Certainty In A Sleeping City

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4:

"Thanks" nakadungaw lamang siya sa window ng car, nakarating na kami sa bahay.

"No prob" he was about to raise the window but I stopped him

"wait Aden, yung jacket ko" wag mo nalang isauli, di ko masabi yung karugtong. Ano kaya iisipin niya kung di ko na ipapasauli, aanhin niya naman yun.

 I don't want to be involve with anything regarding him anymore, he's exactly my type baka sa susunod bigla ko nalang gustuhing agawin siya, nooooo.

"yung jacket ko ano" ano nga bang jacket ko? help me.

"If you're worried about your jacket I'll bring it later, kukunin ko lang sa baha-"

"No! di na kailangan kung gusto mo sayo nalang hehe" bat ko yun sinabi? "kidding aside, hindi ko naman yun gagamitin pa kaya okay lang na hindi mo agad isauli kahit sa susunod na taon pa okay lang"

"I'll return it if I'm free" nakakunot na ang noo niya, naweweirdohan ata sa akin.

"okayyy" sabaki ko at dali daling binuksan ang gate.

Nakita kong naka on na ang ilaw sa taas so nandiyan na si Eesi for sure.

"Cereese!" sigaw ko ng makapasok ako sa loob.

"Naliligo Ako!" sagot niya naman, pasigaw rin.

Nagbihis na lang muna ako at sa isang bathroom nalang naligo. Pagkababa ko I saw Eesi eating already, bumili ata siya ng barbecue diyan sa kanto.

"Kain ka na" she said, binigyan din ako ng plato.

"Eesi may sasabihin sana ako"

"Bakit kayo na?" binigyan niya ako ng isang makabuluhang tingin..

"ha? nino ba?" 

"sus, wag ako Justine Jam Gartes, alam kong nagdedate kayo ni Aden" I was shocked, nakita niya ba kami? di naman siguro.

"hindi kami nag dedate no!" angal ko, di naman talaga!

"okay, let's just call it like a gathering haha. Ano sinagot muna?" ninunguya pa niya ang barbecue niya habang nakangiti at nakatingin sa akin, adik siguro to sa past life niya.

"May jowa siya" putol ko sa imahinasyong meron siya ngayon.

"Ano?" ang oa ha? may pa tayo tayo pa talagang nalalaman.

"So bakit palagi kayong magkasama? bakit palagi ka niyang hinahatid? bakit ka kinikilig sa kanya?!"

"Huy Cereese hindi ako kinikilig sa kanya no, at bakit mo alam na hinahatid niya ako at magkasama kami!?

"Member ako ng SAS!?" sigaw niya pabalik

"Anong SAS!?"

"Secret Spy Agent"

"G@go SSA yun!" binatukan ko siya "ayusin mo!"

"bat ka namamatuk ha!?" umupo siya kaya umupo narin ako, baka naririnig kami ng mga kapitbahay. "so ano kayo? ano ka? kabit ka ba?" 

"hindi ha, never!"

"ayaw ko talaga sa mga third party eh pero pag ikaw okay nalang"

" what do you take me for? hindi ako ganun"

"I know, so what's the deal between you two nga?"

"we're just" ano ba kami? friends? di ko naman siguro siya maco consider as friend, schoolmate? di rin kami parehas ng school "driver ko lang siya."

"Wag mokong pinagbibiro ah, nakikita mo to?" sabi niya na may hawak na stick ng barbecue

"what I'm trying to get at, is may gf siya kaso siya tung lapit ng lapit sakin"

"HAHAHAH" siningkitan ko siya ng mata, nakakainsulto " Darling I love you, maganda ka naman din, pero medyo feeling ka sa part nayun HAHAHH"

"I'm avoiding him okay?"

" well dapat lang"

"siya ngayong lapit ng lapit eh" I'm starting to get frustrated here " He always offer me a ride, I refused but he keeps on insisting."

"Are you sure na may jowa?" she's really putting all of her attention on to me now.

"Yes, I heard him a lot of times talking to this girl named Avery on the phone. The way he smiles, it's different pag magkausap sila. And kanina lang he called her baby"

"hala Oo nga no, wag ka nalang ma fall diyan sa kanya. Kahit maamo mukha nung Aden na yun, feeling ko babaero yun eh" tumatango pa siya while saying those lines, like she's convinced with what she thought. 

Tama siguro si Eesi, who knows how many girls he called baby, love or any call sign he could possibly think of, just to win a girl over.

"Diba crush mo si Aden? I remember your face the first time we saw him, mukha kang ulol" nakita ko talaga expressions ni Eesi that night, she looks head over heels for Aden.

"He got the looks okay? I'll admit it and I'm not gonna deny that he is capable of catching attention pero I'm into someone right now"

That got me curious about her guy " sino ba yan? parang di kaibigan eh no?"

"I'll tell you if I'm sure about him okay?"

I'm at bed, looking at my handkerchief. I suddenly remembered na nasa loob to ng pockets sa jacket, so bakit ito lang nasauli niya? Or maybe open yung zipper tapos nalaglag at naiwan sa car niya. Yeah that's probably the reason.

Time flew so fast, one thing I know I was just doing some of our quizzes and next thing I know it's Saturday, that means may shoot ako ngayon.

I just found out today that Eesi is modeling for a clothing brand, hindi daw known kaso Eesi have a lot of followers and that's a good exposure for the brand. 10 pa ang shoot namin kaya I just stayed in and wait for the time, 8 AM yung kay Eesi kaya nauna na siyang umalis, malayo din na naman ang venue namin sa isa't isa.

"Justine hi" Chester immediately welcome me the moment I arrived, the set have a summer theme, sa studio kami ngayon with a beach backdrop."susunduin na sana kita kaso you said na nakasakay kana ng taxi"

"okay lang yun Ches, I know you're also busy" inilibot ko ang paningin ko sa set and noticed na may lalaking inaasikaso ng mga stylist.

"Ahh sorry, I forgot to tell you that you'll be having a partner" na gets niya siguro ang pag titig ko sa lalaki. "Cal bro, lika muna dito" the guy whom Chester called Cal come towards us. He smiled when he saw me, nag smile din ako pabalik.

"Jus this is Callus" pag iintroduce niya kay Callus.

"Hi Callus, I'm Justine" I said.

"Hi Jus, please to meet you" he extended his arm for a shake and I also extended mine. "I can call you Jus right?"

"Sure you can, you can call me whatever you please" I smiled to assure him.

"whatever? can I call you love then?" I was not expecting that at all, I was left dumbfounded after hearing that.

"just kidding haha" pagbawi niya, I also laughed it off.

After I'm finished with my makeup and outfit, lumapit na ako kay Chester. I'm now wearing a cute blue tank top and a white short shorts. Callus is wearing a white sleeveless shirt paired with blue colored short.

Chester instruct us about what poses we should do and told us about the outcomes he wanted to see. I also learned that the contest is sponsored by the Pocari Sweat product, that would explain our summer theme.

We did the poses Chester asked us to do and it's cute, we look so fresh and natural. Both Callus and I are holding a Pocari bottle. Next up is the mini film si we did some little actings, Chester guided us again.

The mini film is great but hindi ko talaga mapigilang mag cringe sa sarili ko, it turned out great. Na notice ko din na Callus is very passionate and focused about these kind of stuffs. I just go with the flow tho but I think we would make a pretty good team.

Nagbihis na ako, I promised Eesi na sabay kaming mag ddinner, pizza lang din kakainin namin but a promise is a promise.

"Ches uuwi na ako" sabi ko while approaching him

"agad agad? kain ka kaya muna" 

"hindi na, I promised Eesi a dinner kasi. By the way director na director datingan natin ngayon ha" he really looked like one. A bottom down plain white polo, a pen and a script, he's rocking it.

"Ayos ba HAHAHAH" nag pose pa siya sa harapan ko, after that tinawag niya si Cal. "Tol ihatid mo si Justine ha"

"wag na Ches" pag tanggi ko "di pa kami close niyan"

"anong close close, hindi yan, mabait si Cal"

"Pauwi ka na ba Jus? tara?" he said that while fixing his things inside his bag.

"Oo pauwi na, okay lang ba sayo?"

"Oo naman, malakas ka na sakin" he winked, I just smiled at him.

Gwapo din si Cal, I'm getting comfortable with him too even though few hours palang kaming magkakilala, but if ecocompare ko sila ni Aden, kay Aden parin ako.

I shaked my head pagkatapos kong maisip yun, I shouldn't think about that, may girlfriend na si Aden nagmumukha akong kakandidato sa pagiging third party. Speaking of girlfriend, baka nakatali na din tung si Callus at baka pag nagkataon dalawa na ang susugod sa akin.

"Wala ka bang jowa? baka may magalit sa akin ha"

"Nope, don't have one, ain't looking for one and I don't need one" owws? mukha din naman siyang di seryoso, char joke lang.

"siguraduhin mo lang talaga yan, ayaw ko ng gulo"

"cross my heart, so ano na? tayo na ba?" he smiled looking straight at me.

"sure, tayo na?" sinabayan ko ang mga biro niya and we just end up laughing.

I guided him patungo sa bahay, I also asked if he want to come in for a sec but mat gagawin pa daw siya.

"May bago ka na ba agad?" bungad sa akin ni Eesi. "nag order na pala ako ng pizza, dadating na yun maya maya magbihis ka muna chupi".

"okayy tirhan mo ko ha" paakyat na ako "and wala akong bago o kung ano man ang iniisip mo" dugtong ko.

"So sino yung naghatid sayo bff?" anong trip nito at tinawag akong bff, nakababa na ako.

"Kapartner ko kanina sa shoot" matamlay kung sabi. Hindi niya talaga ako tinirhan ng american pizza kainis.

"Gwapo ba?" 

"Oo malamang, sabi sakin ni Chester full time nadaw yun sa modeling. He stopped his studies raw," sabi ko habang nagsasalin ng coke sa baso.

"Sayang naman itinigil pa niya, pwede naman atang pagsabayin if di nga lang siya full time." she paused and sneezes "studies are everything" she continued.

kumunot naman ang noo ko. "No Cereese, studies are not everything. Kung ako lang if I know na I would be stable enough to support my parents with this or that job, di nalang ako mag-aaral." that's on me lang ha? "tsaka depende naman yun sa tao, we were thought that studies can make our future bright, and Oo tama nga naman yun. But that doesn't mean we won't be having a bright one if we can't finish school." 

"Are you mad at your mom for forcing you to study instead of modeling Jus?" natigilan ako sa tanong niya.

I was actually offered a modeling career by a well known agency at Melbourne, Australia 2 years ago, I'm about to finish my 11th grade senior high school that time. I wanted and was determined to go, I process my passport alone. Hindi ko sinabi kay mama cause I know she wouldn't let me, importante sa kanya ang pag-aaral, she wanted me to finish.

Pero hindi ako tumigil, hoping na she would reconsider if malaman niya na ready na lahat papers ko but I was wrong. Nagkaroon siya ng mini heart attack, I know it's because of me kaya lumala ang sakit niya sa puso, I wouldn't risk her. If she thinks that studying is the most important thing a man can do in this earth then so be it, although I think otherwise.

"Hindi, I wasn't mad at all." feel ko maiiyak na naman ako eh, that was my dream. "I'm just disappointed by the fact that she can't see how modeling brings me to cloud nine haha" tumulo ang nagbabadyang luha ko. "I choose studying Eesi, mom didn't force me" I said and bitterly smiled at her.

She stood up and hug me from behind, at least Cereese know how I feel, that's enough for me.