2nd of Spring - A Sudden Interest (P2)

Marga walked into the Fontanilla estate without saying anything to the maid who welcomed her. It's common knowledge that she visits the mansion to see either Alexis or Alexander, but most often the former.

She went straight to the library, where Alexander spent most of his time. He was seated on the study table, reading a book, when she found him. 

She slammed her palms against the table. “Who is that girl you were with? ”

Alexander flipped a page on his book, not bothering to look at Marga. “Pwede ba, Jayde. Hindi lahat ng babaeng makakausap ko or ni Ren kailangan kilala mo.”

“I have to. Baka mamaya pera lang ang habol n’un sa inyo,” she said, her voice raised an octave.

“She’s not like that.”

She crossed her arms “How would you know? You saved her from falling down the stairs. Isn’t that enough? Kailangan pa ba talaga na ihatid mo s’ya?”

Alexander closed his book and looked at Marga. His eyes were stern. “Stop this. Or I’ll hate you as Ren does.” He stood up and left the library. 

Marga dug her fingers into her palms 

Hate me all you want. I am doing this for you. I have to protect you both. Aalisin ko lahat ng pwedeng manakit sa inyo.

She noticed a box labeled ‘Limstella Andrienne Monteverde’ on the table. Alexander might have been looking at its content earlier. She took the box and opened it. She pulled out a photograph of twin boys and two girls smiling for the camera. The two girls were flanked by the two boys. One girl was clutching a white teddy bear and a music box in her arms, while the other girl was cuddling the former. 

She caressed the photo with such tenderness. 

You have to come back soon, Andie. I cannot protect them on my own anymore.

***

It was four in the morning when Selena woke up, the early hour making her feel strangely out of place. Normally, she would still be at MoCafé, finishing up the last few hours of her shift. But tonight, Jean had sent her home, insisting she rest. Selena still wasn’t sure how her manager had noticed she was unwell—maybe she’d looked paler than usual.

Now, lying in bed with nothing to do, she felt restless. It was far too early to start getting ready for school, and she’d already finished her homework the night before. In search of some company, she keyed in Sharmaine’s number. The line connected within seconds.

“Hello?” came Sharmaine’s voice, a little muffled.

“Maine, nagising ba kita?” Selena asked, lowering her voice slightly.

“Hindi. Gising na ako kanina pa,” Sharmaine replied, her tone slightly preoccupied. “Inaayos ko ‘tong report natin, eh.” She paused before asking, “Bakit nga pala napatawag ka? Break n’yo?”

Selena shook her head, even though she knew Sharmaine couldn’t see her. “Hindi. Andito ako sa dorm. Pinauwi ako ni Miss Jean. Sabi n’ya magpahinga na lang ako.”

“Mabuti nga ‘yan,” Sharmaine said with a note of relief. “Masyado mo pinahihirapan ang sarili mo. Kailangan mo rin naman magpahinga. Hindi ka naman robot para hindi mapagod,” she added, almost without a pause. “Nakikinig ka ba?”

Selena chuckled softly, touched by her friend’s concern. “Oo, narinig ko.” She could almost see Sharmaine’s exasperated expression, like a protective mother hen, watching over her chicks. “Nga pala, may ikukwento ako.”

“Mabuti pa, mamaya na lang sa school,” Sharmaine suggested. “Malamang gusto rin malamang ‘yan ng dalawa. Isa pa, meron ka pang dapat sabihin sa kanila, tama?”

“Hay, oo nga,” Selena sighed. “Malamang andaming tanong ng dalawang ‘yun mamaya.”

“Panigurado ‘yun,” Sharmaine agreed, laughing. “Kukulitin ka nila ng sobra, lalo na ni Kringle.”

“Okay, mamaya na lang. Bye.” She hung up, still smiling.

With too much time on her hands, she decided to make the most of her morning and study ahead for their lessons. After an hour of reading, she prepared to head to school early, suddenly recalling that today, the sports club players would be excused—and as a result, the SC officers would likely need to help manage the day’s events.

When Selena arrived at the school, the campus was nearly deserted. Silence filled spaces that were usually bustling with students chatting about everything under the sun. Making her way to the SC office, she hoped to find something productive to do. At the far corner of the room, her eyes landed on a large box with a note attached to it. Curious, she leaned over to read the paper.

Please distribute these to the sports clubs. 

Give it to the clubs' coaches and ask them to sign on the 'receiving sheet'.

 — Mr. Aquino, SC Adviser

Selena lifted the box carefully. It was a bit heavy, but she managed, feeling a rush of strength from having slept a full eight hours. Just as she turned around, she nearly bumped into someone—and her breath caught when she saw who it was.

“Selena,” Alexis greeted her with his usual princely smile.

“Axis, ano’ng ginagawa mo dito?” she asked, a bit flustered. It was rare to see him in the SC office; he almost never showed up unless absolutely necessary.

“Bakit, class rep din naman ako, ‘di ba?” He chuckled, noticing her surprise.

She shook her head quickly, cheeks coloring. “H-hindi naman gan'un ibig ko sabihin. Nagulat lang ako na nandito ka.”

He laughed softly. “Pinapakuha lang sa akin ni Coach ‘yung mga jersey namin. He asked me to do it since alam n’ya na SC ako.” His gaze scanned the room, as if looking for something. “Now, where is that box?”

Selena blinked, then remembered the box she was holding. “Ito ba'ng hinahanap mo?” She opened it slightly to show him the contents.

“Yup. That’s the one,” he confirmed, gently taking the box from her and setting it on the table. He began pulling out jerseys for his team, signing the sheet for his coach as instructed. Glancing back at her, he raised an eyebrow. “Ba’t dala-dala mo ‘to?”

“Nabasa ko ‘yung note sa box, pinapabigay ‘to sa mga coach ng sports clubs,” she explained, looking down shyly. “Wala naman akong ginagawa kaya naisip ko na ako na lang magdadala nito d’un.”

He gave her a disapproving look, crossing his arms. “You shouldn’t be the one doing this. Nahilo ka kahapon ‘di ba? Hindi ka dapat nagbubuhat ng mabigat.” Without waiting for her response, he lifted the box himself.

Selena tried to take it back, feeling both embarrassed and flustered. But Alexis held firm, smiling at her stubbornness. “Ako na,” he said, his voice gentle but unyielding.

He offered to accompany her in distributing the jerseys, and she agreed, heart fluttering a bit as they walked side by side.

“Kamusta na nga pala pakiramdam mo?” he asked as they made their way toward the sports complex.

“A-ayos naman na ako,” she stammered, her gaze fixed on the ground. She could feel her cheeks warming under his concerned gaze.

“Sigurado ka? Namumula ka,” he remarked, his voice laced with worry.

Startled, she looked up, meeting his eyes. “Ha?”

Before she could process what was happening, Alexis reached out and placed his hand on her forehead. “Hindi ka naman mainit.”

She instinctively took a step back, her cheeks burning. “Siguro dahil sa araw,” she mumbled, looking down once again, feeling more flustered than ever.

A silence settled between them after that, a comfortable quiet as they continued to deliver the jerseys to various clubs—tennis, volleyball, badminton, and many others. As they neared the soccer field, a thought tugged at Selena, something she’d been meaning to say.

“A-ano…” She hesitated, her heart racing as she tried to find the words. “G-gusto ko lang mag-sorry.”

Alexis raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely puzzled. “For what?”

“‘Y-yung sa kahapon. Sa'yo ako nag-thank you sa pagdala sa'kin sa clinic.” She turned her face away, embarrassed.

“Ah. ‘Yun ba?” He smiled warmly. “Wala ‘yun. Madalas namang gano’n ‘yung nangyayari. Hindi kasi sinasabi ni Rex na s’ya ang gumagawa ng mga bagay-bagay. Kaya I get to claim all the attention, kahit na hindi dapat.”

Selena tilted her head in curiosity. “Gan'un ba talaga s'ya?”

“Uhh… yes… and no,” he replied, a faint, faraway look in his eyes. “He’s been kind ever since we were kids. He used to smile more often then. Probably much more than I do.”

His gaze softened as he reminisced, but before Selena could ask more, one of his teammates called him over from across the field.

“Sorry, Selena, but I gotta go. Mag-start na daw kami mag-practice,” he said apologetically.

She quickly shook her head. “Hindi. Okay lang ako. Kaya ko na ‘to,” she replied, taking the box from him.

“Are you sure?” His voice was warm, his expression genuinely concerned.

Selena nodded. “Konti na lang naman ‘to, kaya matatapos ko na ‘to mag-isa,” she assured him with a smile.

He returned her smile, a glint of warmth in his eyes. “I’m really sorry for leaving you. Do take care, okay?” He waved before jogging back toward the field.

For a moment, Selena stood frozen, watching him go, her heart light with happiness. 

Concerned siya sa’kin! She could barely keep herself from giggling. Though part of her still wondered about what Alexis was about to say regarding his brother, the thought quickly drifted away. 

For now, that was all she wanted to think about.