The Only Reason

Chapter 10

Last week passed by quickly, and so did the following one. Hindi ko namalayan na Saturday na pala—bringing me and Ethan to the mall to buy a birthday gift for Leanne.

"I think this is cute.." Ethan trailed off, pointing at a simple pink wrapper with a light, shiny texture, "With this," and a cream colored ribbon.

Napatango-tango ako. "Yeah, it is." I agreed. We then decided to have our gift wrapped with the choices he made.

What we planned before kami pumunta rito was that as one kaming magbibigay ng regalo, since he still haven't met Leanne. I was in-charge with choosing the gift, tapos siya naman sa wrapping.

"Do you want some ice cream?" He asked me as he spotted Baskin Robin's while we walked around the same floor as the gift wrapping shop.

I shrugged and answered, "Sure."

We then ordered a cup that's big enough for the two of us with our favorite flavor, and enjoyed it habang hinihintay yung regalo.

As soon as we claimed the gift and paid for the wrapping, my phone suddenly rang—saying that I was getting a call from Dane.

"Hello?" Bungad ko.

"Uy! San ka?" He asked. I then told him na I was with Ethan at the mall, and bumili kami ng regalo para kay Leanne.

"Sabay-sabay na ta'yo pumunta mamaya, hahabol nalang kami nina Kirs pati Gab jan sa mall." He said. Tumango ako kahit hindi niya naman ako nakikita.

"Sige, see you!" I replied, then nagpaalam na siya.

"What'd he say?" Ethan asked, staring down at me. "We'll all go to Lester's house together, and that they'll be here anytime later." I responded. Napatango-tango siya, as he mindlessly enlaced our hands. Hindi ko napigilang ngumiti.

Whenever I'm with him, these small things are enough to make me the happiest.

After almost an hour of walking around the mall, playing at the arcade and eating our favorite foods without even considering the fact that we were going to a birthday party later and stuff ourselves with food too, tumawag ulit si Dane, and told me na nandito na raw sila.

"Do you guys really go on dates often?" Gabby asked us as soon as we got to where they were. "I guess," Ethan replied and shrugged. Napailing nalang ako.

"Bitter lang yan ngayon," Dane butted in. "Pero mamaya, you'll see a different person. Kase after how many months, she'll finally see the love of her life again." Kirsten added, dahilan na napatawa kami ni Ethan, habang napa-irap naman si Gabby. Kunwari pa, eh.

"Are you excited?" I asked her. She honestly nodded. "Pero kinakabahan din," she added.

I gave her a reassuring smile and said, "I'm sure he missed you too," to which she sighed. "Bakit ba kasi hindi siya sa AdMU nag-aral at sa SBU pa rin?" She frustratingly blurted. I just shrugged.

"I'm sure he had his reasons," I replied.

In just less than thirty minutes, nakahanap na ng regalo sila Gabby, Kirsten, and Dane. We just knew Leanne so well, and she's the type of person who really appreciates anything girly—lalo na kapag make-up related.

"I can still remember how she asked Lester to buy her most of the products of Colourette on her fourteenth birthday," Gabby said, shaking her head. "Mas maarte pa yung batang yun saakin, eh." She added.

"Weh? Eh parang nagmana nga sa'yo yun," Dane mocked her. Napatawa nalang ako nang magsimula nanaman silang magbangayan.

We were all in Ethan's Fortuner, on our way to Lester's house. Dane didn't bring his car and nag-commute lang pala sila papuntang mall, kase pinaayos daw ng tito niya yung kotse niya. He wanted to volunteer sana sa pag-drive, but then Ethan also wanted to learn the ways and roads here—kaya ngayon ay magkatabi sila sa harapan para magtulungan.