Chapter 6

Run

Thinking a lot of things have me an headache, wala ako sa wisyo kung anong gagawin ko, even my homeworks I couldn't make them because I don't have my bag. Don't have the contact number para tawagan si Reddy at pakiusapan na bumalik siya sa bahay to give my bag out but if I still had his number, wala rin naman akong lakas ng loob gawin 'yon. It's too dark outside and I couldn't bear to have him just to give the bag, inisip ko na lang din ay magkikita naman kami bukas and we can just forget all the things happened, except my favor for him and actually, he's into it. Hindi ko alam kung anong nasa isip niya, but still, he's in.

Five minutes na ang nakalipas pero hindi pa rin dumadaan ang school bus, I don't have any idea kung anong nangyari. Nandito lang ako sa porch, naghihintay na dumating ang service ko, with just the required paper na pinapapasa kahapon.

And then for a minute, I thought I was hallucinating seeing a red Ferrari pull over in front of our house, it was just like dreaming what happened last night and I couldn't still believe that I get to sit and be with Korg last night, on his precious million worth of car.

The next thing woke me up from senses were the loud horn made by the car and to see that the mirror were sliding down and Reddy's face showed up there—there's no brunetty! I immediately stood up from sitting and my parents, came out of the door and they were talking me with their eyes as I walked towards the Ferrari and as I came closer, he opened the door himself but I just stood there still don't have any idea what's happening.

"C'mon! Get inside!" he said, waving his hands to get me inside. "I just saw your school bus and they were on a flat tire..."

I still don't have any reaction and he do it again, shocked me from horning it.

"Why would you do that?"

He smirked and shooked his head, "nah, I just love your reaction." He said, "c'mon, help youself, get inside."

Napataas naman ang kilay ko sa sinabi niya, nag-aalangan pa ako kung seryoso ba siya sa pag-alok niya sa akin or he was just playing with me pero hindi niya ako inalisan ng tingin, bumalik ang tingin ko sa parents ko at nag-thumbs up sila sa akin at halatang pinupush nila akong sumakay sa loob. Siguradong male-late ako kapag hinintay ko pa ang school bus and being late isn't my thing.

"Are you just gonna stand there?" he mocked but then I hurriedly come inside his car and seated right beside him and it give me chills because it still feel so awkward and fulfilling—I don't know why I said that—it just means, I get a ride with the famous redhead in our campus.

He looked at me with curiosity because I couldn't hide my excitement.

"What's with the full smile?" he asked, chuckling a little.

I shook my head and face him, "nothing..." but then I remember one thing that I left here, nanlaki naman ang mata ko and his reaction will be vivid in my memories because he's surprise by it. "Wait, did you found my backpack?"

He smirks, "yeah, you left it here." He said and reach for it on the back and gave it on me, "never know a person could lose her bag."

"It's just one time." Sagot ko naman sa kanya at saka ko madaling kinuha ang mga homeworks ko.

"What are you doing?" he asked, creasing his forehead.

"Cramming my homeworks, obviously." I said to him, "and what are we still doing here?"

He smirks and shook his head, "okay ma'am, we're going."

Habang nagda-drive naman siya ay abala naman ako sa pagsagot sa homeworks. Good thing lang dahil hindi niya ako ginugulo and he understand my cramming profession and he need his attention on the road and I don't wanna have some break bones on my body. But hey, I still couldn't resist the feeling of having him on the road—it is like we're having a loen roadtrip except the homeworks—hope this would work after, or maybe he's just friendly to otherwise he needs something...

Not that long when wer reach Savvy and I'm still halfway on my homeworks. Sinisi ko pa siya dahil ang bilis bilis naming makarating at sana hinintay niya munang matapos ako sa pagsagot ko saka kami makarating but no, he's now parking his car and I couldn't help myself but to jump out of his car.

"Fuck! What do you think your doing?!" he hissed but I find myself coping up with my balance and when I do, I watched him stopped the engine of his car and can't tame to get out and obviously to say something because base on his reaction, the thing I did wasn't good for him.

"What?" I said in a low tone of voice, trying to be the victim.

He put his hands on my arms, "don't do that again, understood?"

I just nodded to him and didn't speak and when he patted me and watched him walked away. I saw the brunette girl bumped him and they walked together going inside the building. Without the etiquette, I ran going inside the building and towards my room and as I sit there, I easily crammed up my paper and my last five minutes before the first periods time, I finished my homeworks.

Sumandal naman ako sa inuupuan ko at huminga nang malalim, naipahinga ko rin naman ang kamay ko at saka nagulat ako nang mapalingon ako sa katabi ko. Hindi ko namalayan na nandito na pala si Pee shooter at ang sama ng tingin niya sa akin.

"Didn't know you're here already." Sabi ko naman sa kanya.

He rolled his eyes, "you didn't even say good morning to me instead you sit up straight and did your homework. I'm talking to you but you weren't listening, so I stopped and just looked at your cram at your homework."

Napatango na lang din naman ako sa sinabi niya, "sorry? Is that should I say?"

He grunted and rolled his eyes, "you know what, don't bother to answer that but I would like to know what happened here."

"Here?" tanong naman niya sa akin.

He nodded, "obviously, Alma, you're cramming and you aren't supposed to do that, in just the first week of classes."

Nagdadalawang isip naman ako kung sasabihin ko ba sa kanya iyong rason or hahayaan ko na lang siyang mag-isip dahil wala na siyang pakelam pero dahil hindi ko rin makayanan ang isarili iyon, nang sasabihin ko naman sa kanya iyon ay bigla namang dumating ang professor namin at si Miss Keltz iyon.

"Wow!" bungad nito papunta sa kanyang desk, "good to see familiar faces here." Ngiti pa niya sa amin, "anyway, most of you know me and obviously I don't know all of you but we don't need to bother ourselves for some introduction..." and we thought it's good, until... "but because I'm you're Spanish Professor, we'll do it by then."

Hindi namin alam kung ano ba talaga ang gustong iparating sa amin ni Miss Keltz dahil ayaw niya kaming mag-intro pero nagsuggest siyang gawin iyon through Spanish language and we still don't have any idea to what we do because she supposed to teach before we do it, right? Siguro, mas bagay akong maging professor at paupuin na lang si Miss Keltz.

So we get to learn basic translations from English grammar to Spanish grammar, and some Filipino words to some likely the same of Spanish. We do it then by reciting those phrases and sentences one by one and that only brings bored of attention to all the class and we couldn't help to think that the time should end fast as it could be.

Before Pee shooter and I left the room, Miss Keltz called me. Pee shooter waited outside, on the hallway.

"Yes, Miss Keltz?" tanong ko naman sa kanya.

"The faculty found you so interesting."

Napakunot noo naman ako sa sinabi ni Miss Keltz, "ano pong ibigsabihin no'n?"

"As one of the scholar and a homeschooled, the faculty looked up to you as one of the dean's lister."

That surprises me, "wow, that's big, Miss Keltz but I don't think I can come to that."

"And there's one more." Aniya pa, "what organization... club, did you joined?"

"Drama... I think." I nodded to her, "Yes, Drama club."

"Drama? Are you sure you really fit in that club?" tanong pa nito sa akin na halatang wina-wash out ang aking pag-iisip at nahuli naman niya ako dahil nagdadalawang isip ako but then I have Pee shooter and Bella to guide me. "You can be on the Decathlon team, if you want too."

I really don't have the answer.

"What do you think?" she said.

I shrugged off my shoulder, "I really don't know Miss, maybe, I should think of it by then."

She smile, seemingly confident that I'll choose the Decathlon. "Whatever you choice Alex, we're just offering some good things for you but still it's yours, see you 'round."

I nodded, "see you 'round, Miss Keltz."

When I left the room and she followed, Pee shoot immediately asked what we just talked about but I just shrugged off and shook my head to him and said that it was nothing, it was just because of my scholar and that's all. I don't wanna create some conflict between my friends and those kinds of things. It's too early for things to be complicated.

But I'm sure I'm gonna be happy at the drama club.

"So... tell me what you'll gonna say earlier."

"Err..." I mumbled, "do I really have too?"

He nodded, "yes, of course, what do you think I'm gonna do?"

I shook my head, "nothing... it's just that I'm not comfortable with it."

He stare at me for few seconds and couldn't even bother to make it go away because he's still wanted me to speak up for it. "Go on... I'm just gonna listen to you."

When we reach our next room, doon ko sinabi sa kanya kung bakit ako nag-cramming at ang dahilan pa no'n and he's so jealous because they knew, almost all of the students here weren't able to see that redhead with random girls coming out from his car except the brunette girl and myself.

"You're so lucky... how did you do that?"

"He insists." Sagot ko naman sa kanya, "I didn't do anything, the bus left already and he's the reason why I didn't catch up to my bus."

"And you're still doing that dinner?" he said, "Can I join?"

I nodded to him, "yes but you can't." sabi ko naman, "it is sacred, it's only for the family."

He rolled his eyes, "I'm gonna tell you, that's just gonna be a one time and when he asked you a favor, it's more than that."

Napakibit balikat na lang din naman ako sa kanya, "whatever it is, I owe him."

He smirked, "you don't know what he's capable girl."

"Oh, I know." I said confidently. "He's good at bed."

Nanlaki naman ang mata ni Pee shooter sa sinabi ko, "that's not what I'm saying but girl, you're really into him, huh!"

Nanahimik na lang din naman ako dahil baka sa hanggang saan pa umabot ang topic namin and I don't like going in deep with that kind of topics lalo na't bet na bet ko kung sino ang pinag-uusapan namin at hanggat sa nagsalita muli siya about signing up for the Drama club and it goes back to what Miss Keltz said, hindi tuloy ako makapag-isip nang maayos. Sinisi pa niya ako dahil bigla dahil akong nawala sa pila kahapon and they need to forge my signing up on Drama Club List at dahil alam niya nga ang rason kung anong nangyari, pinalampas na lang din niya.

"Wala na tayong class after lunch break kaya didirestyo na tayo sa drama club, okay?"

Tumango naman ako sa kanya, "do I need to prepare something?"

Mabilis naman siyang sumang-ayon, "yes... you need yourself and have your mind present all the time."

"Brain..." I murmured. "Anyway... what kind of drama we're supposed to do?"

"That's what the meeting will happen later, okay?"

I didn't ask anymore, nauuwi lang sa pambabara niya sa akin. Umayos naman kami sa pagkakaupo nang dumating na ang professor namin at halos hindi ako mapakali na ang tatay ni Reddy ang humarap sa amin. I still couldn't help myself to look on him as Red not just because of their red hair but because of their physical features, I'm still wondering how he looks beyond that thick coat and shirts of him.

I didn't say that—that wasn't me.

I'm against on that kind of relationship because I was referring into his son, not him. Just to be clear.

All the time, I couldn't look straight into his class even though he's trying to communicate and pointed me to answer his question, I just called out Pee shooter to help me because all the words coming from his mouth weren't processing inside my brain. It's loose and the parts of it were not operating.

Nakahinga naman ako ng maluwag nang matapos ang klase at tumuloy naman kami sa canteen para mag-lunch. Pumila naman si Pee shooter para kumuha ng pagkain niya habang pumunta naman ako ng restroom sandali at papasok pa lamang ako ng restroom nang matigil ako sa may bandang pintuan dahil ang bumungad sa akin ay ang brunette girl na girlfriend—not sure though—ni Reddy.

"Well... look whose going on our heels, today." She said and there's only thing I wanna do right now.

Run.

And yep, I heard that sound drop, in my brain.