Eyes On Me, Baby (COMPLETED)

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Nang tanungin ako ni Ate Gina kung ano ang nangyari, I relayed to her what Austin Archangel said—na hindi niya na ako liligawan at na magkaibigan na kami. And since that night, she was treating me like I was suffering from high grade fever dahil lagi niya akong tinatanong kung may gusto ba akong kainin. But all I really wanted was to be left alone and to focus on writing again.

'Merry Christmas! What happened to your IG?' Dominic texted.

'Deactivated.'

'Why? Bashers? Don't mind them they're just weirdly invested in other people's lives.'

'No. And I don't have bashers.'

'You okay?'

'No.'

'Wanna FaceTime?'

'No.'

'Okay then. Hmu if you wanna talk.'

'Okay,' reply ko sa kanya kahit hindi ko alam kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng Hmu na sinabi niya sa akin.

Mayroong kumatok sa kwarto ko at nang buksan ko iyon ay nakita ko na si Papa iyon. He asked kung pwede bang pumasok siya sa kwarto ko. I nodded. Malinis iyong kwarto ko. Simula kahapon ay naglilinis ako. I also rearranged my things, but ended up putting them back to their original position. I liked that better. Changing things up felt wrong.

"Kamusta ka?" Papa asked.

"Bakit ba lahat kayo tinatanong 'yan?" I asked dahil tinanong na ako niyan ni Ate Gina at Kuya Robert. Pati si Dominic kanina ay tinanong na rin ako. Ngayon ay si Papa. Baka mamaya ay si Mama na ang magtanong sa akin.

"Nag-aalala lang naman kami."

"There's nothing to be worried about," I said and I went back to my study table. I was conceptualizing for my new script. Based on what I had so far, this one's going to end up tragically. I could always see the ending—one of the leads would die and the other one would succumb to sadness and eventually kill himself... or herself. Hindi pa ako sigurado kung sino sa kanilang dalawa.

"If you say so," Papa said. "May gusto ka bang gawin ngayon?"

I shook my head. Gumising kami kaninang 4AM para kumain ng noche buena. I had been awake since 4AM and I had been writing nonstop.

"Okay," Papa said, nodding. "Nasa baba lang kami ng Mama mo. Magsabi ka lang kung gusto mong lumabas."

"Okay," I replied and then I heard the door closing.

* * *

The whole of December 25 ay nagsulat lang ako. Hanggang December 28 ay nagsusulat lang ako. Nang December 29 ay umalis kami para pumunta sa probinsya para doon magcelebrate ng New Year. I did not bring my phone with me and my laptop. I only brought my new notebook and my favorite pen.

The place my parents rented was nice. Nagigising ako hindi sa alarm pero dahil sa tilaok ng manok. We'd always have boodle fight, but I'd have my separate plate. On the night of December 31, maraming naka-handang pagkain. We ate at exactly 11:30PM and then watched the fireworks. Mukhang buong bayan ay nagpa-fireworks dahil hanggang 1AM ay mayroon pa rin sabi ni Papa. I did not eat much kaya naman naka-tulog din agad ako pagkatapos kumain. And then the next morning, bumalik na rin kami sa Manila.

'Happy new year,' Austin Archangel texted at exactly 12MN.

'Happy new year, too,' I replied, two days after he sent his text.