Chapter 05

As if my life wasn't already hard enough, nadagdagan pa ng gossip about me and Finley... and it's not like they're being discreet about it. They'd literally talk about me when I was around. Tsk. At least talk about me behind my back? Was that so hard?

"Maia."

I looked at Cynthia. "What?" I asked. One look at me and I already knew what she wanted to ask me. I groaned. "Not you, too."

"Can you blame me? Ang tagal mo na kayang crush si Finley!"

"Excuse me. Let's be clear—I had a crush on him!"

She just rolled her eyes at me. "Fine, fine, but bakit ka nga niya binuhat? Like look at him!" sabi niya tapos ay may pinakita sa akin sa phone niya. She played a video. Agad na nanlaki iyong mga mata ko nang makita ko kung ano 'yon.

"Why is there a video?!"

"I think someone was filming a tiktok or something then they saw you faint and then they saw Finley rushing over instead of just ignoring you like usual," she said while I my eyes were glued on the screen of her phone.

Totoo naman iyong sinabi niya... but what struck me the most was that Finley was watching me even before I fainted! Like ewan ko kung ma-a-amaze ba ako sa quality nung video o magtataka kung bakit niya ako pinapanood?! Did I look too weird while running na tipong papanoorin ako ni Finley? Kasi totoo naman iyong sinabi ni Cynthia na ang expected na reaction ni Finley ay ang hindi ako pansinin!

"So... what's the tea?" sabi niya after kunin pabalik iyong phone niya.

"There's no tea, okay? He just probably grew a conscience or something."

"Finley? Conscience?" she said. See? Hindi lang ako ang may alam na evil si Finley! Kaya takang-taka ako kung bakit parang super nice niya sa akin lately.

Tsk.

Naalala ko na naman na ginawa niya akong charitable act for the year. Bakit ba hindi na lang si Riley ang naka-kita sa akin? That would've worked better for me... I think.

"Maia."

Cynthia's eyes widened kaya naman napa-tingin ako sa likuran ko. Finley was standing behind me. He was just wearing our uniform. It's so annoying how good he looks! He really won the genetic lottery.

"Liar," Cynthia mouthed.

Suddenly, I was aware na ang daming naka-tingin sa amin. Bakit ba kasi aware ata ang buong batch ko na once in my young life, nagka-crush ako kay Finley? Hindi ba pwede na mistake lang 'yon as a child?! Bakit lagi na lang nilang ipapa-alala sa akin?

I was contemplating kung dito na lang ba kami mag-usap kahit maraming naka-tingin sa amin or if I should just drag him elsewhere. Hindi naman ako normally nahihiya kapag center of attention ako, but now's different. I felt like I was hiding this huge secret. Ayoko na nasa akin ang spotlight.

But if hatakin ko siya paalis, people will think na naman na something's going on between us! This was so stressful!

"What?" I said while looking at him. I was really hoping na magbell na or something kasi feel na feel ko talaga iyong mga mata sa amin. Hindi na ako masu-surprise kung may nagvivideo na naman nito.

"What time?"

"What?"

"Kita susunduin?"

I heard Cynthia's gasp. Agad na nanlaki iyong mga mata ko dahil bakit parang iniimply ni Finley na may something going on at boyfriend ko siya na susunduin ako?!

Agad akong tumayo kahit hindi pa ako tapos sa food ko. But bago ako tumayo, I turned to Cynthia once again. "Don't misunderstand. Wala pa ring 'tea,'" I told her before I almost ran paalis sa may cafeteria.

Dahil break ata ng buong school ngayon, hindi ko alam kung saan ako pupunta para makapag-usap kami ni Finley na walang audience. Bakit ba kasi sobrang sikat ng tao na 'to na kahit saan kami magpunta ay may napapa-tingin sa kanya? As if naman tourist siya sa school na 'to! Dito rin naman siya nag-aaral. Araw-araw naman siyang nakikita kaya bakit may nasa-star struck pa rin sa kanya?!

"What is this place..." naka-kunot ang noo na tanong ni Finley nung huminto kami sa harap nung old building dito sa school. Medyo naka-tago kami kasi naka-tayo kami sa ilalim nung hagdan.

"Bakit mo ba ako kinausap kanina?"

"I texted you first," he said. Napa-tingin ako sa phone ko. May message nga siya. He was asking kung ano'ng oras iyong end nung trabaho ko.

"Sana hinintay mo akong magreply."

Umirap siya. "It wasn't as if I sought you out. Nakita lang kita sa cafeteria."

"Sana hindi mo ako nilapitan."

Napaawang iyong labi niya. "You talk as if I have some contagious disease."

"Parang ganon na nga," I replied with my brow arched. "Besides, bakit mo naman ako susunduin?" I asked him with my arms crossed against my chest. Iyong last time ay dahil lang makulit iyong creepy guy. Sinundo naman na ako ni Finley before and as far as he's concerned, may boyfriend ako at alam niya na whatever happens to me, siya ang suspect numero uno.

"Seriously..." he uttered under his breath like he's so done with me. "Why can't it be just yes or no with you?"

I just stared at him with my forehead creased and my lips pressed into a thin line.

"I have a practice after school. I'll pick you up after that and I'll drive you home. No big deal."

"It's walking distance."

"Just tell me what time."

"Kaya kong maglakad."

"May sinabi ba ako na wala kang paa?" I made a face. "Tell me what time. Ayokong pumunta nang maaga doon at maghintay."

It seemed like he was serious na gusto niya talaga akong sunduin don sa may parttime job ko. Ano ba'ng nakain ng tao na 'to? Talaga bang sineryoso niya iyong pagiging charitable niya ngayong taon na 'to?

Or did he just feel too bad for me?

Because I was basically an abandoned child?

My chest felt tight. Ayoko ng kinakaawaan ako. Bakit ba ganyan siyang tumingin sa akin? I'd rather na hindi niya na lang ulit ako pinapansin kagaya nung dati.

"Fine. I'll be there around 10," sabi niya tapos ay mabilis akong tinalikuran.

I wanted to ask him again. Kung bakit. Baka kasi magbago iyong sagot niya. Ayaw tanggapin ng isip ko na naaawa siya sa 'kin.

But I knew that his answer remained the same... so I just let him walk away and watched him as he did so.

* * *

The remainder of the day was more annoying than usual. People were outright staring at me and I knew that they believe that something was going on between Finley and me. As if lang talaga! Hindi na ako nagdeny kasi mas mukha lang akong guilty. Magda-die down din 'yan kapag na-realize nila na wala naman talagang kami.

After school, dumiretso na ako sa parttime. Maraming tao kaya busy. Nandon din iyong ibang kasama ko sa work kaya okay naman ako. Wala naman kasi talagang problema kapag may ibang tao around me. Nagkaka-problem lang kapag kasama ko 'yung creepy na lalaki na 'yon.

"Thank you so much po!" sabi ko sa may-ari nung binigay niya 'yung salary ko. Natawa siya sa reaction ko. First time ko magkaroon ng money na talagang pinaghirapan ko. Ganito pala 'yung feeling?! Para tuloy ayokong gastusin...

I was busy counting my money na akala mo super dami nun nung mapansin ko na nasa labas na nga pala iyong car ni Finley... I thought talaga malilimutan niya or ayaw niya na dahil medyo inaway ko siya kanina...

Naglakad ako palapit sa car niya. I was about to knock on the window nung bigla niyang ibaba iyon. Ako pa tuloy iyong nagulat.

"Done?" he simply asked. I nodded. I heard him unlocking the door kaya naman pumunta na ako doon sa kabila at saka sumakay.

Finley was unusually quiet. I wanted to feel bad tuloy, but mean din naman siya sa akin madalas! Akala ko iyon talaga kaming dalawa na nagbbwisitan kaya bakit nagguilty ako bigla?!

"Finley," I called.

"What?"

"Can we stop by a convenience store?"

Tipid na tumango lang si Finley. Nung huminto iyong sasakyan, lumabas ako. I didn't know what he liked, so I bought a vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Iyong hindi niya gusto ang kakainin ko na lang.

"Here," I said as I handed him the cone ice cream. Tumingin siya sa akin na naka-kunot ang noo. "I just got my salary. I'm trying to save money, so iyan lang ang kaya kong bilhin."

Naka-tingin lang siya sa akin.

"If bawal kumain sa loob ng car mo, give me a few minutes. Kakainin ko sa labas—"

But before I could even say more words, bigla niyang kinuha iyong vanilla ice cream sa kamay ko. He unwrapped the top part at saka nagsimulang kainin iyong ice cream. He looked like a kid kasi dumikit iyong dulo ng ilong niya sa may ice cream.

"There's something—"

Naka-kunot iyong noo niya. Instead of explaining, inabot ko iyong sa may ilong niya and wiped it wipe a tissue.

"Okay na," I said when I was done. Finley immediately looked sa gilid niya. Napa-tingin din tuloy ako doon dahil sa bilis nung pagkaka-turn nung noo niya. Wala namang kung anuman doon as far as I was concerned.

For the next minutes, we just quietly ate our ice cream. Tapos ay nagdrive na si Finley papunta sa may condo. I unbuckled my seatbelt and made sure na wala akong kalat na maiiwan. Mukha kasing clean freak si Finley dahil kahit iyong condo niya ay super linis nung una akong pumunta.

"Thanks," I told him. "But really, there's no need na sunduin mo ako. It's near lang naman. I can walk home."

Finley didn't say a word. Lumabas na ako sa may sasakyan niya. Pagpasok ko sa may building, napa-tingin ulit ako sa labas at saka ko lang nakita na umalis iyong sasakyan niya. That weirdo...  

**

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