DEAL TO FALL

03

"Be ready for the exam tomorrow, everyone. Goodbye." The  professor said before leaving the room.

Hindi na kami umalis pa dahil agad din naman na pumasok ang sunod na guro na magtuturo.

I'm all focus to what the teacher's saying but suddenly Cieto popped up on my mind. Lihim na lamang akong natawa habang nilalaro ang ballpen ko.

What he's whispering about?

Kung ano man iyon... maybe it's the reason why he's smiling like that.

And why he's smiling like that though?

Ano ba yung ibinulong niya at gano'n na lamang ang ngiti niya kanina? I'm not an inquisitive person but  for some reason... I have a lot of questions in my mind rightnow and I want Cieto to answer it all.  But I think  that's too much...

The way he smile earlier was cute. I can't erase it on my mind. It keep repeating just like a broken record. 

How amusing.

That guy keeps on doing interesting things that always caught my attention.

I wonder how interesting he can be...

"...Mr.  Meyer?"

Nagtaas ako ng tingin ng marinig na tinawag ng guro ang pangalan ko. Nasa akin na ang paningin nito at ng mga kaklase ko.

Ah... I thought about Cieto a little bit too much. I forgot that I'm in the middle of the class rightnow.

"I'm sorry, Sir. Can you please repeat what you have said just now?"  Saad ko sa kalmado pa rin na boses.

Bakas sa mukha ng guro ang pagtataka at maski ang mga classmates ko ay gano'n din.  Ngayon lang kasi nangyari ito.

Nang lingunin ko ang katabi ko ay nakatitig na ito sa akin. He's reading me again. "Stop that, Altair." Bulong ko at saka bumuntong-hininga ng walang-ingay.

"You're acting weird. Did you saw the books dancing?"

Pumunta ako kanina sa library para humiram ng libro.  At iyon lang ang alam ni Altair. He didn't know that I saw Cieto. But I know that he's thinking that something really happened after I go out to go to the library.

"Don't be nosy and just focus on what the teacher is saying." Iyon na lamang ang sinabi ko. 

Hindi naman siya muli pang nagtanong o nagsalita kaya mas pinili ko na lang din na tumahimik at makinig sa teacher na patuloy na nagsasalita ngayon sa harapan.  Tiyak na magtatanong na naman ang taong nasa gilid ko kapag may napansin siyang kakaiba.

That's Altair. He's not gonna talk to you if you don't interest him. But if you're one of his friends  then you need to be patient. Because he will ask you dozens of questions if  he notice something wrong or weird about you.  But not in 'makulit' way though. He's not that kind of guy.

The teacher decided to end us with a quiz. Siya daw ang mag-che-check ng mga papel namin kaya wala na kaming ginagawa pa maliban sa pagsagot ng quiz.

"Let's go to the cafeteria, Eve." Aya ni Altair. Tiyak na gutom na siya kaya nag-aaya na.

"You go there first. Ibabalik ko pa ang librong hiniram ko." Saad ko at ipinakita sa kaniya ang libro.

"If you don't come after eight minutes I won't wait for you there. Dadalhan na lang kita dito." Saad nito at saka tuluyan ng tumalikod at naunang umalis.

He's a little weird but I'm already used to it already. Kailangan mo lang talaga siyang hayaan at intindihin.

Napagdesiyonan ko ng umalis na rin para pumunta sa library. Sinabi ko kanina sa librarian na isasauli ko yung libro na hiniram ko pagkatapos ng second period. Hindi ko rin naman na gagamitin kaya okay ng isauli.