Remember, September (Young Love Series #4)

5

For the next days, I kept on observing how Liam acts. 

Even though I've been convincing myself that I shouldn't care about his confession, I feel like something is up that night. It's weird. Why would someone confess to me and act like they don't like me the next day? Is it a prank he tried to pull? Why would he do that?

I observed how Liam walked at St. Agatha University's school grounds while sipping on my iced coffee---which Hiram bought for me, by the way. Hiram, who's also watching the school grounds, is leaning on the railings of the building's second floor. Nakahilig din ako sa railing at magkadikit ang mga braso naming dalawa. He's also drinking from his own iced drink. 

Napangiwi ako habang pinagmamasdan si Liam na tumatawa kasama ang mga kaibigan n'ya. He's tall and he has broad shoulders---almost like Hiram's body frame and height. 'Yon nga lang, mas mukhang agaw-pansin si Liam, hindi dahil mas gwapo s'ya kay Hiram kundi dahil sa paraan n'ya ng paggalaw at pakikisalamuha. I guess, Liam has a friendlier vibe compared to Hiram. 

Hiram's like. . .

I glanced at Hiram. Nakatanaw na s'ya sa langit at mukhang may iniisip habang umiinom sa inumin n'ya.

He's like this unreachable person. He's easy to talk to. He's kind of friendly. But he always had this cold side to him like he doesn't let anyone get close to him. He's funny. He jokes around. But he only has a few close friends. 

That's why I'm his only close friend in class.

Tumingin ulit ako sa grounds at uminom sa iced coffee na binili ni Hiram para sa 'kin. 

Maybe I'm like him. Maybe that's why we became friends. 

I looked at Liam again. I sighed when I saw the way he laughed. 

Even the way he laughs is not attractive to me. I really hate the idea that he confessed to me. It doesn't sit right and it's annoying. 

"Your cousin. . ." I started to say and I see Hiram glance at me from my peripheral vision. "Why does he laugh like that?"

Agad na napaubo si Hiram kaya nilingon ko s'ya. He started laughing and the students who pass us by looked at him weirdly. 

Hindi ako nag-react. Hinintay ko na matapos s'ya sa pagtawa.

"Why are you so annoyed with him?" natatawang tanong ni Hiram sa 'kin.

"He's just really annoying these past few days," sabi ko at nilingon ulit ang pinsan n'ya sa school grounds. "Look," I pointed at Liam, "his eyes disappear when he laughs."

"Singkit s'ya, September," Hiram said, laughing. "Of course his eyes would look like that."

"It's annoying."

"What did he do to you? Really?" tanong ni Hiram, natatawa pa rin. "Hindi ka naman gan'yan sa kan'ya noon."

Sumimangot ako. 

━━━ ☁ ━━━

It's bothersome. 

Unless Liam says it himself, I will continue believing he confessed to me. But how can I know if I can't even make myself ask him?

I groaned in frustration. Naglakad ako sa hallway ng strand n'ya, hoping that I can somehow see how he's been acting these days. Hindi ko matanggap na ako lang ang namomroblema rito. S'ya ang umamin sa 'kin kaya bakit ako ang nagkakaganito? Stupid Liam. 

Nang makarating na ako sa tapat ng room ng section n'ya, humalukipkip ako at sumilip sa loob nang hindi nila nahahalata. Nakita ko na may teacher pa sila sa loob at mukhang hindi pa tapos ang discussion. 

Inilibot ko ang tingin ko sa klase at nakita ko ro'n si Liam, nakangisi, mukhang may kalokohang ginagawa kasama ang isa sa mga kaibigan n'yang lalaki. They're snickering. When I looked at where they're looking, I saw another male classmate whom I think is also one of their friends. 

Liam sat up straight and I frowned as I watch him. He's holding a small crumpled paper. Ibinato n'ya ang papel do'n sa lalaking kanina pa nila tinitingnan. The boy glanced at Liam and the boy raised his middle finger. 

Napangiwi ako. Liam's really irritating. Everything he does look ridiculous. 

Napatingin ako sa phone ko nang tumunog 'yon. It was Hiram.

Hiram Nicholas Veloso:
Where are you?
You really love leaving me. :(

Halos umirap ako sa chat n'ya sa 'kin. Itinago ko ang phone ko at naglakad na pabalik sa hallway namin ni Hiram sa ABM.

━━━ ☁ ━━━

When I got back to our room, our break time also ended. Bumalik na ako sa proper seat ko katabi si Hiram at tumanaw ulit sa labas ng bintana. Hiram looks like he wanted to ask where I went but because the teacher arrived, he couldn't ask me.

After Liam approached me that night. . .what happened?

I tried to recall everything. Liam asked me that night. 

"Does Hiram know you're here?" 

I remember raising my hand, trying to dismiss him. Then I sipped on my cocktail again. 

"Is Hiram coming?" He asked again. "I asked him to go with me earlier. Tumanggi s'ya. Tapos pupunta rin pala s'ya rito? Kapag ikaw, pumapayag kaagad. Hindi man lang ako ang pinili. I'm his cousin, you know?"

I groaned and pushed Liam away a little. "You're so noisy. Why don't you just shut up?" 

"What? Are you drunk?" 

Umirap ako. I know that when I'm drunk, people can't really tell. Because although my vision blurs, I always look composed. That's why my friends always tell me it's hard to look after me. Hindi kasi nila napapansin kung lumalagpas na ba ako sa limit ko at kung nalalasing na 'ko.

 "Do I look drunk to you?" I asked Liam, glaring at him. 

His face is blurry so I can't tell what he looks like or what his reaction is.

"No. But you're more irritable than usual," aniya, umuupo sa upuang katabi ng akin. "So. Is Hiram coming?"

"No," mabilis kong sagot. "Don't ask me about that jerk," medyo galit na sabi ko. 

The music was too loud. I couldn't hear Liam clearly. 

"Nag-away ba kayo?" he asks.

What a dumb question. 

"Is that why he's not here?" Liam asks again.

"Shut up!" I groaned. "Stop freaking asking me about Hiram. I'm not his mom!"

I blinked as I remember a fragment of my memory that night. I stood up and left the bar counter after that because I was irritated with Liam and I wanted him to stop nagging me with questions. 

Oh. The realization suddenly hit me.

So I didn't leave the cocktail I bought just because Liam wanted to talk to me. I left the drink because I got mad at him. 

Well. . . that sounds like me. 

I shrugged. 

The cocktail. Agad akong nanghinayang. Ni hindi ko man lang 'yon naubos.

"What are you thinking?" 

Nilingon ko si Hiram. I sighed. 

"Cocktail," I mumbled. 

Hiram laughed.