A/N: Hi, guys! Shienelle (peachygirl012) made a facebook page for Hopeless Romantic and Hopeless Romantic 2: Bitter to keep you guys updated. Feel free to post or ask there, btw! Ciaooo! Super konting chapters na lang before the epilogue! =))
https://www.facebook.com/HopelessRomanticWP
or click the external link! =))
CHAPTER FORTY
He quit...
He quit...
He quit...
Nakatulala ako ngayon at iniisip yung mga nangyari kagabi. He quit. Pero bakit hindi ako naiiyak? Maybe because umaasa pa ako? Maybe because even if nag quit siya, he still said he loves me. Meaning, may chance ako. What if ako yung manligaw sa kanya? Sasagutin niya ba ko? Hindi na ba siya magqquit?
I sighed. Nakaupo lang ako sa bench, indian sit, yung chin ko nasa hand ko tapos yung elbow ko naman, nakapatong sa hita ko.
"Uy! Kanina ka pa diyan hinga ng hinga ah. Are you okay?" Sabi ni Katy habang nakahawak siya sa shoulder ko.
"Okay lang," I sighed again. Hmmm...
"Uy si Justin oh! Saan pupunta yun?" Syempre, napalingon agad ako. I saw justin, papalabas ata ng campus. May class pa siya ah? May practice pa kami!
"Wait lang Katy ah. Una ka na sa classroom. BRB!" I kissed her cheeks and followed Justin. Syempre dahan dahan lang para hindi niya ako makita. Nag lakad siya and sumakay ng taxi so pumara din ako ng taxi.
"Kuya, pasundan yung taxi sa unahan natin please please please? Importante lang po."
"Sige po, pakidagdagan na lang ho yung bayad mamaya."
"Opo opo, dalian niyo na po please!"
With that, naabutan namin si Justin. Bumaba ako ng taxi 20 seconds after niyang bumaba ng taxi. Oo, tinagalan ko na talaga. Plus yung seconds pa na nadagdag noong nag bayad ako. Ang kulit kasi ni kuya. Ang lapit lang naman pero 30 pesos pinapadagdag sa akin. Grrr.
Bumaba na ako pero fck, I lost him!
Hinanap ko siya hinanap sa park hanggang sa nakita ko siya sa swing. Sa isang swing naman na katabi niya, nakaupo doon yung isang babae. Nakatalikod silang dalawa. Ughhh! Alexa. That girl is Alexa, I'm super duper sure!
"She's so mad at me, but seriously, I don't care. I am sorry for what happened, Justin. Hindi naman ako nagmamalinis, pero if I were in her shoes, I wouldn't leave you."
Hindi ko alam kung maiinis ako o maiinis pero naiinis ako!
"But the problem is, she's Rylie and you're not her. Napapagod na ako pero tuwing iniisip kong lalayo ako sa kanya, mas napapagod ako."
"But you already told her you quit..."
"I did because I have to."
He has to???
"Why don't you just tell her that the reason why you want to stay away from her is because-"
Hindi natapos ni Alexa sasabihin niya kasi nag salita agad si Justin.
Because whaaaat? Oh God!
"Alexa... Don't change the topic. Hindi ako naniniwalang ikaw nag cut ng video."
"Ako nga. Ako lang..." I smell something. Hmmm.
"Will you please stop lying?" Mukhang frustrated na si Justin.
"Fine... Don't tell Rylie, okay?" She sighed, "It was Jessa who cut the video," Jessa as in alalay niya? Yung epal ng epal habang naguusap kaming dalawa? Why would she do that?
"What?"
"She did that because she wanted revenge. She was the one who took the video and also the one who edited it. I told her to throw it away but right after she saw how broken I was, she gave it to someone... pero edited version na yung binigay niya. She did that for me so please, ayoko siyang madamay dito."
Si Jessa...
I need to find her, but how?!
I left them and went back to school. Pinuntahan ko na si Kent...
"Kent!" Pagod na pagod ako kakahanap sa kanya. Hindi na nga ako pumasok sa next class ko eh. Buti na lang alam ng DSG yung sched ng mga members.
"What?" He asked, naistorbo ko kasi.
"Do you know Jessa? If so, alam mo ba number niya o kaya kung saan siya nakatira? Or kung nasaan siya ngayon?"
Tiningnan lang niya ako...
"Kent, please? Alam kong may alam ka sa mga nangyayari."
He shook his head, "Wala akong alam. Just go..."
"Kent, sige na please. Kahit sabihin mo na lang sa akin kung anong alam mo. Kahit yun na lang... Please?"
"Wala nga akong alam, diba?! Umalis ka na!" Tinulak niya ko. Mahuhulog na sana ako sa floor if not for the guy na nasa likod ko. Napasandal ako sa kanya tapos hawak hawak niya braso ko.
Pag tingin ko, "Dylan?"
Inayos ni Dylan yung tayo ko. Ang sama ng tingin niya kay Kent. Nakita ko naman si Katy na papunta sa akin...
"Uy, Ry. Okay ka lang?" She asked.
I nodded. Okay lang ako basta ibigay niya sa akin yung number ni Jessa or ikwento lang niya yung alam niya. Mababaliw na ko, damn!
"Excuse me lang pre, pero babae yan. Umayos ka naman," Sabi ni Dylan.
Nilagay lang niya yung both hands niya sa pocket, he shrugged his shoulders, and walked away. WTF?! Ang tagal ko siyang hinanap tapos lalayo lang siya? NO WAY!
Kaya ang ginawa ko, hinabol ko siya kahit pinigilan na ako ng dalawa.
"Guys, trust me just this once. Please? Let me talk to him. Hindi ako papayag na saktan niya ako, okay?" I smiled weakly and ran again towards him.
"KENT!" Hinarangan ko siya.
"Get out of my way."
He sighed, "Mag-uusap naman kayo mamaya, diba?"
Fck, mag-uusap kami ni Josh mamaya. I almost forgot!
"Bakit?" Tanong ko.
"Use your stupid brain, Rylie," Tinulak niya ng mahina yung gilid ng noo ko. "Paano ko nga ba nalaman ng lahat ng 'to? I don't ever care about you, pero nadamay ako. Ano, paano nga ba?"
"S-si J-josh?"
"Ang tanga mo, yun lang," Sabi na naman ni Kent. Ouch ah!
"Kent, thank you ah, pero sinong tanga ulit? Kung wala ka palang pake at kung ayaw mo pala madamay, bakit noong blind date pati ibang araw, may mga sinasabi ka sa akin? Why didn't you just mind your own business at wag na lang akong kausapin? Bakit mo pa binigay sa akin yung calling cards?"
"Napag-utusan lang ako."
I shook my head, "Napag-utusan?" I smirked. "Sorry to say this, pero bakit ka sumusunod? Are required to obey him? Tatay mo ba siya?"
"Nag-iisip ka din naman pala. Fine, I love him! I love Josh." He clenched his fists, parang nagpipigil ng iyak. "I love him kaya kahit mukha na akong tuta kakasunod sa kanya, okay lang."
"W-what?"
"First year high school... I was bullied," Parang hirap na hirap siyang sabihin. "I was getting bullied by some jerks who think they're cool. They called me names. Mama's boy, fag, gay, little ducky gay princess..."
".........."
"They even pulled pranks on me until Josh fought for me then we became friends. Nasama ako sa barkada niyang gago. Bet, you didn't know I was getting bullied. You didn't even know me until I joined DSG. You were no average, Rylie. You were the miss popular girl in campus but you didn't know that. Kaya ang daming naiinggit sayo. Kaya ka din pinagpupustahan ng mga tao. You were their trophy girlfriend..."
"I- I didn't know..."
"Yeah, of course, you didn't know. You were almost perfect kung hindi ka lang tanga at manhid. Matalino ka nga sa acads, pero ang tanga mo naman when it comes to real world. Masyado kang mabait, nakakainis! Kaya nga nag quit si Josh sa barkada nila. Syempre, nag quit din ako. Kaya lang naman ako sumasama sa kanila dahil nandoon si Josh. I hate them..."
"B-bakit nag quit si Josh?"
"Dahil sayo. He broke up with his girlfriend and stayed away from his friends because of you. Sobrang na-guilty siya eh. Besides, narealize niyang wala silang kwenta. Totoo naman eh, wala talaga silang kwenta. I was happy that time kasi kaming dalawa yung laging magkasama. Sa akin niya kinikwento lahat kaya wag kang mag taka kung madami akong alam. Yung blind date? Hindi naman ako pupunta doon kung hindi niya ako pinakiusapan. Yung calling cards? Siya ang nagpapabigay nun. Nasasaktan siya dahil sayo pero wala akong magawa..."
Kent's mad at me. That's why he's mad at me. Fck!
"K-kent... Sorry. I'm so sorry..."
He shook his head, "You don't have to apologize. Just shut up and everything's going to be fine."
I nodded.
"Talk to Josh. He's not yet ready but he said he has to be."
I still... can't believe it. Nakatulala lang ako sa kanya.
He's... He's...
"What?"
"P-pero-" I pointed at him.
"Hindi ka makapaniwala? I'm gay, Rylie. Bakla, homosexual, effeminate, bading, or whatever. Hindi ka nagkakamali. You head it right. Kaya kung ayaw mong makatikim, siguraduhin mong walang makakaalam dahil oras na kumalat 'to, ikaw ang sisisihin ko dahil ikaw lang naman pinagsabihan ko."
"Ako lang nakakaalam?" I pointed at myself.
"Tanga ka talaga."
I hugged him tightly...
"What the fck?" He said, gulat na gulat.
"Thank you and sorry, Kent! Thanks for telling me this."
"Hey, don't touch me... Move..." Para siyang nandidiri pero wala akong pake!
"Don't worry, walang makakaalam. Your secrets are safe with me."
He pushed me, "Baka kung anong isipin nila, umayos ka."
I laughed then he turned his back on me and started walking.
"Thank you."
He whispered but I heard that. OMG OMG OMG!
Pag talikod ko, I saw Justin...
"Hi!" I greeted him.
He nodded lang and walked away from me. Oh-kay...
"Justin!" Kinalabit ko siya.
"What?"
"I- I- I lo-" Kaya ko 'to!
"You what?"
"I... Can... C-can- Ughh, sorry."
He chuckled.
"Nevermind. Bye!"
I walked away from him. Tinext nga pala kami ng director na wala na kaming practice ngayon kasi may meeting siya. Buti naman! Kaya pala okay lang kay Justin na mag tagal sa labas. Grr! Lumabas na agad ako ng school at sumakay ng taxi.
Bzzzzzzzzzt. Bzzzzzzzzzt.
Josh calling...
I accepted the call.
"Rylie?"
"I'm on my way."
GO RYLIE!!!