Chapter 9

I woke up earlier than usual and prep myself as fast as I can. Ayaw kong maabutan ako ni Ian sa condo. He's been calling me since last night and I ignored all his calls and texts. I wanted him to know that what he did is not fun and it irritates the hell out of me. Hindi nakakatuwa ang umasa at mabitin, baka akala niya! Siya kaya try kong bitinin minsan. But I doubt if that would be effective considering his self control.

I immediately went down my condo buiding and hailed a taxi going to our school. Pagdating ko sa school, inasikaso ko agad ang schedule. Madali lang mag enrolldahil napag usapan na namin ni Ian ang mga subjects na kukunin ko para mag sync ang mga oras namin. Nag isip pa nga ako kung kukunin ko ang stats pero naisip ko na hindi niya ako titigilan kung iiwan ko pa ang stats. Might as well take it to avoid further arguments with him.

I was standing in line waiting for my queue in the cashier when I felt his presence beside me. MAsyado na akong familiar sa kanya na kahit ata malayo pa siya alam ko kung nasa paligid lang siya. Hindi ko siya nilingon at lalong hindi ko siya pinansin kahit na magkadikit na ang mga braso namin. Kahit na ramdam ko na ang init niya at amoy na amoy ko na ang pabango niya. No...I won't be swayed by his manly scent that seems to tickle my senses. I won't give in to the urge of burying my nose on his neck and hugging him.

"Hey, Still mad?" He whispered behind my ears and I nearly jumped. Gusto ko na siyang harapin at suntukin pero pinigilan ko ang sarili ko.

"Sorry, baby." His hand gently touched my back and I felt my hairs stood up at the sensation. I bit my lip to stop myself from hurling profanities at him. But what the hell! He is such a tease. I thought I am the tease in this relationship?

"Kinuha mo ba ang stats?" Malambing pa din na sabi niya at inabot ang kamay ko na may hawak ng schedule ko.

"You took it! Good girl. Ohh...we're classmates in business. Very nice. I'm glad you followed the schedule we've talked about. Thank you babe, let me give you a kiss." My fist automatically raise and nearly landed on his face if he didn't block it.

"Nice try but not so fast. Jee, sinabi ko na sa'yo, hindi lahat nadadaan sa dahas." He's smirking at me and my irritation reaches at boiling point.

"You're exasperating. You know that?" Hinablot ko ang schedule ko na hawak niya at inalis ang tingin ko sa kanya kasi lalo lang akong naiinis dahil nakangiti pa din siya.

"I'm also adorable. Admit it babe." I snorted at him.

"Shut up!" Tumalikod na ako ulit sa kanya at nagkalakad palapit sa cashier. Hindi ko man lang napansin na umusog na ang pila. Bakit nga ba ang haba ng pila sa cashier? Damn it!

"I'm sorry." Sabi niya ulit at inakbayan na talaga ako.

"Ano ba! We're not close. Wag mo akong akbayan." Pinilit kong alisin ang braso niyang nakaakbay sa akin pero hindi ko naalis. Siguro I didn't try hard enough to get rid of his arms.

"You're that mad?" This time humarap na siya sa akin. I can feel the stares of the people around us but it seems that this guy is oblivious of that fact. Wala man lang siyang pakialam kung gumagawa na kami ng eksena. Ugh! He is so exasperating and handsome and totally adorable.

I berate myself. I'm supposed to be mad at him. Why the hell am I praising him?

"Who wouldn't?" I crossed my arms in front of me and glared at his smiling face. Hey, I'm mad here! You're not supposed to smile, you ogre!

"I was proving a point." I rolled my eyes. Oh, right! He is!

"Point proven, old man!" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Hindi pa ako natuwa, sinimangutan ko pa siya. Ohh... I'll make this very hard for you Ian. You'll kneel and crawl just to have my forgiveness. You'll...napatigil ako sa pagiisip nung marinig ko ang malakas niyang tawa. Seriously? Hindi man lang siya naapektuhan ng galit ko?

"At dahil nagalit ka, let me make it up to you. Ililibre kita." Tuwang tuwa na sabi niya. Ganun lang yun? Anong akala niya sa akin? Nadadala ng libre? No! Of course not.

"No thank you very much." Umismid pa ako.

"No?" Biglang lumungkot ang mukha niya. Saglit akong nakunsensiya? Am I being to harsh and hard on him?

"No? Are you sure? Sayang...ililibre pa sana kita sa Donsol. You've mentioned that you wanted to see a whale shark right?" Napatingin ako sa kanya na nanlalaki ang mga mata. I opened my mouth to say something but close it again. Hindi ko alam ang sasabihin. Yes, I've mentioned it to him once. I've wanted to do it since I was young. It's like my ultimate dream and I can't believe he had plans of bringing me to Donsol.

"Sayang talaga Jee. I guess iparefund ko na lang ang ticket." I can see how he fakes his loneliness for he failed to hide his smile. Nangunot ang noo ko at nagsalubong ang mga kilay ko. This guy... this guy is going to met his end in no time. If only I could bear seeing his blood tainting this floor.

"Are you seriously shitting me Kriztian?"Hindi ko napigilan ang pagtaas ng boses ko. Now, I can clearly see the stares of the people around us. I'm already making a scene because of this fucking...guy! See! I can't even call him names. Gusto ko nang sabunutan ang sarili ko. Naramdaman ko ang pag iinit ng pisngi ko dahil sa pagkapahiya.

"Uh-uh..." Napatingin siya sa paligid.

"Sorry." I murmured to them. Humarap na ako ulit sa pila at hindi na humarap kay Ian. I didn't even glance at him even after I've paid the cashier. Dumiretso lang ako ng lakad kahit na alam kong nakasunod siya sa akin. Palabas na ako ng Accounting nung maramdaman ko ang hawak niya sa braso ko.

"Where do you want to eat babe? It's almost lunch time." He said casually as if he didn't...no as if he didn't provoke me a while ago.

"Home." I continued walking. I didn't even try to remove his grasp on my arms. Now, I am beyond frustrated, I am now totally mad...even furious.

"We can't stay at your condo. You know that. Why don't we eat out." The nerve! I stopped walking and faced him.

"You can eat wherever you want. I will go home." Inalis ko na ang hawak niya sa akin at tinalikuran siya.

"Hey." Naramdaman ko na naman ang hawak niya sa braso ko. Pwede bang pabayaan na lang niya ako? Kung wala siyang gagawin kundi ang inisin ako, might as well leave me alone.

"What!"

"You're seriously mad at me?" I counted to three to calm myself but I failed. How can I calm down? So, I burst out.

"You've been pissing me off since this morning. No... since last night. What do you think? You think its fun joking about the whale shark?"Naramdaman ko ang pag iinit ng mga mata ko. ANg pag akyat ng init sa mukha ko. I can feel the liquid pooling at the corner of my eyes. Shit!

"Jee...you're not..." Hindi niya natapos ang sasabihin niya nung nakita niyang papaiyak na ako.

"You're a jerk! You know that! You're not funny!" I hastily wipe a single tear in my check. I hate it. Maybe, I am too emotional because it's the time of the month but then he's not in the position to joke about something that I've been dreaming for such a long time.

"Shit! Sorry. Halika, let's talk about it in the car." I can see panic in his eyes and maybe I am too distraught to fight him off so I let him led me to his car parked inside the parking building.

"Sorry babe." Hinawakan niya ang magkabilang pisngi ko.

"You know how much I wanted to see them. Para mo akong ininggit ng candy pero hindi mo ibibigay sa akin. You know how that feels?" Tuluyan nang tumulo ang mga luha ko na kanina ko pa pinipigilan. Napanganga siya habang nakatingin sa akin habang hindi malaman kung papaano papahiran ang mga luha ko. I wanted to curse myself for crying in front of him. Hindi ako umiiyak sa harap ng lalaki.

"I know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have joke about it."

"I wanted to see them since I was young. Alam mo yun."

"Yeah. Nagbibiro lang naman ako kanina. I mean, matutuloy naman talaga ang Donsol Napagpaalam na kita kina Tita Joanne. In fact, kasama natin sina Luke at sa susunod na sabado na tayo aalis."

"Really?" Oh my God! Para akong bata! But then... everyone is a child at heart right?

"Really. Wag ka nang umiyak. Pakiramdam ko ang sama ko. Sa susunod hindi na ako magbibiro tungkol sa whale sharks. Hindi ko naman alam na iiyak ka dahil sa balyena. Seriously, who would cry over a whale shark?" Napapailing siya pero tiningnan ko siya ng masama.

"Masama ka naman talaga and now you're calling me shallow! Boyfriend ba talaga kita? You're always making fun of me!Isa pa, mahal ko ang mga whale sharks. They're gentle creatures." Hinampas ko ang kamay niyang nakahawak sa pisngi ko.

"You love them so much that the prospect of not seeing them makes you cry? Whale sharks can make you cry? Kapag sa tanang buhay mo hindi mo ako nakita iiyakan mo din ba ako?"I look at him in disbelief. Ano ba ang sinasabi niya? He's comparing himself to whale sharks. He's mental.

"Of course not! Bakit ko iiyakan ang isang taong hindi ko man lang kilala?" Napaka-weird niya sa totoo lang.

"I guess as much. Now, it makes me jealous? Sana whale shark na lang ako." Napatingin na talaga ako sa kanya. Seryoso ba siya? Nagseselos siya sa mga whale sharks? I looked at him and indeed, he's serious. Biglang nawala ang inis ko sa kanya at napalitan ng pagkaaliw. It's not everyday that a boyfriend is jealous to a whale shark.

"Don't worry. You sort of remind me of them." I tapped his shoulder and then his face to console him. He looked at me in disbelief. He opened his mouth in an attempt to say something but he mesirably failed. He eneded up closing his mouth.

"Me?" He pointed at himself. Napangiti ako at tumango sa kanya.

"Yes, babe. When you're kissing me and you can't seem to get enough of me. You're like a whale shark making the most of the plankton." I gave him my most endearing smile.

"What the hell Jihann." Napapailing na lang siya at binuhay na ang makina ng sasakyan. The moment we're on the road on the way to my condo he looked at me and shook his head.

"What Ian?"

"Jee, please...while we're kissing, don't mention anything about a whale shark. Nakakawalang gana eh." Napapailing siya habang nagsasalita at napatawa ako ng malakas.

Nakarating kami sa condo na tinutukso ko siya. Sa sobrang asar niya, hindi na kami kumain sa labas. Nag take out na lang kami ng lunch at doon kumain. Pagkatapos namin kumain, nagpaalam ako sa kanyang maliligo. Iniwan ko siya sa living room na nagsusurf sa net gamit ang laptop ko.

"Hey!" Lumabas ako ng kwarto at nakita ko siyang tutok na tutok pa din sa laptop. Sobrang seryoso ng mukha niya na hindi man lang niya ako napansin na lumapit sa kanya.

"Ian." Lumapit na ako sa kanya at pumunta sa likuran niya. I was smiling as I hugged him from the back but then my smile froze when I saw what he'd been reading.

Ash_babe: Dude, you're too wicked. The guy's too cute to be a rebound.

Napabitaw ako sa pagkakayakap kay Ian pagkabasa ko sa chat ni Ashley. Nakita ko din ang pinadala kong picture naming ni Ian sa kanya. Nawala na din ang ngiti sa mga labi ko at halos mapangiwi na ako nung mabasa ko ang reply k okay Ashley.

Jee_hon: You mean to say, cute guys shouldn't be a rebound?

Lumingon sa akin si Ian. His face unreadable and wearing an expression I've never seen him before.

"A rebound?" He said in a dangerous tone. I stepped back suddenly afraid of him. He looked murderous and for the first time in my life, natakot ako sa isang lalaki. I swallowed the lump in my throat and attempted to say something...anything but I can't barely open my mouth.

I just gape at him and I wasn't able to say anything but I can feel my heart hammering loudly inside my chest.