Beneath the Two | Academy Series #1

Chapter 13

It's been two weeks since I and Zach last talked. He really ignored me inside the room—not totally. I will always catch him sneaking a glance every break to see if I'm leaving the room.

He never stopped sending me notes, relaxing music, and his voice messages discussing our topic in Statistics and Probability, but every time I'll shift the topic of our chats, he won't reply.

He will converse with me in a formal way whenever we have a group activity. Si Yelah ay hindi makasama sa akin, dahil pinagbawalan niya. He told his cousin that she was tolerating me and it was not something to be proud of. Wala tuloy akong kasama tuwing break and lunch time.

Madalas, hindi na lang ako umaalis ng room, wala rin naman akong gana. Yelah, on my side, buys me food and still talk to me whenever Zach is not looking.

I feel like I have more right to be mad because he didn't give me a chance to explain what really happened that day. He just sided that girl because he saw me yelling at her and he has no idea that I was also in pain. Sa lagay ngayon, parang ako lang ang may kasalanan. Ako nga lang ba?

I should've just rejected him last sembreak when he gave me the chance. Gawain ba ng matinong manliligaw ang kampihan ang iba higit sa babaeng gusto niya? If he likes me, then he should've taken my side and not the other way around. Shame on me for shedding a tear on a commoner like him.

Wala akong dapat ikalungkot na hindi na niya ako kinakausap sa paraang kinasanayan ko, pero sa tuwing makikipag-usap siya sa iba nang nakangiti at impormal ay kumukulo ang dugo ko.

Lalo lang akong nagalit sa babaeng nakabangga ko na anak pala ng tindera sa canteen. Makita niya pa lang ang dulo ng buhok ko, nanginginig na siya sa takot. She must be, because I can pull every single strand of her hair in one try.

"Leaders, i-report niyo sa akin ang mga members na hindi nag-aambag. Kung ayaw nilang mag-ambag sa grupo, let them do the research alone."

Mataray ang bilin ni Ms. Berondo bago kami iwananan at bumalik sa faculty room dahil may tinatapos daw siya. She's our research teacher for this sem at dahil tamad siyang teacher, hindi na niya iniba ang groupings namin.

Needless to say, I'm in the same group with Zach. Hindi na siya pinalitan bilang leader, tutal siya naman ang pinaka-achiever sa grupo namin.

"Title pa lang naman ang kailangan nating gawin, 'di ba?" Clarisse is holding a yellow paper and a pen.

Nakapaikot ang mga upuan namin kaya magkakaharap kami. Lahat sila may papel at ballpen sa lamesa, ako lang ang wala.

"Saan ba tayo magpopokus?" tanong ni Leah.

"Kailangan muna natin mag-isip ng topic," sagot ni Clarisse.

"Estudiyante lang din ang mga respondents natin, para hindi tayo mahirapan," ani Niko.

"I agree with Niko, mas madali kung schoolmates lang din natin ang mga respondents," Zach followed him.

"Why are you thinking of the respondents already? Wala pa nga tayong topic." I crossed my legs and rolled my eyes.

Nahihiyang nagsi-atrasan ang mga dila nila dahil sa pagtataray ko.

"Because that way, we can know our limitations. Hindi naman puwedeng tungkol sa magulang ang research natin pero estudiyante pala ang respondents natin.

"So, do you have any suggestion, Ms. Alvarez?" Zach coldly asked.

See? I told you, he's talking to me in a formal way. Miss Alvarez? Ano siya teacher ? Minsan, muntik na akong sumigaw ng present nang tawagin niya ako sa apelyido.