Nineteen

Chapter 4

▪XIX▪

I'm Claire Santiago. 19 years old. I am older than my best friend. I have three younger sisters definitely I'm the eldest. My mother is a plain housewife and my dad is an architect.

I'm Trixie's bestfriend. She's beautiful and cooler than me. How would I say that? When we're in highschool she has a lot of suitors. They just couldn't court her because of her brothers. She is like a gem to them. They love her so much. My two exes liked her so much, I mean Trixie were their crush. They courted me because Trixie was too innocent and those things were nothing to her. All she wanted was to enjoy our highschool life. She was too smart but too stupid about love. She didn't know if someone like her more than friends. Sometimes I feel mad at her even she was too kind at me. Maybe, it's insecurity? Well, I am aware of that.

Before there was no anger within me, but it all happened when the guy who likes her became my boyfriend, angers started to ate my whole concerned about her. My relationships lead to break ups. I was always a second choice everytime she was with me. I'm making a way not to be with her, sometimes I think that she would notice I'm avoiding her. She is too kind to me. She's very thoughtful and sweet. She always bought me clothes, a pair of shoes & sandals or any accessories.

"Hey Trixie. Do you need anything?" I asked.

"Aren't you coming with us?" Trixie asked back.

"Huh? Sorry I'm busy," alibi ko.

"Oh c'mon, it's weekend. And besides, it's been one month since we hadn't hangout. I had no social life for one month! Please, I get you there," she softly said.

Before I could say anything she ended the call. She's always been like that even though I was not yet agreeing she will fetch me hanggang sa wala na akong magawa. After few minutes, I heard her parked outside our house then I quickly opened the gate.

"Let's go. Tito and tita already knew about it. They allowed us," ngiti nito.

"Have a sit. I'll just change my clothes," paalam ko sa kanya.

Trixie was really different from me. She's contented with her mascara and lip gloss unlike me who would always put a full glam-makeup. She only wears dress if she needed to. She was into car racing but it was only our secret. Once her family figure out about it, she would probably stop that and they will send her abroad.

Trixie drove vastly and we stopped at the Bread and Breakfast in Tagaytay. Christoph's cousin owns this Bread and Breakfast.

"Oh I thought you couldn't make it? Long time no see, Trixie," Jake told.

Trixie just smiled. I used to see her like that since we were young.

"It was so hard na makumbinsi si Claire to go with us, so I did my best pa," tawa niya.

"I see," Jake uttered. And they both laughed. At nagdatingan na ang mga barkada nila Jake.

"Wow! Like parang konti pa natin," sarkastikong biro ni Trixie.

"Don't you want to be with us?" tanong ni Luke.

"I didn't say that, it came from you," biro nito. "Why didn't you invited other girls?" agad niyang tanong.

"Don't tell me you're really a lesbian?" ani ni Christoph.

"What?!" she scolded.

"Want another group of friends when these handsome faces already in front of you?" he smirked.

"Handsome? Where? What I mean is... your girlfriend?" ngisi nito.

"We didn't ask you if you have a boyfriend so don't ask us about girls," sabi ni Christoph.

"Whatever!" inis na sabi ni Trixie.

I don't know what was going on with these two. Well, I think Christoph likes Trixie. "Hey, are you angry? Sorry okay?" marahan na sabi nito.

"We don't know... maybe tomorrow morning you're the next couple who will get married. What do you think guys?" biro ni Mike. Mike likes Trixie. Yes, I've known about it because he told me. He always texted me just to get Trixie's number. I don't give him the contact number because she wasn't the kind of person who would give her phone number to anyone and also she doesn't used to texting. After that conversation, we went inside the Bread and Breakfast Inn.

•••

Christoph's P.O.V

We had our lunch there. Trix and I went to the park near the Bed and Breakfast. Yeah Trix... I like calling her Trix. One month since I've met her and I'm very comfortable being with her like most of the time.

"Do you have siblings?" she asked.

"Yeah. We're all boys, three boys actually," sagot ko. She just nodded. Okay napakatipid makipag-usap.

"Does Claire has a boyfriend?" I asked. Trixie ridiculously looked at me.

"Yeah," she uttered. "Do you like her, huh?" she asked. "Busted ka!" tawa nito.

"Of course not! I was just asking," mariin kong sagot.

"Claire is beautiful so I know you would probably like her. She has a lot of suitors," nakangiti nitong kwento. Lakas maka-uplift.

"I was just curious because she is your bestfriend who has boyfriend and you don't have, yet" pang-iinis ko.

"Is there any discrimination about being best friends?" inis na tanong nito.

"Like I've said, I was just curious. Why are you still single?" seryoso kong tanong.

"Simply, I never fall in love and no one likes me," sobra magpaka-humble. "Haha. And I guess I'm exactly better this way. Unlike naman if you're in a relationship you have to respect each other's decision. But, alam ko naman yung respeto is para sa lahat. I've noticed lang it to my brother. He did tell me to respect your partner," seryoso nitong sagot.

"That's only the reason? You're beautiful. I'm sure there's someone courting you," I told.

"Such a womanizer. How many girlfriends you had?" sarkastiko niyang tanong.

"I had two exes," I said.

"You are such a womanizer. You're only 19 years old then two exes," angil nito.

"I'm not a womanizer. I guess you're too scared to get hurt," puna ko. "Sadyang gwapo lang talaga," nahampas ako nito saka tumawa.

"Kapal mo," ani nito.

"What if someone courts you? What will you do?" tanong ko.

"I'll punch his face so hard that it'll make him stop pursuing me..." biro nito. "But, honestly, I don't know," seryoso niyang sagot.

"You're a sadist. Whenever I courted someone, I got an answer after three months," nanlaki ang mata nito sa sinabi ko.

"That's ridiculous! Such a womanizer," sigaw nito. The expression on her face changed.

"Problem?" I asked.

"Nothing... I don't want to get into relationship because of what my brother told me. Do you get it?" ani nito.

"I don't get it, explain mo kaya" sagot ko.

"Actually when Troy was in college he could easily changed his girlfriend. With all those little flawed of his girlfriend, he could easily untangle the relationship. He was too perfectionist! I wouldn't call him womanizer because he will court someone after months ganon nagpapalipas muna yata ng pagkasawi. But one time his ex-girlfriend went to our house. She was pleading to me to help her with the relationship she had with my brother," kwento niya.

"What did you do?" I curiously asked.

"I talked to him but nothing had happened. He just told me that I couldn't understand him unless I enter a relationship. It was the worsts feeling I've had because he got so mad at me. I don't want to be in that situation, that I needed to plead just to have him back. I didn't know his reasons but I was so mad because there's someone who has to get hurt," she seriously said.

"Maybe they had a very complicated problem or he didn't love her anymore," sagot ko.

"Heh. Whatever!" angil nito.

"Hey. Where are you going?" habol ko ng bigla siyang umalis.

"I don't know!" inis niyang sagot.

"Are you mad at me because of what I've said?" tanong ko.

"Stupid reasons!" she scolded. Pikon talaga. She left me in the park. Did I say something wrong? She was the only girl who talked to me in a nasty way whenever she feels mad. She was always angry at me. Maybe, later we would be okay.

•••

Trixie's P.O.V

I went inside the room that Christoph reserved from his cousin. They were all inside the room as I walked in. I went straightly through the restroom.

"What was her problem Christoph?" dinig kong tanong ni Mike.

"I don't know!" I heard him shouted. I washed my face then I quickly went out of the restroom.

"Problem?" Luke asked.

"I don't know," sarkastiko kong sagot.

"Were that words virus? Christoph got that from you," ani nito.

"I'm not sick! Get what?" wow mukhang engot na nag- logged pa ata bago ma-process sa utak ko ang sinabi niya.

"Wala pareho kayong topakin," ngisi nito.

"Why y'all here?" tanong ko.

"Do you want us to stay outside?" sarkastiko niyang tanong. "We'll have some drinks later," he told.

"Of course not. I was asking. Okay? Where is Claire and Sam, btw?" tanong ko.

"They went out to buy our food and drinks," sabi ni Luke.

"Okay. I'll just get inside the bedroom," ani ko saka mabilis na pinihit ang doorknob.

"Wait!" sigaw ni Luke.

"Why?" lingon ko sabay diretso pa ding pumasok.

"Christoph is there," he uttered. Mukha siyang natataranta.

"I'll send him out," sagot ko.

"Don't go inside," ani nito kahit pa lampas na ako sa pinto.

I didn't mind what says. I went to the bedroom straightly and I was shocked. Terribly shocked. He was naked, wearing only boxer.

"Ahhhh..... Help!!!" I hysterically shouted.

"What the f**k? Turn your back," sigaw nito pabalik.

Mike, Lee, Simon, Luke, and Jake came inside the bedroom. I don't know what I really looked like rather the expression on my face at that moment. All I know is that I felt my cheeks like burning.

"What happened?" tanong ni Mike. Hindi na ako nakasagot sa sobrang hiya.

"Why did you have to change your clothes in here?" tanong ni Luke sa kanya.

"She was in the restroom so I decided to change my clothes in here. Damn it! I honestly don't know she would get in here," napipikon na ito sa naging tanong ng mga ito.

"Are you okay? I think your blushing," nagawa pang magbiro ni Luke. Iniwan ko sila doon. He was a jerk! Yeah I used to see my brother half-naked but gosh he knew that we're also staying in here. Maybe it was my fault because I went there even Luke told me not to. Claire and Sam came having the things they bought.

"Where are you going?" Claire asked.

"I'll just go outside," maikli kong sagot.

"Okay," she uttered.

•••

Christoph's P.OV.

Nagluto muna sila ng lunch bago pa kami magsimulang uminom. I've never seen Trix since she left us in the bedroom. Was I wrong? Why am I concern to her?

"You're in deep thoughts," Sam told.

"Because he was thinking about what had happened earlier. Okay. He only changed his clothes in the bedroom. Haha," pang-aasar nito.

"What was wrong with that?" Sam asked.

"There was something wrong for what he'd done," ngisi nito.

"Stop it!" sigaw ko sa sobrang inis.

"How would you say sorry, eh she's not here?" tanong ni Luke. While we were in the middle ng pag-uusap she came.

"Speaking of..." Luke uttered.

"Hi! San ka galing?" Sam asked.

"From my mom. You're also from your mother's womb. Right?" pilosopo nitong sabi. That's bullshit!

"I guess you're not feeling well," ani ni Sam.

"I'm fine," casual na sagot niya.

"Christoph you better apologize," panunukso ni Luke.

"What?!" she was terrified at my sudden mood.

"I'll just go to the kitchen. I better help Claire," ani nito. She left us in the sala. After few minutes, we started our lunch.

"Do you have a boyfriend Trixie?" Sam asked.

"None," maikli nitong sagot.

"Did you have a boyfriend?" Sam asked again.

"Nope. Why?" marahan nitong tanong.

"Cause Mike becomes torpe," ani ni Sam. I felt angry to their conversations. I don't know why! They were talking a lot of stuffs and boom there were words that was unpleasant to hear.

"Torpe to whom?" she innocently asked.

"You are too innocent sa mga ganitong usapan," he told.

"Do you like my best friend?" Oh diba tanga talaga. Mike just frowned. She's too innocent.

"He likes you. Could he get your phone number?" tanong ni Luke. Her eyes widened as soon as he heard it.

"Ahahaha... Are you kidding me? You like me Mike? How? That was one of the ridiculous jokes I've heard!" tawa nito. Siraulo talaga.

"I'm not joking! Can I have your number?" seryoso niyang sabi.

"Ah... I don't know. What am I supposed to say?" She sat beside me and whispered. I suddenly angry at Mike. I don't know what was the reason.

"Could I?" ulit na tanong ni Mike. I told her to give him the number so as she did but I was so mad. After our lunch we started our drinks except from Trix. We didn't get so wasted because we'll go home later. She went outside so I followed after her. I take the opportunity to talk her.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Nope. But if you want me to, I'll be," sagot ni Trixie.

"Of course not. I thought you're angry," I told.

"Patawa ka. Why are you here?" tanong nito sa akin.

"You'll be alone if I didn't followed you here," biro ko.

"I used to be alone so you don't have to think of me," sabay tawa nito.

"Eh I want to stay here with you, right now. By the way, I want to make it clear to you that I wasn't thinking about you," biro ko.

"Okay. It's nothing to me if you're thinking of me or not," lakas sumabay sa biro ko.

"What if he courts you? Would you say yes?" I curiously asked.

"I guess it's a no..." she quickly told.

"Why?" I asked.

"First I don't want to have a boyfriend unless I'm ready and second I don't want to hurt someone," sagot niya. I was relief.

"You have a lot of reasons," tawa ko.

"That's the essence of life," ani nito saka ngumiti. As I went home my parents were already there. My two younger brothers were playing X-box.

"You come home so early," ani ni dad.

"Of course I want to see you," I gladly told.

"James next week is your younger brother's birthday. We will celebrate it in resort," she informed. Yeah our resort. My parents bought the place for the business venture and for our family.

"Okay. Can I invite my friends?" I asked.

"Of course. I also invited Macey," mom told. Macey was my ex-girlfriend but mom didn't know that we already broke up.

"Yeah. I'll just go upstairs," paalam ko.