[quote][b]CHAPTER 4[/b] Months after, Martee started to show his feelings. Alam ko na ngayon ‘yung ibig sabihin ni Lolo Rain. Alam ko na bakit niya sinabi na maraming nagmamahal sa’kin at hindi ako mahirap mahalin… dahil alam niyang may mas nagmamahal sa’kin. Every dismissal time, Martee would wait for me and send me home. I admit, kinikilig ako pero hindi pa fully healed ‘yung kay Khalil. Hanggang kilig kilig lang kami, after all, he wasn’t courting me naman. “Now class, as our custom, magkakaroon tayo ng retreat. Only this time, it’s three days and two nights because it will be your Youth Encounter. We will be distributing letters to your parents para malaman nila at kayo na rin, kung ano ‘yung mga kakailanganin niyo para dito.” Our teacher announced. Wow, retreat, three days and two nights. Since graduating kami, medyo matagal. Ang saya naman. Nakaka-excite. Ano kayang mangyayari? Totoo kayang chubrang iyakan ‘pag fourth year retreat? Oh well, we’ll know. When I went home to tell my mom and sis, grabe, super bukas sila ng cabinets and drawers to find me an outfit. Hindi kasi ako mahilig mag-ayos at pumorma so I guess now, they finally had an excuse na ayusan ako. “Eto anak, cute ‘to.” My mom said. “Hindi pwede ‘yan Ma. Masyadong dressy. Pagdating d’on, pagka-present sa kanila sa mga madre, magpapalit na rin naman sila ng damit. ‘Yung ipapalit nila, mga pambahay lang halos so dapat simple lang, madaling kumilos, pero may dating.” My sis replied. “Wew. Sino bang magreretreat? Ako o kayo? Haha” I butted in. “Pwede ba Kels. Trust me on this. It’s once in a lifetime. Besides, I’m older than you, I should know better.” “Fine, fine, sis. Do what you want basta ‘pag ayoko ‘yung damit, ayoko. Hindi niyo mapipilit.” “Anak naman. Hindi ka naman namin babaguhin. Siyempre alam namin ‘yung pasado sa taste mo.” “Sige na nga po.” In the end, halos puno ‘yung maleta. Take note: maleta talaga. Ayaw kasi nila magusot ‘yung mga damit kaya ayun, maleta pinadala sa’kin. When the day of the retreat came, halatang excited lahat and thankfully, hindi lang ako ‘yung naka-maleta, although majority were just bringing big bags, okay na rin, at least I’m not alone. Six sections ‘yung fourth year, but since may ibang schools na naka-reserve sa retreat house and could not accommodate us all at once, three batches kami, two sections at a time, and who would’ve guessed, kasabay namin ‘yung section nina Khalil. Medyo nailang ako but I didn’t let it bother me. After all, kahit na isang location kami, different halls ‘yung gagamitin ng bawat section. Tsaka magkahiwalay ang rooms ng girls sa boys, magkikita lang kami ‘pag break time. I learned that from the orientation “Okay, fourth year, line-up by section. IV-Jacinto, you’re going to use the coaster. IV-Mabini, sa school bus kayo. Pauwi, baliktad naman. Jacinto, bus and then Mabini, coaster. Understood?” the head teacher announced. “Yes.” We all answered. “Okay, sige, pila na. Head count na muna. Secretaries and Presidents, check the attendance. After 5 minutes, pasok na kayo sa sasakyan with your advisers, you may sit anywhere you like. After all, retreat niyo ‘to. But the rooms, may assignments pala ‘yun ah. We’ll tell you who you’re going to be with when we reach our destination.” Sino kayang kasama ko sa room? Sana may maagang gunigising sa’min, medyo hirap kasi ako gumising haha. When we went inside the coaster, pilian na ng katabi. Katabi ko si Lara siyempre tsaka si Alyssa. Next to us is Renz. Super dyahe papunta since si Alyssa at Renz, magaling mang-stolen pic. As in stolen na hindi mo gugustuhing makita, mga naka-nganga, alanganing nakadilat at alanganing nakapikit, mga ganun, mga mukhang monster talaga. At wala silang pinipili, mapa-kaibigan nila o hindi. Nasa harap namin si Martee nakaupo with other classmates na medyo ka-close ko. Since our destination is Tagaytay and medyo malayo siya, super food trip, kwentuhan at picturan na lang kami. “Oi eto na ‘yung pinag-ambag-ambagan niyong Carbonarra. Walang aangal sa luto ah,” one of our classmates announced, si Kris. Wala naman talagang aangal sa luto ni Kris, masarap naman kasi talaga. I think she’s going to take up culinary nga sa college eh. Mahal pero passion niya ‘yun eh. Anyway, back to the story. Edi ‘yun, labasan ng tinidor, ‘yung mga walang dala, share-share na lang. Haluan ng laway haha. I didn’t want to eat kasi busog pa ako. Besides, ayan na naman si Renz at Alyssa, nagpipicture ng mga taong sumusubo ng malaki. “Kels, kain na,” sabi ni Lara. “Sige, busog pa ako.” “Ay sos. Kris oh! Si Kelsey, ayaw kumain!” Biglang sumagot si Kris na super kinagulat ko, “Oi Kelsey! Bawal choosy dito ah. Kumain kang bruha ka. Martee, subuan mo nga ‘tong babaeng ‘to.”[/quote]