"Tory, baby, are you still not gonna talk to me?"
Another day of me, pursuing Tory to talk to me. I was standing in front of her room.
This started when we told her that I'm moving out soon. We decided to tell her a bit early because we expected this reaction from her. She's really close to me.
She must be having separation anxiety.
"Baby, can I open the door now?" I asked for permission again. I sighed when she didn't answer me again.
"Tory, will you let me leave without talking to me?" I tried harder.
I was about to turn my back when she opened her door. She looked like she was about to cry. I kneeled in front of her and caressed her face.
"What are you feeling?" I asked her.
"You're breaking my heart, Ate ko." She started sobbing. I pulled her into my arms.
"I'm sorry, baby..." Agad kong alo sa kanya. "Ate's gonna visit naman whenever I can." I reassured her.
Her sobs were getting louder kaya naman binuhat ko siya.
"Mahihirapan kasi ako kapag hindi ako magmove ng house, baby..." Paliwanag ko. "We're living in Quezon City and my school is in Taguig. That's hours away because it's always traffic pa." Paliwanag ko sa kanya.
She was just nodding while crying on my shoulders.
I know my sister is trying to understand.
She's a smart girl.
"I need to move out temporarily to save time. That way, I can be a better doctor. Don't you want that for Ate?"
"W-W-Who's g-gonna w-watch with me?"
"I will still visit whenever I can, baby. Maybe once a week." I told her. "And you can always watch with Mama and Papa naman."
"This is for your future patients, right?" I fought the urge to laugh at her question. I nodded.
"Yes po."
Maya-maya ay unti-unting kumalma na si Tory. She always calms down whenever someone's hugging her.
"Don't be sad na, ha? You can always video call me."
She pouted while nodding. I kissed her cheeks.
--
"Vienne, hija, sigurado ka bang ito lang ang dadalhin mo sa condo mo?"
Tinutulungan akong mag-pack ni Mama at Tita Karen. Hindi kasi ako makagalaw masyado dahil hindi nagpapabitaw sa akin si Tory. Ever since our talk, she became 10x more clingy. She sleeps in my room and hugs me when she wakes up.
I understand. She's anxious. I'm trying to comfort her as much as I can.
Tomorrow is the start of my first semester in Placio Andres University Department of Medicine. Today's my moving out day.
Hindi naman ganoon karami ang dadalhin kong gamit. Mga essentials ko lang sa school and some of my clothes. Hindi masyadong marami kasi may uniform naman ang Placio Andres para sa mga Medical students.
"Bakit kasi hindi nalang kayo nag-same building ni C, hija?" Tita Karen asked.
Napatigil ako saglit.
For some reason, I chose not to live close to Cole— to not get anymore closer.
Being with him just put me more in danger.
We're friends. We're only friends.
Kailangan kong mag-set ng boundaries para sa sarili ko.
"I bought coffee!" Lahat kami ay napalingon kay Cole.
Agad na napakunot ang noo ko. At ano naman ang ginagawa niya dito?
Siguro ay nabasa niya din ang pagtatanong sa mukha ko kaya sumagot na siya agad. "I came to help!"
Hindi ko siya pinansin at binalingan nalang si Tory na nakayakap sa bewang ko.
"Tory, I need to help Mama and Tita Karen..." Mahina kong sabi sa kanya. She pouted in an instant.
I pouted back at her. "We already talked about this."
Tahimik siyang kumalas sa akin at unti-unti tumayo at lumapit kay Cole. Nakasunod lang ang tingin ko sa kanya.
She tugged Cole's shirt that caught his attention. He looked down on Tory and immediately dropped on his knee when he saw Tory's "about-to-cry" face.
He caressed her face before carrying her. They talked in whispers.
I sighed before proceeding to help Mama and Tita Karen.
--
For some reason, I ended up in Cole's fucking Raptor again. He volunteered to drive me to my condo.
So much for not getting anymore closer to him.
"Did you really come to help or did you just want to know my unit so you can barge in and ask me to study with you again?" Taas-kilay kong tanong sa kanya.
He laughed at my question before answering. "I hate how easy for you to catch up."
Inirapan ko siya. He's been in the Philippines for more than a year already and he pretty much spent half of it with me.
"But seriously, we'll switch to coffee, okay?" He negotiated. "No alcohol unless semester break."
Hindi nalang ako sumagot at itinuon nalang ang atensyon sa bintana. The sun is beginning to set. It was a mixture of pink and red. It was beautiful.
"Are you excited?" Cole asked.
"Saan?"
"Moving out... Medical School..."
I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe." I answered while still looking at the sunset.
I heard him scoffed. "You and your cold ass." He commented.
We were near my unit when I remembered that I need to go the groceries for some stock that I will be needing.
"I need to go buy some food and essentials for my condo." I said.
"Sama."
My eyebrows furrowed. He sounded like a kid who was asking his Mom to take him to the mall.
--
Fortunately, the condo unit that my parents got me comes with a built-in refrigerator. Hindi lang processed at instant foods ang mabibili ko.
I got myself meat, chicken, and beef for stock. I am only doing this for twice a month kaya marami na ang bibilhin ko. Besides, mukhang laging may bibisita pa sa akin. I bought a couple of chips and sweets that I usually eat whenever I'm studying.
My cart was almost full when I decided to stop. Cole was just pushing the cart behind me the whole time.
"Do you want something?" I asked him.
"Bread." He said. Tumango nalang ako at naglakad papunta sa bread section.
I was busy picking bread for him and me when some stranger approached him.
"Mukhang bad mood ang girlfriend mo, tol, ha?" It was almost a whisper but I heard it.
Bad mood?
"Hindi yan bad mood, hindi lang talaga palangiti." Malokong sagot ni Cole. "Tsaka 'di ko girlfriend."
I felt my heart froze.
There was nothing wrong with what he said.
It was true.
Hindi naman talaga ako girlfriend.
Truth hurts, huh. I smirked before putting the bread in the cart.
Dere-deretso ang lakad ko sa liquor section.
I need a fucking drink.
"Hey, hey, hey..." Cole protested when he saw me grabbing a Cuervo. "We just agreed---"
"I don't remember agreeing."
I turned my back on him.
This is getting bad.