Chapter 15
1205 Words
I almost flinched when I heard my name being called.
“Maricon!”
Like... bakit parang kinabog ako sa harap ng national audience? I almost melted sa kinatatayuan ko nang marealize kong lahat silang apat ay naka-tingin sa akin. As in, apat na lalaking mukhang galing sa Calvin Klein fragrance commercial, nakatitig sa akin na parang ako ang poster girl ng “Did-she-just-trip-on-her-own-heart?”
"W-What?"
Kunot noo ni Andrè habang hinahatak ako paakyat sa grupo nila. Gentle lang naman siya—hindi naman ako hinatak na parang mamaya ay ipapatawag na sa barangay hall. Kasi alam niyang late-reactor ako sa lahat ng bagay kaya siya na ang nauunang magreact for me. Like a human reaction time buffer. So sweet. So annoying. But sweet.
"My friends," sabi ni Andrè sabay turo sa tatlong demigods sa harap ko.
The Italian-looking guy chuckled. “We have names, dude.”
OH MY GULAY. BAKIT NAKANGITI ‘YUNG JAWLINE? 😳
Andrè rolled his eyes with matching exasperated sigh, like he’s been dealing with these international models since grade school pa. “Fine. This one’s Vito,” turo niya kay Italiano Supreme. “Nikolai,” sabay turo sa mukhang Brazilian beach boy na may cheekbones pangpangpanga. “And Sancho,” turo sa moreno guy na may Dingdong Dantes energy.
God, Andrè. Your friends... your FRIENDS...
“Hi,” sabi ko sabay ngiti na parang hirap na hirap ako mag-compose ng mukha. Paano ba ngumiti kapag mukha mong puchu-puchu pero lahat ng kaharap mo mukhang Photoshop?
Andrè rolled his eyes again (he really should get them aligned after this) and turned to his friends. “I’ll just text you,” sabay hila sa akin palayo.
Grabe, ang RUDE. Seryoso?! Hindi man lang 'Hi Maricon, these are my hot friends. Hot friends, this is Maricon, my emotionally unstable friend!' Walang gano’n!
“We know you won’t text us,” Vito said with a smirk. “Let’s have dinner right now.”
YES! PLEASE SAY YES!
This is it. This is the moment in my life where the camera zooms in, and “This Girl Is On Fire” plays in the background habang nagka-crack ang makeup ko sa kilig.
Nang hindi agad sumagot si Andrè, si Vito naman ang tumingin sa akin.
“If it’s okay with you,” he asked.
OHMYLORDTHEACCENT. I could feel my knees asking for early retirement.
“O-Okay,” I stuttered like a malfunctioning AI, but nakita kong umiling si Andrè, like disappointed principal sa student na caught cheating.
“Great then,” sabi ni Vito habang nag-declare ng Japanese cuisine dinner. Nauna na silang maglakad. Kami ni Andrè, para kaming unwanted side characters sa K-drama.
“Akala ko ba bibili pa tayo ng regalo ni Pablo?” tanong ni Andrè. As in, binigkas niya talaga na parang may kasamang air quotes. ‘PabLooo’ with matching sarcasm.
“E… sobrang rude naman kung ‘di ako papayag,” sagot ko, trying to be civil kahit gusto ko na siyang tusukin ng chopsticks sa batok.
“Tss. Rude daw. E ‘di mo naman sila kilala.”
“Eh saan mo nga sila naging friends?” tanong ko. “And bakit sila ganon? Gwapo overload! Model ba sila? Model ka ba?”
Kunot noo niya. “Kaya ka ba pumayag kasi gwapo sila?”
I nodded like the honest, faithful woman that I am. “Yup.”
Natawa si Andrè. “I thought you’re with Pablo?”
I shrugged. “Yeah… pero hindi naman ako bulag. Marunong lang akong um-appreciate. As long as wala akong ginagawang mali, okay lang ‘yun.”
Agad-agad niyang hinablot ‘yung paper bag ko. Talaga lang oh. Hobby talaga niya agawin lahat ng hawak ko. Kahit siguro holy water dala ko, siya magbe-bless sa sarili niya.
“IS,” he said.
“IS what?” tanong ko, akala ko sinimulan niya lang ang sentence niya nang sobrang cryptic.
“International School. Manila. That’s my school before I went to the U.S.”
Wait. WHAT?
“Pumunta ka ng U.S.?”
He nodded, deadpan. “Yup.”
Tangina, Andrè. Magkasama tayo sa 711, sa jeep, sa pila ng DFA… pero hindi mo man lang nasabi sa akin na isa ka palang former international student of mystery?
“Saan ka nag-college sa U.S.?”
“Secret.”
HINAMPAS KO SIYA. Light lang. Pero enough to say ‘HUY!’
“Ang pa-mysterious mo! Ako nga halos buhay ko binigay ko sa’yo, ikaw, ‘di mo man lang sinasabi mga ganyan. Alam mo lahat sa’kin—pati kung ilang beses ako nag-breakdown sa Criminology exam!”
He shrugged like a smug little hedgehog. “Not my fault that you’re not curious enough to ask me about me.”
Epal talaga.
Sakto namang tinanong kami ng mga hot friends kung okay lang daw Japanese food.
“Sure,” sagot ni Andrè na halatang napipilitan lang. Para siyang batang pinakain ng broccoli. Hindi allergic, pero ayaw niya lang talaga.
Dinner was a dream.
Like legit. It felt like I got accidentally casted in a Netflix rom-com called “Accidental Date With Four Demigods”.
They were funny, smart, and painfully gwapo. Sa totoo lang, dumating sa point na hindi na ako sumasagot. Pinanood ko na lang sila magsalita. Parang museum experience pero moving and breathing ‘yung art pieces.
Pag-uwi namin, sakay kami sa sasakyan ni Andrè.
“Your friends are nice,” I commented, trying to play it cool.
“Yeah?” he said, eyes focused on the road like we’re in Fast and the Curious: Emotional Edition.
I nodded. “Yeah... thanks for letting me have dinner with them kahit halata namang ayaw mo.”
Tumawa siya. “Ilang buwan ka na nga dito sa Manila?”
“Mga... six?” sagot ko.
“Few friends ka pa rin?”
“Yeah... ikaw, si Jax, si Kaye, si Pablo, si Kuya Jerry—”
“Pablo hasn’t introduced you to any of his friends?”
I shook my head. Silence.
Biglang may naramdaman akong kamay niya sa tuktok ng ulo ko. Parang naglagay siya ng ceiling fan sa utak ko—nag-calm ako bigla.
“Stop pouting,” he said softly, trying to lighten up the mood.
“I’ll bring you if they invite me again,” dagdag niya.
“E ‘di ka nga daw nagrereply?”
He laughed. “When I came back, derecho law school. Pero if you wanna hang out with them, let’s go. Warning lang... they party hard. Baka ma-shock ka.”
So protective. Like a Labrador na may sense of humor.
I smiled. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” he said, grinning.
“Alam mo,” I said, slowly, “If ever dumating ‘yung araw na makilala mo na ‘yung babaeng seseryosohin mo… she’ll be so lucky.”
“Yeah?” he replied, eyes still on the road.
I nodded. “Yeah... I mean, sa akin pa nga lang na kaibigan mo, sweet at protective ka na, e. Imagine kung girlfriend mo na? Nako. Jackpot.”
He just laughed.
And I couldn't help but wonder...
Whoever that girl will be...
...does she know how lucky she’s gonna be?
Because honestly?
Andrè Ladezma’s kind of the best.
- Writer
