[b]016[/b]
"Ohhkaaayy. Does this make me his official ka-flinger?" Tanong ko sa sarili ko while I was lying down sa bed. I looked at my Facebook status. "Dapat ba kitang ichange from single to..." Napaisip ako. "Ano? In a relationship? Hindi naman. Complicated? Hmmm, hindi rin. Ano? Ayyy! In an open relationship! Perfect." Pero parang ang panget naman tingnan nun diba? Parang insulto sa guy na involved ako. "As is nalang iyan." I smiled to myself.
*phone ringing*
Manuel calling..
Teka, ba't ka tumatawag.. teka, teka.

Ubo, ubo. Clear the throat. "Hello?" Pa demure yung voice.
"Uhmm, Lee."
"Yeah?"

"I just wanna say goodnight."
"Sure, good night too."

"Uhmm.."
"Something more?" :3
"Well.. uhmm.."
"Well?"

"Good night. I'll fetch you tomorrow. Bye."
"Oh, sure. B-bye." Then that's just that. No I-heart-you-Lee words. No sweetdreams-i-hope-you-dream-of-me-tonight stuffs. Just, good night. Oh well. Ano nga ba naman dapat mong iexpect diba? College na kami. Di na highschool. Nung highschool lang ako merong mga ganyan. Diba? Ngayon, practical na. Tsaka mahal na rin yung bill sa load. Kaya okay, gets ko na yan.
Facebook status: Just got home from a trip. Tired but happy.

Aba, may like na kaagad. 3 likes na. Mga epal nito.
Walter Yu: Who's with you?
Lianne Roxas: What do you care?

Miranda Gomez: Did you like it there? I supposed! You're happy eh.

Tessa Barredo: Haha! I didn't know this. Kaya pala, MIA ka sa group.
Lianne Roxas: Miranda --- UHUH! I liked it there.

Tessa -- Di ko namention yan sa inyo? Yeah, out of town.

And soo on. I killed my time replying on the comments. Dami e.

****
"Lianne, your friend's downstairs na."
"Mom?" I was really surprised to see Mom dito sa bahay. At siya pa talaga ang tumawag sakin.
"Why? You look so shocked."
"Sino ba namang hindi?" I scoffed.
"Don't make your friend wait too long."
"I'm not. He's just early."
"Is he your boyfriend?" Napatingin lang ako kay Mommy.
"What if he is?" Napatingin lang din si Mommy sakin.
"As if." She scoffed and went downstairs.
I twitched my mouth out of piss. As if? Ano akala niya sakin, ganun na ba talaga ka obvious? Arrggghh. I went downstairs and I dragged Manuel out of the house. He was so damn quiet.
"What?" I asked him.
"Wala lang." He smiled. Pumasok na ko sa car niya and we drove to school. Sa ride, sobrang tahimik niya. So parang nakakawindang talaga.
"Ano problema?" I asked. "Nastarstruck ka sa Mommy ko?" I joked.
"Well, partly, yes. Ang ganda niya pala sa personal." Sabi niya.
"You're better off knowing her on TV. She's much nicer when she's in front of a rolling camera." I said.
"Uhh." He agreed. It's so obvious that something's bothering him. Medyo awkward nga ngayon eh, tapos parang ang tahimik niya pa. Arrrgg.
"Hmm, so.. still the same?"
"I guess so." He smiled at me. "We'll get the hang of it." He winked.
"Right." Then silence na kagad.
***
"Oh my gosh, Lee. Can you believe it that Miranda is dating this guy named Peter.. like Peter who? Does he even exist in our society?!" Paula reported. Oo nga pala, si Peter. Yung gusto ni Miranda. "Did she tell you this na ba? She didn't tell me about her relationship. Nalaman ko pa sa kaklase ko. Pinagchichismisan na dun siya no."
"Paula, stop!" Sabi ko. "Ano bang problema sa Peter na iyan?"
"Ohhkaaayy. Peter does not have a role on our society. Simple as that." Sabi niya.
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
"Like.. look at Jason. Jason came from a good family.. his family is the owner of a shoe company. Look at Kian, he's a model and everyone knows him cause he's got a billboard on Edsa. And, the guys you used to date. They have their own names. And-"
"Does that make Peter less of a person? Because he's not [b]that[/b] rich? Because he's not a model? Because his family doesn't own a mall or a company? Does that really make him a bad person for Miranda?" I asked Paula.
Napatingin lang sakin si Paula. "I don't get you. Miranda came from a powerful family.. her father's a successful judge, her mom's a surgeon. Her older brother is a powerful lawyer.. and Miranda.. she's supposed to have someone-"
"Ikaw yung hindi ko magets. That's stereotyping. Discrimination of the person. Siguro nga hindi ganun ka rich si Peter, pero I'm sure naman, disente siya diba? The important thing is that he respects Miranda as much as those guys you mentioned can give." Ngumiti ako kay Pauiee.
"That trip.. really, somehow, deteriorated your brain. Who are you?" She joked. Tumawa nalang kaming dalawa.
OHGOSH. What will she say pag nalaman niyang Manuel and I are dating?! O_O She'll probably kill me!
"Who were with you pala sa Tagaytay?"
"Manuel and friends." Sabi ko. "Fun people."
"Ayy, talaga? Who's this Manuel ba?"
"Just a classmate. He's really funny. You should meet him sometime."
"Some time is now." Sabi naman ni Pauiee.
"Wag na muna ngayon."
Then dumating na si Tessa and Miranda. Tama namang my phone rang.
"Who's that? Answer it." Sabi ni Tessa. Napatingin lang ako sa phone ko. I can't. I DONT WANT TO.
"W-wala." I pressed the 'reject' button.
"Hindi ba yun importante?"
"Sasagutin ko yun kung importante."
"Okay." Sabi ni Tessa.
*** Nasilent ko na yung phone ko and Manuel kept on giving me a ring. :\ Nakakaloka. I excused myself and answered my phone.
"Lee.. nasan ka na?"
"Uhmm, I'm here at the Library. May tinatapos lang."
"Shouldn't you be home by now?"
"Well- kasi.. ano.."
"You're not really at the library, right?"
"Kasi.. uhh. I'm here at Starbucks."
"With. your. friends."
"Yeah."
"And I can't go there, right?"
"Well--y-yeah."
"It's okay. Uhmm, I'll wait one block away. If you decide to go home, just give me a ring-"
"No. Mauna ka na.. sasabay nalang ako sa kanila."
"But-"
"It's really okay. I'm sorry. Take care. Byee."
"Bye."
*** Bigla namang sumikip yung dibdib ko. I feel like first day palang, tadtad na si Manuel sakin. It really is complicated.
"Girls, I need to go."
"What? Whyyy?"
"Uhmm, I have so many things to do pa."
"Eh you'll ride in a taxi?"
"Uhmm, no." I winked on them.
"Ohhh.. we got that! Sure, no problem. Enjooyyy." Pauiee shouted.
I dialed Manuel's number. "Hey, uwi na ako."
"I'll fetch you."
"Starbucks."
"Be there in 5 minutes."
Tumayo lang ako dun sa labas and waited for him. Then after 5 minutes nga, dumating siya and I hopped in.
"I'm really sorry." Sabi ko.
"No problem. We talked about it, right? And I agreed to your terms." He smiled.
"Ayoko pang umuwi." Sabi ko. "Foodtrip muna tayoo. Gutom na yung mga baby ko sa tiyan."
"May baby ka ba diyan? Eh sobrang liit mo." Hinampas ko si Manuel.
"Ano ka ba.. hmp."
"But I like it naman eh." He smiled sweetly. Sus.
"Sus."
"Hahaha. Di nga.."
"Tse. Pakainin mo nalang ako." Tumawa nalang kaming dalawa and nagdrive through kami sa Jollibee! Palabok. Then he parked sa boulevard and we ate. After the eating part, wala parin akong ganang umuwi, kaya we just stayed there and talked and talked and talked.
"Five years from now.. where do you see yourself.." Tanong ko kay Manuel.
"Working, of course. One year nalang, graduate na ako. Syempre, I'll get a job na rin kaagad."
"Dito ba, o sa labas?"
"Hmm, kung san may mas magandang opportunity, dun tayo." TAYO?
"Ahhh. Kumusta naman yung high school mo?"
"High school? Hmm, it was fun. I learned a lot. Ikaw?"
"Hmm, may niligawan ka ba nung high school ka?"
Bigla siyang tumahimik. "Uyy, meron ba?"
"Well, siguro naman.. lahat ng high school boys napagdadaanan iyan."
"Di nga.. sino?"
"You don't wanna know. Baka magselos ka lang." He laughed.
"Ako?! Ako?! Magseselos?! Asa ka. Kala mo kung sino kang gwapo.." I laughed.
"Hahaha. Ewan ko sa iyo."
"Sino na?"
"Si ano.. si.."
"Sino?!"
"Si.. Janice." Sabi niya.
Napatingin lang ako sa kanya. "J-Janice?"
"Yeah." OH HOT DEYM! Siya yung sinasabi nina Janice dati na super sweet and super... omg. Malamang.
"T-Talaga? Pero di ka sinagot? Right?" I laughed.
"Tumigil ako."
"Why?"
"Masyado akong gwapo para magkaroon ng girlfriend." Hahahahha!
Hinampas ko siya. "Ang feeler mo!"
"Kita mo, ikaw nga ayaw mo sakin."
"Anong ayaw?"
"Ayaw mokong maging bf, diba?" He laughed. Aw.
Ako naman yung napatahimik. "Masyado kang feeler!" Sabi ko at tumawa. Awkward na.
Tiningnan niya lang ako na super nakakatunaw na titig. "Don't look at me like that. Rude daw yan."
"I just realized.."
"What?" I asked softly.
"May pimple ka pala sa noo." He burst out laughing again. ARRRRGGHHH! "Ako iyan no?"
"Asa kaaaaa!"
"Yee, nahiya pa. Dati naman, wala yan ah."

"Waaaaaa. Asa kaaaaaaaa!"

"Loko lang.. lika nga.." He pulled me closer and I found myself wrapped in his arms. Ang bango-bango ni Manuel.
HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Ang bango-bangoooo! Axe effect. Haha. Kidding.
"Don't you pity yourself for being pathetic?"
"If pathetic means having you kahit ganito lang, well I guess I should indeed pity myself." Sabi niya. I looked at Manuel. "But I guess, I'm really okay with this." He smiled.
Bigla namang tumunog sa player ng car niya yung song ni Lea Salonga na Friend of Mine.
I sat up straight and looked at Manuel. "It wouldn't hurt if we try." I said and held his face. Oh God, how I wanted to kiss him. And his lips met mine. "I wouldn't mind at all." I whispered to myself while being wrapped in his arms.