Chapter 4
"Ba't naman ginalingan?!" bungad ni Dave sa akin.
I sat down beside him and placed my bag at the back of my seat. Two days had passed since last Friday was the foundation day.
"I was nervous. Kinuha niyo pa ako para kunan ng picture pagkatapos." I said.
"You look pretty wearing that Filipiniana and makeup. Maganda ka rin naman kahit walang makeup." sabi pa niya.
I smiled at him.
"Aminin! Hindi talaga ako gusto ng photo j club at ikaw lang ang may pakana nun."
"What? Hindi ako. Nagulat lang din naman ako no'ng napagdesisyunan nila na may portrait ka sa school paper."
"What? I thought you're just going to post it on social media."
"I need your permission. Okay... can we add your portrait on the school's paper?"
I laughed.
He looks stupid. I don't know.
"Sure." sabi ko.
We laughed together.
"Si Ate Mizee ang nag-makeup sa akin. Looks pretty, right?"
"Ate Mizee?" tanong niya.
"Yeah. She's older than me. Paggalang ang tawag do'n."
Umiling lang siya at sakto namang dumating ang guro namin. We started our routine and our teacher congratulated me. I thanked her afterwards.
"Sabay tayong mag-lunch." sabi ko.
"You still don't have any friends from the club?" tanong ni Dave.
"Wala. Nahihiya ako sa kanila and they don't approach me, too." I said and felt sad about it.
He patted my head.
"'Wag mo ng isipin 'yon. Sabay na tayong mag-lunch." sabi niya at hinila ako patungong canteen.
Hindi pa gano'n ka rami ang tao sa canteen and there are still available tables. Nagtungo kami ni Dave sa isang bakanteng upuan and we placed our bags at the table.
"May baon ka?" he asked.
I shook my head.
"Diyan ka na lang. Bibili lang ako ng pagkain mo." sabi ni Dave.
I immediately grabbed my purse and took out some cash.
"Here. Nakakahiya naman sa'yo." sabi ko.
"'Wag na. Take it as my gift since you did well on the play." sabi pa niya.
"Kailangan pa ba ng ganyan? Here, take my money or ako nalang ang bibili." sabi ko pa.
We argue with whose money he's going to use to buy me lunch. Few moments later and he won. Umupo nalang ako sa upuan at hinayaan siya na bilhan ako ng tanghalian.
I know it sounds good dahil libre kaso nahihiya na ako sa kanya. He has been treating me couple of times and hindi ko man lang siya nailibre. He won't let me dahil ang pangit daw tingnan na ang babae ang nanlilibre.
For me, it doesn't make sense. Where's the equality?
He came back not too long with foods. Rice and a viand. Binilhan niya ako ng lumpia.
"Wow! Fave!" sabi ko.
"Alam ko." wika ni Dave at umupo na sa upuan na nasa harap ko.
May baon siyang kanin at ulam nalang ang binili niya. I waited for him to set his foods up bago nagsimulang kumain.
"May napagplanuhan na ba sana kayo ng mga kaibigan mo ngayon?" I asked.
He looked at me. "It doesn't matter."
"Hala! Let's finish this fast so that you can catch up to them." I said.
"Chill. Okay lang sa kanila."
"Sure ka ba diyan?"
He nodded with a smile that convinced me.
"What happened after the play? Hinanap kita para sabay sana tayong uuwi." he opened a topic.
"Oh my God! Pumunta kami sa bahay ni Mayor dahil naghanda ng hapunan si Ate Mizee after our successful play. Sorry if you waited for me. Sana sinabihan pala kita, nagmamadali kasi akong umuwi dahil magpapalit pa ako ng damit and you were busy that time." I explained.
"Okay lang. That was just a small thing. I'm happy because you are having fun." he said.
"Ah! Sweet mo naman. Thank you." I said while pinching his cheeks.
He turned his head away. Problema niya? May mali ba sa ginawa ko? He also pinches my cheeks, ah.
"May mali ba?" I asked him.
"Nothing. Go on, magkuwento ka pa." he said before morseling himself food.
"Okay. So... ang laki ng house ni Mayor. We had our dinner at the garden and the food was so good. 'Yung lalaking anak ni Mayor si ano... sino nga ba 'yon--"
"Mazro." he cut me off.
"Yeah! Mazro. He was guiding me to their house. Sa laki ba naman ng bahay nila." I said with full of fascination in my eyes.
Dave just kept on looking at me.
"You seem to have lots of fun." Dave said.
"Oo. Even though hindi talaga nila kinakausap during free time pero hindi rin naman nila ako inaano. They are fun to be with kahit na I'm just sitting at the corner watching them having chit chats." I said.
"Tell me kung may ginagawa silang hindi maganda sa'yo."
"Grabe ka, Dave. Sanay na naman akong hindi kinakausap." sabi ko pa.
"Kahit na."
"And besides, 'yung lalaking anak ni Mayor, si Maz, palaging sinasabi sa akin na hindi ko dapat tanggapin ang offer ng Daddy niya to become one of the models for his Daddy's campaign this upcoming election." kwento ko.
I just feel so comfortable opening things up to Dave. He is my human diary. He knows all of my rants about life. Now he's hearing how happy I was.
"Bakit siya ang magdedesisyon?" Dave asked.
"Sabi ko nga sa kanya kaso hindi ko maiintindihan kung bakit niya dinadamay ang Mama ko. I just don't know what the connection is." I said.
"W-Wait for me. Punta lang akong restroom saglit." Dave said and left me at the table.
Weird. Problema niya?
All of our foods are already finished. We are just hanging out here and talking about stuffs.
I look around the canteen and some pair of eyes are on me. Nasanay na ako. I don't know what's going on but that doesn't matter.
I saw Mazro entering the canteen. He's alone. He only got his bag and poker face with him.
I stared at him. He kind of resembles his father's features. 'Yung mata niya, ilong, at jawline. Manang-mana kay Mayor.
His aura is so cold but his face is so angelic. Dave and him kind of look similar.
^_^
