Stuck In Between (Published Under IMMAC PPH)

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I woke up late the next day. I am sure that it's because I slept late again last night. Nagsimula na kasi akong magbasa ng mga binili naming libro and I got too attached that I don't want to stop reading again.

Saka lang ako tumigil nang narinig kong may tumilaok na manok which is probably around four in the morning na and I am supposed to wake up at six but I woke up at seven thirty! Kay dali-dali akong naghanda para sa school at hikab pa ako ng hikab hanggang ngayon dahil inaantok pa ako.

I tried drinking coffee earlier para sana magising ang diwa ko but it didn't do anything. Maybe I should stop this habit of pulling an all-nighter when its a school night. I sighed.

Sa pagmamadali ko ay hindi ko na masyadong napapansin ang dinadaanan ko kaya natapilok ako sa isang bagay habang naglalakad. My hand automatically reached for something to hold on pero wala akong makapitan. I closed my eyes, readying myself to fall but I didn't.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw a pair of red eyes staring at me as his arms were around me. I felt the electricity from his hold. It suddenly felt like everything slowed down to make this moment longer. I saw our surrounding twinkle like how it does in the perspective of the heroine when she has this scene with the lead man.

But I am no heroine. And he's not my lead man.

Kumawala ako sa hawak niya sa akin at agad na inayos ang sarili ko. He looked shocked from my sudden movement but I couldn't care more. Yung realization ko kanina ay totoo, and I should not compare my life to those fiction things that happened. This is the reality.

"Thank you," sabi ko sa kaniya at agad nang tumalikod para pumasok.

I am sure that I'm super late now pero ayos lang, I just have to tell our professor that something happened. I don't know kung ano, bahala na mamaya.

"Wait, Zinnia," naramdaman ko ang hawak niya sa braso ko.

The electricity I felt doesn't sit well with me. Ayaw ko nang maramdaman 'yon, kasi kaakibat noon ay ang sakit kapag nakikita ko siya kasama si Khea. Alam ko na hindi pa nagtatagal nang malaman ko kung ano ang nararamdaman k okay Pyrrhus pero malaki na agad ang epekto nito sa akin.

I sighed before facing him, "Pyrrhus—"

Napatigil ako sa pagsasalita nang may nakita akong hawak niya na maliit na box. Napakunot tuloy ang noo ko. What is that?

"Belated happy birthday," sabi nito at binuksan ang box.

There sits a bracelet. A silver one with the moon and stars as pendant. It's... beautiful.

"I'm sorry if my gift and greetings were both late. I... didn't know it was your birthday yesterday," sabi nito kaya napatingin ako sa kaniya.

Seryoso siyang nakatingin sa akin at ganoon rin ako sa kaniya.

"You don't have to," I seriously said to him. Hindi na kailangan kasi aasa ako. Hindi niya dapat ito ginagawa.

"Hindi kita binigyan ng obligasyon para batiin ako and more so, bigyan ako ng regalo."

"I know, but, I want to," he said and took my hand.

Parang nakuryente na naman ako dahil sa ginawa niyang iyon. Kinuha niya ang bracelet sa box nito at sinuot sa akin. I stiffened at his movement.

"How can I forget about that thing..." he murmured to himself but I heard it.

"What?" I asked him.

He looked at me straight in the eyes, "Your birthday."

"It doesn't matter—"

"It does matter. Zinnia it's your birthday. I should know," sabi nito at mas hingipitan ang hawak sa kamay ko.