We Were Liars

"Playing aggressively again, eh?" My serve and spikes were too hard that it crossed the line. This day couldn't get any better. I'm totally distracted from things I wanna run away from. Things I buried to sands and depths of seas. When does it end? I pray to stars at night.. I pray to Gods and light. But as days goes by, there were nothing. Nothing changed, nothing heard. Are they blind? Weren't my words enough? Am I non-existent? For how many times I questioned my life.. answers still nowhere to be found. The signs, I've been finding it for a decade, been waiting foolishly but how? How do I see its visibility? Or the truth weren't meant for me? But my thoughts and emotions needs to be masked, needs to be hidden... or consequences be knocking at my door. "Was pissed coz of the sudden quiz earlier." A lie. Certainly, I am liar. No lie needs to justified. White lies? Nuh, a lie is still a lie no matter how good it may seem to do for other people. "Are you sure, Lucianna? Or is it because of.." Sasha asked from a distance. "Why wouldn't I be? And stop with what you're thinking of." I took a glance at her in the corner. They say.. A single lie discovered is enough to create doubts in every truth expressed. But, I need no other people nor had a care for everyone. Let them doubt, let them hate you. In the end, you only have yourself.. secret-in or secret-out. You are the only one who knows the deepest that needs to be kept.. and them be blinded. "Okay, okay. No need to be serious." Aniya. "Should we go to a birthday party later? Violet invited us." Violet, huh? But then she knows. Napatigil ako. That girl sure knows how to strike at exact moment, huh? Too bad, I'm the game itself. Violet.. hanggang kailan mo ba ito gagawin? To feed your hunger? To give you entertainment? "She's being such a b***h again, Sash. But I am no fool." Wika ko habang pipulot ang bola. She's doing it again, planning a game but little did she know.. I'm already at the dead end. I smirked. Oh, she thinks she can fool us? Not me, not Sasha. Not everyone.. she's a fool herself for thinking we're easy to play with. A game, huh? Well, let's see that. I had already experienced enough troubles to execute a victory. That's too easy, no sweat. "She's too shallow, Lucianna." She chuckled. "Oh god, she can't even beat you at simple things and now being ridiculous? But well, when insecurity hits Violet." Iling-iling pa nito. Napatawa ako, Violet.. You're too transparent. "Sucks being too perfect, Sasha." Ng makaahon mula sa pagkuha. I shook my head. "But who am I to take down her invitation, right? Hmm.." I smirked at the thought of possibilities. Naglakad ako patungo sakanya, hinagis nito papunta sa'kin ang dala dalang mineral water. "Drink that! You've been on training for an hour already." "Thank you, water girl. Such a friend, baka mahulog na ng tuloyan si Phraoius sa'yo niyan." I teased her. Nakita ko ang pagsama ng timpla sa mukha nito. Kalaunlan ay para bang diring diri. "Don't mention that asshat. He pissed me off all day. Imagine? wala talagang patawad." She groaned in annoyance when I was already at her side. "But then you love his attention, tama ba ako? You can't even last a day without his presence." Mapaglarong wika ko. "Try harder, Sash!" "Oh, says the girl who's Kierr-whipped.." Taas kilay nito sa'kin. She sure knows how to block my teasing. Kierr Elthon, the man admired from afar. Not that I don't stand a chance but I chose to keep it myself.. mawawala rin naman ito. Why confess? It's just a mere crush.. cheesy word yeah but his skills in academics brought me inspiration to be the best in my own field. I'm whipped at his smarty-ass. "It's his brain I'm whipped, Sash. Who wouldn't though? You're even once his obsessive fan back then nga diba?" I smirked at her. May baon akong dala dala ano, para hindi matalo sa kung ano mang usapan. "Ah, forget it!" Inis na sabi nito sa'king tabi. "Do you want me to elaborate the crazy things you did for him? When you almost burned the kitchen to cook his favorite.. and yet still he didn't notice you." I looked at Sasha who's now obviously pissed. "Ops, sorry." I faked a laugh and covered my lips by hands. "Then you tried to use your connections to be in the same class as him but only got embarrassed by your own at the end?" I continued. "No, I'm deaf. Naa, naaa, naaa.." Gamit ang dalawang kamay ay tinabunan nito ang magkalawang tenga. "Planned an expensive surprise for him only to get–" hindi ko natapos ang idudugtong ng takpan nito ang bibig ko. "You talk too much! Baka marinig ng iba.." Sabay linga sa paligid. Training ngayon ng mga basketball and volleyball players, magkalapit lang kaya'y madaming tao sa kahit anong sulok. May it be the players or their friends watching. Pero hindi naman maririnig ito ng iba dahil malayo naman sila kung saan kami. She's just embarrassed and conscious of her past craziness. "You talk like hindi mo gusto sa kasalukuyan si Kierr ha, wait till I have some savage information to shut you up!" She said those words firmly. That guy.. I may be chained but because of him, I learned to cope up with things. His social media shared posts are too relatable that it applied to me. His wisdom in every speeches he had are damn "tagos sa puso". But, I don't call him my savior when I did it myself.. it was my own will, it was me who made it happen and that's too.. chilish. He's only the four percent part of my healing while I'm still at fifteen percent stage. "Well that's because I'm not as too much as how you were! I thank god you passed that phase of your life. Huwag kanang mabaliw ulit, ha?" "God, Sasha!" Natatawa kong wika ng sapakin ako nito ng bahagya sa batok. "Could you please just stop with that? It's long been buried and yet you're digging up again.." Sipat nito sa'kin. Hinding hindi ko masisisi ang aking kaibigan kung ganoon na lamang ang pagkabaliw kay Kierr Elthon. But at least she could've been more reserved, bakit pa kailangang magkaroon ng nakakahiyang pangyayari? Just like me, pwede namang magkagusto sa tahimik na paraan, hindi ba? "You could never escape from it, Sash. Kahit anong gawing paglimot ay nakatatak na sa isipan namin 'yan." Wika ko sa aking kaibigan. "And look who's here.." Ng namataan ang pagdating ng lalaki. Sa harapan, sa lagusan ng gym ay ang pigura ng lalaking kanina pa pinag-uusapan. And wearing a school uniform, Kierr Elthon started walking into our direction together with his two bestfriends. Kilala ko ang dalawa, Constantine and Achileas, the Ferrera twins. I'm not that invested into knowing people around the campus but they're kinda famous so it's hard not to be familiar with them. And I know them personally, very well. "I'm too embarrassed right now, Lucianna. Bakit ganito ang timing!" She groaned while looking at the figures approaching. I know why she's acting like this, hindi dahil kay Kierr kundi sa ibang dahilan. I smirked at the thoughts that clouded my mind. Shy, eh? "Life's f*****g you up, babe. Isn't it great, though?" I laughed at her. Madali itong mapikon kaya't nakasanayan ko nang asarin ang kaibigan. Lalo na't ngayon na nandito ang kasalukuyang kinakabaliwan ni Sasha. I couldn't believe at first, it was close impossible.. ni hindi ko naisip na maaari palang mangyari 'yon. "Lucianna, my great sister.." Bungad sakin ng isa pagkalapit. Napatingin ako sa tatlong lalaki. "What your agenda, brother?" Pagtataas ng kilay ko kay Kuya Constantine na siyang ikinahalakhak naman ng kakambal. I looked at Kuya Achileas coldly. What's with the laugh? But of course, it's him. Ganito palagi, kahit walang katatawanan ay tumatawa parin. May nakikita ba itong hindi nakikita ng iba? My brother is very weird and it's embarrassing sometimes lalo na pag nagkakasama kami. "Oh?" Patay mali nito sakin ng makita ang titig. God, that's why I don't like having a big brother. "Shut it, Achileas." Oh, from Kierr. That's nice, narinig kong muli ang boses niya. Umiling-iling lang si Kuya Constantine sa dalawa. "Tell our parents we're gonna be home late tonight. Wala akong load." Hm, so it's about the party? And my brother don't know I'll be coming. Well, they don't need to know, makikita naman nila ako do'n. But they won't change their outfit? Kahit kailan talaga napaka dungis. O baka manghiram itong dalawa kay Kierr, hindi ba sila nahihiya? Pero walang load? Walang load o tinatamas lang mag type? Geez. "Alright." Tipid kong tugon. "Alright?" Takang tanong nito. "Oh, hello there Sasha the admirer of Kierr!" Ng makita ang aking katabi ay ngumisi ito. "f**k you, Constantine." My bestfriend rolled her eyes at him while the three of them laughed. Triplets ba ito sila? Hindi naman ako na inform na tatlo pala kapatid ko. "Stop teasing the girl, Cons." Kierr tried to stop my brother in the middle of laughing. Kasalungat ang mga salitang binibitawan nito sa aksyong pinapakita. "We're gonna be late, might as well we start moving now.." Pagpupukaw ni Kuya Achileas sa dalawa. "Nga pala. So.. don't forget to tell Mama, alright?" My brother then leaned and kissed my forehead. Kasunod naman si Kuya Achileas sabay talikod ng dalawa. "Careful not get injured on training, Lucianna.." Habilin sa'kin ni Kierr sabay paggulo saking buhok. Tumaligo ahad ito matapos akong ngitian. His words.. always soothing. Mas lalo ko lang napatunayan na karapat dapat talagang magustohan ito. Hindi suplado at lalong lalo na't hindi mapaglaro sa babae. Lagpas langit ang kabaitan kaya't madami ang pagkahumaling. I don't have feelings for him, hinahangaan ko lamang sapagkat ang galing mapa ano mang gawin. "Buti hindi niya napaghahalataang may paghanga ka sakanya, noh? Or you're just really good at hiding it.. I'm really amazed how you can control yourself lalo na't marami kayong koneksyon sa isa't isa," Hindi ko tinatago ngunit hindi ko rin pinagtutuonan ng pansin. Oo at nabighani ako sa kagalingan niya pagdating sa academya pero hindi ito dahilan para mabaliw ng tuloyan. I don't know.. I admire him in a peaceful way. Hindi sobra kundi tama lamang. Napaka refreshing, ang gaan sa pakiramdam. Maybe.. because this soon will fade away kaya parang wala lang. Kaya parang.. ang gaan lang.