Meet Me In Mabini (City Series #2)

Chapter 31

#MMIM31

We both stayed inside his car silently. Hindi ko alam kung iimik ba ako o ano. May trabaho pa ako, Vale. Sana sabihin mo na ang kailangan mong sabihin.

Tumikhim ako. "Ano ba paguusapan natin? Nandito na tayo, diba? Bakit kanina parang hindi ka matahimik, ngayon—"

"I'm sorry."

Napatigil ako nang marinig ko ang sabi niya.

Sorry saan? Dahil sa kanina? Dahil sa asal niya sa office?

"Yun lang ba?" Bahagya akong umiling. "Dahil ba sa taas? Sa office? Okay na 'yon. Okay na? Tapos na?"

"Nat.."

"Ano?!" I couldn't help but raise my voice. "What do we have to talk about, Vale?"

Hindi ko na kayang umupo lang dito na kasama siya. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero nalulungkot ako. Naiinis rin ako. Agh, hindi ko alam! Kaya ayokong nandito't kasama siya. Mababaliw lang ako dito.

Umiwas siya ng tingin at huminga nang malalim

 Ano ba ang iniisip niya? Ano ba gusto niyang pag-usapan? Ano gusto niyang sabihin?

VANCE LAWRENCE

"Hey, it's me." Bigkas ko sa tapat ng cellphone ko.

I immediately shook my head as I practiced once again. Hindi ko naman na kailangan tawagan. I'm the last person she wants to hear from right now.

"Ano ba, ano ba?" I groaned in frustration as I looked at myself in the mirror.

I miss her.

"Hey," Rinig ko galing samay pintuan. I glaced over at Aurora who was standing by the doorframe. "You're so dead."

I already knew what she was talking about. She crossed her arms and laughed.

"You know Papa's going to be pissed once he finds out what your NMAT results are, right? It's impossible to get those results even if you were the dumbest person in the planet."

"Edi I'm the stupidest, not the dumbest." I smiled as I threw a pillow over to her.

She threw back the pillow and sat on my bed. Aurora's really growing up now. Sometimes, I see her as my little sister who I used to fetch in school. Ngayon.. I don't know. Time goes by way too fast.

"Mom knows you failed your NMAT on purpose," She shrugged. "So what's your plan?"

Nagkatinginan kami ni Aurora, at sabay rin naming tinignan yung gitara na nasa tabi ng higaan ko. She grinned and nodded.

"Yes, Kuya. Yes." She continued to nod. "Please! Ugh, grabe, you were so unhappy studying for the NMAT! Sobrang miserable mong tignan!"

I sighed and looked at my phone. Natalia would be saying yes now, too. She'd probably tell me to get off my butt and start recording songs. Just by thinking of how excited she'd be.. how excited she would have been...

"Kuya, what happened pala between you and Ate Nat?" tanong ni Aurora. "When she left, Kuya Clint says parang kayo pero hindi."

I almost choked on my own breath as she spoke. I never thought of that. What did they think Nat was? Obviously, Papa knows the truth, but what did my siblings think?

"Valir misses her, by the way," Aurora stated as she got up. She made her way back out of my room. "I do, too!"

Pagka-alis ni Aurora, tumunog bigla ang cellphone ko. There were multiple messages from Ena and the others, inviting for a night out later. Nagulat na lang ako nung may message galing kay Tita Sol sa facebook.