Locklan Marchan
     "Mr. Zeigler, can you help me to carry this things to my office?"
     "Yes Ma'am." I replied.
I picked up the things on the table and I quickly go to the office. I've only thirty minutes before my next class.
     "Mr. Zeigler," I faced my professor when she called me. "You're very smart man. Why don't you join my club. I'm pretty sure you'll be a big help."
     "I'll think about it Ma'am."
My professor shook her head. "Please, think about it. You do not have a club yet, do you?"
    "Yes, but-" I hurriedly turned my head. "I gotta go, Ma'am. I still need to go to in the library. If you'll excused me."
     "I'll wait for your answer tomorrow." My professor replied casually.
I sighed. Wala naman talaga akong balak na sumali sa kahit anong club dito. I have a lots of work after school. I have no time to join in every clubs except the Music Club. I checked my messages in the phone bago ko inayos ang salamin sa mata ko nang may tao akong nabunggo.
     "I'm sorry." I apologized. I give her a hand and she accepted it. "Are you okay? I'm really sorry."
     "No, it's my fault too."
My eyes widened to see her faced clearly. Just then, I look at the girl with dark eyes staring down at her. Bakit dito ko pa siya nakita? And it seemed as if it was the first time she was looking at me too.
     "Ku... Marchan," She called me by my name. "Y-You're here.... too. " The girl standing in front of me started, feeling as if a ball was stuck in her throat. "I-I'm happy t-to see you here. Same school pala tayo."
     "Don't act like you know me, Miss."
Without another word, I finally left the girl.
I'm tired of my life. I'm tired to live in this kind of world. Sometimes, I was asking myself, 'Why I'm still alive?' and someone flashed in my mind. There is someone special that I admire so much. The girl who I adore from afar for almost four years. She's become the light of my darkest days. She gives me hope to continued my miserable life.
In the last four years, I'm working so hard because of her. Yes, I like her. I like her so much because she's different. I found her a cheerful girl, full of confidence, who always got people's attention. She is popular to everyone in the university and a down to earth person. Ilan sa mga katangian na nagustuhan ko sa kanya.
Nasa hallway ako papunta sa library. May kukunin lang akong book na hiniram ko kanina and then I'll proceed to my next class.
   "Good morning, Mrs. Adreau."
   "Good morning, Mr. Zeigler. The books that you borrowed earlier, right?"
    "Yes. Can I get it?"
    "Of course you can." Kinuha niya ang mga libro na nakapatong sa table niya. "Here. Return it to me after a week. Okay?"
    "Thank you Mrs. Adreau." I let out a huge sigh of relief before giving the old lady a genuine smile.
Akala ko hindi siya papayag na hihiramin ko ang mga libro ng isang linggo. Mga 2-3 days lang dapat. Well, that's the rules if the students borrowing a books here in the library.
Nakarating ako sa loob ng classroom. I roamed my eyes all over the corner of the room to search a familiar face but I can't find her. Baka wala pa siya. Naglakad ako papunta sa dulo kung saan ako nakaupo palagi. I put down my books in my desk and start reading the first one. Hindi pa nga ako nangangalahati sa first page ay narinig ko na ang mga tilian ng mga kaklase ko.
I sat up straight while fixing my glasses. She's here. Katulad ng palagi kong ginagawa kapag dumarating siya ay yumuyuko ako while covering my face in the book. Pasimple akong tumitingin sa kanya. Masaya na ako sa tuwing nakikita ko siya kahit hindi niya ako kilala at kahit hindi man ako napapansin. She's always been my classmate these past four years pero never niya akong napansin. But it's okay, I'm contented to see her beautiful smile everyday.
    "Hera, papicture naman."
    "Grabe, ang ganda-ganda niya talaga."
    "Hera, can I get your number? Please!"
     "Miss Hera, idol po talaga kita. Pwede po bang maging friends tayo."
I heaved a deep sigh. She's really a famous one. Everyone admires her. She entered the room and sat in front. Hindi ko na siya nakikita pa dahil pinalilibutan na siya ng mga kaklase ko. Binalik ko ang tingin sa libro at tinuloy nalang ang pagbabasa ko. Pero mga ilang minuto lang ang nakakalipas ay biglang tumahimik ang loob ng kwartong ito. Ibinaba ko ang libro na nakatakip sa mukha ko at bumaling sa harapan. I smiled bitterly when I saw a man standing in front of her.
      "Hera."
Nakatingin lang ako sa harapan. Sa dalawang taong kumuha ng atensyon ko. I don't know but I envy that man. I know that he's a friend of her but I also know she like him. Well, everyone knows.
     "Uy! Hera, tawag ka ng best friend mo." One of my classmate teased her. Hindi pa rin siya lumilingon sa lalaking nakatayo sa kaliwa niya. And I saw how her faced turned red. She's blushing.
    "H-Huh! A-Ano?" Then she stammered.
    "Why are you always zoning out whenever I'm around? Naiisip ko tuloy na ayaw mo talagang maging kaibigan ako."
I smiled when she laugh a little. But there's a part of me na nasasaktan na makita ko siyang masaya sa iba. I am weird? I think I am.
    "That's not true.."
Binalik ko ulit ang atensyon sa binabasa ko. I can't afford to look at them, laughing to each other and how those people admire them.
   "Okay, I know. I was just kidding."
   "By the way, what brought you here? You still have a class right at this moment, haven't you?"
Nawala ako sa focus nang magtilian ang mga babae dito sa loob ng room. I close my eyes in frustration.
  "Alam na alam ang sched a, Hera."
  "Hindi ba talaga kayo?"
I massage my temple. Binuksan ko ang mga mata ko at tumingin sa babaeng nahihiya sa mga pinagsasabi ng mga kaklase namin.
    "Hahaha we're just close friend guys. Parang kapatid na babae ko lang si Hera. Kaya if ever na may manliligaw dito, dadaan muna kayo sa akin. Right Hera?" The guy tapped the head of her fondly.
I saw a glint of sadness in her eyes of what her guy friend answered.
    "Y-Yeah..."
I did not know how to describe how she was feeling right now. Ang ayaw ko sa lahat ang nakikita ko siyang nasasaktan.
    "Oh right, that's why I'm here because I have something to tell you."
Imbes na ipagpatuloy ang pagbabasa ko ay nasa babae na ang buong atensyon ko. I'm watching her, like how her forehead creased while looking at the guy in front of her.
    "Is that even important para dumayo ka pa rito sa building ng Fine Arts?" She asked the guy.
    "Well yeah, sort of. So, are you free?" She didn't answered the guy, instead she was just looking at him. "Please, mabilis lang 'to."
    "Fine!" Pumayag siya rito.
    "'Yun, thank you Hera. Maasahan talaga kita."
Tuluyan ng lumabas ang dalawa at kasabay nito ang pagtahimik ng nasa loob ng kwarto when our professor entered the room. Nagsimula ang klase nang wala siya. I am upset. Alam kong hindi dapat ako nakikialam pero why is she chose to ditched her class?
After one (1) hour and thirty (30) minutes of listening to the lessons. Classes were officially dismissed. I was about to leave the room when the girl entered and approached the prof. I'm just standing here while watching them, talking about a serious matter. The moment Prof. Sebastian left, several boys and girls gathered around her and started to asks her a random question.
I pick up my things in my desk and leave the room quietly. One subject left in my schedule today. Naisipan kong tumambay muna sa Music Room. Just to try my new song that I wrote. Liliko na sana ako nang mahagit ng mga mata ko ang dalawang tao na nasa garden. Seryoso itong nag-uusap. It's the guy from earlier and the queen bee. Bakit sila magkasama? Well, it's not my problem anymore. Pinagpatuloy ko nalang ang paglalakad ko.
But I stopped when my phone rang. Nakita ko ang caller ID. Naikuyom ko ang kamao ko nang makita ang pangalan ng taong kinamumuhian ko. I didn't answer the call. But the caller is persistent as fuck. I was about to turned off my phone when I received a text message from that person. Hindi ko dapat ito babasahin kaso lang aksidente kong napindot ang text kaya ko ito nabuksan.
My face darkened after what I read from the text message. I was about to call him back, but my phone rang. I answered it and hold my anger when I put the phone on my ear. Nang marinig ang boses niya sa kabilang linya, the person that I loathe so much, my head heats up in anger.
     "I'll be right there." I said coldy before I ended the call.