Its been a week since Ly and Den went to the cemetery and that means its also been a week that Den has been thinking about it. She finally admitted to herself that she's inlove. Not with the freakin' Myco, but with the manhid Alyssa, which Den feels made her more of a freak than Myco. She hasn't told anyone yet, except for Jus. Well, she didn't say it, but Jus knew. One time, after class, she was in her room and she left the door open so Jus went in and heard her mumbling, "Why are you doing this to me, Alyssa?". So, she figured. She may be 14, but she's not in Alyssa's level of numbness, not to notice that her sister likes their neighbor. Right now, Den's at it again.
"What's bothering you ba?" Jus asked. They're in Den's room and kanina pa hindi mapakali si Den.
"Mom, allowed me to watch the band again." Den answered.
"Oh, isn't that supposed to make you happy? Kasi, mapapanood mo ulit crush mo?" Jus said.
"But, ayoko nga muna siya mapanood magperform. I feel like I'll just fall deeper." Den said and sighed.
"Alam mo, ang arte mo, ate." Jus said.
"Thank you ah." Saracastic na sabi ni Den.
"What's so wrong if you fall deeper? Di mo naman mapipigilan yun. The more you try to stop, the more you fall. Deeper." Jus said. Sometimes, Den feels na Justine is the ate.
"But, I can't.." Den said and looked down while playing with her fingers.
"What do you mean, you can't?" Jus asked. "Is it about mom? I'll help you out. We'll talk to--"
"No, its not mom. I know she'll understand." Den said, cutting her sister off.
"Oh, eh ano?" Jus asked again.
"Alyssa likes someone else." Den said.
"Oh." Jus said. She didn't know what to say. She thought Alyssa likes her sister also.
"Well, its not really someone else. Its actually her ex. I feel like they wanna get back together." Den said, paiyak na siya.
"Ex? That Cha? The one who asked me to give a hanky to Ate Ly?" Sunod-sunod na tanong ni Jus. Den just nodded. "But, I thought ayaw niya na dun? I mean, that's what my classmates say. She was miserable daw when they broke up."
"Kaya nga was eh. She was miserable. Was. Ngayon, hindi na ulit. She seems happy na ulit." Den said.
Jus sighed, "If that's the case, are you willing to give her up?"
"I don't know. She's happy eh." Den answered.
"I thought you said na you're gonna fix her? Make her look like the Alyssa you met before?" Jus said.
"But, she loo--"
"No, buts. Ate, I may be young but I know, I kinda know how this works. And I'm pretty sure, crying here and letting that Cha get her back is not the way to do it." Jus said and as if on cue, they heard a knock on the door.
"Denden, hinahanap ka ni Alyssa." Ana, their newly-hired maid, said.
"Sige po, ate. Sunod po ako." Den answered.
"You better go down, you don't want to keep your Alyssa waiting." Jus said and smiled tas nauna ng lumabas. "Ate Ly! Nagbibihis lang si ate." Rinig pa niyang sabi ni Jus.
After niya 'magbihis', Den went out na din. She just let some time pass kasi kanina pa naman siyang bihis, before she and Jus had the talk. She saw Alyssa sitting on floor at nakikipaglaro kay Mosh. She's really a kid pa rin talaga sometimes. Den smiled seeing Alyssa hold Mosh's toy helicopter habang kunwaring pinapalipad yun while voicing out fake noises for it. She stopped in her tracks and watched the two play.
