CHAPTER 27
COMMITTED
Iris' POV
"Why won't you? Akala ko ba gusto mo siya?" Ava directly asked with both of her hands on her waist. She frowned at me and waited for my explanation.
I bit my lower lip and looked down like a coward. "Yeah, I do like him but..."
"But what?"
I sighed. "Don't you think it's too much? I mean, don't you think I'm going way overboard bringing a banner at his game?"
"Hindi naman 'Marry Me' ang nakalagay diyan ah. 'Go Dashiell!' lang."
"Pero Ava, I'm sure everyone will notice it. Ano na lang iisipin ng mga tao? Na gusto ko rin si Dash? Ugh, that will be too obvious."
"Ano naman ngayon? Gusto mo naman talaga sya 'di ba? Wala namang masama kung malaman 'yon ng mga tao. Sooner or later you'll be Dashiell's girlfriend anyway. Naghihintay ka lang naman ng tamang panahon para sagutin siya."
I blushed harder. "Kahit na..."
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Girl, we've spent hours finishing this banner. Sana inisip mo na 'yang mga doubts mo bago natin sinimulan, ano po? Pinagod mo lang ako and I'm not even into arts, you know that." Sumalampak siya sa kama ko at huminga ng malalim. "Sure ka na ba? Iiwan natin 'yan dito? Sayang naman."
I stared at the banner and slowly nodded.
Wala talaga akong lakas ng loob para maging cheerleader ni Dash.
"Fine. Tara na kaya? We're going to be late," she pointed out.
"Ah. Wait, magpapalit lang ako ng damit." I quickly ran to my walk-in closet and grabbed a blue jeans and black jacket. Inside, I wore a white t-shirt which I matched with a white rubbershoes I bought last week.
"Seriously? 'Yan talaga ang isusuot mo?" Ava sounded as if she couldn't believe what she's seeing.
Tumayo ako ng maayos at tiningnan ang suot ko. "Oo. Bakit? Panget ba?"
"Everyone will be looking at you. Inaabangan nila ang babaeng nililigawan ng Captain ng Larkyn Bears. And that's how you'd present yourself? Gusto mo ba talagang dumami bashers mo?"
Wala kasi ako sa mood magayos ngayon. I'm a fashionista but when I'm not feeling it, I always go for a comfortable outfit. "E anong gusto mong suotin ko? Medyo malamig mamayang gabi..."
"Atleast wear something nice."
She unzipped my jacket before she rummage through my cabinet. "Nope. Nope. Nah. Seriously, why do you have so much dresses here? Wala ka bang---Here, ito na lang."
She handed me a red open shoulder top and a white skirt. Umiling agad ako dahil baka makitaan pa ako ng 'di oras mamaya. A windy night and a skirt? Bad idea.
"Ang eye-catching masyado. Ito na lang." Kinuha ang white sweater at light yellow green shorts ko. "I can use a butterfly clip for my hair. Okay na 'yon..."
Ngumiti siya at natawa. "Ang girly mo talaga. Fine, that will do."
"RIS?" Sabay kaming napatingin sa may pintuan nang may marinig kaming boses ng lalake.
"We're here!" Ava shouted.
"Who's that?" I asked, not recognizing the voice.
"Si Kiel." Just in time, he and Rios showed up. "Ano na? Ang tagal tagal niyong dalawa. Magsisimula na 'yung game."
"Hey, what's this?" natatawang tanong ni Asher na nasa likuran nila. "Go Dashiell? Bakit hindi Go Baby or Go Babe? Ano bang tawagan niyo?"
"Oo nga Iris, wala man lang ka-sweet sweet 'to," Kiel murmured.
"Dagdagan namin ng hearts, gusto mo?" asar ni Rios bago sila nagtawanan.
I groaned and immediately grabbed the banner from Asher's hands. "Pakielamero niyo. Will you guys get out? Magaayos na 'ko."
"Sungit naman hahaha."
"Sige na, 'di ka namin aasarin. Nasa'yo pa nga pala tickets namin HAHAHA!"
"Salamat pala sa pa-merienda hahahahaha."
Ava giggled and pushed the boys out of the room. "We'll wait for you downstairs."
Tumango ako at sinarado na ang pintuan pagkalabas nila.
"I should hide this. Baka kung sino pang makakita." I folded the banner and hid it on one of my shoe cabinets. Hindi naman masyadong pinapakielamanan ito ni Camille.
*****
As expected, the moment we entered the field, the crowd went wild. And as always, I tried my best to hide behind my friends, not until Caylee pulled me to walk beside her. Nangunguna kasi siya sa paglalakad.
"How many times do I have to tell you this? Chin up, girl. Wag mo nga itago 'yang ganda mo."
I smiled nervously. Sobrang daming tao ngayon, punong puno ang lugar. I think a lot of outsiders sneak in kahit wala silang tickets. Napakaraming nakatayo lang sa mga gilid lalo na sa entrance area.
"Oh my gosh, is that her?"
"Sino diyan? 'Yung nakashorts?"
"Oo, si Iris nga 'yan! Ang puti grabe!"
"She looks so innocent. No wonder Cap likes her."
"I still like Charmaine, just saying."
"Same. I miss her. Nung siya girlfriend ni Dash, may mga pompoms pang dala 'yon."
"What can you expect? Elite si Iris. She won't do such things."
"Sus. Ang arte niya lang kamo. Feel na feel na ibang level siya sa'tin."
"Tsaka anong inosente? Please. Nilandi niyan si Dashiell."
I glanced at the group of girls chatting near us but Tiffany caught my attention when she spoke. "Wag mo na pansinin. Masisira lang gabi mo."
"Pasalamat sila good mood ako or else," Ava muttered gently to me then she glared at the girls who immediately shut their mouths.
"Kapal ng mukha, papanget naman," Kiel commented, almost shouting it.
"Tsaka na kayo magkomento pag hinihingi na opinyon niyo ha," Evan said.
"Umayos kayo," Zin warned the girls before smiling at me.
Napangiti na lang din ako dahil sa pagtatanggol sa akin ng mga kaibigan ko. Theo tapped my shoulder and urged me to leave.
Umakyat na kami sa may bleachers at umupo sa VIP seat.
"Dang, ganda ng view."
"Kitang kita natin game mula dito."
"Good choice 'yang jinowa mo si Dashiell."
"Nice Iris. Forever free tickets na 'to, noh?"
Napailing na lang ako sa kalokohan ng mga kaibigan kong lalake.
Siguro kung dinala ko 'yung banner ay wala silang masasabing masama, pero sabagay hindi ko naman talaga mapi-please lahat ng tao. They will still talk behind my back even if I'm not doing anything wrong.
We waited till the game started. Asher bought popcorns and drinks for everyone. Sila ni Zin ang bumili kanina nung sinabi ni Caylee na nagugutom na siya. Surprisingly, hindi masyadong nagbabangayan 'yung dalawa.
"GO DASHIELL!"
"NICE ONE CAPTAIN!"
"AHHH MAHAL NA MAHAL KITA DASH!"
I kept hearing loud cheers for Dashiell. Grabe, paano nilang nagagawang ipagsigawan ang pangalan nito sa harap ng napakaraming tao. I can't even cheer since people kept on taking videos of me. Pumapalakpak lang ako at nakikihiyaw tuwing ginagawa iyon ng mga kaibigan ko.
During the half time, Dash purposely stopped in front of our bleachers to look at me and wave. Ang laki ng ngiti sa mukha niya nang makita niya ako. I think he's been trying to find me since the start pero ngayon niya lang ako nahanap.
"Where's the banner?" nangaasar na sigaw niya.
Ngumisi lang ako at nagkibit ng balikat. Nagpout siya ngunit tumawa rin naman at nag-wink bago tumakbo papunta sa dressing room.
What he did earned a lot of noise from the crowd. Namula ang pisngi ko lalo na nung pinaghahampas ako nila Caylee at Ava. Naomi and Tiff also couldn't shut their mouths about it. Inasar din ako nila Zin kaya naman napatakip na lang ako ng mukha gamit ang mga kamay ko.
"Grabe!! GIRL HABA NG HAIR!"
"NAKAKAKILIG! EMEGHED!"
"He's so freaking whipped at you!"
I just laughed and waited till they stopped teasing me.
*****
The game became intense. Magaling din talaga ang kalaban nila kaya nakakapuntos din ito. And the next minutes were too tough that both of the teams couldn't score too much. Now, it's a tie.
My eyes followed Dash all throughout the game. He seemed so determined to win tonight. Maski ang mga ka-teammates niya ay mukhang gutom sa pagkapanalo. Tahimik ang mga tao habang nanunuod, mga nakatutok sa laro at tanging ang announcer lang ang naririnig namin.
"AND IT'S A GOAL!" The announcer shouted when Dash ended the game in one swift kick. Sobrang bilis ng pangyayari. All of a sudden Royce took the soccer ball from the opponent and passed it to his captain. Napanganga na lang ako sa gulat nang marinig kong nanalo na sila.
We all stood up in unison as the Larkyn Bear team hugged each other. Tuwang tuwa kami at halos mabingi ang lahat sa ingay ng mga supporters nila.
Pagkabigay ng trophy sa kanila at nang makapag-picture-an na ang buong team ay akala namin mage-entertain na sila ng mga fans. That's what they always do. Talagang binibigyan nila ng oras ang mga tagahanga nila, ngunit sa gulat ko ay biglang tumakbo ang Larkyn Bears sa gilid at may kinuhang malaking banner at mga balloons na heart shaped. They were jumping out of joy like kids at a playground.
Everyone stopped moving to see what they're up to. Ang mga fans na bababa na sana mula sa bleachers ay tumigil at nanuod.
Dash went to the announcer and spoke to the guy for a second. Then he went back to the middle of the field with a microphone on his hand. His friends are whistling, making fun of him for some reason.
"Come on." Napatingin ako kay Ava nang itulak niya ako pababa. My girl-friends all giggled and pushed me as well.
"Teka, bakit?" nagtatakang tanong ko. I kept trying to stop them but I still ended up on the field.
"Huy ano 'to?" tanong ko kila Caylee dahil gulong-gulo na ako ngunit nakangiti lang sila at mukhang mga kinikilig pa nga. The boys are all standing behind them. Si Asher todo picture pa nga.
"Guys? What's this?" I asked while looking around. That's when the spotlight focused on me and Dashiell.
When I met his eyes, my heart thumped loudly against my chest.
He grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Wow uhmm...whooh!"
Nagtawanan ang lahat dahil mukhang kinakabahan siya habang ako naman ay nakatitig lang sa kanya.
Anong nangyayari? Bakit siya nagsasalita sa mic? At bakit nandito ako sa harapan niya?
"I never thought this will be harder than the game I just played right now," pagbibiro niya kaya naman humalakhak na naman ang mga tao.
He smiled and stared at my eyes. "But you are a very special girl, Iris. And I want to make tonight special for the two of us."
Huminga siya nang malalim bago siya naglakad palapit sa akin. He stopped just a few feet away from me. "When I first met you, I already saw how beautiful you are but it never struck me that I'd fall for you because for one, you are my friend and two, I wasn't looking for a relationship at the time." He ran a hand through his wet hair. Pawisan pa rin kasi siya dahil kakatapos lang ng game nila. Though honestly, he looked so damn good right now.
"But then I saw how amazing your soul is and how wonderful you are as a person. I realized, I never wanted to be apart from you."
Bigla na lang binuksan ng mga ka-teammates niya ang banner na hawak-hawak nila pagkatapos ay tumakbo si Royce upang iabot ang bouquet of flowers kay Dash. Royce smiled at me before he went at the back, to hold heart-shaped balloons with his friends.
I heard gasps everywhere as people read what's written on the banner.
"Will you be my forever, Iris?" Dashiell asked me at the same time I read it. He closed our distance and handed me my favorite flowers which are peonies, then he touched my cheek, caressing it while waiting for an answer.
Namugto ang mga mata ko habang tinititigan siya. Kung ano-anong emosyon ang naramdaman ko. Kinakabahan ako, natutuwa, naiiyak...
"SAY YES, IRIS!"
"SAGUTIN MO NA SI DASH!"
"COME ON GIRL, ACCEPT HIS LOVE!"
"WE KNOW YOU LOVE HIM TOO!"
I laughed at my friends who are all shouting behind me but I didn't take my eyes off Dashiell. I smiled and wiped the tears that started to fall.
For the first time, I stopped caring about everyone that are watching us right now.
All I want is for Dashiell to know how I feel about him and I think this is the right time for that.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. "I'll be your forever, Dash."
"Wait, seriously?" gulat na gulat na tanong niya.
"Ayaw mo ba?"
"F*CKING HELL! OF COURSE I WANT TO!" Niyakap niya ako pabalik at pinaikot ikot. Natawa ako at binaon na lang ang mukha ko sa leeg niya upang hindi makita ng mga tao ang namumulang mukha ko.
People cheered for us and just like earlier, the whole place roared. I could hear his teammates shouting our names and my guy friends acting like they're on the zoo. I think it's Kiel and Rios who made monkey sounds.
Dashiell stopped twirling me around, only to lean down on me and lightly kiss me. I kissed him back and smiled as we both rested our foreheads to each other.
"I've never been so happy my entire life," I admitted.
"I feel the same way." He smirked and spoke to the mic again. "IRIS FLEUR LEONA IS NOW MY GIRLFRIEND!!! YOU ALL HEARD THAT? SHE'S MINE!!!"
I just laughed and welcomed my friends who were dying to hug me and congratulate us.
Damian's POV
"Look at your brother," I glanced at the picture Nova showed me. May nakayakap na babae sa kapatid ko habang may malaking banner sa likuran niya na nakalagay ay 'Will you be my forever, Iris?'. The girl's holding a bouquet of flowers as well.
Iris? Pamilyar ang pangalang iyon.
Saan ko nga ba narinig 'yon...
"Tsss. Napaka-romantic talaga niyan," natatawang sambit ko na lang.
I'm happy for him. Atleast he finally moved on from his ex.
Hindi ako nakapanuod ng live game niya dahil nawala na iyon sa isip ko. I'd just watch it later kung kaya ng oras ko.
I looked back to my homework and continued working on it.
"Are you also romantic?" tanong ni Nova habang tinitingnan niya pa rin ang mga pictures.
"I don't think I am but when I love someone, I give it all."
"What do you mean?"
Tumingin ako sa kanya. "Lahat kaya kong ibigay, kahit maubos ako, basta para lang sa kanya."
The corner of her mouth quirked up. "And you say you're not romantic..." she teased.
"I'm saying, I don't do such grand gestures. I think it's too much."
"But girls love that."
"Do you?"
She stared at me for a few seconds, totally taken aback by my question. "Huh?"
"Do you like banners, flowers and public confession, all that stuff?"
"W-why are you asking me?"
"Just curious." I chuckled.
"I'm not most girls," she mumbled.
"I thought so too," I agreed.
"I think it's not important. As long as the person I love, loves me back then I'm happy."
I stopped writing, only to look at her again. Nakatitig siya sa kalawan na tila ba nagi-imagine.
"Do you like someone?"
Namula bigla ang mukha niya. "W-what?"
"Sh*t." Tumayo ako at nilapitan siya ngunit humakbang siya patalikod. "Who is it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Hey, tell me! Sino 'yang nagugustuhan mo?"
"Stop accusing me of something! I already told you, I am not interested on anyone!"
"Patingin nga ng phone mo!" I tried to take it but she swat my hand away.
"NO! STOP IT DAMIAN!"
Nang muntikan ko na makuha iyon ay na-out balance siya at napahawak sa T-shirt ko. Napahiga siya sa kama ko at nahila niya ako kaya naman napaibabaw ako sa kanya.
We both got shock and froze, our faces just inches away from each other.
I could feel her hot breath on my lips.
"Uhmm..." I was just about to pull away when she suddenly closed her eyes.
That surprised me a lot.
Tinitigan ko siya habang nakapikit ang mga mata niya.
She's waiting for me to kiss her...
But why?
Why on earth would Nova want to be kissed by me?
"Pre, nakalimutan ko nga palang---Oh." Napatingin ako sa may pintuan at tumumbad doon ang nanlalaking mga mata ni Art.
"'Di niyo naman sinabing ayaw niyong paistorbo hehe. Close the door next time ha." He smirked and ran away.
Doon ko naman na-realize na nakapatong pa rin ako kay Nova kaya agad ako tumayo at lumayo sa kama. "Sorry."
She sat and nervously laugh. "Nah, it's my fault. Uhhh...I should go." Tumayo siya at kinuha bigla ang bag niya. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
I nodded and smiled. "Yeah. See you."
Well, that was f*cking awkward.
Pagkaalis na pagkaalis niya ay napatingin uli ako sa kama. The image of her face too close to mine with her eyes closed flashed in my mind.
"I'm one hundred percent sure she's waiting for the kiss to happen..." I whispered to myself.
Then it strike me.
Nova is into me all this time and I have been in denial about it.
Napapikit ako at napailing na lang.
Ito na 'yung kinatatakot ko. Masyado akong nakampante sa kanya kaya nahulog siya.
I thought her feelings for me will never change because when we first met, she kind of hated me.
Pero palagi na kasi kaming magkasama at alam na alam na namin ang ugali ng isa't-isa.
It all makes sense now.
Now I understand why she worries a lot about me. Pati ang kinakain naming tatlo ay inaasikaso niya.
She cares for me so much because she likes me.
She drinks, blames me for it and tells me she hates me because I never realized her feelings for me.
"Ugh Damian, what have you done?"
Honestly, Nova's a perfect girl but I don't feel anything to her more than friendship with her.
Ang tingin ko sa kanya ay parang tingin ko lang din kila Caylee at Naomi.
"What do I do now?"
If I acknowledged her feelings for me, there is no way in hell that she won't get hurt. Hindi ako magpapanggap na may gusto ako sa kanya dahil ayokong lokohin siya.
But if I decided to talk about us, it's either we'd still be the same or she'll stay away from me. I don't want the latter to happen. Ayokong mawala siya sa buhay ko. She has been a huge part of my life now. She makes my life here in Australia more fun and bearable. And she's like my family now.
"You're stupid Damian. You should have been more careful."
*End of Chapter 27*