When The Rain Stops

Chapter 2 - Meeting the Guys

Chapter 2

"Sophia, what do you have here?" a guy asked Sophia as he put his hand on her head. I looked up at the guy and he is smiling at her... sister? Maybe? I stood up and looked at him and noticed that he has the same features like Archer, a friendly and younger version of Archer. Their brother then I guess? So tatlo silang magkakapatid. I looked at Mom and Ninang and another guy is standing beside Vincent Calyx, he smiled at me and waved his hand and said

"Hi po. I'm Varen Carlisle Hermoso, Kuya Vincent's brother." Inilahad niya ang kanyang kamay at kinamayan ko naman ito

"Amira, but you can call me Amy like everyone else"

"Amy? I think I've heard that name already before." Sambit ni Vincent halatang nagiisip. I don't remember meeting him in the past, I just met him today yet why does he look like he already met me before?

"Amy.. Amy." Bulong niya sa sarili

"Amy... Little Amy! Ikaw na yan?" gulat ngunit nakangiting sambit nito.

I looked at him, puzzled by what he said, anong ako na ito?

"I-I'm sorry?"

"You don't remember me Little Amy?" aniya at natawa.

"Uh. No?"

"We were playmates when we were kids. If I'm not mistaken, you were 5 or 6 the last time I saw you. And now... you look... old" he said and chuckled, he would've looked handsome already with his laugh if only he did not call me "old"

Like, old? Ako? Matanda? aside from the fact that I am not wearing any make-up to look fresh or what, I know that I am wearing my black-rimmed eyeglasses and I haven't combed my hair yet when I got out from our car, but hey! That doesn't mean that I'm old! Hindi naman ako mukhang matanda, masama lang talaga yung bunganga ng lalaking 'to. He laughed and I just stared at him blankly, coz I can't find anything funny about it. He stopped laughing and apologized and still smiling widely at me when he noticed that I did not join him at laughing.

I tilted my head as I try to examine his face. I can't believe it that I had a childhood playmate this good-looking, and I wasn't even able to recognize him. Now that he told me that he was my playmate before, a memory of a boy who stumbled in a puddle and got his white shirt muddy suddenly flashed in my mind, and there I remembered him—Vince.

"Oh, so you were that dirty kid who used to play with me before? You haven't change, madungis ka pa rin." I retorted as the memory of Vince with a muddy face flashed in my mind. He just laughed at my remark.

"So you already grew up, huh?"

"Obviously, old like you said"

"Nah. Fine lady I must say." He said with a smirked which I found it attractive and I felt the rushing of blood into my cheeks and ears. I immediately looked away and stared at Fury. One of the many things I hate about myself is that I blush too easily, when I'm flustered, embarrassed, and shy.

"Ate Amy this is my brother too Kuya Karvin"

"Nice to meet you Ate Amy" ngiting sambit ni Karvin, buti pa siya marunong ngumiti at hindi nagmana sa kuya niya na parang ewan.

"So, we'll just meet then at Laurys Resto, Martha." Nagpaalam na kami kay Tita bago naglakad pabalik sa parking lot. I called her Tita kasi di rin naman ako sanay na may tinatawag na Ninang, parang feeling ko nanghihingi ako ng pamasko pag tinawag ko siyang Ninang, HAHAH.

Bago kami pumunta sa resto ay dumaan muna kami sa condo upang iwan doon si Fury, bawal naman ata kasi ng hayop sa loob ng resto diba. Tutal kakilala naman ni Mommy ang may-ari ng condo ay iniwan muna namin si Fury sa kanya bago kami dumiretso sa Resto.

Tatlong minuto lamang ang nakalipas ay may dalawang sasakyan naman ang nagpark malapit sa sasakyan namin. Lumabas sila Tita sa pulang sasakyan, at ang magkakapatid na Saavedra naman ang sunod na lumabas sa isang itim na sasakyan. Alam ko na parehong mamahalin ang sasakyan nila pero and hindi ko alam ay kung anong brand o anong kompanya ang manufacturer ng mga ito. Well, di rin naman ako interesado sa mga ganyan.

'siya ba ang nagmaneho? Malamang, minor pa yung dalawang kapatid, Amira, please wag bobo okay' di ako sigurado kung nasa tamang katinuan pa ako dahil pag-uusap na ginagawa ko sa isip ko.

We all walked inside the restaurant and greeted by a waiter, we ordered our food and started eating as soon as it arrived at our table. The table is rectangular with ten chairs around it, sa isang dulo ay nakaupo si Archer, sa kanyang kanan ay si Sophia na siya namang katabi ko, at sa kabila ko ay si Mommy at sa tabi naman niya ay si Dad na nakaupo sa kabilang dulo ng table, kaharap ni Mommy si Tita at sa tabi naman ni tita ay si Varen, Karvin, then Vince na nasa kaliwa ni Archer.

Tahimik lang akong kumakain habang sila Mommy, Dad, at Tita ay nagkukwentuhan, paminsan-minsan ay tinatanong nila si Archer about his parents. Sila Karvin at Varen naman ay maingay na naguusap tungkol sa mobile legends at basketball

"Balita ko may tatlong transferee sa grade 11 this year and they said that they are good. This is going to be our last year, we gotta defend the title."

'so they're in grade 12 this year, a year younger than me'

Then our parents started talking about business and all that, Vince and Archer are talking about... 'the council?', I can't understand and connect what they are saying but it seems that there's a problem in the council, I think?

'and why are they talking about the council? Are they... part of it? o sadyang chismoso lang talaga ang mga 'to'

I did not mean to eavesdrop at everyone's conversations, but hey we are all in a one table how'd you expect me not to hear anything?

I looked at Sophia who is silently eating her food, I found out that she's 6 years old, she looks like she doesn't like to eat the vegetables on her plate. A lot of kids are like that. I tapped her hand and she looked at me while chewing her food.

"You don't like the broccoli?" I quietly asked.

She shook her head.

"Eat the vegetables Sophia." Archer suddenly said.

"I don't like broccoli kuya."

"It's good for you. Finish that." maawtoridad na sagot ni Archer at saka bumaling sa kausap na si Vince.

Sophia looks like she wanted to cry when she took a bite of a broccoli. When I noticed that they are so engrossed at what they are talking, I turned to Sophia and whispered to her

"Do you want me to help you with that?"

Nagliwanag ang kanyang mga mata at palihim na tumingin sa kay Archer who is busy talking to Vince. Tumango siya at binigay sa akin ang kanyang tinidor na may nakatusok na broccoli. I chew it and when I am about to get the two remaining broccoli on her plate,

"Don't help her." Archer suddenly spoke and stared at me coldly.

Napatigil ako sa pagtusok ko ng tinidor sa broccoli. I was shocked, at pilit kong nilunok ang hindi pa maayos na nanguya na broccoli at nabulunan ako. Napaubo ako saka inabot inabot ang tubig at uminom, natigil silang lahat sa paguusap at nasa akin na ngayon ang kanilang atensyon.

"Sinusubuan ko lang naman siya para mas madali" I reasoned out. That was a lie tho.

"That wasn't what I saw, you ate it."