"CHUBS! Manood ka ng laro namin, kung hindi ay iihawin kita. Okey?" sinamaan ko lang ng tingin si Clark. "Oo nga. Miss ko na ang lechon cute kaya sige ka. Pag hindi ka manonood iihawin ka talaga namin." isa pa 'tong si Rod. Chubs? Cute? Ano ako? Biik?
"I'm not a freaking pig okey? I may be fat but I'm not a freaking pig. At 'saka sinong tinatakot niyo? Ako? Mukha ba akong bata para takotin niyo?" sabay namang tumango ang dalawa. "Baby, gusto mo lollipop?" hinampas ko si Rod ng notebook. "Ouch baby! Ang sakit! Ba't ba kasi ang chubby mong bata?"
Okey! That's it!
"Lai!" napalingon ako sa dumating. It was Nicholai. He's holding his notebook with his pen as he steps inside the class. "Halika pre!" tiningnan kami ni Nicholai, pero hindi rin nagtagal.
"Next time. May kailangan akong gawin eh." tumango sina Rod at Clark. Umupo si Nicholai sa kanyang upuan. I on the other hand just stares at him. After that night. He became aloof to his friends- I mean, hindi na siya laging sumasabay kina Rod at Clark. Dati, parang 'di mapaghiwalay. Ngayon parang hindi naging malapit na magkaibigan.
I sigh. "Tell me when it hurts, then I'll try to stop the pain..." he said. Yet, the next morning. He acted like I didn't exist. Hindi niya manlang ako matapunan ng tingin. He completely ignored me. But then, since that night happened. Whenever I see Jenny near him, he's being cold. I'm happy yes. But I don't know why he's doing this.
I don't think he likes me. He's Nicholai Herrera and I'm just Nicole Villanueva; a nobody.
But maybe he knows my feelings for him. And he's ignoring Jenny because he felt pity for me or maybe Jenny and him are just having some lover's quarrel so that Nicholai's ignoring her.
Right. 'Yun dapat ang isipin ko. "Chubs? Anong mukha 'yan huh?" pinisil ni Clark ang mukha ko. Tinabig ko ang kamay niya at inirapan siya.
THEIR BASKETBALL GAME came. Ayokong tawaging kj so I decided to watch their game. Nicholai wore his jersey with a number 11 in it. Clark was wearing a number 18 jersey while Rod was wearing a number 16 jersey.
As the game starts, I notice Jenny and her friends on the bench where Nicholai's team were and I also noticed her jacket and the number behind it. It's 11.
Nicholai's jersey's number 11.
Are they really going out?
Ang sakit... Sobra.
I felt like my heart was broke into pieces when Jenny yells "go babe!" as Nicholai was holding the ball. They're together.
There's no question how, when, or why. The answer is obvious.
I stood up and left the court to breath. Nang makaalis sa maingay na court ay nagtungo ako sa canteen. Walang ibang estudyante maliban sa akin. Tumungo ako sa counter para um-order ng sandwich at isang C2. As I pick my order, a group of students suddenly came.
"Darn bro! Your girlfriend's wearing a number 11 jersey jacket and cheering another guy!" I know the guy. It was Jason from another section.
"That Nicholai Herrera will pay for stealing my girlfriend."
"Bro, it's obvious that Jenny likes that Herrera and not the other way around—" jenny's boyfriend punches the guy and didn't let him finish his words.
"Bro, tama na 'yan! We're a fucking friends here! That Nicholai Herrera is the one to blame, okey?!"
This Jason the asshole guy don't know what he's saying. Nicholai Herrera stealing someone's girl? He must be out of his mind.
I left the canteen and went to the forest. The forest in not creepy or scary. It actually feels nice in there. And it's calming. I eat the sandwich and drink my C2. I sigh as I look around. No one's here. They're all probably in the court. There's no doubt that Nicholai's team will win. They're good at it. After finishing the sandwich, I stood up.
Nang makalabas sa forest ay sakto namang tumunog ang bell hudyat na time na para umuwi pero wala yatang gustong umuwi. Wala kasi akong estudyanting nakikitang lumalabas sa court.
Tumungo ako doon at tiningnan ang nangyayari. "What's happening kaya kay Nicholai 'no? He seems bothered, ano kayang problema niya?" tanong nga kaklase ko na si Ella sa isa pa naming kaklase na si Janneth. "Oo nga eh. Kanina pa talaga siya ganyan. Siguro dahil nag aabang ang grupo nila Red sa labas." Red was the guy who punched Ben earlier.
What if they hurt him?!
I should do something! Nicholai's team asked for a timeout. Nicholai looks pissed but he's still handsome. Argh! Nicole! Do something and stop looking at him! You have to help him!
I walk towards their team. Nang medyo makalapit ay sumitsit ako. Walang nakarinig dahil sa ingay.
Natapos ang time out nila at bumalik si Nicholai 'saka si Rod sa court while Clark was just sitting on the bench. Agad akong umubo para mapansin mabuti nalang at di siya bingi kaya napalingon siya. Sumigla ang mukha ng FC at agad na tinawag ako pero sumenyas ako ng wag maingay.
Sumenyas ako na sumunod siya sa akin at agad namang tumayo ang loko. Tsk, pag ako kidnapper mabilis kong makikidnap ang isang 'to. Makapagtiwala akala mo close kami.
Nang makarating sa labas ay agad akong humanap ng lugar na walang tao. Nakasunod naman siya sa akin. "Clark dalian mo." ngumisi naman ang gago at lumapit sa akin. "Yes, babe?" binatukan ko siya.
"Aray!" aniya at hinimas ang ulo. "Whatever, arte mo. Anyway, tulungan mo ang kaibigan mo Clark. Red and his friends are planning to hurt Nicholai! They might hurt him so bad! Don't let Nicholai out on your sights. Tell Rod about it. Both of you are his friends so he needs you."
"Yun lang?" aniya sa bored na tono.
"Anong 'yun lang?" tanong ko, medyo tumaas ang boses. Aba, 'tong hinayupak na 'to kalma lang ah!
"Chubs, Nicholai can fight against those shits, they're nothing compares to Nicholai. Nicholai's strong enough to save himself and besides this won't be the first time that he'll fight against Red and his friends. The other day nga they're planning to hit Nicholai with a baseball but gladly Nicholai was strong enough to make Red and his friends groan in so much pain."
"WHAT?!"
He smiled and mess with my hair. "Yes Chubs, so don't worry about your crush because he can manage himself. Anyways, let's go back to the court and finish the game then we'll go to Balintawak to celebrate." said he as his arms wraps around my shoulders.
"No thanks, I'm going home." I said and took his arms away from my shoulders.
"C'mon, why not?"
"I have a date." with my family of course.
"REALLY?!" nagulat ako ng makita si Rod at Nicholai sa harapan namin. "Uhm... I need to go." I said and walk.
"Chubs!" tumakbo ako para agad na makalayo. Nicholai's eyes were so intense, I feel like his eyes were so angry and I don't know why. Did i did something wrong?
Argh! I'm so confused!!!
BINABASA MO ANG
TEARDROPS OF TOMORROW
RomanceNicole thought it was okay to like her neighbor, Nicholai Herrera silently. She's been in love with Nicholai for almost a decade. For Nicole, it was enough to see him and talk to him even for a second. When she turns into a high school student, she...
