After We Ended

18.

This will be the last update for today, bukas nalang ulit. Enjoy! And happy 1k reads!<3

. . .

"Why are you staring at me?" mahinang tanong ko kay Jace habang nasa harap pa'rin ang tingin. Ramdam ko ang paninitig niya sa'kin kanina pa kaya medyo naiilang na ako.

"I'm not." mahinang sagot niya at umayos ng upo. I laughed a bit before looking at him.

"Talaga?" I smiled teasingly. Umiling lang siya at tumingin sa harap.

Maya-maya ay sinabi ni Ma'am Lena sa'min na ilabas ang student handbook na ibinigay kanina. Every year kasi ay nagbibigay sila ng bagong handbook kapag first day of class.

"Oh, shoot." mahinang sabi ni Jace kaya napalingon ako sa kanya. Ano problema nito?

"I left mine at home." sabi niya nang mapansing napatingin ako sa kanya.

"Kakabigay lang kanina, ah?" ngumiwi ako.

"Nakuha ko 'yung akin 'nung nagpa-enroll kami ni Mama. Nakalimutan kong dalhin." he explained. Napatango naman ako at binuklat ang akin. Linapit ko 'yun sa kanya para makita din niya.

"Share nalang tayo, kawawa ka naman." I smiled a bit. He sighed and nodded silently. Iginitna ko 'yun sa'min para makita namin ng maayos at tahimik nalang akong tumingin sa harap.

"So if you open your handbook to page fifteen, you'll see most of the classroom rules. Hindi pa ito lahat. Itong mga 'to lang talaga ang madalas na nalalabag." pinanlakihan kami ni Ma'am Lena ng mata kaya nagtawanan kami.

"First! Transferring seats." panimula niya at naglakad malapit sa mga ka-klase naming lalaki na nagkwekwentuhan ng tahimik sa likod.

"Diyan ba ang proper seats niyo?" she asked and raised her brows.

"Ay, sorry po ma'am." they laughed and went back to their seats. Nagtawanan kami dahil doon.

"Second. Eating during class." ngumiti si Ma'am at pinasadahan kaming lahat ng tingin. Oo na, lahat kami kumakain during class hours! In our defense, mas gumagana ang utak kapag may nginunguya ka.

"Ay, bawal?" tumawa ang isa at linagay sa bag ang chips na kinakain. Napailing si Ma'am at tumingin ulit sa handbook na hawak niya.

Inisa-isa niya ang mga classroom rules na nakalagay sa handbook at tahimik naman kaming nakikinig. Magtatawanan lang kami kapag may hihirit.

"Last but not the least, strictly no PDA." mariing sabi ni Ma'am at lumapit sa'min ni Jace.

"Masyadong malapit." mapagbirong sabi niya at tinulak palayo ang mukha ko kay Jace gamit ang handbook niya. Napanganga ako nang ma-realize na sobrang naglapit na pala ang mukha namin ni Jace habang tinitignan ang handbook na hawak ko sa gitna namin. Halos magdikit na ang mga pisngi namin at hindi ko 'man lang namalayan!

"Ayieee!" asar na ng mga kaklase namin. Ngumiti din ng mapang-asar si Ma'am Lena.

"Nag share lang kami sa handbook ko kasi naiwan niya 'yung kanya!" pagtatanggol ko pero mas lumakas ang asar nila.

"Talaga ba?" nangibabaw pa ang boses ni Mindy. Kaibigan ko ba talaga 'yan?

"Okay, okay. Settle down. They're probably just getting close already." tumawa si Ma'am at linagay ang hawak niya sa lamesa.

"Ma'am, bagay sila, 'di ba?!" sigaw ng isa kong kaklase. Almost all of them agreed to that. I sighed heavily and just massaged my head. Kailan ba magsasawa 'tong mga 'to na pagtripan ako?

"Okay, class. That's enough." sita na ni Ma'am kaya tumahimik na ang lahat.

She started going through all of the other rules and regulations here in our school. Nakinig nalang ako kahit alam ko naman na ang mga 'yun.

"Ma'am, paano po 'yung sa class officers?" tanong ng isa. Ngumiti naman si Ma'am at tumango.

"Okay, ngayon nalang tayo mag election." she said which made most of my classmates cheer for joy. Pati ako ay natuwa dahil balak kong pagtripan si Mindy.

"I nominate Mindy for class president!" sabi ko at ngumisi. She glared at me a bit but I just shrugged.

"Ma'am, ako naman! I nominate Allanah for class president." masayang sabi naman ni Diane. All our classmates cheered because of that. Diane looked at me and winked. Natawa naman ako at tinuon ang atensyon sa white board kung saan sinusulat na ni Ma'am ang pangalan nila Mindy at ng kaklase namin na si Allanah.

Mindy ang Allanah have a very complicated relationship because of a guy they fought over when we were in eight grade. It's so petty, we all find it funny. Hanggang ngayon ay inaasar ko pa'rin si Mindy tungkol doon.

"Okay, for all of those in favor for Mindy, please raise your hand." Ma'am said. I giggled a bit and raised my hand. Siniko ko din si Jace na parang walang alam sa nangyayari dahil kanina pa tulala.

"What? Should I raise my hand?" he asked blankly. I rolled my eyes and nodded. He sighed and just raised his hand. I smiled at him widely and looked at Mindy who has her arms crossed.

"For all of those in favor for Lana, please raise your hand." sabi naman ni Ma'am nang mabilang na kaming gusto kay Mindy.

Lana won as class president and Mindy ended up as the vice. It was a tight competition though. Dalawang votes lang ang lamang ni Lana kay Mindy.

Nag elect pa kami ng ibang officers at nang makarating na kami sa muse at escort ay pinagtitinginan na ako. Oh gosh, here we go again.

"Ma'am, wala nang vote-vote! We all nominate Elise and Jace for muse and escort!" tumatawang sigaw ni Tessa. Napatampal ako sa noo nang magsigawan ang mga kaklase ko na payag daw sila.

"You guys have been electing me as muse for four years straight already!" I groaned. They all laughed at that, not taking my words seriously.

"Are you all sure about that?" Ma'am Lena laughed. I rolled my eyes when all of them nodded.

"Elise, Jace, is this fine with you two?" tanong naman sa'min ni Ma'am. Jace shrugged and nodded a bit. Nagtilian naman sila at in-assume na may gusto daw sa'kin si Jace kaya daw mabilis siyang pumayag. Napapikit nalang ako at huminga ng malalim. They're crazy.

"Elise?" tanong sa'kin ni Ma'am.

"Ma'am, huwag mo nang tanungin 'yan! Ako ang bestfriend niya and I believe that I have the right to decide for her and with that, I say, Astra Elise Monteverde for muse!" proud na ngumiti si Mindy. All of our classmates cheered and clapped as if she just said a very long and inspiring speech!

Ma'am Lena looked at me and I just shrugged and nodded a bit dahil wala naman akong choice eh. Kapag hindi ako pumayag, sasabihin lang nila na may gusto talaga ako kay Jace at ayaw kong pumayag dahil guilty daw ako. Nangyari na 'yan 'nung grade seven ako, maniwala kayo.

"Okay, tumango na siya! Yehey!" sigaw ni Diane na nakaupo sa likod ko at nakakita ng pagtango ko.

"Like I have a choice." I mumbled. I heard Jace chuckle which made me look at him.

"Saya mo yata ah? Pa-share naman ng kasiyahan?" I sarcastically said and raised my brows.

Umiling siya at tumawa kaunti, "You look cute." he whispered and licked his lower lip.

Napaiwas ako ng tingin at ngumuso. Did he just- okay, nevermind.