Stolen

Chapter 3: Past & Present

CHAPTER 3: Past & Present

~HEART~

I was doing my essay para sa Chemistry nung biglang tumawag si Alli...

“Tapos bigla niya na lang sinabi, ‘Pwede mangligaw?’” Paliwanag sakin ni Alli sa telepono. My heart suddenly stopped beating and I think yung lungs ko nawalan ng hangin.

Nililigawan siya ngayon ni Tyler?

Ouch.

“Hello? Heart, andyan ka pa ba?”

I snap out of my thoughts, and a tear drop was rolling down to my cheek and down dun sa papel  para sa Chemistry assignment ko, mabilis kong pinunasan ang luha gamit ang kamay ko, “Wow! Nililigawan ka niya? Wow, that’s good news! Uhm, I’m really uh, happy para sayo!”

“You’re...happy?” Alli asked with a worried voice.

“Oo naman!” Sagot ko sa kanya with a sniff, “Bakit, ano ba sinabi mo pagkatapos?”

“Sabi ko sige.”

“Ah...” At lahat na ng luha ay tumulo na sa mata ko, nilayo ko yung phone away from my face para hindi niya marinig.

“Tama ba yung ginawa ko?” Alli asked me again, “Kasi friend lang naman ang turing ko sakanya eh, hindi ko naman akalain mangliligaw siya sakin.”

“Uhm, Alli, uh...buh-bye na muna tawag ako ni mama sa salon eh,” I lied, “Kita na lang tayo bukas sa school. Okay?”

“Uhm, osige.” Alli says, “Pero—“

Binaba ko na agad yung phone dahil ayoko nang marinig ako ni Alli na umiiyak. At nag tago na lang ako sa kwarto ko buong gabi, iyak ng iyak sa sobrang sakit na nararamdaman ko. Yung crush ko nililigawan ngayon ang best friend ko? Ano pa ba ang masaklap dun?!

I know I should be happy for her, diba? Kasi buong high school life ni Alli, siya ay bullied and walang guy na gustong makipag usap sa kanya dahil lang sa isang pagkakamali nagawa niya. But if they would really get to know her, she’s one of the nicest, funniest and super cute na girl I’ve ever met.

But I never told her na crush ko si Tyler for some reason...

It was recess time when I asked Alli...

“Alli, may gusto ka pa ba kay Derek?”

Alli went silent for a moment, chewing her sandwhich slowly before she answers my question. Kitang-kita sa mukha she’s thinking way too deep.

“Diba sabi ko sayo wag na natin pag usapan yon?”

Hay nako, Alli...

Hindi ka marunong magsinungaling, lalo na sakin...

Then an awkward silence came into our atmosphere, kahit sobrang ingay na ng canteen, it feels like we’re the only ones in here. But you know me, ako yung tipong babae just doesn’t know how to shut up.

 “Eh Alli, so nangliligaw nga si Tyler sayo.” I bit my lip, thinking if I should really ask her this question. “Siguradong alam mo na rin kung ano ang ending nito diba? At sigurado alam na din ni Tyler na...”

“Na magiging kami?” Sabi ni Alli habang ngumunguya sa sandwhich niya, “Uhm, oo naman. Pero siyempre tignan ko muna yung totoong ugali niya kasi—“

“Hi, Alli!” My heart just skipped a beat when I suddenly saw Tyler standing in front of us with his hands on his behind his back.

“Hi.” Alli says.

“Alli, para nga pala sayo.” He gave her a small bouquet of flowers.

“Uhm, thank you.” Alli just smiled and handed the bouquet to her hands.

“AYYYIIIEEEEEEEEEE!!!!” Everyone teased...except me, still trying to hold back my tears. So alam na ng buong school, si Tyler Benson, ang secret crush ko. Ay nililigawan si Allison Prieto, ang best friend ko.

Ouch.

~Alli~

It’s around 11:30 pm and hindi parin ako makatulog. The way I saw Derek’s expression while watching us, habang binibigay ni Tyler yung mga flowers sakin. I know there was something...

Jealousy maybe?

Aw, buwiset! Eto nanaman ako, daydreaming for the impossible to be possible, letting the stupid fairytales fool my mind again, letting the past haunt me down again. Almost three years had passed, at feeling ko hindi pa ko nagmamature, I’m still the crazy 13-year-old first year high school girl. It feels like it was just yesterday after that mistake I did when I was in first year...

“Pwede paki tapon? Geh, salamat...”

“WAHAHAHAHA...!!!”

He broke my heart.

I almost lost everything because of...me and that ‘scandal’ I made. Sino pa ba ang kelangan sisihin? Ako lang naman yung tatanga-tanga eh!

NO! NO! NO!

I shut my eyes and shake my head, kalimutan mo na yon, Alli!

Kalimutan mo na siya!

Kalimutan mo na kung ano man ang nangyari dati!

I still might have these feelings for Derek, but it’s time to finally let those feelings go.

Forget the past, moving on to the present.