Begin Again - A KaRa (Mika Reyes & Ara Galang) Fanfiction

Eleven

I went out of Ara's office and saw Hannah already waiting for me. May kasama siyang isang guy that looked like he was in his early 20s. Mukha pa rin akong mas matanda, though. Kasing-height niya si Hannah, which I'm guessing they're both 5"4, maputi, and may round na glasses. Actually, kamukha niya si Harry Potter. HAHAHA.

"Hi Ate! This is Ethan. Ethan, Ate Mika." Ethan nodded at me as he looked back at Hannah.

"Hi Ethan," I said with a smile. As a reply, Ethan flashed a smile. Then, he looked down. Hmm, I'm guessing Ethan is a very shy person. How nice of Hannah para i-befriend siya.

Sabay-sabay kaming pumasok ng elevator when Hannah started speaking.

"Ethan works sa operations. Fresh grad from Ateneo."

"Well, magkaaway pala dapat kami," I joked.

Hannah and Ethan laughed. "I always believed that the rivalry between us was nonsense po," Ethan said without looking at me. "Dami po kasi issue ng mga tao."

"Totoo," I agreed.

The elevator opened but I noticed na wala pa kami sa ground floor. A person from a floor lower than us needed to ride the elevator.

"Jerome!" I said out of surprise.

"Uy, hi Mika!" He replied.

"I thought mamaya pa lunch break niyo?"

"Mabait boss ko today eh. Good mood." He turned to see Hannah and Ethan.

"Ay, Jerome, this is Hannah. Friend ko sa floor namin," I introduced. "And this is--"

"Ethan?" Jerome cut me off.

"Ah, you know each other pala?" I asked in confusion.

"Yes, he works sa floor namin," Jerome explained.

"Ah so nag-w'work din po kayo sa operations?" Hannah asked.

"Yup!" Jerome answered with a smile.

Just then, bumukas na 'yung elevator and we were off to the cafeteria. Nauna 'yung boys sa paglalakad so I had the chance to talk to Hannah alone. It turns out, Ethan was 22 years old and the reason Hannah didn't call him 'Kuya Ethan' is because ayaw ni Ethan. They've known each other ever since Ethan worked here, which was 2 months ago.

Of course, Hannah asked me about Jerome as well. I told her the truth. Friends kami, and, nililigawan niya ako. Todo kilig naman si Hannah. HAHAHAHA.

Nang makarating na kami sa pila, I saw that the boys stopped walking and waited for us. Pinauna pa nila kami sa pila. Aw, mga gentlemen namern! HAHA.

Nang kumukuha na kami ng food, Hannah leaned in and checked Ethan and Jerome kung maririnig ba nila 'yung sasabihin niya.

"I like him," Hannah whispered. '"Si Ethan 'yung reason kung bakit ako nag-ask ng advice from you kanina. It turns out, gusto ko nga talaga siya."

"Sino?" Biglang tanong ni Ethan. Nagulat naman kaming dalawa. "Sino gusto mo?"

"Si... Paulo Avelino!" Paglusot ni Hannah. "I really like him, feeling ko nga mahal ko na e."

"Jologs mo!" Ethan remarked. I had to cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing.

"E ikaw, sino gusto mo?" I felt someone's breath on my ear. It was Jerome.

"Si Daniel Padilla, bakit?" I said with an eyebrow raised.

"Isa ka pang jologs e!" Napa-facepalm si Jerome at natawa na talaga ako.

Umupo na kami sa table na nahanap ni Hannah and we started eating. Tahimik lang kami habang kumakain, medyo gutom eh. Nangalahati na yung kinakain ko when Ethan started speaking. Actually, si Hannah lang kausap niya pero naririnig ko pa rin kahit ang hina ng boses niya.

"Nana, do you want water? Kukuha kasi ako." Nana? Bulol ba 'to?

"Yes, please. Get mo na rin sila Ate Mika and Kuya Jerome." Hannah answered.

I saw from my peripheral vision that Ethan nodded.

"Ethan, samahan na kita. Apat 'yun, dalawa lang kamay mo," Jerome chuckled. Naririnig din pala niya.

As soon as the boys were gone, I faced Hannah.

"Bakit Nana tawag niya sa'yo? Bulol ba siya?"

Napatawa naman si Hannah. "Hindi ah, nickname niya 'yun sakin."

"Nickname?" I asked with confusion. "Ang weird naman na nickname 'yun."

Again, napatawa si Hannah. Masiyahin talaga 'tong batang 'to. "Nung we first met kasi, which is, here in the canteen, mag-isa lang siya nun. Nandun siya sa pinakadulong table na 'yun," She pointed on the table on the far corner of the canteen. "Ang lonely niya nun kaya I decided to introduce myself to him. Sabi ko, 'Hi, I'm Hannah.' Eh, ang ingay sa canteen nun, well palagi namang maingay pero extra maingay nung day na 'yun, tas naka-look down pa siya na parang hindi nag-f'focus, napaka-shy kasi e! Di niya narinig nang maayos 'yung sinabi ko. Kaya sabi niya, 'Ano? Nana?'"

Hannah and I broke in to a laugh. Ang cute naman ng first meeting nilang dalawa. "Pero alam mo, alam ko na kung bakit ka na-fall dyan kay Ethan. Ang caring naman pala e!" I commented.

Hannah giggled. "Well yes, but that's not the only reason. Naiintindihan niya rin kasi ako."

Just then, I saw Jerome and Ethan back with four glasses of water. I wanted to ask Hannah kung paano niya nasabing naiintindihan siya ni Ethan, but seeing that he's back, tatanungin ko na lang siya pag nagkasabay ulit kami nang wala si Ethan.

Later on we finished eating at pumunta na kami sa kanya-kanya naming floors. The elevator opened for Hannah and I at dumiretso na ako sa office ni Ara. Papasok na sana ako when I heard a lot of yelling. May ibang tao sa loob ng office ni Ara, and from what just I heard, it looks like they're arguing.

Hindi masyadong malinaw 'yung mga narinig ko but I caught a few words.

"This is stupid!" I heard an outraged female voice. That's definitely not Ara, it's coming from a much older woman, but her voice is too familiar... where have I heard that voice before?

"Victonara, please... stop this." There was a male's voice, too, and it's another familiar voice that I just can't seem to identify.

"... I know what I'm doing... umalis na kayo." I'm positive that was Ara.

"Hindi ka na natuto!" The female voice said again.

Aalis na sana ako 'cause I felt like I was interrupting something, but suddenly, the door opened. I realized who the male and female voices were.

"Tito! Tita!" I said in a mixture of excited and surprised tone. I shouldn't be surprised to be seeing them here, they're Ara's parents after all, but what I'm surprised at is their angry and somehow disgusted faces looking at me, particularly from Tita Betchay.

Tita Betchay didn't say anything at tuloy-tuloy nang naglakad papunta ng elevator.

"Mika. Nice seeing you again," Tito 'greeted' me and tried to smile at me, but it was so obvious that he was just forcing it. Sinundan na niya si Tita, and I saw that they talked to Hannah bago sila sumakay ng elevator.

'Di ko alam kung bad mood lang sila or talagang galit sila sa'kin. But, what could I possibly do na ikagagalit nila? Anong connection ko sa kanila beside being my ex-best friend's parents?

I entered the office and I saw Ara nang nakatulala. I couldn't make out her expression but I was sure she had tears in her eyes.

"Ara?" I asked in concern.

Nang nakita niya ako, she immediately wiped her tears and sat up properly. "Get to work. Marami pa tayong dapat gawin," She said.