Meghan, My Chaos

Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Girls

Adrien Rives's POV

4:32 PM

"Don't talk to me." Inis na sabi ko kay Ross at tumawa siya sa akin. Nandito na siya ngayon sa harap, helping me in directions, and he sucks at it.

"Sorry na nga eh. Maganda nga yung medyo matagalan tayo, mas maeexcite ka." Sabi niya na natatawa at hindi ko nalang siya pinansin.

We just went 40 kilometers back kasi mali yung tinuro niyang direction sakin and we ended up in a fucking ferry terminal. Now it's already 4 at wala pa kami sa resort.

Not to mention na natagalan kami ng sobra sa mall dahil namilit siyang kumain sa isang samgyupsal and we waited so long para lang makakain doon.

"We left home kaninang umaga, Ross. And it's almost 5 and we're still not there!" Inis na sabi ko at nagbukas siya ng chichirya.

"Sorry, Adrien. Dapat pala dinalhan kita ng beer. O kahit anong inumi-" Natahimik siya nang samaan ko siya ng tingin.

"I've been driving for almost eight hours now, Ross. Minus the time we were at the mall."

"Pagod ka na? I can drive!" Sabi niya at umiling ako.

"You can't even give me directions properly, baka makarating pa tayo sa kabilang dulo ng Pilipinas dahil sayo." Sabi ko at tumawa siya.

"Edi adventure!"

"I don't want an adventure. I just wanna get there and see Meghan already." Sabi ko at naimagine ko bigla kung anong magiging reaction niya pag nakita ako. Sana matuwa manlang siya kahit onti.

I wish she would let me explain. I want to tell her that it's not true. That my heart's not taken by anyone else and I want her.

Nakita ko si Ross na nagsscroll lang sa Facebook niya habang kumakain ng Cheetos.

"Did she post anything else?" Tanong ko at napatingin siya sa akin.

"Sydney? Nope. Busy siguro. Want me to message her?" Tanong niya at umiling agad ako.

"Baka isipin niya pang stalker ka pag nakita ka niya mamaya. Don't be stupid." Sabi ko at tumawa tawa siya.

"Medyo stalker naman talaga ako. I'm literally on my way to the place she shared on her post this morning." Sabi ni Ross habang iniistalk si Sydney. "She looks so innocent. And cute. Mukha siyang yung typical good girl sa mga movies." Sabi ni Ross na napapangiti sa pictures na tinitingnan niya.

"Type mo siya?" I asked him at natawa siya sa akin.

"No. Alam mo naman yung mga tipo ko. I'm not into serious relationships so I don't have any interest in girls as innocent as her. Mukha ngang wala pa siyang first kiss." Sabi ni Ross na napapangiti at napatingin ako sakanya.

Naalala ko bigla yung gabi na uminom kami. He was being cheesy with me. He was talking about how a guy looks at his girl. Sinabi niya sa akin na makikita daw ng isang lalaki yung mundo niya sa babaeng mahal niya.

He said all that when he was drunk and honest, but he's acting like a whole womanizer most of the time. Hindi ko siya maintindihan. I don't know which version of him is real. We've never been this close.

"Nasubukan mo na bang magseryoso?" Tanong ko at napatigil siya sa pagsscroll sa phone niya.

"Why? You want my advice?" Pagbibiro niya at nanahimik lang ako to let him know I'm serious. Inoff niya yung phone niya at tumingin sa kalsada. "No."

Napansin ko na mukha siyang malungkot. Nanahimik lang ako, letting him tell me what happened.

"I wasn't like this before, Adrien. I didn't go to parties. Nor spoke to a lot of girls. Lagi lang akong nasa bahay, taking care of my mom." Sabi niya at umiwas ng tingin.

"Your mom?"

"Nagkasakit siya when I was only a sophomore in high school." Kwento niya at hindi ko na alam kung ano sasabihin ko.

I never saw him with his mother. Wala rin siyang nakukwento sa amin. He only mentioned his dad once sa akin, telling me that his dad hates him.

"She left us, Adrien. She left us." Sabi niya nang humihina yung boses.

"You don't have to tell me if it's hurting you, Ross." Sabi ko sakanya at ngumiti siya sa akin.

"Tingin ko kailangan ko rin ilabas 'to eh." Sabi niya at tumango nalang ako. "I did everything, Adrien. I fucking did everything I could. I went straight to the hospital after classes at minsan, hindi na ako pumapasok. After almost a year, they suggested that it would be better if she would be hospitalized at home."

Nakita kong napapikit siya, and I can tell he's trying not to cry. Dumilat siya at tinuloy yung kwento niya.

"My dad was busy working to pay all the hospital bills, and I'm an only child. I never left her side kasi sino pa bang aasahan niya kundi ako? Our maids could never make her feel loved like a family can."

Napahawak siya sa ulo niya habang nakatingin lang sa bintana.

"Kaya nga lumaki akong bobo kasi napabayaan ko na pagaaral ko kakaalaga sakanya. But after 3 years, she left us. She left us like we didn't just do everything we can for her to stay."

Natahimik ako at naramdaman yung lungkot sa hangin. He's not crying, but I can almost hear his heart crashing to pieces. I didn't know that someone like him went through so much.

"Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero hindi ko kayang maniwala na hindi ako iiwan ng susunod na babaeng mamahalin ko. Siya nga iniwan ako eh." Sabi ni Ross at kumuha ng earphones sa bulsa niya.

"I'm sure she didn't want to leave you." Sabi ko at ngumiti siya sa akin.

"I know. Pero parang hindi ko pa kaya magmahal ng iba. Because when I love, I really love. I lose myself in it." Sabi niya habang nilalagay yung earphones sa phone niya. "And how can I lose myself again when I haven't even found it completely?" Sabi niya at natulala nalang ako sa kalsada.

"I'm sorry..." Wala sa sarili kong sabi.

"Magdadrama muna ako, man." Sabi niya sa akin habang tumatawa. Nakita ko na naluluha siya. Umiwas ako ng tingin at tumango. "Wake me up pag malapit na tayo, ha?"

In some kind of way, I feel like Ross is smarter than me.