"I knew it!"
I heard someone shout, waking me up from my sleep. When I opened my eyes, I saw Tabitha going wild near my bed. "Tabitha! I was sleeping!" I said to Tabitha, making her stop and sat on my bed. "I knew you liked him, too!" Tabitha said with the widest smile that she can give. "What? What do you mean 'too'? Do you like him?" I asked as my brows furrowed and my eyes squinted.
Tabitha slightly back away from me, "Do I like-? What? No! Why did you even think that?" Tabitha asked as she placed her hand on her chest as her brows furrowed as well. "Well, you're the one who said 'too'!" I answered as I pointed at her. "Oh, you silly little-! I meant him! Not me!" Tabitha said as she crossed her arms.
"Besides… there's… Jaime…" she continued as her voice lowered. Oh, right! They like each other!"But I knew it! You like him!" Tabitha shouted as she changed the topic. I looked at her with furrowed brows again. "You wore Mark's coat in your sleep! You definitely like him, too!" Tabitha explained as she pointed at the coat that I'm wearing. I just buried my face on my palms because of embarrassment.
Tabitha then slowly pulled my hands from my face, "Oh, no need to be embarrassed about it! The two of you make each other happy! There's nothing wrong about it!" Tabitha said to me while still holding both my hands. 'The two of us make each other happy'?"Did you…?" I asked Tabitha, not finishing the question. She quickly let go of my hands, stood up from the bed and began walking backwards.
"I-uhm… I just remembered. I-I haven't brushed my teeth yet… I gotta go." Tabitha said then ran towards the bathroom, and I quickly got up from the bed and ran after her but she was able to escape and lock the door of the bathroom. "Tabitha!" I called her name as I knocked on the door and tried opening it. "I'm not the only one!" She answered from the other side.
"Oh, it's definitely those 4 brothers," I said to myself as I stopped trying to open the door. "John!" Jaime called his brother. "Stop it!" Andrew said. "Too late! I already opened the door! If they are in an inappropriate appearance we'll just shut the door!" John replied, making me look at the door of the bedroom and saw him already coming inside.
As soon as our eyes met, John quickly let go of the door knob and tried to run away. "She knew. She knew! Let me out! Let me out!" John shouted as he tried to get past Simon and Jaime who were blocking the doorway. "Oh no." Jaime said and tried to run away as well but Simon quickly grabbed him and Andrew pushed him inside. "Help me!" Shouted Tabitha from the other side of the bathroom door.
I then stood up straight and faced the boys. "Let me pass!" John. "Let go of me Simon!" Jaime. "No." Simon. "What do you mean 'no'!? She's gonna blow!" John. "Andrew! Stop pushing me!" Jaime. "And let the 2 of you escape the consequences? Ain't no way that's gonna happen!" Andrew. While the 4 brothers wrestled on the doorway and Tabitha is still not opening the bathroom door… Yes, I am angry. Yes, they offended me. But that does not justify what action I will do about it. "Breath in." And I inhaled… "Breath out." And I deeply exhaled. "Repeat." And I did for a few more times until I finally calmed down.
"Did she just…?" John.
"Calmed herself down? Yeah. Yeah…" Jaime.
"What? She did?" Andrew.
"You're not the Maria I know." Simon.
"Did she calmed dow-?" Tabitha as she slowly opened the bathroom door but then shut it again as soon as she saw me. I sighed deeply and walked towards the bed to sit down. "You eavesdropped last night." I said calmly as I looked at them. Simon let go of Jaime and walked towards me. "You are like a younger sister to me. I don't want anything bad happening to you." Simon said as he sat down beside me.
Jaime then slowly walked inside and knocked on the bathroom door. "She calmed down." Jaime said while still looking at me. Then Tabitha slowly opened the bathroom door and came out. "I already expected it with the 4 of you." I continued as I looked at the 4 brothers. "But I did not expect it from you." I said as I looked at Tabitha. She sighed. "I-I'm sorry, Maria." Tabitha apologized while looking down at the floor.
I stood up from the bed and walked towards her. Jaime instinctively placed himself in front of Tabitha to protect her, making me stop. Jaime then looked at Simon then slowly stepped aside. "If I am still not created anew by Christ, I would've shown what I was feeling already," I said to Tabitha, making her slowly look at me. "But He already redeemed me and called me by name. With His love and grace, He created me anew." I continued as a smile forms on my face.
"I forgive you, Tabitha." I said to her, Tabitha quickly hugged me and I hugged her back. "I'm sorry, Maria." Tabitha apologized again. "I forgive you." And I replied while still hugging her with a smile.