ROUGE (androgynousxstraight)(bxb) -ongoing

Chapter 14 - Lost In the Picture

Chapter Fourteen
"Lost In the Picture"
Daniel Rouge Gustilyo's Point of View

Of course I'd recognize them. They were my friends after all. We've been friends since first year highschool at 'di kami pinaghihiwalay na lima.

Me and my friends are inseparable. Kami nga ang tinaguriang, chismosa ng campus dahil alam namin ang mga balita sa school. Tapos kami pa ang pinakamaingay sa classroom, but despite all of those negative comments about us. Hindi kami nagpapatinag at loyal kami sa isa't-isa.

We were fated to be friends after all. But not until I got lost in the picture.

I ran to them. I was so happy to see them after being away from them for months.

I missed them.

And I never thought I'd seen them here, ilang oras rin naman kasi ang byahe mula dito papunta sa lugar na saan ako nakatira noon so sometimes it's impossible to get yourself here kung tinatamad kang magbyahe.

Nang maka-abot ako sa kanilang apat, hindi pa nila ako napansin kaya kumaway ako sa kanila. They seem to notice me kaya napatingin silang apat pareho sa akin. They were flustered. "Ah, do we know you?" Tanong ni Francine sa akin habang tinuturo ang sarili.

"Hoy Jean. Baka kilala mo." Siniko nito si Jean na nagiisip, kasi parang hindi nito ako mamukhaan.

Si Abby naman ay napasagot, "Wait familiar ka." Napangiti naman ako kasi si Abby ang nakakilala sa akin. I smiled at them.

"Nakita kita sa magazine eh." Dagdag pa ni Abby. "Omg, wait— you're Nemi??" Tanong nito sa akin kaya nalito ako.

"Si, Rouge 'to!" I yelled at them and they gave me a confused look. Napakurap ako dahil hindi ko masabi ang pangalan ko. "Si, Roug—" nauutal kong sinabi sa kanila. "Dani Ro—" I added, I can't speak well.

I started feeling down. Napalitan ang ngiti ko ng lungkot.

Am I not recognisable anymore?

Iba na ba mukha ko?

Biglang lumapit naman si Theo sa akin at hinawakan ako sa braso at hinatak palayo sa kanilang apat na nagsilakad naman na nagtataka. I even noticed Jean looking at me, but she walked with the rest.

She just shrugged the thought of recognising me.

"Rouge..." ani ko sa sarili ko habang nakatingin sa sahig. Nauutal ako.

I can't seem to speak my name.

"Roughelio." Ani Theo at tiningnan ako ng mataimtim. He seems to notice my sudden change of mood. Napalunok ako.

I forgot my name.

I can't say my name.

We've been apart for months already that I lost count of it. We've been friends since first year highschool at 'di kami pinaghihiwalay na lima — but I was the one who broke it at nawala na lang na parang bula sa harap nila.

Of course they can't recognise me.

I'm not the Roughelio before.