Chess Pieces #2: Hunter Sanford

Chapter 5

The worst thing about breaking up is not about the break up itself. It's about every morning when you wake up, realizing that you will not receive good morning messages from him anymore. It's about the moment when you sit down alone, remembering all the good and bad memories you did together, trying to convince yourself that it's all over now. That all of that will remain as memories.

And it's about the moment when you burst into tears, telling to yourself that you should be strong even if your heart aches so much.

It was so hard the first week since Joshua and I broke up. Parang nagsimula ulit ako sa dati. We've been together for five years. Five years of doing things together with him. At ngayong naghiwalay na kami, ang hirap magsimula nang panibago.

I had to stop myself from contacting him. To ask if he had already eaten. To ask what he's doing by this time. To ask things just like before. And to ask if he's okay now that we've broken up.

Kasi ako, hindi ako okay.

Nagkulong ako sa kwarto ko. Halos hindi na nga lumabas. Apollo brings food outside my room. Kakatok sya kapag nandoon na ang pagkain sa labas. Wala akong ganang kumain. But then I realized, that things wouldn't change even if I starve myself to death.

Hindi mababago ang nakaraan kahit na umiyak pa ako nang umiyak. Hindi mababago ang ginawa ni Joshua kahit pa magmukmok ako sa loob ng kwarto ko.

I took a break from work dahil hindi ko kayang magpalipad ng eroplano kung ganitong kasakit ang nararamdaman ko. Baka kapag bumalik sa alaala ko ang mga ginawa namin ni Joshua habang nagpapalipad ako ng eroplano ay mawala ako sa kontrol. So it's better to take a break for awhile. Apollo approved it kahit na wala akong sinabi kung kailan ako babalik. Perks of being a twin sister of the owner of GE Airlines.

Nagpunta si Joshua isang araw sa mansyon namin. He begged me to give him another chance. He looked so different from the last time that we've met. Pumayat sya at humaba na rin ang facial hair nya. Mukhang hindi na nya inaalagaan ang sarili nya.

And just then, a part of me wanted to take care of him. Pero dumating sina Kuya Helios at Apollo. Pinagtulungan nila si Joshua. And I was so scared for him that time especially when Kuya Helios took out his gun. I still love Joshua. Hindi naman agad agad nawawala ang pagmamahal. Kaya kapag may nangyaring masama sa kanya ay hindi ko kakayanin.

"Get inside, Artemis!" galit na sabi sa akin nang kakambal ko nang umalis si Kuya Helios para puntahan si Zuri. Nandoon pa rin si Joshua sa may gate at nagmamakaawa sa akin. "I said, get inside!"

"Apollo, please. Don't hurt him." I begged my twin brother. I'm being stubborn again but I just don't want him to hurt Joshua.

"It's his fault! I've warned him not to let me see his ugly face pero nandito sya! And I will fucking kill him for hurting you!" itinutok nya ang baril kay Joshua at mabilis akong lumapit sa kakambal ko. Niyakap ko ang braso nya at pilit iyong ibinababa.

"No, no, please, Apollo. Just let him go!"

"He hurts a Gallagher, Artemis. He hurts you! At hinding hindi ko mapapalagpas ang ginawa nya!"

I firmly shook my head while crying so hard. I may look pathetic right now pero kapag hindi ko pinigilan ang kakambal ko, alam kong gagawin nya ang sinasabi nya.

"Don't." I begged.

"Apollo."

We both stopped to look at the owner of the deep and calm voice who called my twin brother. I saw Kuya Helios' bestfriend, standing in front of us. Nakatutok na sa dibdib nya ang baril ni Apollo pero hindi ko man lang nakitaan ng anumang emosyon ang mukha nya.