07
"Finally! May ilang linggo rin tayong pahinga!" Malakas na sabi ni Krysan nang lumabas na ang last subject professor namin.
My phone vibrated, so I didn't hear what Viri and Krysanthe were talking about.
Arthfael:
Hi, Miss Ma'am! Tapos na class? Kain tayo sa labas? :-D
Arthfael and I exchanged phone numbers. I've been spending a lot of time with him these days. It's been a few months since I met him, and I guess we're now good friends.
Hindi ko naman kasi p'wedeng sabihin na accompany lang s'ya. I treated him as my friend. I casually talked to him, and I'm more comfortable now with him than the first time we talked.
Friends kami dahil hindi naman s'ya nanliligaw kahit umamin s'ya saakin na gusto niya ako noon.
I typed my reply to him.
Ako:
Sure, I need to go home by 7 pm sharp.
Arthfael:
S'yempre naman, Miss Ma'am!
Itinago ko ang cellphone ko. Usually kapag ganitong niyayaya n'ya akong kumain sa labas wala s'yang practice game. He once asked me to go out on the weekend, and we actually went out together on the weekend thrice.
Kapag weekend may trabaho si Arthfael. Day off n'ya kapag Monday hanggang Wednesday.
I secretly memorized his schedule. He keeps talking naman kase kung anong ginagawa niya sa isang araw kapag magkasama kami kaya hindi ko rin maiwasang tandaan 'yung maliliit na detalye tungkol sa kanya.
Arthfael likes strawberry cake, and he hates ube cake or any ube-flavored food.
It shocked me because he ate ube cake a few months ago. Hindi ko naman alam na ayaw niya talaga sa ube cake no'ng pinagpalit niya 'yung cake namin.
Maybe this is the thing that Arthfael wants.
Kilalanin namin muna ang isa't-isa.
"Undas break na, Miss Ma'am, pupunta ka ba sa sementeryo sa November 1?"
I sipped on my americano coffee. I blinked twice before I looked at Arthfael, who was sitting in front of me. Sa isang cafe malapit sa school kami nagpunta. Wala mas'yadong tao sa cafe na 'yon kaya madalas dito kami pumupunta pagkatapos ng klase.
Arthfael knows most of my likes and dislikes.
"No," I replied to his questions.
Ngumuso s'ya. "Sakit naman! Ayaw mo man lang bang dadalawin 'yung puso kong patay na patay sa 'yo?"
I chuckled at his joke, and he just smirked at me. Nasanay na rin siguro ako sa mga biro niya, pero minsan ay nagugulat pa rin ako.
I didn't respond and briefly covered my mouth with the back of my hand as I yawned.
"Inaantok ka na?" Tanong n'ya pa.
Napakurap ulit ako bago tumango. I haven't gotten enough sleep these past few days. Last year in high school was very busy with loaded requirements.
I was so drained with theses, defenses, and research. Naitawid ko naman nang maayos ang lahat ng defenses at presentation ko kahit na minsan ay hindi ko pa rin maiwasang kabahan at mautal habang nagsasalita sa harapan.
Arthfael was the one who always reminded me that I could do it. Minsan nga kapag nasa library kami nakakatulugan ko na s'ya. This is the one time that I fell asleep and I hadn't finished my work yet, but when I woke up, it was already done. Arthfael already finished it for me.
