Everybody knows the tragic yet great love story of Romeo and Juliet. The famous star-crossed lovers who was separated by their family. It received praises from it's characters complexity.
Romeo's love was so extreme that he decided to poison himself to join his other half in death. Sadly, upon waking, Juliet finds her lover's lifeless body beside her. Thinking that she can't live without him, she commits suicide by using his dagger.
Who would have thought that their extraordinary love started out with Romeo searching for Rosaline?
Who is Rosaline, you may ask? She was his first love. He spots Juliet first upon catching a glimpse of Rosaline.
She is the reason why the two met.
That makes you think that your actions may cause a ripple of events in your life. More so, finding your great love in your lifetime.
Sana all
"Rhea! Hindi ka na naman nakikinig!" Alys shouted which made me snap out of my trance.
I snapped my head at her. May ilang napalingon sa pagtawag sa akin ni Alys dito sa Cafe. Napatikhim ako.
"Ano ulit?" I asked, turning a page on my book of Shakespeare.
"I said, have you finished your reaction paper!" She moved across our table "This Shakespeare paper is driving me nuts! Wala ako maintindihan!" She exclaimed as she fixed her seat beside mine.
"Oo, tapos ko na kagabi." I mumbled, beginning to read the next chapter in my book.
Lumipat ang tingin ko sa plato ng cheesecake na unti-unting inuusog ni Alys papalapit sa akin.
"Para sa'yo oh." She grinned.
"Ano kapalit?" I raised a brow. Classic move na 'to ni Alys!
"Pabasa ng reaction paper mo?" Malambing niyang sabi.
I playfully rolled my eyes as I pass her my finished assignment.
"Ang bilis mo naman natapos yung paper..." She pouted while reading my paper.
I just shrugged. Ako rin mismo nagulat kung gaano ko kabilis natapos ito. Usually it would take me 2-3 business days to even finish an assignment. But the Shakespearean story was too interesting for me and it kept me busy for a while. Kahit papano ay naligaw ang utak ko sa kakaisip kay Lance at Riah.
Napatikhim na lang ako ng ma-isip ko ulit sila. Naalala ko kung gaano sila kasaya noon sa bakuran namin.
Nakakahiya naman kung umayaw ako sa aming usapan. Nakapasa ako sa physics dahil kay Lance. Dapat lang na tulungan ko siya.
"Grabe naman pala 'tong si Romeo? Ang intense!" Kunot noong sabi ni Alys habang nag babasa.
I only laughed and started eating the cheesecake that Alys gave me. Alam talaga niya paano ako suholin.
I was about to take another bite when Alys said something.
"Speaking of Romeo..." She said, staring at my left side. I followed her line of vision and immediately saw Lance walking at our table.
Eto na naman tayo
"Hello. Pwede maki-upo?" He grinned. Mukhang good mood.
"A-Ah! Sure! Dito ka na umupo, Lance." Alys moved away from her seat. "Paalis naman na rin ako!" She grinned, packing her things along with my paper!
"Bakit? san ka pupunta?" I asked, glaring at her.
"Gagawa ng reaction paper?" She giggled, waving my paper in her hand!
Gusto kong sabunutan si Alys! I know what she's doing! She wants me to get closer to Lance but she doesn't know my deal with him!
"Mauna na ako. Bye, Rhea!" Naka ngiting aso si Alys. Humanda ka talaga sa akin!
"Ang weird ng kaibigan mo." He chuckled as we watch Alys walk out the door.
"I know." I blurted, killing Alys in my head. "Ano pala sadya mo dito?" I asked.
"I didn't see you when I visited Riah." He simply said.
Eto na naman. Ramdam ko ang munting pagsakit ng aking dibdib. Ang lakas ng kabog ng puso ko. I slowly clutched my chest to ease my heart.
Ang simple ng kanyang pagkasabi pero ang laki ng epekto sa akin. Bakit napaka-unfair ng mundo...
Huminga ako ng malalim bago siya sagutin
"Si Riah naman ang pinunta mo 'non." I murmured, comforting my aching heart.
"And you're my friend. Of course I wanted to see you too." He consoled.
I almost scowled at his words. Alam kong gusto niya si Riah. Tanggap ko naman yun eh. Pero wag niya akong suyuin sa kanyang mga salita. He's making the situation harder than it seems.
The bitter sensation was slowly taking over my body and I have no choice but to swallow it. A deal is a deal.
"Cut the chase, why are you here?" I snapped.
He looked surprised at my sudden outburst. Kahit ako mismo ay nagulat na nasabi ko yun kay Lance...
He cleared his throat and sat at the chair across mine.
"Is it a bad time?" He sighed staring straight to my eyes.
The bitterness was suddenly flushed down the drain. Agad itong nawala ng makita ko ang pagkabahala sa kanyang mga mata.
Naawa ako. Naawa ako sa marupok kong puso. Hanggang kailan ako
"No, it's okay." I apologized. "Stressed lang." Pagdadahilan ko.
"Why are you stressed?"
"Acads."
"Anong subject ba yan?" He asked, moving closer to the seat beside me.
He started reading the title of the book I was reading. Para akong mahihimatay sa sobrang lapit namin! Sa sobrang lapit, amoy ko ang kanyang pabango!
"Shakespeare, huh?" He read. "Nakaka-stress nga naman si Shakespeare. Ang lalim na tao no?" He chuckled.
"Yeah." I smiled.
"Despite of people saying that his work is boring, I find them very interesting." He chortled.
"I do, too." I smiled.
"Really? Anong favorite mong play niya? Sonnet?" He said, clearly amused that we share an interest to Shakespeare.
"Romeo and Juliet." Nahihiya kong sabi. His lips pursed in fascination
"Ikaw ba?" I asked back.
"Midsummer nights dream." Lance grinned.
"I like that too. Ang dami lang plots." I crinkled my nose, remembering the wild flow of the story.
"It's good to find someone who also likes Shakespeare, you know?" He chuckled
"Yeah but Riah hates Shakespeare." I blurted out of nowhere.
"Really?" His eyes twinkled with fascination with the mere mention of her name. "What else?"
I sighed. It's about time that I face my deal with him. Kung gagawin ko 'to, Itodo-todo ko na.
"She hates flowers but the sunflower is an exception. She doesn't like raisins and chocolates together. She doesn't drink coffee..." I trailed off. "She likes krispey kreme doughnuts more than—"
"How about you?"
"Huh?"
"What flowers do you like? Do you like coffee?"
Bigla akong natahimik. I was seriously stunned with his words. Why would he even ask me?
Hindi ko alam kung sinasadya niya ba akong paasahin o ako lang talaga nag bibigay ng kulay sa kanyang mga salita.
Mukhang nahalata ni Lance ang bigla kong pagtahimik. He moved away and created a fair distance between us. He smiled reassuringly.
"I also have to know. We're friends right? Para kahit papano masuklian kita." He said.
I slowly nodded and looked away. Oo nga naman. Ang gusto niya si Riah. The silence stretched until I decided to answer his question.
"I like Baby's breath and iced coffees." I blurted
It seems like the awkwardness quickly faded. He smiled again at my answer. I forced one back to him.
I just have to deal with this one sided, platonic relationship with him. As long as I can endure it.
***
Like usual mornings, It's part of my morning routine to contemplate while laying on my bed. Ang daming dumadaan sa aking isipan habang nakatitig ako sa ceiling ng aking kwarto.
Yesterday felt good. I feel like Lance and I connected with our small talk. But I already have an agreement with myself. As long as I can endure it, I'll be his friend. I'll be the bridge for them.
I sighed and rose up from the bed. Nag-ayos ako ng sarili sa banyo para sa school saka bumaba para kumain na.
"Rhea! Buti gising ka na." Riah sheepishly smiled as she saw me walking to our dining area.
I gave her a small smile but it immediately fell as I heard his voice.
"Good morning, Rhea." He greeted
I stood there, frozen. I didn't know if I was fully awake or still dreaming!
"What is he doing here?" I asked when I snapped out of my trance.
"I invited him in. Napa-aga kasi si Lance. we're going to school together." Riah grinned.
Again, I stood there dumbfounded. As long as you can endure it, Rhea.
"Take a seat, Rhea. Kumain ka na." Mommy said. I blinded twice before obeying her.
Our servers offered me coffee and I nodded. I started putting food on my plate when Mommy started a conversation with Lance.
"So Lance, your last name is Buenavista?" He nodded. "How are you related to the owner of the BeVista Company?"
"My family owns it. My father is currently the standing CEO." He said. It looked like he was proud yet uncomfortable with the conversation.
"Oh. That's why you looked familiar." Mommy nodded with Lance's words. "How did you and my daughter meet?" She asked again.
"Riah and I are classmates po." He answered courteously.
"Meaning you're in Section I! You're a smart boy..." She trailed off "Are you my daughter's boyfriend then?" Mommy asked and I almost choked on my food!
"Mommy! He's not my boyfriend!" Suway ni Riah kay Mommy.
"I am not her boyfriend po, Mrs. Cordova." He chuckled and so did Mommy
"Please, just call me Tita." She gave a charming smile to him
"Yes po, Tita." His smile grew.
I let out a small smile even though deep inside, I felt hollow. I feel like I was an outsider in this table. I wish Mommy was this close to me too. I wish she is as warm to me too.
It's obvious that Mommy likes Lance for Riah and I honestly don't know what should I feel about that.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and stood up. Everyone's attention was transferred to me.
"Tapos na po ako." I said and exited the dining area.
"Tapos na rin kami! Shall we go?" Riah suggested to Lance.
He nodded and began to walk towards door, on his way to the car along with Riah. Napadaan sa akin ang kanyang tingin at ngumiti ito ng matamis.
He mouthed the words "Thank you" then placed his hand at the small of Riah's back.
I forced a smile as I watched him assist her in the car's door. Once done, he jogged to the driver's seat and revived the engine.
I knew I looked stupid as I continue to stare at his car driving away. Patuloy kong tinignan iyon hanggang sa maging tuldok na ito sa paningin ko.
The overwhelming feeling took over my whole body. I didn't like this feeling. It was a mix of self-pity and jealousy.
But who am I to like him when his attention isn't for me in the first place? Why do I keep holding on to him? It's just a mere crush. It shouldn't be deeper than that. But why am I hurting?
He really likes her. I can't blame him. Riah is prettier, smarter and more interesting than me. I have to embed that in my brain.
I am the Rosaline in this story and I made my peace with it.
I turned around and entered our car. I scoffed to myself when I felt my tears are at bay. I should have thought of this sooner. I need to stop.
Hindi ko kailangan magpaka-martyr para sa kanila. Kailangan ko ng lumayo. Mas makakabuti ito para sa akin.
I needed to remind myself that I am still young. It's just infatuation with Lance. My feelings will fade eventually.