Chapter 3

I could feel my face heating up in embarassment. Halos hindi ako makatingin sa kanya! Kung saan-saan ko tuloy naibabaling ang tingin ko. Para na akong tanga!

"I'm sorry," I heard him said. Wala namang may sadya 'non diba? Pero bakit kasi!

"I'm sorry too," I said. Saglit lang akong tumingin sa kanya and looked away hurriedly. Nakakahiya talaga!

"Should we go back inside?" He asked. Mabilis akong tumango. Pakiramdam ko nahimasmasan na ako dahil sa nangyari.

We went back to the KTV and it was the most awkward walk of my life! Buti na lang naisip kong hindi naman na kami magkikita after nito. Saka malaki naman ang University! Hindi naman ako nagagawi sa college nila. Iiwasan ko na lang din lahat ng mga nakaputi!

Pagkarating namin ay medyo hindi na ganoon kagulo. Nakatulog na nga si Daisy. At nakasandal pa kay Jed! Para-paraan talaga ang bruha.

Nag-aya na akong umuwi at sumang-ayon naman silang lahat. I had to retrieve the rest of my stuff from Daisy's car after getting the keys from her saka ibinigay iyon kay Jed pagkatapos. Daisy was already drunk so we decided to just take a taxi. Iyong mga lalaki na daw ang bahala sa kotseng naiwan namin.

Nang makasakay sa taxi ay saka lang ako nakahinga nang maayos.

Ugh. I knew this night will do me no good.

•●•

Mahimbing pa ring natutulog si Daisy sa kama ko. Dito ko na lang kasi siya pinatulog sa condo ko dahil sa sobrang kalasingan niya.

Mas maaga akong nagising kesa sa kanya kaya heto ako ngayon at nakatayo sa harap niya, hinihintay ang paggising niya. I want my face to be the first thing she'll see once she wakes up.

"Oh. Good morning, Ai," she greeted smilingly upon seeing my face. I arched a brow at her. "Bad mood yarn?"

"Last na ''yong kagabi," I muttered. She sat up and looked at me while furrowing.

"Hindi ka nag-enjoy?" She asked. She doesn't know what happened to Zandrey and me last night pero akala ko iyon ang ibig niyang sabihin.

"NO!"

Nakita ko ang gulat sa mukha ni Daisy dahil sa mabilis at medyo malakas na pagsagot ko. But she recovered quickly and even looked at me weirdly.

"Weird mo," she mumbled. "Akala ko pa naman nag-enjoy ka sa company ni Zandrey. Chika kayo nang chika eh."

"HINDI-"

"BA'T KA GALIT?"

"Hindi ako galit," I said, this time, in a soft voice.

"My God, Ai, mas lalong sumasakit ang ulo ko sa 'yo," she mumbled as she stood up. Lumabas siya ng kwarto saka dumiretso sa kusina. Sumunod naman ako.

"Basta, hindi na ako sasama sa 'yo next time!"

"Edi 'wag!"

"'Wag mo 'kong pipilitin!"

"Hindi na nga!"

Pareho kaming natahimik. Hindi naman kami nag-aaway. Ganito lang talaga kami mag-usap most of the time- halos puro sigawan.

"Anong mukha 'yan?" Natatawang tanong ni Daisy. Nagtitimpla siya ng kape samantalang ako ay nakasandal sa kitchen counter habang pinapanood siya.

"Wala," I muttered dismissively.

Tapos na 'yon. Nangyari na. I can't do anything to erase it. And that really sucks! Kasi kahit anong gawin kong paglimot ay bumabalik 'yon sa isip ko.

I'm really blaming Daisy for this!

Padabog akong umupo sa upuan and took the bread on the dining table. Ikakain ko na lang kasi baka gutom lang 'to.

"Nasan phone ko?" Daisy asked.

"Malay ko," I replied.

"Ai naman," she said with a pout. "Hanapin ko lang kasi baka may text si Jed," kinikilig na dagdag niya saka tumakbo sa kwarto ko. Sinundan ko siya ng tingin and rolled my eyes when she disappeared in my sight.

I chose to just enjoy my bread and forget it for once. Masisira lang ang araw ko kung patuloy ko 'yong alalahanin.

Sure ba 'yan?

I slapped the side of my head when that thought came to my mind. Nasira ata ang utak ko dahil sa nangyari! Pero bakit ba ako sobrang affected? It's not even a kiss as in kiss! And it wasn't intentional. Ugh!

Suddenly I heard Daisy screamed. Matataranta na sana ako but it was followed with "Oh my God! He texted me! He texted me!" I could even imagine her jumping in joy.

I rolled my eyes again.

•●•

The day went... normal. Well, I tried my best for it to be normal.

Daisy spent more hours in my condo but she had to go home because she's meeting Jed later. Magpapaganda daw siya. Si Jed kasi iyong nag-asikaso ng sasakyan niya kagabi. Ihahatid daw sa kanya.

So I was left peacefully alone in my crib again. I took out all my materials and decided to do some plates. I have a lot of hobbies but I'm an Archi student and I don't get to spend my time on my hobbies anymore. Because of plates. Freaking plates.

My brows were knitted together when I heard my phone beeped. It's just probably Daisy. So I didn't pay attention.

But then a few minutes later, it beeped again. It was annoying. Kaya kinuha ko na lang 'yon to check who was texting me.

Mas lalong kumunot ang noo ko when I saw it was from an unregistered number. I opened it and suddenly, I felt my heartbeat doubled its pace.

Hi, Aira! This is Zandrey. I was just wodering if you're free today?

Or tomorrow? Whatever works for you.

I just want to ask if I can have my ID back? I can't enter the school premises without it.😅

Shet na ID 'yan! I should've given it to him when I got my things from Daisy's car last night para hindi ko na kailangang makipagkita pa sa kanya! Kaso atat na rin akong makauwi kaya nawala na sa isip ko.

Now I have to reply. And meet him to give his ID. Ugh.

Hi, Zandrey. Is it okay if I give it to you on Monday? Before class. What time is your first class? Busy kasi ako.

And it's just a matter of seconds or perhaps a minute when I received a reply from him.

Sure. First class ko is 9 am. Is it okay if we meet at 8:30?

Yeah. I guess that will be fine. Let's meet sa Gate 1.

Okay. Great!

See you, then.☺

Yup. See you.

Okay. That will be just once. Last na 'yon. After it, I don't have to see him anymore. Sure, maliit ang mundo. Pero sisiguraduhin kong magaling akong magtago at umiwas.

•●•

The most dreaded Monday came. Papunta pa lang ako sa school pero hindi na ako mapakali. I tried to think of ways or excuse para hindi ko siya makita. But nothing came to mind. I'm good at this! Bakit ngayon pa 'ko nablangko?

Wala pang 8:30 ako nakarating sa may gate kaya may ilang minuto pa akong pakalmahin ang sarili ko. Or better yet, think of an excuse.

I looked around and saw the guard house. I smirked upon finally being able to think of something.

Wala pa naman si Zandrey kaya lumapit ako sa guard house at doon iniwan ang ID niya. I texted him and told him I have an emergency meeting with my groupmates so I left his ID there. I smiled widely when I entered the school.

See? I'm good at this!

I then went to my classroom for my 9 am class. It was a minor subject. It was the kind of minor subject na feeling major kaya hindi pwedeng hindi ka pumasok. Because once you fail to attend even just one meeting, ang dami mo nang na-miss. Ayoko namang mag-self study sa minor kasi marami na nga akong major na kailangang i-self study, dadagdagan ko pa? I also have a lot of plates to do.

After that class came another class tapos vacant ko na. I have two hours of vacant until my next subject which means more time to spend sa Library.

The journey to the Library was never easy. Kasi ang daming naka-all white! Para akong aatakihin sa puso kapag nakakakita ng lalaking naka-uniform na puti. God, this is not good for my anxiety!

I managed to get inside the Lib without bumping into him kaya medyo nagkaroon na ng peace. Sa pinakadulo pa 'ko pumwesto, my back facing everyone else. Ayokong napapatingin sa paligid kasi marami pa ring nakaputi. Hindi ako makakapag-concentrate kung nakaharap ako sa kanila.

When lunch time came, nakatanggap ako ng text mula kay Daisy. Kakain daw kaming lunch. Papayag na sana ako but then she mentioned she's with Jed kaya humindi na lang ako. Hahayaan ko muna silang magka-alone time.

The plan was to eat lunch quickly and go back to the Lib. Iniwan ko kasi iyong mga gamit ko doon kasi babalik naman ako at saka para walang pumalit sa pwesto ko.

I was still being so careful. Too careful to the point na pakiramdam ko ang weird ko na kasi panay ang tingin ko sa paligid habang naglalakad at kapag may nakakasalubong na nakaputi ay agad lumalayo. Seriously, this is making me look like crazy. Pero ayoko talagang makita siya kasi nakakahiya pa rin iyong nangyari last time!

Malapit na 'ko sa student center nang makita ko siya. He was approximately 6 meters away from me and I'm not sure if he saw me or not kasi agad akong nagtago sa likod ng isang puno. Medyo may kalakihan ang katawan ng puno kaya feeling ko naman kaya niya akong itago mula kay Zandrey.

Pinagtitinginan ako ng mga estudyanteng dumadaan malapit sa akin. Gusto kong tusukin mga mata nila kasi baka mahalata ni Zandrey na may tangang nagtatago sa likod ng puno. Alam kong ang weird ng ginagawa ko ngayon pero sana naman makaramdam sila. Hindi ako safe dahil sa mga tingin at lingon nila!

Naghintay pa 'ko ng ilang minuto bago sumilip sa gawi ni Zandrey. Wala na siya roon kaya napahinga ako nang maluwag.

"Who are you hiding from?"

Ganoon na lang ang panlalaki ng mga mata ko at ang pagbilis ng tibok ng puso ko nang marinig ko ang boses niya mula sa likod ko.

Putangina.