ako sa floor at iniisip kung paano ko masusurvive ang araw na ito.

"Good morning, everyone. GSELF Code 111 - Understanding the Self?" I heard our professor asked. Ang ganda at ang hinhin ng boses!

"Yes, Ma'am." I heard my classmates answered.

"Alright. Before anything else, I am Mariah Queen Arceta and I will be your prof. You can call me Miss Aiah."

Aiah? I looked up and saw her standing in front with all smiles. What the fuck? Siya. Siya 'yong babaeng nakausap ko sa omegle. She's the one who ghosted me. How? Paano ako magrereact?

"Mikhs, isn't she the Aiah we're talking about earlier?" Colet asked.

"Sobrang ganda niya pala talaga!" Maloi butted in.

"Oh ayan na, alam mo na last name niya. Prof nga lang natin siya this time." Sheena added.

"Yeah, shut up. Wag niyo akong kausapin." Sabi ko sa kanila dahil hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala.

"I'll do some random checking of attendance lang ha? Baka ibang klase pala 'to." she laughs.

She started calling our names and the twist is, once she called your name, you have to stand up and say "present".

A ... B ... C ... D .... E .... F ... G .... H .... I ... J .... K ... "Lim, Mikhaela Janna?"

I blinked twice. Tatayo ba ako?

"Lim, Mikhaela Janna?" she repeated. Colet who's beside me, pushed me dahilan para mapatayo ako.

"Tangina—- ay sorry, present, Miss." I said, habang pinanlalakihan ng mata si Colet dahil sa ginawa niya. She smirked at me lang na parang nang aasar pa.

"Finally. Hi! Nice meeting you, Mikhs." Miss Aiah said and stared at me.

I stared at her too. And then, I saw her eyes. She's like longing and in pain seeing me in her class.

Nang maka-upo ako, hinarap ako nung tatlo.

"Naka omegle premium ka pala! Nagkita tuloy kayo ng kausap mong stranger doon." Sheena teased again.

"Yeah, premium."