Chapter 13

I drummed my fingers against the plastic material of my desk. Kanina pa ako palingon-lingon sa pintuan. Baka late lang siya? O di kaya'y absent na naman ngayon?

Sighing to myself, I pulled out my book when I saw our professor entering the classroom. Mukhang hindi nito napansin na mag-aapat na araw nang absent si Sage. I last saw him on Friday, when he insisted on having lunch with me again. But this time, wala na ang dalawang magkapatid. Si Aaric at Sage nalang.

Did something happen to him while he's on Mati with Aaric?

I couldn't shake the horrible thoughts away. Lapitin pa naman ng gulo si Sage. He's short-tempered and will automatically ask for a fight whenever he can. Baka naman napaaway na naman siya?

For the rest of the class, my mind drifted back and forth to Sage. I couldn't concentrate on the lesson. Hindi ko rin siya nakikita kapag dumadaan ako sa palayan nila tuwing uwian. Is something wrong with him?

As soon as my last class is over, I hurriedly gather my things and scurried out of the room.

"Mallory!"

Nahinto ang mabilis kong paglalakad nang marinig kong tawagin ni Leon ang pangalan ko. I pasted a smile and turn to him but it soon vanished when I saw something on his hand.

"I... uh..." he scratched the back of his neck, his ears turning pink. Isa sa mga kakilala niya ay itinulak pa siya palapit sa akin at hiniyawan. Malaki ang ngisi nitong palipat-lipat ang tingin sa aming dalawa. He also earned some yells and tease from his classmates.

"Umalis nga kayo!" he muttered angrily to mask his embarrassment. I shifted on my weight. Ibinalik niya ulit ang tingin sa akin at alanganing ngumiti. Saka niya iniabot ang bulaklak sa nanginginig na mga kamay.

"P-Para sa iyo..."

"Salamat, Leon."

"Gusto ko sanang manligaw... kung ayos lang?" he searched for answers in my eyes.

Kinagat ko ang pang-ibabang labi ko at tinanggap ang bulaklak. "Leon kasi..." I trailed off, desperately thinking of a valid reason to deny him. "Si Mama..." nasabi ko nalang. "Ayaw niyang nagno-nobyo ako."

"I-I'll talk to her!" mabilis niyang tugon. "Kilala naman ako ng mama mo, diba? I can talk to her. Alam naman siguro niyang malinis ang intensiyon ko sa iyo."

Napakamot ako sa ulo. "I don't think that would work. And besides..." I glanced down at my books. "Gusto ko munang mag-focus sa pag-aaral. You know why I'm striving hard, right?" I gave him a kind smile. "Gusto kong maging proud si Mama sa akin."

His face fell in disappointment. Alam ko nang matagal na may gusto si Leon sa akin. But I ignored all his hints and bombs. Palagi na nga kaming tinutukso dalawa ni Mia pero hanggang kaibigan lang talaga ang turing ko sa kanya.

If only there's some kind of way to reject someone without hurting them.

I sighed. "Pasensiya na, Leon."

"Hindi, ayos lang." he smiled tightly at me. "I hope this wouldn't get things awkward between us." He chuckled nervously. "Ayaw kong masira ang pagkakaibigan natin dahil sa kahibangan ko."

"Ayos lang, no." tinapik ko ang kanyang braso. "Sige, mauna na ako ha? Salamat nga pala sa bulaklak." Bahagya ko itong itinaas at kumaway na sa kanya. Leon waved goodbye as I strode outside the hall and started walking towards the only gate of the tiny campus.

Walking on the outskirts of the Monterio's rice field, bumalik muli ang isipan ko kay Sage. My mother prohibited me from seeing him again but I couldn't help myself. Imbes na dumiretso sa bahay ay pumasok ako sa gubat at sinubukang hanapin ang daan patungo sa mansion nila. If I take the route from our house, paniguradong makikita ako ni mama at baka mapagalitan na naman.

Thankfully, I've grown fond of this small forest. I easily made my way through the fallen logs, dried leaves and branches, ancient trees until a part of their mansion came into view.

My heart leaped inside of my chest. Mansion pa nga nila ang nakikita ko, what more if I see the owner?

Clutching the books tighter to my chest, I ran the rest of the distance to reach their mansion. May naririnig akong mahinang tawanan sa ikalawang palapag pero walang tao sa patio bukod sa bodyguard na natutulog sa kanyang puwesto.

I circled the property and found the usual spot where I used to climb. I throw my bag and books over the iron wrought fence and started climbing it. Nang makababa na ako ay isa-isa kong pinulot ang mga libro at gamit ko bago ako hinay-hinay na naglakad patungo sa kwarto ni Sage.

When I reached his room, I peered into the window. Sage is sleeping on his side peacefully. My heart started hammering inside of my chest just watching him sleep. Naka-house arrest ba siya? Grounded? O di kaya'y masama ang pakiramdam?

I tapped against the glass window to wake him up. "Sage!" I half-yelled, half-whispered but he didn't budge. Tatlong beses pa akong muling kumatok bago ko napagdesisyunang buksan na lamang ang bintana.

The moment I swung my legs over the sill, Sage jolted awake. He instantly glared at me and squinted his eyes, but after a few seconds he relaxed realizing that it's only me.

Nakangiti akong bumaba mula sa bintana ngunit nawala ang ngiti ko nang makita ang kabuuan ng kanyang mukha. A dark purple bruise is starting to form on his left eye and the right side of his lips are swelling. He muttered curses under his breath before he averted his gaze from me.

"What are you doing here?"

"What happened to you?" nag-aalala kong tanong. Kaagad ko siyang nilapitan. "Sage! You're hur—"

"Ssh. The brat is sleeping." Madiin niyang wika.

Bumagsak ang tingin ko sa batang babae na natutulog sa kanyang tabi. She looked like an angel blessed with creamy complexion, rosy cheeks, and straight midnight hair. Natanday pa ang maliit nitong hita sa tiyan ni Sage.

"Kapatid mo?" nagliwanag ang aking mukha habang pinagmamasdan ang bata. She looks like a child model ripped straight from a Ralph Lauren magazine. This child will surely grow up a beauty. Hindi maipagkakailang Monterio nga.

Sabagay, their family is genetically blessed. From the menacing eyes of Don Monterio to Sage's piercing look, lahat sila ay sobrang nakakaakit talaga. Maging ang bata nitong asawa. Or his wife just looks younger than her age. Para lang itong ate ni Sage.

"Yeah." He shrugged. The little girl stirred a little, then she scooted closer to Sage and hugged him tighter. "Apparently, she's clingy as fuck."

Tumawa ako sa kaninyang sinabi. Sage stared at me a little too long, making me squirm on the inside. Tumikhim ako at naupo sa single-seated sofa na nasa harap ng kaniyang kama.

"Lock the door, Mallory." He said in a low voice.

Tumaas ang dalawang kilay ko sa kaniyang sinabi. "H-Ha?"

He gazed at me with his intense eyes. "Lock the door. Baka may pumasok."

Namumula ang buong mukha kong sinunod ang kaniyang utos. I locked the door and went back to my seat.

"When are you planning to go back to school?" pang-uusisa ko. "May upcoming field trip tayo ngayong Sabado, you know,"

"Really?" he mused out loud then he glanced to his little sister and shrugged. "I don't know. Hanggang sa maghilom ang mga sugat ko, I guess? I can't attend school with a battered face."

"Napakabasag-ulo mo kasi, Monterio,"

"Oh, I get that a lot." His eyes twinkled mischievously. "It's your first time calling me Monterio..."

Uminit na naman ang mga pisngi ko sa kaniyang sinabi. "O-Oh, ano naman?"

"Say it again..."

Kumunot ang nook o. "Bakit?"

"Say it again, Mallory..." he said, his eyes burning through my soul. My breath was caught in my throat.

"M-Monterio...." Paos kong wika.

"That's good." Umangat ang isang sulok ng kaniyang labi. "I like it."

Iniwas ko kaagad ang tingin ko sa kaniya. Pakiramdam ko'y pulang-pula na talaga ang mukha ko ngayon. I didn't know that I'd feel this way by simply muttering his last name.

I cleared my throat to make the awkwardness go away. "May mga notes ako dito sa science, baka gusto mo?" inilabas ko na ang aking notebook gamit ang nanginginig na kamay. Why does this guy have this effect like this on me? Gusto kong iumpog ang sariling ulo sa pader.

"Just leave it there. I'm going to read it later."

"S-Sige..." tumayo ako at inilagay sa sidetable niya ang notebook pagkatapos ay bumalik sa upuan. Nang silipin ko ang mukha niya, nakakunot noo na siya.

"Kanino galing ang bulalak?" he asked in an icy tone.

"Kay Leon." Tipid kong sagot.

Tinaasan niya ako ng kilay. "Leon?"

"Ah, kaibigan ko." sagot ko naman.

He chuckled. "As far as I know Mallory, friends don't exchange flowers with each other. Especially if it's a boy and a girl."

"Ano kasi..."

"Nanliligaw ba siya sa iyo?"

Uminit ang pisngi ko nang maalala ko ang sinabi sa akin ni Leon kanina sa school. "Gusto niyang manligaw."

"What did you say?" he asked darkly.

Marahan kong iniling ang ulo ko at bahagyang ngumiti sa kaniya. "Kaibigan lang ang turing ko kay Leon, Sage. Noon pa man tinutukso na talaga kaming dalawa but I can't imagine him as someone special to me. Kaibigan lang talaga."

"Well, that's good." Nawala na ang inis nito sa mukha. The little girl frowned her cute little face and fluttered her eyes open. Siguro ay naalimpungatan na ito sa pag-uusap naming dalawa. She got up and scanned her surroundings. When she saw me, the frown on her face deepen.

"Go back to your room, Zahra." Sage said, lifting her up. The little girl snapped her head towards her brother and gave him an icy glare. Nagtitigan silang dalawa.

"Shage, lift..." she demanded.

Sage rolled his eyes. "Go back to your room or go back to sleep."

"I want lift... Shage!" she raised both her arms asking to be lift. Sage glared at her and expelled an annoyed sigh before he got up from the bed and lifted her up. Sa unang pagkakataon ay umaliwalas ang mukha ni Zahra. Ipinatong niya ang kaniyang ulo sa malaking balikat ni Sage.

"Gumagabi na. You should go home..." wika ni Sage habang hinahawi ang kurtina sa kaniyang kwarto.

I was still in daze of Zahra's beauty when he said it. Napapitlag tuloy ako at dali-daling kinuha ang mga gamit ko.

"I can't walk you to the door, today." wika ni Sage. He's rocking Zahra back and forth. "Baka makita nila tayo."

"Ayos lang." nginitian ko siya. "Sanay naman akong dumaan sa bintana."

He rolled his eyes. "You're such a dork, Mallory."

I giggled inwardly and headed towards the window. Pinanuod ako ni Sage na umakyat at tumalon pababa. Binalingan ko siya at kinawayan. Si Zahra ay nakasimangot na nakatingin sa akin. Her hands are possessively wrapped around her brother's neck na para bang aagawin koi to sa kaniya anumang minuto.

"I'll see you at school, Sage!" wika ko.

He nodded his head. I turned to leave.

"Mallory?"

Napahinto ako sa paglalakad at nilingon siya nang may pagtataka. Zahra had already buried her head on his chest and starting to fall asleep again.

"Huwag kang magpapaligaw kay Leon o kahit kanino." wika niya sa mababang boses.

I blinked. "Uhm, what?"

"I don't want boys falling in line for you, okay?" he said with pursed lips and nodded at me. "You may go."