At What Price (Completed)

XXIV

"What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise." - Oscar Wilde

•••

"Claudia, siya pala yung sinasabi kong tropa ko na fratboy." Inakbayan ito ni Hadwin. That familiar boyish grin.

I nodded. "How do you know Claudia, man?" Tanong ni Cyrus kay Hadwin. Kumabog ang dibdib ko. He remembers me?

Hadwin slowly froze. "Magkakilala pala kayo?"

"Uh, yeah..." anas ko. He smiled. "She's my batchmate, bro. Talino nyan."

"Hindi naman." Tanggi ko.

"Yeah, bro. She is." he then stared at me meaningfully. What was that? He turned to Cyrus and continued asking him. "Ba't ka pala late bro?"

"Ah.. I was organizing the donation drive na event sa frat."

"Mukhang malapit ka na mapromote as president 'tol, makalimutan mo na ako." He acted cute in front of him. "Tignan mo, birthday ko tapos late ka pa. Bakit ka ganyan?"

Humalakhak si Cyrus. "Drama mo, gago!"

The uncomfortable feeling, evidently only on my part, started growing. I couldn't take it so I made an excuse. "Uh.. tinatawag pala ako ni Margot."

Hadwin immediately wanted to protest but I cut him off. "It's fine. I'll be back later." I assured him. Besides, it looks like they want to chat. 

I made my way out of the scene.

•••

It was Senior High.

Our school are big on events, and their class are often partnered with ours. Along with other two sections but they were really competitive so sila talaga ang tatatak sa'yo.

And who wouldn't? Cyrus Ancheta was gorgeous. He still is.

Maraming matangkad at gwapo sa chosen academic track namin and I didn't really care. Until I met him, that is. Maybe it was the way that he held himself. First impression, he looks like a jock. Why not? He introduced himself as a soccer player. But when you hear him lead his classmates, he has that undeniable charisma. Suffice to say, being an athlete and a class president made him popular. Para bang nasa kaniya na ang lahat.

I would try to take a glimpse of him when he's playing. I would glance at him whenever there's events and he's on the frontlines.

But I kept that petty crush to myself.

Not until our work immersion.

It's like an on-the-job training but senior high school version. Hindi siya nakasabay sa mga kaklase niya so he anchored on our schedule. The reason? He had to go to Singapore for whatever business it is. Mukha ngang gumala lang siya, based sa mga pinakita niyang pictures sa'kin.

Yes, we got close to each other.

By unknown destiny or fate, naging magkatabi kami ng cubicle. We were both assigned in accounting department. The first day na nalaman ko 'yon, sobrang tensed ako buong araw. I was so conscious of whatever I had to do, dahil nga katabi ko lang siya. I feel pathetic, too, when he makes a conversation and I answer him weakly. Hindi ko talaga ineexpect 'yon.

The second day, I rewired my brain to relax and act like he was nothing. The more I feel jitty, the more he might be suspicious. It will be awful if he actually avoided me because he discovered my pathetic feelings. It worked. We became friends.

Dahil mahirap 'yung tasks na binibigay sa'min, conversations couldn't be helped. Lalo na kung wala kang ideya sa ginagawa mo at gusto mo makatapos within the day. As we work with each other, we also learned a lot about each other. Ang dami naming napapag-usapan. He's very brilliant and I like talking to him.