Life In Lie

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents indicated in this story are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Please be guided that this story contains mature/sensitive contents and foul languages that is not appropriate for very young readers. Some chapters are not properly edited. Any typographical or grammatical errors are unintentional. Happy Reading, Enjoy! ***** "Farrah!!" gulat at masayang tawag sa 'kin ni Navya. She's my closest friend here, since her condo is just right next to mine.  It's Saturday and we're planning to swim, mayroon kasing swimming pool ang building ng condo namin. I felt so lucky no'ng nalaman kong may swimming pool dito, because it is my stress reliever and oh... "Hey, I told you not to call me Farrah!" Inis na sabi ko sa kaniya and pang-hundred times ko na 'ata sinasabi sa kaniya iyon. My body would automatically be filled with vexatiousness everytime I heard it. But I like it though, since its meaning is 'good-looking'. Bagay na bagay sa 'kin. It just makes me kinda uncomfortable and.. whatever. "But I think Avery is too common kasi, gusto kita tawagin in uniq—"  "Whatever! give me a sec," pagputol ko sa sinasabi niya nang biglang tumawag ang grab driver. I ordered hot fudge sundae and fries, my another stress reliever. I also ordered burger, and a drink for Navya, dahil papayag lang daw siya na samahan ako mag-swimming if ililibre ko siya. This girl, really. "Thank you po kuya," sabi ko sa delivery man after receiving my order and giving him my payment, I also gave him a tip. Nakasanayan ko na iyon, I want them to show that I really appreciate the work they have. Marami kasi ay minamaliit ang ganoon. "Salamat din po ma'am!" nakangiting sagot nito sa 'kin. I entered the elevator and clicked the number of the floor, where the swimming pool is located. Navya is also there na, I told her na mauna na siya before receiving my order kanina. "Hoy babae ka, you didn't even waited for me!" Sigaw ko sa kaniya nang makita kong nagsasaya na ito sa paglangoy niya. God, she's even showing-off her swimming skills doon sa little girl na nananahimik sa gilid. So childish. "Ang tagal mo kaya Farrah! Akala ko nga umangkas ka na rin sa nagdedeliver," reklamo nito. "Asshole," I answered, emotionless. "Ito naman 'di mabiro," she said with pitiful eyes, tila inaamo ako. Wth. "Okay, here's your food," nakangiting sagot ko sa kaniya habang binibigay ang food niya. Sumaya naman agad ito na parang bata. So childish talaga.  I checked my phone to see that it is just 8:23 in the morning. Sumubo lang ako ng ilang fries na dini-deep ko sa sundae at nagsimula nang bumabad sa pool after a few minutes. Navya was still eating, nakapag-swimming naman na siya kanina. I do a mermaid swimming, kasi it felt so peaceful being under the water. So good. Kapag pabalik ay backstroke swimming style naman ang ginagawa ko. Nakaka-tatlong set pa lang ako nito ay sumunod na ulit sa akin si Navya.  "Hello Navyanna!" I teasingly called her. I know that she also hates her full first name, like how I hate my second name Farrah. "Hey! Its Navya! Or Navi, kahit alin sa dalawa na 'yon, Navyanna is like an ancient name," she sighed right after saying it. It's funny how we both hate one of our names, even though behind it is its marvelous meaning. "Okay po, Ms. Navyanna," pang-aasar ko pa.  Umismid ito at binasa ako ng binasa. We end up fighting using the pool's water. After an hour we have decided na magbanlaw na, may pupuntahan pa raw kasi si Navya, may lunch date 'ata sila ng family niya.  Sana all. My mind shouted. Sa Monday kasi ay start na ulit ng classes, so I am consuming the rest of my time in doing things that I will surely not be able to do, when my busy days came.  I am now a grade 12 student, while Navya is in grade 10. She's like a baby sister na rin for me, since wala akong kapatid. Pero I let her not to call me 'ate', para mas comfortable siya and for her to feel na I cannot only stand as a big sister to her, but I can also be her bestfriend.  She's not living alone like me. Kasama niya ang ate niya, but hindi ako gaano malapit dito since she is a busy person. Working student. Malapit lang ang work ni ate Naya rito sa building namin, kaya rito rin nila napiling tumira ni Navi. Nauna sila rito kaysa sa 'kin, almost three years na sila here, while me, kakalipat ko lang when my Senior High School life started. I can still remember how ate Naya and Navya welcomed me.  "Good afternoon po ate, for you po!" 14 year old Navya said. She smilingly gave me a box of cookies, with a welcome letters in its packaging. I felt so overwhelmed. But I'm also wondering how did they found out na maglilipat ako rito ngayon. "Oh thank you so much, for your warm welcome..." I sounded like I am asking on what should I call her.  "It's Navya!" Magiliw na sagot nito. "Navyanna Raye L. Mendez," nakangiwing dugtong nito after banggitin ang full name niya. "Uhm, if you're thinking how did I found out na may lilipat dito sa tapat ng condo namin, it is because I saw a maintenance staff here cleaning this unit of yours and I asked him..." she was slightly cut off from speaking. "About your p-paglipat," I laughed when she stuttered as she continued her statement, tapos bigla-bigla pa siyang nagpapaliwanag. I didn't even asked her, nabasa niya siguro sa mukha ko ang pagtataka. "Oh that's why, anyways, thank you again Navya!" tumatawa kong sagot sa kaniya.  She smiled and called someone, "Ate she's here, the bagong lipat!" Napangiwi rin ako sa ka-conyohan nito, just like me huh.  "Hi, welcome! I'm Narriyah Roa, you can call me 'ate Naya'." Nakangiting bati rin nito sa 'kin. "Thank you po sa inyo! I'm Avery," simpleng pagpapakilala ko. "Knock-knock!" I can hear Navya's voice, everytime na malapit na ako sa pintuan para pagbuksan siya. May doorbell naman, but she always do that 'knock-knock' thing. Visiting me here in my condo every afternoon became her habit, since ate Naya needs to work and gabi pa ang uwi niya. Hence Navya and I became bestfriends. "Ano nga kasi?" Pangungulit nito sa full name ko. I just look at her with satirizing eyes. "Avery dali na kasi!!" may halong inis na sabi nito. She's now comfortable calling me without 'ate'.  "Okay, it's...." mala-announcer kong panimula.  "It is...?" Dugtong ni Navya.  "Avery Farrah R. Valencia," dugtong ko in normal tone of my voice. Nakatulala ako sa kaniya, waiting for her reaction.  "It's pretty, I love your name!!" she said with her jolly eyes. "Not unlike mine, too makaluma." She sighed.  I laughed as I rub the top of her head as if she's a cute little puppy. "No it's not, you're calling it 'makaluma' when in fact Navya means young." She was stupefied, and faced me as if my statement was an eye-opener.  Hindi niya ba alam 'yon? Mahilig kasi ako magsearch ng meaning ng names, so the first time she told me her name I immediately looked for its meaning. "Yup, and it also means praiseworthy." dagdag ko pa, para lang hindi niya na ayawan ang name niya. "Really..." she stunningly mumbled. "How about you, how do others call you?" She asked me nang mabalik na siya sa katinuan.  "Avery lang, sometimes Very." I simply answered her.  "Oh, so I can call you Farrah!" she happily stated.  "No!" I sternly answered. My mood would quickly change if someone used my second name to me, so no one dared to call me that, except this puppy beside me and them. "But why?" she looked at me in astonishment.  "Just no, umuwi ka na nga doon nandyan na yata si ate Naya." I pushed her away, kahit wala pa doon ang ate niya.  "But—" "Shoo, shoo," pagputol ko sa kaniya while gently pushing her outside my condo. I sighed as I closed my door. Ganoon lang lagi ang nakagawian namin, she's still calling me Farrah. Ang dami niyang sinasabi na kung ano-anong reason, kapag pinagbawalan ko siya. Arte talaga.  Still, I'm thankful that Navi came into my life, kung hindi siguro ay nabaliw na ako mag-isa rito. Buti nga ay hindi siya katulad ng mga taong makita pa lang ako ay kinaiinisan na 'ko.  I smiled as I recalled those memories of us while eating my lunch, nagluto lang ako ng spam for my ulam. After eating naghugas na ako ng pinag-kainan, at umupo saglit sa sofa ng sala ko at nanood sa netflix ng series na sinimulan ko last night. It's about a young boy who fell in love with an old lady, not too old. Just too old for the young boy's age.  Nakakatawa kasi, I see myself in that series. When I was on my 9th grade I started a relationship with a 6th grader student. I don't know either ano pumasok sa isip ko no'n. I only know that I wanted to give a try being in a relationship. And for God's sake, sa grade 6 pa talaga Avery. Well, it ended din naman after a few weeks, his mom found it out and pinagalitan siya. Hindi na kami nag-usap after that. Wala naman na sa 'kin 'yon, I felt sorry lang for the kid. I stood up when my doorbell rang. "Nav—" naputol ang sasabihin nito nang ako ang makita sa pinto. "Oh I'm sorry, hahaha I pressed the wrong doorbell," Gab answered in intoxicated way, he's Navya's ex na hindi maka move on sa kaniya. Maybe nag-inom nanaman ito dahil hindi na talaga siya kinausap ni Navya. "It's, fine. But Navya's not there, nag-family lunch sila and hindi pa rin sila umuuwi ng ate niya." I casually answered him. Umalis siya nang hindi pinapansin ang sinabi ko. Navya's still young when the two of them started a relationship. She's still on her 8th grade that time. She told me na bigla na lang niyang naisip na ayaw niya pa ng serious relationship, maybe maturity's hitting her. I don't know ako kasi ganoon e.  Bumalik ako sa sofa and turned off my tv. Nahiga naman ako at nag-scroll sa social media accounts ko. I posted a photo of me kanina na nakapose, nakatingin sa right side ko at naka-smile habang nasa pool on my i********:. And of course, bad comments are there.  Marami kasing inis sa 'kin sa school, and ginawa na nilang hobby ang pangba-bash sa every photos ko. They say that I look like malandi and a mean girl na mang-aagaw ng jowa. Oh God. I have this baddie look kasi, and it's not my fault to have this kind of feature 'no. I love it anyway. 'malandi pose yarn?' 'poksjskdkid' 'nang-lalandi nanaman siya gamit picture niya haha' 'feelingera xD' Sanay na ako sa mga comments na ganoon. But what I don't really understand is, why they still keep following me, kung naiinis sila sa 'kin, right?  I have 6,587 followers on my i********:, and I think I don't need them. My account is public, even if I remove them from following me, they can still see my posts. I don't want to private it either nor even turn off the comment section. I want to show the world how pretty I am. Yeah that's me, Avery.  I will not block those inggiteras too, I will let them die in resentment. I released a demonic laugh in my mind. I-o-off ko na sana ang phone ko nang may mag-notif ulit mula sa i********:, a comment. 'Not ladies here, degrading another lady with their trashy comments. Mga mukha namang maaasim :))' I laughed as I read his comment. "Kaiden Aslan A. Fuentes," mahinang pagbasa ko sa pangalan na nasa bio no'ng nag-comment. I checked his 'Following' wala naman ako doon a. I don't know him either. Napatigil na lang ako sa pag-check ng profile niya nang may tumawag ulit sa 'kin.  Shit, may order pa nga pala ako sa shopee. Well, stuffs naman 'yon na I could use for my study.  It's 8:36 in the evening na. I am now eating my dinner that I ordered few minutes ago, tinamad na kasi ako magluto. I just did yoga, and tried playing a song earlier on my guitar. Honestly, I'm not very fond of playing that instrument, hindi rin ako expert sa pagtugtog nito. I'm just doing it to lessen my boredom. I'm done with my night routine. I opened again my i********: account only to see  that the man commented on my post, followed me. I just liked his comment bago ko i-receive ang order ko kanina. 'kaifuentes_  started following you. 6h' I'm about to click his profile again, when my phone rang again. Dean calling "Yow wazzup!" I answered my boy bestfriend's call.  "Kumusta? You free tom?" he consecutively asked.  "Here doing good, uhm after lunch maybe." I answered.  "Okay, kain tayo libre ko, meet na lang tayo sa mall mga 3PM." I traced an excitement in his voice.  "Okay Dean, see you!" sambit ko and I ended the call.  I continue stalking the man. "Gwapo," I said while looking at his photo, on his icon. "Pero, sorry kuya, hindi kita type," I proudly said before turning off my phone. I prayed and fell asleep immediately. **********