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* "Sorry." *
Ara's Point of View
"Good morning." bati ko sa kanya.
He simply replied with that infamous smile of his.
It was 4:00 in the morning. I was surprised when I saw him woke up that early. Well, pati nga ako eh. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ako gumising nang maaga.
He was all smiles when she saw me going down the stairs.
"How's your night, bebe?" he said. My cheeks turned red in an instant. Bebe. That was our endearment way back then.
"O-okay n-naman. Ikaw?" I replied. Sheesh. He still has this effect on me. Yung tipong bumabaliktad ang puso pag ngumingiti siya and I could feel the butterflies fluttering in my stomache. And I hate it.
"Yeah, okay naman." he said, flashing that smile again.
After stirring the contents of my coffee, I went to the living room and took a sit on the couch. He followed me with a cup of coffee in his hands.
We were just silent since we don't want to woke them up and see us in this state. Hindi pa kasi nila alam eh and I don't want them to.
I brought out my phone from my pocket and saw 5 messages. Well, there's nothing to urgent in those messages. After that, I checked my Twitter account.
@VSGalang: Morning everyone! Finally! We're going back to Manila today. #AllSmiles
Then suddenly, I felt him hugging me from the back.
"Ano ba! Thomas! Baka may makakita!" saway ko sa kanya. Jeez. This guy can sometimes be annoying.
"C'mon Ara. For Pete's sake, it's 4:35 in the morning. Everybody is still probably asleep. Sheesh." he said, removing his hands on my waist.
"But anyways, gumising ka ng maaga dahil sa akin noh? Yiee." he teased.
What the?!
"U-uy! H-hindi noh! Ang yabang mo parin talaga ano!" I replied sabay palo sa kanya.
"Aww! Masakit!" he said, then he stood up. "No need to be defensive." he continued, giving me a smirk then he ran away from me.
"I'm not!" I was about to attack him when he reminded me that the people in the house are still sleeping.
"Shhh. Wag kang sumigaw."
"Ikaw kasi eh."
"Pwede naman kasing umamin din pag may time eh. Haha." he said then he chuckled.
I badly wanted to leave right now. Grabe. Sa sobrang kahihiyan na nararamdaman ko eh feeling ko mas mapula pa ako sa kamatis.
"Ugh. Stop attracting me." Huh? Ano daw?
I looked at him with one-eye brow raised. "Huh?"
He just covered his face and turned away from me. Which was really ... weird.
* * * *
He left me confused with what he was saying earlier. Attracting him? I don't remember doing anything that would turn him on. Ugh.
"Ara, pa-abot naman nung soy."
Kung inaakit ko naman siya, in what way?
I suddenly felt his lips in my cheeks.
"T-thomas! A-ano ba!" awat ko sa kanya.
Sumimangot siya. "You weren't listening eh. Sabi ko iabot mo yung soy para malagyan ko 'tong niluluto ko." he explained.
Namutla ako na bahagya. "Sorry."
"Ugh. There you go again." sabi niya.
"Ano naman ba! I'm not doing anything!" I told him.
"You're attracting me you know that... with those red cheeks." he said. Mas lalo pa akong namula because of his revelation. He likes girls who blush?
I saw him bit his lips as if trying to control himself.
Oh damn! Stop being so cute, Thomas Christopher Torres.
"You know what? Kung ayaw mong nagpipigil huwag mo akong pinapakilig." I told him which was unbelievable.
Did I really say that? Ugh. Nakakahiya.
"Bilisan na nga natin. Maga-alas singko na oh." I told him in order to divert the topic to a new one.
"Yeah. Pengeng kiss muna." he pleaded.
"Che. Ayoko." I told him.
"Sige na, please?"
"Ayoko nga. Leche ka Thomas! Magluto ka na lang." I scowled at him.
He pouted. "Kung ayaw mong magbigay, ako ang magbibigay." he said and even before I know it, he was kissing me in the lips. It was just a smack but it felt like I'm going to explode inside.
Ugh. The Thomas Torres effect.
* * * *
"Oh daks? Why are you so up early?" tanong ni Mika pagbabang pagbaba niya habang kinikusot kusot pa yung mata niya.
I smiled at her. "Well, we're leaving today, right? Naghanda lang ako na maaga para wala nang aberya pa." I told her.
She gave me the something-is-suspicious-about-you look.
"What? You think I'm lying?" I challenged, "Yun yung maleta ko oh." I said sabay turo ko sa maleta na nakalapag malapit sa upuan.
She looked at me still with suspicion in her eyes while walking to the kitchen.
Bahala siya jan.
* * * *
It was 7:15 in the morning when all of them finally wake up! Mabuti naman ano! Para makakain naman na kami. I've been waiting for like a hundred years already.
We recited the grace of meals and started eating already.
Basically, kaharap ko si Mika, in my left side was Cienne and on my right side is Thomas. Ewan ko nga sa kanya eh. Pa-obvious masyado.
While we were in the middle of eating, I almost broke the ceramic plate when I felt Thomas' hands in my legs.
"May problema ba, Ara?" tanong ni Manang Eva.
I smiled at her, "Wala naman po." I said tsaka ko sila tinignan. They were like basically staring at me. "Hihi. Balik na kayo sa pagkain. Ang sarap kaya ng pagkain."
They all went back to eating. I secretly looked at him, and he was like eating casually like he did nothing. When I caught his gaze I throw him a glare tsaka ko inalis yung kamay niya na nakapatong sa legs ko.
Pero makulit siya, ayaw niya itong alisin. I had no choice but to step on his foot in order for him to stop.
"Aww!" sigaw niya, which caught everybody's attention.
It was his turn to make an excuse. "Aww! Ang init nung sabaw." sabi niya at nagpatuloy ulit sila sa pagkain.
This is so unfair. Ugh. Bakit ang dali dali niya maghanap ng excuse habang ako eh kelangan ko pang i-explain.
What a life.
* * * *
We started venturing back to Manila and we stopped over to the same spot where we did last time.
As usual, we ate sa Jollibee and we were glad na konti lang yung taong andito. There some fans whom we talked and took pictures with but that's it, yun lang talaga.
Mika got jealous though because there were many girls who were flirting with Jeron. Her reaction was just epic and priceless. Nagulat na nga lang kami nung bigla siyang sumungit so we turned around and saw Jeron with some of his fans.
"Tsk. Wag ka nang magselos. Alam mo na namang ikaw lang, diba?" Jeron said when he saw Mika walking away. Napaawang tuloy yung mga bibig nung mga malanding(that's according to Mika, ha?) fans niya due to the fact that he spoke in straight Tagalog and to the revelation.
"Jeron, babe. You didn't tell us na you have a girlfriend na pala."
One of them said, lalo tuloy nagalit si Mika. Haha. Before she could even hit me or something, I went to the comfort room. I just applied a lip balm because my lips were very chappy and dry.
"Holy fud--" He didn't even let me finish my statement because he was already in my mouth.
After a minute maybe? Well, I didn't count it and who's got time for that, he finally stopped.
"I love you. See you sa campus." he said after kissing me and went out of the comfort room.
I was dumbfounded. Things happenned so fast eh.
When I opened the door of the cubicle, I saw him standing there, obviously waiting for me kaya muntik na akong mapamura and then before I knew it he was kissing me.
And I could them again. The feeling I felt when I first saw him. The butterflies and the horses. Ugh. I also realized one thing and that is:
I really love him, that's for sure.
* * * *
We were in the bus. I was on the right side of the second to the last row, while he was on the right. Kaupo ko ngayon si Mika so basically we were just a space away from each other.
Mika- Me (space-daanan) Thomas- Jeron
"Ara, napansin ko lang, ha?" Mika said.
"What?"
"You're unusually happy today." she said.
I bit my lip, "What do you mean 'unusually happy'?" patay-malisya kong tanong.
"I mean you're always happy but today you seem so happy. You know, happier than usual." she explained.
I looked at Thomas and he was smiling like an idiot. Ugh. And I was glad I had these sunglasses.
"Well, nakakamiss kasi ang Manila eh." I just told her.
"Weh?" she said. I sensed the suspicion in her voice. May alam ba siya sa nangyari kagabi?
"Tss. Nagtanong ka pa kung di mo rin lang paniniwalaan. Hay Mika."
What if she does?
I just shrugged it off.
* * * *
We arrived earlier than expected. 2:30 na ng hapon nang nakarating kami.
It was Ate Abi who welcomed us back home.
"Uy, balik na daw sa training. Haha." she teased. But anyways, we missed training a lot, kahit papaano.
"But anyways, Ate Aby. Atat na atat akong magtraining." sabi ko sa kanya. Sobrang stiff neck kasi ang nararamdaman ko ngayon from all the travelling we just had. Ikaw ba naman ang walang ibang ginawa kundi umupo.
"Ako rin!" Mika agreed.
Apparently, all of them agreed that we need to flex our muscles and do some training.
We arrived and saw Coach Ramil training the other players who didn't go with us.
"Alex, make sure you close the block very well. Ikaw naman Desiree, ayusin mo yung kamay mo sa pagblo-block. Tibayan mo." he explained.
Napalingon siya at nakita kami. "Oh! Sa wakas! Buti naman umuwi na kayo." he said.
"Naman, Coach Ramil. Haha." Kim replied.
"Akala ko may balak na kayong tumira sa Tagaytay eh." he said na may tonong nagtatampo in a sarcastic way. I don't know! Basta something like that.
"Coach naman. Babawi talaga kami, promise." I told him. "Kung gusto mo ngayon na, Coach."
"Hindi ba kayo magpapahinga?" he asked.
"No need coach. Tulog lang ang ginawa namin sa bus eh." Mika said, "So let's train na."
"Okay. Go to your designated areas. First stringers Court A, Second stringers B." he said.
* * * *
The training was done and somehow, I felt revitalized. I think I did good in the training.
"Ara, good job. Masaya ka ata ngayon, ah?" Coach Ramil asked.
I merely smiled at him. "Oo naman, Coach. Kailangang everyday happy." I told him as a matter-of-factly.
"Hmm. But you're happiness seems unusual." singit ni Mika.
"Ikaw ha? Kanina mo pa tinatanong yan." I told her then I rolled my eyes heavenwards.
"Is it because of Mr. Antonio?" Coach Ramil asked.
"Well.. ugh. Yeah?" I said nonchalantly. Boy this is awkward. I just bit my lip because of my answer. I was nervous that they might suspect me.
"Okay. Whatever you say, Training adjourned!" Coach said, breaking the silent atmosphere.
I was walking towards the shower area until Mika caught up with me.
"I don't believe you, liar." she told me.
I sighed. "Okay, okay. I'm gonna tell you later sa dorm." I told her then went ahead to take a bath.
Okay Ara, brace yourself. She might hate you for this.
* * * *
I can't believe it. Ugh. Iniwan ba naman nila ako ditong mag-isa. Tsk. They really are my friends.
I had no choice but to walk alone.
I was walking peacefully when I felt my phone vibrated. Inilabas ko ito and I almost dropped it when I saw the Caller's ID.
Si M-myco. Damn it! I'm not ready for this yet.
I took a lungful of air and tapped the accept button.
"Hello?" bati ko.
"Hi, princess. I miss you." he replied
"Wait," I paused as I noticed something. "Where are you. Are you sick?" I asked him.
"Yeah. I'm here in the hospital right now kasi nag-Pneumonia ako eh. Sorry for not texting." he explained.
Napalunok ako. I felt like a lump had occured in my throat just now.
"Is that why you leave earlier than expected?" I managed to ask him.
"Sorry. I don't want to be a burden to you. Ayokong masira ang bakasyon para lang alagaan ako." he said.
I feel like my conscience is killing me now. All this time he was in the hospital and what did I do? I cheated on him.
I just bit my lip to prevent myself from crying.
"Ara, are you still there? I miss you and I love you no matter what." he said.
Napaiyak na ako ng tuluyan.
"Sorry, Myco."