Rebound (bxb)

Chapter 16

Andro

"What's gotten into you?" tanong ni Xeno sa akin. "Man, you're distracted."

I heaved a sigh.

Damn it! Hindi ko sana sinabi iyon sa kanya.

"Chill, Andro. We need you to focu on the game," sabi sa akin ni Raiga. "Don't let any unwanted thoughts disturbs you," sabi pa niya habang tinatapik ako sa aking balikat.

Pinasa sa akin ni Inoue ang bola habang wala ako sa aking sarili.

Narinig kong pumito ang referee.

"Travelling number three!" sigaw niya.

"Dude, that's not you. Ano bang problema?" tanong ni Akira.

"Time out, team Serio," sabi ng announcer ng tournament.

Tahimik akong lumakad patungo sa bench. Kinuha ko ang aking face towel at saka pinunasan ang aking mukha habang bahagya pang hinihingal.

"Andro, may problema ba?" tanong sa akin ni Coach. Hindi ko na mabilang kung pang-ilan siyang nagtanong sa akin.

"Coach, sorry," sabi ko.

Mataman akong tinitigan ni coach as if his studying me.

"Listen, Andro, kung ano man ang gumugulo sa isipan mo, kalimutan mo muna. I know something's bugging you but please don't lose your concentration on the game. We need you," sabi sa akin ni Coach.

Sa huli ay nanalo kami. I temporary forgot about the pain inside my chest.

"Ah damn!" inis na sigaw ko sabay suntok sa pader locker.

"I'm sorry. I don't swing that way"

Damn it, damn it damn it!

Why the hell he always give me signal! Kung sana wala naman siyang nararamdaman ay hindi na sana siya nagpaasa.

"But dear, Ryuk is not a gay or bixesual at all. You just assumed it. Now your hurting. Ikaw mismo ang gumawa ng bagay na ikakasakit mo," sabi sa akin ng isipan ko.

Napansin kong pumasok si Raiga kasama si Maki. These two are couples but they hide it. So I tried to keep my cool.

"Yo, tuloy pa rin ba ikaw mamayang gabi?" tanong sa ko sa kay Raiga.

"Yup bro, don't worry," sagot niya.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit bigla na lang nagtanong sa akin si Raiga kung pwede ba siyang bumisita sa bar

I said no, pero may kilala akong gumagawa ng fake na ID. And of course I told him about the guy. At saka tinimbre ko na kay Drew, ang isa sa mga bouncer na may kaibigan akong papasyal sa bar mamayang gabi.

"Okay. See you tonight," sabi ko bago binitbit ang aking bag palabas ng locker.

"Dude, problem?" pahabol na tanong ni Raiga.

"Wala dude. Okay lang ako," sagot ko at saka binigyan siya ng ngiti bago tuluyang nakalabas ng locker.

I was used to "what I want is what I get" before. I could have a lot of relationship whoever I want regardless the gender. I already set my eyes on Ryuk the moment that I saw him when I transferred to the school's dorm. At first akala ko he's bisexual like me since he really's androgynous looks but I was friggin wrong!.

So here I am a dumb who's suffering from my own expectation. I deserve to wallow his pain.

Ugh.

"Andro?"

Halos hindi ako makakilos ng marinig ko ang tawag. Nanigas ang aking katawan lalo na at alam kong si Ryuk iyon. Hindi ko alam kung bakit lagi itong nakasunod sa akin pagakatapos niyang sabihing ataw niya sa akin. I already changed dorms to avoid him so why is he here? Ako na ang lumayo.

"What do you want?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"Can we talk?" tanong niya bago lumapit sa akin.

"I'm sorry. I'm not in the mood to talk," sagot ko sa kanya. "I have to go," sabi ko pa bago nagmamadaling pumasok sa aking dorm.

Ayaw kong maging bastos but I'm not really prepared to talk to him after the rejection. My heart just can't. It's my very first heartache ever.

"Hey, what's wrong between you and my cousin? May problema kayo?" tanong ni Raiga sa akin habang nakatambay lang kami sa court matapos naming linisan iyon. The bastard is licking his favorite strawberry flavored lollipop habang nakasalampak ng upo sa malapit sa isang poste paharap sa akin.

"Nothing," sagot ko habang nilalaro-laro ang bola.

"Oh? Bakit hindi ko na kayo laging nakikitang magkasama? Dati nga halos ayaw ninyong humiwalay sa isa't-isa," aniya.

"Well, time changes and people do change."

"Did you already confessed?" pabalewalang niyang tanong as if it's just natural habang ako ay gulat na gulat.

"How did you know?" gulat na tanong ko sa kanya.

"I already knew since the first day you laid your eyes on him," sagot niya.

"What are you? Can you see the future or anything?"

"I observed. Just like when you were playing. You were so distracted that you couldn't pull the game until the coach talked to you, right?" kaswal na tanong nito.

I heaved a sigh.

"Yeah," sagot ko. There's no way I can liye to this guy.

"You tend to joke around kaya akala ni Ryuk joke lang din iyong confession mo," sabi niya. "You can't blame him. You always say "I love you'' to him to the point that those words don't have any meaning for him anymore," aniya bago muling ipanasok ang lollipop sa bunganga niya.

"I know right. Plus don't forget that he's straight as a pole," sagot ko.

"Yeah I know. Just let him be. My advice for you is, find a new chew toy."

Aw man, this guy surely is freaking something. I have high hopes that he'll help me bend his straight cousin and yet he'll be like "go suffer" to my now disappointing love life. It's not like I intend to use his cousin. I'm actually dead serious about him. Hindi lang kita sa mukha ko but, deep inside within me, my heart only yearns for my beloved Ryuk.

"You're mean."

"Eh? Haven't you been a playboy before?"

"You can't blame that I was born with this handsome face. Deal with it."

"My ass."

"Ew, I don't like you ass, silly."

"Seriously, my cousin was actually puzzled why are you avoiding him," aniyang seryoso. "He was like he thought you were his friend but then you just ignore and avoided him like he has some kind of infectious disease," aniya.

"Dude, I still haven't fully recovered yet. After that full blown rejection, sa tingin mo ba ay makakabangon muli ako? No. Not yet," sagot ko sa kanya.

"Well, I undertand you. So just take an easy, okay? Who knows? Maybe my cousin also likes you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. He likes me as a friend."

Later that afternoon, nagulat ako noong may magbigay ng loveletter sa akin. It's not I'm not used to this stuffs. Actually I'll date whoever gave me a letter of something. There's nothing wring about that. That's one of the priviledge of a high school student.

I was humming while walking home. Hindi ko napansin na na nasa likuran ko pala si Ryuk habang nakayuko.

"Andro, please?" nakikiusap biyang sabi. "Can we talk?"

"What for? Dude, give me some space. I'm still in pain," sagot ko sa kanya.

"Can we just go back to being friends? I'm not use to be like this na wala ka," aniya.

"Sorry. I can't," sagot ko bago nagmamadaling tumakbo palayo kay Ryuk. He's still wearing those baseball uniform and I knew he had practice.

Part of me regretted it but part of me also has my pride. I cannot be friends with him when I love him.

I'm not a martyr. Hell a got a fragile heart also

Dear heavens, please I'm asking sorry for the sins that I made, I only wanted to date all those girls and boys who came to me in form of thanking I mean returning their feelings. If this is kind of punishment, please take my heart instead. I promise I won't gonna play again.

Nagmamadali akong naligo at nagpalit ng damit upang pumasok sa part time job ko sa bar. I can't abandoning singing lalo na kapag kumikita kahit papaano. Pagkatapos kong makapag handa ay dahan-dahan kong binuksan ang pintuan ng dorm at sinilip kung nasa labas pa ba si Ryuk. Saka lang ako nakahinga ng maluwag niing makita kong wala na siya.

Sumakay ako sa bus patungo sa aking working place. Mamaya ay pupunta si Raiga so I need to come earlier than him.

Pagkatapos ng performance ko ay nag-bathriim break muna ako. Kanina ay nagpaalam si Raiga sa akin. Hindi naman siya nagtagal since my curfew raw ang kanyang mama. I thought he comes alone pero may nakita akong kasama siyang nakasuot ng hoodie. Hindi ko ito kilala at hindi naman niya ipinakilala sa akin.

"Hey Andy, long time no see," sabi sa akin ng isang lalaki na hindi ko kilala.

"Yes? And you are?" tanong ko sa kanya.

I don't really remember this guy. Was he one of my victims of something?

"How rude. It's Jay. You forget about me? It's just like we only met last month," sabi niya.

"Sorry, I don't really know who are you," sagot ko.

"Should I get you a drink and get to know each other again?" yaya nito.

"Oh sorry. I'm still a minor. Actually I'm about to go home," sagot ko.

"Aw. You're no fun. Want me to lift you up back to your house? I got a car."

"Nah, it's fine. I can ride train back home," tanggi ko.

"Well okay, hindi na kita pipilitin but can I at least send you out?"

"Sure," magalang kong sagot.

Inihatid nga ako nito sa labas. Ang hindi ko lang inaasahan ay ang bigla ako nitong hinalikan sa mga labi.

"What the?" gulat kong tanong.

"Sorry," nakangiting sagot niya bago ito nagmamadaling pumasok muli sa bar.

Bumuntong-hininga ako at nagsimula maglakad patungo sa train station.

"Andro."

Napatigil ako sa paglalakad ng marinig ko ang boses na iyon. Nilingon ko ito at nakita ko si Ryuk na umiiyak.

Huh? Anong ginagawa niya rito at bakit siya umiiyak? Nevertheless ay nag-aalala akong lumapit sa kanya.

"What are you doing here?" nag-aalalang tanong ko sa kanya.

"Is that guy your lover?" tanong niya sabay pahid ng kanyang mga luha.

"Huh? Sino?" nalilitong tanong ko. I don't have any lover nor in a relationship.

"That guy who kissed you. I saw you with him," malungkot niyang sabi.

"Ah you mean Jay?"

Noon ko lang napansin ang suot na hoodie ni Ryuk. So siya iyong kasama ni Raiga.

Tumango siya.

"Are you in a relationship with him?"

"What's it up to you?"

Napatungo si Ryuk but there's still tears on his eyes.

"It hurts," sagot niya.

"Huh? What you mean?" tanong ko sa kanya habang lumilingon-lingon.

Mahirap na baka mapagbintanagan akong ako ang nagpaiyak sa kanya.

"I mean this," sagot niya sabay hila sa aking mukha at hinalikan ako sa aking mga labi.

Nagulat ako sa biglang galaw na ginawa niya.

Huh? What just happened?

"Ryuk?"

"I don't want to see you guys anymore, please?" sabi niya with his puppy teary eyes.

Christ! What the hell is this?! I don't really know what is happening but come on what is this? A dream?

"Can't you say something? I was desperate to talk to you. So I made Raiga come here with me," aniya pa. " I realized that I also love you. I was just too blind to see and-" hindi ko na pinatuloy ang sasabihin niya.

If this is a dream, please don't let me wake up yet!

"You love me? Since when?" nakangiting tanong ko.

Ah this is real. And Ryuk is with me.

"I don't know, I just realized it. Can we be together again? Not as a friend but my boyfriend, instead?

Ngumiti ako sa kanya.

"Okay,"

And then I kiss his lips.

Oh heaven. Thank you!