Juliet and Cinderella (Book I and II)

Chapter 9

Juliet's

"Ano na ngayong gagawin mo?"

Napatingin ako kay Trisha nang magtanong siya. I sigh and shrug my shoulders. I feel so down every time I remember it.

Dianne held Trisha's hand. "Ano ka ba! Alam mo namang down na yung tao tapos magtatanong pa." pangaral niya sa girlfriend. She looks at me apologetically. "Juls, pagpasensyahan mo na 'tong baby ko, ah? Insensitive, eh."

Trisha pouts because of what Dianne said to me. I just chuckle. "It's okay. She didn't mean to be like that."

And...well. I don't know what am I going to do. Nasabi ko na rin naman kina Dianne yung reason kung bakit nagkakaganito ako. I feel rejected. After asking Cindy if I can court her, she pushed me away─to go home─without giving a positive response. I helplessly sigh again for so many countless time. Why did she have to be that cold? Hindi niya ba talaga ako kayang magustuhan? I swear I have no ill intentions to her.

"Hay, nako, Juliet," Dianne pats my back gently─then it turned really hard. "Hay, nako, Juliet!"

"Aray naman!" I blurt out nang halos masusob na ako sa ginagawa niya. I frown. "Galit ka ba sa likod ko?"

"Nope!" she answers happily although it was laced with sarcasm. "Gusto ko lang matauhan ka like—hello!" She snap her fingers in front of me. "It's not the end of the world!"

"But—"

"Dianne is right," Trisha agrees, "Kung ngayon pa nga lang nagkakaganyan ka na, paano pa kaya if you face something harder than that, right?"

"True!" Dianne exclaims exaggeratedly, "Juliet, malay mo naman, 'di ba? Baka nabigla lang. Sino ba naman kasing normal na tao ang biglang magtatanong ng gano'n out of nowhere? No preparations? Kailangan talaga manggulat?"

"You have a point." I say, agreeing to her. "But I already showed my intention to her that I—"

"So what?" They ask in chorus, interrupting me again.

"Like, duh! Can't you see that you are a girl?" Dianne says.

"Right," Her girlfriend adds in a quite sarcastic way. I pout my lips. "And a girl trying to court another girl is really unusual. Tsaka, 'di mo man lang ba naisip na baka wala pang experience yung tao sa mga ganyang bagay?"

"Ako rin naman walang—"

"Sino bang manliligaw?" chorus ulit nila.

I bow my head like a kid. "Ako..."

"'Yon naman pala, eh. Ikaw ang manliligaw kaya ikaw ang gumawa ng paraan. At saka alam kong mapapa-in love mo yung Cindy na 'yon, sa ganda mo ba naman!"

"Tama ang baby Dianne ko." pagsang-ayon naman ni Trisha, "You're so smart baby! Pa-kiss nga!" She kisses Dianne's cheeks repeatedly. Napailing na lang ako. They look cute, actually.

Tama sila. I need to do something. Walang magagawa yung pagmumukmok ko para maging girlfriend siya. Hay...naman! Maisip ko pa lang na magiging girlfriend ko siya, kinikilig na ako! Hmm...now, what am I going to do? I have to do something that will surely make Cindy fall for me. Something she won't ever forget.

Tinitigan ko ulit sina Dianne na kasalukuyang naglalambingan. "Girls!"

Tumigil naman sila at sabay na tumingin sa akin pabalik. "Yep?"

"Can you help me? Kailangan kong makaisip ng paraan para mapapayag si Cindy na ligawan ko siya."

"Aye-aye, captain!" They both salutes. Bakit ba parang magkarugtong lang ang utak nila kung sumagot? Like, their minds think the same. Is that how relationship works? I like that.

Ngumiti ako at tumango. "So, sa tingin ninyo, anong magandang gawin para kay Cindy?"

"Haranahin mo."

"Kantahan mo."

"Kidnapin mo."

"Tapos gahasain mo."

"Ang gulo ninyo naman," I scratchmy head in confusion.  And what kind of suggestion yung binigay nila? Ginawa pa akong r****t sa last part.

"Pasensya naman! Nag-iisip pa kami. Then, haranahin mo na lang kaya?" Trisha suggests.

"Nah, ang baduy, baby! Masyadong old school. Kakantahan tapos magtatanong?" Kontra ni Dianne. "Nah."

Trisha pouts her lips. "But...gano'n yung ginawa ko sa'yo dati...nababaduyan ka ro'n?"

Nag-peace sign 'tong best friend ko sa kanya at palanding niyakap siya. "Of course not. Can't you see? Inaasar lang kita! Alam mo naman kung gaano ako kinilig no'ng hinarana mo ko noon, 'di ba? I mean, that was so sweet and sincere! And Juliet was one of our witness noon." She giggles like a kid.

I wore a poker faced expression after hearing that. They both raise an eyebrow because of the sudden change in my mood.

"Ba't ganyan ang mukha mo?" Trisha asks.

"Really, Trisha, nagtatanong ka pa?" Tinaasan ko na rin sila ng kilay parehas.

Mukha namang na-gets na nila ako kaya sabay silang nag-peace sign sa'kin at ngumiti ng nakakaloko. I rolled my eyes. I can clearly remembered how Dianne tortured me dahil sa sobrang kilig niya. Grabehan lang kiligin, nakakasakit. Yeah, I was happy for her pero ang sakit lang talaga sa katawan nang ginawa niya sakin.

"Oh, sige na, nalalayo na tayo sa topic, eh." sabi ko, "So, ano na? Tanungin ko na lang kaya siya ulit?"

"'Yon naman talaga ang aim natin." Dianne nods her head. "Pero 'di ba mas maganda kung may pasabog ka?"

"Try to surprise her. Malay mo, mag-work. Baka nga sa sobrang pagka-overwhelm niya, magtatanong ka pa lang, sinagot ka na agad! Oh, 'di ba, 'di ba?" Suggestion ni Trisha. Ang hyper niya masyado.

"I hope gano'n nga kadali."

Knowing Cindy, hangga't pwede, nagpapahirap 'yon. 'Di nga nakaligtas yung pinsan niya sa kasadistahan niya, eh. That's one thing I noticed about her. She has a very dominant personality, ang hirap tapatan. And she loves making people struggle─specifically, her cousin. Still, I love her.

"Oh, well, mas masarap lasapin ang tagumpay kung pinaghirapan talaga." Dianne says in a very optimistic way.

"So deep, pare!" comment ni Trisha habang tumatawa. Natawa na lang din kami ni Dianne.

So...that's the plan. We're going to surprise her. Sana naman maging effective 'to kay Cindy na hard to get. Hard pa yata sa hard 'yon eh. Napatingin kaming lahat kay Yanyan na kadaraan lang. Mukhang 'di niya kami nakita.

"Yanyan!" We all yelled.

She stopped. Yanyan looks cute because she's like a kid searching for us. Finally, nakita na niya kami. She smiles and waves her arm exaggeratedly na parang ngayon lang kami ulit nagkita. Lumapit siya samin. "Uy, ba't nandito kayo?"

"Wala lang." Nagkibit-balikat ako. "Tambay muna kami since vacant kami for two hours." sagot ko. "Eh, ikaw? And where's Cindy? 'Di ko siya nakita kanina sa room namin kaya itong dalawa ang pinuntahan ko and luckily, they have an extra free time, too."

"Cutting ako, dinudugo ako sa math, eh...ang aga-aga, math agad!" she answers frustratingly. Napakamot siya sa ulo. "Eh...ewan ko ba ro'n sa babaeng 'yon. Parang lutang. Nagsimula 'yon noong nanggaling ka do'n sa bahay, ayon, mukhang tanga lang. Uy, shattap lang kayo, ah, huwag ninyo sabihin sa kanya na sinabi ko 'yon─juice colored, maisip ko pa lang kung anong klaseng pagpapahirap ang gagawin niya sa'kin, pakiramdam ko maiihi na 'ko sa takot!" mahabang sabi niya. Halata mong natatakot talaga siya pero pansin kong may halo itong inis.

Tumango naman kaming tatlo. "So, where is she?"

"'Yon nga! Hindi ko rin alam, eh. Himala nga at maagang nagising 'yon. Papasok na raw siya, ni ayaw sumabay samin...'di ko pa siya nakikita simula kanina. See? Lutang. Baka kung saang lupalop na ng Pilipinas napadpad 'yon! Wala pa namang sense of direction yung gagang 'yon." Napakamot siya sa ulo niya pagkatapos sabihin 'yon.

Hmm...why will Cindy acts that way? Then maybe I have that effect on her? Is it because of what I told her? Bigla akong nakaramdam ng kakaibang tuwa sa isip. Oh, girl...that's awesome! Then maybe, may effect din talaga ako sa kanya pero hindi niya pa lang nare-realize!

"Yanyan!"

"Ay, Yanyan!" gulat na reaction niya. Natawa naman ako. "Bakit ba? Nahahawa na yata ako kay Cinderella na masyadong magugulatin."

"Can you help me?" I ask her.

"Help? Para saan?"

"Help—"

"Help para i-surprise si Cindy, your friend—" pagsingit ni Dianne.

"And help para makapanligaw na ang aming best friend sa iyong best friend." pagtutuloy naman ni Trisha.

They're very good in interrupting my lines. Bravo. I can't help but shakes my head. They're funny anyway, I'll just let it slide.

Parang star naman na nag-twinkle ang eyes ni Yanyan. "That's...sweet! Sige, in ako diyan! Pero bago ang lahat, may itatanong muna ako sa'yo, Juliet."

"What is it?"

Sumeryoso siya ng tingin. "Seryoso ka talaga sa pinsan ko?"

Ngumiti ako sa kanya. "Yes, I'm deadly serious. I love your cousin more than ever."

'Di ko kayang i-explain, but, I really love her. I waited for this time to come, and now, I will never, ever, let her go. What happened the first time we met might just be a joke to her, something easy to forget, but for me, it's something worth it. I never knew I'll harbor this kind of feeling.

"Good! Edi, in na talaga ako!" Todo ang ngiti ko nang pumayag siya. "May plano na ba?"

"Wala pa ngang exact na plan, eh. Mag-iisip pa lang." Sagot ko.

Nag-smirk naman siya. She shakes her head like she's already thinking of something very clever. "Keri 'yan. Ano pang hinihintay natin? Mag-isip na tayo ng plano!"

"Game!" All of us yelled.

I hope everything will going to be alright after this. Just wait, Cindy.

_____