LOVE-NAT, isang makulit na lovestory!

Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan

WOW. I SMELL DANGER!! Alam ko ng hindi na biro ang naging sagutan ni Darren at Sara. Parang ang bilis ng mga pangyayari... parang kanina nagtatawanan lang kami tapos ngayon may eksena na ganito?? I felt my heart drumming wildly, ayoko kasi sa lahat ee yung nakikitang nagaaway mga kaibigan ko.

Uhm... hindi ko naman ito kasalanan diba?? Pero bakit parang pakiramdam ko, lahat ng daliri ee nakatutok saken?? Parang ako ang may SALA sa pangyayaring ito?? Dahil lang sa ayaw kong magpa-make up?? Ee kung alam ko lang na magpapatayan sila para lang mamake-upan ako ee di sana pumayag na lang ako nuh!! Dios mio...

“Hala,” Bulong ni Meg. “Oh no, this is bad.”

We silently watched as Sara turned her back from Darren, her face was pale at naramdaman kong, nasaktan ang kaibigan ko. She went passed us, dire-diretso si Sara sa pagpasok sa loob ng bahay nila. Jill and Meg quickly went after her.

I looked at Darren as he closed his fists in apparent anger. Nakatayo lang siya dun, his face was contorted to a frown. Alam kong hindi niya sinasadyang sabihin yun...

“What was that?” a voice came behind me. Parang napatalon yung puso ko. I slowly turned around at kahit hindi naman ako lumingon, alam kong si Sef yun. “Mukang hindi na matutuloy photoshoot niyo niyan.”

Mabilis lang na dumapo ang mga mata ko sakanya, lalo na nung nakita kong nakangiti nanaman siya. Bigla din kasing pumasok sa isip ko ang muka ni Noel at ni Ms. Elena and I felt my blood slowly creeping up my cheeks. God, was I blushing??

LECHUGAS KA ELLIE!! MAGTINO KA NGA!! REMEMBER, KAGABI?? WAG MONG HAYAANG MANALO SIYA!! ITIGIL MO YAN!! TIGIL!!

Lumingon agad ako sa direksyon ni Darren. “Ewan ko nga ee.” Napakamot ako sa ulo. “Tae talaga, dapat pala nag pa make-up na lang ako para hindi na sila nagaway.”

Napa ngisi si Sef at napatingin tuloy ako sa kanya. “You think yun ang dahilan kung bakit sila nagaway?”

This time I was really looking at him, pero nakakunot ang noo ko. “Huh? Ee meron pa bang ibang dahilan?”

Sef shrugged. “I dunno. Ikaw kaibigan nila, you tell me.”

Hindi ko namalayan, I was just completely and absolutely LOOKING at Sef. Napansin niya and he gave me another of his sexy smile sabay kindat saken. “Kaka in love nuh?” And to top it all off he placed a hand on his chin, obvious na nagpapa cute.

Sus. Kung alam lang niya... hindi na niya kelangan magpa-cute!! Imbes na barahin ko siya with another of my insults, which I would normally do. I just stared at him, my face expressionless. Bigla kong naalala yung kwento ni Ms. Elena tungkol kay Sef that I couldn’t help but smile at him. And my smile soon turned to a soft laughter. “Sige na nga. Oo na lang ako kanwari. Haha.” But that smile soon disappeared kasi naman diba?? BIGLA BA NAMAN NIYANG NILAPIT MUKA NIYA SAKEN!!! NAKSHUTA!!!

“May sakit ka ba?”He then asked, titig na titig siya saken, parang ineexamine niya talga buong muka ko. “You just actually smiled at me.”

Nanlaki mata ko at napalunok ulit ako. My heart was drumming wildly. Ellie ano ka ba? Mahiya ka nga nakita mong nagaaway na nga mga kaibigan mo nakuha mo pang lumandi jan!! Oo nga, tama siya... para kang may sakit... oo sakit sa puso!! Umayos ka nga!! NAKAKAINIS!!

I then glared at Sef. “Ayaw mo? Sorry naman!! Hindi ko alam kasalanan na pala ang ngumiti ngayon!!”I pushed him off. Kainis. Kainis talaga. At ano bang nangyayari saken?? BAKIT KO NGA NAMAN NAKUHANG NGUMITI SAKANYA?? PAKSYET NA BUHAY TOH OH!!

Si Sef naman ang natawa, “I didn’t say it was a crime.” Then his face turned rather soft, he gazed into my eyes with the smile still plastered on his lips “At hindi ko lalong sinabing ayoko. Bihira ka lang kasi ngumiti kapag ako kasama mo.”Okay. DRUM ROLL nanaman ang dibdib ko. We were just standing there sa may doorway papasok sa bahay nila Sara, staring at each other’s eyes.

God I could lose myself in those black eyes forever. Hindi ako magsasawang titigan yan!!

Sef then grinned at me, his set of white teeth gleaming. “Kung sa bagay, magmumuka ka lalong Clown kung madalas kang naka-smile. Haha.”

And with those words the magic was gone. Duh Ellie. Anong ineexpect mong sasabihin niya!! Ambisyosa!! Rrrrrr... Dahil dun, pinalo ko ng malakas si Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde sa braso!!

“Aray!!” He winced, rubbing his arm where I just landed a good slap. Tinalikuran ko na lang siya sabay lakad papasok nung bahay. Pupuntahan ko na lang muna si Sara. Alam ko kasi, ayaw ni Darren na nilalapitan siya sa mga ganitong pagkakataon.

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Naiwan ang apat na boys sa hardin, namely Sef, Japo, Ken and of course, the great Darren Max Sanchez.

Nanlulumo si Darren as he took a seat.

“Ok ka lang?” Japo asked.

Darren sighed, massaging his forehead. He didn’t answer.

But after a minute or so Darren spoke, “Asan si Ellie?”

Sef’s eyes glued on him. His handsome face was emotionless, too unreadable. Bakit si Ellie nanaman ang hinahanap niya?

“She’s with Sara.” Mahinahong sagot naman ni Ken and Darren simply nodded at hindi na muling nagsalita.

Nagpalit ng tingin si Japo at Ken. They probably should just keep quiet.

---

Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan

Pumasok ako sa kwarto ni Sara, but she was not in sight. Sila Jill at Meg lang yung nasa kama while Borge was peering over the large window panes.

“Nasa loob ng CR.” Meg said, pointing the direction of the CR with her lips. Hindi na niya hinintay na itanong ko.

I nodded and plumped down on the small sofa near the door.
“What happened back there?”Tanong ni Meg.

I shrugged as Jill replied, “I have no idea.”

“Haiii,” Borge sighed deeply. “Sorry Mr. Big.” She then looked sadly on her camera which was hanging around her neck.

“Mr. Big?”
“Oo. Mr. Big. Pangalan ng camera ko.” Borge sounded as if all the happiness was suck out from her. Obvious na na-frustrate siya dahil mukang hindi matutuloy ang photoshoot niya. “Sorry Mr. Big, mukang rerescheduled na lang naten itong araw na toh. I know you’ve been waiting for this moment... but it has to wait.”

Meg rolled her eyes. “Wag ka ng magparinig pwede?”

And that was when Sara opened the door, and out she came from the CR... sabog na sabog. Her eyes were red and puffy. And boy her make-up was smudged all over her face. Kala mo nabugbog siya ee. She looked like sisa.

She walked out, sniffling. “Mauna na kayo kumain.” She jumped over her bed sa tabi nila Meg. And we were all just eyeing her in complete disbelief. Pano akong hindi magugulat, FIRST TIME KONG MAKITANG UMIYAK SI SARA. And take note umiiyak siya over what Darren had said? Ee diba? Buisit siya kay Darren? Then how could she be affected this much?

“Oh ayan, Borge.” I said. “Meron na palang mas qualified sa role kong pulubi.”

Napangiti sila Borge but then Jill signalled me to hush.

“Dapat kasi hindi mo na siya pinrovoke.” Borge then said after a minute of total silence.

Sara suddenly sat up, mejo tumigil na siya sa pagiyak. “Provoke? I didn’t. I just told him to leave if he wanted to.”

“Tinawag mo din siyang KJ.” Added Meg.

“Pero girls, mas masakit pa din ang mga sinabi ni Max.”Biglang sinabi ni Jill. “Dapat nagisip muna siya bago siya nagsalita ng ganun.”
“Tara sunugin na nga naten si Max!!” Borge said. Kahit alam kong joke, kahit alam kong they didn’t mean every word, nasaktan ako para kay Darren. I mean, wala siya dito para ipagtanggol yung sarili niya. Atchaka siguro kasi, alam kong he has no intention of hurting Sara. Duh, balak nga niyang ligawan diba?

“Alam mo,” I then said in the calmest voice I could muster. “Sara, hindi naman talaga sinasadya yun ni Max ee. Nabigla lang yun. Atchaka, bugso lang yun ng damdamin. Tinawag mo kasing KJ ee, kaya...”

Sara then covered her ears with pillows. “ARGH!”she mumbled, yung muka kasi niya nakangud-ngod sa isa pang unan. “Get out of here Ellie!!” her voice came muffled under the pillow but it was clear enough for all of us – for me – to hear. “JUST LEAVE!!”

Napatigil nga ako. Naguguluhan ako kay Sara. For the first time, I don’t understand her at all. I really don’t. And I felt a heavy feeling in my chest kasi... ako lang yung sinabihan niyang umalis. There was really something wrong in this picture. At hindi ko alam kung ano yun pero isa lang ang malinaw saken ngayon, Sara was pushing me away.

Without a word I stood up. Kung makakatulong sakanya ang pagalis ko, well then I would respect that. This time, sila Borge, Meg at Jill ee nanlaki na din ang mga mata. I knew they were shock just as I was. But I willingly obeyed.

I was already in the middle of the stairs when Borge came running after me. “Ellie!”

I looked around.

“Are you okay?” Gezuz, I hate it whenever someone asked me that. Kayo ba? Nakakainis. It was a question that conveyed an answer in itself. Kapag tinatanong ka ng ganyan, alam din nung tao that you are NOT okay. They knew the answer pero pilit pa din nilang tinatanong, because they need reassurance.

I smiled at Borge. The usual smile. “Oo naman. Bakit?” I shrugged. “Baka naingayan saken kaya pinalabas ako.” Haha. I was smiling, pinagtutulakan ako paalis ng barkada ko and yet I was smiling. Good Lord. Naalala ko tuloy sinabi ni Sef kanina. Especially the funny look on his face when I smiled at him. Siguro nga may sakit ako.
“Naguguluhan ako.” Borge said walking down the stairs beside me. “Ano ba talagang nangyayari?”
Natawa ko. “Pareho tayo ng tanong!”

Napailing si Borge habang nakangiti and I placed my hand in the air para makipag-appear sakanya. Haha.

Napatayo si Japo sa upuan niya when Borge and I emerged into the garden. “Oh, how was it?”

Para tanong at itsura ni Japo, para tuloy siyang tatay na naghihintay sa labas ng delivery room. “Mabuti naman, Mr. Crisostomo. Kambal po ang anak ninyo." Napangiti si Japo. "Alam mo ikaw, kahit kelan... chismoso ka!”

“Ellie naman...”

“Secret na yun!” Borge then said. “Anyway, tara muna sa loob guys... merong hinandang pagkaen yung mga maids.”
The three guys stood up, except for Darren. “Sige, mauna na kayo. Sunud na lang kami.”I told them but it was Sef who was looking at me oddly.

The moment they were all out of sight, I sat beside Darren. “Ibang klase ka din naman dumiskarte ano?”

Darren slapped a hand on his forehead. “Hala Ellie.” He then placed down his guard, kung kanina sa harap nila Japo ee nakakatakot yung nakadisplay na expression ng muka ni Darren... ngayon sa harap ko, para na siyang batang guilty sa nagawa niya. “Ano? Okay lang ba siya? Napaiyak ko ba?”

“Gusto mo ba talgang malaman? Tsk. Gagu ka talaga ee.” Gusto kong sabihin na pati tuloy saken nagalit. “Hay naku. May ligaw-ligaw ka pang nalalaman aa?”

“I should go apologize right now!”

I shook my head. “Dude, bad idea yan! Hindi pa siguro ngayon.”

We just sat there in total silence when all of a sudden Darren stood up, pati tuloy ako napatayo ee.

“Mas maigi ata umuwi na ko.” He sounded so defeated. Kawawa naman kaibigan ko. “Lika na nga, sabayan mo na ko pauwi... hahatid na kita sa inyo.”

I was just about to agree ng biglang may humawak sa kamay ko. “Hindi na Max.” It was SEF!! “Don't worry. Ako na maghahatid sa kanya.”

To be continued.