In Love With The Game (COMPLETED)

Chapter 13

Pablo laughed. "Punched?" tanong niya. "Yago went batshit crazy... That's not the normal reaction of a friend."

What was he trying to say?! Bakit ba pumunta pa ako dito?! Sana pumasok na lang ako sa school kaysa kung anu-anong katangahan ang naririnig ko rito kay Pablo! Bakit nga rin ba ako nagpauto sa tao na 'to? Kasalanan ko rin kasi. Nakakita lang ako ng gwapo, bumigay agad!

Lesson learned na talaga 'to sa akin na 'wag magpapadala sa mga gwapo. Madalas sa kanila talaga ay gago. Si Pablo ang exhibit 1.

"Alam mo, ewan ko sa 'yo. I just came here as a courtesy para sabihin na this is not working. And walang something sa amin ni Yago," I calmly said, and then got out the small paper bag and handed it to him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Birthday gift," I said. "Pwede ring parting gift," I continued before I turned my back on him and marched out.

Ha! Sa akin pa ibabaling ang sisi! Ayaw na lang sabihin na 'di niya kayang magcommit! And as if naman may gusto sa akin si Yago!

* * *

Because the talk with Pablo ended earlier than expected (what was I expecting? As if naman pipigilan niya akong makipaghiwalay e obvious naman na wala siyang pakielam talaga sa akin... Sabi nga sa movie, he's just not that into you...) And my prof said na he'd run late.

"Wala pa si Sir?" hinihingal na tanong ko kay Yago nang makita ko siya na nakatayo lang sa hallway.

Naka-kunot ang noo niya habang naka-tingin sa akin. "What happened to you?" he asked, handing me his handerchief. Siya na lang talaga ang tao na kilala ko na may dalang panyo lagi.

Yago's just... I couldn't describe. You just know that he was raised in a good family. He's so well-mannered (minus his kalandian and the punching incident with Pablo).

"Tumakbo ako."

"I thought you're gonna skip class?"

"My stuff ended earlier than expected," I answered instead. I looked at him, wondering if I should tell him na kay Pablo ako pumunta... but I was scared, too, na baka masabi ko rin iyong sa sinabing kalokohan ni Pablo about my 'relationship' with Yago. Hindi pa naman ako magaling magsinungaling! Nagpa-practice pa lang ako ng poker face hindi kagaya ni Yago na expert na—pero goal ko talaga na ma-reach e iyong poker face ni Jax.

"You're not gonna ask saan ako pumunta?" tanong ko sa kanya. Usually, he's always so curious kung saan ako pumupunta.

He shook his head. "Nah. It's your business," sabi niya tapos nagvibrate iyong phone niya. Mabilis akong napa-tingin doon. Tumaas iyong kilay ko nang makita ko iyong name na Lily sa phone niya. Iyon iyong nasa recent niya.

Atty. Santillan

Lily

Rory

I didn't know why I felt bad na nasa third spot ako?! Si Yago nga nasa third spot din naman, tapos Yaghoe pa nga iyong pangalan niya sa phone ko!

"Sana 'di ka na pumasok. 'Di na raw aabot sa class si Atty.," Yago said as he was taking a screenshot of the text and sending it to the groupchat. Parang tanga. 'Di na lang pumasok para sabihin sa class na wala si Atty.

"Sino si Lily?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.

He looked at me, his forehead creased. "Why?"

"Girlfriend mo?"

"Why are you so curious if I'm dating someone?"

I shrugged. Bakit nga ba ako curious? Siguro dahil bigla lang akong naguluhan dahil sa mga kalokohan na sinasabi ni Pablo. Wala namang gusto sa akin si Yago. He's just generally nice. I didn't want to assume that he likes me just because he's nice to me... kasi if ganoon nga, e 'di may gusto rin si Yago kay Cha? Kasi mabait din naman siya doon?

And if he likes me, I was pretty sure that he'd tell me. Makapal mukha nun, e. Nagagawa nga niyang bolahin iyong prof namin na sobrang sungit, e...

"Wala lang... Sino nga si Lily?"

"Friend from US," he said.

"Close kayo?"

"Kinda," he replied.

"Ano'ng pinag-usapan niyo?"

He arched his brow. "Why are you so curious?" he asked, but I merely shrugged my shoulders. "She's just asking if I'm coming home for the vacation."

"Bakit? Hindi ba Philippines ang home mo?" I asked. Bakit parang may mali sa sinabi nung Lily if uuwi ba si Yago?

Ano ba 'yan! Kung anu-ano kasi pinapasok ni Pablo sa isip ko! Ito ba ang ganti niya sa akin? Ginawa niya akong paranoid!

He laughed. "I'm a dual citizen, so technically, both US and Philippines," he said. I was gonna ask again, but Jax called him para itanong kung may idadagdag ba si Atty. sa coverage for next meeting. Ugh! Minsan, epal din talaga 'tong si Juan Alexandro!

Medyo matagal silang nag-usap kaya nang matapos sila, parang medyo epal na ako if ibabalik ko iyong usapan doon sa Lily. Tahimik lang tuloy ako hanggang sa makarating kami sa sasakyan ni Yago.

It was kinda weird since Yago was silent... He's usually so talkative kaya nga naiirita sa kanya si Cha. Simula nung gabi na sinabi niya sa akin na hahayaan niya akong magpaka-tanga, pansin ko na parang biglang may invisible line sa pagitan namin... na parang ayaw makielam ni Yago sa mga gusto kong gawin sa buhay.

He's being true to his words that he's just gonna support me kahit magpaka-tanga ako.

"Yago..." I said. Maybe I should tell him about Pablo. I didn't like this invisible line between us. Parang may mali.

"Yeah?" he replied, his hands on the steering wheel, his eyes on me.

"Kaya ako umalis kanina kasi—" I said, but then I was cut off when Yago's phone vibrated and we saw that there was a Facetime request from that Lily.

"I'll just answer this," Yago said. He wasn't asking for permission; he was merely telling me that he's gonna talk to Lily.

Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko. Gusto kong sumilip sa screen para tignan iyong itsura nung Lily, but at the same time, why would I? If this was someone special, bakit naman ako eepal? If she could make Yago happy, bakit ako eepal?

Yago deserved to be happy.

He's so nice to me. He deserved to be happy.

"Where are you going?" Yago asked when I opened the door. I just didn't want to sit here and listen to them talk about things I couldn't relate to. They're obviously close... lots of history between them. Akala ko close kami ni Yago... but they seemed much closer.

I was right to ignore Pablo's words.

Yago's just nice.

Ako lang din ang masasaktan kung maniniwala ako na may gusto sa akin si Yago. Mabait siya sa akin. Mabait siya kay Cha. Mabait siya doon sa Lily. Mabait siya sa lahat.

Ako lang ang mapapahamak kung mag-a-assume ako.

That's the thing with nice guys... you don't know where the niceness stops... you don't know where it stops and confusion begins.

I didn't want to confuse myself if he's just nice or if he likes me.

Kasi sa huli, ako lang din ang talo.

"Dean's Office. May tatanungin lang ako," I said before I quickly closed the door and walked as quickly as I could. I didn't even know where I'd go. All I knew was that listening to them talk and reminisce was suffocating me and I didn't like feeling like this one bit.