The Basketball Jerk [Ongoing]

Chapter 3: That moment when...

“It’s been six years Louise, ano ka ba?”

 

“Mel alam ko, I’m just not sure kung naka-move on ka nga ba talaga…” I insisted.

 

“Oo nga, ang kulit mo naman eh,” kunwari naiiritang sagot sa akin ni Melissa saka mabilis na iniwas sa akin ang mga mata niya. Mas obvious tuloy na nagsisinungaling siya. Pero mayamaya pa’y bigla lang siyang natahimik saka tumingin sa akin na tila humihingi ng tulong. “I really look pathetic, don’t I?” may mapaklang ngiti sa mga labi niya. “Hanggang ngayon kasi I just can’t find myself to forgive him…”

 

“Yung order niyo pa ma’am,” dumating yung waiter kaya natahimik kami pareho.

And then I looked at her as she tried to wipe her teary eyes. Sabi nga niya it’s been six years na mula nang magbreak sila ni Harold pero hanggang ngayon, halata pa ring galit at nasasaktan siya. And the fact that she never had a boyfriend again after Harold is another proof that she hasn’t really moved on yet or maybe dahil natatakot siyang masaktan ulit. Gago kasing Harold yun eh.

I’ve met Melissa nang maghighschool kami. Before that kasi, si Harold ang lagi kong kasama. Magmula kasi nursery hanggang natapos kami ng elementary, I’ve always been with him. Our parents decided to send us to the same school lagi para daw may  makasama kami. That’s actually the reason why I know so much about him and that eventually he became my best friend. It was actually fun having him next to me. Naalala ko pa, maraming naiinggit sa akin kasi ako lang ang babaeng nilalapitan niya noon. Eh naman kasi sa ang pogi niya talaga eh.

Pero maraming nagbago nang maghighschool kami. We were supposed to be classmates again that time however he was invited to join the Special Program for Sports of the school we’re enrolled in. The school must have been caught interested with his skills and talent in basketball. Tinanggap naman niya yung offer and I was okay with it. He deserved it after all.

And there’s where the change started. Becoming a part of the SPS made him busy kaya madalas kaming di nagkakasama. Pero ayos lang naman sa akin yun eh, I made new friends din kasi, Melissa included.

I’ve been calling her Mel since then. Melissa was the 2.0 version of me I guess that’s why we kinda click. Mas maganda siya, mas matangkad siya sa akin ng kunti, mas maputi, mas palangiti. And she even has this long eyelashes that emphasizes her brown eyes even more. Let’s just say na kung lalaki siguro ako, she’ll be my ideal type. She’s just so pretty at dagdag pang napakabait niya. Sino nga ba namang lalaki ang di magkakagusto sa kanya?

And then here comes my role, I introduced her to Harold one day at magmula nung araw na yun, when I was with either one of them, it’s either ‘Melissa’ or ‘Harold’ ang lagi kong naririnig sa mga bibig nila. Okay lang naman sa akin nung una eh but then when Harold told me na nililigawan niya si Melissa, shit di ako prepared kasi di ako nakapagsalita. I just smiled and nodded. But then I didn’t know I was fooling myself back then, tss!

At yun na nga, kung hindi ako ang kasama ni Harold sa mga free time niya, he’s with Melissa. I tried getting used to them being together and kept convincing myself na naninibago lang ako kasi nasanay lang ako lang ang babaeng pinagtutuunan niya ng pansin dati. And I was able to survive sa buong anim na buwan na ligawan process nila.