Officially Meeting You

Chapter 9: New Friend And Kidnapping

I went out of the lecture hall when my last class for today ended. Alas-tres na ng hapon at dalawang oras pa bago ang part-time job ko. May klase naman si Anna ng mga ganitong oras kaya napabuntong hininga ako.

Ano naman kayang gagawin ko ngayon? O saan ako tatambay habang naghihintay ng oras?

I walked out of the building when I suddenly saw a girl standing near the entrance. Dahil sa ganda niya, kaagad ko siyang nakilala. Siya iyong kausap ni Zeus kanina malapit sa gate.

Kaagad akong napaiwas ng tingin nang tumingin siya sa direksyon ko. Did she saw me staring at her?

"Hi!"

But I immediately returned my eyes on her when she said that. Tumingin ako sa kanya at nakitang nakatingin siya sa akin. Is she talking to me?

Luminga-linga ako para siguraduhin kung ako ba ang kausap niya. But I saw no students behind or beside me so I guess, ako talaga ang kausap niya.

I pointed at myself. "Me?"

"Yes, you," she said as she stopped in front of me.

"Hello," I greeted back.

Ngumiti siya na mas lalo niyang kinaganda. Her smile resembles Slade's smile and that made her more charming in my eyes. Her beauty is just something out of this world.

Nilahad niya ang kamay niya. "I'm Sabrina Aguilar."

I frowned a little. Aguilar? Then maybe that means...

"Yeah. I'm Slade's younger sister," sambit niya na para bang nabasa ang iniisip ko.
"And you are Elizabeth?"

"I'm Cleo."

Napakunot noo siya. "But Zeus called you Elizabeth. Was that an endearment or something?"

Halos matawa naman ako sa tanong niya pero pinigilan ko. Endearment? Wala kami no'n but I call him shokoy most of the time.

"No. That's my first name," sambit ko at napatango-tango siya.

Her questions, smiles, and the way she nods strongly resemble Slade. Isang tingin pa lang sa kanilang dalawa, malalaman mo kaagad na magkapatid sila o blood related. And I think, their family speaks in English most of the time.

Hindi ko tuloy mapigilang mapa-English din kapag kausap sila.

"I see," she said and nodded. "Can I ask you a favor, Cleo?"

"A favor?"

"Yeah. I know we only met today and we barely know each other, but I think you're the only one who can help me."

Napatango-tango naman ako. I can hear the sincerity in her voice so I guess she's telling the truth. Wala namang masama kung tutulungan ko siya pero bakit parang masama ang pakiramdam ko tungkol dito?

"Maupo muna tayo," I said and she nodded.

Umupo kami sa malapit na bench at napansin ko ang ilang estudyante na napapatingin sa amin. I think dalawa lang ang dahilan kung bakit sila tumitingin sa direksyon namin. It's either they are amazed by her beauty just like me or they also wonder if she's Slade's sister.

"It's about Zeus," sambit niya at doon ako muling tumingin sa kanya. "It's been one year when I followed my brother here and when I met Zeus. And I immediately liked him the very first moment he smiled at me."

"You like him?" I asked to make sure and she nodded with no hesitation. "Sana ayos ka lang."

Kumunot ang noo niya at ngumiti lang ako habang umiiling, telling her to nevermind what I said. Ang swerte naman ng baliw na shokoy na 'yun at may nagkagusto sa kanyang ganito kaganda at kabait.