"Hi, this is Heartbreak Hotline, how may I help you?" Napapikit ako ng mariin dahil sa sinabi ko. God! I can't believe I just said that! How can I be so stupid?
"Sorry, what?" Tanong n'ya, halatang naguguluhan.
"Heartbreak Hotline, sir." Yan lang ang naisagot ko. Kailangan kong panindigan 'to.
"Heartbreak what?" Tanong n'ya ulit.
"Heartbreak Hotline. People call here when they're broken hearted. So, tell us you're problem, sir, and we'll try to help you." I said.
"Do people actually do that? Talaga bang tumatawag sila sa inyo para humingi ng advice sa pagmomove-on? Talaga bang sa strangers pa sila nanghihingi ng tulong?" Tanong n'ya. Actually, hindi ko nga rin alam Caleb eh. Wala naman kasi yata talagang Heartbreak Hotline! Pano ko ba yun naimbento!? Siguro dahil pinapakinggan ko yung kantang Heartbreak Hotel. Gosh!
"Surprisingly, yes, they do sir. Apparently, may mga taong mas gustong lumapit sa strangers kesa sa mga kakilala nila. They think na pag may sinabihan silang kakilala nila, kakalat agad yung storya." Huminga ako ng malalim tsaka nagsalita ulit, "So sir, how may I help you? Don't be shy. Tell me."
"A-Actually I had the wrong number. I'm not brokenhearted. I don't need your help."
"Sir, you don't have to lie. I read your texts, I listened to your voicemails. Alam ko sir na napagkamalan mo ang number namin na number ng isang babaeng gusto n'yo. You can tell us the story and I'll try to help you."
"Yeah. I'll think about it. I'll call you back."
He ended the call. Gosh, sana wag na s'yang tumawag ulit. Pag kinwento n'ya ang buong storya, baka hindi ko kayanin at baka hindi ako makapagsalita. I am not good at giving advices.
I tried to calm myself down and try to fall asleep. Tomorrow is another day.
***
Gumising ako ng mas maaga kesa sa normal na gising ko. Lumabas agad ako para bumili ng bagong SIM Card. I need a new phone number. Caleb can't find out that I'm the 'Heartbreak Hotline' girl.
Dali-dali kong tinext si Harmony, at ang iba ko pang mga kaibigan.
To: Harmony, Mary and 33 others
Hi. This is Brianna. :) This is my new phone number. Please delete the old one. Thanks. :)
Message sent!
Yeah. Delete the old one because that is Heartbreak Hotline now.
Aftet I got ready for school, lalabas na sana ako nang biglang may bumosina sa harap ko.
Gosh, it's the R Squad.
"Hey, Brianna, hop in!" Regina said. Sumakay nalang din ako sa kotse nila at sumabay sakanila hanggang makarating ng school.
Sabay-sabay kaming pumasok, si Regina ang nasa harap.
All the attention we're getting... It's making me uncomfortable. Lahat ng tao nakatingin sa'kin. I can hear whispers everywhere. 'Hala bakit s'ya nasa R Squad?' 'Wow, ang ganda pala ni Brianna!'
Tumingin nalang ako sa baba. God, help me. Hindi ako sanay ng ganito.
Napatingin ako sa dulo. Si Mary at Harmony. I smiled at them. Harmony smiled back but all Mary did was roll her eyes.
Hindi nila ako pinansin buong klase. I was with the R Squad the whole time.
Uwian na. They said sabay-sabay na kaming umuwi pero nagpaalam muna ako para magcr.
From: Regina
Andito kaming lima sa garden. Meet us there. XOXO.
Binigay ko rin ang bago kong number kela Regina. They asked for it. Buti pala bumili ako ng bagong SIM.
Naglalakad ako papuntang garden and all eyes are on me! Literally!
"Hey, Brynn!"
"Brianna ang ganda mo!"
"Say hi to Regina for us, please?"
"OMG, how did you get friends with Regina and the others?"
Nakayuko lang akong naglakad. I can't look them in the eye. It's making me uncomfortable.
Nakarating na ako sa garden. Walang tao. Pero kita ko sa di kalayuan sila Regina. Mukhang kami lang ang tao rito.
Ang ganda dito. Ang linis. Ang sarap ng hangin at ang daming magagandang bulaklak. This place is amazing.
"Good. You're here." Biglang sambit ni Gretchen nang mapansin ang presensya ko. She seems...mad. "Brianna please tell me there's an explanation to this. I believe you're a nice person. How can you do this to me?"
"G-Gretchen.. What are you talking about?" Tanong ko. Do they know?
"Brynn, why would you do that? We thought you're our friend!" Biglang sigaw ni Angelica.
"What? I am your friend!" Sigaw ko. Baliw ba sila? Kaibigan talaga nila ako 'no. Kinampihan ko nga sila nung nag-away kami ni Mary eh. I am trying my best to fit in!
"If you are our friend, you won't flirt with Gretchen's boyfriend! Friends don't do that, Brynn." Sigaw ni Carylle. They know.
"Look, I.. I am not flirting with Axl. Hindi na nga kami nag-uusap eh!" Tears started to form around my eyes. They knew. How did they found out? I was trying my best to keep this private. I don't wanna hurt Mary and Harmony, and all other people who love him.
"Kung ganon bakit ikaw ang wallpaper n'ya?" Napatingin ako kay Regina. Ngayon lang s'ya nagsalita mula kanina.
"A-Ako yung wallpaper n'ya? I can't believe he did that." Hindi makapaniwalang sambit ko.
"Yeah, actually hindi lang ikaw eh. Picture n'yong dalawa 'yon. What is with you two!?" Sigaw ni Michelle.
Napatingin ako kay Gretchen na iyak ng iyak. Napapikit ako at naramdaman ko nalang ang pagkawala ng mga luha ko mula saaking mga mata. Mary will never forgive me when she finds out about this.
"A-Axl.. He was my boyfriend. We started dating a long time ago. It was the summer before 8th grade nung niligawan n'ya ako. Dahil gusto ko rin s'ya, sinagot ko s'ya agad. Kahit na alam kong maraming hadlang. Umpisa pa lang ayaw ko na but Axl proved how much he loved me. And I thought it was worth it. We kept our relationship hidden. Ayokong malaman ng mga tao, lalo na ni Mary at ni Kuya Brix. Sabi sakin ni kuya, lumayo ako kay Axl kasi babaero s'ya. I told him that I don't like Axl and we're not dating. Si Mary, araw-araw nag-kukwento sa kung gaano s'ya kapatay na patay kay Axl. Harmony.. She said she doesn't want her brother to date someone. So we hid our relationship. Ang galing nga eh. Isang taon naming natago 'yon. And then, 9th grade, Gretchen happened. It was really funny. Sabi n'ya hindi n'ya na kayang itago yung relasyon namin. Sabi n'ya mahal n'ya daw ako pero tingin n'ya hindi ko pa kayang maghandle ng relasyon kaya nakipagbreak s'ya sakin. Sabi n'ya kaya s'ya nakipagbreak, para hindi na ako masaktan at mahirapan. Haha. But I don't believe him. Naisip ko na baka kaya n'ya lang naman ginawa yun kasi may iba na s'yang nagugustuhan. And heck yeah, I was right! Because 1 week after we broke up, he started dating you, Gretchen. But I made him promise na wag sabihin sa iba na naging kami. So yeah, I stole him from you Gretchen, I stole him!" I said sarcastically. Nagsimula na akong humagulgol. Ako ang nauna pero ako ang nang-agaw? Wow. I can't believe I'm telling this story to them.
"Oh my God, I am so sorry, Brianna. Hindi naman namin alam eh..." Angelica said.
"Brianna... Axl still likes you. You like him too, right? Please don't break his heart. He never stopped loving you. Baka nga kaya lang naging kami kasi gusto n'ya akong pagbigyan eh. What he told you was real. He broke up with you because he thought you need it. Give him a chance, Brynn." Sambit ni Gretchen, pinipigilang umiyak.
"P-Pero.. Please. Itago natin 'to. I don't want anyone to know about us. Mary and I got into a fight recently and if she finds out that I'm lying to her for more than one year, she may never forgive me. Baka magalit rin sakin si Harmony. Please. You have to help me. Keep this a secret for me. Please. I'm your friend, right?" Pagmamakaawa ko. I really hope this stays hidden. I'm trying to forget it.
"Okay. We are gonna keep this a secret. We're doing this because we consider you as our friend, Brynn. Sana kaibigan rin ang tingin mo samin. Please don't listen about what people say about us." Regina said.
Hindi ko alam na matino palang kausap ang R Squad. Akala ko, magagaling lang silang manakit, hindi ko alam na nasasaktan rin pala sila. Today, naramdaman ko na parang tinatrato na talaga nila akong parte ng squad nila. All I need to do is to trust them. I think they're good friends too. Probably better than Mary.
End of Chapter VI...