Chapter 6
Sheantan
"Guys, Sean texted. He said him and Bea are bringing a new friend with us. New student daw. He specifically told us to 'behave'."
I announced it to our friends. Magkakasama kami ngayon sa school cafeteria. We have this certain table na palagi naming kinakainan so kapag lunch parang established na na spot namin 'to. Sorry na if clique-ish.
Katabi ko si Dexter ngayon, kasama namin si George and Chuck. Si Yas naman katabi si Ivo na parang may pinagtatalunan.
"What's up Yas?" tanong ko. Napatingin naman siya sa akin.
"Nirereto ko kasi si Ivo sa friend ko. She's really nice. Kakauwi lang niya galing Florida. She's really pretty! And nanonood siya ng Dragonball Z and some anime so magkakasundo kayo."
Pilit ni Yas, tahimik lang si Ivo.
"Yas, pwede ba tigilan mo akong ireto sa friends mo? Nakailang kaibigan ka na sa akin, wala namang nagwork out. Last time nagalit pa sila sa'yo kasi 'gago' daw ako. Do you want to lose a friend again?" Sagot ni Ivo. Oh, so that's why.
"It's—I just—I really want you to have someone na, Ivo. I hate seeing you with different girls all the time. It's time to grow up." Noong sinabi ni Yas yun kumunot agad noo ni Ivo.
Kinurot ko nang konti si Dex para panoorin sila and awatin if ever magsimula sila magaway pero kinurot niya lang ako pabalik kaya nagkurutan lang kami roon.
"Yasmin, ilang beses ko ba sasabihin sa'yo na tigilan mo ako? Stop fixing me! I. Am. Not. Broken." Sagot ni Ivo, halatang nagpipigil.
Lahat kami nakatingin na sa dalawa. Si George tumigil na kakanood sa k-drama or kpop niya.
"But you are! Stop saying you're not and fix your issues! Hindi ka namin matutulungan kung hindi ka magsasabi, Ivo!" Sagot naman ni Yas pabalik. Hindi ko alam bakit sobrang nastrestress si Yas over it.
Yes, matagal na naming pinaguusapan yung pagplaplay around ni Ivo. We tried talking to him pero palagi lang niya sinasabi na hindi sila compatible ng mga dinadate niya. But... 3 girls in a week? Isn't that too much?
"With all due respect Yasmin, wala kang karapatan sabihan ako to fix my issues. You don't know anything!" Sigaw ni Ivo.
Napahawak na ako sa braso ni Dexter. They're fighting.
Oh, Sean is going to be so mad.
"That's why I'm telling you to reach out to us, Ivo! Please!"
"WILL YOU STOP IT?!" Sigaw ni Ivo.
"What's happening?! Ivo, huwag mong sigawan ang girlfriend ko!" Dumating si Sean tapos pumagitna agad siya kay Ivo and Yasmin.
"Wow. Of course kasalanan ko na naman. Nanahimik lang ako pero biglang naging kasalanan ko. Alis na lang ako kasi baka masira ko pa mood niyo." Tumayo si Ivo tapos umalis.
"I'm getting him." Sabi naman ni Bea tapos bigla siyang tumakbo at sumunod kay Ivo.
Lahat naman kami natigilan. Nakatitig lang ako sa kung saan tumakbo yung dalawa, naramdaman ko na lang na hinawakan ni Dex yung kamay ko tapos he's massaging it. He knows it helps me relax. I looked at him and smiled, he did the same.
"Ahem. Umm. Should I... go?" May random person na nagsalita.
Lahat kami tumingin sa kanya and oh wait—isn't he—
"I'm sorry. Guys, this is Calix. He's a new student, and he's friends with Bea so I invited him to eat with us. Sorry dude, medyo may gulo lang. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Calix just smiled at Sean.
Sean! My twin! How do they know each other? What new student? Isn't he my Grab driver?!
"WAIT! Aren't you my Grab driver? And our janitor? So why are you a new student? Niloko mo ba ako? Or do you have a twin? I can't—What's happening?"
Tuloy tuloy kong sinabi, yung mukha niya parang narealize din niya na ako yung kausap niya.
"Miss Grab?" he asked, he sounded surprised.
"Yeah?"
"Oh that's why you are familiar! Ikaw yung kinwento sa akin ni Sheantan." Sabat naman ni Sean. "Oh, she's Sheantan. My twin sister."
"You have a twin? Cool!" Lumapit siya sa akin... sobrang lapit?!
Naramdaman kong si Dexter biglang napalapit din sa akin, siguro para ready kung ano mang gagawin sa akin nito ni Calix.
Lumapit pa si Calix, tumitig tapos... pinisil ang pisngi ko.
Lumapit siya kay Sean, pinisil din niya pisngi ni Sean. I—
"Bro naman." Sabi ni Sean.
"You guys are real." Sagot ni Calix. Oh my gosh, he's a weirdo isn't he?
I was about to question Calix some more nang makita kong lumapit si Sean kay Yasmin. "Yas, what was that about? What happened and why was Ivo shouting at you?" Tumingin naman sa baba si Yas.
"It's... it's my fault. I was asking him to date my friend and I told him that... he has issues and that he should confide in us." Matapos sabihin yun ni Yas tumahimik lang si Sean.
Lahat din lang kami tahimik. Napatingin ako kay Dex pero nakatingin pa rin siya kay Calix na parang inaaral yung features niya.
"Yas, it's not your place to tell Ivo that he has issues. Lahat tayo may issues. We aren't perfect."
"I know! That's why I'm asking him to open up to us, kung bakit siya ganon, hindi ko kasi maintindihan. How can I help him if I don't know the problem?! I'm so frustrated. He's my friend and I can't do anything to help him."
"Yas, calm down." Sean took Yas' hand on his own.
"Yas, you're a fixer. You try to fix everyone you think is broken. You find fulfillment in fixing people knowing that you helped them. Pero not everyone wants to be fixed. You just can't force people to be fixed. Yes we all have issues, but sometimes we need our own selves to fix those. Kaya siguro nagalit si Ivo. Wala tayo sa lugar para pilitin siyang itigil yung pagiging player niya, or pagdate niya sa madaming girls. He's our friend, but we don't own him. He's his own person, Yasmin."
Natahimik lang kaming lahat. At times like this nahahalata kung gaano kamature si Sean kahit kaedad lang namin siya, and when he's serious like this lahat lang kami nakikinig at nirerespeto mga sinasabi niya.
"I understand. I'm sorry." Sabi na lang ni Yas.
"Hindi ako dapat sinasabihan mo ng sorry. You know what to do, but for now we welcome Calix." Sean then looked at Calix "Too much for an introduction huh? I specifically told them to behave and this is what they do. Sorry bro." Sabi ni Sean kay Calix.
"No bro, I'm good! It's fun. I mean... not fun, sorry wrong word. It's exciting? Somehow I feel like I'm not an outsider in your group."
"But you are." Dexter coldly answered.
Napatingin naman kami lahat sa kanya.
"What? He is an outsider." biglang sabi ni Dex.
"Be polite, Dex."
This is what we're talking about when we say that Dexter can be conceived as a snob. To be fair, ganito rin ako pero kilala ko si Calix and I'm good with him.
"It's okay. I'm sorry if I'm intruding. I can eat alone you know. I'm really sorry—"
"No! It's okay." I cut him off.
Why was it so agonizing to watch him be rejected? It's weird.
"You're new hindi ba? You can hangout with us. Right guys?" They all said yes, except Dexter who was staring at me and probably figuring out what's going on in my mind. "Plus I have lots of question. Akala ko grab driver ka? And then janitor? And now student? Can you please explain?"
Calix smiled at me tapos hinawakan niya leeg niya kasi parang naawkward siya.
"It was all a misunderstanding I guess? That day na sumakay ka sa kotse ko, that was the day na they told me I'm admitted to this school. I was waiting for my uncle's secretary because she was still talking to the dean pero sumakay ka tapos sabi mo bilisan ko. So I did. I saw you crying, and I feel like I should treat you? I honestly don't know how to handle those kind of things. Then, after that, I saw you sa hallway, muntik ka na madulas." He laughed. Aba? Tumawa pa?
"So why were you wearing the janitor's uniform?!"
"Well, the janitor kinda bumped into me tapos nabasa niya polo ko, so sabi niya kaya daw niya ipadryclean sa cleaner's area, pero I had no undershirt and I can't go around naked right? So he let me borrow his extra uniform. Then I saw you." Oh wow. So that was it. Sabi ko na eh, something's not adding up.
"Ha. Small world." Dexter sarcastically said. I rolled my eyes, hindi ko alam why he's acting up.
"You don't like me, right?" Calix directly asked. He's blunt. I saw Dex was caught off guard, gusto ko sana tumawa pero I know that will just piss Dex more.
"I don't know you that much to decide whether I like you or not." He plainly answered. Calix just shrugged.
"Oh well, I guess I just have to make you like me. I'm a people pleaser after all." Sabi niya sabay upo sa tabi ni Sean at bigla na lang sila nagusap doon.
I was eating my sandwich nang biglang kinulbit ako ni Dexter.
"Why are you being so nice?" tanong niya.
"Huh? I'm always nice." Pagkasabi ko noon tumawa talaga siya, as in tumawa siya. Tumigil lang siya noong sinamaan ko siya nang tingin.
"You're not very welcoming Sheantan. Lalo na sa group. Kapag may bagong taong iintroduce ang isa sa atin ikaw ang unang magrereject doon because you like our group to be 'exclusive' sa magkakabata. Now, you're welcoming him? What's going on, Sheantan?"
"I really like him. I don't know. He has this friendly aura. Besides, he helped me when I was really sad, and he helped me again noong muntik na ako madulas. He's always helping me, I want to return the favor." Sagot ko sa kanya. Tinitigan lang niya ako. He's probably evaluating if I'm lying. I'm not. I really like this new guy, magaan ang loob ko sa kanya.
"Whatever you say, Sheantan. Whatever you say."
**
Beatrice
"Ivo! Wait up! Teka lang, inaasthma na ako kakahabol sa'yo." Sa sinabi ko napatingin siya tapos tumakbo siya papalapit sa akin.
"Are you okay? May gamot ka ba diyan? Dadalhin na ba kita sa clinic?" tanong ni Ivo while checking up on me.
Natawa na lang ako. Noong nakita niya na tumatawa ako sinimangutan niya lang ako tapos tumalikod at dapat aalis na ulit. I held his hand to stop him.
"Wait, wait lang. Please, wait lang. Kausapin mo naman ako oh? Ano yun? Anong nangyari? Bakit bigla ka na lang nagwalkout doon?"
I gave him my puppy look and—
"My gosh, don't do that to me. You know I can't say no that cute face. Fine!"
Bingo! Tiningnan lang ako ni Ivo, nagbuntong hininga siya tapos kinwento niya sa akin ang nangyari. Noong matapos siyang magkwento nanahimik lang kami, pero ako unang nagsalita.
"Sa tingin ko naman nagaalala lang si Yas sa'yo? I mean, Ivo, this week 3 babae na ang pinapakilala mo sa amin? How do you even find them? And how are you breaking up with them?" tanong ko.
I'm really curious. Minsan I can't keep track kung sino ang pinapakilala niya, and to be honest minsan hindi na ako nageeffort kilalanin yung girl because I know she won't stay for too long. I know I'm being mean pero we really can't get attached sa dinadate ni Ivo dahil pinakamatagal na ata niya 2? 3 weeks?
"Sila naman una kumakausap sa akin, and I make it clear from the start na I'm not looking for anything serious. They're game, so I'm game. Yun lang. When I'm tired, or bored... I ghost them." He confessed. Napahawak na lang ako sa noo ko.
"I mean, I'm single and I'm looking for a guy tapos maririnig ko yan sa'yo? My gosh, Ivo! Hindi mo ba naiisip na baka masaktan mo yung mga babae na yun? Ghosting? Really?"
"Well, I try to tell them that it won't work but they keep texting or calling so wala akong choice but to ghost them."
"This is probably why Yas is all worked up in trying to set you up. Gusto niya makahanap ka ng babaeng mamahalin mo, hindi yung paglalaruan mo." After I said that, Ivo just smirked.
"Love? I know this is cliché, pero hindi ako basta basta maiinlove. The reason I was mad at Yas was because she kept trying to set me up tapos hindi naman magwoworkout. Sa kanya nagagalit friends niya and I don't want that."
"So? Enough ba yun para sigawan mo siya at magwalkout?" I asked him.
"Oo! I have to protect her. I have to protect Yasmin."
Bigla niyang sinabi, at parehas kaming natigilan sa sinabi niya. I can't see his eyes because he was looking down. Oh well.
"I know she said some things na hindi masyado maganda, like forcing you to open up, but if you want to talk to someone Ivo, I'm just here okay? I won't ever judge you or tell anyone about your secrets okay? If it gets too much I'm just here." Pagkasabi ko noon bigla akong niyakap ni Ivo.
"Oh Bea, you're our baby, when did you grow up?" he said while he was hugging me, I tried escaping from his arms (weakly).
"Shut up! Mas matanda ka lang sa akin ng one year." I pouted.
"But you are our innocent, precious, baby."
"Ughhhhhhh stop" I was trying to escape his embrace, but he just kept hugging me tight.
"But Bea, thank you ah? Thank you for being here. Thank you for coming to talk to me, and for not letting me feel like I'm alone. Alam ko hindi ko lang kaya sabihin ngayon, pero soon okay? I'll tell you why. I'll tell you everything."
"It's okay, Ivs. And don't worry, when you're ready to tell me everything, I'm just going to be here okay? We'll deal with this together."
"Thanks, Bey."
"You're welcome, Ivs. And besides, we're the 'unofficial' couple sa group. Remember? Kapag may ball, or event or gathering and they're all paired up we always play as the unofficial boyfriend and girlfriend of each other. And as your unofficial girlfriend, you have to tell me what you're feeling okay? You have to open up to me." I told him.
"And as your unofficial boyfriend, I promise I will. When I can't handle things, and when it gets too much, I'll go to you. And, if may manligaw sa'yo I'll bring the guns." He said.
"What guns?" I asked tapos bigla siyang nagflex sa harap ko.
"These guns." This was a facepalm moment.
"Oh my god, Ivo. Go away."
"No, you love me." And then he hugged me tight. Binalik ko naman. I hate it when he's upset.
"I do."
"Aww, baby. I love you too." Then he kissed my forehead.
"I'm not a baby!"
"Yes you are!"
"No I'm not!"
And we continued bickering like that, but this is how our group deals with problems; this is how close we are. We are always there for each other. Always.
I just really hope walang sisira ng friendship namin. I hope walang mangyari to break us apart.
Sana.
**
Will update again next Wednesday (and yes M-W-F 5:00 PM = longer updates!) Don't forget to leave a comment and be active sa FB Group. Plus if you're on twitter please use the #3W8LBook3AnamCara hashtag so I can find your tweets!