Chapter 13

Lathomia

Over the weekend, ang mga ginawa ko lang ay ang pumunta sa laundry shop para magbantay at hintayin si Korg na balikan niya iyong phone niya pero hindi naman niya binalikan at mukhang hindi naman siya nag-aalala na nawala iyong phone niya, what could it be diba? Kung may importante siyang files or something sa phone niya, he would've immediately take an action para makuha niya ito but then I guess, wala naman siyang pake or he wasn't really a gadget person lang talaga? Don't know but I kinda hope he would come back and we could see each other again.

I did not temp myself na buksan ang phone niya, to see really if there's something hiding between those camera rolls pero syempre umira pa rin sa akin ang pagiging mabait at hindi pinakelaman ang kanyang phone though one time, I thought that he was the one calling but then it just shows the name Lathomia and I don't know whose calling and I didn't bother to accept the call kasi hindi ko naman pagmamay-ari but then ngayon ibabalik ko sa kanya ang phone niya and we hope, all is well.

Nang dumating naman ang school bus, pagkapasok ko pa lamang ay napansin kong iba ang driver at ang usual seat ko ay may nakaupo rin kaya naman sa kabilang side ako umupo, still first row pa rin naman. While on the road, I just heard that the previous driver were destined into another school bus, I don't know any further information but I think I'll get used to it.

Nang makarating naman kami sa Savvy, all school busses were dropping off their students, nakita ko rin naman kaagad si Pee shooter na tumatakbong palapit sa akin. He wrapped his arm around my neck nang makalapit sa akin.

"What the hell, Pee shooter?" aniko dahil ang ligalig niya kaagad at ayaw niyang alisin ang kamay niya sa balikat ko kahit bigat na bigat na ako.

"I know what happened, Adeilane! You gotta tell me how it goes!"

Of course, he knows about the dinner because I did tell him.

"I will tell later, I promise!" ngiti ko pa sa kanya.

He shook his head, "you really should 'cause you got to be with the only jerk in the campus, that redhead."

Napangisi naman ako sa sinabi niya, "well... maybe I was the only one could tame him."

He look at me, really shocked and trying to compose himself because of what I said. Natawa na lang din naman ako sa kanya at tumuloy na lang kami sa first class namin. As expected habang naglalakad kami ay hindi na niya ako tinigilan sa kakatanong niya, but I didn't spill any word para naman mas lalo siyang sabikin kapag sinabi ko na sa kanya and I don't care kung ikwento ko rin iyong mga sabaw and embarrassing moments na nangyari because that would make the dinner so good.

Natigil lamang si Pee shooter nang dumating na ang first professor namin, as usual, hindi naalis ang tingin ko nang makita ko na naman ang Dad ni Korg and I'm fond of their faces, siguro sa buhok na rin nilang kulay pula kaya hindi ko maalis ang tingin ko sa kanya. And suddenly, bumalik ang kare-kare sa utak ko. I shook my head to escape from my thoughts.

Nang muli akong tumingin sa harap ay nakatingin ito sa akin, ngumiti din naman ako, syempre to show respect and then I looked away immediately. I saw Pee shooter giggling on his seat at napaatas na lang din ako nang kilay sa kanya dahil that was really an uncomfortable moment, that was his dad and I shouldn't be doing that, but showing attractions isn't bad naman diba?

Just because algebra ang subject namin, mas lalo akong hindi prepare dahil hindi pa nagpa-process ang utak ko with those problems and solutions and I couldn't hide myself kapag nagtatawag ang prof namin for recitation and the worst thing could happen, ako talaga ang pinili niya. I'm not even raising my hand or volunteered to answer on board. This is a forced education!

"I really don't know the answer, sir..." I said honestly but it's a shame to get a response from my classmates who just laughed at me.

"You listened to my lecture, right?" tanong nito saka tumango naman ako sa kanya, "then you can do it! Go on, just give it a try." He said and handed over the white board marker at hinarap ko naman ang board with these numbers, I know this is just a basic algebra but I couldn't help myself to do it. "Do not think you can't do a thing because you don't know how to do it, just believe that you can if you find another way to solve it, not the way they know, but the way you do."

I looked at him with a shame face, "I'm sorry sir."

He nodded, "let me have it, Miss Carreon, thank you," he said and I walked back to my chair and couldn't think that these people around me looked at me that I didn't even know how to solve a single problem. Psh. Masyado lang talaga akong na-out of place at hindi ko alam kung paano. I admit, but when I do know it, baka mapanganga na lang sila bigla.

The lecture and recitation goes on, hindi na ako tinatawag syempre dahil baka hindi ko na naman masagot iyong problem and I think he do understand kung bakit hindi ko nasagot iyon, I jot down notes naman na para mareview ko rin after.

After class, palabas na naman kami ni Pee shooter nang classroom nang bigla akong tawagin ni Sir Sawyer. I don't know what it means pero mukhang kakausapin niya ako about sa nangyari kanina. Pee shooter stayed outside habang kasama ko naman si sir sa loob.

He really looks Korg. That's why I love this school.

"Sir, what is it about po?" I asked.

"I know we're just on our first few weeks, what happened earlier, I hope that won't happen again."

Tumango naman kaagad ako sa kanya, "yes, sir and sorry 'bout that."

"That's okay, I understand, because every student does have their own world sometimes," he said and I've got to looked away because of what he said, "but what happen at your dinner with my children? They told me it was good."

I didn't expect that he would speak about it because I don't think that Korg and Gell really shared those kind of events to their parents but I can see that they were open about it, and I think that's good because I can see how their relationship goes.

I smiled, proudly even, "glad they like it though and hopefully there would be a next time."

"Then if there is, you should invite us too." Aniya na muntik ko pang ikabigla, but yes, nagulat ako nang banggitin niya iyon.

"I would love that sir, maybe soon or we may not even know when will it happen again."

He nodded, "but I hope it will, I wanted to know you more," he said and I didn't know what's the context on that sentence, ikinabit-balikat ko na lang din naman. "But the mango graham cake were delicious, I hope you can bring one someday."

"Wow, thank you, I will sir, I can give it to Gell or Korg, if I did."

"Sure," he smiled, "go get on your next class now."

Pagkalabas ko naman nang classroom, as always, binanatan na naman ako ni Pee shooter nang tanong niya at syempre, hindi ko kaagad iyon sinabi sa kanya at mapapahaba na talaga ang usapan namin mamayang break. Inis na inis naman siya sa akin kasi kahit isang topic ay hindi ko mabitaw-bitawan sa kanya and that makes him so furious kaya tawang tawa rin ako sa kanya.

The clas started, our professor didn't discussed but we just read a ten chapter novella and write a review about it after. Iyon lang ang ginawa namin sa second class namin, kaya mabilis rin kaming natapos ni Pee shooter—actually, he's the first one who got to passed the review because on what he said that he's a book lover, I wonder if it's really a novel or a just magazine with stunning abs on the cover.

"I heard that the student's lounge we're open now!" Pee shooter said.

"They don't have free foods there right?"

He raise his brow, "they don't but the ambiance is really good, why don't we try it?"

And I don't have any choice dahil hinatak na niya ako palabas ng building papunta doon sa students lounge. Though mas marami pa rin ang mga pumupunta sa cafeteria because it is big enough and the foods were free because it came with our tuition, nang marating namin ang student lounge, yes, there are students going in and out pero kakaunti lang at karamihan sa kanila ay mga nagchichikahan lang din naman.

Pee shooter didn't failed to amaze, ang sabi niya ay marami daw talagang nabago sa renovation na ginawa nila. Mostly, mas nagkaroon daw nang space for students and also meron na ring leisure room for those students na bored na bored na sa premises nang Savvy but you can't just be bored kung palagi ka namang nakakakita ng gwapo. Well, for me, nakakapagod lang maghanap but still worth it kapag sama sama silang naglalakad.

Bumili naman si Pee shooter nang half dozen ng donuts doon saka kami naghanap ng mauupuan. Nagbaon din kasi ako nang mango graham cake ko and I wanna see how Pee shooter would love it, puro matatamis na ang kinakain niya.

"What about Bella? Alam ba niyang nandito tayo?" I asked.

He nodded, "yes, I called her earlier na dito nga tayo sa student lounge mag-break. Papunta na rin siguro 'yon, we should just wait for her."

Habang kumakain kaming dalawa ay syempre, sinimulan ko na ang pagku-kwento sa kanya. Dumistansya lang ako nang kaunti sa kanya dahil baka mabugbog niya ako nang wala sa oras.

"Why would you bleached your hair naman kasi?"

I shrugged off, "why I wouldn't? Mas okay nga sa akin ang blonde diba?"

He looked at me, and nodded, "bagay naman, maputi ka with your blonde hair."

"Iyon lang?"

"Expecting something I would say?" aniya.

I rolled my eyes, "whatever, and then there's Gell. I really don't know her, and I thought he was with Korg the whole time—"

"You thought they were together?" I nodded to him, "why would you think that?"

I shook my head out fo frustrations, "hindi ko rin alam, and that's the embarrassing moment, my parents asked how long they have been together and that reveals the truth na magkapatid pala sila, and the history of her hair kung bakit siya black hair."

Natawa na lang din naman si Pee shooter at napakunot noo na lang din naman ako sa kanya.

"And also he left his phone on our house—" nang kapain ko naman ang phone sa bag ko ay sakto namang may pumasok na kalalakihan sa students lounge at nang isa isa ko silang tingnan ay huli namang pumasok si Korg and I immediately stood up from the couch and left Pee shooter and heard him calling my attention but my attention is all on Korg.

"Alex!" bumungad pa sa akin si Bella.

"Wait." Iyon na lang ang nasabi ko sa kanya saka ko siya nilagpasan at dumiretsyo sa grupo nila Korg and I can see that he can walked without assistance na. He's doing great.

When he notice my presence ay nginitian din ako nito, nang mapansin din naman ng mga kagrupo niya ako ay nang-asar naman sila bigla. Napailing na lang din naman si korg habag hiyang hiya naman ako dahil pinagtitinginan na rin ako nang ibang students.

"What is it, Alex?" he said.

Agad ko namang kinuha sa bag ko ang phone niya saka iyon inabot sa kanya, "you left it on our house, akala ko babalikan mo pa and it seems like you didn't bother that you left it."

"You found it," aniya, "but I already bought a new one though. I already cut off the line on that phone."

Napatango na lang din naman ako sa kanya, "I just thought of giving it back dahil baka may important files ka diyan."

"Yeah, he has nudes in there." Pang-aasar naman ng kasama niya.

Natawa naman si Korg saka bumaling sa akin, "I really do but I don't think you find it out." ngisi pa nito sa akin, "but anyway, thanks."

Pero bago pa man ay may hinabol akong sinabi sa kanya, "you said you cut off the line from that phone but before you happen to do it, someone called and I thought you must know it too."

His forehead creased, "who was it?"

"Named Lathomia, that name shows on the screen."

"Oh..." that's the only thing he did after I said that, "anyway... thanks for giving it back."

I nodded, "no problem."

I didn't get to thank him for doing me a favor dahil ewan ko, may napansin lang ako nang sabihin ko kung sinong tumawag sa kanya. And also by that, natahimik iyong mga teammates niya sa pang-aasar sa kanya and what would be the means of it?

But the only thing I regret that, he has his nudes on his phone and I didn't bother to see it.

Maybe, I would see it in personal na lang.

I go back to the couch at nakita ko si Bella at Pee shooter na may pinag-pi-piyestahan sa phone at tawa lang sila nang tawa dahil doon. Nang tanungin ko naman kung bakit, pinakita nila iyong picture ko na halos todo ngiti akong kausap si Korg and I think that woud add up on my embarrassing moments.

"What does it make him walked out from you, Alex?" Bella asked.

"He didn't..." I said... he just needed to be somewhere to talked about that Lathomia. I wonder who's that person is.