Before That

Kabanata 1

Kabanata 1

It was 6:00 in the morning when I first arrived in my assigned room. Luckily, no one was here yet kaya naman makakapagbasa pa ulit ako. Hindi textbooks ang babasahin ko kung hindi isang romance manga.

I didn't want my mind to get clouded by reading textbooks again. Even though I was not a sole believer of love, I still find myself enjoying romance manga. I loved the mysterious feelings it gave to me while I was reading it.

By 6:30, the door opened. Inilabas noon ang dalawang lalaki, agad ko ring tinago ang libro ko at inilabas ang earbuds para hindi awkward. I just found myself being awkward when it came to people, there were only few whom I can show my 'extrovert' side.

Narinig kong tumikhim ang isang lalaki at tumingin ako sa dalawa. The least tall guy was somewhat familiar to me but I can't pinpoint when did I see him, and the much taller guy was.. I don't know. I didn't know him.

The familiar guy came near my seat and I shifted my gaze from them to the blank whiteboard in the front. Tumikhim muli ang lalaki na nasa tabi na ng upuan ko at tinignan ko siya nang hindi ginagalaw ang ulo ko.

"What do you want?" Mataray kong tanong. Umupo ang lalaki sa tabi ko at tinignan ako mula ulo hanggang sa paa. Kumunot ang noo ko at tinignan siya ng masama.

Ang kapal naman ng mukha niya tignan ako nang ganoon. Binigyan ko muli siya ng isang matalim na tingin at hindi ko na siya pinansin kahit pakiramdam ko nabastos ako.

I tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling waking in me and tried to stay silent. I just wanted my senior year to be peaceful, I didn't want to leave bad impressions among my classmates.

I came here to study well not to become a girl classmate who's always on her period.

"Can I seat here?" Tanong niya.

"You're already sitting in that chair," I plainly said. Ngumisi siya sa akin at inayos niya ang upo niya.

Nang makita kong wala sa tabi niya yung kasama niya ay hinanap ko siya. Ayon pala, nasa dulo ng classroom. Nagkibit-balikat na lang ako.

"You are Mia, right? The girl who won in the skatepark before?" and he got my interest. I shifted my body to his and blankly nod at him. I wanted to know why he knew that but I guess he was there when the contest happened.

I quickly scanned his face, I was sure I saw his face before.

"I'm Efrain. Efrain Javier," he introduced himself and offered him hand to me and me trying hard not to be rude, I gladly take it. Hindi naman ako matapobre, I was just hot-tempered. Nang hindi siya bumitaw sa pagkakahawak ay ako na ang bumitaw. Tinaasan ko lang siya ng kilay.

Efrain.. I knew that name. Is he related to Raeliana? Ang alam ko kasi ay may naging boyfriend si Yana na ang pangalan ay Efrain din. As much as I wanted to know, I kept it to myself. Kung gusto ko ng kaibigan, I will definitely find someone who's way better than the guy who was sitting beside me. No offense.

The guy beside started talking and I had no choice to hear his voice. Kinuha ko ang earbuds ko at nilagay sa case. Inihanda ko na rin ang isang notebook at tatlong kulay ng ballpen habang ang katabi ko ay putak pa rin nang putak.

I glanced at my watch and my face turned sour when I saw what time it was. 7:15 a.m. Great, I still had 45 minutes to suffer from hearing his blabbing. I just noticed that the once empty classroom was now slowly piling up some of my classmates.

Maraming pamilyar sa akin, marami ring hindi. Medyo umingay na rin ang classroom dahil yung iba nagpapakilala na sa isa't isa at nag-uusap na agad.