Eliana
“I smell like what? Can you please!” marahas ang tulak ko sa kanya palayo sa akin.
That was far more suffocating than being interrogated after being caught doing an illegal deed. I frowned at him. Bumagsak ang tingin ko sa hawak niyang paper bag, mahigpit ang hawak niya doon.
Nang ibalik ko ang tingin sa mukha niya isang ngisi ang bumungad sa akin. Why does he even notice how I smell anyway? Ni hindi ko alam na amoy libro ako last week! Inis ang bumalot sa akin.
Alam niya ang ginagawa niya. Alam niya kung paano kilitiin ang inis sa loob ko. He knows how to trigger my frown, he knows it too well I can not even hide anything from him! Well, I do know how to hide the rest of my feelings and emotions from him.
The only thing he has ever seen from me is pure irritation and all the negative feelings one has to show. Doon niya ako kilalang-kilala.
“Relax, brat.” he chuckled. “You smell like lavender today.”
Humakbang siya ng isa palikod. Now there is enough distance between us. I had the strongest urge to let out a sigh as if I lost breath the whole moment he was leaning in. Pinigilan ko ang gawin iyon.
“Your classroom’s that way…” I nod at his back, motioning the Marian building across us.
“I’ll go now. Take this.”
Inabot niya sa akin ang hawak na paper bag ng Jollibee. I stared at it for minutes, trying to think straight. What should I do with this? It’s not like I would reject the offer given that we are talking about food right now—which shouldn’t be rejected in any way as my grandma says.
I almost laugh at the thought. In some circumstances, things shouldn’t go that way. Just like this situation right now. I don’t have to accept the meal he was offering me.
It’s too much. Umiling ako, “I don’t even eat during afternoon break.”
He rolled his tongue against the insides of his cheek. Unti-unti kong narinig ang pagtawa nito. Slowly it grows into a sigh.
“Another project you have to work on?”
I shake my head.
“You… You should eat a proper meal. Always, Eliana.”
His eyes stared at mine. It was shaking in irritation reflecting the same emotion in me. Hindi ako kumibo, hinayaan ko siyang buuin ang mga susunod na salita.
“Take it, please.”
“Hindi mo matatanggap kapag hindi ko kinuha?” I raised a brow.
“Hindi. Take everything that’s from me. That’s the rule.” siya na mismo ang naglagay non sa kamay ko.
“Then let’s have it this way. Tatanggapin ko ito kung sasamahan mo akong kumain mamaya ng merienda…” I said in a suggesting tone. I lifted my chin at him, inquiring. “What can you say?”
“Deal.” sang-ayon niya agad, hindi na pinag-isipan ang sinabi ko.
Nauna na akong tinalikuran siya bago pa may magsalitang muli sa aming dalawa. Narinig ko ang yapak nito hindi pa ako nakakalayo.
I eyed him sideways through my peripheral vision. He’s now walking away. Hinigpitan ko ang hawak sa bigay niya sa akin. It was a lot so I really thought of never accepting this offer.
But since I don’t want to let him down with the effort he has exerted, I just agreed. Accepting it with the condition that I will only accept this meal if he eats it with me. Sa pera rin naman niya galing, he should munch on the food he bought.
Ilang minuto na lang bago ang first subject namin ng hapon nang makarating ako sa classroom. First class will be History. How I hated the fact that History in afternoon classes are so common. Sobrang hirap kapag ang unang subject mosa hapon ay iyong subject na madalas nakakaantok pa.
Well, I love that subject depending on who teaches it. Pero mas madalas na mataray at madamot sa grade ang mga naging teacher ko sa History.
"Where did you eat lunch?" bungad ni Sean na nakaupo na sa upuang nasa tabi ng akin. “Sabi mo sasabay ka sa amin ngayon.”
"Sa Jollibee,” tinuro ko ang paper bag na nasa paanan ko.
"You went alone? You could have asked me to eat with you…” he places his elbows on my desk. “But that’s impossible, you hate being alone sometimes.”
I laugh at his remark. Dumating na rin ang teacher namin kaya hindi ko na rin nasundan pa ang usapan namin. He was silent na rin during the class so the conversation ended that way.
I was slowly getting sleepy as the time goes. Mabagal magsalita ang guro na nasa harapan at pahinto-hinto rin siya sa lecture na ginagawa niya. Kumunot ang noo ko nang maramdaman ang matinding antok na kanina ko pa nilalabanan.
“Ah…” iniling ko ang ulo ko.
Mukhang napansin ni Sean ang ginawa kong pagpikit at pag-iling. He pulled my arm to him, making him take a peek of my sleepy face. I was ruined.
“Sleepy? Hmm?” I nodded. “Sleep this way, I’ll cover you.”
Marahan niya akong sinandal sa bandang likod ng armchair ko. I felt him leaning in, sinilip ko siya at nakita kong pinatong niya ang siko niya sa desk ko. His temple resting on his palm, completely covering me like what he said.
I was slowly sinking in when the classroom door suddenly burst to reveal the guy who ruined the meaning of love for me.
“Yes and what’s the reason for interrupting my class?” The teacher said sassily.
It was Trail, my ex I would never count as one. I almost rolled my eyes at the thought that I have fallen for a guy like him. Kasama niya ang mga kaibigan niya na halos wala na ring pinagkaiba sa kanya.
Piercings aren’t allowed at our school yet they have at least one. I pressed my lips together as I scanned his being. His collar was a mess, hair was uneven and wasn't fixed. His eyes are almost raging with fire, always looking like he’s angry.
His hands gripped on something tight. Parang cardboard ang hawak niya sa kamay, tago iyon ng kaunti kaya hindi ko kita kung ano ba ang hawak niya.
Lumipat naman ang mga mata ko sa guro na nasa harapan. The class was literally interrupted and all the attention was poured to that group. I frowned when he gave her a scoff. The teacher was too stunned with how he reacted.
Nilampasan niya lang ito kaya ganon ang naging reaksyon ng guro. He shrugged it off like the attitude was nothing and all’s well.
“Okay… Let’s continue the discussion. Saan ba tayo natigil?”
Hindi na ako inaantok. Tuluyang nabuhayan ang loob ko dahil sa padabog na pagbukas ni Trail sa pinto. And if you are wondering, yes I am in the same room with that jerk.
Naramdaman ko ang kalabit sa akin ni Mikahille sa kaliwa ko. Sean was silent on my right, I can feel his silent stares. I bet he wants to ask me something.
“Is that his project? Gumagawa na siya?” a mock laugh curled out of her lips.
Napailing nalang ako, “He realized he’s a student.”
“He realized he’s a certified jerk,” Sean said with a shrug. “Still sleepy, Eliana?”
Hindi ko siya sinagot. Nanatili ang mga mata ko kay Trail. His hands are placed on his pants, tapping his thigh with his fingers in a pattern. I followed the taps like a tick of a clock rewinding back to what we used to be.
That hand on my head, messing my hair, pinching my cheeks, tapping my forehead, squeezing mine. I licked my lips remembering how his cheeks felt soft on them. It was him, almost my first in everything. The one who showed me the initial meaning of love.
The initial thought where love ends.
Iniwas ko ang tingin at sinubukang ibalik ang atensyon sa klase. The memories are poisoning the cuts in me. It kept on lingering hanggang sa makalimutan ko.
“Hindi ka ba sasabay? Merienda…” Enrico nudged me.
I was still on my seat. Nang lingunin siya ay nadako naman ang mga mata niya sa paper bag na nasa paanan ko.
“I’ll… uh—”
“Oh, sure. Sabihin ko nalang ba sa kanila?” he jerked his thumb to our friends chatting by the doorframe. “They will surely ask.”
“Sige pasabi nalang, thank you!”
Nanatili ang pilit na ngiti sa labi ko hanggang sa makaalis sila sa paningin. Nang masigurado na wala na sila ay bumalik ako sa upuan at inangat ang paper bag na hawak.
I halted when I suddenly thought na hindi ko alam saan kami magkikita ni Alaric para kainin itong merienda. Kinapa ko ang bulsa ng palda na suot para tingnan kung na sa ‘kin pa rin ba ang phone ko.
“Omg!” My eyes widened in shock when I felt a bump on it. I fished for it immediately and secretly went to the corner of the room to turn on my phone. “Hindi ko pala na-surrender…”
Hininaan ko ang brightness ng screen at hinanap ang number ni Alaric sa contacts. I was smiling when I was scanning my contacts nang maalala kong wala nga pala akong number nito at hindi ako nagl-load.
“Ano ba ‘yan…”
Hindi rin naman kasi ako nagl-load kasi hindi ko rin nagagamit minsan. Sayang lang. I licked my lower lip and almost cursed at myself.
I was about to go back to my seat when I heard our glass door creaking. Napatayo agad ako ng tuwid nang marinig iyon.
“S-Someone’s here!” I made my presence noticed.
“Silly,” I heard a familiar low chuckle. “I know.”
“Oh… Alaric. Well, I was trying to find a way to call you and—”
He placed something over my desk. “Call me?” He raised a brow.
Binulsa ko ang cellphone at nilapitan siya. I place the paper bag sa upuan katabi ng akin at hinarap siya. His clean-cut hair is fixed, there is no wind swaying the strands on his forehead. I tried not to sniff but I can’t help to sniff his scent a little.
“You tried calling me?”
“Yep. But I don’t have your number…” I started opening the paper bag. “This is a lot…”
“I can give you my number later. I don’t have my phone right now.”
I let out a snort. “Ew no? Hindi kailangan.”
“Hmm? Okay, if you say so.” he helped me take the food out of the paper bag. “But why were you trying to call me?”
“Tatanungin ko sana kung saan tayo kakain,”
Isa-isa namin iyon nilapag sa katabing upuan at hinila ang iba paharap sa mga upuang may pagkain.
Inabot ko ang iced tea para inuman nang mauna siyang makakuha non. I frowned when he just shook his head at me and handed me the tumbler he placed on my desk a while ago.
“Water, Eliana. You just had iced tea kanina,” he opened it for me and handed it after.
“Parang masama naman ang iced tea?” I said almost rolling my eyes at him.
“Ang tubig hindi masama. Don’t worry, hindi ko pa ‘yan naiinuman. It’s my spare tumbler.”
Ngumiwi ako bago ininuman iyon dahilan para matawa siya. We started eating after. Actually, I started eating. Puro siya abot ng pagkain sa akin.