Chapter 9

Company

When Pee shooter and I reach the clinic, agad naman kaming in-assist ng mga nurse doon at chineck-up naman kaagad ang condition ko. Nilagyan ako nang thermometer para tingnan kung gaano kataas ang init sa katawan ko. Last night, it almosts rise up to thirty nine degrees but it got lessen because I drink the med they gave it to me pero syempre it doesn't always effect on the first time. When the nurse check it up, sinat na lang naman daw ang meron ako at kung ano man daw ang pagod na nararamdaman ko ay pahinga lang naman ang katapat no'n.

Lunch break namin kaya sakto lang na magpalipas nang oras dito, ang sabi ng nurse kung maaaring umuwi na lang daw ako para mas maging maayos ang pagpapahinga ko but I insist to stay. Sabihan nang matigas ang ulo ko but I'd rather to give myself rest her to continue on my next classes. Education is the most important thing happened in every of our lives, we should treasure it.

Oh... it's the medicine, my brain should shut up so it won't go any further.

"Just go with Bella at the Cafeteria." Sabi ko naman sa kanya.

Napakunot noo naman siya sa sinabi niya, "why? I could call her at dito na lang siya papuntahin. She could bring some foods diba."

"I need a rest, Pee shooter, hindi ang kadaldalan."

He nodded, "fair enough, but we'll missed you at our table."

"It's just this time, Pee Shooter. Go on, be with Bella at the Cafeteria."

Napahinga naman siya nang malalim. I know he cares, and he wouldn't wanna leave me alone pero syempre, mababagot lang siya sa dito sa clinic when I was the only one here at hindi naman niya ako kailangan pang bantayan. I could give him a call, instead.

"Sure?" he said and so I nodded. "Call me, if you needed something."

"Okay... I'll alarm my phone, so I get to class on time."

"You should follow the nurses instruction."

Napangisi naman ako sa sinabi niya, "you really cares, huh."

He rolled his eyes, "you're still a girl, Annie, a fragile one."

Ibinato ko naman sa kanya iyong unan pero nasalo naman niya, I don't have the energy para lakasan iyon. Binato naman niya sa akin pabalik kaya isinangga ko na lang ang braso ko para hindi tamaan ang mukha ko.

"Go on! Bella's waitin' on you." I said and because he don't have any choices to do, lumabas na lang din siya ng clinic para puntahan si Bella sa Cafeteria. Inalarm ko muna ang phone ko bago ko tuluyang pinikit ang mga mata ko at makapagpahinga. Mga sampung minuto pa ang itinagal dahil kung ano anong pumasok sa isip ko saka ako tuluyang tinamaan ng antok.

-

Naalibadbaran ako nang magising ako dahil sa ingay ng boses ng mga lalaking pumasok sa loob ng clinic. Tinakpan ko naman ang tenga ko pero hindi effective dahil nagtatawanan pa ang mga iyon. Nang tingnan ko naman ang oras sa phone ko ay napasinghal na lang din ako dahil isang oras pa bago tumunog ang alarm ko. Pinilit ko pa rin namang bumalik sa pagkakatulog pero hindi ko na mabawi ang antok ko kaya nakatingin lamang ako sa kisame habang pinapakinggan kung anong nangyayari sa kabilang kama—because there were curtains separating the beds and not to disrupt any patients.

"See you later, Korg!" one guy who speak says redhead's name and I couldn't make myself calm and my chest were bumping alongside to the feeling na si Korg ang katabi kong kama—I'm not sure, maybe they had just the same name—or I was just misheard it.

"Heal that ankle, Sawyer." And when another man speak that name, I knew it, it was really redhead on the other side.

Naging tahimik ang loob ng clinic nang lumabas ang ibang mga kasama ni Korg. He was attended by a nurse and maybe, circling thoughts in my brain, helping to ease the pain from his ankle. When I heard the nurse that Korg's will be fine and he could go already but he insists to stay for a minute and just give himself a rest for a minute. Obviously, what's goin' in my brain that the nurse is trying to flirt with him. I hope was the one who could do that.

The room become quiet. The only thing I could feel was my trembling chest and I don't know why or it is just because I'm in the same room with Korg. Just like the way I feel inside his car.

Somehow, I get to sneeze that really echoes all over the room. Nahiya naman ako bigla dahil baka marinig niya iyon and I was hoping he's asleep. Nang subukan ko namang bumangon para silipin siya sa kabilang side, bigla naman siyang nagsalita at dali dali akong napatalon sa kama ko at at para akong bato na hindi makagalaw.

"Hello?" he said... "I'm not alone for sure because I heard you sneeze..." napahilamos na lamang ang palad ko sa mukha ko sa sinabi niya. "By the way, I couldn't sleep, so you didn't woke me up."

But I still come in silence.

"Wait... am I talking to someone or it is just me?" and he mumbled something I didn't understand.

I gulped, finding some courage to say a word.

"I'm here..." trying to speak with a different tone, so he couldn't notice it was me.

"Oh, hi." He said, "glad I'm not crazy here, though." He said, didn't even know he's too much talkative right now or it is just because of the med also? "What's your name?"

Napangisi naman ako sa sinabi niya, "you don't need my name... you didn't even wanted to know me."

"Why would you say that?" aniya.

Natahimik naman ako sa tanong niya at hindi ko alam kung anong isasagot ko sa kanya. Napansin ko rin naman na bigla rin siyang tumahimik kaya nagtataka ako kung bakit o siguro'y tuluyang siyang nakatulog pero ilang saglit lang din naman ay may biglang humawi nang kurtina sa gilid at bumungad mismo sa akin si Korg na inaalalayan pa ang sarili dahil sa injury niya.

"Oh, you!" aniya na halatang gulat pa nang makita ako.

"You jerk!" binato ko naman ang unan ko sa kanya, at natamaan naman siya noon dahil hindi siya kaagad nakaiwas gawa nang injury niya. "How can you do that?!" I exclaimed.

"What did I do?! I just wanted to see the person whom I talking to!" he countered.

"Yes... but what if I'm undresses? Huh. How would you defend yourself?!"

Napataas naman siya ng kilay sa sinabi ko, "why would you be undress?" tanong nito sa akin.

Doon ko lang din narealize kung ano iyong sinabi ko. "Why would you care, though?! You should mind your own business, we need rests and I think you need to go back on your bed."

"What if I don't?" he smirked.

"You, redhead jerk."

"Well... that's compliment." He said.

My eyes narrowed on him, nagtatalo ang isip ko kung maiinis ako at kakabahan dahil sa interactions na nangyayari sa aming dalawa pero hindi ko alam kung bakit mas naasar ako sa kanya ngayon. Siguro kasi, hindi ko pa nabawi ang tulog ko!

I crossed my arms while he helped himself going back to his bed. Oo na, gusto ko siyang tulungan at tumabi sa kanya pero syempre, hindi ganoon kadali iyon. We should possessed the maria clara style but with modern features and he should see na hindi ako maghahabol sa kanya, kailangan ako ang habulin niya, and this matter doesn't make any sense.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked, but I still ignore his presence. I don't understand why I keep doing that when earlier I was too eager seeing him on the other but now the curtains were moved and we're seeing each other on the both side, I think it's enough, it's good to act like you're this kind of girl who don't fall easily pero masyadong marupok kapag sinabihan ng mahal kita—and that's a gross thing could happen but still good to hear. "Look, okay, I'm sorry... I just wanted to see whose on the other side and didn't know you would react like that."

I looked at him, "what do you think I would react? Go lush in your arms? Psh, in your dreams."

"No..." he said, and I'm already embarrassed. "But if you think that would be, then it is. And so I wanna say sorry... would you accept that? Cause you know, you still need me." and when I looked at him for saying that, he wink at me and couldn't even tame him but that's perfect and I think it's sexy.

"Whatever... sorry it is, sorry... whatever."

"So you accept it?" he said and I timidly nodded for a respond, "and now we're okay... the dinner is still possible to happen."

"That's still happening whether we like each other or not."

"That implies what?" he said.

"Nothing, I just said it for you to think I know everything."

He smirked, "you're really a smart girl, huh... but why did you ended here?" Coming from him is really a compliment, some girls says if you were complimented by a man when you're alone, it is truth because when its crowded, it always fall on pagiging pakitang tao... that's how it goes but I think he's just playing with me. And I should ride with him—it, rather.

"I'm sick, it occurs last night and until now..."

His face become worried in a sudden but I don't think its what my eyes see. "Why you still come at school?"

"I can't miss my class."

"Oh... just like what I heard, you were homeschooled." He chuckles.

"What's funny with that?"

He immediately shook his head to defend himself, "nothing, it's natural on what I do." he said.

"Whatever," I said rolling my eyes. "I do have the most peaceful rest earlier until you and your team mates came and I couldn't fall asleep again."

"Oh, my bad." He said, "Those boys are really loud and they just helped me, 'cause I trip on the field and my it injures my ankle. I can't come on practice tomorrow just to heal it up."

"Oh, sorry to hear that... I hope it will heal faster." I said, and he just nodded. "When's the competition?"

"Next weekend, we're going to fight on another international school and we couldn't bear to lose but they need to practice without me."

"You're the star player, they needed you."

He sighed, "but I can't... I can't risk it." He said and I felt more worry about his condition. If his ankle wouldn't heal, he couldn't play at their game and it's not a good part for him because he's the one whose making the team reach the end and win... though I haven't seen them in actual game but just on a practice. "Hey... but I think of something."

Napataas naman ang kilay sa sinabi niya, "what it is?"

"Do you need to be anywhere tomorrow or something important to do?"

I shook my head, "not that I could think of, why do you ask?"

"We could make the dinner happened." he said, and my eyes widened because I know he wouldn't be serious about this but he insisted it. "I can't make it to the game practice tomorrow, instead of resting, how about doing that dinner?"

"Are you really sure about that?" I asked.

He nodded, just like a child, he is persistent.

"Yes! What do you think?"

But the next thing happened that startled me was the alarmed on my phone and panic because I have to be in my next class in any minute.

"Wait, what are you doing?" he asked because he knows that I'm sick and eventually leave the bed. "Where are you going?"

"On my next class." I said.

"But you need to rest."

I nodded, "I did and thank you for the company but I really need to go."

He couldn't make me to stop but he calls me again to remind myself about the dinner and I just said, I will informed him about that and by that, I don't how to tell that to him because I have no contact with him. And I think, I'm a worse kind of human but still, a good thing happened.