LOVE-NAT, isang makulit na lovestory!

“I know what you’re thinking Ellie.” Ms. Elena told me.

Talaga alam niya? Alam niyang nanghihina ako na para kong natanggalan ng mga buto sa katawan. I wasn’t sure how to handle this. I wasn’t sure how to react. But all I know was that, naninikip ang dibdib ko at hindi ko alam kung bakit.

I knew it. Malas talaga ang biglaang pagpapalabas saken ni Sir ee. Sana talaga hindi ako pumayag na mapalabas sa room kanina. So I wouldn’t be here... I wouldn’t find out all these...

Minsan pala talaga totoo yung sinasabi nila. At one moment you’re happy, the next second you’ll feel like crap!! Parang kanina lang sobrang saya kong sinimulan ang araw ko... parang kanina lang para akong nasa alapaap... tapos ngayon... para kong nasa purgatoryo.

I knew it. Kaya pala sa simula pa lang mabigat na dugo ko kay Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde. Sa ngayon, naiinis ako sakanya. Nagagalit ako. How can he call himself a man kung tinakbuhan niya ang responsibilidad niya kay Noel?? Sa lahat ng ayoko!! Sa lahat ng kinaiinisan ko... mga lalaking kagaya niya!!
“Ellie.”Ms. Elena called my name seeing I was already gritting my teeth in evident anger. “I wasn’t expecting to tell you this. Knowing Sef, he preferred to keep everything a secret.”

Secret? Oo. Muka nga ee. Ito ang talagang tinatawag na SEKRETONG MALUPWET!!

“And I thought it would be better kung sakanya na mismo manggagaling. Kung siya mismo magkekwento.” I wasn’t saying anything... I was just staring at her and Noel, trying to contain my arising irritation. Gusto kong SAPAKIN SI SEF!! AS IN NOW NA!!

Parang biglang nabasa ni Ms. Elena yung mga tumatakbo sa isip ko. “No. Ellie. You got it all wrong. It’s not what you think. Listen to me, and I’ll tell you everything.”

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The Next Day
Sa bahay ng mga Natividad
7:30 am

“WOW!!”Beatrice Gong-gora Natividad, aka Borge, blurted out in amazement. “Talaga dad? Saken toh?” She couldn’t believe her eyes, sa harap niya ee isang brand new CANON DSLR. Pangarap na ni Borge ang magkaroon ng ganito since last month. “WAAH!! THANK YOU SO MUCH DADDY!!” She gave Mr. Natividad one tight hug.

“Sige sige.” Her dad flushed. He beamed as his daughter turned the camera on. “Christmas gift ko na yan sayo aa?”

“THANK YOU. LOVE YOU.” Borge said. Sweet talaga yan lalo na pag dating sa Dad niya. She’s really a daddy’s girl. “Oh, isang pose jan daddy. I want you to be my first shot.”

“Ano?”Mr. Natividad asked, suddenly conscious in his black tuxedo. “C’mon, dapat tayong dalawa.”

“Hindi. Ikaw muna.”

Mr. Natividad straightened his shoulders and smiled. “Alright. Make sure I’ll look good.”

“Dad talaga. Bayaan mo, edit ko sa photoshop. Dadagdagan ko buhok mo. Hahaha.” Borge positioned the camera in a portrait manner. “Smile Daddy. One. Two. Three.”

CLICK!

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Matute University
Classroom
Lunch Break

The next thing Borge did after breakfast was to spread the word of her new camera. Sinabihan na niya agad ang barkada to prepare themselves... magkakaroon sila ng kunwa-kunwariang photoshoot pagka-christmas break.

Borge really has a talent in photography. She loves taking pictures anywhere, everywhere. At ng nauso ang DSLR, yun ang agad ang hiniling niya sa dad niya.

“Oh ano pa?” Jill asked as she wrote down the words, Stolen Kiss. Naglilista kasi sila ng mga themes. Oo. Kung ano daw ma-assign sayo, yun daw ang dapat na ipopose mo. Sinong nakaisip nun?

Aba syempre walang iba kung hindi si Sara Felisidad. Para daw exciting. Para daw may magaganda silang shots.

“Gusto niyo bukas? Last day naman na ngayon ee.” Sara offered. “In my house if you want. Kahit whole day pa.”

“Ahy, gusto ko yan!” Meg said excitedly.

“Pwede ba kaming sumama?”Japo asked ng biglang niyang tinapik si Ellie na nakahiga lang ang ulo sa may lamesa niya, antok na antok. “Oh, anung nangyari dito? Parang zombie aa?”

Everyone’s attention then went to Ellie, whose eyes were drooping to a sleepy state. “Huh?”She moaned lazily, completely oblivious of her friends excitement. “Nu meron?”

“Ui, okay ka lang ba?” Borge asked worriedly. “You look like hell Ellie.”
“Wag mong sabihing, puyat ka dahil nagaral ka?” Sara butted in. “Ano naman ang pinagkapuyatan mo ha?”

Walang balak sabihin si Ellie na kaya siya napuyat ee dahil sa kinwento sa kanya ni Ms. Elena kahapon sa clinic. Hindi siya nakatulog matapos malaman yun ee. Yung totoo.

“Oh sheet.” Biglang bulalas ni Japo while looking on his phone. Nagtext si Sef, nasa baba na daw kasi ito.

Borge then stood up. Galit na galit yung itsura niya. She pulled Ellie’s hand and dragged her out the room.

“San kayo pupunta?” Japo asked. Everyone was also staring at Borge and the zombie-looking Ellie.

“MAG PIPICTURE-PICTURAN!!”Galit na sagot ni Borge.

Hinayaan lang ni Ellie na kaladkarin siya ni Borge. Dinala siya ng kaibigan sa may balcony sa 3rd floor. “Eleonor!! Ano bang nangyayari sayo? Lately you’re not telling me anything. Yung date niyo ni Sef, yung naging pustahan niyo nun sa Tagaytay!!” She rambled on. “Nakakatampo ka na aa? Kelan pa nagkaroon ng secrets sa ten? What’s keeping you from telling us? From telling ME?” Seryoso ang boses ni Borge. Halatang nagtatampo ito kay Eleonor.

Ellie sighed. Asking herself the same questions. Oo nga, bakit nga ba sakanilang mga kaibigan niya hindi siya makapag-open up? Lalo na kapag tungkol kay Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde? Ellie massaged her head na parang sumasakit ulo niya sa dami ng tanong. Parang mas masaya pang sumagot ng accounting problems aa? “Borge...”She then said, returning the same seriousness in Borge’s voice. “Ayoko kasi ng issue. You know me. At isang malaking issue si Monteverde. Ayoko ng sakit sa ulo. Kilala ko din kayo. You make a big fuzz over small things. Kaya I don’t want any of you to have the wrong idea.”

“Wrong idea about what?” Borge suddenly asked. It was the right question. And Ellie doesn’t know how to answer. “Alam mo tol,” Umakbay ito kay Ellie, smiling. Mejo naiintindihan na niya ang kaibigan... baliw talaga ito!! “Okay lang. Forget it. Kalimutan mo na to!! Hahaha. Nagaalala lang talaga ko sayo. Lately kasi parang... weird ka.”

“Gagu!”Ellie smiled, mejo natuwa siya kay Borge for not having to force her to answer. Kasi kahit pigain siya ni Borge, wala din siyang masasagot. “Kelan ba ko hindi naging weird? Haha.”

Borge laughed.“Oo nga nuh.” Bigla niyang ginulo buhok ni Ellie. “Pero tol, ito lang masasabi ko sayo...” She looked at Ellie. Despite the fact that Borge has a smile on her face, she was dead serious when she said, “Tol. Wag kang matakot. Wag mong takbuhan kung ano talaga yang nararamdaman mo.”

Kahit hindi na mag-explain si Ellie. Kahit hindi na ito magkwento... Beatrice Gong-gora Natividad knew what was going on with her best friend: Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan was falling in love. Bago lang kasi kay Ellie ang ganyang pakiramdam, and Borge knew how foreign the word love is for Ellie.

At times like this, a good friend knew when not to mess with things. Mas mabuti ng hayaan si Ellie na ma-figure out ang mga bagay-bagay ng mag-isa.

Ellie gave a hoarse laugh. “PAKYU BORGE!! PAKYU!! Kung anu-ano mga pinagsasasabi mo!!” And they both started laughing their lungs out. Pero alam din ni Ellie that Borge has a point.

“Oh, anong kaguluhan yan?” A voice said from behind. Si Darren Max Sanchez.

Ellie and Borge exchanged looks. “Secret!!” Sagot nila pareho.

“Actually, I want to capture this moment.” Biglang binuksan ni Borge yung DSLR niya na kanina pa nakasabit sa leeg niya. “Tamang-tama dating mo Max. Kailangan ko ng mga model.”

“Aah.” Ellie said. “Wag mo kong hahamutin sa picturan Borge. Lam mong VAIN ako!! Hahaha.”
“Talaga? Sige nga tignan naten kung papasa kang model.” Borge said, lumakad na siya papalayo to take a shot. “Oh, Max. Dali! Tumabi ka na kay Ellie. Kuhanan ko kayo.”
Max stood beside Ellie and both smiled at the camera. Borge took the shot.
“Tapos na? Walang flash?” Tanong ni Darren.

“Panget pag may flash! Bakit ba mas magaling ka pa sa photographer? Professional toh tsong!”

“Okay. Sige sinabi mo ee.”Darren nodded, parang na-pwersa lang siyang sumangayon. “Oh tara na sa classroom.”

“Teka lang, pose ng matatawag yun? Ee wala naman pala kayong kwentang models ee. FIRED agad kayo!!”Borge said. “Lam ko na, give me something... HOT! Something... INTRIGUING!!”

Sa landi ng pagkakasabi ni Borge naisip tuloy ni Ellie na sipain ang kaibigan!! Hot at intriguing pang nalalaman. Ee kung ihulog kaya niya ito mula dito sa 3rd floor?

“Oh DALI” Borge demanded. “Max dali!! Pakitaan niyo naman ako ng konting galing? Kahit hindi kayo mukang model at least mag-effort naman!!”

“Aba. Talagang sinusubukan mo ko aa!!” Mayabang na sagot ni Ellie. “Hot at intriguing daw Max!! BRING IT ON!!”

Natawa si Darren. “Sinabi ni Boss ee. Game.”Actually nagulat din si Ellie sa sumunod na ginawa ni Darren. For he suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, yung muka ni Darren sobrang lapit, as if his lips were inching for a kiss. His eyes were staring at Ellie. It has a spark of something sincere... something unspoken... something deep.

Ellie gasped in shock as the other hand of Darren touched her lightly on the cheek as if she was a fragile girl he could never hurt. Ellie’s hands were pressing against Darren’s chest, she perfectly depicted a girl who was scared of getting hurt... a girl who was unsure of her own feelings.

“WAAAH!!” Borge blurted out excitedly. “PERFECT!!” And Borge took countless shots of that one pose.

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Sa baba naman... Precisely at that very moment...

Sef and Japo were walking down the school grounds when Sef froze in his step, looking up the balcony on the 3rd floor. His face was rather expressionless, unreadable.
“Si Ellie yun diba?” Was all he managed to ask. His voice was heavy and there was something in it that Japo couldn’t put his finger on.

Japo followed the direction where Sef’s eyes were glued. He looked up and indeed saw Ellie in the arms of Darren, amidst a kiss. Japo knew at that instant, merong photoshoot na nagaganap sa taas. Yun yung sinabi ni Borge kanina ee bago lumabas ng classroom. He smiled at nakakatawa yung itsura niya as he eyed Sef. Naramdaman niya yung biglang pagbabago sa mood ng binata at pinipigilan ni Japo na huwag matawa. “Oo nga nuh. Kasama niya si Max.”Excited na sabi ni Japo. “Siguro na-realize na ni Max na mas gusto niya talaga si Ellie kesa kay Sara.”

Sef looked at him, yung muka niya sobrang seryoso na parang napipikon na ewan. Pero patuloy pa din si Japo sa kanyang naimbentong issue. “Well, it’s about time Max do something about it nuh Sef?”Pagtingin ni Japo sa kaliwa niya, wala na pala siyang katabi. Sef was already walking back papunta sa kotse niya.

“Oi Sef! Teka san ka pupunta?” Naka ngising tanong ni Japo. He was pleased by the way Sef was reacting. Hahaha. Sarap talaga asarin nito minsan. Pikon kasi ee.

“Shut up the hell up!” Yun lang ang sagot sakanya ng binata. At walang tigil sa pagtawa si Japo the moment Sef was out of sight.

Grabe, tama bang gumawa ng issue ha JAPO??

TO BE CONTINUED.