Before That Fall [completed]

Prologue

"Mahal kita." Nanlaki ang mata niya at lumayo ng kaunti. Bakas ang gulat sa mukha niya, dahan dahan niyang tinanggal ang sapatos niya.

"Wag mong balakin, California!" Sabi ko pero huli na, nabato niya na ako sa balikat. Matapos ang dalawang sapatos, hindi ko na alam kung ano ano ang pinagbabato sa'kin ni California. Hinayaan ko na lang siya, matatapos din s'ya.

"Gago ka talaga, Ice. Wag mo akong niloloko. I'm not even kidding to start with!" She irritatedly said. Ano bang mali sa sinabi ko? Nagco-confess na ako, nasasaktan pa ako! Hindi ganto ang iniimagine kong scenario ng pagcoconfess, dapat pala sinunod ko na lang ang restaurant suggestion ni Wade. Lintek talaga! Tatry ko na lang ulit next time, tumalikod ako at nagsimula nang bumaba mula sa rooftop.

"Oh, saan ka pupunta?" Singhal niya habang nakadungaw sa pinto.

"Bahala ka d'yan, iiwan kita." Pabalang kong sagot sa kanya. Try and try lang, Ice. Wala e, sa mental patient ka nainlove, tanggapin mo 'yan.

"Matapos mo akong sabihan ng mahal mo ako, iiwan mo ako dito? Walang hiya ka talaga, lakas ng trip mo!" Sigaw niya kasunod ng pagsigaw niya sa pangalan ko. Bahala ka d'yan, California. Gulo mo kausap! Lintek ka.

"Kausapin mo sarili mo!" Sabi ko at lumiko na para makapuntang hagdan papuntang clinic. Sakit sa ulo nung paso na bato ni California. May saltik na talaga 'yung babaeng 'yon sa ulo. Nurse ata kailangan non, di boyfriend. Bwisit talaga!

Sa dinami-daming tao sa paligid ko? Why did I love you? Why did my heart scream when I was about to lose you? Why did my heart stop when I saw you there, lying on the floor? Why did my heart choose the most annoying yet endearing girl in this world? Bakit ikaw pa na maingay, maton, nakakairita at mahilig sa pink? Ba't di na lang 'yung demure, tahimik or at least, yung mature? Okay lang ako sa mute, mas okay kesa sa'yo na parang pwet ng manok. Ba't sayo pang sobrang complicated? You're like an art, messy but has a deeper meaning. Sa iba't ibang angle mo, iba't ibang perception ang naibibigay ko, you always surprise me with your decisions and story.

Before I fall, everything's in place. My life, my choices, my decisions. I was tend to follow my family's success. I was meant to be a marionette, so were you. We knew that we will live in the shadow of our family. But, we messed things up. We fell unexpectedly, we act so carelessly. Nahulog tayo na walang assurance kung may sasalo ba talaga sa'tin. Hinulog natin ang sarili natin na hindi man lang nagiisip kung ano ba ang mangyayari sa'tin. We didn't think about falling out of love because we were so drunk in that idea of love, butterflies and sparks. We didn't see that dark side, pain and sacrifices. Falling in love is harder when it's with you. Falling in love with you is like trespassing someone's property because you're curious, you're taking too much risk but you know that you still want to take every risk because you'll find something good in a bad way.