Sheena's POV
Months passed and we met Aiah through Colet. We go for road trips and night drives sometimes kaya napalapit na rin siya ng sobra sa amin kahit na she's one batch higher than us. Kahit hindi niya sabihin, halata namang hindi si Colet ang gusto niya kundi si Mikha. Grabe magpapansin si ate Aiah sa kanya eh tapos 'yong isa naman super pikon.
Ate Aiah is caring, considerate, and very ate figure kaya ang dali namin siyang nakaclose. But not Jhoanna, though. She seemed uneasy towards Aiah. Siguro dahil si JL na ang mas madalas niyang kasama kaya ganoon.
And that's how Colet got her heart broken.
Kagaya ngayon, nasa bar kami around Makati. Using Mikha's connection at kaunting pananakot sa guards, they let us in. Of course hindi alam ng mga girls at siguradong malilintikan kami. Hindi naman dapat ako sasama pero when I saw how broken our best friend was, napapayag nila akong samahan siya sa kanyang broken era.
Sinamahan ko pa silang itakas 'yong car ng daddy ni Colet. How? Tinulak lang naman namin ito hanggang gate ng subdivision para hindi marinig ng parents niya. I never imagined us doing this. We're so desperate na parang nagrerebelde na kung titingnan. Wala eh, anything for Colet.
"Cheers to the love we can't have!" she shouted and raised her glasses. Feel na feel niya pa 'yong pagkakasabi niya habang si Mikha at Maloi, nakisigaw din na parang dumaan sa 50 break ups.
"Cheers to the love we can't have!" Mikha and Maloi both shouted too.
I shook my head and raised my glass. "Cheers to your broken hearts."
"Ang yabang mo!" Maloi said sabay tungga ng beer. Palibhasa ay nagdate sila Colet at Stacey when Colet saw Jhoanna with JL kaya ganito siya umasta. Mabuti nalang talaga at kaibigan lang ang tingin ni Colet kay Stacku, baka mas mataas pa tagay ni Maloi ngayon kung hindi.
"Alam mo, Col, it's obvious naman na you guys like each other. Bakit hindi ka pa umamin?" I asked.
"She has JL now. Hindi ko alam kung matutuwa ako o hindi with the idea na at some point in our life, we both liked each other. Ramdam ko naman eh but when I was about to tell her, JL came to the picture." She said and looked away. Alam ko na 'to! Kung hindi nag-iinom ngayon si Colet, malamang nasa room niya lang at umiiyak.
"I think I need to twerk." Mikha suddenly said. Namumula na rin siya at nang tumayo siya, agad ko siyang hinila pa-upo. Good thing nasa VIP lang kami kaya walang masyadong nakakakita sa amin.
"Stop! You're not twerking!" I told her.
Mikha didn't twerk but when I looked at the two, sila na mismo 'yong gumawa para kay Mikha. Sinasabayan pa nila 'yong music kaya mas lalo akong nahiya sa ginagawa nila.
"Shee! Come on, loosen up a bit!" Maloi said at inakbayan ako. Bakit parang ako pa ang mas ate sa kanila ngayon?
"Lossen up a bit? Kapag ba niratrat ako ng girlfriend ko tutulungan niyo ako?" I asked them sarcastically.
"Hindi. Pero ang buhay dapay ineenjoy mo lang, ganun wag pahirapan ang sarili." fluent na sabi ni Mikha habang nakaakbay kay Colet. Lasing na nga, fluent na magtagalog eh.
"I think you guys should stop. May pasok pa tayo bukas." I told them.
"You're really no fun! Magdadahilan naman tayo eh." Maloi reasoned out.
"Anong idadahilan natin?" I asked.
"Parvo." Colet shortly replied. "Tanggalin mo nga 'yong kamay mo sa balikat ko, Mikhs. Baka nakakalimutan mo, inaagaw ng mga kalahi mo West Philippine Sea namin." iritang sabi ni Colet at tumayo.
Thank God because after an hour, Colet finally paid our bills at nag-aya na umuwi. They're laughing like an idiot, tinatawanan nila ang isa't isa kapag natutumba kung saan saan dahil hindi na makapaglakad ng maayos. Parang mga siraulo! I can help them if I want to but I chose not to middle with their stupidity. Mas masayang panuorin silang ganito dahil madalas ay sobrang seryoso nila.
When we reached the parking lot, kinuha ko ang susi kay Colet. She's obviously very drunk dahil pulang pula na ang pisngi niya. Nakakainis naman kasi si Jhoanna! "Go to the passenger's seat. I'll drive." I told her.
She shook her head. "No. Kotse ko, drive ko." wala na akong nagawa dahil pumasok na siya sa driver's seat. Naupo nalang ako sa tabi niya while silently praying for my life. I look at the back seat to check upon Mikha and Maloi but I saw them sleeping peacefully. Nakayakap pa sila sa isa't isa kaya I took the opportunity to take a selfie with them.
"Alright, wake me up when we're home." I told her and she just nodded.
Nagising na lang ako dahil sa lakas ng impact ng sasakyan. Napaupo ako ng maayos at naramdaman ko ang pagkabasag ng salamin. Umusok ang haraoan at naipit ang paa ko sa ilalim. I let out a curse because of the pain I am feeling right now.
I looked at my best friends only to see them laughing. May mga dugo sa ulo nila. Si Colet naman, naipit pa 'yong kamay niya sa manibela.
"Shit, Colet!" I told her.
After a few minutes, someone saw us and called a rescue. Sa kamalas-malasan pa naman, sa hospital pa kami ng mga Vergara dinala.
"Can you please not tell this to my parents?" Colet asked the doctor while they're busy checking up on us.
"Sorry Colet but we have to." Doc shortly answered.
"Oo nga naman, kotse ni Tito nabangga mo eh. Malamang malalaman nila." I told her and smirked. Medyo sumasakit pa ulo ko dahil sa lakas ng impact.
"Really? Shut the fuck up, Shee. You're annoying." Mainiping sabi ni Colet.
"Are you okay, bebe Shee?" Maloi said and looked at my scars. Sasagot na sana ako when I saw a young beautiful nurse coming to our way. Damn! Mukha siyang fresh graduate dahil ang bata ng itsura niya.
She went closer to me kaya narinig kong nagreklamo ang mga kaibigan ko. I secretly smirked. I winced as the young nurse dabbed disinfectant on my scraped knee.
"You seem to be accident-prone, Ms." she said, her voice is very professional.
"Just a little clumsy, I guess," I mumbled, focusing on the ceiling. No flirting for me. May girlfriend ako. I love her so much.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone hurriedly entered the room. "Sheena? What the hell!?" her voice isn't mad, she's more like concern.
I forced a smile. "Love! I'll talk to you after a few ...uh... just a few more scrapes." I looked around to see Aiah and Stacey too, looking worried with us.
The nurse finished cleaning and began applying a bandage. My gaze lingered on her hands, sobrang gentle kasi tapos ang liit. Ang cute lang!
"Thank you so much, Nurse!" I said and smiled at her.
"No problem," she said, "the hospital is always open, Ms." Gwen scoffed. The sound sent shivers down my spine.
"Always open, huh? sobrang convenient naman!" Gwen whispered and rolled her eyes.
Good thing, nagpaalam na rin agad 'yong nurse. Pero naalala ko, kailangan ko palang harapin ang girlfriend ko.
"Gwen, it's nothing. Are you jealous?" I asked gently.
"Did you choose that nurse to attend to you because you think she's hot?" Salubong na kilay niyang tanong sa akin.
"No. Siya naman kusang lumapit sa akin tapos siya rin naman unang kumausap sa akin." I explained.
"I'm so pissed at you." she said and turned to me, her eyes are cold.
"And ... and.. I'm jealous, too. Do you have a crush on that nurse, Sheena?" she asked and looked away.
I shook my head. "No, Gwen. I got a crush on you." I smiled at her.
She smiled pero mabilis ding nawala. I swear to God! Bakit ba ang moody ng bebe ko? She went closer to me, fast, at kinurot ang tainga ko. "Akala mo nakalimutan ko na ang ginawa niyo? Bakit ba kayo tumakas? Kung nagsabi ka sa akin, hindi ako parang tangang magmamadaling pumunta dito." Mahabang litanya niya.
Natawa ako kasi para siyang si mommy but when I looked down, I saw her slippers. Hindi ito magkapareha dahil siguro nagmamadali siyang puntahan kami. I suddenly felt guilty so I pulled her closer to me and hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry, love. Mali 'yon, hindi na ako magrarason. Let me make up to you." I told her.
She sighed. "Dapat galit ako ngayon eh pero mas nangingibabaw ang pag-aalala ko. Nakakainis ka!" she said and punched me on my shoulder.
"I know. I'm sorry, I love you so much." I whispered.
"Don't do that again. Mamamatay ako sa nerbyos sayo. I love you so much, Shee." she said.
We waited for our parents to arrive at para sunduin kami. We received an earful scolding and lectures from them pero di bale na, basta para kay Colet. I saw her eyes awhile ago, when Stacey, Aiah, and my girlfriend rushed to the hospital para makita ang kalagayan namin. I saw how she simply searched for Jhoanna pero ni ilang segundo lang, hindi man lang siya nagpunta at nagpakita.
I hugged Gwen tightly habang nasa backseat kami pauwi sa amin. Dad and Mom are sharing ideas kung paano ako ipupunish but I didn't mind. I know I deserve it so, I'm willing to take all the punishments they're about to throw to me. Habang yakap ko si Gwen ay paminsan minsan kong hinahalikan ang buhok niya.
I was so scared awhile ago. I was so scared with the idea that we almost died. The accident had shaken me to my core. It was a brutal reminder of how fragile life could be, how quickly everything we hold dear could vanish. I was scared of leaving her too soon. Gwen wasn't just my girlfriend anymore. She was my anchor, the reason my heart dared to beat a little faster.
For the first time in a long time, I dared to believe in a future. A future where laughter echoed in the air, and where Gwen was by my side, a constant source of warmth and light. She's the reason why I dared to dream of a future at all.
Our phones beeped so I immediately look at the new notification.
I heard Gweneth giggled. Gumawa pa talaga si Maloi ng groupchat naming walo, kahit si Jhoanna na Missing in Action for a few days now ay andoon din.
If We Go Down, We Go Down Together
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