Chapter 33

My eyes blinked three times. I had no reaction but I was flushed... internally at that. The fact that the afternoon wind was blowing against me added to the blissful effect.

"H-ha?" I just had to repeat what he said. Pakiramdam ko, nabingi ako for a moment. 

Nakatingin pa rin siya sa baba at nakalagay pa rin sa loob ng bulsa niya ang parehong kamay niya. I noticed that he lost weight. Sobrang stressed na ba siya sa akin? No, ang assuming ko naman kung iisipin ko 'yun. Maybe it was Fier's doing. Last time, nakita ko na siya ang kasama ni Drake. Siguro nga siya ang dahilan kaya stressed out si Drake.

He looked at me then. This was the Drake I knew, yung walang insecurities, walang second thoughts. What you see is what you get. Kapag mahal ka niya, sasabihin niya. Kaya nga dati it took us months bago ko narinig na sabihin niya na mahal niya ako. Pero hindi ba mas okay yun? Love should take time, hindi yung biglaan na lang. Love built on foundation is meant to pass through storm.

"Can we?" he asked again.

Before I even knew that the words escaped my mouth, I said, "Sige."

And then, he offered his hand to me and we walked hand in hand. 

Tahimik lang kami, no one even bothered talking. Siguro kasi matagal kaming hindi nagkasama. It's been years, right? Kung tutuusin, Drake's just some fond high school memory. Ilang taon lang ba kaming nagkasama? 2 years? Ilang taon kaming hindi nag usap? 4 years. The hate was longer than the fun. Pero ganun yata talaga. There are people who are exception to the rules. Walang time, walang pinagsamahan. Once they made their mark on your life, they will be permanently etched. Magkasakitan man, may magawa man na masama, still, kapag bumalik sila, tatanggapin mo pa rin, e.

"So..." sabi ko. The silence was suffocating. Hindi ko na kaya. I'd rather suffer in awkward conversation than to live in deafening silence. "How was life?"

"Boring."

"Ha? Bakit naman?"

He looked at me and smiled a little. "Wala ka kasi."

Siguro kung may iniinom ako, nabulunan na ako. God, Drake Palma! Wala man lang warning warning?!

"A-ano?"

He, then, chuckled. Damn you, Palma!

"Nothing," sabi niya tapos naglakad na ulit siya. Dahil nga hawak niya yung kamay ko, nahila niya ako. Muntik na akong madapa na naman pero dahil nakahawak ako sa kanya, napasubsob lang ako sa braso niya. Damn, nagwoworkout siguro siya. 

Bakit ba ganito ang iniisip ko? Tss!

"Saan ba tayo pupunta?" I asked him.

He shrugged. Hindi na naman siya nagsalita. Ang tahimik niya pa rin talaga.

"Nagugutom na ako..." I uttered. Hindi pa ako kumakain simula nung umalis ako sa bahay namin. Malapit ng magdilim. Siguro dapat mag dinner na kami. May makakainan ba dito or what?

He stopped and looked at me. "Let's go on a date."

"HA?"

And that was it. Hindi ko na mapigilan mapasigaw. He really knew how to surprise me! Akala ko after all these years, mawawala na yang TDPW na yan! Nandyan pa rin pala!

He smiled, just a little. "I wasn't able to ask you formally before so... yeah. Will you go on a date with me?"

Pano ba 'to? Before going here, I made it my resolve na si Tripp ang pipiliin ko. But being with Drake like this? Hindi ko alam kung paano tumanggi. It was because there's something about Drake na hindi ko kayang iwasan. He's like a magnet. And I was damn attracted.

"Pero--" I tried reasoning.

"Tonight and the next days will be me living my dream, Alys. After that, you can go back to your reality."

"How about your reality?"

He smiled again. "My reality sucks."

"Bakit naman? Nandyan naman si Cristine..." At si Fier.

He cocked his head sideway. Nagpalagay pala siya ng piercing. Bakit kaya? Dati naman sabi niya masama daw yung mga ganun. Time could really change people and their beliefs. 

"What do you mean?"

"I mean--- wala! Nevermind."

Nagsimula na akong maglakad pero bigla niyang hinawakan yung braso ko. "Don't make me say this."

"Ha?"

Ano ba naman! Puro na lang 'ha' ang nasasabi ko! Nasan na napunta yung iba kong vocabulary?!

He sighed and closed his eyes. After a few second and after my heart stopped beating momentarily, he looked at me. "My reality sucks because I can't have you. So will you shut up and let me indulge myself just for this week?"

Hindi ko alam pero bigla na lang nagsalita ako. "Si Tripp."

Two words pero it could change everything. I really did care about Tripp. Unlike what he believed in, he was my priority. Iniisip ko siya bago ako gumawa ng decisions, most of the time. 

"Just one week."

"Wouldn't it be selfish?" I asked.

He took a deep breath and looked at the orange sky. "I've been selfless most on my life. Now, I'd like to be selfish," he said and then turned his gaze at me. "Let's go?"

Wala na akong nasabi. This was Drake talking to me. And he was practically begging. Sino ba naman ako para hindi sumunod sa hinihiling niya?

"Drake! Drake!" I tried to sound as perky as possible. Ganito ba ako ka high pitched nung high school?

Drake arched his eyebrow. Nainis yata siya sa taas ng boses ko. Nainis din kaya ako!

"What?"

I smiled at him and held his hand. "I'll be your fairy godmother." Tumayo ako and stratigically waved my hand up and down. "Babalik tayo sa year 2013. Boom! Nasa high school na tayo!" I said and then closed my eyes for a bit and then opened it. Upon seeing him, I smiled. "Drakey baby!"

He smiled. God, he smiled! Hindi maliit at tipid na ngiti. He freaking smiled!

"Noob."

I bit my lip and smiled at him. "Meanie."

He messed my hair and intertwined our hand. "Date?"

I nodded, a little too enthusiastically at that. "Libre mo ha!"

A few steps later, we found ourselves lost. Sino ba naman kasi ang nagsabi sa amin na maglakad lang ng maglakad sa kawalan?

"Hala! Nawawala na tayo!"

The matured me would have panicked by now pero dahil ako si Alys before, I put my whole trust in Drake. Hindi naman niya ako papabayan. 

"Shit."

Narinig kong magcuss si Drake. Hala! Ano ang nangyari dun?

Dali akong pumunta sa kanya and saw a broken twig on his feet, medyo nagdudugo pa yung toe niya. 

"Anong nangyari?"

"Stupid twig."

May dugo! Ang daming dugo! Ugh nasusuka ako!

Tumakbo ako palayo sa sugat niya at nasuka. Sheez! Ayoko talaga ng nakakakita ng dugo. Dati kasi sa Paris, nahiwa ako ng knife yung partner ko tapos ewan ko ba ang lakas niya yata maghiwa kaya halos matanggal na talaga yung finger niya. After that, nahihilo at nasusuka ako kapag nakakakita ng dugo. Disgusting. Nakakadiri. Ugh.

After pacifying myself, bumalik na ako. Si Drake? Ang seryoso na naman niya.

"Okay ka na ba?" I asked him, avoiding the blood.

He nodded. Tumayo siya and started walking away.

"Huy!" I said, then hinabol ko siya. Medyo iika ika pa siyang maglakad pero ang bilis niya. Halos nga tumakbo na siya. Ano ang problema niya? "Drake!" I shouted.

He didn't hear me, or rather he didn't stop even after hearing me.

I stopped on my tracks. 

"Drake."

My voice was cold. Ayoko ng ganito. Bakit niya na naman ako iniiwasan? Akala ko ba truce? Ceasefire? 

He stopped pero hindi siya humarap sa akin. 

"What the hell is your problem again? Kanina lang okay tayo a!" I couldn't help but shout. He's maddening and frustrating! Hindi pa rin siya nagsalita kaya kumuha ako ng buhangin at binato ko sa kanya. "Ano ba! Hindi ka ba sasagot?!"

Before my very eyes, he was already in front of me and he grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Are you pregnant?"

"What?!"

His stare was icy and scary. After asking me that dumbing question, tinalikuran niya ako. What the hell?! Tatanungin niya ako ng ganong tanong tapos tatalikuran niya ako?! Nababaliw na ba siya?!

"Drake Sebastian Jimenez Palma!"

"What?" He answered, tired.

"Ano naman kung buntis ako?"

"Don't ask me question you're not prepared for the answer."

It was like I was challenging the devil. The thrill was enveloping my very soul. It was like playing with fire. Alam mong delikado pero gusto mo pa rin.

I cocked my head. "Ano ba ang sagot mo?"

He went near me and pulled me. "I don't care about the baby's father as long as you're the mother. Damn it Alys I don't care about anything else. Just you. I just want you and everything else is just fucking bonus."