My Other Half

12

I'm sitting down on a white sand. Infront of me is a breath taking view of sunset at the beach. I felt sand hitting my legs. There's someone stood next to me and I looked up. Ngumiti siya sa akin.

The sunset made his black hair look dark brown. But his eyes, are as green as ever.

He sat next to me with a headphone and put one part to my right ear and the other one to his left. A sweet melody entered my ears. I smiled.

"Lyra! Sino 'yong lalake sa baba?"

Nagising ako sa sigaw ni mama. She was too loud and it's still quite dark. Akala ko late na silang makakuwi ngayon. I thought I'd be gone when they come back.

Bumangon ako ng kama. "Si Dale, ma." I said while rubbing my eyes.

"Bakit siya nandito?"

"Ano po ba ang pakealam niyo kung nandito siya? You don't care about anyone but your boyfriend."

May narinig kaming nabasag galing sa baba at isang malakas na mura. Parehas kaming nagulat ni mama at agad din kaming bumaba para malaman kung ano ang nangyayari. Pagdating namin sa sala, nakita kong nakaupo si William sa sahig at katabi niya ay isang basag na vase.

Lalapitan na sana siya ni Dale but I went to Dale and stopped him before he does whatever he was planning. Heck? Plano niya bang patayin si William? May dugo na ito sa gilid ng labi niya at may mga bagong pasa sa mukha.

"Dale stop!" I shouted.

Lumapit naman si mama sa boyfriend niya para tulungan itong tumayo.

"Lyra! How dare your guest make a scene here!" Matalim na tiningnan ni mama si Dale.

Hawak ko parin si Dale while he's glaring at William. "That fucking asshole." He murmured.

"Make him leave Lyra!" My mum shouted again.

I smiled at her. "That's what we were planning in the first place."

"What do you mean?" She asked. Her face formed into a frown as if she has a slight idea of what I meant but needed confirmation because she couldn't believe it.

"I'm leaving with him back to Exeter." Hinila ko si Dale palabas ng sala.

"You're not leaving with him." She ordered.

Ang akala ko ba she wanted me away from her? Bakit siya nakekealama kung anong gusto kong gawin? She never really cared since that day. Why now?

"I have no reason to stay here." I said at umakyat na ako sa kwarto. Kasama ko parin si Dale. "I'm going to get change turn around."

"I can wait outside." He said with a light tint of pink. I know Dale used to be a playboy and had slept with other girls before kaya nagulat ako na parang nahihiya siya. I guess 'cause I'm his friend and I am not one of his flings before. That made me wonder.

Why does Dale not do the FOTW anymore?

"No. Baka mamaya ano na naman ang gawin mo kay William."

"Ly, don't worry. I've already done what I wanted to that asshole." Tinignan niya ako at hinawakan niya ang doorknob.

"Dale, promise me."

"I promise." He smiled at tuluyan ng lumabas.

Dali dali naman akong nagbihis at nagligpit ng gamit. Paglabas ko nag aantay si Dale habang may tinitext sa phone niya. Nang nakita niya ang bag ko, ay kinuha niya ito.

Dumiretso na ako sa CR para makapag toothbrush. Gosh, hindi rin pala nakapag toothbrush si Dale. Binuksan ko ang cabinet para tingnan kung may spare toothbrush dito. And luckily, there's a new one. While I'm brushing my teeth, binuksan ko ang pintuan ng CR at inabot ito kay Dale. He stared at it for a second pero kinuha niya naman agad ito. He went inside the toilet at nilagyan niya ng toothpaste ang toothbrush niya. This is awkward. We were just quietly brushing our teeth.

Pagkatapos ng awkward brushing teeth moment namin, bumaba kami ng hagdan at nakita ko si mama na ginagamot ang sugat ni William. How sweet. Not.

Tumingala siya sa amin ni Dale. "Lyra, hindi pa tapos ang holiday niyo. Stay here." She looked at me as if she's begging. But of course it's not. She won't beg. And even if she does, I won't stay in house with that asshole as Dale called him. Unless paalisin niya yan dito which is malabo.

"Text ko nalang po kayo pagdating ko ng Exeter. Bye po." I told her and left the house with Dale trailing behind me.

Pinagbuksan niya ako ng pinto ng kotse at inilagay niya ang bag ko sa backseat. When he got in, pina andar niya ang heater ng sasakyan. Buti nalang most of the snow melted.

"Are you sure you're leaving?" Nag aalala niyang tanong sa akin.

"Yes Dale. Unless you want me to stay with that guy here."

"No. Hell no." He said and turned the engine on and drove.

Habang nag dadrive siya, iniisip ko kung saan ako tutuloy. Close kasi ang dorm namin kapag bakasyon. Nahihiya naman akong mag tanong kay Dale.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He looked at me sideways while biting his lower lip.

"I don't know where to stay. The dorms will be close throughout the holiday."

"You can stay in dad's apartment. Cole left there already. We could ask mum when we get home." Pagkatapos niya itong sabihin, ay agad namang tumunog ang cellphone niya. Nakita kong si Cole ang tumatawag. Dale sweared quietly. "Ly, can you pass me the headphones?" Tumingin siya sa dashboard. Binuksan ko ito at kinuha, pwede naman niyang i-loud speaker nalang?

"Yes?" He answered.

Tahimik lang ako habang nakaupo sa passenger seat.

"Cole, calm the fuck down. I'm driving back to Exeter now. I'll be there before they get home."

Napatingin ako sa kanya when he said this. Puno ng inis ang mukha niya. Sino yung there that he's referring to? Sina tita ba? Hindi ba siya nagpaalam na pupunta siya ng Plymouth?

"No worries. Bye." Tinanggal niya ang headphone sa tenga niya.

"Dale, your parents don't know that you went to my house last night?"

Napatingin siya sa akin dahil sa sinabi ko. I could see that he was slightly worried. He hesitated for a bit before he opened his mouth. "No." He said.

"Why didn't you tell them? What if something happened to you tapos hindi nila alam? God Dale! They probably won't let you come here! Especially last night when it was supposed to snow!"

"Exactly! That's why I didn't tell them! Fuck I'm nineteen, I can do whatever I want. Everyone is just restricting me on everything and it's getting really fucking annoying."

Nakatingin siya sa daan ang he hit the steering wheel due to irritation.

"Parents mo sila! May karapatan silang malaman kung saan ka pumunta."

"Ly, let's drop this."

"No."

"Damn it, Ly. They won't know if we get home before them."

Tumahimik ako. What if his parents blame me dahil pumunta siya sa bahay kagabi?

"I'll take full responsibity of my actions. It was my decision to go to you. I wanted to because I know you needed someone with you last night. For pete's sake it was your birthday and you weren't supposed to feel any shits."