28: Linked
Another notification popped out.
Crescent changed your nickname to Rora🌹 and Crescent changed her nickname to Moon 🌒
What a lovely monday.
“Something's going on? It's my first time seeing you smiling.” Lumingon ako kay Ethan pero agad rin akong umiwas ng tingin sa kanya. “Are you slowly adjusting to your school?”
Hindi ko lang siya pinansin.
“Can you talk to me at least kahit isang salita lang?” Napatingin ulit ako sa kanya. “I’m asking you questions…you can just say yes or no.”
Umiwas ulit ako ng tingin at sumandal sa upuan.
“How about your session with Dr. Ramos? Okay lang ba?”
Napaupo ako ng maayos nang bigla niyang itigil ang sasakyan. Mabuti nalang rin I have my seat belt on.
What's wrong with him?!
“A dog passed by,” sabi niya. Napairap ako at sumilip sa labas. Parang wala namang aso eh.
Liar.
Isa pa iniisip ko pa kung paano ako magpapaalam kay lolo. Crescent birthday will be held at night. Sigurado akong hindi papayag si lolo. I just got lucky last week, na kinuha agad ako ni Ethan sa mall at hindi na sinabi kay lolo.
“We're here,” sabi niya. “Ihatid nalang kita sa mismong building?” tanong niya at umiling ako. Agad rin akong lumabas at bumaba ng sasakyan.
Loraine messaged me to meet them at the Coffee shop at doon agad ako pumunta.
“Hi!” Nakita ko sila agad pagkapasok ko pa lang.
“Girl…you still need to tell us about your kuya and how close your kuya is with Crescent. How lucky!” Tumingin ako kay Cristy. Kinukulit nila ako hanggang ngayon.
And I don't know how to explain it. Basta magkaibigan lang sila kuya at Crescent.
“Oh sorry ah, we know you can't talk but at least can you chat nalang?.type?” Napalingon naman ako kay Trecia.
“Girls stop,” sabi ni Gab.
“So invited ka rin ba sa birthday niya?” Napalingon ako kay Loraine.
Ang dami naman nilang tanong.
Tumango ako bilang sagot.
“OMG! Can we come with you?” tanong ni Trecia at yumakap siya bigla sa braso ko.
“Hindi ka imbitado Trecia, siya lang,” sabi ni Cristy.
“Come on…friends tayo with Aurora, kaya baka naman,” sagot ni Trecia.
“By the way, are you even aware that your name has been linked with Crescent?” Tumingin ako kay Gab. Inabot niya sa akin ang phone niya.
It's a picture of me and Crescent at the bowling alley.
“Tsaka…nakakainggit ah, I stalked her account and she's following you, ikaw ‘to diba?” tanong niya sa akin.
Yeah it's me…
“Grabe! Sana little sis nalang rin ako ng kuya mo,” sabi ni Trecia. “Anong feeling? Nagkakausap rin ba kayo?”
“Pwede ba? Tigilan niyo si Aurora,” sabi ni
Loraine.
“Guys wait…is this us?” Napalingon kami kay Cristy at inabot niya sa amin ang tab niya. Natigilan ako sandali sa nakita ko.
It's a picture of me…
“Our faces our blurred pero sigurado akong tayo yan kasi malinaw ang pagkakuha nila sa litrato ni Aurora,” sabi ni Trecia.
“OMG! Ngayon ba ‘to?”
Someone took a picture of us right now and uploaded the picture on sociant.
“Yong caption oh this is the girl. They are starting to stalk you,” sabi ni Loraine. Kinabahan ako. I hated someone doing stuff like this.
I mean can they just get a life?
“Guys, we have to go to the Painting studio na, let's report this post nalang. This is creepy,” sabi ni Loraine at sumunod naman kami agad sa kanya.
We rode a bus and quickly went to the studio.
The class started and it went smooth for me dahil wala masiyadong tanong ang prof namin. She just gave us instructions on what to paint.
Nang umalis ang prof namin ay nagpaalam ako kayna Loraine. I need to use the comfort room. Nang matapos ako ay naghugas muna ako ng kamay and tied my hair to bun.
Kinuha ko ang phone ko and I can still see my photos and they are tagging Crescent. Napabuntong hininga ako.
Palabas na ako nang makita ko si Crescent na biglang pumasok. Hinila niya agad ako papunta sa isa sa mga cubicle.
“Hey are you okay? I’m sorry,” she said. “I saw the new picture uploaded. I already reported it. I’m sorry.”
She came just to say sorry? Paano niya nalamang nandito ako?
“I asked your classmates.” Did she just read my mind?
“This is my fault. I saw someone take a picture of us last week and you know social media. Marami lang agad sinasabi.”
Nakalimutan ko yatang sikat at isang singer si Crescent of course this would happen.
“Wala.ka bang napansin na sumusunod sayo?”
Umiling ako bilang sagot.
“When you saw our picture were you scared?”
What do you mean? I asked using sign language.
“Kasi…you were linked to me,” sagot niya at napahawak sa batok niya. “Baka it made you uncomfortable. Everyone in Sociant thought you’re my girlfriend.”
Naramdaman ko ang pag-init ng magkabila kong pisngi.
“Sorry…”
I looked at her and she's just staring at me.
Why? I asked.
“Because my fans are after you. My manager is after me and baka madamay ka rin. You know what this is also wrong. Hindi dapat ako pumunta dito. tss.” Tumayo siya.
“Wrong?” I asked.
Tumingin siya ulit sa akin.
“I'm wrong for coming here. Kasi baka nandito pa kumuha ng litrato sayo. I just panicked that they might attack you with questions. Siguro pati mga kaklase mo.. Tss…and I’m aware your sociant notifications are currently going crazy because I followed you.”
“It's okay…Crescent. I’m okay,” I said. “You can unfollow me.”
Para wala na siyang isipin. She's worrying because of me. I don't want that.
At…akala ko…hindi na matatapos ang saya na nararamdaman ko. It's not…the same from the world I created.
Masaya sa mundong ginawa ko.
“You want me to…unfollow you?”
Tumingin ako sa kanya.
“Hays…” She leaned against the cold wall while her both hands were inside her pants pockets.
“You're living with your lolo right now right?”
Tumango ako bilang sagot.
“Magagalit ba lolo mo, if…I ask you out later at 6 pm?”
Napatulala ako sandali.
“Hmm…what time does your last class end?”
“Five,” sagot ko.
“Sama ka?”
Nasanay naman akong nagagalit si lolo kaya…okay lang naman diba na sumama ako?
Tumango ako bilang sagot.
“Great…”
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fb: Lisnaej / Lis Naej
