I Was Her

Chapter 34

PEONY'S POINT OF VIEW.

I look at Penelope. She's facing in front, and I see her face somehow in space. She seems to be thinking deeply, as she is once again zoning out. May problema ba siya? Our science teacher instructed us to divide into two groups, and it's up to us to decide who's going to choose—of course we're partners, and our science teacher already left the classroom while she remained in that position and I was still staring at her, who seemed to be floating wandering in the deep sea.

"Stop looking at me."

I blink my eyes when she talks, and she tilts her head to look at me.

"Are you okay?" I ask. She looks away, sighs in frustration, leans on the chair, and doesn't say a word.

Ano kayang nangyayari dito sa babaeng 'to?

I bite the inside of my cheek.

"Saan ta'yo gagawa ng project? Sa inyo o sa'min?" I ask.

Silence came between us.

"Uy!" I slightly elbow her on her shoulder.

"Sa inyo nalang?"

I see her blinking na para bang nakarinig siya ng isang malaking surpresa na ikasilay ng nakakalokong ngiti sa kanyang labi. She looks at me with her mouth, smiling.

"I haven't visited your house."

"Okay, what time are you going to go tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" she asks, confused.

"Today na!" Pabulong niyang sigaw. Marahan pa siyang napahawak sa mga braso ko, as if there's something exciting happening. I can see the excitement in her eyes.

What is that?

Is she excited to see her best friend's house? Is she excited to spend time with me? At talagang dapat bukas pa, pero gusto niya now na? What is this feeling? I'm getting excited too. This—what I'm feeling right now—is unexplainable because is this the feeling of having a friend, or should I say best friend? I could die of happiness. I'm so happy!

"I'm going to call my parents and tell them."

"Okay," I simply say, taking a breath to stop overreacting.

"Sinong kuya mo ang maghahatid sa'tin papuntang bahay nyo?"

"Dean,"

"Dean?" she asks, na may pag-aalinlangan. I narrow my eyes.

"Yes. Why? Mabait 'yun si Kuya Dean. Mukha lang talagang masungit."

"Ah."

"Anyway, I'm going to update my parents."

"Okay," I say.

Pen slightly smiles at me and puts all her attention on her phone while I open my phone and chat on our group chat to inform my dad and two brothers that Penelope and I will do our project on our house and remind them to clean the house.

After I chatted on the group chat of course my dad is my first reactor and the one who cares and excited. While my two annoying brothers just gave me a seen zone.

...

The class finished, and Pen and I are now inside Dean's car. Mga ilang minuto na 'rin kami nagbabyahe. I'm in the shotgun seat, while Pen is in the back seat. I want to sit beside her, but Dean doesn't want to look like our driver.

Dean glances in the rearview mirror and asks, "Are you okay there?" I lift my eyebrows and turn to face her.

Our eyes meet.