Miss Rhythm (Misses Series #2)

Chapter 19

"Ate Cadence!" Jorge's little sister greeted me as we entered his condo-unit.

His unit is huge compared to what I have in a different condominium thirty-minutes away from here. Or I don't think this is a condo-unit, this can be a penthouse.

"Hi! Nice to see you again." sabi ko sa bata. Pangalawang beses lang namin nagkita.

Unang beses ko siyang nakita nung um-attend siya ng fan-sign event ng banda.

"Jewel, anong oras na!" sigaw ng kanyang kuya kaya napatingin kaming dawa sa kanya.

"Hala ka," tukso ko sa kanya ngunit parang wala lang sa kanya.

Natawa naman ako dahil mukhang hindi siya natatakot sa kuya niya. Cute silang dalawa tingnan kaya hinayaan ko munang pagsabihan ni Jorge ang kanyang nakababatang kapatid.

Jewel is ten years old at bilib ako dahil malapit pa rin sila sa isa't-isa kahit ang layo ng agwat nilang dalawa. I think Jorge is twenty-five years old ang above.

Ang alam ko kaya magkaibigan si Jorge at Manuel dahil sa drag racing na ginagawa nila, which is a really risky sport for me. Masyadong delikado para sa akin.

"Goodnight, Ate!" Jewel said as she went to her room and I just waved at her.

When she's gone, I made myself at home and started looking around his huge place.

"You told me you own a condo-unit," I said as Jorge carried all my things and placed them in his living room.

"Unit nga, napakalaking unit nga lang." natatawa niyang sabi.

"Maganda ba dito? Mukhang gusto ko rin kumuha ng ganito ah. Penthouse ang tawag dito, hindi ba?"

"Mura lang naman siguro ang ganito sa 'yo, Cadence. May-ari ba naman ng malaking Stadium dito sa bansa?"

I rolled my eyes because of his banter towards me.

"Bahala ka nga. Wala ka bang inumin dito?" tanong ko sa kanya.

He 'tsk-ed' many times yet he walked towards his kitchen and got us a can of beer. Ilang sandali kaming tahimik na uniinom ng beer.

Walang ni isa ang nag salita sa aming dalawa. We just enjoyed that quiet moment and while enjoying that, I remembered what happened to the boys' unit hours ago.

I still can't believe Keith can do that to me. I trusted him to give my feelings up to him... or maybe I trusted him because he told me so.

I trusted him because he's my longtime friend. Mommy and Manuel knew him. They knew that we're bestfriends since then and he'll do this to me? How could he?

I was about to feel sad, to feel bad again because of what happened but then this man with me right now killed the moment.

"Iiyak ka ulit?" he mocked.

My tears went back to where it came from because of his words. Nakakainis naman. Kung saan e-emote na ulit dapat ako.

"Ang galing mo talaga sa timing, boy." I said as I wiped my teary eye.

"Narinig ko kasi na padating na yung iyak mo," he joked.

"Ikaw ba? Hindi mo narinig? Ay, sandali. Bingi ka pala." he added than made me laugh and he laughed even more.

Tinapunan ko siya ng throw pillow na nasa likuran ko kaya naman natawa siya ng lalo.

"Doctor ka ba talaga? O niloloko mo lang ako at ang mga pasyente mo?" biro ko sa kanya.

"Sa kagwapuhan 'kong 'to, sasabihan mo lang ako nang manloloko? Baka yung boyfriend mo ang manloloko?"

Tiningnan ko siya ng masama dahil sa sinabi niya. Hindi ba 'to magiging concern katulad ng pinaramdam niya sa akin kanina sa unit ko?

Inalu niya ako kanina ah? Ngayon binabato niya ako ng hindi magagandamg biro?

"I texted Man, by the way. And he said he'll talk to them after he finish his plates." Jorge said, changing the topic real quick.

"Oh," that is what I just said.

I shouldn't be bothering these two men because Jorge is busy in his clinic while my brother is busy in his school works.

Nakakaabala na ako ng husto.

The next week, I was still bombarded at school because of my dating scandal. That didn't went down because reporters won't let it go. That I am dating a non-showbiz man and they are trying to find out kung sino ang lalakeng iyon.

I sighed.

"Next week na ang lipad ni Karaleen," biglang sabi ni Selene sa amin sabay lapag ng mga paperbag sa lamesa.

"A pasalubong," maarte niya pang sabi.

"Huwag mo kaming ma-conyo conyo, bro. Ipapatumba talaga kita sa mga tropa ko sa labas."

Napatawa naman kaming tatlo dahil doon sa biro ni Jash.

"Kamusta ang ibang bansa? Grabe, palagi ka labas pasok ng bansa, ah?" nagtatakang tanong ko sa kanya.

"Sana all, lumalabas pasok." biglang singit ni Jashriel kaya hinampas ko siya sa kanyang braso.

"Napaka-gago mo talaga kahit kailan." sabi ko sa kanya.

"Ahh. Ate Luna just need some extra hands, kaya lagi ako pumupunta doon." paliwanag naman ni Selene.

"Ikaw? Ilang linggo lang akong wala may dine-date ka pala talaga. Sino ang mysterious man?" pag-uusisa niya.

I just rolled my eyes and didn't answer her question.

"Hala siya, pa showbiz pa. Mabubuking ka rin naman girl! Huwag mo nang itago." sabi ni Jash sa akin kaya tinulak ko siya.

Ten minutes before our last subject ended, Manuel texted me that he'll pick me up after my class.

Last week, dumiretso rin ako rito sa school dahil hinatid ni Jorge si Jewel kaya naman sumabay na ako. Pinakuha ko sa aming driver ang mga gamit ko sa kanyang penthouse para wala na akong rason na bumalik pa doon noong araw na iyon.

"Yow," Manuel called me as he saw me.

"Andito na yung kapatid ko, bye." paalam ko sa dalawa at dumiretso na may Manuel.

"I'm going to kill your boyfriend for this mess he made, Eleina." he said and he called me by my name.

I went inside his car as he started the engine.

"Did... something happened?" I asked him because I'm curious about his foul reaction.

It's been a week and I hadn't heard a news about the band. If what is their next activity, except for the much waited concert next week before our section Retreat.

"Didn't you know that Rex is out of the band?" inis na sabi niya sa akin habang nakatingin sa daan.

"Their new Manager is crying the whole day because of the mess, Ri. What should we do know? We couldn't find him anywhere." he asked.

"I just wanted to say that I'm not going be their drummer anymore for their last concert before they will change their company handler."

"I'll keep in touch, Eleina. I'll call you soon."

That's what Rex told me last week and it turns out Manuel and the others just found out that he's gone missing.

He bailed his bandmates.

How will the concert go on if they are missing their one member? The one who's responsible for the beats.

I didn't know what happened next when me and Manuel arrived at the building.

But when I entered the conference room, Keith immediately kneeled in front me. In front of everybody. In front of their new managers, his bandmates, my Mom, my brother and... Jorge.