"Thanks Jho, kaya mahal talaga kita eh."
Then she giggled. "Sus!"
"Seryoso nga."
"Oo na! Mahal na din naman kita, Anton!" Jho answered with another giggle.
Bea felt like her heart was crushed into million pieces, she suddenly couldn't breathe when she heard those words accidentally. And just when she thought it couldn't be more painful, she saw the two of them hugged each other tightly then he looked away when Anton gave Jho a peck on the cheek. She turned her back to them and hid again.
It was lunch break and she was about to go to the school cafeteria to grab some snacks. She decided to drop by her locker to get her books when just a few feet away from the locker rooms, she heard a voice of a girl and a boy talking. She was about to leave but she heard Jho's name that took her attention and decided to check them out. She didn't expect the next scenarios that broke her heart and now she didn't know what to do anymore.
She leaned back on her locker as she shut her eyes and tried to take several deep breaths. She clenched her fists tightly and waited for the pain in her chest to subside but it didn't happen. She was still on that same position when Jho and Anton appeared beside her, laughing and walking side by side.
Jho saw her and stopped dead in her tracks, surprised to see her there. Then Anton spoke, "Jho, una na ako." She nodded and turned to her again as Anton walked away.
She looked at her, her eyes tearing up. Her face went from being surprised to being concerned. She walked slowly to her and asked, "Are you okay, Bei?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she just gave her one last look, stood straight and started to walk away. She heard footsteps running behind her then she felt a hand on her, pulling her to stop.
"Uy Isabel, anong problema?" She asked again when she caught up with her. She stopped walking and turned to face her.
Bea stared at her softly, her heart aching as she took in all of the beauty standing right before her eyes. Jho was just too perfect to her. Everything about her was perfect.
While she was not. She was just this girl who loves her with all she has, but what does she have? She thought of it and concluded that she only had a pair of ripped jeans, a stained denim polo, rugged rubber shoes and a backpack with a broken zipper. And what does Anton and all the other guys in their school have? A luxury car in the parking lot, an iPhone 7, a condo, a Casio watch and all other things she would never have.
And there she was, standing in front of the only girl she had fallen for— the girl who meant everything to her— so close yet so distant. And she just couldn't bear the thought of losing her. So instead of answering her question, Bea did the unthinkable, and knelt in front of her.
Jho was taken aback and just stood there, looking down at her. She was about to speak again but Bea had cut her off. "Hindi ako mayaman at maporma kagaya ni Anton," she started, gathering all the courage he could muster. "Mas... mas gwapo lang ako sa kanya."
She could see Jho was trying hard not to laugh and was about to open her mouth again to speak but she continued, "Pero hindi ka niya kayang mahalin tulad ng pagmamahal ko sa'yo."
"Isabel Beatriz, ano bang—"
"Alam ko, ganito lang ako." She gestured to herself encompassingly then reached for her hand. "Eto lang ako, pero mahal na mahal kita, Jhoanna Louisse."
A frown formed between her eyebrows as she answered, "Ano ba yang mga sinasabi mo? Nababaliw ka na ata, Beatriz."
"Jho naman," she pleaded desperately. "Lumuhod na ako sa harapan mo at sinabing mahal kita tapos ganyan lang sasabihin mo?"
"Ano bang gusto mong sabihin ko?" She demanded while raising an eyebrow at her. "Tumayo ka nga dyan, baka may makakita pa sa'yo. Nakakahiya."
She stood up slowly, tongue tied. "Uhm..."
"Anong gusto mong marinig sa akin? Na mahal din kita?" She asked sarcastically.
She looked at her and searched her eyes. "Hin—hindi ba?" She whispered, not knowing what else to say. It seemed like all the confidence had left her body already.
"Eh baliw ka pala talaga eh!" She half-shouted as she pushed her chest. "Mahal din kita, kapreng ka. Kaya nga ikaw ang girlfriend ko at hindi siya, di ba?"
She just stood there like an idiot as she tried to push her more. "Oh, tapos ngayon hindi ka na makapagsalita?"
When she snapped out of her stupor, she finally found his voice. "Eh bakit magkayakap kayo ni Anton kanina?" She asked, dubious.
She stopped pushing her, realizing that it was like she was just trying to push a wall that wouldn't budge. She put her hands on her waist as she looked up at her. "Bading yung tao, umamin sa akin kanina," she explained. "Thank you hug lang yun kasi beshies na kami."
"Talaga?" Bea asked again, still refusing to believe that she was really in love with him too (or maybe that thing Jho had said about Anton being gay).
She raised an eyebrow again, starting to get pissed. "Bahala ka, kung ayaw mo maniwala," she said as she walked away.
Bea ran after her and wheeled around, directly in her path. She held both of her hands and said, "Sorry."
She looked into Bea's eyes and there she saw all the love she had for her. Bea cursed her self for even doubting her. She pulled her hands back and reached for her face. "Bea, don't ever think that I'm going to leave you for any other guys like Anton just because you think they are better than you."
"Pero—"
"Maybe you're not as perfect as them," she said, cutting her off. "But it doesn't matter, because you are perfect for me."
As those words came out from her mouth, all her insecurities and worries vanished away. She didn't like crying in front of her or anyone for that matter but she just couldn't help it as a tear escaped her eyes.
"And that's what I love the most about you. You're not trying to be perfect. You're just being you. And you're so wonderful and you don't even know it," she continued. Bea looked straight into her eyes and before she could even say it, she already knew.
"At mahal na mahal kita, Isabel Beatriz."
