I exhaled deeply and angled the camera. It's my tenth time for today but I didn't still captured a perfect one. Some are blurry or glitched so bad, some are out of exposure. I don't know that this is so frustrating.
Bat ang dali-daling tingnan si Maddox? Pati 'yong iba? Ang unfair naman, marami namang tao na magagaling magpicture ah! Kahit walang practice, ang galing nilang kumuha ng litrato kahit sa cellphone lang. Tapos ako DLSR cam na nga ang sagwa pa rin ng kinalabasan.
"Focus," Madoxx said that was almost a whisper.
I almost dropped the camera when his breath hit my ear.
How can I focus when he's at the back of me!?
Whispering!?
I heard Greg and the girls squealed at the back.
Now, I can imagine our position right now and I know it's so intimidating. The hell with this guy.
Pilit kong iniignora ang presensya niya sa likod at itinoun ang atensyon sa ginagawa. Not until Maddox softly held my elbow and tilt it slightly.
I put down the camera and looked at him.
"That's the proper way of angling your elbow," he explained.
I pouted before nodding, bumaling ulit ako sa harap at itinaas muli ang camera. I followed the way he angled my elbow and looked at the viewfinder.
I relaxed my self, wait for the right timing then click.
But unfortunately for the eleventh time, it still goes bad!
Paano ba naman kasi hindi ko marelax ang sarili dahil sa hininga ni Maddox na tumatama sa batok at tainga ko!
When I said I relaxed my self that was the biggest lie, walang relax na nangyari. Kainis!
They comforted me because of the result of my photos. That I'm still a first timer, I still have a lot of time to practice and what-nots.
"Umalis ka nga diyan!" naiirita kong taboy kay Maddox na nanatili pa rin sa likod ko.
"What?" nalilito niyang tanong.
"Alis ka Maddox distracted sya," singit ni Lian dahilan kong bakit napangiti si Maddox.
"Talaga?" Nakangisi niyang tanong.
"Hindi, ang baho lang ng hininga mo!" asik ko kahit hindi naman talaga.
Humagalpak ng tawa sina Greg dahil sa sinabi ko. Habang si Maddox naman ay nangingiti lang.
"Gusto mo lang magpahalik eh," he concluded.
"Dream on! Alis na kasi."
He laughed before lifting his hand like he surrendered and moved away from me.
I became calm because of it. Bumaling ulit ako sa harap, detirminadong makakuha na ng litratong maganda.
Kinuha ko ulit ang camera at tiningnan ang nakuha ko kanina.
Kaya ko 'to.
Gaya kanina, inanggulo ko ng tama ang aking siko gaya ng sabi ni Maddox. Ginaya ko din ang posisyon nya tuwing kumukuha ng litrato.
I lightly crouched and looked at the viewfinder. Like lately I focused on the subject. I calmed myself, truly this time. Again waited for the right time and when I got satisfied with it, i then click the button and there it goes.
I hope it would turn out good this time.
I bit my lip not wanting to look down to the screen, at baka pangit pa rin ang resulta.
I felt Maddox with my friends crawled towards me to look at the image.
"Not bad," Maddox commented that made me looked at it.
And for the first time for this day, happiness filled me! I agreed at him, it's not good but it's not bad. It's just right.
My subject was the trees at the side of the auditorium. Lately i captured it so bad but now I think it improved. The trees got it's proper highlight and the auditorium was blurred slightly. Nice.
Lian teased me because of it, even the two, Rian and Greg. He even said that I already have a change to be a photographer that made me roll my eyes.
I will really be a photographer soon, I mean it.
"Uwi na tayo?" Maddox asked while looking at me.
I looked at my watch and nodded because it's already six and I'm still going to cook for our dinner, so we really need to go.
"Tara," I said and stood up.
Mabilis naming pinagpagan ang sout dahil may mga bermuda na nakapikit don. Bago tuloyang umalis sa lugar.
When we arrived at the gate, I stretched my hands to get my books from Maddox but he declined it immediately. So I got confused.
"I'll drive you home," he stated.
"What? No, magtratraysikel nalang ako," I said not wanting to add things that I owe to him.
"Ay, si Zalia lang?" parinig ni Greg.
Come on, not again please!
"Kayo rin." Baling ni Maddox sa kanila kaya napatalon sila sa tuwa.
Irritated, I let out a breath.
"Kung...papayag si Zalia," he said negotiating.
"Payag na Ece!! Nakakatakot kaya sumakay ng traysikel ngayon, gabi na oh!!" Rian pleaded me. Agad namang sinundan ni Lian at tinakot pa ako. Tsaka si Greg.
Napairap ako, ano pa nga ba?
"Fine," I said.
A smile was immediately plastered on Maddox's face when I said it, while the three clapped their hands in glee. Gusto lang makalibre eh.
We go to the parking area. Maddox proceeded to a Black BMW and opened the door before signing me to get in. Napanguso ako bago naglakad palapit don para makauwi na.
"Edi wow pinagbinuksan!" parinig ni Rian.
Napalakad din tuloy si Maddox sa kanila
pagbuksan din sila. Mga walanghiya talaga.
On our trip, I was the one who's guiding the way while the three at the back are busily throwing alot of nonsense questions towards Maddox that he willingly answered.
Naunang bumaba si Lian dahil mas malapit ang bahay nila sa paaralan, bago si Rian tsaka si Greg. Mabuti nalang at iisang daan lang ang mga bahay namin para hindi masyadong maabala si Maddox.
Dahil wala na ang tatlo, katahimikan na ang bumalot sa loob hanggang sa makarating sa bahay.
That was suffocating!' Yung walang nagsasalita ni isa sa inyo.
"H'wag na!" mabilisan kong tigil sa kanya nang magtangka itong lumabas para siguro buksan ako ng pintuan. Mabuti nalang at sumunod siya at nanatili sa inuupuan, pinapanood ang paglabas ko. I stopped when I finally go out and turned to him.
"Salamat..." I said awkwardly.
"Welcome," he replied.
"Uh...una na ako," sabi at ngumiti.
"Alright," he said and replied my smile.
Mariin akong napahawak sa pinto ng sasakyan, nagdadalawang isip kong anong susunod na gagawin, kung isasara ko na ba oh ano. But what did i do is far from my choices because i just keep standing and staring at him. His smile to be specific.
His smile really hits different.
I got mesmerise on it the reason why I stayed another seconds right in front of his car's door.
His smile turned into a small chuckle, kaya natauhan ako bigla.
Mahina akong napakurap habang inalala kung ano pang ginagawa ko dito.
At nang makita ko ulit ang ngiti para akong nabuhusan nang malamig na tubig.
Especially when i reminisce my words earlier, i got mesmerised by his smile.
What.The.Hell!!!!!
Am i even serious!!?
Nakakahiya!
"Uh sige uh..una na ako," I said and smiled awkwardly before closing the door while he's still chuckling.
Dali-dali akong pumasok sa bahay nang hindi lumilingon sa sasakyan niya dahil sa nakakahiyang pangyayari. Saktong pagsarado ko sa pintuan ay ang pagtunog ng sasakyan niya nagpapahiwatig na aalis na siya.
Bumuga ako ng hininga bago lumakad patungo sa aking kwarto habang kagat-kagat ang pang-ibabang labi at mariing nayukom ang kamay para sana mawala ang atensyon ko sa nangyari kanina pero–shit lang! Ayaw akong tantanan!!
That's was so shameful! Oh gosh, what the hell Zalia.