Captured by Love

7

The team's basketball training finished early, good mood si Coach kanina dahil maganda ang condition ng players niya kaya walang extra hours.

"Oh my gosh Drei, ang pangit ng feed mo." I called his attention, nakatambay kami sa kainan malapit sa gym. Lagi kami dito ni May naglalunch even before I found out about Andrei's existence and it turned out sa Mommy pala ni Andrei yung food stall dun. Ilang beses ko ring nakurot ang legs ni Mayang when we found out dahil ngiti siya ng ngiti sakin na halata namang nang-aasar. "Sobrang meant to be." sabi pa niya. Naiiling na lang ako nung mga panahon na yun.

"Ay oh! Sorry na, hindi professional instagrammer." sigaw ni Andrei, nakatayo kasi siya para kunin ang order namin. Feeling gentleman kasi yan eh. Pa-fall. Tss!

It's been 2 months already since I started covering their games and all other sports. Mas naging close na din ako sa kanilang players because of that. Masaya sila kasama, maloko pero relax lang.

"Grabe why did you even post this? Hindi instaworthy." Reklamo ko pa while I'm scrolling down the photos on his account. Nakatayo na siya sa gilid ko dala ang tray na may pagkain. Naramdaman kong sinipa niya ang paa ko kaya umusog ako to give him some space.

"Dayum, I'll never follow your ig." I told him with a sign of disgust, but surely I'm just kidding. Ilang linggo niya na akong kinukulit why I haven't followed him daw sa instagram. I already accepted his follow request sa facebook, but I haven't followed him back sa twitter at instagram.

"Edi wag, hindi ko na ilalike photos mo. Unfollow kita!" panakot niya.

"Edi wag! Ibablock kita!" sagot ko naman sabay balik ng phone niya. He just hissed at me and then handed me my orange juice. Akala mo ah.

Bukod sakin at kay Andrei, kasama din namin si Jollo at si Aljun sa table.

"Di kaya kita pakainin ng pansit ng Mama ko?" Nakanguso pa siya habang sinasabi yun. Edi siya na ang cute. OMG Ernestine! Sumeryoso ako agad dahil sumisilip na ang ngiti sa aking mukha.

"If that makes you sleep at night." I told him off with a sly grin. In the end inabot din naman sakin ni Andrei ang order ko.

"Idol talaga to si Tin eh." says Jollo. Hindi ko na siya pinansin, sanay na ko sa mga yan. Lagi kami ni Andrei ang pinagtitripan. Buti nga biglang may nagtext kay Aljun, malamang yung nililigawan niya yun kasi nakangiti nanaman eh.

"Sus, kinikilig nanaman ho si Aljun. Hoy bakla mo!" sabi ni Andrei at binato ng used tissue si Aljun.

"Sino kaya satin dre?!" Aljun's comeback shut him up. Mag-isa tuloy tumatawa si Jollo.

"That's good man!" Jollo commented, bumping his shoulder to Aljun's. Tss lang ang reaksyon ni Andrei sa dalawa.

"Yan kasi, wag na kasi bakla paps!" dagdag pa ni Jollo habang umiling kay Andrei.

Like you, I don't have any idea what they're talking about but I learned my lesson. Ayaw ko ng magtanong. Naalala ko nanaman last week when I caught them laughing really hard at dahil medyo chismosa ako that time nagtanong ako sa kanila. Only to find out they were watching Ricci's, one of the rookie players, showing his ass in front of the camera. Tuwang tuwa pa sila Kuya Prince, Ricci's older brother and teammate, when they showed me the video.

Apparently the poor guy lost a bet and that was his sanction. Boys being boys recorded the video and the rest was history. Ugh, naalala ko nanaman tuloy. Well, that taught me to mind my own business though.

Nagkukwentuhan sila tungkol sa NBA, and I'm not really a fan of that game so I just continued enjoying my pancit. I'm not really bothered nor do I feel out of place, siguro nasanay na din ako sa kanila.

Ping!

From: May Luna

Atembang! Asan ka? May chika ako teh! Nakakawindang.

"Magchichismisan nanaman kayo." singit ni Andrei, sinamaan ko siya ng tingin.

"Why are you reading my text message? Ang chismoso mo ah!" I told him but he just ignored me. Akala ko ba busy siya sa basketball talk nila? How'd he? Ernestine, stop overthinking.

"Tsss." Inirapan ko na lang siya saka tinawagan si May.

After 2 rings, she picked up.

"Hi! Hindi ka maniniwala!"

"Nasan ka na ba?"

"Andito na ko naglalakad na ako."

"Okay, dito ka na magkwento."

"Anjan ba si Andrei?"

"Oo, sinamahan nila ako eh."

"Tss!"

"Clingy naman, selos ka?"

"Tss ulit. Well, dahil kasama mo siya dito ko na sasabihin sa phone."

"Ha? Bakit? Ano ba yang chismis na yan?"

"Teh. Wag kang mabibigla ah."

"Just say it."

"Ay may canadian accent na. Okay sige, so may nagsabi kasi sakin..."

"Na? Don't be such a cliffhanger!"

"May girlfriend na si Andrei."

"I know."

2 weeks ago.

"I heard you used to play volleyball. Bakit ka tumigil?" asks Andrei, we're walking our way out of the campus. Sasabay daw siya sakin sumakay ng LRT. I don't really know kung saan siya pumupunta every time nagsasabay kami, when I asked him lagi niyang isasagot na may pupuntahan siya.

"Wala lang. I suddenly lost my passion for playing competitively eh. Ilang taon din akong naglaro kaya gusto ko mag-enjoy muna. I know being a student - athlete is not easy, you have to sacrifice so many things kaya tama na muna ako sa ganito." I answered him wholeheartedly.

"Nakakaamaze how people are able to wake up one day in love or sometimes fell out of love." Andrei said randomly. Tinitigan ko siya to check kung seryoso ba siya or my punch line but he seems, serious.

"Wow ah. May hugot ka ba?" biro ko.

"Wala naman. Ikaw di ka ba na-aamaze? Para bang bigla na lang narerealize na, ayaw ko na or gusto ko na." tanong niya sakin.

"We all come to a point na, tama ka, isang araw magigising ka and sasabihin mo sa sarili mo ayaw, gusto mo na gawin ang isang bagay. I guess that's why we're human and it's our nature to adapt to changes."

"So kapag one morning nagising ako at narealize ko na mahal na kita okay lang kasi tao lang ako?" argue niya. Napatigil ako sa paglalakad, I was staring at our shoes while we're walking and I could see his moving few steps ahead from mine.

"Wha-" "Hey, I'm just saying ah. Example lang, masyado ka namang seryoso." he cut me off. Nakahinga ako ng maluwag when he said that because I just escaped a very awkward situation but what came next made my situation worst.

Naramdaman mo na ba... when reality punched you square in the face? One moment, akala mo lumilipad ka and then malalaman mo hindi. Hindi pala.

I was not flying, I'm falling... sobrang bilis na paghulog and the person you wanted to be there to catch you already caught someone.

Yes, he already have someone and it hurts because..... I think I like him.