To The Light

02

There were food and drinks everywhere, it was kind of chaotic. Nagpapatugtog pa nang malakas si Rei, to the point na nabibingi na kami lahat.

"Uno!" Pasigaw kong sinabi. "Plus four ka sakin beh, in the color green." Paasar na sagot ni Ky. Yes, we were playing the card game, Uno.

After a few games and drinks, biglang may kumatok. "Uy sino yun? May ineexpect ka bang pupunta?" Tanong ni Ky.

"Wala naman." Sabi ko.

Hala si Ino ba yun? 'Wag naman sana. I casually got up and opened the door. When I opened it, medyo prinocess ko muna kung sino yung andon. Hala, hindi ba siya yung nakabangga sakin kanina? Kaya napauwi kaagad ako? What was he doing here?

"Uhm... Hello?" Sabi ko.

"Uh... yeah. Hi, can you keep it down? I'm trying to study." He irritably said. 

"Wait, hindi ba ikaw yung kaninang bumangga sakin sa Katip?" Pagulat kong tanong. I actually wasn't sure kung siya yun when I asked. Mga 85% lang siguro hehe, hindi ko na rin matandaan kasi medyo short term memory loss ang nangyari sakin nung natulog ako.

"Huh?" He cluelessly answered. "Oh. Liana, right? Liana Velasque? Velasco?" 

Grabe ang conyo naman ng accent niya, sarap ibato. Despite my inner judgmental thoughts, I said yes. Hindi ko naman alam na he was my neighbor pala noh. 'Kainis.

"You and your friends are too loud, rinig hanggang sa unit ko. Pakihinaan na lang. Thanks." Sinabi niyang halata na naiirita siya. After he let out his concerns, he left and went back to his unit. Pagkasara ko ng pinto, lahat ng mata nila ay nakatitig saakin. 

"Anong tinitingin-tingin ninyo dyan?"  Tanong ko nang nakataas ang isa kong kilay.

"Pogi beh" Sagot ni Rei.

"Babae ka, tigilan mo ako. Ikaw may dahilan kung bakit siya pumunta dito." Jusko kahit anong sitwasyon talaga, napakalandi nitong kaibigan ko.

"Binagga ka niya kanina?" Napatanong si Ky. "Yeah, that's why I went home early kasi natapunan ng sauce yung damit ko." Trying to explain the situation earlier and that it was indeed no romantic scene that she's trying to imagine. 

"So bakit alam niya pangalan mo? Alam mo ba pangalan niya?" Paduda niyang tanong. 

"I urged him to apologize, and so somehow my name came up. Hindi ko alam pangalan niya nor am I interested.  "Ano ba yan Ky, wala kang mapapala sa ginagawa mo, maglaro nalang tayo." 

Pinisil ko ang ilong niya na may konting gigil at umupo ulit ako doon sa gilid ng sala. Nagpatuloy nalang kaming maglaro. Ewan ko ba sa mga kaibigan ko, talagang 'pag dating sa kalandian, laging ganado.

After a few hours, Maddie drowsily asked what time it was. Well, it was deep in the night at 2:37, but none of us really cared. Kahit na may klase pa kami bukas, jusko. 

"Oo nga pala Lia hehe, how's Ino?" Pabebeng tanong ni Olivia. "What? Bakit na naman?" Tanong ko pabalik habang nakataas ang isa kong kilay. Alam ko naman na kung bakit niya tinatanong yun. Ivy likes my brother, always have. Lagi ko sinasabi sakanya na 'wag dahil kilala ko ang kapatid ko. He's a no good, asshole. I live with him, so obviously I know. Ewan ko ba kung bakit nagustuhan yun ni Ivy. Well, hindi naman kami close ni Ino, pero kahit na noh!.

"Wala naman hehe, hindi ko kasi siya nakikita masyado ngayon eh." Nabangit niya bigla.

"Ah, he's been having consecutive sleepovers with his girlfriend beh, oo girlfriend. Si ate Bryelle." Padiin ko talagang sinabi yung girlfriend at baka'y matauhan siya. 

"Ahh, ganon ba..." Malungkot niyang sinabi, halatang may kirot.

"Nako wag ka na malungkot Ivy, andito naman ako." I said it with the intention of trying to cheer her up.

Pagkatapos ng ilang shots ng Soju na blueberry flavor na nakahalo sa Yakult at Sprite ay nahilo na rin ako. Yeah, I'm a lightweight. Kaya ako yung lagi unang bumabagsak.

"I'm dizzy na girls, tulog na 'ko." I murmured in a drowsy voice. Tinawanan ako nang malakas nila Ivy. "Napaka-lightweight mo naman Lia! You're always down first, what a killjoy." Pabiro niyang sabi na may halong inis. Habang ako ay pagapang na sa kwarto ko, nang hindi na siya masyado pinansin dahil sa sobrang pagod.

I think they stayed up all night drinking and talking, alam mo naman, maraming chika.

We weren't all in the same schools, which means we don't see each other that much anymore. Rei, Ky, and I are all at ADMU, while Ivy is at DLSU, and Maddie is at UST. We were all in Senior High School and have been friends for more than a decade.

Sa sobrang daming chika ay ayun, nag si-blackout.

Shit. Anong oras na?!

I have class at 9:45 A.M.,  but I woke up at around 9 A.M. and saw them all lying on the floor, wasted. So ayon na nga ang nangyari, I think they pulled an all-nighter.

"Hoy! Anong oras na, wala ba kayong mga klase?" Pasigaw kong pagising sa kanila, habang nagmamadaling maligo at magbihis.

Binalewala nila ako at natulog ulit. Si Ivy lang ang nagising dahil may klase raw siya ng 10:30 A.M. sa Calculus. Nako, her teacher pa naman dun is strict. Lagot.

I chaotically went out in a hurry, but right when I was opening the door and going out.

"Aray!" 

I dropped my books and when I kneeled to get it, as I looked up. I saw him. "Ikaw nanaman?!" I said it in loud disbelief. I bumped into him again. my neighbor!