SHARING MY INFINITE STARS WITH YOURS...

chapter 7

Tambay lang kami sa gilid ng hallway ni Jean habang nag-hihintay ng teachers in charge sa library, hindi kasi kami maka-pasok hanggat walang permission slip.

But expect the unexpected, nandito nanaman si Bry. He has it's bright smile as he walk the distance between us. Pero sa likod nya, nakita ko ang kapatid kong may masamang tingin saakin.

Why is that suppose to mean? Handa na sana akong puntahan sya but she already left. Without anything to do, I'd just stayed on my position with my Bestfriend.

"Hoy Mahal na reyna! Pumunta ako sa bahay nyo nong isang araw, pati kahapon tas kanina! Bakit hindi ka umuuwi ha!"

About that, I stayed at Jean's house the whole weekend. Nag-paalam naman ako kila mama and they gladly let me, naka-usap na rin naman daw nila ang parents ng kaibigan ko.

"Uhm, nag-over night kasi ako kila Jeanine. Why, what's wrong. Sabi ni mama may sasabihin ka daw?" I calmly ask, but my left hand is gripping Jean's.

Wala namang reklamo ang kaibigan ko, she knows me very well. As much as possible I always put myself away from anger. Kahapon pa rin kasi ako nag-rarant sa kanya about Bry, nahihiya na kasi ako kila mama sa pag-punya nya sa bahay ng walang paalam.

"Wala naman... Manliligaw sana ako e, kaya lang wala ka. So mommy mo nalang, sabi nga ng papa mo approved daw sya. How about you?"

Sumilay sa mapula nitong labi ang pilyong ngiti. Mas lalo ko tuloy nahigpitan ang pag-kakahawak sa kamay ni Jean.

"Aray!" Jean on the other hand whispered, under my ears.

"S-sorry..." I muttered back. Humarap muli ako kay bry ng may pilit na ngiti, well it's rude if I talk to him in a bad way just because I'm annoyed. "Why don't you go back to our room and stay there for awhile. Baka naiwan mo utak mo don, you know, just concern."

Hindi ito nakinig kagaya ng inaasahan ko. That's Bry, he'll do everything he wants. Spoiled kasi sya dahil anak ng Governor.

"I think you're right. Sasamahan pa sana kita, but if you insist then I'll go. Bye sweetcake"

Agad itong nag-lakad paalis na para bang tuwang tuwa pa sa ginawa. He's too blunt to the point that I know to myself he wasn't sincere at all.

Somehow it feels heavenly with his words, but know his just playing with me, is a disappointment. Hindi naman ako nag-eexpect, beside I don't like him to begin with, kaya dapat wala lang saakin ang mga sinasabi nya.

I'm contented for what I got. Sapat ng meron akong isang inspiration which is Henry, even he's not that good to be influence with.

"Mrs. Gamboa, pwede na po ba?" Masuyong pakiusap ni Jean sa guro.

But Mrs. Gamboa still doesn't give us a librarian slip. Ang sabi nito, inuubos na namin ni Jean ang oras sa pag-babasa ng mga libro. Isn't a good thing?

"P-pero ma'am—"

"No more buts Jane, halos maubos nyo ng lahat ng libro dito. Live a life you too, kung hindi lang kayo nag-gagandahang dilag isa na sainyo maging nerd ng school na'to" she harshly said walking away.

With that, I look at my Bestfriend. I felt how shocked she was hearing the world Nerd while referring to us.

Wala kasing pumapansin sa kanya noon if it's not me. Walang nakaka-alam that she was once a nerd. "Wag mo'ko tignan ng ganyan, matagal na yun"

Sa lungkot ng boses nyang iyon, binalak ko pang mag-salita pero nauna na itong mag-lakad. Habang ako naiwang pinag-mamasdan lang nya palayo.

Jean is already gone from my sight when I finally get back to reality. Susunod na sana ako but an arm stop me on doing so.

May mga bisig na humila saakin paatras. Hindi na rin ako naka-sigaw dahil may tumakip ng bibig ko. Then I blindfold followed.

I'm trying to hook out, but then suddenly... My sight vanished... Physical strength and ability to feel, began to disappear...

-

"Tanga ka ba! Anong gagawin na'tin sa babaeng yan! Hindi sya ang pina-kukuha ni boss, yung isang anak bobo!"

"Mas tanga ka! Nakikita mo ng mas maganda at makinis, yung isa pa hihilingin mo? Pabayaan mo si boss, tiba tiba na sya dito"

"Ano ba kayong dalawa, ayusin nyo nga tong gosut ng ginawa nyo, mapapatay tayo neto e"

Nanatiling naka-piring ang mga mata ko. But I can still hear them talking. I pretended to be asleep so I can leak some information while they thought I'm not aware.

To be honest this is not new anymore. Since childhood I've experiencing being kidn*pped or threaded by someone. Luckily no one tried to abuse me physically, kaya siguro malakas din ang loob ko.

"Kayong dalawa, tumatawag si boss. Ihanda nyo mga batuta nyo dahil yan ang unang puputulin oras na malaman ni boss ang nangyari dito"

"Ay pvcha!"

Kanya kanya pang reklamo ang iba, dahil marami silang dumukot saakin—ay mali, sa tansya ko mga pito lang sila.

"H-hello boss—yes boss! Opo, opo! Areglado... H-ha? P-pero totoo—tangina pinatay yung tawag! Padating na daw sya!"

Nag-simula silang mag-panic. Ang iba pa ay humahanap ng tyempo para daw makatakas, and ilan ay gumagawa na ng speech kung paano mag-papaliwanag sa boss nila.

"Kasalanan mo to e!"

"Anong ako? Gago ka ba ikaw ang humila tanga!"

"Sabi nitong isang to e! Gago ka ba? Inutusan ako tangïna naiintindihan mo ba yon? Sino kaya yung nag-piring sa mata ng dalaga—"

"Sino kayang gumamit ng illegal powder para mawalan ng malay itong dalaga?"

"Bakit ako nasali! Kayong dalawa lang nag-tatalo ah!"

"Bakit? Kami lang ba dapat! Damay damay na to, lagot tayong lahat kay boss mga pvtangina nyong lahat!"

Hindi natapos ang alitan nila hanggang sa isang malakas na lagabog ang nag-patigil sa mga ito. In somehow I felt extreme nervousness.

Hindi para sa sarili ko, instead for those guys who's involve on k********g me. Hopefully their boss won't do something bad to them.

"Q-Queen..."

A small voice, makes me stilled. T-that familiar scent... The familiar voice and deep hummed. Kilala ko sya... K-kilala ko to...

"E-edward... E-edward is it you!" Hindi ko napigilan ang sariling kong mag-salita.

For all these years... Napakinggan kong muli ang boses ng taong minsan kong minahal... O gosh, tama ba tong ginagawa ko?

Naramdaman ko na lang na may mainit na yakap ang dumampi saaking balat. Kasabay non ang mabigat na pag-hinga ng lalaking nasa harapan ko ngayon.

"Q-queenie... J-jane I'm sorry... S-sorry mahal..."

Mahal... It hit me. That word was the thing he use to call me in the past. Gosh this is not happening! Wala akong maintindihan—he's still a member of a fraternity!

Tinanggal nito ang piring sa mga mata ko. There I saw him with pleading eyes, gently creasing my cheeks with a nervous smile.

"J-jane sinaktan ka ba nila?" Marahang sabu nito. Napa-angat naman ang ulo ko sa pitong lalaking naka-tayo at nanonood saamin ni Edward.

They were indeed look masculine and hard. Not to mention there rough way on handling me here.

"Ang sabi mo noon tiwalag ka na, a-anong ginagawa mo dito?"

Agad itong napa-iwas ng tingin. But at the same time, he use that opportunity to ask one the his men to untie me from the chair.

Still waiting for his response, I slap him right after I freed my hand. "Gagu ka! You're a liar, sabi mo mag-babago ka para sa kapatid ko!"

Akala ko ay magagalit ito, but he didn't. He hold my both hand and kiss it with closing eyes. "I'm sorry... I can't love back your sister, not much as you wanted me to do. Alam mong sayo ko lang kayang gawin yun, I'm sorry"

Naiintindihan ko naman yun. Edward and I were almost a couple if not because of Dianne. My sister ask me if I could help her to be with Edward.

Nakaka-tawa. Nagawa kong saktan ang sarili ko para pasayahin ang kapatid ko. But we're cool, hindi sila nag-tagal na dalawa, and I am cool with it too. Hindi daw kinaya ni Edward.

We're now at their rest house. Kung kanina nasa madilim na lugar ako at wala kang halos makikita na liwanag, but here where we are currently in, napaka-aliwalas.

"Ano nga palang trip mo, bakit may pinapadukot kang babae? What if your men succeed on k********g the real victim, who would it be?" I asked sipping the drink he gave me earlier.

Ganon din ang ginawa nyang umiinom ng kape, he shrugged. "To be home, it suppose to be your Bestfriend, Jean." He said it like it was nothing.

Naka-hinga naman ako ng maluwag don. I thought they were targeting Dianne, kasi pag nangyari yun, wala ng biruan makikipag-patayan talaga ako for sake of my sister's safety.

"Why Jean? May atraso ba sya sayo? At hindi mo man-lang ba maiisip mararamdaman ko if ever you planning something unacceptable to her!"

He bit his lips, averting my gaze before heaving a sighed. "It wasn't my plan. It was Patrick's..."

Natigilan ako at blangkong napa-tulala sa kanya. Sana mali nadinig ko, sana maduli lang tenga ko but it isn't... Patrick and Edward were friends too, and if that's the case, I must look after my Bestfriend more often...