Words Are Better Left Unsaid

PROLOGUE

“Okay ka lang ba talaga‚ Bri?” Tanong sa’kin ni Noa. Napansin ko na nakaharang ang braso niya sa harap ko. “Hindi mo na nakikita mga dinadaan mo, oh.”

“Ay! Ah... Iniisip ko lang kasi yung lesson natin kanina sa English. Hindi ko kasi siya gets.” Sabi ko sa kaniya habang nakatulala pa rin sa daan.

“Ha? Teka nga... Anong lesson sa English?” Tanong sa akin ni Noa habang nakakunot ang kaniyang noo. Hindi ba alam ng tao na 'to ang mga subjects namin?

“Lesson sa English! 'Yong ano... Wait lang...” Sabi ko habang inaalala ang lesson namin kanina.

Noa opened his phone and showed it to me. It was just his... lockscreen with his girlfriend’s picture in it. I looked at him with my brows furrowed.

“What? What am I going to do with your lockscreen? Stare at it?” I asked him sarcastically. The brute just rolled his eyes at me and even pushed his phone closer to my face!

“What do you mean ‘stare at it’? Look at the day. It is Wednesday.” He said while pointing on his phone. It even made my brows furrow more.

“So ano naman?” Tanong ko. Hindi ko talaga maintindihan 'tong tao na 'to minsan.

Napasapo sa noo si Noa at ipinakita ang schedule namin. Wednesday... Ah! Hehe... Wala palang klase sa English kapag Wednesday.

“Ay! Hehe... Sorry, nakalimutan ko lang!” Sabi ko sa kaniya habang naka-peace sign. He laughed and pulled my hair slightly.

"Shet! 'Yong lecture notes! Hindi ko nagawa kanina!" I panicked. Our professor will check our notebooks if we're taking down important details from the lesson.

"Patay kang babaita ka." Walang pakialam na sabi ni Noa.

We're inside Starbucks right now and we saw some of our other friends. We ordered and started finding a vacant table. Suddenly, all of the table is full! I saw this group of guys looking at us and they stood up and walked towards us.

“Hey! Um.. Seems like all of the table is full. Y'all can have ours. We don't mind!” The guy smiled sweetly. This guy is familiar.. I think I saw him somewhere but I can't remember.

“Yeah. We really don't mind. You can have our table.” The other one said behind me.

Wait... That voice sounds familiar too. I looked back and saw a tall, handsome, and muscular guy. It was.. Him.

“Oh! Ikaw pala 'yan, Bridgette! Long time, no see, ah!” One of them greeted me and tapped me on my shoulder.

My mind was still loading. Is that really him..?

“Ay..! Oo nga. Haha! Long time, no see!” I said awkwardly. Nakakahiya sa mga friends ko. Nakakahiya din kay Xavier.

Xavier was just staring at me while sipping on his coffee. His head was tilted to the side a little. He was like... examining me like I was some kind of a new student here.

Pero infernes, ang gwapo niya tignan habang iniinom 'yong kape niya... Ehe. Joke. Tumigil ka nga, Bridgette!

“Bri! Ano? Tara na dito sa table.” Napabaling ako kila Noa. Nakaupo na pala sila at ako nalang ang naiwan dito. Mga hinayupak, mga walang hiya.

Ngumiti ako sa kanila bago nagpaalam. Ngumiti din ako ng tipid kay Xavier at tumango lamang siya. Pumunta na ako sa table namin at umupo sa tabi ni Noa.

“Nasaan girlfriend mo, Noa?” Tanong ko sa kaniya. Kasama kasi namin siya kanina.

“Nasa restroom. Nagre-retouch lang ng make-up niya.” Sabi niya sa'kin habang nakakunot ang noo. Itinaas ko ang kilay ko para magtanong kung bakit.

“Masyado kang halata na iniiwasan mo si Xavier.” Sabi niya habang tumatawa. Tumawa naman ang iba naming kaibigan. Inirapan ko lang sila at sumipsip sa kape ko.

“Kaya nga! Masyado kang halata, tigil-tigilan mo 'yan, ah!” Sabi naman ni Riya, girlfriend ni Noa na kakagaling lang sa restroom.

"E, kasi naman! Nakakahiya kaya pagkatapos ng ano... 'yong nangyari." Sabi ko habang nakanguso.

Nakitawa nalang ako sa kanila. Iniisip ko.. lahat sila masaya na sa relasyon nila. Ang iba sa kanila engaged na. Ang iba naman strong pa din ang relasyon. Nakakainggit lang.

Okay lang, at least walang stress sa aking beauty. Okay lang maging single basta pretty. Eme.

The next day, Riya and I went to the gym to exercise and do our daily workout. Both of us are using the treadmill. I heard a group of guys entered the gym.

Their voices sounded familiar. Wait.. It can't be them! I looked behind me and saw them! It is Xavier's circle of friends! I almost slipped from the treadmill, luckily Riya called me so I came back to my senses.

I can feel someone walking towards me but I didn't have the chance to see who is it because I might slip from the treadmill. A guy used the other treadmill next to me and when I looked at him, It was Xavier. I immediately looked away before he sees me looking at him.

He suddenly spoke to me.

“Good morning.” He greeted me while running the treadmill. I looked at him for a second and greeted him back.

“Good morning.” I smiled and stopped the treadmill because of the pressure I was feeling. I'm so awkward! Why am I even nervous whenever I'm seeing him?!

Riya laughed at me and pat my back lightly.

“Nothing will happen even if you're trying to avoid him. The world is small, Bri. There's no time or day you two won't meet. Especially both of you are from the same school and same city.” She said before packing her things. She just finished showering. I shrugged and went to the locker to get my bag.

I got my bag and opened it. Only to see men shirts and men shorts. I freezed when I heard someone's voice behind me.

“What are you doing with my bag?” Xavier asked me. I immediately closed the bag and put it back into the locker. I looked at him and smiled nervously.

“I.. I thought it was my bag because it looked like mine.. Sorry!” I apologized again and again. His friends are just staring at me while smiling. What are they smiling for?

Xavier chuckled. I looked up and saw him smiling at me. He pat my head twice and messed my hair. I took his hands away from my head and glared at him, which made him laugh more.

“It's fine. It's really fine. You don't have to apologize. Well.. It's my fault that I used the bag you gave me.” Said Xavier. Nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi niya.

Kinuha ko na ang duffle bag ko at nagsuot nalang ng hoodie. Hinila ko na si Riya sa labas dahil naiinis ako sa tawa niya. Natatawa daw siya sa reaksyon ko sa sinabi ni Xavi.

Nakakapang-init talaga ng ulo 'yong tao na 'yon kahit kailan!

Bago pa kami makalabas ng gym ay may tumawag sa'kin. Obvious naman na si Xavier. He smiled at me while handing me a... notebook.

“Narinig ko usapan niyo kahapon ni Noa. You forgot to take down notes sa subject ni Mrs. Gonzalez. You can copy my notes.” He said while smiling ear to ear. Kaya niya talaga ngumiti nang ganiyan pagkatapos ng ginawa niya?

Kinuha ko ang notebook niya at binigyan siya ng isang peke na ngiti. Napatawa naman siya.

"Sige, thank you. Hindi ko na 'to ibabalik pa sa'yo." Sabi ko ng pabiro.

"Sure. I don't mind."

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