That's our routine every afternoon after class. Maddox will wait for me until our class ends. Sometimes Greg and the girls will come with us but when they're busy, they don't.
And today is the last day of the week. I saw Maddox waiting outside.
He catches my eyes then smiled. I smiled back and gazed back to my sheet because we're on the middle of quiz.
"Sana all my inspiration," bulong ni Greg dahil sa napansin niya.
Mahina ko syang siniko at muling itinuon ang atensyon sa sinasagotan. Paminsan minsan akong bumabaling sa labas pero umiiwas din pag nakikita kung nakatingin sya sa'kin.
And in the end, I chose to just focus on my paper at baka maubusan pa ako ng oras.
"Nakakainis naman di ako makakasama!" maktol ni Greg. Katatapos lang ng quiz namin at nagpaplano sana silang sumama pero may tumawag kay Greg kaya di sya makakasama, si Rian naman ay pagod na daw kaya hindi na rin sasama.
"'Di nalang din ako sasama baka maka istorbo lang ako," sabi ni Lian kaya napairap ako.
"Ewan ko sainyo!" sabi ko at sumunod sa kanilang lumabas.
Nagpaalam sila kay Maddox bago sila umalis, kaya umalis na rin kami patungo sa field. He's helding my bag dahil wala na akong librong dala, ayaw ko nga eh pero nagpumilit kaya bahala siya.
This time we choose to settle on a bench instead on the ground. Para maiba.
Napakunot ang noo ko ng makitang naglabas siya ng chips at bottled water, tig-iisa kami.
"Meryenda lang," paliwanag niya nang makita ang reaksyon ko.
I nodded and looked away, nakakahiya. Siya pa ang nagdala ng pagkain, dapat ako 'yon dahil ako ang nagpapatulong.
Ngumuso ako.
Maybe I can treat him in the other time? Bahala na, baka magkatyempo.
He took out his camera that made my heart leaped. I don't know where my love for photography started, it's just that I got attracted to the photos that I saw on the internet mostly about nature. Kahit walang ka alam alam ay itinuring ko na iyong hilig kahit ang kinahihiligan ko talaga ay ang pagtingin-tingin sa mga litrato at hindi ang pagkukuha nito. That's how weird I am. Lalo na nong nakita ko ang mga litrato ko na kuha ni Maddox, that's how I come up with the course I'm going to take in college. And luckily it's related to the strand i took in SHS.
I enjoyed eating the chips he brought while he's doing something on the camera. I even heard some chuckles from him, pero binaliwala ko lang 'yun dahil sa pagkain. Pagkaing dala niya kahit ako ang pinagseserbisyohan niya. Oo na, makapal talaga 'yung mukha ko.
Saka ko lang itinaas ang ulo ng maubos na ang kinakain. I saw that he have still some of it, that made me drool. Ang sarap naman kasi non but I stopped myself from getting it from him, h'wag pahalatang makapal ang mukha.
Lumaki ang mata ko ng makitang nakatutok ang camera sa'kin. Agad kong itinaas ang kamay at mabilis na tinabunan ang lens non kaya hindi na kita ang mukha ko nung pagpindot niya.
Natawa siya sa ginawa ko kaya binaba niya nalang.
"Kanina ka pa?" kinakabahan kong tanong dahil baka kanina niya pa ako kinukunan ng litrato at baka ano na ang itsura ko don!
I'm not a photogenic so I know that my face would be disastrous if he really captured me while eating, okay lang yung tinweet niya dahil blur naman 'yon hindi kita ang mukha ko, pero ngayon?
He laughed instead of answering me, kaya mas lalo akong kinabahan. Mabilis kong kinuha ang camera niya at tiningnan kong meron ba don.
Tumawa lang siya habang ginagawa ko 'yon. Baka ginawa na akong katatawan nito habang parang patay-gutom kong kinain ang dala niya.
Lumubo ang pisngi ko ng makumpirmang meron nga! I got five pictures while eating. Medyo nagpasalamat nga lang at natatabunan ang mukha ko ng buhok, as usual he captured it perfectly. Plano ko sanang idelete 'yun pero agad ding binawi dahil hindi naman kita ang mukha ko at maganda 'yong pagkakuha.
I looked at him, who's still smiling.
I pouted.
That smile again.
"Kunan kita," I said wanting to try my capability again, I hope it really improved. Baka tsamba lang yung mga nakaraang araw, h'wag naman sana.
He nodded willingly before posing. I cleared my throat before lifting the camera. I did the steps that I used to do this past few days that made my captures great. I hold the camera tightly while capturing Maddox, he's looking lazily at the camera while his back is resting at the bench. I relax myself, not wanting to be affected by his looks and click the button.
I excitedly check the result, and smiled more widely when it turned out nicely!
"Galing. Mas lalo akong gumwapo," puri niya kaya napaismid ako.
He laughed at my reaction and get the camera from me.
"Ikaw naman," he softly said.
I pouted before obeying. Madalian kong inayos ang buhok at puwesto ng maayos. Tinukod ko ang aking mga siko sa mesa hinahayaan ang buhok kong liparin ng hangin.
He crouched and angled. I smile a little and look at the cam. Ilang segundo akong ganun kaya bahagya nang nahihiya na sa estudyanteng dumadaan na napapalingon sa amin.
What's taking him so long!?
Napahinga ako ng maluwag nang marinig ang tunog. I giggled while his viewing at my photo, he smiled before handing it to me.
I was in awe when I saw it. I know I'm already beautiful but in this photo, parang may kakaiba. I just don't know what's it.
"Ang ganda diba?" he proved.
"Yeah," I can't help but agree. It's really beautiful.
I got mesmerised on the picture. Parang ang gaan ng loob ko habang tinitingnan yun.
I don't know but everytime we're doing this, it's making my heart–warm.

***
That was we did for the last day of week and after it, Maddox drove me home again. Hindi na rin ako nag-inarte, libre pa naman.
I'm scrolling on my feed on twitter to ease boredom. Hindi pa dumadating si Papa at tapos naman na akong magluto kaya ito muna ang pinagkakaabalahan ko, wala na rin kasi akong gawain sa school na hindi ko pa natapos.
I checked some notifications, even scrolled down to see old notifications. That's how bored i am.
"Wait," mahina kong anas nang may mapansin.
I immediately got up from my bed when I saw an old notification. It's a notification requesting to follow me.
I mentally cussed when I saw the date, it's last year!
And from @ReineirVolteros!
I closed my eyes and tap to accept his request.
I then opened his account. He got thousands of followers and 36 following.
I must be lucky, huh?
My forehead creased when I noticed his profile, nung una kong kita sa profile niya nung pinapastalk kami ni Lian dahil sa chika niya hindi naman 'to ganito. It's different now and looked very familiar.
I tapped it to prove my thoughts.
Napakagat labi ako nang makumpirma ang naisip, ito 'yong kanina!
This is the photo that I took recently! Mas lalo akong nalula ng mabasa ang caption niya, it says 'when zea take me' no more, no less.
Ibinaba ko ang pagkahawak ng cellphone at huminga ng malalim. I don't know what to react!
Nang makalma ay yumuko ulit ako para magbasa ng mga komento.
@Kev_Delosantos: Namali yata ang spelling mo bro.
@FujitsuJie: Ibang dagat na yata sinisisid mo!
@Geroa: Nakita ko ang behind the scene nito!!
@rezieee: Owemjii!! Kanina ba 'to?
@GelayneCruz: Can someone enlighten me? I'm outdated, it sucks Huhu.
@Dalia: Iba bang zea 'yan?
Madami pang komento doon pero alam ko na kung ano. Kung hindi sinasabing witness sila sa pagkuha ko non, nagtatanong naman kung anong nangyayari o 'di kaya ay nanunudyo na para bang may alam sila.
I blew a breath, and put down my phone again. He's like an icon, how come I didn't know him? Nagrequest pa para magfollow sa'kin last year!
Again, I picked up my phone and scrolled. I turned back to my feed when I finished reading a half of the comments.
Minutes later, I noticed that I had a notification so I tap it. Then i saw that i got bombarded with Greg, Rian, and Lian mentions.
Ano na namang trip ng mga 'to?
First I click Greg's.
@Gorg.Greg: @ZaliaArcalde Girl, pwede ba daw manligaw?
I got confused so I scrolled up to read their replies. I read Greg's comment first.
@Gorg.Greg: Wow naman! Tinake ka ba?
Then Maddox replied.
@ReinierVolteros: Caption lang yan hahaha
@riannbirenn: Kyaahhh nagdate kayo?
@Lian_: Hoy! Ano yan ha. MaL(ar)ia shipper ako pero 'di ako papayag na walang ligaw-ligaw na mangyayari.
@ReinierVolteros: @Rian_Biren medjo, ako lang nakakaalam @Lian_Qelous hindi yata magpapaligaw yun eh hahaha
@Gorg.Greg: @ReineirVolteros hindi mo pa nililigawan!!!!??
@ReineirVolteros: Baka ayaw niya
@Lian_: Hindi 'yan!! Diba @ZaliaArcalde?
@riannbirenn: True! @ZaliaArcalde
@Gorg.Greg: Akala ko niligawan mo na!! Ang hina mo jusko.
@Gorg.Greg: @ZaliaArcalde Girl, pwede ba daw manligaw?
@riannbirenn: @ZaliaArcalde will you take @ReirneirVolteros as your boyfriend?
@ReineirVolteros: 'Di pwedeng husband agad?
@riannbirenn: @ZaliaArcalde will you take @ReineirVolteros as your husband?
Napahawak ako sa noo dahil sa nabasa. Marami pang replies don puro lang mga mentions sakin kung pwede ba daw manligaw si Maddox.
Seriously? Wala na bang magawa sa buhay ang mga 'to? Problemado talaga sila dahil wala akong boyfriend. Ano ba naman 'yan.
@ZaliaArcalde: @riannbirenn, @Gorg.Greg, @Lian_ ba't kayo ang nagtatanong? Kayo manliligaw sakin?
I replied, not so long my notification tab was bombarded again with their replies.
@Gorg.Greg: Ayon!! Nagpapaligaw din pala.
@riannbirenn: Sagotin mo nalang tanong ko! Bruha ka.
@Lian_: Galit na ba yan? Anong nangyari sa hindi mo pagboboyfriend Zalia? Hahahaha
Mahina akong napairap matapos mabasa ang reply no Lian.
Tingnan mo 'to. Pinipilit akong magboyfriend tapos kong magpapaligaw, kwekwestyunin.
@ZaliaArcalde: @Lian_Qelous Liligawan pa nga eh. Boyfriend agad.
@ReinierVolteros: Dun din naman pupunta 'yun, ngit.
@ZaliaArcalde: Bakit? Sasagutin ba kita?
@Gorg.Greg: Aguy!
@ReinierVolteros: @ZaliaArcalde Oo.
@ZaliaArcalde: How sure you are?
@ReineirVolteros: Papaligaw ka ba ngit?
@ZaliaArcalde: Hindi ako nagpapaligaw online.
I replied and turn off my phone.
Wait–why do I sound like, I want to be courted?
Seriously Zalia, what happened to your 'no boyfriend until graduation'?
I slightly banged my head towards the wall.
But anyway, liligawan palang naman ako, baka may pangit na ugali non edi may dahilan ako para 'di sagutin diba?
I nodded to agree with my thoughts and laid back again.