Almost, But Not Quite (COMPLETED)

Chapter 12

Pagdating ko sa mall, ang daming tao kasi Saturday. I really needed to go home immediately because I knew that Jax meant well naman. Hindi naman kasi mahigpit parents namin, so the least we could do was to study well.

Agad akong dumiretso sa bilihan ng sapatos.

"Ang mahal naman..." agad na nasabi ko nung makita ko 'yung prices. Ang hassle pala maging basketball player... and ang laki pala ng budget ni Psalm sa shoes kasi palaging iba-iba shoes na ginagamit niya kapag nagbabasketball siya, e.

Tsk.

Headband na lang kaya ibigay ko?

"Hi, Ma'am!" sabi sa akin nung lalaking attendant ng store na lumapit. I was about to ask him for recommendation sa kung ano ang magandang ibigay sa basketball player, nung biglang may kumalabit sa akin.

Upon turning around, my forehead creased even more nung makita ko iyong babaeng lately, laging laman ng newsfeed ko.

"Hi, Ate!" she said, smiling at me.

I smiled back, because I wasn't rude. "Uhm... hi?"

She was still smiling. Mas matangkad ako sa kanya ng kaunti, pero sobrang cute niya. "Sorry if ang creepy ko," she said. I just awkwardly smiled. "You're a friend of Psalm's, right?"

"Uh... yes," nag-aalangan kong sagot. Why was she talking to me? I mean, sure, I did know her dahil laging binabanggit nila Matt sa akin, but we were never properly introduced. Pero siguro nga kilala niya ako dahil kung totoo ngang crush niya si Psalm, of course she'd know his friends.

"Ayoko sanang lapitan ka, Ate, pero I need help," she said. She was still smiling, so it was hard to ignore her. Mukha naman siyang mabait... mukhang bata pa nga lang. Ganto ba type ni Psalm?

"Sure," sabi ko na lang.

"Since Psalm's birthday is near, I was thinking lang of what to give him... but wala akong maisip since... hindi ko naman alam what he really wants."

Ditto, girl.

"Do you have any recommendation? Like sa shoes, what kind?"

Muntik na mapaawang ang bibig ko. I mean, sure, crush niya si Psalm, but was she serious na reregaluhan niya ng shoes? Ang mahal kaya! The first one I touched in this store cost almost eight thousand! Grabe naman magka-crush 'tong isang 'to!

"Sorry, hindi ko rin alam, e," I replied.

She sighed, then smiled again. "Thanks anyway, Ate," she said. She waved, before walking the opposite direction. "Blackmail ko na lang ulit si GDL..." I heard her saying.

I didn't know what was wrong with me because I just watched her walk away. Natigil lang iyong ginagawa ko nung marinig kong tinatawag ako nung attendant.

"Hi again, Ma'am!" the guy said. "Anything I can help you with?"

I looked at the shoes... and then shook my head. "No, thanks," I said before getting out of the store. Bakit ba ako mag-e-effort magbigay ng mahal na sapatos? May Kath naman na magbibigay.

* * *

As it turned out, sobrang late na ako nakauwi nung Saturday since nagdecide ako na manood ng sine mag-isa... so pag-uwi ko, parang tanga si Jax na nakaabang sa akin. Buong Sunday tuloy, nasa bahay lang talaga ako at sabay kaming nag-aaral.

Came Monday, busy kaming lahat sa exams. Ni hindi nga kami nakapag-usap ng friends ko dahil lahat kami tensed sa exam. Syempre, hindi kami makaka-graduate kapag may binagsak pa kami. Gusto ko na kayang makalayas sa school! I was thinking kung papayag si Mama na magbackpacking through Europe ako pagka-graduate ko.