The Death of Dreams (Frankiana)

Chapter 16

Diana's POV

I love teasing Franki, she's really cute. Syempre, nag-jojoke lang naman ako. Pero nakakatuwa lang na nadala ng mommy yung ganung kultura ng mga Pilipino. At syempre laking pasasalamat ko rin sa mommy ni Franki dahil nagluwal sya ng ganito kaganda at kabuting tao.

Pagkatapos namin dun ay inaya ko sya to go with me and my friends Veah and Gazini. Miss na miss ko na ang dalawang yun. Kahapon pa nilang pinlano actually to have a girl's day and night out.

3pm.

Pumasok kami sa isang gay bar. We're straight pero it's really fun in here kaya pabalik balik kami dito noon. Para kasing goodvibes lang at karamihan ng tao parang harmless lang.

Franki seems enjoying it too. Katabi ko sya ngayon sa table namin. She's not drinking much like the other two kasi she's driving us home later eh.

"Ang saya pala dito--" sabi niya habang nilalapit ang bibig niya sa tenga ko, at ramdam na ramdam ko ang init ng hininga niya na pakiramdam ko ay kinukuryente ako.

"Pero wait until one of the girls here try to hit on you haha that's the craziest thing that could happen to you here talaga." Warning ko kay Franki.

"Why would girls dare hit on me?."

"Ofcourse Princess, you're in a gay bar. People will instantly assume that you like girls. Unless if you really are--" pabiro nyang sabi, nagtawanan naman ang dalawa nyang friends.

"Sira ka talaga Diana, Franki's obviously straight. Like come on, look at this btch. She looks like a childbearing individual. There's no way she is gay haha."lasing na rin tong si Gazini.

"Napaka stereotypical mo talaga kahit kailan Gaz, syempre iba na ang mga T-bird today. Mas babae pa nga sila magsalita at kumilos kaysa sa majority of straight women eh. Minsan wala na ngang pinagkaiba eh."Sabat pa ni Veah.

"I guess Veah has a point Gaz. Anyway, why are we actually talking about girls? Haha that's really weird."

"Sya nga pala D, how's seeing Sky again?." Tanong ni Veah.

"At first, syempre may hinanakit pa. Pero I think bumabawi naman siya."

"And pumayag narin si Diana na ipagpatuloy tong nasimulan nya habang tinutulungan siya namin ni Sky. We're going to New Zealand soon for her final competition." Sagot din ni Franki.

"Talaga? Wow, that's really exciting pala. You Franki, diba you're writing Diana's feature story? Ano habang nasulat mo about her?." Tanong ni Gazini.

"Hmm well, introduction pa lang naman like her background in cooking, the death of her dad, when she lost her sense of taste, the fall of Mackey's Taste at about dun sa huling competition." Sagot ni Franki.
She really is dedicated in terms of her job,and I can see that she's happy with it. I'm glad that she is.

"That's a pretty good start ah. Is it really necessary that you'd be around each other 24/7 din? Haha. Diana, why don't you just go back home? I'm sure miss ka na ni Tita Rowena. Para di ka narin burden dito kay Franki." Sabi ni Veah.

"Diana's not a burden. In fact, she's making things lighter for me." Sagot ni Franki as she held my hand really tight, dahil talagang iba na ang tono ng pananalita ni Veah.

"Besides, kung bumalik ako samin baka di ko narin matuloy tong pangarap ko."

"Ang sinasabi ko lang naman, sa araw-araw nyong magkasama baka mamaya nyan mahulog na kayo sa isa't isa hahaha." Sabi ni Veah.

"Nababaliw ka na talaga. Diba simula highschool magkasama na tayo? Hindi naman ako nahulog sayo. That's because girls are friends, not food." Nakakainis na kasi eh.

"Iba naman kasi si Franki, syempre nakatira kayo sa isang bubong. Hindi mo ba naisip na baka wala tong boyfriend because she's secretly gay and taking advantage of you?." Sabi pa ni Veah.

"Enough. Ano ba talagang problema mo kay Franki ha? She's my friend. Hindi ko sya dinala dito para bastusin ng iba, I brought her here to have fun. And for your information, she does not have a boyfriend because she doesn't need one." Defend ko kay Franki.

"Why are defending her ba? You don't even know that girl well enough Diana. Malay mo baka--"

"Veah, tama na nga. Tumigil ka na. Mag-iiskandalo pa kayo dito. Sige na Diana, umalis nalang kayo bago pa lumaki ang gulo dito." Sabi ni Gazini, kaya umalis narin kami agad ni Franki.

Pero ngayong nakalabas na kami parang medyo malayo ang distansya niya sakin na parang ayaw nya kong hawakan.

"Wag mo nang isipin masyado yung mga sinabi ni Veah, may topak lang yun minsan at saka overprotective lang din siguro--"

"Well, she sounds like a jealous girlfriend to me." Sabi niya halos di man lang makatingin sakin at nagsimula nang maglakad papunta sa kotse nya at pumasok.

"Veah and I were just like sisters Franki, she's just overprotective. Are you insinuating that she likes me? Haha."

"Maybe. Pero pano nga na yung akala mong kaibigan mo may gusto pala sayo?." Why does she looks so serious about this?.

"She doesn't like me like that nga--"

"Hypothetical lang."

"Hindi ko alam. Hindi pa nangyari sakin yun eh."

"Sa tingin mo lang naman, anong magiging reaksyon mo?."

"I would probably felt betrayed. I mean especially if you're really close and the other person is so clingy, I would feel like they're taking advantage of me. Sa akin lang naman yun--ikaw ba, how would you react?."

"Fall in love with me first, then I'd know the answer." Biro niya, now she's smiling na.

"Gaga haha. Kaya ka pinagdududahan eh, sa mga ganyan ganyan mo. Inaway ko pa si Veah para idefend ka."

"Nagsisisi ka ba that you defended me?."

"Nope. Not a single bit. I know you're straight and it's worth the fight. Wala akong duda sayo no."

"Pano kung totoo yung sinasabi ni Veah?."

"That you secretly like girls? Haha. Alam kong hindi totoo yun. I know you well enough Franki, you're not that type of girl. Kung totoo pa yun,matagal ko na sanang napansin. And so far, hindi pa naman kita nakikitang titig na titig sa kahit sinong babae. Maliban nalang sakin haha pero I know friendly lang naman yung gestures mo so don't worry."