Fleeting Moments

Chapter 06: Lucky Star

#HHFM Chapter 06:

Lucky Star

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"What is wrong with you?"

I ignored Cali. Madrama siyang suminghap na parang hindi makapaniwala sa gusto kong mangyari. I shook my head no matter how angry she looked at me. If I weren't pregnant, she would have pulled my hair and dragged me out of this car, for sure.

"Sa mall na lang po ako," I told the driver who looked conflicted. I couldn't blame him because Cali would really look scary whenever she's mad.

"No!" kontra niya agad. I sighed. Ryo should not have contacted her. May excuse nga ako kanina para hindi sumabay sa kaniya papunta sa court, pero kinukulit naman ako nitong isa at mukhang magagalit pa sa akin.

She grabbed my arm and forced me to look at her. Hindi naman mariin ang pagkakakapit niya sa akin pero bumabaon ang tingin niya. "You're just going to sit there and watch. Katabi mo naman ako!"

"I don't want that," I said, gently removing her hand from my arm. Her face contorted in frustration.

November came by like a blur, and before I knew it, I was pretending to have a migraine and to feel sick, so I would have an excuse to stay in bed yesterday. Alas-sais pa lang yata, gising na ako. Alas-nuwebe nang pumunta si Ryo sa kuwarto dahil unang araw ng draft combine. I pretended to be sleeping, pretending to be relieving my supposed headache away, so he would not bother me. Muntik-muntikan pa siyang hindi pumunta sa draft dahil gusto niyang magpa-check up ako. Fortunately, I was able to push him away. Tito Finn helped me because he basically held Ryo by the neckline of his white jersey just to drag him out of my room. I even had to deal with Tita's panic and overreaction after that.

I didn't want to go to the draft, but I did watch him online. Mahirap manood dahil hindi naman sa kaniya naka-focus ang buong livestream, but my eyes tried to search for the number 25 printed on the back of his white jersey and the side of his midnight blue shorts.

Today's the second day. Hindi ko alam kung nahalata ba ni Ryo na pineke ko lang ang sakit ko kahapon kaya siniguro niyang pupunta si Cali sa bahay para sabay kami nitong pupunta. I didn't have a choice but to join her just so she would shut up. Akala ko kasi, kaya ko. But as we got closer to the venue, umatras ang lahat ng lakas ng loob na naipon ko. I didn't want to go. I changed my mind. Maybe I would just wait for Ryo outside. That would be like . . . after five hours or so. Just thinking about the back pain and the numbness on my legs made me frown. I could just stay inside the car.

"Frankie, draft combine 'to, ha? Hindi 'to rookie draft day. This isn't open to the public. Pinagpaalam ka pa ni Ryo kaya puwede kang pumasok. Ako naman, ninakaw ko pa 'tong role na 'to kahit hindi naman ako pang-sports. Bakit ba ayaw mo? Ayaw mong makita si Talie? E di, haharangan ko!" dere-deretsong sabi ni Cali.

Talie's there, of course. Aside from the highlight players and the public's favorites, mayroong isa pang pag-uusapan dahil naroon siya. I'm pretty sure she's there as a journalist, but people treat her like a supermodel or something. Hindi naman na ako nabibigla. She even took a photo with Ryo yesterday and posted it on her Instagram with a blank caption, stirring shit on the Internet and gossip websites. Kung bakit ko pa iyon tiningnan, ewan ko na rin. Gumagawa na lang yata ako ng sarili kong kaiinisan.

"Ayaw ko, Cali," halos magmakaawa kong sabi.

Dahil male-late siya at naghihintay na ang kasama niyang media crew sa court ay nagpatuloy na ulit ang driver sa pagmamaneho. Cali still looked pissed at me when she got out of the car. Tinanaw ko ang court. There were vans outside, probably carrying equipment for the coverage.