Dear, Joey

29

I laugh out loud when I saw Jemaine dancing on the dance floor like a robot. Ilang beses nya na kung inayang sumayaw but I'm not really into it, no. After we go out, nawalan na ko ng gana. My phone is turn off after we left the company building, kahit phone ni Jem pinatay nya for this. Umattend kami ng gigs the whole 2 hours with Enrique, speaking of him, nawala na lang sya bigla kanina and pop up beside me with his cut lower lip and quietly sipping his drink. I offer him another, but he just nods then shake his head after a while. 

"Explore the city?" biglang dating ni Jem sa gitna namin, I look at Enrique who's now ready to stand up, I don't have a choice but to go. So the setting, naglakad kami hanggang bar to mall, kumain ng icecream sa 7/11 store, umikot ulit kami ng umikot, lakad sa highway with so much stories and such laughter and jokes, kumain sa ihaw ihaw na nadaanan, tumambay sa harap ng mall, taking pictures with Enrique's phone until we just found ourselves in manila bay, riding the Perris wheel taking pictures all the way, and ride another fun ride until we just noticed na pa bukang liwayway na at unti na lang ang tao sa buong bay side.

 That's what it is, nakaupo kami sa gilid ng manila bay, we both leaning on Enrique's shoulder, tinatawanan nila ko dahil puro paltos ang paa ko dahil sa heels, kaya puro rin band aid na binili namin sa 7/11 kanina. Jem used on wearing heels at 1 inches lang ang suot nyang takong ngayon. Ngayon parihas kaming nakapaa.

"What about the hunting?" pigil ko sa pag alaska nila sa akin lalo. 

"Hmmm. I can't hunt someone because my heart stole from me already" 

"Wohh!" sabay naming sabi ni Jem making Enrique laugh. We are all watching the sunrise. 

"I can't hunt anymore because I captured someone's heart already" Jem giggles makes me kick her feet. 

"I won't hunt someone, because that someone will go to me willingly" I said with a laugh voice. 

"Ahh ganun!" taas ng kilay sa akin ni Enrique laughing still with Jemaine. My laugh rang around the bay like I'm being tickle. Enrique hug me, we we're laughing out loud. 

"Ang landi!" tawang sigaw ni Jemaine. 

We just stay there, laughing until the sun's up. We stood up ng maliwanag na ng husto, we were walking on the bay side still lazily and not planning to go home but engine noises filled the bay side, yung parang sa race car and it's not one but three expensive cars park on the roadside, near us. Kung hindi pa huminto si Jem baka magpapatuloy ako, I look at her phone, it is open at kanina pa sya nagco-complain about it, about kay Kuya na hindi ko maintindihan. 

"O oh" react ni Enrique.

"Bakit?" lingon ko kung saan sya nakatingin. Agad nanlaki ang mata ko ng makita ko ang malakas na pagsara nya ng pinto ng mamahalin nyang sasakyan. Ano to? Show off! Bakit sila nagda-dala ng mga mamahaling sasakyan?! 

"We were being hunted instead, f**k" Jem whispered making me flinch when Tegan looks at me with this unreadable expression. Ang hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit kasama rin nila si Cori? 

Agad kaming nagtipong dalawa sa likod ni Enrique at pinang-sangga sya. Agad namang tumayo ng tuwid si Enrique at humarap sa tatlong sunod sunod na luminya sa harap namin, kanya kanyang tago para hindi masalubong ang tingin. 

"Jem come here!" I gasp when I heard Kuya, hello sister here!

"Hoy, ako kapatid mo!" silip ko sa balikat ni Enrique but Tegan is looking down at us, mas malaki sya kay Enrique, at mas matangkad, agad din akung nanliit at nagtago. I hug my heels on my chest while Jemaine is still hugging me from the back, not reacting to Kuya. 

"I think na tract nya ko when I open my phone" Jem whispered near my ear, agad akung tumango. 

"We were looking for you for so long! San kayo galing?!" pagalit na asik ni Cori sa amin. 

"You said you don't want to see me?" tikhim ni Enrique, agad akung napakunot noo. Hindi nya sinabi sa amin yun ah.

"But not being missing, nakakaabala ka ng tao" na-paawang ang labi ko at reresbak na sana ng maunahan ako ni Jem. 

"Aba! ang lakas naman ata ng loob mong sabihin yan sa harap ko! Hoy Cori FYI kung di ka lang gusto ni Ricks matagal na kitang tinuli!" harap ni Jem trying to shield Enrique from him.  

"Oo nga, ako rin! but I won't hold your thing?... Hindi pa ba sya tuli?" Sawsaw ko but confused when I heard Jemaine said that. Kuya Lenuel frustratingly face palm and sigh, forcing himself not to laugh while Jem glare at me. Enrique looks at me as if I'm being a bad child and Tegan close his eyes tight with his lips in a thin line, Cori is making a face to me. 

"Paano sila nag se-s*x kung di ba sya tuli aber?" irap ni Jemaine. Kuya Lenuel laugh but suppress it with his hand, shaking his head. Enrique cuss.

"Pwede naman ata yun?" ngiwi kung sabi. 

"Gahdd! Can you get this two! wala pa yang tulog kaya ganyan" yung dating nag po-protekta sa amin, ngayon pinagkakanulo na kami. What a cruel best friend we have here. 

"Ayuko, wala pa tayong na hu-hunting" I tried to hug Enrique, but Tegan was on my side and tugging me away from them. Jemaine just sigh and go to Kuya Lenuel who seems to forget his sister and Enrique remain there facing Cori. 

"Kay Kuya na lang ako sasakay" lingon ko kay Tegan pero inaalalayan nya na kung pumasok sa loob ng iwan ko kung ano to, pero two seaters lang eh. I saw him looking at my feet but didn't say anything.

"Get in" nauubusan nyang pasensya. 

"Kay Kuya Lenuel na lang, na kay Jem gamit ko" giit ko but his putting my seatbelt so I don't have a choice but to rest my back on the leather seat. He closes the door not minding my words, kinakabahang inayos ko ang heels ko sa kanduhan ko. Pumasok sya sa loob at sinara ang pinto, starting the engine, napakurap ako sa sobrang high tech ng loob pero napangiwi ako kung ilang million ang sinayang nya para mabili to. Expensive car, high maintenance. Ughh, I will never thought buy expensive thing if we can help a lot of people with those money. Ilang daang puno ang maitatanim kung ilalaan to, mga batang makakapag aral...

"Saan kayo pumunta?" I was dozing off really, patulog na ko. It looks so comfortable inside. 

"Nag hunting" I scratch my eyes, but he suddenly reaches my hand to stop, I pouted a bit when I saw his eyes glaring at me. 

"Nag hunting" ulit ko, he tightened his jaw and look outside. Holding my wrist and the other hand holding the wheel tightly. Tumagilid ako, resting my head comfortably, watching him drive. We become silent; he looks bad mood though. 

"Kilala mo si Cori?" I sleepily ask. 

"Yeah, kind of" he suddenly smiles a bit glancing at me.

"I can't believe hindi pa sya tuli" I whispered making him laugh at me. He intertwined my hand to his and put it on his lap. 

"He circumcised when he was a child Jo, don't believe Jemaine" tawa nya. 

"Hmmm, alam mo ba we watched all his gigs, and he didn't even thankful for it, I hate Cori sometimes, hindi mapagpatawad" kurap ko, my eyes are getting heavy. I felt his hand tightened on me. 

"Well, because he has reasons" sulyap nya sa akin. 

"Even so, you know you have  to be forgiven, hindi dahil wala kang karapatang magalit kundi dahil walang nakakabuti doon, ako nga lahat sila, si Jem, Enrique, si Kuya, si Mom, si Dad, yun dati kung mga kaibigan, si Jullienne, they are all hurts me, left me but where did they found me? on their side~" pakanta kung sabi sa huli making him smile at me, but there's a cloud in his eyes. Is he sad? Is he? 

"Really?" agad akung tumango. 

"Pati mga niligawan kung crush ko na hindi ako sinagot, pinatawad ko na rin" I giggle. He laughs, glancing at me.

"You courted a boy?" tanong nya looks a bit shock. 

"Correction boys, ang rami nila, but sad to say naubos crush ko_ oh wait meron pang isa!" tuwid kung upo paharap sa kanya. Nawala ang ngiti nya at sumulyap sa akin, kumunot ang noo nya ng makita ang maganda kung ngiti. 

"Sino?" he lowly asked. 

"Ikaw" I proudly said staring at his eyes. Biglang nag lay low ang sasakyan habang tumitig sya sa akin. We do a staring contest. I felt bad a bit when he has dark eye bags, and he seems tired. What is he been doing for the past 2 months?

"Ano?" tatatawa nyang tanong with his blinking eyes, like his being false of what he heard. 

"Ikaw! I personally deliver the flowers ah, tapos nag padeliver ako ng foods kaninang dinner, then sinabi ko kay Secretary Will through text message about your preferred coffee na palagi mong complain, tomorrow... I mean mamaya sana gagawan kita ng breakfast pero dahil inabot kami ng umaga, mamaya na lang lunch, di ba, nililigawan na kita?" he suddenly laughs out loud and try to hide his face on his hands. I don't know but I laugh with him, seeing him happy makes it contagious kahit na mukha syang bagod, he seems jolly and happy today, I don't know. He seems carrying a lot of burden on his shoulder.

"Hoyy Tegan di ba? Di ko ba sinabi sayo?" tawa ko but when I saw his eyes turning red, his neck, ears are all red it makes me emotional. s**t, wala nga pa lang klaro doon. Ugh, may mali na naman ako about ng panliligaw sa lalaki.

"But I pay the flowers?" tatatawa nyang sabi with a bit hoarse on his tip voice, looking confused and turning a bit frustrated. 

"That's a business... or do you want for free?" he laughs happily, reaching my face ready to kiss me but I pull him in a hug. 

"Amoy akung cornic, na may beer at yung kinain naming ihaw ihaw, buong araw akung di nag toothbrush Eww" I said on his shoulder na tinawanan nya na lang, holding me tight. We stay that way for 10 minutes or so before I complain to be sleepy. Kaya nakatulog akung hawak hawak ang kamay nya sa buong ride. 

Nagising na lang ako sa not so familiar bed with a huge body hugging me na kung pwedeng maging blanket ko na lang sya, ginawa nya na. Una kung nakita ay ang mataas na ceiling, with this huge chandelier on top, block huge curtain na hanggang ceiling ang taas, bookshelves sa puting pader, a huge flat screen TV on the wall with artificial chimney on the side end of the king size bed, with a black two couches and white huge fur carpet, sa kabilang side, near the headboard was I think his walking closet with his bathroom dahil dun lang naman ang nag iisang pinto bukod sa binto sa kabilang side that it's double door. The room was a bit cold like the temperature on my room. 

I look at the wall clock and saw it to be 5 quarter, and I am now famished. I look at Tegan who's breathing calmly on my side, looking so deep sleep. I smile, slowly tearing him to me before looking down at my clothes. I gasp when I saw his big shirt and boxer on me. I look at the sleeping form and the clothes before I felt my face heat. 

Hindi naman siguro? Hindi! Hindi nya nakita katawan ko! No! Nakakahiya!

I hastily go to the door that I think it's the bathroom. Nagulat pa ko dahil pagpasok ay bookshelves sa dadaanan mo magkabilaan bago glass door sa dulo at sa kabila ay open door, I go in to the open door and saw his walking closet, para syang bilihan ng mga suit sa totoo lang, buti na lang may nakita akung mga white shirts, maong na nakatupi, may mga drawers din dun na hindi ko alam kung anong lagay pero wag na lang buksan dahil baka malula ako sa kung anong makita ko, lumabas na lang ako at pumunta sa glass door, huge body mirror agad ang sumalubong sa akin.

 Seriously!? Agad kung sinapok ang ulo ko ng maisip ko ang nakakahalay sa isip ko, hindi naman siguro sa dyan tumatayo pag nakahubad no? s**t I felt shame somehow but I'm laughing in my head because of what I'm thinking. 

Let's just fix myself and ready to make his brunchner in short breakfast, lunch and dinner. May kitchen naman siguro sa dyan.