TAMED #1: The Good Boy

CHAPTER 17. He's Back

Umupo na ako sa assigned seat ko na nasa unahan. Nagpasa ng mga papel ang proctors at nagbigay ng instructions. They explained how the contest would go before they allowed us to start answering.

The questions was a piece of cake. Ni hindi ko kinunot ang noo ko. Nor did I have any solutions. It was just so easy.

I answered the rest of the questions and finally stood up to pass it. Nagulat ang lahat nang makita akong tumayo.

"Do you have any questions, uh, Miss Mild?" tanong ng proctor.

"None. I was just gonna pass this," pinakita ko ang papel na hawak ko.

"Are you sure you are done? You only answered for 30 minutes," nagtatakang tanong ng proctor.

"Yes, I am sure I am done."

I passed my paper and went out. Umupo ako sa bench sa hallway at hinintay na may matapos kina Blaze at Maddie.

I wonder if he would get annoyed I finished first.

Matagal rin bago natapos sila dalawa. Sabay silang lumabas kasama si Katherine na kausap nila.

Hm. They really are friends.

Blaze grinned at me proudly. "Bilib na talaga ako sa'yo!"

"You flatter me too much," sabi ko. "It's just Trigonometry and Geometry."

"I mean, finishing that fast is already a feat in itself."

"Whatever."

"Anyway, do you want to wait for Keirah with us?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, sure."

We waited for her outside the classroom. After 25 minutes, lumabas na rin siya kasama ang third contestant ng Almerry.

"Whooo!" she breathed. "Grabe! Ang hirap nun ah."

"Tara na?" he invited and offered me his hand.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What's that for?" tukoy ko sa kamay niyang nakalahad.

"Ah... being a gentleman?"

"Psh."

Tumayo na ako at binalewala ang kamay niya. Nauna akong maglakad.

"Press F for Blaze's poor heart!" bulalas ni Keirah sa likod.

I immediately found my friends playing darts in the hallway at mukhang walang pakialam kung may dadaan.

"Oh! That's a twenty, dude," kantyaw ni Gabe kay Fred. "Talo ka na naman."

Naramdaman ko ang pagtabi ni Blaze sa akin. "Are your friends always like that?" bulong niya.

Tumango ako. "Yeah."

Nag-apir ang dalawa kong kaibigan habang sina Mary at Lizzie ay naglalaro pa rin.

"Oh! Double 20!" palakpak ni Lizzie. "You three are losers!" tawa niya.

"Nanalo ako versus Frederick," sagot naman ni Gabe.

"Come on. You know Fred is the worst person to throw a dart. The person you should beat is Vander!"

"I can beat this virgin," Gabe said while pointing his thumb at Vander na nananahimik lang. "Watch and see, Liz. Matatalo ko si Vander the Virgin."

"First of all," started Vander in his infamous monotone. "Me being a virgin or not should not concern you. Secondly, you can't beat me in darts. You may beat me in basketball but never with darts. Third, stop calling me a virgin."

Pumalakpak si Fred. "Wow, bro. You recited an entire paragraph."

"Shut up."

"Naiiyak ako na ako, dude," tapik ni Gabe sa balikat ni Fred.