Best for Us (GU #3)

twenty-two

Twenty-Two: Tyler Osmond

"BROS, there's this newly opened place to hang out. Heard the foods and drinks are really great. Lets try?" aya ni Simon nang matapos ang huli naming klase.

"Sure, I'm game," sagot ni Ethan saka bumaling sa akin. "How about you, Tyler?"

I looked at them both and smiled as I shook my head. "Sorry, have to go somewhere."

Agad namang bumakas ang pagkadismaya sa mga mukha nila.

"What, again?" si Simon ang sumagot. "Lagi na lang, bro ha. Are you sure you want to miss this, Gianna's group will be there. I'm sure you already know how the girl is so into you."

Napailing ko. I knew it. When Simon's like this, there was always an ulterior motive. And I didn't need a genius to know that Gianna might have talk to him about this. Hindi rin naman kaila sa akin kung paano gusto pormahan ni Simon 'yung kaibigan ni Gianna. Some girl I couldn't remember the name.

Gianna Carlos is in the same course as ours. Quite popular with the male population. Heard she was the Ms. Architecture in the previous year.

But Simon was right. Hindi lihim sa akin 'yung pagkagusto ni Gianna. Since the first day of school, already heard a lot people talking about that. Marami rin ang direktang nagsasabi sa akin.

Gianna is really a beautiful girl. And even I told myself before this year started that I would lie low with my activities, I was also not planning to be celibate for the whole school year. A little fooling around certainly wouldn't harm me.

Gianna could do, honestly. But it was just that lately, I was not feeling doing it.

Hindi ko talaga alam.

If this was so last year, the notches on my bedpost would keep on counting. I mean figuratively speaking. Not that I really keep one.

But that was the thing. I was not interested of any of the girls lately. Hindi ko alam kung anong nagbago pero okay ako na kahit wala. Okay ako na ganito lang.

Bumuntong hininga ako saka binigyan ulit ng isang iling si Simon. "I'm sorry, bro. But this is really important. Tingnan natin sa susunod." Tumayo na ako, isinuot iyong backpack saka nagpaalam na sa kanilang dalawa. "Sige na. Mauna na ako. Bye, you guys enjoy!"

I left them on their seats but before I could walk out of the door, I heard Simon yell. "KJ!"

And that was followed by a series of laughter from Ethan.

But I just shrugged. I really don't care.

*

"Hey, sorry. Nag-antay ka bang matagal?" hinihingal na tanong ni Vanessa nang makapasok sa sasakyan.

So I was the first one who arrived here. Pero hindi naman ganoon kaaga.

"No," I told her. "Don't worry. Halos kararating ko lang din."

Inayos na niya iyong seatbelt. Ganoon din ang ginawa ko. "Lets go?"

She nodded at me and gave that beautiful smile. Pinilit ko pang iiwas ang sarili para hindi ganoong tumitig doon saka pinaandar na iyong sasakyan.

But in my mind, her smile was like already plastered. Not just today. But ever since that moment when we watched the sunrise together, her smile—

No, maybe her altogether had been on my mind. It was like it's the first time I saw her...really saw her.

Too bad, I had to be quiet about that and let that stay on my mind for quite sometime. Lalo pa't kung gusto kong mag-work itong kung anumang mayroon kami ngayon. This friendship.