16
The game season will start next week, and unfortunately, Arthfael is sick.
Arthfael:
Hindi ako makakapasok :(( hindi kita makikita :(
Ako:
Why? I'm already here at school.
Arthfael:
🤒
My eyebrows arched at the emoji that he sent me through text. I stopped walking and typed my reply to him.
Ako:
I'll visit later. Take a good rest.
I still clearly remember the time that I kissed him on his cheek. It was just last month, but I'm still embarrassed about what I did. Arthfael didn't talk about that thing with me, but his smirk the next day after I kissed him was already making me shy.
I've never been that shy before until that day when I couldn't even open my mouth and talk directly to him. I never knew that I would come to this point where I'd be embarrassed to be around someone.
I was always straightforward, but that day, Arthfael caught me.
Maybe I just really like him, which is why I kissed him. That's maybe a good enough reason why I kissed him.
"Hey," bati ko kay Rye nang makita ko s'ya sa labas ng classroom ko. It's already lunch time.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
Malayo naman ang building niya sa building ng course ko kaya alam kong may sadya siya kaya s'ya nandito.
"Art is sick," Rye answered.
I hugged my portfolio. "Yeah, I know. He texted."
"I'm waiting for you. Wala akong kasabay mag-lunch," He calmly stated.
I narrowed my eyes and nodded unhesitatingly. "Okay,"
Wala na naman si Viri at Krysan kaya wala na naman akong kasabay mag-lunch. I hadn't seen them in weeks —, but we kept in touch via text and phone. We occasionally use Facetime. They're just too busy with their personal lives, which I understand. We gave each other a break at least once a month.
When Rye and I arrived at the cafeteria, we ordered our own food and found a table to eat it at. We're not talking to each other. We haven't even said anything. He's very quiet, and I can hear crickets clearly.
Masyado na yata akong nasanay sa ingay ni Arthfael kaya kapag hindi ko s'ya kasama ay naninibago ako kahit noon naman ay sanay akong tahimik at mas gusto ko ang katahimikan.
Rye sat in front of me. I couldn't help but look at him when he got his phone and seemed to be typing something. When he saw me looking at him, he uttered a word.
"I'm texting Art. I told him that we're already having lunch."
My lips parted and I nodded at him. I looked at my phone beside my plate and saw that Arthfael had also messaged me. I read his message and quickly typed my reply to him before I started eating.
"Aren't you busy with your readings?" I asked Rye.
He glanced at me before he shook his head. "Not really,"
"Your course seemed bit easy for you,"
"It's hard," he replied, and shrugged. "I just don't really need to pressure myself if I don't want to study, because if I did, I would not understand a thing."
Napatango-tango lang ako sa sinabi niya at pinagpatuloy na ang tanghalian namin. We didn't talk again. The silence between us is dominating.
After lunch, Rye walked me to my classroom and went to his own class afterward. My whole day is somehow busy. I texted my driver and told him that I'd go to Arthfael's house. I also told my parents that I'd be going home late.
