[b]♥ 15.1 ♥[/b] CHESKA’s POV: I was talking with PJ habang naglalakad. Hindi lingid sa kaalaman namin yung mga chismis na kumakalat, pero wala na kaming pakielam pa run, basta lam namin ang totoo. “Yeah, I’ll be wearing something Mom chose. Kakaiba nga e, ewan ko ba, para akong aabay sa kasal.” “Then you’d really good on it, I’m sure of that.” “I hope so. Ayokong magmukhang katawa tawa sa last prom natin nuh.” “Nah. Ikaw pa.” Tapos tumawa kaming dalawa, and at that time, nakasalubong naman namin sina Kent and Chiles. Awkward, and hurting. Silence came up. “Hey…” Chiles muttered tapos sumusulyap siya kay Kent. I don’t know, pero bakit nga ba nag kakaroon ng awkward atmosphere pag nagkikita kita kaming apat? I’m trying my best to stay still, yung wala akong pinapakitang kahit ano para mahalata yung feelings ko… Pero bakit nga ba ganito, parang walang talab. Bakit pati si Kent nag reretsrain na kausapin ako? I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong… Pero… Hay ewan. EWAN. “Hello.” I greeted tapos ngumiti ako. We’re friends. We’re all friends. “Where are you up to?” PJ asked. Then blah blah. Napapasulyap ako kay Kent, there was no reaction. Wala lang siya, blangko. Weird. -- Nakaupo ako sa bench, uwian na, pero parang tinatamad ako. Kent sat beside me, na medyo kinagulat ko. “Not going home?” “Not yet.” Silence. Walang nagsasalita. “Okay na sa gown mo para sa prom?” He asked again. “Yeah, hindi man ako komportable dun.” I answered. Silence, once again. “Aware of the gossip around?” He asked again. “Gossip nga e, IDC.” Sagot ko. “Well maybe it was true.” Napakamot ako. “Is it about me and PJ?” I asked him. “Yeah.” “IDC.” “Then totoo nga?” “You care?” Parang nairita siya. Okay lang. Trip ko naman talagang pagtripan siya e. “Yeah, I do.” He said. “Bakit naman?” tanung ko. “Because somebody told me you like me.” Parang nabulunan ako sa sarili kong laway, I panicked, pero hindi ko pinahalata. I cleared my throat. “Who… Who told you that?” tanong ko. “Secret.” I started trembling. Inipit ko yung mga kamay ko sa pagitan ng mga binti ko para hindi mahalata. “Totoo ba?” “Di ba nasagot ko na yan?” “Then I’ll change the question… Do you love me?” I gulped. Dang. Anong isasagot ko? Nako, sana may mang interrupt ulit ngayon. Sana naman! “Sagutin mo ako, Cheska.” Wala akong maisip. Kailangan kong mag brain blast parang si Jimmy Neutron! “Hindi totoo noh?” He muttered. “Ha?” “Kasi kung totoo yun, sasabihin mong ‘Oo’… Fine. Alam ko na. wag mo nang sagutin. Alam ko na na si PJ ang laman ng puso mo.” He stood up. “Wala akong sinasabi at teka! Bakit nagagalit ka?” Labo nito ah, Tumayo nga rin ako. “Bakit, ano bang mangyayari kung sasagutin ko yan?” Natahimik siya. “You’re giving me no reason to actually tell you how I feel towards you, yang mga tanong mo… Tsk. Ewan ko sayo—” “You want a reason? Fine! I’ll give you a good reason.” Nagkatitigan kaming dalawa. “Mahal na kasi kita Cheska!” I was frozen. . . . Did I hear it right? “A-Ano?” “Hindi ko na uulitin pa, problema mo na kung hindi mo narinig.” He said, namumula. Hindi ako makapagsalita. No words can come out from my mouth, magsalita ka Cheska! “…Hindi ko alam kung kelan… Basta… When you’re with me, masaya ako… Nakakalimutan ko ang lahat, kahit si Chiles. Wala, puro ikaw na lang ang nasa utak ko. Pag si Chiles ang kasama ko, ikaw pa rin ang laman nito... Alam ko baduy, pero yun talaga …” He gulped. “I love you, Cheska.” I need to answer. Answer Cheska, ibuka mo yung bibig ko. Nanlalambot ako, nanginginig ang katawan ko, maski ang labi ko. Nanigas ata yung dila ko. Damn, wag ngayon! “…Pero alam ko na si PJ ang gusto mo.” Nagulat ako. “P-PJ?” “Yeah. He told me everything. Now I confirmed it, I’m done. Sige.” Then he walked away and left me, shocked. PJ told him? What did he tell him? OH RIGHT. But it wasn’t all true! Mali… Napatingin ako sakanya. I want to tell him the truth… I want to. Pero hindi ko kaya. -- Niyakap ko yung unan ko. Hindi ako normal na makakakain, my brothers found me weird din. Bukas na yung prom. Namomoblema pa rin ako. ‘I love you, Cheska’ It repeated over and over in my head. Unti unti akong napangiti. He loves me… But I didn’t know. Paulit ulit ko lang sinasaktan ang sarili ko… Paulit ulit kong pinagtulakan sa sarili ko na si Chiles pa rin, pero hindi pala. Tanga tanga ko talaga. I yelled. “WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!! Yiiieee!!” Kinikilig ako, sobra, but it suddenly felt wrong. What about Chiles? What about PJ? And Kent… He said he’s done. Ang gulo. I don’t understand. Binato ko yung unan ko sa kama and I lied down. Complicated. I don’t want PJ to get hurt, as well as Chiles… Pero sawa na rin akong masaktan. What will happen kung magtatapat din ako kay Kent? Will it solve everything? -- KENT’s POV: I received no answer from her. So it was true that the one she loves is PJ. Ang sakit. For the second time, the girl I love chose PJ over me. I looked at myself on the mirror as I was arranging my bowtie. Ano bang kulang sakin? I leaned my head on the mirror. Mahal na mahal ko si Cheska… Alam ko na ang nararamdaman ko ngayon para sakanya ay higit pa sa nararamdaman ko noon kay Chiles. Is it okay to let go once more and get hurt? Ahaha. I’ve always been letting go… Para maging masaya siya. Ang sakit. I just can’t help it when tears started falling. -- I was drinking a glass of juice sa tabi tabi. I saw her come in her gown, which fitted her so much. My heart is starting to beat once more. I wanted to approach her, but I don’t have the guts to do so. I saw PJ walk to her. Pain struck me hard once again. I saw her made a glance of me. Tumingin ako sa ibang direksyon, then she was suddenly walking towards me. “K-Kent…” I gulped. “What?” “About… What you said before… I… I too…” “Forget it.” I told her. Ayoko nang makarinig pa ng bagay na ikasasakit lang ulit ng puso ko. Masyado na akong nasaktan sa ikalawang pagkakataon, at ayoko na. “Kalimutan mo na lahat nang sinabi ko, pati na rin ako. Forget that you even met ‘Kent’.” I don’t know if I was even being rude or anything, pero this will be the only way to avoid another heart break. She was gonna say something, pero tinikom na lang niya yung bibig niya, then she nodded and left me. At that point, gusto kong bawiin yung sinabi ko, pero tama na. Mas mabuti siguro na ganun na nga yung nangyari. -- The music was classical, nandun pa rin ako sa same spot. The prom is boring. Ewan ko lang sa iba, I took pictures with some of my classmates, pero hindi pa rin maalis sa utak ko si Cheska. “Kent.” Si PJ. Nag init ang dugo ko, but I tried to keep calm. “Yeah?” “I need to talk to you.” “We’re already talking.” He gave a sigh. “About what I told you before… None of it was true.” “What? What are you talking about?” He cleared his throat, nalilito ako. “The thing I told you that Cheska was only waiting for you and Chiles… Hindi totoo yun. I made it up. I just love Cheska so much… I felt like you are already in love with her kaya natakot ako… I was scared na mawawalan na ako ng pag asa sakanya. “W-Wait a minute, anong sinasabi mo? Cheska likes you…!” Umiling siya. “She never did and never will. She just… Sees me as a friend. When I told her that I lied to you, she forgave me, pero hindi na niya sinabi pa sayo ang totoo kasi… Kasi iniisip niya na mas masaya ka naman kay Chiles.” Natahimik ako, tapos napatingin ako sakanya. “So… So you mean…” “Yeah, the one that Cheska likes this whole time… Is you.” Hindi ko alam kung paano ako mag rereact. I gulped, napayuko tapos napatingin ako sakanya. “What are you waiting for?” Then napangiti ako. “Thank you, thank you PJ!” CHESKA’s POV: Andito ulit ako sa labas. Palagi naman e, dito ako palagi naglalabas ng sama ng loob… And I believe that this will be the last time I’d actually… CRY. Malapit nanaman kasi yung graduation, kaya okay na siguro ‘to. Hindi ko na masasabi kay Kent yung nararamdaman ko kasi ayaw naman ata niya marinig, at napakahina ko. “CHESKAA!!” Napalingon ako. “Kent?!” I wiped all my tears away tapos hinarap ko siya, he walked towards me na may malapad na ngiti sa mukha. “A-Ano-?” “What you were gonna tell me earlier… I want to hear it. Now.” “H-Ha?” Bakit ngayon? Tae, nakakahiya. I can’t say it… “Tell it to me, Cheska. Whatever it is, sabihin mo na.” He was grinning at me, at lalo akongnahiya. “Wag na, you told me to forget all about it dib a? Ayan, nakalimutan ko na.” “CHESKA.” I gulped. Silence, nagkakabuhul buhol yung utak ko and I don’t know what to say. “Ano… Kasi… K-Kent… I…--” He suddenly hugged me, nagulat ako, sobrang higpit nang yakap niya. My heart is thumping like crazy and I feel electrified. “I love you too… Mahal na mahal kita…” Unti-unting sumilay yung ngiti sa mga labi ko, and I didn’t know what to say.” “K-Kent…” He gently pushed me. “I told you this before, but I didn’t mean it… Now I will say it again.” I looked at him. [i]“Fall in love with me, Cheska.”[/i] A teardrop fell from my eye. He wiped it away. Then I spank him. “A-Aray-” “I already did, and forever it will stay.” He smiled at me and I did too. And at that moment, his lips met mine, and that was our first kiss. -- After that, we officially became a couple. Natuwa yung Mama ko pati sila Kuya, boto kasi sila kay Kent. Dumating naman yung parents ni Kent at nameet ko na rin sila finally. PJ and I are still friends, kahit medyo awkward pa rin. Si Chiles din naging friends kami, and guess what? She started dating PJ. Great huh. Sila Marj pa rin at yung boy friend niya. Everything was just perfect. Vacation na before college, andito kami ngayon ni Kent sa terrace ng room niya. He was hugging me from behind. “I’m taking law.” He told me. “Naks.” I uttered. “Physical therapist kukunin ko e.” “We’re attending different schools…” Ngumiti ako tapos hinarap ko siiya. “We can still meet… Di ba?” “Paano kung may mameet kang iba… Paano na ako?” Sarap batukan nito ah. “Wala kang tiwala sakin?” I asked him na nakasimangot. “Hindi… Joke lang. Ikaw pa.” We smiled at each other. “You and me… Forever?” He asked. I pressed his nose. [b] [i]“Yes. You and me, forever.”[/i][/b] [b]-- END --[/b] [quote]I think this will be my last story like what I said before. I know guys, nakakalungkot mang isipin, kaso wala na rin akong time para magsulat if ever my ideas pa rin ako. Pero don't worry, ita try ko talaga. Siguro mag susulat muna ako sa MS word then tsaka ko na lang ipopost pag mahaba haba na siya. Thanks for all my readers from [b]I think this is love[/b] until [b]You and Me[/b] To those who'd like to read my other stories, please visit http://crimson3.wordpress.com Your comments will be much appreciated. [b]THANK YOU EVERYONE! I LOVE YOU ALL![/b][/quote]