The Rules of Love [Under Revision]

Chapter 1: One Rule

"Then anak, 'yong allowance mo nai-transfer ko na, ha? Saka kumuha ka d'yan ng pagkain sa table dalhan mo sila sa taas," she added.

"Thanks, ma," I said before heading to the pantry to grab some food.

Pag-akyat ko pabalik sa kwarto, my room looked like a bomb had exploded in it. Jude was playing the guitar while Kean and Darren were playfully wrestling. They were really making a mess of my room. My pillow was even thrown on the floor. These guys had no shame, mga ayaw pa magsilayas.

Darren laughed and said, "Nice, sakto nakaramdam na ako ng gutom." He rubbed his stomach before grabbing the food I had brought up earlier.

"Book worm kain tayo!" Darren offered Kean some food, causing Kean to look at him with a frown before returning his gaze to his book.

"Akin na," Kean said, grabbing some food from the table.

Suddenly, Jude stood up and placed the guitar back in its case. "Tss, aalis na ako."

"Aalis ka na agad kadadating lang ng pagkain oh? Pero sige alis ka na kung 'di kita mapipigilan." pabirong binatukan ni Jude si Darren dahil sa sinabi nito.

Bigla naman nagbago aura niya tapos nagbakla-baklaan, "Oh c'mon Jude my baby. Where are you going? How about our date?"

Jude left the room and quickly disappeared from our sight.

"Mambababae na naman 'yon," sabat ni Kean nang makaalis na si Jude.

"Ngi, player ah!" Darren gently closed the laptop and placed it on the side table before standing up. He ran his fingers through his hair and asked,  "Saan niyo gusto pumunta?"

I inquired, "Are we leaving?" to which he quickly nodded and said, "Let's go."

Usually, when my friends and I hang out, we head to the nearest court to play basketball. Matapos ang mahaba habang pagtatalo kung saan kami pupunta, we decided to just go to the mall and play at the arcade. We spent our time there playing games. We don't have much time left for vacation, as the next day, we have to go back to school.

"Hoy! Ano feeling mo gwapo ka?!"

I heard a woman shout at Jude. I turned my head to see if it was Jude. Yes, it was Jude. What a fool.

"Saksakan ng gwapo," Jude teased, winking.

From a distance, we could hear their voices over the loud sounds of the games here. Some people were starting to look at the two of them, but others just thought they knew each other.

"Ang hangin!" The girl flinched.

"Malamig lang talaga," Jude added to tease the girl. Halata naman sa babae na sobrang napipikon na siya kay Jude. I just laughed looking at them. Sira talaga ulo ng kaibigan namin na ito.

"Alam mo kung magbibiro ka, 'wag sa akin, iba nalang. Wala akong panahon para sa mga kagaya mong mahangin at brusko!"

"Maxine!" The girl turned around when called.

"Bwisit!" Maxine muttered before walking towards her two friends.

They were both beautiful, but I preferred the one on the right. I expelled a deep sigh while my eyes were fixed on her.

Kapag lumingon ka, magiging akin ka.

I gazed into the distance, as they moved further away. Suddenly, the girl I was referring to looked back in our direction.

Is this what they call love at first sight?

Fuck. I cursed my own thoughts. Ang corny amputa. Naubos ang oras namin sa paglalaro maghapon at umuwi na rin kami nang magsawa. They wanted to hang out at my place again, as if they had nowhere else to go. 

"Ano na naman iniisip mo d'yan? Type mo 'yong babae kanina?" usisa ni Kean. Jude shook his head in response.

I then asked, "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing," Jude replied.

"Baka hinalikan niya bigla?" Darren forecasted that out of nowhere, he suddenly appeared. Tanginang 'to puro halikan ang alam.

"Ugok, hindi ako gano'n 'no!" depensa niya sa sarili, "ginawa mo pa akong manyakis!"

"Hindi raw sya gano'n. Gago bro, wala ka nang maloloko dito!" Jude jokingly punched him. In our long years of friendship, I'm sure Jude is the most outrageous among us.

"Ang gulo niyo. Can you please be quiet for a moment?"

There, we had two minutes of complete silence.
Kean's voice shattered the stillness. He began to speak, desperate to understand what had happened and what it all meant.

"Wala kang ginawa? Imposible naman na sigawan ka niya kung wala kang ginawa."

Darren teased, "Kaya nga, p're at bakit ka naman niya sasabihin ng feeling gwapo?" He repeated Maxine's words and mimicked her tone.

"Sobrang gwapo," Jude said. He adjusted his polo and struck a pose.

"She was right, ang hangin!" I whispered and threw him a crumpled paper I just saw inside the car.

"Ang taray niya, bro! Pasalamat siya!" he gasps.

I just shrugged. That girl seems different to him. Something's off with his actions. They just saw each other earlier. Jude didn't used to react like that when he really didn't care. He might have been hit by something good.

"You must follow your own rule, heartbreaker."

"Gago! hindi kami talo. Ang sakit sa tainga ng bunganga ng isang 'yon! Akala mo kung sino. Psh," he exclaimed, leaning back in his chair.

"Tss. Sabi mo lang 'yan, wala ka ng magagawa kapag tumibok ang puso!" pang-aasar na naman ni Darren na gusto na naman ata makatikim ng batok de kalimot.

"Ang baduy mo bro! Gago nito!" saka niya ito binato ng papel na hinagis ko kanina.

"Okay. If I soften her heart, she's mine," he suddenly segued.

Ang ironic, hindi talo pero papalambutin ang puso? Sinasabi na nga ba't tinamaan 'to. He is so into making people fall for him. It's like he'll find a way to get everything he wants.