Captured by Love

13

"Eh Ate-" "No Ting, ipapakilala mo sakin yang Andrei na yan. Ang lagay sinuswerte siya dahil wala kami jan? Hindi no. We need to see him." So ayun na nga. Bakit ba kasi nauso sa mga Ate ko ang twitter.

When my phone started ringing and saw Ate Eight calling me on facetime nagpanic na ako, pakiramdam ko kasi may alam na to or guilty lang ako masyado?

"Relax ka lang Tin, hindi mo kasi sila tinatawagan recently yun lang yun." I composed myself then answered her call request.

"Hello po Ate Eight! Uy, Ate Aiks! I miss you all po." I greeted them with the sweetest smile.

"Wow Ting! You looked so delighted to talk to us when you haven't even tried calling." Ate Eight started nagging.

Dinagdagan pa ni Ate Aika, "Yeah, it's been 2 weeks Ernestine Grace! Your cousins' missed you." Double kill!

"Aww, I missed them too. Where my babies at?" I asked trying to conceal my uneasiness. This is exactly why I am not calling them, for sure mahahalata nila that something's up.

"Later na, may itatanong kami sayo eh." seryosong sabi ni Ate Eight. Nakaeyeliner on fleek pa naman siya today, mukhang ready to grill me.

"Sino si Andrei?" diretsong tanong ni Ate Aika, parang namutla ako. I know my sibs, sobrang OA nila minsan lalo na nung nangyari sa Canada with Gian and Maria mas naging protective sila sakin kaya kinakabahan ako kapag nalaman nilang I'm in love with a guy and we are acting like boyfriend/girlfriend when he actually has a girlfriend, or none? Shit, if you put it like that parang kabit ako.

Crap. Kabit ako?

Lost in my thoughts I was awakened when Ate Eight asked this time, "I saw a very interesting photo in twitter. Kung di ko pa naisipan magtwitter I wouldn't know na may boyfriend ka na ulit? When are you telling us? Alam ba nila Mama? Kilala na ba nila?"

"When did you two start dating?-" sali pa ni Ate Aika as if Ate Eight is not doing an ace job interrogating.

"Friend ko lang si Andrei." I said firmly, the wifi connection may be poor but I know and I could picture my Ates not convinced expressions right at this moment. Napakagat ako ng labi.

"Wag kami, Ernestine Grace." says my Ate Eight. I heaved, might as well di ba? I told myself.

"We don't want to overstep our being your Ate, matanda ka na but what we're not liking is that you never even said a word to us."

"Baka nakakalimutan mong hindi mo lang kami Ate, Ernestine.-" "I know you are my stage ates/bestfriends. I'm sorry." I continued, alam ko naman na yun ang ipopoint out nila.

"Wow, I'm amazed you still remember." Ate Eight commented making sure her sarcasm reached Manila.

"Sorry na po Ates. Andrei is really like a super close friend, I'm not saying anything because there's really nothing to say. We're not dating or anything." I explained.

Before you judge me. Technically, I'm not lying. We're certainly not dating.

"You like the guy, you should've told us." says Ate Aika in a calm tone now.

"Yeah. That's why we're disappointed, imagine my shock when I saw those so called shippers in twitter keeping tabs of you and that guy's where and what-abouts. Tapos kaming mga ate walang kaalam-alam?" Ate Eight sounded really hurt, I felt guilty.

"Aww, I'm sorry Ates. I love you all po." yumuko ako pagtapos humingi ng tawad.

Narinig ko namang nagpakawala ng buntong hininga si Ate Aika, at kita kong ngumiti siya harap ng cellphone at tinapik sa balikat si Ate Eight. They stared at each other for few seconds and I finally saw Ate Eight's okay-am-raising-my-white-flag face.