How to Break a Heart (To be published by LIB)

Twenty-Two

Bigla akong tinamaan ng kaba ng makatalikod ako at lumakad papalapit kay Frannie. Frannie was smiling really big at nakatapat pa ang phone niya sa amin. Ibinaba niya lang ito ng nakalapit ako at matapos ay tumawa siya.

“You are a one banging actress!” namula naman ako.

“Let’s just go.” I pulled her by the arm. Tumatawa pa rin si Frannie nang hatakin ko and as soon as we got out of the mall and out of the people’s stares, napangiti na rin ako sa sarili ko.

That’s what I kept on thinking that I should have done. That’s what my brain wants me to do that day pero hindi ko iyon ginawa. I just left and did nothing. I just stared at them kissing–stared at Arron as he looked back at me while kissing that girl. At pagkatapos ay tumalikod para hindi na makita ang public display of affection ni Arron at ang flavor of the week–possibly, day, niya.

“What’s up, ki’en.” halos tumayo lahat ng alarm bell sa katawan ko nang umalingasaw sa tenga ko ang boses na iyon. It’s like every living cell in my body got frozen and stopped functioning.

I raised my head and gave myself a view of a smirking Arron. The normal Arron that I’ve always known him to be. Hindi yung Arron na sinabihan akong iwanan si Dominic. Hindi rin yung Arron na sumigaw sa akin para sabihin na nag-aalala siya. Hindi yung Arron na bigla na lang akong niyakap. The same heartbreaker, play boy, him, Arron Gene Valencia.

Kakalabas ko lang ng room at mukha niya agad ang bumungad sa akin. I didn’t even expect to see him here dahil hindi ko naman siya blockmate ngayong araw and I don’t know kung may pasok siya ngayon o wala.

A part of me shouted that I should ignore him and at the moment, I thought it was the best option since I’m not sure kung may dapat ba akong sabihin sa kanya. Wala naman akong naalala kaya pinili ko na lang na hindi siya pansinin at nagpatuloy na lang sa paglalakad.

“Allie.” Arron called and I sighed but still didn’t heed any attention to him.

“Ming-ming.” still walking and ignoring.

“Puss–”

“What?” I quietly hissed at him and that made Arron chuckle.

“Hindi mo man lang ba ako na-miss?” he smirked.

“No.” I blankly answered.

“Talaga? Kahit kaunti, hindi mo ako na-miss?” the asshole was trying to either flirt–or annoy the hell out of me. I hate knowing that it’s both. I gave him a disgusted look, for his benefit–not mine.