Letters to Cleo #Wattys2016

Chapter 23

I keep stealing glances at her while I'm driving. Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na hinalikan n'ya ako. At mas lalong hindi ako makapaniwala that she's acting as if nothing happened. Kanina habang palabas kami ng Araneta Coliseum ay medyo maraming tao kasi sabay-sabay naglabasan ang mga nanood ng game. Naging masikip 'yung daan namin that I had to put an arm around her shoulders to keep her near at hindi maitulak ng ibang tao. Even with that ay parang wala lang sa kanya. I guess wala talaga sa kanya 'yung nangyari. Siguro nga nadala lang s'ya ng mga pangyayari and it's all but a friendly-barkada-type of gesture.

When we got to the condo, sinabi n'yang 'wag ko na raw s'yang ihatid sa taas. Napagod daw s'ya at alam n'yang napagod din ako kaya umuwi na raw ako ng maaga. I find it kinda odd kasi she's never done this before - push me away. Maybe she's affected also like me. Should I talk to her about it? But would I seem to be assuming if I did? Should I just wait for her to open it up? Dammit!

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked.

"Oo naman. Napagod lang talaga ako sa kaka-cheer. Ikaw ba hindi napagod?"

"Okay lang. I had so much fun. Hindi naman talaga nakakapagod. Uhm... Ailee..."

"Inigo, akyat na ako ha. Inaantok na talaga ako eh."

"Ha? Sige. Good night."

"Night."

She stepped out of my car without another word. I watched her enter the elevator and disappear. This is the Morning After Syndrome, it's just the morning after hasn't arrived yet. Ang bilis ng reaction.

********

Nahirapan akong makatulog kagabi kasi iniisip ko pa rin ang mga nangyari and how awkward we were when I brought her home. I don't want our friendship to end like this... if this is the start of the end. Ayaw ko! We've come so far just to throw it all away. I haven't had a friend like Ailee before. 'Yung relationship namin ay iba. Para s'yang guy friend kasi she digs guy stuff at hindi s'ya maarte pero she's a girl when it comes to being sensible. I have the best of both worlds.

So what do I do now? Should I act the same way, like nothing happened? Here goes....

Text message to Ailee: Good morning!

Text message from Ailee: Morning =)

Aaaah... everything seems to be fine. Ako lang siguro ang nag-iisip.

Pero lumipas ang ilang araw... ang iniisip kong awkwardness between us ay parang totoo na. Hindi na s'ya katulad nung dati na madalas ay nauunang nagtetext o nag-aayang magdinner. Ilang gabi na ang nakakalipas na wala akong kasamang magdinner. Nung isang gabi ako na ang nag-aya sa kanya pero she declined. Sabi n'ya she's meeting up with some friends. That seems to be a valid reason but I still can't just shake off the feeling na may problema kami.