Chapter 2: Babsy and Bubba

I am Lauren Park, 17, I work full time in T.G Drugstore and Clinic during summer and part time during shool days.

At dahil may summer pa at may 2 weeks pa before magpasukan, full time akong nagtatrabaho dito.

To be honest,  I still can't stop thinking about that guy.

Hindi ko sinasabi na interesado  ako sa kanya. Pero naawa lang ako kasi at a very young age, nawala yung pinakamamahal niya. =(

Sana naman hindi yan mangyari sa akin.

But still I wish magkaroon na siya ng closure sa nararamdaman niya. I'll probably never see him again but I still wish the best for him.

I closed the store at 10:30pm usually hanggang 9:30pm lang kami pero dahil sa nangyari natagalan ako sa pagaayos.

I tried contacted Thayre para magpasundo, gabi na kasi at nakakatakot na maglakad kahit na malapit lang ang tinitirhan ko.

Pero hindi parin siya sumasagot.

After 5 minutes, he finally called back.

"Thayre? Pwede pa sundo sa clinic?"

"Sure. Nagdinner ka na ba? Bakit ang late mo ata umuwi?"

"Wala pa eh. May open pa ba? Kwento ko mamaya."

"Bili na lang ako tapos kain tayo sa condo."

"Okaaay bubba, you pay."

"Whatever babsy. Sige, I'll go na. See you in 10 minutes medyo traffic."

Thayre is my bestfriend and kababata. We attend the same school, LGHS and we've known each other for 9 years. I call him bubba because I treat him as my elder brother and he calls me babsy because I'm matakaw raw,but I'm not so don't mind him.

To be honest, I've always liked Thayre ever since we entered High school.

I started seeing him as my ideal guy because first, sobrang talino niya. Second, sobrang gwapo niya at late ko lang narealize yun at hate na hate ako ng iba dahil close kami ng sobra. Third, ang bait niya. Fourth, we share the same interests.

At first I ignored his traits but my other friends keep on asking me kung ano ba talaga ang gusto ko sa isang lalaki.

I said.

"1.  He should be smart.

2. He should be funny and kind
3. We should share the same interest.
4. He should be caring, considerate and supportive.
5. He should be attractive, for me."

After saying those things to them. I was taken aback by their response.

 "Girl! Ano ba. Bestfriend mo yung hanap mo. Look!

1. Thayre is so smart talo ka pa niya!
2. Thayre is kind and you 're both laughing when your together.
3. You both want to be a doctor. He wants to be a surgeon and you want to be a cardiologist. And you both want to study in NUS.
4. You study for the exams together.
5. You both like the same crap.
6. Caring siya sayo, considerate and very supoortive sa lahat ng competitions niyo.
7. And last but not the least. He is goddamn gorgeous.

Your  bestfriend basically won at life! He has the looks, the brains, the money, the determination and you! Nako kung hindi  ko lang super crush yung crush ko baka naging crush ko narin siya ha."

After that conversation, I started rethinking about Thayre. I swear I didn’t mean na magkakatugma yung ideal guy ko at siya. Pero at that moment, I realized na I admire him kahit noon pa man. Hindi ko lang kayang sabihin hanggang ngayon dahil baka magfreak out siya, masira pa friendship namin eh -___-

"Babsyy!"

"Babsyy!"

"BABSYY!"

"Madilim na nga nag d'daydream ka pa?"

Nandyan na pala siya.

"Ang lalim ata ng iniisip mo?"

"Ah wala." Ikaw kasi yung nasa isip ko. Boom panes.

"Uwi na tayo, gutom na ako. Anong binili mo?"

"Babsy ka talaga! I bought chicken wings for you tapos for me quarter pounder."

"WHAT? Ikaw lang ang may burger?  :("

"Joke lang. Syempre ikaw din meron. Pero depende kung papayag mag-overnight ako."

"Huh?"

"Bumili kasi ako ng dvd's kanina bago ka tumawag naisip ko na baka gusto mo rin panuorin."

"Horror?"

"Yes."

"Then burger for me then. Horror buddies tayo forever eh."

We rode on his car papuntang condo. Malapit lang ang condo namin. Sa kanya ay nasa harap lang ng LGHS at yung akin na man ay sa harap ng Xavier.

We treat each other's condos like we own them. HAHAHAJOKE. Kumportable lang talaga kami at wala ng hiya hiya. Minsan  nakakatulog ako doon dahil sa pagrereview for exams at nakikitulog siya dito tuwing gusto niyang manood ng movie at makikain, o kapag nandyan ang Ate niya.

"Diba may ishshare ka kanina sa akin?"

"Ah oo. Nalate ako ng uwi kanina dahil may sugatan na lalaking pumasok sa clinic tapos kinailangan ko pa siyang linisan ng sugat at lagyan ng bandage. Tapos nagkwento pa siya about what happened to him."

"Ah. Ano bang nagyari sa kanya?"

"Sa tingin ko napa-away siya. Namatay kasi yung girlfriend niya na si "Emma" at hindi pa siya nakakamove-on. Ang tragic nga nung pagkakakwento niya eh araw-araw daw niyang naalala yung babae tapos umiyak pa siya sa harap ko. Pero on the other side, ang sama niya sobra. Hindi ko lang nagawang magalit sa kanya kasi nga dahil sa nangyari sa kanya."

"Wow. Grabe. Sana maging okay na siya."

"I was thinking the same thing. At that moment kasi I was afraid hat he woud stay like that forever."

"Don't worry, kaya niya yun."

"Pano mo nasabi?"

"'I do believe in people. Babs, mayitatanong sana ako sayo. Lilipat ka pa rin ba sa Xavier?"

Nashock ako sa sinabi niya. Hindi ko inasahang ibbring up niya yun.

Late niya na nalaman na gusto ko lumipat ng Xavier dahil I wanted to take up Foregin Languages as elective. Galit na galit siya noon sa akin bakit hindi ko man lang daw sinabi sa kanya yung plano ko. Nung panahon na yun,halos hindi kami nag-uusap at nagpapansinan.

1 week kaming ganoon, at the end nagsorry ako sa kanya. Buti nalang mabait siya, pinatawad niya  rin ako. Pero never niya   pinag-usapan ulit yung pag transfer ko not until now.

"Sorry talaga. I know na dapat sinabi ko kaagad sayo. Hindi ko lang talaga alam kung paano sabihin eh. Ou, matutuloy. Inayos ko na sa Admissions yung transfer ko."

"Hindi ko inakalang hindi ka dito gagraduate kasama namin. Akala ko pa naman dito lahat ng firsts and lasts natin magbabarkada."

"Bibisitahin ko naman kayo doon eh. Malapit lang ang Xavier sa LGHS. During exams, we can still help each other study. Tapos kung may activity kayo doon, susuportahan ko parin kayo. It's like I never transferred. Wag kang mag-aalala." I reassured him.

"Right. I have to go na. I suddenly did not feel well." he said.

"What about the movie?"

"Next time nalang natin tapusin. May next time pa naman siguro diba?"

"Huh? Oo naman."

Then he walked outside of the house.

I didn’t  know that he would felt that bad kaya sinundan ko siya sa sa labas.

"THAYRE!" I shouted across the hall even before he could inside the elevator.

"Sorry okay." Tumakbo ako papunta sa kanya and hugged him.

 "We still have 2 weeks before class. We can still go out of town with Tracey & Zoe if you want?"

"It's okay. I have to do something. Next time nalang."

He let go of me and entered the elevator.

Maybe that's it.

Maybe pag hindi kami ganoon ka palagi na magkasama mawawala rin tong pagkagusto ko sa kanya.

Maybe this is a good thing.

Grabe nahawaan ako ng pag emo nung lalaki kanina ah.

I slapped myself and said "Everything will work out Lauren."

Chapter 1: She Died

I fell in love a year and a half ago to the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.

...and then on a fine Saturday night, half of me died.

That day I decided to live without feelings.

Today, I hurt myself to see if I still feel.

I knew walking to that street means danger.

Yet, I still did because no amount of physical pain can  equal what I'm feeling for the last few weeks.

Now, I'm bloody.

Before I could even open the door of the Drugstore Clinic , the cashier shouted at me,

"WHAT THE FUCK. ANONG NAGYARI SAYO?"

"Kelangan ko ba munang mag explain sayo bago mo ako gamutin."

Hindi umalis sa kanyang mukha ang wtf expression niya plus mukha siyang tense.

"Girl. Easy ka lang. I'm okay. I'm going to be okay. Just go get me a first aid kit para malinisan ko na ang sugat ko."

"YOU ARE OKAY? WHY DON'T YOU ASK ME IF I'M OKAY WITH YOU SHOWING UP IN THIS STORE WITH YOUR BLOOD DRIPPING  FACE?"

"Cool ka lang Ms. Lauren. Even if I gusto ko mamatay, I wouldn't because it's just a cut. So please fetch me a goddamn first aid kit."

If tatanungin niyo ako kung paano ko nalaman ang pangalan niya, nasa name tag niya.

She walked out on me probably to fetch that goddamn first aid kit.

Sa tingin ko first time niya makakita ng duguan kaya siya nagkaganoon. Hindi ko na man siya masisisi kung ganoon ang naging reaksyon niya.

When she returned,  she took me by surprise.

Before I even knew it. She was tending to my wounds.

Honestly, hindi ko naramdaman yung mga sugat ko not until he poured alcohol on it.

Patapos na sana siya sa pag bandage ng bigla niya itong tinigil at nagsalita.

"Anong nangyari sayo? Sino may gawa nito? Were you robbed? Who are you?

"Ms. Lauren, the cashier, close tayo?"

Mukhang nainis siya sa sagot ko. Baka hindi niya tapusin ang pag patch sa mga sugat ko kaya sasagutin ko na lang.

"So since hindi tayo close. Sasabihin ko sayo. Besides, hindi rin naman siguro magkukrus ang landas natin in the near future."

"I'm Mike. I was not robbed, I got into a fight. I want to hurt myself to see if I could still feel so I walked down the you-know-what-I-mean-street."

"Anong pinagsasabi mo? Anong you-know-what-street?"

"It’s a thing. It means that you don't know and you should not know."

"Whatever loser."

I smirked at her and she looked really pissed.

"Loser huh."

"Pwede magtanong? What do you mean by "to see if I could still feel"?

Ang chismosa naman nitong babaeng to. And daming tanong eh -_______________-

"Since hindi naman tayo magkikita like forever and ever amen."

I-eexplain ko ba?

But before I even made a decision, her expression changed.

And I just knew that she may not be able to understand what I'm feeling right now but hell she wouldn't judge me for feeling this way.

And so I began breaking the China Wall I've built for the last few days for the first time.

"I fell in love a year and a half ago to the most beautiful person I've ever met and then on fine Saturday night of March, she died.

Losing her was like living in a world without air. I loved her so much that missing her is killing me.

It's hard being left behind.  It’s hard to be the one who stays.

Every single morning, I smell her. Even when I've changed my sheets, I smell her. I feel so helpless and alone that all I wanna do is hear her voice.

Even though it had only been 3 weeks since I'd seen her, it felt like months, and sometimes I found myself wondering if our brief time together had been real at all.

I miss her like madness. I miss her so much thatt I lay in bed for days and even if you laugh at me right now, I say that every night I cry.

I miss her that food had no taste and all art had no beauty and my life have no meaning.

I know that I should let go, but I can't. And probably never will.

As much as I try, I can't forget. As much as my mind tells me to let go, I can't. I know I should move on, but my memory of her always pulls me back in.

It's like I'm drowning everyday but I just won't fucking die.

Have you ever wanted to cry in front of others but no tears came out, so you just stare blankly into a deep space while your heart break into pieces?

Because I did.

Sometimes, I pretend not to care, but it makes me miss her more.

It's like I cannot function without her. Before, I'd go spend hours looking at her and her perfect smile.

And no matter how many times I've tried to wash her face off my mind with shots of vodka, and a pack of cigarettes, she's still here in my heart. She's still inside me.

Em, if you can hear me right now. If you are here right now.

Em, I miss you. I miss you so much, I miss your face like hell.

Em, Please come back.

Em, I love you so damn much and it's killing me."

Lauren's POV

 Hindi pa ako nakakita ng lalaking umiyak ng ganito. Like he is completely broken but this is his first time breaking the cracks.

His soul is weeping and no matter what I say, there is no way I could comfort him.

So I let him cry his heart out.

First time niya sigurong pag usapan ito since nawala si "Emma".

And I felt relieved for him because he was able to do so.

Hindi niya siguro kayang sabihin ito sa mga kaibigan niya.

As I look at him, it gave me a sharp kind of sadness to think that he might stay broken forever.

"You must think that I'm a complete weirdo right?" He looked up and said to me with his broken face.

"Yes. So just close your eyes.  You'll be alright." That was the lamest suggestion ever Lauren -____-

"Damn right, Bullshit. I'd close my eyes and all I see is her, walking away."

"We're all gonna lose the people we love, that's just the way it is."

He looked at me like he was begging me to return her love of her life to him.

"Bullshit." He said in an instant.

I should be mad right now because of the way he talked to me. Pero hindi ko makuhang magalit sa taong mukhang nawala na sa kanya ang lahat.

"Stay home and miss her more. Because no matter how hard you try, the memories never fade. You will never really let go. You will not stop hurting yourself and you will certainly not stop loving her. Because it doesn't go away, you will keep living and eventually things get pushed into your life so it's going to consume you everyday. "

"And then one day you know you're okay. It will still hurt, you still miss her. And yeah, you will forget the details. The way she smiled, the way her skin felt, the sound of her voice, the curve of her smile. It's like a different life, a difference person that loved her, was with her. But on a day-to-day level, you know you're okay. Sort of. So fix your face, go home and miss her like the way you do ever since she left.'

Tiningnan niya lang ako and smiled while shedding a tear.

He was beautiful, in a way.

To Emma, I did mean anything when I said he was beautiful. But the person you love and love you, was perfect  asshole.

Lumabas siya ng walang sinasabi. Kahit thank you wala. Pero okay lang.

Because what I just heard from him was priceless.

Dear Me, Today I just saw the most perfect stranger and I know I'll never see him again.

Character Preview

Together, Can they make your not so typical love story?

Your Not So Typical Love Story

 Lauren Park

 Thayre Brian Vega

Maxton Garcia II

Emma Ash Ramirez

   

Prologue

Typical Love Story?

"Ano nga ba yun?"

Ang typical love story para saken ay binubuo ng isang Prince Charming, Princess at Mr. Abangers. . 

Si Prince Charming at Princess ay na-love at first sight. Masaya silang magsasama ngunit magkakaroon sila ng malaking problema. At dahil close si Mr. Abanger kay Princess ay magiging comforter siya ni Princess. Abangers are those sad pathetic people who would wait patiently for an opportunity to get the love of their life. Ngunit magically ay magkakaayos si Prince Charming at Princess dahil mahal nila ang isa't-isa. At magkakaroon sila ng happy ending.

Pero anong nagyari kay Mr. Abangers? Probably, naging masaya siya para kay Princess.

Sobrang typical ano?

Pero nangyayari nga ba ang happy ending sa totoong buhay?

Statistically speaking, no.

There is no perfect love story.

At isa ang love story na ito sa napakaraming imperfect love story..