Sadyang Mapaglaro Ang Tadhana (Feeble Love #2)

Kabanata 7

Club

Mabuti na lang talaga dumating si Sophia kaya hindi ko na tuluyang nasagot si River. I hate what I feel when he's around. Ayoko dahil hindi iyon nararapat.

Ever since that day, I've constantly seen him from a far. Kahit ayaw kong pansinin ay hindi ko naman mapigilan.
He is always around. Malaki ang campus at nasa kabila pa ang building nila kaya bakit palagi siyang nandito? 

"Huy!"

Nagulat ako sa biglaang pagtapik sa akin ni Jessa na nasa likuran ko. Nasa Gracianos kami ngayon para mag lunch. I ordered  sizzling sisig and mango shake. Hindi ko namalayan na nasa harap ko na pala iyon. Napailing ako at mabilis iyon na kinuha.

"Sino bang iniisip mo?" Natatawang sambit ni Jessa, nakataas ang kilay habang inilalapag ang tray ng pagkain sa harap.

Umiwas ako ng tingin. I am not thinking of anything. It's just... nothing.

"Wala." Mabilis na ani ko.

Pero hindi siya nakuntento at mas lalo pa akong inasar.

"Sus! Hmm si Mark ba?" 

Kumunot ang noo ko at hindi na ngayon makapagsalita. Speaking of that bastard. Hindi ko na siya nakakausap simula nung pagtatalo namin. Siguro, nagalit siya akin.

"Sabi daw ay nag-away kayo? Hindi ko na kayo madalas makita na magkasama." Dagdag pa ni Jessa.

I sighed. I actually don't know what to say. Thankfully, Lorraine arrived with her food on her hand but fudge, Jessa could not stop talking about Mark.

"Why are you so curious?" Lorraine hissed.

Mabilis na umayos ng umupo si Jessa. Lorraine laughed by her sudden move. I shake my head and pursed my lips when I realized.

"Crush na crush mo ba talaga si Mark?"  Tanong ni Lorraine, ngayon ay si Jessa na ang inaasar.

I laughed. It was obvious. I think  everyone in the room knows. Jessa is transparent and she's been very vocal with her thoughts and feelings. That's why I like her. But in other times, it is so hard to shut her up. She is too loud for me.

"Bakit ako na ang topic ngayon!"

Sabay kaming natawa ni Lorraine. So, Mark is the only key to shut her up huh?

"I don't like him okay?" I said, coz I sometimes feel like she's bothered by it.

Napaawang ang bibig niya. Kung kanina ay may rason pa siya, ngayon ay hindi na talaga siya makapagsalita.

"You are blushing!" I pointed her face. Her bangs was gone now.

Having them as my friend was festive. I learned a lot from them. Our life was absolutely different. Jessa is a scholar, she belonged to the middle class family while Lorraine, she's rich. Jessa is the type of person that you can easily friend with. Meanwhile Lorraine is something you called 'kaladkarin' in the group, she loves exploring. But despite our disparities, we clicked. And I think I was really meant to meet them.

"By the way, who is that guy? Kanina pa iyan nakatingin dito." si Lorraine. Sinundan ko ng tingin ang tinitingnan niya.

There I saw the man on his clean white polo. He looks so clean, ibang iba sa personality niya. He was looking at me intently. Nasa kabilang table lang sila hindi kalayuan kaya makikita ang mukha ng mga kasama niya. And it was all girls. I bet, his girls. Wala yung mga kaibigan niya at nasa gitna talaga siya ng apat na babae. I looked away.

Mabilis kong niyaya ang dalawa na bumalik na dahil tapos na rin naman ang lunch break. When our prof begin to discuss about Cognitive Psychology, I caught Mark silently glancing at me. I was trying to communicate with him using my eyes the whole class but he's undoubtedly avoiding me. Right, it was my fault after all.

"Sama ka?"

Kinuha ko na ang bag ko at aalis na sana. Inangat ko ang tingin kay Lorraine, sa likod niya si Jessa.

"Where?" I asked. She giggled.

"Club!"

Mabilis akong napailing. They knew I hate club, right?

"Sige na! Ngayon lang naman. We deserve this night out." Pagpilit ni Jessa.

I don't know what they do and why I just found myself here in the club. I suddenly felt dizzy. Nasa BGC lang naman ito at malapit sa condo. Hindi na rin ako nakapagbihis dahil hindi naman daw kami magtatagal. But fudge, it's 10pm already. I was wearing a beige crop top set with skirt. Bumagay naman ang suot ko sa bar.

"Let's have fun!" Sambit ni Lorraine, kanina pa inaabot sa akin ang baso ng whiskey.

Nakaupo lang ang sa couch at pinagmamasdan ang mga nagsasayaw sa harap, sinasabayan ang neon color light at lively music. Hindi naman ako ang sumasayaw at umiinom pero ako ang nahihilo sa kanila. Ang sakit lang sa mata. I swear, I would never do this again.

"Si Jessa?" Tanong ko dahil hindi mahagilap ang kaibigan.

Ngumuso si Lorraine at tiningnan ko naman iyon. Napaawang ang bibig ko. Oh my God! She's wild. May kasayawan siya sa dance floor at hindi ko masyadong makita kung sino iyon dahil madalim. Ganito ba sila palagi? Madalas kasi sa school lang ako sumasama sa kanila.

"Madalas sinasabi ng iba na baka daw tayo ang mabaliw dahil sa course natin. So, we should have fun at least." Natatawang sambit ni Lorraine.

I shrugged. This kind of 'fun' is not my thing. I stayed on my seat, only to see myself observing people. We are just all different. Some find this stuff effective to released their stress and I think that's okay. I respect that.

"Hi!"

I jumped a bit when I realised someone sat beside me. He smells expensive. Napaangat ako ng tingin at mabilis na lang ang pag awang ng bibig ko kung sino iyon. His dark and chinito eyes was just something I can't handle. He pursed his lips. Bahagya akong lumayo pero umusog naman siya para lumapit sa akin.

"What a-re you doing. Here?" Tanong ko. Mabilis ang tibok ng puso ko at hindi ko iyon gusto.

"I should be the one to ask you that." Itinaas niya ang kilay niya at nakaliyong ngumisi.

Kumunot ang noo ko at bahagya siyang tinulak pero nawalan ako ng lakas. Kaya sa huli ay napahawak ako sa dibdib niya. Itinaas niya ang kilay niya ng makita ang kamay ko na nanatili roon. When I returned to my senses, I forcedly pushed him causing him to lay down and hit the back of the couch. At dahil kinalabit niya ang braso ko, nasama ako at ngayon ay nakapatong sa kanya. What the fudge?

"Dude River kanina ka pa hinahanap ni Elisa--

"Okay, just find a damn room!"

Kahit gulat sa nangyari ay nakuha ko pa rin tumayo at kunin ang gamit ko. Pilit akong pinigilan ni River pero hindi ko na siya pinansin pa.

What the hell was that? I mean...
Oh my God?

~~