TO BE LOVED

Chapter 10

It never came crossed to my mind that we are going to the south side, away from where I live, away from home. But still part of the Coventry. We drove for almost half an hour. He never said anything about where are we going.

We just talk random things. He initiated it first so... I'm not that rude you think, kahit papaano may nagawa naman siyang maganda sa akin. That's okay.

Pagkatapos sa mga bahay-bahay na nalalampasan namin habang patakbo ang range rover niya ay unti-unti itong napapalitan ng mga kakahuyan sa paligid. Malayo na sa pamayanan ng buong lugar.

Infront of us is a long stretch of road ahead. Tila bang walang katapusan ang haba nito. The trees on each side of the road is hovering us well, covering us from the heat of the afternoon sun.

Lumiko kami sa hindi kongretong daan at kalaunan naman ay naging maayos na ang takbo hindi na lubak-lubak, hindi gaya kanina.

We stopped the car engines when we already reached our rendevouz. In the middle of nowhere.

Infront of us are enough influx of people talking cheerfully to one another while holding a cup of red plastic.

Paglabas ko galing sasakyan niya ay ang maingay na buong paligid. Agad ang iba sa kanila ay napatingin sa aming banda ng makita kami na lumabas galing sa' sasakyan.

Naiilang pa ako kasi galing sa ingay na paligid ay biglang natahimik.

I don't know if I am the one they were looking at or si Chevy.

May mga iba't ibang sasakyan ang nakaparking sa gilid ng daan na hindi naaayos sa pagkapark.

"Remember what I said earlier. Make her jealous." Chevy whispered on my ear and chuckled.

Then, his tanned arms snake around on the small of my back.

Nagtunggo kami sa kung saan ang maraming tao. Nagugulahan ang isip' baka hindi makadaan sa dami ng tao, na occupy ang kaunting espasyo ng daan.

May ibang nakakakita sa amin at nagkalat ang bulung-bulungan at galing sa pagtitipon nila ay biglang binigyan kami ng espasyo para makadaan sa gitna ng mga hindi ko kilalang mga mukha.

I am shocked so... damn well shocked! I glance at Chevy who is now smirking while were walking in the center of the crowd.

Who is this guy I'm with? Bakit parang hinahangaan nila to? Boss ba nila to?

What the f**k?

I go with the flow then. His friends were sitting on the hood of the yellow jeep wrangler others are on the back. When they saw Chevy ay agad na umalis sila galing sa pagka upo doon at pumunta pa sa amin. Napansin ko 'pa sila na naka bandana rin katulad ng kasama ko.

When they are near they did this some sort of swag handshakes.

Boys thing, eh? Cool.

"Damn dude' she's mad!" ani ng lalaki sabay tingin sa akin.

May nag winked pa sa akin. Ew?

"If you've just seen her face!" sabi naman ng isa na may dalang canned beer.

Chevy looks so f*****g gorgeous in his unruly hair and with his red bandana. Tumawa lang siya sa kanila at pagkatapos pinakilala niya ako sa mga kaibigan niya.

His friends are cool. All handsome like him. They have this kind of air na unang tingin mo pa lang sa kanila ay masamang tao na pero kalaunan ay hindi naman iyon ang napansin ko.

They were some kind of nineties bad bois a bit of a modern vibe.

May tinawag si Chevy na babae, at ng makita niya ito ay tinigil niya ang ginawang pag p-picture sa grupo ng kababaihan. Her face lighten up when she saw Chevy. She give him a peck on the cheek so is he.

He chuckled. Umirap ako.

Napataas ang kilay ko bigla, napansin naman iyon ng mga kaibigan niya, tumawa lang sila.

"No big deal," Matthew whispered.

I gave him a fake smile while he just nod.

"This is Dani my bestfriend." si Chevy. "Dani si Blair,"

"Hi," I simply said. I didn't mind extend my hands towards her.

Dumapo agad ang mata ko sa kapaligiran. Smell a mixtures of different expensive perfume from these people.

Dani took a picture of us, dahilan kung bakit naputol ang pagmamasid ko buong sa paligid.

Everyone cheered after the pictures. Even his friends seems liked it. They should, sa ganda kung 'to.

Infront of us are two cars, facing the long road infront. Everyone is noisy towards another.

"Drag race?" Tanong ko kay Chevy. Pagkatapos makausap ang mga kaibigan niya.

His lips twisted as if amused that I know.

"Yes, princess." And nod towards the two cars.

"Isn't this illegal?" Pinagmasdan parin ang sa harap.

Not certain.

"Well it is, if no one calls a cops then its not illegal."

I've seen this kind of game on the televesion, mostly done by teenagers.

I nod.

"Ano ang kapalit?"

He didn't spoke a second later.

"You'll see after today's race."

"Ikaw ang magmamaneho 'don?" turo sa isang sasakyan kulay pula.

"Yep. And that one," turo niya sa isang sasakyan katabi. "Slick black silverwood. Ridge our enemy."

Malayo itong lugar na ito sa kabihasnan. Pakiramdam ko nga ilan lang ang nakakaalam sa daanang ito. Iyong daan na tinahak namin kanina ay doon daanan palabas sa Conventry. Dahil lumiko kami, and this way up to the next down the hills.

"Ano ang meron doon sa malayong daan pagkatapos?" curiousity is hovering me.

"Its a dead end." Inablyan niya ako kaya napatingin ako doon.

Naguguluhan. Hindi naman kita o masisigurado kung dead-end na ba dahil sa layo.

"I'm mean not literally. Its the other way to the next town, which is technically our enemy came from. Don't bother to ask, you're not ready for that conversation." He said seriously with a stern expression.

Agad naman na wala iyon sa aking isipan ang mga sinabi niya sa akin. Iyon nga lang pagkatapos ng street racing nila ay bumabagabag iyon sa akin ulit. Lalo na't natalo ang kalaban nila.

They're about to punch each other kapag ito'y hindi maaksyunan.

"Dude this was the agreement. Well, get the B- swing after the race, thus, its ours, you lose! " si Matthew.

Nasa gitna kami ng daan matapos ang laro. Nasa likod ako habang ang mga taong kaharap ko ay hindi ako pinapadaan para man lang makita kung anong nangyayari sa unahan.

Mga boses lang nila ang naririnig ko. Chevy is in the crowd together with Matthew and his friends.

The opposing team are all furious now sa boses palang nila ay nasisiguro ko ay hindi lang basta basta ang larong ito para sa kanila.

"Stop this s**t Ridge! Will you?!"Dani said, furious.

"This won't turns out like this if this guy didn't cheat!"asik ng kausap.

"Dude sabi ko sayo na wag dito sa teritoryo nila. I know things like this would've happen if your on the lions den."

"Ridge, tanggapin mo' nalang na talo ka, talo kayo! Tuparin nalang natin ang pinagkasunduan natin." si Chevy sa maawtoridad na boses.

Hanggang paalis sila ay hindi parin nawala ang mga nag alala nilang mga mukha.

"No one cheated you loser! Case closed! Ulol!" Chevy shouted when they left the area.

I never expected any of this to happen! Kahit ganon ang nangyari parang wala lang sa kanila ang nangyari pagkatapos. Everyone is rowdy and eupeptic when we reach our end.

"A barn?!" I asked, bewildered.

Huminto ang ilan niyang mga kaibigan. Pinaalis naman agad ni Chevy ang iba. Si Matthew ay ngisi ng ngisi para bang hindi makapaniwala sa narinig galing sa akin.

Dani whispered to him and my forehead creased. Chevy just watching me, so unpleased with this,sure, he's not taking this seriously! I glance at him and giving me a sly smirked.

"Hey ano' yan?" tingin ko ni Dani. Nakataas ang aking kilay.

Matthew scoffed and raised his thick eyebrow in amusement.

"What's wrong with a barn?" sabay ngisi.

"Its just that... can't believe na ito talaga pinag awayan niyo? A barn? Really?" I cross my arms over my chest.

"Why is that big deal to you? Stop being conyo! Nasa territoryo ka namin." Tumawa lang silang magkaibigan.

My lips pursed.

"Attitude ka girl?!" I mocked.

"Actually, its a barn house not just a barn," she teased and umiling.

Umirap ako at tinignan siya mula ulo hanggang paa. Sino nga' to? How dare she talk to me lika that?!

She's just shrugged after at umalis na inablyan ni Matt paalis sa amin. Chevy just smile at umiling iginiya niya ako sa loob pero nagpaiwan muna' ako.

Malayo sa maraming tao. The barn was rooted on the side of the road, on the leftside is the green grass spread widely. May fence na hanggang baywang lang ang taas nito bilang gate na nakapalibot sa buong espasyo ng barn house.

Outside the fenched is the woodlands five meters away from the barn. The sun already sets, various kind of tress swaying along the wind, halves of them now colored in pale tint of orange. The atmosphere in the place screams warm and friendly... nostalgic.

I left alone outside while the others are already jampacked the area inside. I admire the area outside. The ambience is so refreshing cannot deny it, that this kind of place solely exist in rural area.

Natigil lang ako sa pag iisip ng tinawag nila ako galing sa loob.

I walked through the dirty walkway. Lalong lumakas ang ingay ng mga tao sa loob ng makalapit at makapasok.

Inside of the barn house are all made of woods, its not that wide just enough for ten people- enough for Chevy's friends.

All in shade of browned-coffee like color. Up on the center of the ceiling is a vintage light bulb that gives enough clarity of the barn and on the side of the walls are festoon lights.

"What do' you think?" Chevy behind my back, whispered.

I twist my lips. There's no room for guilty-tripping here B. Honestly, this place is so cool. Everything about Chevy and his friends screams cool and not a flop!

"Guess I'm wrong." Humalukipkip ako at hinarap siya.

Binigyan niya ako ng pulang plastic cup na may lamang inumin. Everyone is happy and dancing along with some dope songs and such. Their vibes is kinda western-liked huh.

"Ano naman gagawin niyo dito?" Sabay suri sa buong paligid.

"Gagawin namin tambayan sa barkada at syempre' rehearsal space for the band." he said.

"You sing? You have a band? Weh?!" sunod sunod kung sabi kasi hindi makapaniwala.

I mean... not that I underestimate him but... wala sa itsura niya. Chevy is kind of like an angel attitude but his looks and physical outlook screams the opposite- the bad boy aura, but never came cross to my mind na kumakanta siya... siya at ang mga kaibigan niya.

"Nagbibiro ka ba? Wala sa itsura mo." I joke.

Hindi ko naman' lubusan siyang kilala kaya siguro ganito ako sa kanya.

Sa huli tinignan niya lang ako. At tinatanya at naghihintay sa salitang sasabihin ko. Pero sa huli hindi niya sinagot ang katanungan ko. Ayos lang naman total madami naman kaming panahon para dyan.

"Brenda's here!" Alistair's said to Chevy na kagagaling lang sa labas.

Kakapasok lang na si Brenda all dressed in a fancy clothes. Pero bago niya pa kami makita dalawa sa mapaghanap niyang mga mata ay- hinalikan ko na ng walang paalam si Chevy. Hinalikan niya ako pabalik agad! Dumilat ang mata ko but I'm too drunk to even care about that.

Narinig ko kaagad ang mga kaibigan niya na nag ingay.

While I'm kissing him torridly, my eyes peek on her face and glued on her shocked face. God I want to frame that! At ibigay ko kay Chevy. Para remembrance! Lalo ko siyang hinalikan naging malalim iyon. I can feel his warm hands envelope my back. His embrace is tight smashing me to his body as if securing me to his.

Lasing ako at nagulat nalang ng mawala si Brenda sa aking paningin.

Hindi parin nawala ang ingay sa mga kaibigan niya. Si Chevy ang unang bumitaw sa halik, ang pulang labi niya ay umawang tinitignan ang akin sa mapupungay na mata.

I lazily smiled and wipe his red lips with my thumb.

I can feel something foreign forming on my stomach up to my throat. I mindlessy kiss him on the neck.

Everyone roared and I hear a click of the camera from somewhere.

Without farther ado I barfed straight right to his face and doze off like a kid.