#ABNQ10 Chapter 10
Marcus Isaiah Nicolas: Hi
Ilang beses ko ng nabasa iyong message niya, but for some reasons, I couldn't find it in myself to reply. One, I just got out from a rather messy relationship, and I was yet to finally be able to say that I was fully recovered. Two, hindi ko siya kilala... Although paano ko siya makikilala if hindi ko siya kakausapin?
Huh.
Why was I thinking too much dahil lang sa simpleng hi?
"Joey!" masayang sigaw ni Kitty nung makita niya ako. I was sitting alone, contemplating on life and whatnots, when she spotted me. I quickly waved at her hanggang sa maupo na siya sa tabi ko. "Busy?"
I shook my head. "Nope, hinihintay ko na lang si Manong. Why?"
"May game daw later sila Psalm sa Brent. Wanna join?"
"Mamaya?" tanong ko. Maaga kasing uuwi sila Mama kaya gusto ko sana umuwi rin nang maaga para sabay-sabay kaming magdinner. Sobrang once in a blue mood lang kasi kaming nakakakain ng sabay-sabay.
She nodded. "Sige na, please? Alam mo naman na 'di na natin nakikita sila Simon lately..." sabi niya na nangungonsensya.
"Busy kasi sila sa basketball," I stated, which was true. High regards kasi ng school ang athletics lalo na ang basketball kaya na-pupullout talaga sa klase 'yung mga players. After practice naman, wala ng energy 'yung mga 'yun para sumama sa 'min. Gets naman namin since ganto naman lagi kapag first sem since game season.
"I know, and as their friends, we should cheer on them, don't you agree?"
I eyed her. "Hindi mo ako titigilan hanggang 'di ako pumapayag, no?"
She grinned. "You know it."
I groaned. "Fine, but hintayin muna natin si Manong, nabibigatan ako sa bag ko." She was looking at me shyly. "Yeah, kasama ni Manong si Jax, geez, Kitty, have some control," sabi ko na dahilan kaya hinampas niya ako.
"Si Anj?" nagawa kong tanungin pagkatapos pag-isipan nang matagal.
She shrugged. "She's fine naman, though she's still feeling really guilty dahil sa nagawa niya... or lack thereof."
I sighed. "Ako rin, e..."
She tapped the top of my head. "It's alright. Magiging ayos din kayo, promise. It's actually better na 'wag muna kayo mag-usap, so you can both think about things... You know? Consider stuff... At least when you're both ready to talk again, level-headed kayo both."
Napailing na lang ako sa lumalabas sa bibig niya. Sobrang halaga kasi kay Kitty ng friendship kasi kami na rin talaga family na tinuturing niya. How hard it must've been for her nung nasa gitna pa kami ng hindi pagkakaintindihan.
After that, we talked about the most random things hanggang sa dumating na si Manong. Pasimple pang sumilip si Kitty (todo effort since heavily tinted iyong sasakyan) kung nasa loob iyong true love daw niya.
"Wala si Jax pala," sabi ko. "Nasa school pa raw; overtime sa library."
She sighed. "Sipag talaga ni Jax..." sabi niya na parang siya hindi masipag, e halos siya na nga ang gumagawa ng lahat ng ginagawa sa council, e.
Dumiretso na kami sa Brent after mabigay ko kay Manong iyong gamit ko. Naglakad lang kami papunta doon since medyo malapit naman. May mga kasabay kaming naglalakad papunta sa school, and most of them were giddy girls.
"It's really weird, no?" Kitty said while sipping her drink.
"What?" I replied while I sipped mine.
"How other girls feel kilig kapag nakikita nila sila Psalm?"
"Agreed," I said.
"Speaking of Psalm... what's happening?"
"Pati ikaw?!"
She laughed. "It's weird kasi, Joey! Biglang naging close kayo ni Psalm, so of course we'd wonder!"
Ugh! Grabe talaga influence nung Matt na 'yun! Pati si Kitty, nadamay sa mga fake news niya! At saka alam niya naman na may Kath na kaya sa buhay ni Psalm, baka bakit ba push na push pa rin sila sa amin ni Psalm? I mean, wala namang nangyayari.
Lahat na lang ng bagay nilalagyan ng malisya... Tsk.
"Wala 'yun," I said in an attempt to dismiss her. "Mahilig sa fake news si Matt."
Pagdating namin sa gym ng Brent, bumili muna kam ng pagkain kasi alam namin na matagal ang laban.
"Ang daming tao..." I said in awe dahil weird na maraming nanonood na magtatakbo sila Psalm pabalik-balik sa court.
"Start ng season, e," Kitty said. I didn't bother ask why she knew kasi syempre alam niya. Member ng council, e. After namin bumili, pumasok na kami sa loob. Dahil maraming tao na nga, wala ng pwesto sa side ng St. Claire's kaya doon kami sa side ng Brent napa-upo.
Tahimik kami ni Kitty na naglalaro—no comment from our side dahil 'di naman kami mahilig pareho sa sports... I mean, naiintindihan namin pero 'di lang talaga hilig. Sa gitna ng game, nakarinig kami ng sigaw from SCA's side.
"Wooo! Go, Brent! Lampasuhin niyo 'yang St. Claire's!"
"I-foul niyo 'yung number 9!"
"Ang pangit mo, GDL!"
Nagkatinginan kami ni Kitty. What the fuck? Ganito ba talaga ang trash talk sa basketball?
"Go, Psalm! Go, number 16!"
Sabay napaawang iyong labi namin ni Kitty. She was asking me kung kilala ko ba iyong babae na malakas sumigaw. I kept silent, but I knew that that was Kath. I should know—ilang beses ko ba naman makita mukha niya sa newsfeed ko, e.
"New victim ni Psalm?" Kitty asked. I shrugged; she frowned. "I thought..." she trailed, but didn't continue while looking at me sadly.
Tsk. Bakit parang biglang mukha akong kawawa?
* * *
After the game, nakita kami nila Matt, so they asked us to wait for them. Kitty was excited to go down dahil nanalo kami. She wanted to congratulate Saint for saving the game daw.
"Sama ka?"
Tumango ako kasi ayoko naman isipin ni Kitty na affected ako sa nangyari kasi hindi naman. Tahimik lang akong bumaba sa court while Kitty's bouncing. Ang daming energy!
"Congrats, Psalm!" Kitty said kasi si Psalm ang una niyang nakita.
"Thanks, Kitty!" Psalm said, grinning at Kitty. "Joey!" sabi niya na nagulat na nanood ako. "I thought basketball bore you?"
"Hinatak ako ni Kitty," I said, shrugging.
He faked a hurt. "Here, I thought you came to cheer on me."
"Arte, ha," I said, then tossed him a Blue Gatorade. "Congrats sa laban niyo kahit si Saint ang nagpanalo."
Magrereklamo pa sana si Psalm nung biglang may lumapit. I immediately turned my attention at Kath. Ngayon ko lang siya nakita ng malapitan. Ang ganda niya. She's kinda small, but she looked so confident that it made up for the lack in the height department.
"Congrats!" she said, looking at Psalm. She was all smiles, even blushing a little.
"Thanks," simpleng sagot ni Psalm na naka-ngiti.
"Ang galing mong maglaro kanina..." Kath said, tucking a small portion of her hair behind her ear. "Sorry nga pala 'dun sa kanina. Promise, I tried my best to stop them!"
Psalm laughed. "That's fine. I know Preston."
Kath blushed. Again. "I know, right? Sobrang hater niya!"
They continued to talk. I knew that that was my cue, so I slowly left them alone.
"Joey!" narinig ko na tawag sa akin ni Psalm bago pa man ako makalayo.
I turned around to face him. "What?" I said, my face stretched with a smile.
Bahagyang kumunot iyong noo ni Psalm. Parang may sasabihin siya, but then decided against it. "Nothing," he said, his forehead still slightly creased. "Will catch you later."
I just did the 'roger' sign habang naglalakad palabas. I sat on one of the benches while waiting for the other guys. While I was waiting, I tried to fiddle with my phone.
Jax: Late uwi
Me: Duh. May date ka na naman?
Jax: Inggit ka?
Me: Panget mo. Wag ka ng umuwi
Malapit na akong gumawa ng compilation ng screenshots ng kasamaan ng ugali ni Jax, at ibibigay ko kay Kitty ng mahimasmasan iyong kaibigan ko. While I was thinking of an annoying reply kay Jax, my phone showed a notification.
Marcus Isaiah Nicolas: Hi
Hesitantly, I clicked on the notification that re-directed me to the app. Nakita ko na nagdouble send lang pala siya nung Hi kasi hindi ko pinansin iyong una. Nagsend na naman siya. Gusto niya talaga akong kausap?
Marcus: Hi?
Marcus: What did the mother donut tell her kid?
Marcus: Anak, bavarian!
Agad na kumunot ang noo ko sa nabasa ko. May sira ba sa ulo 'to? Bakit nagjojoke mag-isa?!
I was about to reply, when I saw Psalm approaching. Mabilis kong tinago iyong phone ko sa loob ng bag ko nang makita ko siya. He was grinning, and it annoyed me. Ano na naman ngini-ngisi nito?
"Joey," he said, spreading his arms wide like he's expecting a hug or something.
"Problema mo?" tanong ko na naka-kunot ang noo.
Nawala bigla iyong ngisi niya. "Biglang bad mood?" he asked, slightly pouting. Ang weird!
"San sila? Gutom na ako," I said.
"But you just finished a bucket of popcorn," sabi niya na takang-taka.
Kumunot na naman ang noo ko. "Bakit mo alam?"
"Saw you earlier," he said.
"Daming tao kaya," I replied. Sabay kaming naglakad pabalik sa gym dahil nandun pa yata sila Matt. After kasi nila mag-ayos sa dugout, bumabalik sila usually sa gym para kausapin iyong mga fans na nagstay para sa kanila. Ewan ko nga kung bakit nandito si Psalm, e siya iyong usually sobrang accommodating.
"Knew you were coming," he said, tousling my hair without effort kasi duh ang tangkad niya naman ng 'di hamak sa akin na normal na tao lang!
"Weh?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I forced Kitty to drag you here because—" hindi natapos iyong sasabihin niya dahil nagvibrate iyong phone niya. Nang makita niyang si Saint iyong tumatawag, he groaned in frustration.
"Sagutin mo na, baka importante," I said. 'Di naman kasi mahilig magtext or tumawag iyong magkakapatid na 'to maliban na lang kung importante. Kasi nga, basketball is life talaga daw.
Psalm answered the phone, and his forehead kept on turning into a crease while he was in the middle of the conversation. Kung anuman ang sinasabi sa kanya ng kapatid niya, nakakainis siguro kasi muntik na maging dikit kilay nitong broccoli na 'to, e.
"I have other plans," he said. "No. That's your life, Saint. Keep me out of your crazy shits," sabi niya bago ibaba iyong tawag. Binalik niya iyong tingin sa akin na parang walang nangyari. "So... where do you want to eat?"
"Ano 'yun?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Just Saint being annoying."
"Bet again?"
He shook his head. "He's asking me to join them."
"Them... means with Kath?"
He looked at me suspiciously. "...why?"
I shrugged. "Wala lang; curious. Masama ba?"
He grinned. "Nothing. Was beginning to think that Matt's right."
Biglang nanlaki iyong mga mata ko, but thankfully, I was quick to bounce on my feet. I acted like I was barfing. "Excuse me? 'Di tayo talo! At saka isa pa, may iba akong prospect!"
Binilisan ko iyong lakad ko para makabalik na agad kami sa gym. At least sa gym, nandun si Kitty na mas favorite nilang inisin. Kapag ganto kasi na kaming dalawa lang ni Psalm, malamang ako lang iinisin niya.
"Who?" he shouted behind me. I was actually already running, pero si Psalm, naglalakad lang, pero maaabutan niya pa rin ako! Curse his long legs!
"Secret!" sigaw ko pabalik.
"Maybe that's me!" natatawa niyang sigaw.
"Kilabutan ka nga!"
"Then who?" he shouted again.
But I ran faster, baka kung ano'ng pangalan pa masabi ko!