Best for Us (GU #3)

nineteen

Nineteen: Vanessa Gerleen

We agreed to be friends.

Tyler and I were now friends. Who would ever thought that this day will happen? Not me, definitely.

But the universe really works in a peculiar way. And I liked it. I liked how it works.

"Sabay tayo bukas?"

Napatigil ako sa paglalakad sa kahabaan ng hallway papunta sa unit ko at humarap kay Tyler. He was looking at me expectantly. Both of his hands were inside his jeans' pockets.

Alam ko ang tinutukoy niya ang pagpasok sa school bukas at hindi ko naman alam kung bakit pa ako natatagalan sa pag-iisip. Madali lang naman ang sagot. Oo o hindi.

Pero kasi--

There I go again. Don't overthink, Vanessa.

I nodded then. "Okay."

Ngumiti si Tyler. "Good. I mean--it's good since we have the same time of classes tomorrow and it will be more convenient if we go together. Since we're friends and you know it's what friends do, right?"

I blinked at him, reprocessing in my mind all what he said. Then I bit my lip as I realized I was not the only one sweating out about this.

Suddenly, I had the urge to smile. Both of us were just so awkward. Pero bago pa sumilay ang aking ngiti ay pinigilan ko na iyon saka sumagot kay Tyler. "Yes, you're right."

"How about lunch?" sunod niyang tanong.

I smiled at him sheepishly. "I'm going to eat with my friends. I mean, other friends. At hindi ba, kasabay mo 'yung mga classmates mo?"

He nodded then his bit his lip as if realizing just now that he had to be with his classmates.

"But we will still go to Golden Lives after school, right?"

Tumango ako kay Tyler. "Sure. Lalo na't inaasahan tayo ni Nanay Belen diba?"

He smiled at me. "You're right. She even mentioned you especially."

Ilang akong napangiti. I don't know if I will believe that, knowing what happened with Nanay Belen. Sasamantalahin ko na lang ang pagbisita bukas. Pupuntahan ko na rin iyong mga ibang matanda.

"Papasok na pala ako," turo ko sa pintuan.

Tyler flicked his gaze to it before quickly looking back at me again. "Okay. Good night."

"Good night."

Tumalikod na ako't dumiretso sa pintuan, binuksan iyon. Dama ko pa rin sa likuran ko ang mga mata ni Tyler. So when I got to open my door and slipped inside my unit, I took a last glance at Tyler and caught my breath when I saw him looking at me intently.

Hindi ko pinansin ang biglang pagbilis ng tibok ng puso ko saka kumaway sa kanya ng huling beses bago isinara na ang pinto at i-lock.

I heaved a deep breath as I leaned against the door, my hand went to my chest, feeling my racing heart. Okay. Vanessa. Get it together. Friends, right? You should not feel that way.

Ilang inhale-exhale ang ginawa ko bago ako kumalmang muli. Right. I should control these feelings that kept on resurfacing, if I wanted to do this friendship thing with Tyler.

*

There was a commotion. Someone's talking loudly at the other side of the wall. Truth was, I could even hear it somewhere at the front of my door. I groaned, thinking it was all in my dream. Na maaalis rin at makakatulog na ako nang maayos.