Chapter 10

"So, how are we going to proceed with this?" I heard Serron asked.

"Babaguhin na ba natin?" patanong na sagot ni Derby.

"I think we can still do this," sagot ni Archie sa tabi ko. "I believe that she only declined our idea because we weren't able to discuss it further. I know it has potential."

"I believe mas may potential tayong dalawa, Archie." Hagikgik pa ni Serron.

"Naku, kayong dalawa talaga! Bet mo ba si Archie, Serron?" Nakangiting tanong ni Jayda.

Napangisi na lamang si Archie.

"O, based on his reaction, I don't think I have. Baka si lutang girl meron. Isel?"

"Huh?" Iniangat ko ang ulo ko at tiningnan ko si Serron na binanggit ang pangalan ko. Nagtaka naman ako dahil silang apat ay nakatingin sa akin. Na-conscious naman ako bigla dahil titig na titig din sila sa akin. Napakunot na lamang ako ng noo habang ini-isa-isa ko sila ng tingin. "Okay... bakit ganyan kayo makatingin?

Serron acted like he was shaken. "Girl, we're discussing here dahil ni-reject ni ma'am 'yong proposal natin. We need to come up with a new idea or proposal para makausad na tayo."

"Ah... okay."

"Anong okay?" iritadong tugon ni Serron. Napailing na lamang ito nang wala rin akong maisagot. "Anyway, baka gutom ka lang. Gusto mo samahan kita sa canteen?"

"I'll go with her," pagpresenta naman ni Archie. "I'm kinda hungry as well." Aniya sabay hawak sa kanyang tiyan.

I look at him and scrunched my face. I don't know why would he present himself to go to the cafeteria together. Ano ba akala nito? Porque gwapo, papayag ako? Pwes, wala akong choice today kaya hahayaan ko siyang samahan ako.

Naghabilin naman 'yong tatlo kung anong ipabibili nila sa amin. Serron even gave me an extra money so I could buy something interesting to eat. Hindi naman ako umangal dahil wala rin naman ako sa mood. Sabay naman kaming umalis and he was just following me on my side.

Tahimik lang ako all the way out. I'm still trying to sway my mind out of what happened last week. Kakaiba 'tong si Bennett, may girlfriend na nga, nakukuha pang sumuyo ng ibang babae. But at that moment, his intention came a little clearer to me, gusto lang ba niya akong tulungan financially or there's still other reason behind it? I'm not yet there so I have to keep digging.

"May iniisip ka na naman 'no?" Napatingin ako kay Archie nang biglang magsalita.

Umiling naman ako. "Mukha mo."

"You would be discussing with us earlier if you're not." Ngisi pa nito.

"Imbento ka," sagot ko. "Wala akong iniisip and you know what, we don't have to talk to each other. Sasamahan mo lang naman ako, 'di ba? Be quite."

"I can't keep myself quiet, baka mapanis lang ang laway ko."

"Hindi ko na problema 'yon."

"Why are you so... masungit, Criselda?"

Natigil ako sa paglalakad ko kaya napatigil din siya saka binalikan niya ako ng tingin. He creased his forehead and scratched his thumb on the side of his nose.

"What? It is true, right?"

Umiling ako para depensahan ko ang sarili ko. "Hindi ako masungit."

"So, wala kang gana?"

Napangiwi naman ako. "Not sure... pero parang gano'n na nga. Tara na nga. 'Wag ka na makulit at magtanong-tanong pa. Let's just get this over with para mapagpatuloy na natin 'yong discussion do'n."

He chuckled to what I said. Hindi ko na lang din 'yon pinansin at nagsimula na akong maglakad papunta sa cafeteria. Good thing, nanahimik din siya gaya ng sabi ko.

Hindi rin talaga ako nakikinig kanina, though naiintindihan ko naman 'yong iba, but not all of what they were saying. I've been acting up this way dahil kay Bennett. 'Yong unggoy na 'yon, hindi na talaga ako tinigilan. So, then I stalked his social media accounts at mostly private ang profile so I couldn't leech some information, but then I've decided to check his girlfriend profile and—viola! She's proud to let everyone know that they are in a relationship.

When I scrolled down her feed, she posted a throwback photo from Bennett's pageant and I guess that was four years ago on his freshman year. He won the title and the caption only says about his birthday and that'll be on October 23rd, two months away from now.

"Ma'am, what's your order?"

"I guess, she's lost in her unimaginable world again, so I'll order for us," Archie muttered.

"Huh? Ano 'yon?" I muttered, looking up at him.

He chuckled and shook his head. "I already took the order for us. We'll just have to wait for a few minutes."

"Oh... okay... salamat."

"No worries... but would you like to talk about what's going on your mind right now?" tanong nito sa akin pero nanatiling tikom ang bibig ko. He scrunched his face, taking a wild guess. "Is this about Bennett? You don't need to worry about him, his face is fine."

"I know..."

"You know?" he asked.

Muli akong umiling. "Joke lang, hindi."

He chuckled. "You're lying."

"I'm not."

"I'm sure I know when's a person lying or not and on your state, it's a crystal clear."

I grunted and rolled my eyes. "Manghuhula ka ba or sadyang may pagkapapansin ka lang?"

He shrugged off. "I don't know... tell me!"

"Ma'am, sir." Napalingon kami nang tawagin kami ng babaeng staff sa pinagbilhan namin ng pagkain. Inabot din naman nito sa amin ang mga inorder namin. Nagtaka na lamang ako nang biglang nag-abot ng sukli ang babae sa counter kay Archie at ibinulsa niya 'yon. Saka ko lang din na-realize na hindi ko pala naibigay ang pera na binigay ni Serron pambili ng foods.

"Teka, Archie, 'yong pera oh. Ikaw pala nagbayad."

Napangisi naman ito. "Ayos lang. Ibili mo na lang ng iba."

Napangiwi naman ako kasi hindi ko alam kung anong bibilhin kong iba rito. "Bet mo ng soft-ice cream?"

"Are you offering me?"

"E 'di wag," bigla kong pagbawi sa kanya. Agad naman niyang pinatong ang braso niya sa balikat ko at iginiya niya ako papalapit sa kanya.

"Joke lang naman, Criselda."

Hinampas ko naman siya sa dibdib ko. Umaray lamang ito at hinawakan ang kaliwang dibdib pero hindi pa rin niya inaalis ang pagkapupulupot ng braso niya balikat niya.

"Alam mo kayong dalawang magkaibigan, nakaaasar kayo."

He smirked. "For what? Wala naman akong ginagawa, a?"

"'Yang pagtawag niyo sa akin ng Criselda. Nakabu-bwisit na."

He laughed and then stopped when he saw my glares. "Oh, okay. I won't laugh. But it's your name, what's the problem in it?"

"Wala naman... I just don't like people calling me that name. Pwede namang Isel or Crisel."

"So, you basically hate your name?"

I shrugged. "Hindi naman... hindi lang ako sanay. Okay lang naman kapag mga kakilala ko, as in close friends and relatives, pero iyong ibang tao? I cringe so hard. Nakaloloka."

He chuckled. "Well, you better get used to it. Mas marami pang tatawag sa 'yo by that name. And I think it's pretty cool. It's like your name has a touch of historical meaning or whatever."

Napataas naman ang kilay ko sa kanya. "Kailan ka naman naging historian? Ang dami mo na namang sinasabi."

"I love talking to people. And you should also get used to it."

"Hm... siguro, kaya naman kita i-resist for this semester and I'll be fine."

"I bet you can't." He giggled. I shoved his hands off of me at nagsimula na akong maglakad papalayo sa kanya. Mabilis din naman niya akong hinabol. "Hey! Don't leave me alone."

"Isa pa. Ang kulit mo kasi."

"Isn't that what you like?"

I grunted then rolled my eyes as I continued walking back to the student's lounge area. Hinabol pa rin naman niya ako sa paglalakad/

"I thought we're going to buy some ice cream?" he wondered.

Umiling ako. "Nawalan na ako ng gana."

I heard him heaved out a sigh. "Would this make you feel fine?" Aniya pero hindi ko pinansin dahil ang sunod ko lang na naramdaman ay ang paghawak niya sa kamay ko. He was grinning when I turned to see him. Para siyang tanga. Agad kong inilayo ang kamay ko sa kanya at pinalo sa balikat. Tinawanan naman niya ako. "Now, I got your attention once again."

"Ang lakas mo mang-asar," iritado kong tugon. "Ayoko na ng ice cream. Bumalik na lang tayo sa kanila, okay? Do you understand, ayan na English na para gets na gets."

He only laughed at me. Alam kong hindi niya talaga ako titigilan hangga't hindi niya nagagawa 'yong gusto niyang gawin. Pumeywang ako at saka ko siya hinarap.

"Alam kong may gusto ka talagang sabihin sa akin, go na. Chance mo na."

"You sure?"

"Ay, 'wag na nga! Ang dami pang—"

"Okay, okay, chill!" He chuckled. "I know this might go as silly as it sounds, but I also need your answer, an honest one if you'd like to."

I sighed. "Go on... ano 'yon?"

"Bennett asked me—"

Napabuntonghininga ulit ako at tinapat ko ang palad ko sa mukha niya dahilan para hindi niya matapos ang sinasabi niya. Pero binaba ko rin naman ang kamay ko dahil hindi pa rin 'yan titigil hangga't hindi niya nasasabi kung ano man 'yon.

"Tuloy mo na," utos ko.

"I know you guys talked, well... he said so." Napakamot siya sa kanyang ulo. "Since he knew that we're blockmates and currently on the same group for this research, he puts me up to look on you and yes, he wants you to tutor him."

Napasinghal at iling na lamang ako. "Alam mo, sabihin mo r'yan sa kaibigan mo na hindi ako interesado. Saka hindi ko kailangan maging tutor niya. For sure, makahahanap siya ng makagagawa no'n sa university nila. O, bakit hindi 'yong girlfriend niya, 'di ba?"

"I think Cinema's busy..." Archie said. "She's part of the FEU's cheerdance squad and they will have a competition this coming November."

"Yeah, I know that... alam mo naman na ang university natin have won 6 championship while they won theirs a few years ago pa. You know we'll win this time again, bakit pa sila nag-pa-practice?"

"Uh... to waste their time?" he answered and we both laughed at it. "No, kidding. But, yeah, bago pa tayo malihis ng usapan, why wouldn't you accept it? I mean, you don't have to work in a fast food anymore and you'll be paid otherwise."

"Then meet his standards? No way."

He shrugged off. "Maybe, you have to negotiate with him. Do you think you can still handle your time with this research and your part-time job?"

Determinado naman akong tumango sa kanya. "Yes. If I can do it for the last few years, I still can do it this time. Saka ngayong semester na lang din naman 'to. Next semester, sa internship natin, I have to resign na and focus on it pero sa ngayon... wala pa akong ideya kung saan ako mag-intern, e."

"We'll sort out that soon, but thanks for answering my question. Let's go back to them."

"Oh... okay. 'Yon lang, wala na?"

"Uh... there's one—"

Nilapat ko ang daliri ko sa labi niya para hindi na siya magsalita ulit. Natigilan din siya sa pagsasalita niya. At hindi ko alam kung bakit napatitig na lang din ako sa kanya hangga't binawi ko na ang daliri ko. Tinalikuran ko siya at narinig ko ang mahinang tawa niya.

"I like that gold bangle, Criselda."

I wrapped my hand on my wrist where the bangle is. Napatango na lang din naman ako sa kanya kahit hindi niya makita 'yong reaksyon ko. Well, his lips are soft and I might say... he's such a cutie. Kaasar.

Hindi ko na lang din naman iyon pinansin hangga't sa makabalik kaming dalawa sa student's lounge at binigay na namin ang pinamili naming foods sa mga kagrupo namin.

When we continued discussing our topic, hindi ko naman maiwasang mapatingin kay Archie. But I'm trying to sway my sight from him 'cause he might catch me looking at him. Ayoko namang mangyari 'yon.

But I think he just wanted to be friend with me... or maybe not. But because he's friends with that Monkey-Bennett, hindi pa rin nila ako mauuto. Hindi ako marupok. I'm perfectly contented of what I have right now. Baka jowa na nga lang kulang.

"So, I guess, we'll continue with Archie's idea and then revise it. What do you think guys?" Serron asked and we all agreed to it. "Then it's settle. Ubusan na ng braincells."

***

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