Forever With You

Chapter 4: Her Kindness

JAMES' POINT OF VIEW

STEPHANIE KEPT her promise to me.

Tinuruan niya ako. Hindi niya lang ito ginawa ng isang beses. Nagpaulit-ulit hanggang sa araw-araw na. After we ate our lunch, we would meet up for the free tutoring session. At hindi lang kami nag-focus sa Math at problem solving. When there was something I couldn't understand on the other subjects, she would help me right away.

And I didn't know . . . what to think about that.

It was our lunch time, and we needed to see each other again. I had just started eating, and I still had plenty of time. Pero ewan ko ba sa sarili ko't nagmadali ako sa pag-ubos ng aking pagkain.

Gavin narrowed his eyes into slits when he noticed that. "Oh, James? Hindi ka ba nag-breakfast? Ano 'yan, gutom na gutom?"

I smiled as I took in my mouth the last spoonful of food. Finally, I finished! Uminom ako ng tubig bago siya sagutin. "Kumain ako ng breakfast. May kailangan lang akong puntahan kaya kailangan kong magmadali."

Hindi ko binalak na sabihin sa kanya ang pagkikita namin ni Stephanie, so he didn't know about it. Mahirap na, baka kung ano pa ang isipin niya. I didn't forget that he also had a crush on her.

"Napapadalas na 'yan, James, ha. Saan ka ba pumupunta? Tell me, may kinikita ka bang babae? Share naman diyan. Parang 'di tayo friends, ah."

Ngumiwi ako. Kahit kailan talaga 'to! Ano'ng tingin niya sa 'kin, mahilig sa babae? Tama talagang naglilihim ako sa kanya.

"Gav, I'm not like you. I don't care about girls."

"Hoy, grabe ka, James!" he replied. "You should love the girls the way I do! Why? Our mother is a woman. My sister is a girl. Ang dami ko ring pinsang babae. Mula tayo sa babae, James. Parang hindi ka naman lalaki niyan. It's like you hate girls."

"I don't hate girls, Gav. Ibang usapan na ang mom ko rito, okay? Basta I don't care about girls as much as you do, magkaiba tayo."

"What are you trying to say? Sinasabi mo bang para akong babaero? Hoy, James, hindi ako gano'n. I love girls, pero hindi sila laruan lang sa paningin ko. And there's only one girl in my heart, si Stephanie lang."

Noo ko naman ang kumunot. "You told me na crush mo lang siya. Paano siya naging laman ng puso mo?"

"Eh, sa 'yon ang totoo," sagot niya. "Napalayo na tayo sa totoong topic. Sino ba kasi 'yong pupuntahan mo, ha?"

"Sino? You're really thinking it's some girl. Paano kung sa library talaga ang punta ko?"

"Sa library? You can't fool me, James. Malabo 'yan kasi hindi naman ikaw 'yong uri ng taong mag-aaral kung hindi required. Para saan pang kaibigan mo 'ko? Huwag ka nang magpalusot."

"At para sa 'yo, mas malaki ang possibility na babae ang pinupuntahan ko kaysa library?"

Kilala niya ba talaga ako o hinuhusgahan niya lang ako? Yeah, I was just an average student. Pero sapat na bang basehan 'yon upang masabi niya na hindi ako kailanman magtatangkang pumunta sa library ng mag-isa? Was he really my friend?

"Yes, James, yes." Halos magsalubong ang aking mga kilay. Mabuti't napigilan ko ang mga ito. Tinitigan ko na lang siya, palihim na nagbabato ng nakamamatay na tingin. "I know you're a good boy. But you and your little brother are not alike. Hindi ka katulad niya na palaging nagsusunog ng kilay."

"Okay, I'm leaving." I stood up and walked away from him.

Sometimes, walking away from everything is the best thing to do. That's better than doing things that will only make the situation worse. And when you choose to just leave like you don't care, people will think you are rude. But that's better than say things that you will only regret at the end of the day.