Aryana Solenn Valencia
“We’ll attend my friend’s daughter graduation celebration. You need to stand out the crowd.” Mom told me while we’re having our dinner.
I did not talk but I continued eating my dinner. My Mom is a businesswoman, she have a lot of friends and business partners.
Unlike, Dad na tanging iisang kaibigan lang ang mayroon s’ya simula umpisa. He’s Tito Ramon, his one and only friend since birth.
The next morning, I woke up feeling stressed. I made a lot of friends to fill up the empty space inside me. I just finished my second year in college but I was still adjusting to the environment. It was really hard.
Naging mahirap din sa akin ang magtiwala sa ibang tao. I have a trust issues and I am not that friendly like Mom.
Mom was so quick to buy me a new dress for tonight's event. Good thing she didn’t hkre a make up artist again. That would be too much.
My mom entered my room. “Sol, are you done?” she smiled quickly. “Oh, you really looked gorgeous.”
I was wearing a black satin dress and black heels. I let my brown wavy hair down, ending just above my butt.
“Bumaba ka na, after.” she said before closing the door.
I checked my face at the mirror again before I went down the stairs. Agad na bumungad sa akin si Sean na tila kakagising lang.
“Oh? Ba’t nakabihis ka?” nagtataka n’yang tanong.
I chuckled. “Ay, ‘di ka invited?” He raised a brow. “Ayan, tulog pa. Bye!” nangangasar kong saad bago s’ya talikuran.
Naroon siya sa pintuan ng k’warto n’ya at mukhang naistorbo ko pa s’ya dahil sa ingay ng heels ko.
“Aryana! Wow, you’re prettier than before!” Lorraine greeted me when I entered their dining room. “Greet her, Ral.”
“Ralene,” the lady offered her hand. I could tell that she was younger than me. She had her mom’s features.
“Aryana Solenn Valencia.” I introduced myself. I smiled at her. “You looked cute. By the way, congratulations.”
Nagulat pa ito bago ngumiti nang malawak pabalik sa akin. “Oh my gosh! Ngayon na nga lang may magsasabi sa akin ng cute, babae pa!” She blushes.
My dad let out a laugh. “Your daughter did so well! A graduating Magna Cum Laude!”
“Well.. My one and only.” nagmamayabang namang anang ni Simon, Ralene’s dad.
Hindi na ako nakinig pa sa usapan nila. At sinimulan ko nang paikutin ang mga mata ko sa buong mansion kung saan ginaganap ang graduation celebration ni Ralene.
I saw a group of man who were sitting on one of the tables. They’re all looking good. But this one guy, was just sitting there, looking uninterested.
He’s taller than me, I guess. He was wearing a simple black dress shirt and a pair of gray slacks. He was also wearing a black eyeglasses.
“Oh.. So, you’re interested in Dylan, huh?” I heard Ralene’s smirk.
I automatically turned my gaze at her. “W-What? Me? I am not!” I denied.
She let out a laugh and smirked at me. Muli kong tinignan ang Dylan na sinasabi niya. Agad akong napaiwas ng tingin nang makita siyang nakangisi habang nakatingin sa akin.
“Oh, he looked at you?” she innocently asked. “Halika,”
Agad akong napatayo nang hawakan n’ya ang palapulsuhan ko at saka ako hinila papunta sa direksyon ng mga lalaking iyon.
“What the hell are you doing?” bulalas ko.
She just smiled at me and winked. “Trust me.” Ilang beses akong napailing habang nanlalaki ang mga mata.
Oh my gosh! This is really embarassing!
“Hi, guys!” Mariin akong napapikit nang bumati si Ralene sa kanila. “This is Aryana, my friend.” She smiles at me.
Isa-isa silang tumayo para bumati sa aming dalawa. “Six. Nice meeting you.” the tall man greeted and chuckled.
I smiled, running out of words. “Corics,” the man offered his hand. I could tell that he was older than me.
“Dylan,”
My lips parted while I  was staring at him, trying to look closely on his features. Perfect jaw, nose, and lips. Thick brows and brown eyes.
He looked like a campus heartthrob in his highschool days. He was undeniably attractive.
“Oh? See? You’re really interested in Dylan.” pangangasar ni Ralene.
I smirked playfully. “Of course. He’s my boyfriend, after all.”
Nanlaki ang mga mata niya saka unti-unting napanganga. “What?! You’re the girlfriend?!” nagtatakang anang ni Ralene.
Agad na napatingin sa amin ang mga tao. I saw so many faces. Ang mga matatanda ay halos hindi ko kilala. I saw my friends, my blockmates, some were players and some of them were Ralene’s schoolmates. At nagsimula na silang magbulungan.
“Dylan’s girlfriend is here?”
“She’s that Raya girl?”
Bilang mga anak ng mga businessmen, hindi na nakakapagtakang sikat at tanyag ang pangalan ng tatlong mga ugok na ito.
I heard the boys laughed. Napatingin ako sa kanila saka napailing. The two looked formal and tall. Mukha silang maayos at nawala ang bakas ng katarantaduhan sa kanila.
“So, you’re that Raya in his instagram stories and posts?!” Ralene asked.
I let out a small laugh. “Luckily, yes.” I said.
Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin siya makapaniwala at halos mainis na ako sa dami ng tanong n’ya kanina.
“Why did you said that?” Dylan asked.
Nakalabas na kami ng mansion ng Manuels at nakasakay na ako sa kotse ni Dylan. Pakiramdam ko napagod lang ako kakatayo d’on sa loob.
“Said what?” nagtataka kong tanong.
He let out a small sigh. “We’re in a private relationship, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to announced our relationship in a graduation celebration.”
“So, you’re saying na dapat hindi ko nalang iyon sinabi?” inis kong tanong na nakapagpatahimik sa kan’ya.
“No, Raya. Hindi iyan ang ibig kong sabihin.” seryoso niyang tugon.
“Then what?!” inis kong tanong. “Ilang taon pa ba nating itatago ang relas’yon natin, ha?!”
“What you just said wasn’t a good idea!” he fired back.
“At ang iniisip mong itago ang relasyon natin ay magandang ideya?!”
“No!”
My heart starts to beat fast. “What? Do you want us to be lovers in private but strangers in public?”