Always Have Been, Always Will Be

17

[ ◉¯]

Chapter 17

Happy Birthday

Hindi nakakatuwa. Bakit ko nga ba nagawa 'yon? I must be out of my mind!

I think I must not be in my most sane state right now, because never in my years of existence have I ever thought that I'd find myself falling asleep in Sauyer's room, especially in his arms! Even I was aware of what was going on, and I let it happen anyway. I felt like my body was moving on its own accord. Parang tanga naman akong tumabi sa kaniya pagkatapos lang tawagin.

Sino nga ulit yung ayaw na ayaw kay Sauyer na palaging sinusumpa sa isipan pero tinabihan naman sa kama? Ah, ako pala.

Banana milk.

Something stirred inside me that I was momentarily able to feel each of my bloodstream when he revealed that he bought a plethora of my favorite drink for the times that I'd come over. My emotional side was not easily swayed, but it was an instant flick of the light when Sauyer admitted how he bought those and had me in mind.

I didn't know humans were capable of being that...cute.

And I never knew someone would...ever think of me on that level.

But it was strange. My mind was screaming at me, asking how I ever let myself contradict my words; but inside, I knew that I still complied someway, somehow—and there was a reason why. Perhaps it was because of those feelings I was oblivious to and have yet to address and label?

Kaya siguro ganito na lang ang reaksyon ko sa gano'ng pangyayari dahil pati ako ay...hindi alam kung ano nga ba ang ibig sabihin ng mga nararamdaman ko sa aking tiyan tuwing may ginagawa si Sauyer para sa akin.

And the fact that I was oblivious to it scared me.

"Hoy, totoo?!" Hindi makapaniwalang bulalas ni Thaianara habang nag-l-lunch kam sa labas ng school. Nanlaki ang kaniyang mga mata at tinapunan ako ng tingin. "Totoo?" Ulit niya pa.

Swyney let out a girly laugh.

"Kasi nga, nagpaalam sa akin si Elize na pupuntahan niya raw si Kuya at kakausapin dahil narinig niya yung pinag-usapan namin," Swyney narrated with a wide grin across her lips. "But a few hours went by and he still hasn't came back, kaya pinuntahan ko to check on him."

Everyone was listening attentively to Swyney as if it was now their favorite topic all of a sudden. They were beaming and glancing at me while Swyney was running her mouth! At ako naman ay problemadong hinihilot ang sentido ko, kasi pati ako ay hindi rin alam kung paano nga ba iyon nangyari.

"Oh, tapos?" Kaia urged Swyney, her lips stretching from ear to ear with her chin on her palm.

"Tapos, kumatok ako sa room ni Kuya. It took a while before he opened it. He looked a little disheveled pa nga, e, but I asked where Elize was, and he told me he was sleeping and let me see him. Pumasok ako and I saw him hugging a pillow, nakatanday pa roon," aniya at tumawa nang malakas.

"Hala, gago. Baka pinatulog ni Sauyer." Grazen chuckled and turned to Phelomeno beside him and nudged him. "'Di ba, Phel?"

Inirapan lang siya nito. "Kung saan ka masaya."

Euclid also let out a snicker after he sipped on his mogu-mogu.

"Kung ako sa 'yo, Swyney, mag-iingat na ako kasi baka magulat na lang ako na si Elize na pala at yung kapatid ko," sambit niya na ikinatawa lang din ni Swyney.

I hissed. "As if."

Euclid's eyes widened and raised his hands defensively. "What? Baka lang. We noticed that you two seemed to be very close with each other lately."