You Me Maybe

Chapter 2 | Strawberry Cupcake

“What the heck! No, Miss! Hindi ko siya kilala. Tatlo lang po ang order ko,” giit ko. Lumingon ako kay tisoy na nasa tapat ko. Binigyan ko siya ng who-are-you look. “Puwede ba, mag-order ka at magbayad ng sarili mo?!  Ang yaman kaya ninyo. Tapos sisingit ka at magpapalibre? Hello! Ano ang utang ko na pinagsasabi mo, huh? I don’t owe you anything!”

“You owe me one for cutting in line, remember?” Liam exclaimed.

“Ano ba kayong dalawa? Tatlo o apat? Make up your mind! Ang haba ng pila, oh!” singhal ng fishball vendor sa amin.

“Tatlo po,” sagot ko.

“Four,” giit ni Liam.

“Kung may LQ kayo, huwag kayo rito!” Nagpamewang ang isang ale sa linya. “Gutom na ang mga anak ko!”

“Ay, Aleng maganda. Excuse me lang po, huh? Sorry, kaso walang pong LQ. Dahil lang sumingit siya, may LQ agad? Hindi ba puwedeng mag-on muna? Saka kung sa ugok na ‘yan, ‘wag na uy!” sagot ko sa ale.

“Three or Four?” tanong ulit ng sosyaling tindera. Wow! Inglisera. Nahawa ni tisoy.

“Mmm . . . ganito na lang, Ateng maganda. Gawin mo pong apat ‘yong order. Pero, tatlo lang ang babayaran ko,” paliwanag ko. “Singilin n’yo po siya sa pang-apat. Okay na po?”

Binayaran ko na at kinuha ang tray ng pagkain naming tatlo, saka nag-walkout. Doon ako magaling. Ako yata ang walkout queen.

“Mga kabataan talaga ngayon, hindi mo ma-spelling,” narinig kong sabi ng matandang babae sa linya.

Tumalikod na ako bitbit ang tray ng pagkain namin. Hinahanap ng cute kong mga mata kung saan nakakuha ng table ang dalawa. Magkatabing nakaupo sina Nica at Ernel. Ang dulong right side ng mga table ng food court ay ang madalas naming upuan. Malapit ito sa arcade. Nilapag ko ang tray at naupo. Sina Nica at Ernel talaga kasi ang original buddies. Classmates kami ni Nica noong grade six. Pinakilala niya sa akin si Ernel. Naging magbarkada kaming tatlo at nangako na sa iisang paaralan ang papasukan namin hanggang college. 

“Bestie, ano na namang kaartehan ang ginawa mo sa may fishball stand? Drama queen ka talaga!” sabi ni Ernel.

“Tanga! Hindi drama. LQ scene kaya. Besh, si Liam Princeton!”  Napalingon ako saglit sa likod when Nica screamed his name.  “Sinundan ka? Papalapit sa table natin, Besh!”

Kinikilig si Nica na animo ay hindi ko nakita ang lalaking papalapit sa table namin. Hindi ko na lang pinansin ang fan girling ng dalawa at nagpatuloy sa pagkain.

“Ang pogi niya! Sana ay sa table natin maupo,” sabi ni Ernel habang may tinititigan sa likod ko.

“Gaga! Kaaway ko nga, ‘di ba?” I shook my head. “Tapos . . . mmm . . . ewan, ang landi mo talaga. Pogi lang, hindi na kayo magkamayaw. Pa-demure ka naman nang kaunti, Teresa!”

“Hey, Girls! Mind if I sit here?” Liam asked.

“No! Not at all.” They said in unison, staring at Liam.

“Yes, I do mind! Humanap ka ng ibang mauupuan. Ang daming vacant seat. Dito pa talaga?” I sarcastically said without looking at him.

“Sure! Take a seat. Well, I and Nica don’t mind at all,” turan ni Ernel na kinikilig pa.

“Liam, right? Don’t mind Ryze. Maarte lang talaga ‘yan. Maupo ka sa tabi niya,” Nica said, emphasizing for Liam to sit beside me.

Kung hindi ko lang kaibigan ang dalawang ‘to, I will really think they are indeed crazy. Akala mo naman ay sinong artista o model ang mokong at kinikilig talaga sila. Kung si Ryan Gosling ang katabi ko, baka kikiligin talaga ako nang todo. Umupo naman talaga si Liam sa tabi ko.  Mind you, ha!  Hindi pa nakuntento. Dumikit pa talaga sa akin. Super papansin niya kaya I moved to the edge of the bench.

“Hoy! Mga babaitang kirs! Tumutulo na ang mga laway n’yo! Kumakalat na sa sahig,” I told them. They are still staring at him. Nakakahiya ang dalawang ‘to!

“Ang guwapo niya kasi, Bestie. In love na yata kami,” pabulong na sabi ni Ernel.

“Seryoso kayo? FYI! Don’t you have boyfriends? Nakalimutan n’yo? Can you both behave yourselves or else I’m leaving you two with this cupcake douche bag!”  pasigaw kong turan sa kanila.

“Can you stop calling me ‘cupcake’, please, Reabelle? That is so embarrassing! I am not gay . . . not a douche bag! Ang guwapo ko kaya,” Liam retorted.

“Oh! Please don’t call me ‘Reabelle’ too!  Nobody calls me that name anymore. Pero ikaw, cupcake ka pa rin!” sigaw ko.

“I said, stop calling me that or else––.”

“Or else what? I don’t care. Cupcake. Cupcake.  Cupcake! Kung makatalak ka, daig mo pa ang babae na may dalawang bibig! ‘I’m not finished with you. May araw ko you sa akin.’  Blah, blah, blah. So, what happened to that? You still end up chasing us. Didn’t you? Oh, I mean chasing me?”

“Forget what I said the other day, Reabelle. I didn’t mean to say that and sorry for being rude.”

“Could you not call me Reabelle?! I am not her, okay?”

Liam ignored me. He turned his attention to Nica and Ernel. When we were kids, they call me Reabelle, short for Reaghen Yzabelle.

“By the way, Girls, I’m Alexander Liam Blake Princeton. Call me Liam or Blake. Whichever you prefer. But not ‘Alexander’. It brings the hell out me. So what major are you in?”

“Oh! We know your name already, Liam. It’s nice to meet you!” Ernel said, smiling from ear to ear. Iyong smile na nagpapa-cute.  She flipped her hair and twirled it. “Business Management. I’m Ernel Therese Salvador. Call me Ernel.”

“I’m Nadine Janica de Lara. Nica for short.” She smiled flirtatiously at him. “Nice to meet you, Liam. What about you?”

“Jeez! Chorus pa talaga? Nakakahiya kayong dalawa!” I commented.

“Shut up, Ryze! We are having a moment here,” singhal ni Ernel.

“Moment! Okay, fine! Take your moment!”

“HRM.” Liam answered, saka siya sumubo ng fishball.

Ako naman ang tahimik na nakikinig lang. Kunwari ay invisible na pasimpleng pinagmamasdan si Liam.

“That’s not how you eat that! Let me show you.” Nica took the paper plate and showed him how to eat fishballs the way we do.

“HRM? Balak mo bang magtayo o mag-manage ng hotel and restaurant after we graduate, Liam?” tanong ulit ni Ernel.

“We actually own Princeton Hotel and Chengco Chinese Restaurant. Something like that,” Liam proudly replied.

“Ang yabang talaga. Ang tanga naman. I would not wonder kung ngayon lang yan nakakain ng fishball,” I murmured. Hindi ko namalayan na malakas ko palang nasabi iyon, pero deadma silang tatlo.

“I never eat this kind of food.” Liam looked at the food he was eating. “What-cha-ma-call-this?” He asked Nica and Ernel with his British accent.

“Wow! So stupid! ‘I never eat this kind. What-cha-ma-call-this?’  Eh, bakit ka pumila kanina? Hindi mo pala alam kung anong klaseng pagkain.” I interjected, but again they ignored me. Parang wala ako sa tapat nilang tatlo.

“This is fishball. That one on your right is orlian, and that drink is called buko pandan pearl shake. Ryze’s fave drink,” paliwanag ni Ernel.

“Tumahimik ka nga, Teresa. Hindi naman tinatanong kung ano ang gusto ko, ah!”

“Oh! It’s okay, Strawberry. I wanna know.”

“Saan mo naman nakuha ang lintik na ‘strawberry’ na ‘yan?”

“You wouldn’t quit calling me ‘cupcake,’ so from now on, you’re my strawberry.  Strawberry Cupcake sounds good, right?” Liam said, a smile danced on lips.

Naging kulay rosas ang mukha ko. Liam caught me off guard. Literal na nag-init ang mukha ko. Hindi sa kilig kundi namula sa inis. He is so grrr!

“Sounds bagay nga! Eh, paano naman kami?” Chorus na naman sina Ernel at Nica. They gave me that look like a hungry lost puppy. In short, paawa effect.

I grabbed up my backpack from the ground and said, “Such a petty! I’m going to the arcade. Sumunod kayong dalawa kung gusto ninyo.” I turned to Liam. “Ikaw! Shut your mouth and don’t follow me! Strawberry Cupcake-kin mo ‘yang mukha mo!”

Dinuro ko si Liam, saka tumalikod. Nagmartsa na ako papunta sa arcade.

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