Write Me A Heartache (The Starving Squad #2)

Chapter 10: Sorry

Napasobra yata sa pang-aasar si Mickey. Aika looked so sad yesterday. Plano sana niyang bumawi nang makarating sila sa bahay nito. Ipagluluto sana niya. Ang kaso... mukhang sobrang naapektuhan ito sa ginawa niya. Nagpipigil lamang ito ng iyak.

Kaya kinabukasan, bumalik siyang handa, umaasang patatawarin siya nito kapag nakita nito ang bucket fries niyang dala. Pagdating niya sa bahay nito, naka-lock ang pintuan. Nakasarado ang lahat ng bintana. Mukhang patay ang lahat ng ilaw sa loob. The curtains were drawn. Parang walang tao.

"Janey?"

Nobody answered.

Kinuha niya ang phone at sinubukan itong tawagan. He heard a loud ringing inside. Sinubukan niyang sumilip sa bintana pero napakaliit na bahagi lang ang kaya niyang makita. And it was too dark inside. The ring must be coming from Aika's room upstairs.

But he had a feeling that she won't answer. He could break in... but that would be too much. Baka lalong lumayo ang loob nito sa kanya. So he sent her a text message saying that he left a bucket of fries on her front door. Inilagay niya ang bucket fries sa sahig, naglakad palayo at nagtago.

Almost ten minutes after, the door finally opened. Unang lumabas si Elmo. The cat eyed the bucket curiously. Sunod na lumabas si Aika, ilang beses munang tiningnan ang paligid para masiguradong wala siya. Nang makuntento ay agad nitong kinuha ang fries, pumasok sa loob, at ini-lock ang pinto.

--

The next day, he switched it up a little, just to see if he still got her. Nag-text siyang muli rito na may iniwan siyang pagkain sa harap ng bahay nito. It was a kitkat cake. Nagpabili siya sa isang katrabaho. This time, he held the cake while standing in front of the house, a few feet away from the door.

Mga ilang minuto pagka-send ng text niya, biglang bumukas ang pintuan ng bahay. Aika came out. Nakayuko pa ito, sa sahig agad nakatingin. Kumunot ang noo nito nang walang makitang cake doon. Then she looked up and met his gaze.

"Hey—"

Aika slammed the door shut. Napabuntong-hininga siya. Inilapag ang dalang cake sa tapat ng pinto. Sa siya umalis. He left her another message before turning a corner.

I left the cake outside. Umalis na ako. Get it before someone else does.

--

Third day. He didn't bring anything this time. He sincerely wants to apologize, he just doesn't know how because she doesn't even want to open the door for him. He tried calling her, but she doesn't answer. Wala namang reply sa mga text message niya rito.

He's been gone for three days. And for three days, he missed annoying her. Tuloy, nang magkita ulit sila, hindi niya napigilan ang sarili. Napasobra siya sa pang-aasar. Kaya pinagsabihan na niya ang sarili nang ilang ulit. Hinay-hinay lang sa pang-aalaska. Timplahin din ang mood nya para hindi mapasobra. Tumigil kung kailangan at paminsan-minsan, makonsensya.

Hindi niya sigurado kung magagawa niya iyon lahat. He's a rule-breaker. He breaks his own rules and do things on impulse. And he noticed that he's more impulsive when he's around her. Hindi niya kinakalkula ang mga galaw, kung ano na lang ang maisipan. And he felt freer. That's why he likes being around her. Unfortunately, she doesn't like having him around.

He readied his apology and walked towards her house, but when he got there, he saw a man already standing outside Aika's door. Nilapitan niya ito bago ito kumatok.

--

Aika stopped typing when she heard the doorbell. Nakipagtitigan siya kay Elmo, who blinked and licked his paw. She ordered food earlier. Pizza, mojos, and fries. Sawa na kasi siya sa mga instant food na nakalagay sa cupboards sa kusina. Hindi naman niya magalaw ang mga binili ni Mickey. She doesn't know what to do with them.