Leaving Special Perfume (Mondejar Series 2)

Kabanata 1

Confused

Class is over. Most of the students are waiting for vehicles to take them home. Standing on the pavement of school. But one person caught my attention. His car parked to the other side while looking around on our side.

He has soft face that contrast his sharp eyes. Medyo moreno ang balat at may katangkaran din. His bruised lips are thin and plump. Nakakahiya naman sa nanunuyo kong labi. Overall he has a soft presence but sharp looks.

I heard girls praise and compliment him from afar and gossip something about him.

I still remember his name.

Jacob.

"Oh kuya Javen is here."

Huh? Javen? Maybe his second name.

Jacob Javen? Doesn't sound right.

A girl with headphones on her neck suddenly point at Jacob and calls him Javen. I saw her red ID lace which categorized as grade 9 students. I'm wearing black ID lace which means I'm grade 11; a senior highschool student.

I'm still sixteen though, masyado lang talaga nagmadali si mama na i-enroll ako dahil nabuburyo na ako sa bahay at alam na lahat ng dapat matutunan ng isang kindergarten. My mom is a teacher so she teaches me things.

"Maybe he's just visiting our school, remember? Kuya Javen graduated here in highschool?"

The girl her age, I think her friend, also look at Javen whom I thought named Jacob. Javen still have his bruises on his face covered, may pasa pa rin sya sa gilid ng kanyang labi pero hindi na ito kasinglala noong dinala ko sya sa ospital.

"No eh, seems like he's looking for someone."

Baka may kapatid sya dito na susunduin nya, but why there is a part of me thinking I'm the one he's looking for. This is not ideal. I still remember how he rudely shut the driver and how he said vulgar and false words about us.

"Miss, kapatid mo yun? Anong pangalan?"

A senior high student with her friend approach the grade 9 student and asked her. I noticed na kahit kausap nya yung bata nakafocus parin ang mga mata kay Javen.

"He's my kuya Zion's friend. Kuya Javen Noam Mondejar."

So that's why he's looks mad everytime I call him when I'm carrying him to the hospital. He's not Jacob, he's Javen. But why the man who beat him, called him Jacob? Baka napagkamalan nyang sya iyon o kapatid nya yun?

I can't help but to remember what the bad guy said. Javen or Jacob, he had sex with a girl who have a boyfriend. It may be not an affair,  but he still committed sin.

Napansin ko naman ang isang kasama nung nagtanong ay kinuha agad ang phone at nagsearch sa Facebook. Mas matangkad ako sa kanila kaya madali kong makita kung anong tinitipa nila sa kanilang phone.

Javen is seems to be a private person. Naka lock ang profile para hindi makita ng iba ang activities nya sa social media.

"Pakilala mo ako beh"

Muntik na akong mabilaukan sa sarili kong laway ng marinig ang sinabi nya. I'm surprised there still people who have the guts to say confidently their desire. Sinamaan naman sya ng tingin ng bata saka humakbang papalayo sa kanya.

"Sino ka ba?"

Tinarayan nya yung babae saka sinuot ang headphones nya para iwasan ang sasabihin nito. Narinig ko pang magsalita ang babae bago manahimik sa kanatatayuan nya.

"Sungit naman ng batang to."

I don't think na masungit yung bata. Masyado lang talagang below the belt and request nya kaya sinungitan sya nito.

"Anya! Let's go."

A tall man approached the girl and get her bag. he have fox and hazel eyes, he's wearing a v-neck oversized brown shirt that's tacked in his slacks which makes him more beautifully handsome. Hindi sya napansin ng tinawag nyang Anya dahil nakaheadphones parin ito habang nakayuko. Napansin lang sya nito nang kalabitin sya ng kasama nya.

"Lucy, your brother oh."

"Kuya Zion!" She happily greeted her brother.

So he's Zion, Anya's older brother. He looks young like teenager but based on his gestures and actions, I think Zion is in his late 20s.

Ngayon ko lang napansin na mukha silang East Asian, maybe korean or Japanese dahil sa features nila. Nagtaka naman ako ng nginitian ako nung Zion bago sila umalis ni Anya na ikinadabog ng ibang babae sa paligid.

Nang mawala sila sa harap ko saka ko lang napansin na sa akin na nakatingin si Javen. Or maybe not. Lalo namang kinikilig ang iba kaya baka hindi ako iyong tinitignan nya.

I just confirmed it when he crossed the road and walk towards my direction na ikinapang hinayang ng mga kasama ko.

Gusto ko magtago pero saan? Kapag tumakbo ako lalo lang akong mapapansin. Para akong natuod sa kinatatayuan ko ng makalapit sya sa akin. He's wearing office suit habang naka fold up to his elbow ang braso ng damit nya. At nasa braso nya ang coat. He looks expensive just by the way he walks.

Siguro kahit nakapambahay lang sya ay mukha parin syang pormal.

"Jade."

I brushed off my thoughts when he called me by my name. I didn't tell him my name, but I think by his money he can know everything he wants to know.

"H-huh?"

He chuckled and looked down. He find it funny after I spaced out. Javen is way taller than me, I'm 5 foot 7 but my head just reaches his chest. Kaya nahihirapan akong tumingala para makausap sya lalo na ang taas din ng araw.

"Let's go?"

"Where are we going?"

I looked down noticing his huge hand grabbing my small hand. It's not interlocked, instead he's just holding it as a signal for me to walk with him. I didn't walk, I know he wants me to get into his car. That is not ideal, because getting into a guys car is getting into his life and I don't want that. I'm still young. Or I'm just overreacting.

"I texted you that we're going to eat lunch since you saved my life last week.

Kinuha ko agad ang cellphone ko sa bulsa at tiningnan kung meron, nandoon nga iyon. Hindi ko lang pinansin dahil hindi ito nakasave sa contacts ko at wala rin akong load para magreply. Mabilis ko itong binalik sa bulsa para tingnan sya.

Nandoon parin ang iilang estudyante na kasing edad ko na nakikitingin din sa direksyon namin habang nagbubulungan. Ang iba tila galit at ang iba ay halos maghampasan sa tuwa.

"Hindi ko nabasa, sorry." Kuripot lang talaga ako mag load ng credit.

Nang mapansin nya na nakatingin ako sa kamay namin ay bigla nyang inayos ang pagkakahawak kaya nagmukhang kaming magkaholding hands. Narinig ko pa syang tumawa ng mahina ng ngumiwi ako sa gulat.

"Pwede ba bukas nalang? K-kasi hindi ako nakapag paalam kay mama na malalate ako ng uwi."

Mabilis akong umalis dahil hindi narin ako komportable sa sitwasyon namin kanina. Inalok nya pa akong ihatid pero tumanggi nalang ako at baka iba ang maisip ng magulang ko kapag nakita nila akong bumaba sa kotse ng iba.

Lalo lang sumakit ang ulo ko habang gumagawa ng essay ng maalala ko na naman ang sinabi nya bago ako umalis.

"I'm Javen. Not Jacob. I hope you won't confuse yourself between me and my brother."