Endless You

Chapter 8

First time.
   
August 27, 20##
  
 
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" I raised my head up to look at auntie.

"It's not as big as your old room but, would you mind?" She asked again.

I smiled at her and nodded. But I didn't answer anything to her.

She slowly sat beside me and hugged me tightly. Placing my head on her chest, I didn't expect for tears to come out from my eyes.

I was tired after all.

"Sleep first. I know na pagod ka na." She told me before kissing the top of my head.

Auntie Selena didn't have a daughter, maybe that's why she decided to help me in. She's mom's sister after all.

Once she went out of my room, I laid on the bed and closed my eyes.

And for the first time,

Tears didn't fell.

***

"W-Why?" I asked Brett when he looked at me. More like, stared.

"Just kidding!" Then he laughed, again.

Pinigilan ko iyong sarili ko para batukan siya dahil nandito lang si Kayden. I also prevented myself from walking out of this store pero nakalimutan kong nasa bag ko pala ang walet ko. Wag niyo akong sisihin na nasa bag ko yon dahil hindi siya kasya sa bulsa ng palda ko.

"Parati siya bumubuntot kay Kayden." He added while looking at them. I, on the other hand, looked outside the window. Naaalala ko kasi yung pagtitig ko sa kanya.

"Ganon ba?" Sagot ko. Hindi ko talaga alam kung ano yung nangyari sakin pero, why did my voice sounded like a little girl asking to buy what she wants from a toy store?

"Kayden!" Biglang sigaw ni Brett. Bigla kong pinatong iyong dalawang kamay ko sa kanyang kamay na may nanlalaking mata.

He looked at me and down my two hands holding his. Bigla siyang tumingin kay Kayden na parang umiiwas ng tingin. What the heck?

I saw that Kayden looked at me when Brett called him. Tinanggal ko naman agad ang pagkakapatong ng kamay ko sa lalaking yon.

"What do you need?" Nung paglapit ni Kayden, umupo siya sa upuan at tinanong si Brett.

Inayos ko ang aking pagkakaupo at nilagay ang mga kamay ko sa hita. I searched for the Jayla girl na parati daw bumubuntot kay Kayden. She was buying two chocolate milk drinks.

"Aalis na kasi ako eh. Just accompany her." Brett patted Kayden's shoulder as he got up and left.

"Wala bang goodmorning dyan?" Bigla kong sabi dahil iyon ang palagi kong tanong sa kanya.

"Why do you always have to ask that?" Masungit niyang tanong.

"Ang sungit." I crossed my arms and stared outside the window, for the nth time. Nang may nakita akong nagtitinda ng taho. It was actually my favourite breakfast that mom would bring me when they brought me to China.

I didn't know what came into my mind but, I suddenly stood up and held Kayden's hand before going out the store. Tumawid kami para makapunta sa kabilang side kung saan may taho doon.

Nang makatawid kami, tumingin ako kay Kayden, na sana hindi ko na ginawa. He was also staring at me habang may pawis siya sa leeg ng onti.

"K-Kuma-kain ka ba ng taho?" Tanong ko sa kanya.

"What?" Lihim ako napangiti at bumili kay manong.

"Kuya, dalawa pong ten pesos." He nodded and started to scoop out the white one and poured the melted sugar tsaka sago.

Nang nabigay niya na ang dalawang taho namin, nagpasalamat ako at binigay kay Kayden iyong isa. Tinitigan niya lang ako habang hawak-hawak ang maliit na cup ng taho.

"Masarap yan." Sabi ko at nagsimulang kumain non.

He stared at me for a while and started to eat a whole spoon of it. "Masarap diba?"

He nodded at me and started eating it. We were actually standing while cars and busses were passing in front of us. Alam kong mukha kaming tanga na hindi naguusap sa isa't-isa pero, I think I didn't felt wrong.

Nung naalala kong nahawakan ko iyong kamay niya, kinilig ako ng palihim. Ibig sabihin non sa isip ko lang.

But I never expected for Kayden to walk pass in front of me and ran for the old man who was selling taho.

Kahit mayaman siya, kahit alam kong marami sila naipundar, he seemed like a normal guy in front of me.

I know na impossibleng maging kami. I'm not hoping for that. Pero kahit konti umaasa ako na baka..

Baka pag hinabol ko siya, he would start to like me too. Hindi ko talaga alam kung paano pumasok sa isip ko ang manghabol ng lalaki when it was supposed to be the other way around. Siguro kung gusto mo talaga ang isang tao, you'll come hell or high water just to let that one be yours or maybe let it aside because you were the only one who felt that.

As I stared at Kayden na kinakausap si Manong, biglang tumibok na mabilis itong puso ko. It was like everything went slow motion. I didn't know how did he let me drag him out of the store to buy something. But really, I felt my heart beating fast when he suddenly smiled while talking with the old man.

Bigla akong napangiti. Napakabait niya talaga.

I felt my pocket vibrating, and I actually brought my phone with me.

I took my phone out of my pocket and saw that I received a text message from an unknown number.

+639*********

Satisfied? Buy me orange juice later.

Hindi na ako nagdalawang isip na isip na si Brett and nagtext sakin. How the hell did he know my number? Baka siguro nasa school na siya at humingi kay Denisse ng number ko. Si Denisse talaga, sana hindi niya binibigay kung kani-kanino iyong number ko.

Biglang may humawak sa kamay ko kaya sisigaw na sana ako pero tinakpan niya ang bibig ko. Oh God what's happening.

Tinago niya ako sa isang madilim na lugar hanggang sa pakawalan na niya ako. I looked at the one who dragged me here at nakita si Brett.

"You scared me!" Sinabi ko sa kanya at nagsimula siyang tumawa, na naman.

"Ten minutes before our class. Baka nakakalimutan mo?" I took a glance from my wrist watch. Tama nga siya.

"Were you happy right now?" He asked and went serious.

Bigla akong napangiti nang malawak at niyakap siya. It was actually my thing to hug someone because he did something nice to me for the very first time. Naramdaman kong parang nanigas siya sa pagkakatayo niya.

Brett what the hell?