CHAPTER 17
CORA'S POV
Everyone's enjoying Glee's party. It's her 25th birthday, but the event seemed to be her debut. She wasn't able to experience it before, so now that she has money, she had decided to celebrate it today. There were 25 candles, 25 roses, and 25 treasures as well.
Freiya's name was called. He's the 20th man to dance with Glee. He slightly smiled and began to dance with her. When he's done, he silently sat down beside me and I expelled a sigh in frustration.
“What's wrong with you?” I asked with my brows knit together.
Akala niya siguro ay hindi ko napapansin na kanina pa siya wala sa mood! Tss!
“Ha?”
See? He seemed to be out of this world!
“You should have told me that you're not in your mood tonight. Mukhang wala nga ring mangyayaring progress sa plano natin, eh,” inis ko pa ring sabi.
“Ahh, sorry, pero makakaya ko pa rin namang gawin ang trabaho ko ngayon,” sagot niya habang klaro na pilit ang ngiting ipinapakita niya.
Gosh! How I wish I am a psychic so I could just use my superpower to figure out what's happening with him. Damn. Do gays also have PMS?!
“Seriously, Freiya? Eh, kanina nga when they're asking you about some stuff, isang sagot lang ang sinasabi mo.”
“Sorry.”
He's unenergized, he's showing less emotions, he is not as though in his right mind. Is he just tired or he no longer wants to continue his job?
“Do you want to resign? Go on, tell me, para makahanap ako agad ng bago!” iritado kong sabi, but I had to keep my voice low dahil may mga kasama rin kaming ibang tao, then I rolled my eyes at him.
Nakakainis! Chance na namin para pag-awayin si Silver at Dahlia, tapos ngayon pa siya nawala sa mood? Potek!!!
“Oo.”
I looked at him again in an instant. D-Did I hear him right? Did he say yes?! Damn!!!
“Follow me,” utos ko sa kanya.
I stood up and went outside. It's a good thing everyone's inside. Sapalagay ko rin ay walang maliligaw rito ngayon. Sana. Hindi kasi pwedeng doon kami sa loob magsagutan. I'm not into scandals, and obviously, I'm afraid we suddenly spilled our secret. Naramdaman ko naman ang pagsunod niya sa akin. I stopped when we reached Glee's garden area. Then, I faced him, ignoring these sh*tty mosquitoes flying around!
“Bakit?” tanong ko.
“Hindi ko kaya,” seryosong sagot niya.
“Ano?”
Malapit na kaming mag-isang buwan, tapos sasabihin niya sa akin ngayon na hindi niya kaya?! Putcha naman pala!
“Naisip ko kasi kanina, hindi ko pala kayang manira ng relasyon ng iba.”
God damn it! Ngayon pa talaga siya naduwag?! My plans are firmly fixed! At sa lahat ng mga plano ko, alam ko na siya lang ang makakatulong sa akin!
“Bakit ngayon pa?! Bakit ngayon pa when everything went so smooth, Freiya?! When everyone really believed that we're in a relationship?! When Sil—”
Sh*t! He cut my words when I felt his lips pressing against mine!!! W-What the hell?! I am about to push him, but his hand tightened on my waist, lifting me closer, and deepen the damn kiss!!! Then, I heard footsteps heading toward—us?
“Cora?”
It's Silver!!!
“Oh, sorry,” he said.
Freiya finally let me go and I feel so embarrassed when I looked at Silver while chasing for my breath.
“A-Akala ko kasi nag-aaway kayo,” he added.
“Ha? Bakit?” I asked him back.
“I heard you yelled.”
I bit my lower lip as I glanced at Freiya. Tumitig siya sa akin at muli na naman akong nakaramdam ng hiya. Potek!!!
“A-Ah, napalakas lang siguro 'yong boses ko, but we weren't fighting,” sabi ko.
“Ba't ka nga pala nasa labas?” Freiya asked in his real, manly, serious voice!
Damn! Akala ko ba ay ayaw niya na?! Tss.
“I-I am just trying to catch some fresh air,” Silver replied.
Well, I know, he's lying. Five years din kaming nagkasama ni Silver, so kilala ko na rin siya.
“Really?” I asked.
Just trying to see if he will lie twice in a row. Kasi kung oo, edi manloloko talaga siya.
“Yeah, so sige, balik na ako sa loob,” without a last glance, he turned his back and walked away.
Ano kaya talaga ang plano niya kung bakit siya lumabas? Did he purposely follow us? What for? Is he trying to know something? Sh*t. Nahahalata ba niyang fake lang ang relationship namin? Or was it because of Freiya's attitude tonight kaya siya naghihinala?
My thoughts were interrupted when Freiya speaks, “Sorry,” he said while his eyes are sincerely staring at mine.
“Of all the choices you had, kissing me is really what you've chosen to shut me up?” I asked and confusion is really visible in my eyes.
“Ganyan kasi sa movie at sa mga libro. Ginaya ko lang para cute.”
Damn! Hindi ko napigilang matawa sa sagot niya. Pakiramdam ko nawala bigla ang galit ko sa kanya.
“And besides, Corazon, hindi na naman dapat tayo magulat sa ginawa ko, hindi naman natin ito first time.”
I-I felt my cheeks burning! What the heck?!
“A-Ano ba?! Stop reminiscing the past!” asar kong sabi at saka ako nag-umpisang maglakad pabalik sa loob.
“Hoy, iiwan mo ko rito?” tanong niya.
Huminto ako sa paglalakad, then I looked at him again. “We're done, right? You can now go home,” sabi ko at muling nag-umpisang maglakad.
But I suddenly felt a hand around my arm, making me stop from walking. “Pakonsensya ka naman masyado,” aniya.
Well, it's really my intention to hit his conscience. Hindi naman sa mahihirapan na akong humanap ng ibang Gay boyfriend if ever he really gives up, natatakot lang ako sa iisipin ng mga taong kilala ako na hindi man lang kami umabot ni Freiya nang isang buwan ay may bago na naman ako. They will either think that I am really into something or I have gotten a slut. Gosh! I've never wished to become one.
“Oo na, push na 'to. Sirain na natin ang relasyon nila. Mapatawad sana ako ng Panginoon, mapatawad sana tayo.”
I was caught off guard. Alam kong mali ang ginagawa at gagawin namin, but I just hope God understands me. Ito lang naman eh, after ruining their relationship, I'll never commit the same mistake again. First and last na ito.
“Mukha mo, sising-sisi, halika na nga,” he said, then he held me in my hand and grabbed me inside.
FREIYA'S POV
Shuta mga bakla! Parang sira talaga ang utak ko ngayon. Natatakot kasi ako na makita kami ni Troy, tapos maalala niya ako, at maalala rin bigla ni Corazon kung sino ako.
She despised me when were kids! Ano na lang ang mangyayari kapag nalaman niya na ako si Lexter Jared Asuncion? Ang batang insecure na insecure sa kanya noong elementary kami, ang bata na laging pinapaalala sa kanya na ang panget ng pangalan niya, pang matanda, at higit sa lahat ang taong naging dahilan kung bakit napakaraming may ayaw sa kanya noong high school kami?
Natatakot talaga ako. Natatakot akong magalit na naman siya sa akin, tapos itong friendship namin ngayon, masira na lang bigla.
Shuta! Ihahanda ko na lang ang sarili ko. Pero, sa ngayon ay, sige, tutulungan ko muna siya. Bahala na kapag nagkita-kita kaming tatlo, tatanggapin ko ang galit niya sa akin.
Ahhhh! Naiiyak ako!!!
“Are you okay?” tanong ni Dahlia.
Oo, kasama ko ang bruha! Actually, kami lang ang naiwan sa mesa. May kausap si Corazon, professor daw nila noong college at favorite nito si Corazon at si Silver, kaya ayon sila, nagtatawanan. Aba!
“Ah, oo,” sagot ko naman kahit hindi.
Bukod sa ang gulo ng isip ko, eh dumagdag pa itong babaeng ito na nakakulay orange na dress na talagang fit na fit sa katawan niya at kumikinang pa.
Dancer ka sa club, Ghurl?
“You mentioned last time na matagal na kayong magkakilala ni Cora, so kahit ba bago pa lang kayo, you're still planning to marry her?”
Anak ng tokwa. Interview ba ito?! Nakakatakot namang magkamali! Baka konting maling sagot ay masira ang plano ni Corazon. Okay, dapat think before you click.
“Why not? Corazon's a wife material and besides, I am seeing my future with her.”
Sige, sinungaling ka, Ghurl. Pero, hayaan na, para sa mga plano ni Missy.
“I hope Silver, too,” aniya kaya namilog talaga ang mga mata ko.
“Ano?”
“What I mean is I hope Silver thinks the same as you, na for him, I'm a wife material at ako ang nakikita niya na makakasama niya haggang sa dulo,” shuta, ramdan na ramdan ko na asang-asa siya!
Ampoteeek! Nagkakatotoo na yata iyong sinabi ko kay Corazon na hindi ko kayang manira ng relasyon ng iba. Jusko! Ayoko nito.
“Ahh, ipagdasal mo na lang 'yan.”
Like, hello, wala na akong masabi pa. Ayoko ring paasahin ang babaeng ito at magsabi ng mga comforting words dahil ang plastik-plastik ko na kung ganoon. At saka ayoko ring magsalita pa at baka masabi ko sa kanya ang nangyari kanina na sinundan kami ni Silver.
Hindi ko alam kung ano iyong balak niya sana kung bakit niya kami sinundan, ang alam ko lang ay gusto niyang makausap si Corazon. Kanina pa siya panay titig kay Missy, eh. Mukhang naguguluhan na siya. It's either sa nararamdaman niya o baka naman sa amin ni Corazon? Shuta!
Sige, roon tayo sa medyo positive, mukhang naguguluhan na siya sa nararamdaman niya sa first love niya at sa ex niyang mas matagal niyang nakasama sa lahat ng naging exes niya.
Hay, Jusko!
“Dahlia, maiwan muna kita, banyo lang ako,” pagsisinungaling ko pa, pero gusto ko lang talaga siyang takasan.
The more kasi na hahaba ang usapan, the more na hahaba rin ang kasinungalingan at baka mabisto pa ang katotohanan. So, play safe muna ang bakla.
CORA'S POV
“I enjoyed talking with you again, Cora and Silver, but for now, I will let you enjoy Glee's day, dito na rin muna ako at makikipag-usap sa mga amiga ko,” Professor Annie said.
She's my best professor in college. Sobrang bait niya talaga, hindi ka mapi-pressure sa kanya. Chill lang at parang walang problema sa buhay. She's here because she's Glee's Tita. Ang saya lang na makausap siya ulit after a long year.
“She's still witty,” Silver said with a smile. I agreed straight away.
Tiningnan ko kung saan ko huling iniwan si Freiya, pero wala na siya roon, even Dahlia. Sh*t, don't tell me magkasama sila ngayon? OMG!
“Nakakatawa si Prof, alam naman niyang we're both happy with our current relationship, pero umaasa pa rin siya na magkakatuluyan tayo sa huli.”
Hindi ko napigilang mapatingin sa kanya. Mukhang ang saya-saya niya, ha. Baka pati rin siya ay umaasa? Hmm. I can sense my victory tonight.
“Ahh, by the way, Cora, are you still using the same phone number?”
Aha! There you go!
“Yes, why?” I asked with a triumphant smile on my face.
“Hmm, wala lang,” aniya.
Paligoy-ligoy pa. Tapos, one day, bigla ko na lang makikita ang pangalan niya sa screen ng cellphone ko. Tss. My gosh, Silver.
“Sige, ha, Silver, hanapin ko lang si Jared,” akmang aalis na ako nang bigla niya akong hinawakan sa kamay.
Freaking sh*t!!! I could actually feel my heart pounding so damn fast!
“B-Bakit?” hindi ko alam kung bakit ako kinakabahan. God!
“Y-You've gotten even prettier,” he said, sharply staring in my eyes!
Oh, God! This may sound cheesy, pero pakiramdam ko ay hinihigop ni Silver ang mga mata ko. Somebody, help! Ayokong mabilog niya na naman ako sa simpleng bulok na linyang iyon!
“She always gets pretty every single day, it's not even new,” Freiya said from behind.
Thank, God, for saving me.
He smiled at him as he pulled off Silver's hand that held mine, and he intertwined ours afterward. Ipinakita niya pa kay Silver as if he's really so proud that he's now holding my hand!
“My girlfriend, so I only have the right to hold hands with her like this,” he added and grabbed me away while I heard him giggle.
So, I guess the victory lies in Freiya's hand. Tsk!