Are We Just Friends? ( Chapter 16)

* HIS BIRTHDAY IS NEARING*

" Guys, my birthday is coming up. There are rumors that I'm going to celebrate my birthday here. It's true. But I canceled it. Gusto ko sa resort mag birthday." pahayag ni DD sa mga kaibigan.

" Holidays yon diba babe?" tanong ni Emily.

Walang imik ang mga kasama. Tahimik lang silang nakikinig sa gagawin daw sa resort.

* IAN & SAM ON HER SECRET*

Over the next few days, unti-unting dinudurog ang puso niya. Everyday she see them together, makes her heart shatter into a million pieces. When she felt like gathering the pieces and put them together, she see them again.

She was in the uppermost part of the school building. Nilalanghap ang sariwang hangin. Sumulpot bigla sila Ann.

" Ems, nandito ka nanaman. Alam ko nasasaktan ka kapag nakikita silang magkasama at sweet." sabi ni Ann in a worried face.

" I wish, hangin na lang ako. I could just come and go. Pag humangin, dadaan lang tapos bigla ng mawawala. Katulad na hangin ngayon. Kapag nakita ko sila, mawawala na sa alaala ko yung nakita ko. Masakit. Ang sakit ng nararamdaman ko. Mahirap itago." teary-eyed na sabi ni MM.

" Ems, kaya mo yan. There's a guy I like in this school you know. But I don't have any courage." she crossed her hands and looked at the view. " I wish I could be a wind too Em. But in a different way. Yung klase ng wind na pabalik-balik. Yung makikita ko siya lagi." sabi nito. Tinignan niya si Em. Nakatingin rin ito sa kanya.

" May girlfriend siya?" tanong ni Em.

" Wala." tipid na sagot ni Ann.

" Your lucky. Walang girlfriend ang gusto mong guy. Yung mahal ko, meron. At araw-araw nasasaktan ako kapag nakikita ko si DD at Emily." pahayag niya.

" Ems." tanging nasabi ni Ann nang makitang lumuluha na ang kaibigan.

" Hayaan mo na ako... Saan nga pala si Fretz." tanong niya na humihikbi between words.

" Kasama si BRet. May sasabihin daw yung mokong na yun sa kanya." sabi ni Ann.

" Swerte rin si Fretz kay Bret. Dahil parehas silang may gusto sa isa't isa." sabi ni MM.

" You mean- May possibility na magtapat siya ngayon kay Fretz?" di makapaniwalang tanong ni Ann.

" Yeah the first time I saw him, and the way he looks at Fretz, I can say he likes her." sabi ni Em. This time medyo tumigil na siya sa pagluha.

" Really?" sabi ng isang boses sa likod nila.

Lumingon silang dalawa at nakita nilang sina Ian at Sam.

" Kanina pa kayo dito?" nerbyos na tanong ni Ann.

" Oo. Narinig namin lahat." sabi ni Sam.

" Ems, wala na pala akong tyansa sayo eh... May mahal ka nang iba." wika ni Ian sa sarili.

" Please wag nyong sabihin kay Dee." pagmamakaawa ni MM.

" Oo naman." Ian said. He looked at Ann.

" Can we speak for a moment" Ian said looking at Ann.

**
" Your a very good friend to MM, Ann." he hugged her.

This girl is the first girl he liked. From the day he saw her transferred. But then, he knew Dee liked this girl so he didn't dare approach her at all.

Nang dumating si MM sa buhay niya, binago nito ang lahat. Na love at first sight siya dito. Tumigil siya sa pagsama sa dating barkada niya. bumangon siya at nag-arala mabuti.

Pero ngayon, si Dee may girlfriend. Si Em mahal si Dee. Siya mahal niya si Em ngunit sa tono ng pananalita ni MM kanina, mukhang walang wala na siya. Nararamdaman niya na kaibigan lang ang trato sa kanya ni MM.

Now, Ann is free, he is trying to remove his feeling for MM so that makapangligaw siya ng matino.

Nagulat si Ann pero she hugged him back.

" Let's help Em." he said.

" Kawawa siya diba. She is stuck between two things. Friendship or the love she feels." woried na sabi ni Ann.

**
" Okay ka lang?" tanong ni Sam.

" Oo, okay na na kahit papaano." sabi ni Em.

" Kaya mo yan." he said.

Bumalik ang dalawa.

****

* TWO DAY BEFORE HIS BIRTHDAY*

Again, she set foot on the island. But this time no excitement in her face. Emily took her place. She run and run. Naghahabulan ang dalawa. Hindi na rin lihim ang tungkol kay DD at Emily sa mga magulang nito.

She looked at a little path. She remembered that path. The path that leads to the lake. The lake where she saw the lights. The lights that DD told about. The DD who made her feel secured.

They walked some more. And she saw another path. The path that leads to the falls. The falls that made her feel adventurous again. That become gone when her parents died.

All the memories came back. This is the place where she told herself to have a new life. Start a new beginning but when she set foot here again she felt like she is telling herself, Start a new life again...

Napabalik siya sa wisyo ng may tumapik-tapik sa balikat niya.

" Ems, were here." sabi ni Sam.

She saw the same cottages. Tig-isa isa ulit sila. Dee's birthday is the day after tomorrow.

*
Hapon na naman, the time she explored the lake.

Since, pagod daw sa byahe ang mga kaibigan, she went on by herself. Since she know the way, she got there in minutes. But she never expect to see what she didn't really expect to see.

DeeDee, on the same place she saw him.She was going to approach him when...

" Babe, tara na. Ayoko mag-boat. Hindi naman emerald yung lake eh..." reklamo ni Emily.

" The view at night is great." sabi ni DD.

" I'm tired. Can we go?" irritadong sabi nito.

She hid behind the trees. When they were gone, she went near the lake and sit. " Ka arte naman non. Tsaka hindi marunong mag appreciate ng nature." sabi niya.

Mga 30 minutes na siyang nandon.

She looked at her watch. 5:30 pm

She saw the boat still on the same place. She pushed it to the water. She sit at was about to start to row the boat.


BLAGGG!

" D-d-deee?!" gualt niyang sabi.