We studied in the same school. He was a batch higher than me. At home we were the best of friends but in school we were just… well, schoolmates. He had his own set of friends and I had mine. According to him I should have a life outside our friendship. Nagpapansinan kami sa school pero ‘yung tipong parang simpleng magkakilala lang kami. Hindi alam ng madlang people kung gaano talaga kami ka-close. I figured para ito sa image n’ya. He had a lot of girls crushing on him. Sino ba naman ang hindi magkakagusto sa kanya? Maputi, matangkad, matangos ang ilong, expressive eyes, magandang pangangatawan… with abs and all, magaling magbasketball and the list could go on and on. And maybe he didn’t really wanna be identified with me in school because it might turn his adoring fans away from him. Actually, hindi naman n’ya sinabing ‘wag akong lumapit o makipag-usap sa kanya. Ako lang talaga ang nag-isip ng ganun and since he doesn’t say anything about it, naisip ko na lang na ganito nga ang gusto n’yang mangyari. But even with this arrangement, I know he is still watching me from afar that’s why I still feel secured. Mas lalo pa ito after my dad passed away.
There was this one time in school when he noticed me talking to one of the boys in my class. That night he asked me about it when we were at our tree house.
“What were you and Jason talking about?”
“Huh? Kailan?”
“Kanina during lunch break. Nakita ko s’yang lumapit sa tambayan n’yo at kinausap ka.”
“Ah ‘yun ba? Groupmates kasi kami sa English reporting namin. May sinabi lang s’ya sa akin tungkol doon.”
“Let me know if any guy is bothering you ha.”
“Aaaawww Poopie! Ang sweet mo naman. Don’t worry ‘pag may lumapit sa aking lalaki na hindi ko type ay sasabihin ko agad sa ‘yo para dispatyahin mo na. Pero ‘pag wala akong sinabi hayaan mo lang ha. Ibig sabihin may potential ‘yung taong ‘yun.”
“Potential? Na ano?”
“I don’t know. Potential whatever… friend, more than friend?”
I saw him shake his head. This was a sign of a lecture from him. “Poopie, I understand that you are in that stage where you feel like going into a relationship. I just wanna remind you na ‘wag kang magpapadala sa tuksuhan at kilig. Kasi kung ‘yun ang magiging basis mo ng papasukin mong relationship ay malamang hindi magtatagal ‘yan. Masasaktan ka lang. At ‘pag nagkataon ay makakasakit din ako ng tao kasi kung sino man ang magpapaiyak sa ‘yo ay babalian ko ng buto.”
“Grabe ka naman. ‘Wag ganun. Hindi tama ‘yung mananakit ka ng ibang tao dahil sa akin. At alam ko naman ‘yun ‘no. Hindi naman ako sabik magkaroon ng boyfriend. Atsaka isa pa, mataas kaya ang standards ko. Dapat ma-meet muna nila ‘yun bago ko sila pansinin.”
