Remember, September (Young Love Series #4)

4

Nagtataka kong pinagmasdan si Hiram na nasa harapan ng bahay ko sa sumunod na araw. It's early. Alas syete pa lang ng umaga. Kagigising ko lang at soot ko pa ang pajama terno ko na soot ko sa pagtulog kagabi. Magulo rin siguro ang buhok ko dahil hindi ko na 'yon sinuklay nang bumaba ako kanina.

Alright, I should be dressed by now especially since my class starts at 8 o'clock. However---

I stared at Hiram from head to toe. He's in his school uniform. I frowned at him.

"Why are you here?" nagtataka kong tanong. "And why are you here so early?"

"Picking you up?" he said and grinned as he stared at me. "You have sleep in your eyes."

I raised my hand and rubbed my right eye. Hiram went near me and raised his hand, removing the sleep in my left eye. I let him. After that, he brushed my hair with his fingers, fixing my hair. I let him do that too.

"Hurry up. We're gonna be late."

"I'm always late."

"Well, not this time," aniya habang itinutulak na ang likod ko papasok ng bahay.

I ran to my room and took a bath. It took 15 minutes. I wore my uniform, put on a little bit of makeup, and ran down the house. I saw Hiram in our living room, browsing on his phone.

"You're quick," nakangising sabi n'ya nang mapalingon s'ya sa gawi ko nang marinig ang pagbaba ko.

Sinukbit ko ang backpack sa likod ko.

"Let's go," I said.

Hiram raised his hand to me just like what he did last time and I immediately understood that he's gonna take my bag---which is weird---but I let him.

Hiram's always weird but these past few days, he's been weirder. But I don't ask. I just let him.

When we got to his car, he opened the passenger's seat door for me. I didn't ask. I let him.

When he entered the car, started the engine, reached something from the backseat, and placed a paper bag of croissant and hot cappuccino on my lap, I didn't ask. I thanked him. I let him.

I bit the croissant and sipped on my hot cappuccino. I glanced out the window, looked outside, and let my cheeks heat up. When my heart fluttered, I let it.

"Can I take a sip too?"

Nilingon ko si Hiram, kinukunutan s'ya ng noo.

"Why didn't you buy another one?"

"Come on. Pagdadamutan mo ba 'ko?"

I gave him the cappuccino. He sipped on it, glancing at me while he did. After drinking from the same cup, he licked his lips and smiled at me.

I rolled my eyes and glanced outside the window, ignoring his slight laugh. I sipped on the same cup again.

He's so dumb.

━━━ ☁ ━━━

But Liam's definitely dumber.

I'm sure of it. This jerk deserves a trophy for being the dumbest of all dumbs. The father of stupidity and pioneer of all fools.

"I saw you that night," ani Liam, may pang-aasar sa mga mata nang sumabay na naman s'ya sa lunch namin ni Hiram at biglang napag-usapan ang pag-inom ko nang mag-isa sa bar no'ng nakaraan. "You were drinking alone at the bar counter."

So he does remember.

"Yeah, so?" I asked.

"Nothing." Umiling s'ya.

I wanted to ask why he talked to me and confessed to me that night but I couldn't because my pride wouldn't let me. Bakit ako pa ang magtatanong sa kan'ya? As if I was the one who confessed? Bakit ako pa ang magmumukhang naghahabol?

Mukha namang wala na s'yang pakialam sa kasunod. Pagkatapos n'yang umamin, tapos na. 'Yon na 'yon. Hindi na dapat ako maghanap pa ng kasunod.

It's not like I like him.

"Next time, call me if you want to drink," Hiram said, leaning towards me and I got a whiff of his expensive perfume. "I got hurt when he told me you went there alone."

Ngumiwi ako at itinulak nang kaunti palayo sa 'kin si Hiram.

"I went there alone because I wanted to be alone," sabi ko, umiirap.

"You should be thankful I saw her there, Hiram," ani Liam at tumawa.

Napasimangot ako.

Yeah, jerk. You even confessed to me and forgot about it the next day!

Whatever! As if I want to be connected with him. Ew.

━━━ ☁ ━━━

I stared outside the window of our afternoon class, frowning, trying to recall what happened that night.

I went there because I had a bad day. Inis na inis ako no'ng araw na 'yon at ayokong makasama ang kahit na sino. The thought of drinking alone in our house isn't an option too because Dad was home that night.

I went to the bar wearing a black spaghetti strapped dress. Sa bar counter ako no'n dumiretso. After a couple of shots, I went to the dancefloor and danced alone. I remember stomping a couple of pervert's feet. That's when my vision became a bit blurry.

But despite being tipsy and noticing that the alcohol started kicking in, I still drank a couple more shots.

I remember sipping on a fancy pink cocktail. Then the guy who wore a dark top suddenly approached me. Nagdodoble man ang paningin ko at malabo man ang nakikita, because he held my arm, I was able to see the veins on his hand and the black leather watch.

The strobe lights were making my head hurt. I frowned at the guy because I thought that he's one of the perverts I encountered back on the dancefloor but when he called my name and I heard his voice, I thought that it sounded familiar.

"September," he said to my ears.

Now that Liam told me he was the one who saw me that night, I can now unblur his face in my memory.

"Does Hiram know you're here?"

"Sept."

Napalingon ako sa katabi kong si Hiram. He's watching me with his eyebrows raised.

"What?" tanong ko.

"What are you thinking?" he whispered.

Nasa kalagitnaan kami ng klase. Maybe that's why he's whispering.

"I'm thinking about. . ." I suddenly became aware of how close his face is to mine.

Nakasandal ako sa upuan ko at gano'n din s'ya sa kan'ya. But because he's whispering to me, he's leaning closely to my side and our faces are just a few inches away.

"About?" he asks, our gazes finally locking.

"About. . ." I trailed off, my gaze dropping on his lips.

His lips. Which are now curving to a suppressed smile. When I raised my gaze back to his eyes and our eyes met, I knew that I was in trouble.