That One Lie

2nd Lie

If you show up late, they have no choice but to imprint you in their minds no matter how plain you are because their attention is all focused to you when you introduce yourself in front of the class. I admit that I don't stand out and definitely not a headturner. I don't need to be flashy anyway so I have three goals for a quiet high school life. Not to get bullied, not become an outcast and have not more than two friends.

"Girls listen, balak kong mag-confess na." I stopped reading and put down Mia's Chemistry book.

"Agad agad, Allie? Grabe ka two weeks palang natin syang kaklase gusto mo na?"

"You won't understand me, Mia. Sobrang gwapo kaya nya, matangkad at may pagka mysterious. Besides, may love at first sight nga eh. At least hindi to pure based on visuals lang. Ano sa tingin mo, Anya?"

"Hmm, his thick eyebrows are warning me that you'll regret doing so." Tawang tawa naman si Mia pero napasimangot si Allie.

"What's that got to do with me confessing? Tsaka hindi mo ba alam na isa yun sa appeal nya?"

"I'm afraid I have to ask you to stay away from mysterious creatures. Hindi mo alam kung anong iniisip nyan sayo, sige ka."

"Don't badmouth my baby, Anya! Hindi mo pa sya kilala dahil one week ka pa lang dito pero mabait sya." I almost cringed in front of her upon hearing the endearment. Buti na lang naiwas ko agad ang mukha ko. "Transferee nga din sya pero mas nauna namin syang nakilala kaysa sayo. If we're to take a side, syempre mas pipiliin namin sya, right Mia?" she nudged her but she looks uneasy when I glanced at her.

"Don't say that, Allie. She's just worried, diba Anya?" Mia looked at me apologetically.

It's only been two weeks since the first term started. Isang linggo pa lang kaming magkakaibigan or if one can already call that friendship. Hindi ko naman sya masisisi kung mas pipiliin nya yung crush nya kaysa sakin lalo na kung hindi ko naman sya sinusuportahan sa gusto nya. We always end up arguing due to difference in our opinion. Hindi ko nga maintindihan kung bakit kailangan nya pang alamin ang opinyon ko kung alam nya namang hindi pabor sa gusto nya. Good thing that Mia is always in neutral so I silently thank her for being nice.

Nagkibit balikat na lang ako. "Maybe you should just confess. At least you won't be left with a regretting 'what if'. Balitaan mo na lang ako kapag kayo na." I stood up and head to my seat at the back.

Pagkaupo ko, binalik ko ang tingin sa gawi nila Mia at Allie na nakaupo sa bandang harapan malapit sa bintana. Mia is tall and slim. She has long black hair with square framed glasses. Her eyes are really beautiful with thick lashes that's why I like staring at her behind her glasses.

Allie on the other side has a shoulder-length brown hair, fair-skinned but has light freckles across her cheeks and nose bridge. I think that makes her more attractive aside from her feminine look. Mia is pretty to me but maybe because she's always with the prettier Allie that's why she fades in the background. I think it's correct to say that both of us fades in the background when the three of us are together.

So far, na-achieve ko naman ang goal ko for my second year in high school. I don't stand out, I'm not bullied nor outcast and I have a normal school life with normal friends. Lagi akong may clear plan. As much as possible I want to avoid being caught off guard when something unexpected happen.

I don't think they're the best type of friends in the world but I don't think they're bad either. I actually prefer Mia over Allie. I was only left with no choice because they're already friends. Mabait si Mia habang si Allie naman may pagka-prangka. They are really quite the opposites. It wasn't because I feel inferior of Allie, ayoko lang ng hindi smooth sailing na friendship at tingin ko si Allie yun, as if anytime she can destroy my plans because of her mood swings. In the end, I decided to give it a go. Hindi naman laging argument lang ang kinapupuntahan ng usapan namin. May mga bagay din naman kaming pinagkakasunduan like her tastes in clothes or sometimes when she's generous to lend me her fiction books dahil wala syang hilig sa pagbabasa.