Chapter 39

'Online already.'

I read Austin Archangel's message. During the first three weeks, we talked eight times because our schedules just would not cooperate. 10PM na ako madalas maka-uwi dahil gusto kong sumama sa lahat ng pre-production activities. I just wanted to gather as much knowledge and information as I could. Kaleigh was right—George was very organized. She wanted done everything to perfection. I had no qualms about it. I liked her work ethic.

"What?" I asked nang makita ko na naka-tingin si George sa akin. She was looking at me with her head tilted on the left side of her neck. There was a small crease on her forehead.

"Do you want to go home?" she asked.

"No."

"You've looked at your phone five times in the last hour."

"Why are you watching me?"

"This is just pre-production," she said in a clipped tone. "Tell me now if you have other priorities."

"I don't have other priorities," I replied as I grabbed my phone and put it inside my tote bag. I looked at her. "Let's continue," I said as she shrugged and we continued discussing the possible locations kung saan kami magsu-shoot.

I said goodbye nang mag 10:30PM na. She was not very happy when I told her before that unlike them, I could not work all day. Mayroon akong curfew. Kaya naman nasa labas na si Kuya Robert para sunduin ako. While I was walking, I grabbed my phone from my tote bag. I saw a text from him.

'Had a long day. Good night. Will talk to you soon.'

'Meeting with George. Talk to you tomorrow.'

Napa-buntung hininga ako nang maka-sakay na ako sa loob ng sasakyan. Tumingin sa akin si Kuya Robert.

"Okay ka lang?" he asked.

"No," I replied. "I'm tired."

I had to finish all of George's requirements, I had to brainstorm new ideas dahil in three weeks ay pasukan na, and I had to stay up late para sundin iyong scheduel namin ng FaceTime ni Austin Archangel. I was tired—more tired than when I was waking up at 3AM to go to the gym for the basketball training.

I stared at my phone nang magising ako. In my 19 years of existence, this was the first time that I slept through the alarm... Ganoon na talaga ako kapagod.

I replied to Austin Archangel's good morning text tapos ay bumaba na ako para kumain.

"Late ka nagising, ah," Ate Gina said.

"Hindi ako nagising sa alarm," I replied. I stared at the cupboard. I was supposed to eat cereals. I was scheduled to eat cereals—but then again, I was supposed to wake up at 7AM. It was already quarter to 9AM. Ano na ang dapat kainin ko ngayon?

"Buong araw kang wala kahapon, e."

"Ang daming ginagawa sa production," I said.

"Kamusta kayo ni Austin?"

"We're fine," I replied. Cereals or toast? Or should I eat rice? Should I just get brunch? Pupunta pa ako sa school para sa enrollment. This was confusing.

"Nakakapag-usap kayo?"

"Sometimes." She clicked her tongue. I looked at her. "Why?" I asked.

"Hirap talaga ng LDR."

"LDR?"

"Long distance relationship," she answered. "Na-try ko na 'yan nung nasa probinsya pa ako, e. May naging jowa ako na biglang naging seaman. Nung una e loyal tapos e pinagpalit ako sa malapit," she continued, shaking her head. "Kaya ayang si Robert nung nagsabi na gusto mag-abroad e talagang hindi ako pumayag. 'Di mo rin kasi masabi. Mahirap na."

My forehead was creased. "What is the point of the conversation? Na mangloloko ang mga seaman at mga nagta-trabaho sa abroad?"

"Hindi naman!" she said, waving the ladle at me. She's cooking sinigang. I should have brunch. "Minsan lang kasi may mga tao na mas gusto nila iyong mas malapit at nakikita nila. 'Di rin kasi para sa lahat 'yang LDR. Kahit ako mas gusto ko na nakaka-usap ko."

"Nakaka-usap ko si Austin Archangel."

"Sabi mo kaya kanina sometimes lang."

"Because our schedules won't match."

She just shook her head and resumed stirring the pot.

I told Ate Gina na kakain ako ng bruch. She told me that the food will be ready in about 20 minutes. Hinanap ko si Blue. I saw him upstairs, just watching the people walking outside. Nang makita niya ako ay tumingin lang siya sandali at saka ibinalik ang atensyon sa labas. During times like this that I think he's planning on breaking out to leave us.

After eating brunch, pumunta na kami sa school. I went to the College of Arts to enroll. Nakita ko si Serj and he walked me to the enrollment office. Mayroong flow chart doon ng kung ano ang gagawin. I was good at following instructions, so I was able to finish the enrollment process.

I went to the mall to buy school supplies. I was down to my last notebook dahil sa dami ng sinusulat ko na notes ni George. I needed new stocks pati na rin para sa mga klase ko. I had five subjects this semester and some of the descriptions seem interesting. I was excited—hindi kagaya nung sa Legal Management na hindi pa nagsisimula ang semester ay gusto ko na agad matapos.

I got eight notebooks—one for each subject and three for my writing needs. I got twelve Unipin ballpens—six black and six blue. I also got an expanding folder with sections para doon ko ilalagay iyong mga notes ko na naka-sulat sa yellow paper. I just wanted them organized by subject. After I was done, umuwi na ulit ako sa bahay.

I arranged all my things. I pulled the box under my bed and re-arranged them para idagdag iyong dalawang notebook ko na puno na. I needed to get another box for my other notebooks dahil puno na iyon. I ate dinner with my family. Mama asked me about the enrollment and I gave her the registration form—there was a section there that said scholar—that was the product of me waking up at 3AM for 10 weeks. And then five minutes to 10PM, I was already seated and ready to answer Austin Archangel's FaceTime.

'Are you home already? My teammates want to go out to celebrate Yuki's birthday. If you're still out, let's just talk tomorrow?' he texted, but it was immediately followed with, 'But if you're home, I'll call now.'

'I'm home.'

'Will call in five minutes. I'll just tell them I can't go.'

'Why can't you just go with them after we talk?'

I waited for his response, but I got nothing. After eight minutes, he was already calling via FaceTime.

"Hey," sabi niya na naka-ngiti. He was wearing a black shirt with a huge white Nike logo in the middle. From the background, nasa kwarto niya siya. His room was clean as compared to the first few times we talked. It looked like he was already settled down.

"Hi," I replied.

"Done with the enrollment?"

"Nasabi ko ba sa 'yo na enrollment?" I asked because I didn't think I told him about that. Ngayon ko dapat sasabihin sa kanya para may pag-uusapan kami.

"No, but I still follow the page of the school."

"Right."

"So... are you officially enrolled?"

"Yes," I said. "I'll show you my registration form, pero kinuha ni Mama."

Natawa siya. "She's finally coming around to the Creative Writing?"

"As long as I get good grades this upcoming semester, siya na ang magbabayad ng tuition ko sa susunod."

"That's great."

"I know," I said. Napa-tigil ako nang may kumatok sa pintuan niya. He looked at the door, too. He said he'll just answer the door, and I nodded. I saw Kohei, one of his teammates, outside the door. They looked that they were talking. I grabbed my notebook to give them privacy. After a minute, napa-tingin ako sa screen nang tawagin ni Austin Archangel ang pangalan ko.

"Sorry about that," he said.

"It's okay," I said.

"He just said they'll go to karaoke."

"Okay," I replied.

"Are you sleepy?"

"Not really," I said. "I went to the bookstore," sabi ko sa kanya at saka pinakita ko iyong mga binili ko na notebook at saka iyong bagong ballpens ko. And then I told him that every time I would see the Unipin, I would remember him borrowing my pen and not returning it.

"You dropped out!" he said.

"I know."

"I would have returned it, but you dropped out."

"Again, I know," sabi ko sa kanya.

"I will buy you a box of that ballpen," he said and then we continued talking until it was time for me to sleep.

* * *

The new semester started on December. Austin Archangel was scheduled to go home on December 20. George was asking me if I wanted to participate on the shooting process. Hindi pa ako nakaka-sagot. Naglabas na ng syllabus iyong mga subject. I wanted to be two weeks ahead of schedule. I was busier than planned.

My first class for the semester was CW100. The syllabus was filled with book titles that I was expected to know. It was okay, but it was time consuming as majority of the titles ay hindi ko pa nababasa. Most of them were classics, and I was not well-read with classics. I also had Math10, Philosophy1, English11, and Filipino40.

"Collage mate!" Serj said nang makita niya ako sa College of Arts. There was an empty table and I occupied it. I had a Math exercise due later at 2:30PM and I was nowhere near done.

"Hi," I said.

"Okay ka lang?"

"Bakit may Math sa Creative Writing?"

Natawa siya. "Lahat naman ng degree meron saka basic Math lang naman."

"How is this basic?" I asked. There were letters and numbers. This was confusing. I have forgotten about this when I graduated from high school.

"Sino ba prof mo?"

"Ventura."

"Sure pass daw 'yan basta 'wag sobrang tanga."

"Paano ba iyong sobrang tanga?"

Serj shrugged. "Basta 'wag ka na lang umabsent para at least kahit sa attendance maawa sa 'yo kapag grading na."

I nodded. "Thanks for the tip."

Serj asked kung sino pa iyong ibang professors ko and he gave me advice sa kung paano ako makaka-pasa sa kanila. My professor in my Creative Writing subjects were all strict—Serj advised me to focus on those kung ayaw kong umulit. I needed to handle my time better. Marami akong classic titles na kailangang basahin.

"Can you send me the assignment?" Austin Archangel asked. Nung nagpasa ako kanina ng assignment, my eyes accidentally saw my seatmate's work sheet. Magkaiba ang sagot namin. I suspected that my answers were the wrong one since he was a Math major.

I sent the file to Austin Archangel's email. He read it for a few minutes before he asked me if I wanted him to explain to me the problems. I nodded. I needed to pass the subject. Ayoko na 'tong ulitin. I wanted to focus on the Creative Writing majors.

In the middle of him tutoring me, mayroon ulit kumatok sa pinto niya. This time, it was Ryo.

"Karaoke?" I asked because three times a week, this would happen and every time, Austin Archangel would pass and would instead stay and have FaceTime with me.

"Yeah," he replied. "What number are we in?"

"Problem 6," I said, and he continued to explain to me kung paano ko makukuha iyong variables. He was actually good at explaining—he could be a teacher if he decides he did not want to be a professional athlete.

"Thank you," sabi ko nang matapos kami sa Math homework ko. I was right—walang tama sa mga naging sagot ko.

"Next time, do you want me to check your homework before you pass them?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Just send via email."

May kumatok ulit.

"Do you want to go to the Karaoke?" I asked.

He smiled. "No," he said. "It's already late. Let's sleep," he continued before we said good night to each other. 

**
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