Every one knows that they should not be together, they are so good together but then their attitudes doesn't fit for each other.
"Pwede bang manligaw?" Greggy ask.
Irene look at him, "Ikaw?" She unseriously ask back.
"Irene totoo, pwede ba akong manligaw?" He repeated.
Irene gulp.
"Hindi pa kasi pwede."
They are still young, a seventeen Greggy and fifteen Irene.
"I can wait naman eh, hanggang sa maging pwede na."
He's sincere, he really love Irene and no matter what happened he really waited Irene for almost two years.
"Pwede na Greggy, pwede ka nang manligaw." She said, happily.
"Talaga Irene?"
"Oo nga, pero..." Irene stop, so Greggy too.
"You must go to our house para manligaw." She said
"Ohh okay lang of course, syempre naman." He answered.
He waited again, for a year to get her yes, the sweetest yes that he wants since the first day.
"Are you really interested to him?" Imee ask, it's felt different since the time Irene answer him.
"Ha?" Irene gulp, her hands continue to type on the keyboard.
"Si Greggy, mahal mo ba talaga siya?" She sigh, looking at her younger sister.
"Hindi ko alam."
"Ano Irene?" Imee was shock.
"Hindi ko rin naman ramdam, ewan."
She just can't seem to understand her.
"Pero bakit mo sinagot?"
"Wala, ayaw ko naman na mawalay din siya sa akin. Pero alam kong hindi ko siya—"
"Hindi mo siya mahal?" Irene nodded slowly, her face really show that she's unsure by it.
"Nasanay lang siguro ako." She smile a little bit, not minding about her actions.
His left hand was holding the codal books, while the right hand holding the shot glass. Not only that, but there is a girl beside him.
She might be one of his side chicks. In fact, it's a different girl again. but of course Greggy is only a boy.
"Nagpaalam ka sa jowa mo?" The girl ask.
"Hindi, bakit naman?" He bravely ask.
"Gagi to!" The girl reacted, but lay on his biceps.
"Hayaan mo na."
The girl stare at his phone wallpaper, "Maganda naman."
He nodded, "Liligawan ko ba kung hindi?"
The girl chuckled.
"Mahal na mahal ko siya..." He whispered when the liquor kicks in.
"Girlfriend mo?" The girl ask.
He nodded, "Oo, sobrang mahal ko siya." He just doesn't know why he can't leave his playboy side and just settled with Irene.
"Alam niya mga pinag gagawa mo?"
"Hindi, pero alam nang mga naging babae ko kung gaano ko siya kamahal."
"Is she a law student too?"
"Yes, but from different school." He answered.
"Ahh, kaya naman pala ang tapang mong mang babae."
"Are you good love?" Greggy ask, meeting Irene like he doesn't cling to other woman yesterday night.
"Oo, okay lang." She sigh, touching her food but don't have energy to consume it.
"Tell me what's wrong." He drop his fork, "Nung nakaraan ka pa ganyan."
"Wala nga." She repeated.
They both went quiet when Greggy's phone buzz above the table.
"Baka importante yan."
He peak at the phone, gripping on it when he read the text.
"What's that?" Even though that she really don't love him, of course she has a right to get jealous.
"Kapatid mo. Pinapauwi ka na." He answered.
Irene raises her eyebrow, "Talaga?"
Greggy show him the screen of his phone in her face.
Bongbong
"Pre, pasabi nga kay Irene uwi muna."
"Let's go." Irene grab her bag.
He just nodded, "Okay lang ba talaga?" For the second time, he ask.
"Paulit-ulit Greggy?" She is starting to get annoyed.
"Sorry." He just open the door for her.
"Ano nang balak mo?" He ask.
"Ha?" She doesn't know what's the context of his question.
"Puro na lang ha." Greggy said, opening the car door.
She sat down, a frown on her face appeared. As soon as she entered the car a different aura welcome her.
"Saan ka kahapon?" She ask, "I told you maaga akong natulog." Greggy answer hopping inside the car too.
That's something fishy, Irene know she should be more careful with him or maybe she must not trust half of his words.
"I'm asking you kanina kung anong balak mo." He repeated, it's too quiet that it can hear how Greggy touch and grip at the steering wheel.
"Saan nga?" She look outside, the tall buildings of Taguig.
"I mean—" Greggy side eyeing to see her, "Finals na naman, and this time it will be literally the finals." They will be graduate on Law school as soon as they will pass it.
"Alam mo kung paano ako mag aral." Irene answered, "So... Wag ka nang magulat kung ma ghost kita nang ilang buwan?"
He nodded, "May magagawa pa ba?"
"Wala." She briefly answer.
"Putangina!" He suddenly curse as he step at the break pedal.
"Shit!" Irene shouted at him, "Kung gusto mo magpakamatay, wag mo akong idadamay."
"Hindi nag signal light." He said, "Tanga-tanga eh."
She just rolled her eyes.
Another date, it's been a while since they are dating but Greggy did not even introduce her to his parents.
"Greg?"
"Yes, love?" He remove his reading glass.
"Kailan mo ako ipapakilala?" She pouted.
Greggy look at her, "Kanino?"
"Greggy para naman tong tanga! Sa pamilya mo malamang."
"Ha? Busy kasi sila." He answered.
Irene sigh, "Lagi naman eh."
"Love, sa susunod na lang."
"Sige."
Greggy hold her hands, "Promise, sa susunod."
"Kainis." Irene said, "Te kung ako sa'yo hihiwalayan ko na yan. Di mo naman mahal eh." Imee answered.
"Hindi ko din alam kung bakit hindi ko kaya, parang tanga." She answered.
"Kaya nga, hindi naman mawawala yang iisipin mo na ganyan kung hindi mo hihiwalayan."
Irene sigh, "Ayaw ko."
"Ano na naman? Ano na namang rason mo?"
"Ewan, ayoko lang." She spin her pen.
"Para naman kayong nag lolokohan— ay hindi pala parang."
"Talagang naglolokohan kamo." Irene continue her sister's sentence.
"Baka dahil kaya mo tinatantan dahil mahal mo."
Irene stop, stop a little.
"Okay ka lang?" A different girl again that Greggy pick up from the bar.
Greggy can't even look at her.
"Oo." A cold answer.
"What's the problem?" The girl ask, "Tangina naman, gusto ko lang mag trabaho pero bakit nagiging therapist ako."
"Mahal ko girlfriend ko, mahal na mahal ko kaso..."
There is a thing that Greggy wants but he knows Irene won't or can't give it to him.
"Kaso?"
"Hindi ko alam, hindi ko sure." Like Irene, he also become unsure about her.
"Ha?"
The girl is already confuse about it.
Greggy waiting for a notification from her, "Wala."
He sipped the liquor before kissing her... Kissing the girl.
The final review has approached, Greggy even did not come in any night party he was invited too.
Irene on the other side shower herself with different index card and different words on it.
"Nakakapagod." She sigh, it was three in the morning, later at six she will take the first examination.
"Matutulog pa kaya ako?" She ask, she still need to digest all the lessons from cover to cover.
She is just staring out of nowhere again, the fact that never Greggy come across to her mind...
Or maybe she's just denying it, and keep herself to get busy.
Danica R.
"Hello miss, blockmate ako nang boyfriend mo."
"I know it's kind of late but I hope it will reach you."
"Since the first year na nakasama ko siya sa Law school at sa Bar place."
"Kulang na lang din talaga iba-iba mga nakakasamang babae eh."
"But he bragged about how much he loves his girlfriend."
This random girl even send a proof of pictures of Greggy with different girls.
"Putangina." Irene whispered, looking at it all.
The girl even added a chat.
"Last time nakalimutan niya isa niyang cellphone, I can surrender to you."
"Where can I meet you?"
"Tangina talaga." Irene look up, she doesn't know why but she is crying.
She still take the exam with light head, everything she review also vanished remembering that time.
"Sabi ko na nga ba eh." Trying not to cry while taking the examination.
Imee
"How's Irene?"
"Greggy, pwede bang ano..."
"Makipag hiwalay ka na lang."
"Sorry ha."
"The fuck is this?"
"Ha?"
"Feel ko kasi hindi talaga kayo bagay sa isa't isa, hindi kayo laging nagkakasundo. To the point na araw araw kayong nag aaway hindi ka ba nag sasawa?"
"Ate."
"Feeling ko nga rin, ayaw na ni Irene."
"Gusto ko muna siyang kausapin."
"Ikaw bahala."
"Pag di na kaya, wag na pilitin."
"Mahal ko siya."
"Mahal ka pa rin ba?"
"Sorry ha."
"Dagdag isipin mo pa."
They just settled the finals, without understanding what they review but their mind is occupied with other things.
Love
"Pwede bang mag usap tayo?"
Greggy waited for her response, "walang nang pake kung bumagsak, basta makausap kita nang maayos."
"I told you Greggy, wala akong time."
"It's been a month na, kahit mabilis lang."
"Mag hiwalay na tayo Greggy."
"Yan gusto mong marinig diba?"
"Ha?"
"Alam ko na lahat nang kagaguhan mo Greggy."
"Tangina mo talaga."
"Sana noong una pa lang hindi na kita sinagot."
"Minahal mo ba talaga ako?"
She left him seen after that question, hindi niya alam hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin niya talaga alam kung ano ba talaga ang nararamdaman niya.
She opened the spare phone of Greggy. She barely see this phone, the wallpaper was indeed Irene.
Gulping before clicking the photos.
"Putangina—"
She felt disgusted, different girls... Different pictures of girls inside that, "Kaya pala..." She also figure out that Greggy sometimes use a marijuana plant.
"Mag la lawyer ka nang ganyan, putangina." Her hands shaking while scrolling at the phone.
"Gago nakita mo ba yung isa kong cellphone?" He asked his dorm mates.
"Aba malay ko sa'yo." The one answered.
"Gagi kung saan man yun baka isipin nag tutulak ako." Greggy sigh
"Tangina neto kasi pini picturean yung mga nag ma marijuana sa bar eh!"
"Huy gago hindi ako gumagamit nun ha. Bisyo ko lang alak—" Greggy stop when his friend laugh.
"Pati babae kamo hahahaha!"
"Inaneto. Nami-miss ko na si Irene, mahal na mahal ko siya sobra."
"Paulit ulit te." His friend chuckled.
"Minahal ko naman siguro siya." Irene shred the last tears for him.