Between Your Lips and Mine (Cervantes Series)

4

121022 #BYLAMwp Chapter 4

I didn't bother correcting Chio sa alam niyang crush ko si Jass. But ever since noong naging okay kami, I can tell that he's doing everything to shield me from Jass. Minsan nga parang too much na, and I'm surprised that the two girls haven't caught a whiff of what's really happening.

It started with him switching seats with me so I don't have to look at the back of Jass' head during class, then to him making sure I don't sit across or beside Jass in the library or in the canteen, or to making sure he pulls Jass away after dismissal so I won't have to walk with him to the parking lot kapag dala nito ang sasakyan.

I bet Chio thinks he's being discreet, but it's hard not to see the patterns kapag three weeks straight na niyang ginagawa. And he's not really doing a good job at being discreet kung kulang na lang ay hilahin niya si Eri at itali sa tabi ko tuwing lunch para hindi ko makatabi si Jass. Hindi yata niya naiisip na Jass is doing his own efforts not to be near me.

I am checking my wallet when I hear Chio sending our friends away, "Una na kayo. May pupuntahan kami." By kami, alam kong kaming dalawa ang tinutukoy niya dahil kaming dalawa na lang naman ang nakaupo. Hindi ko lang alam kung anong pupuntahan ang sinasabi niya.

"Sa'n kayo pupunta?" Sab asks, waiting by the doorway with Eri. Chio follows me to the door the moment I stood up. Before I can take another step to the left hallway, he stops me by grabbing my arm. Saan ba kami pupunta?

"Diyan lang," sagot niyang hindi nakatulong. "Si Jass? Umuna na?"

"Sa canteen na lang daw siya hintayin e," Sab says. She glances at me, then wiggles her brows for a reason I do not get, before clapping Chio's shoulder hard. I wince at the same time Chio yelps, possibly in pain. Ang gaan ng kamay ni Sabrina.

"Kain na kami," she adds. Eri holds onto her arm and waves at the both of us as they walk away.

As soon as the girls are out of earshot, I ask Chio, "Saan tayo pupunta?"

He lets go of my arm and nurses his shoulder while cursing Sab. Hindi ko napigilan ang matawa sa hitsura niya. Bugbog na bugbog silang dalawa ni Jass pagdating kay Sab kahit hindi naman sinasadya n'ung isa.

He points to the right hallway with his mouth, still tapping on and rotating his shoulder. "Lakad."

"To?"

"Sa labas tayo kakain," sagot niya kaya napatingala ako sa kaniya. Since when did he decide that at kailan pa ako pumayag?

Bumaba ang tingin niya sa 'kin nang maramdaman sigurong hindi ko inaalis ang mga mata ko sa kaniya. "Kaya wala si Jass kasi susunduin niya si Gracey sa building niya. Isasabay nila si Gracey mag-lunch."

Oh.

I . . . I don't know what to say. I haven't seen Gracey since Jass' birthday; I haven't apologized for what happened. Mukhang nakaramdam din naman si Jass kaya hindi rin niya masyadong bini-bring up si Gracey kapag magkakasama kami. Hindi lang talaga maiiwasan dahil kay Eri na palatanong.

"I'm okay with eating with them," I tell Chio after thinking hard about it while walking to the front gates. As long as I keep my mouth shut and Gracey doesn't strike a conversation with me, I'll be fine. I can tune them out. Kung kaya ko nga si Chio na napakadaldal, siya pa kaya? I just need another month, or maybe two, before I can actually try being nice to her.

Tumigil si Chio sa paglalakad. Mukhang nag-isip-isip siya. But he eventually just shrugged, then passed by the guards. Sumunod ako dahil hindi naman ako babalik sa canteen nang mag-isa lang.

"Sa labas na," he says when I catch up with him. "Para libre mo 'ko."

"Seriously?"

He chuckles. He fishes his bandana handkerchief from the back pocket of his jeans, unfolds it, and places it on the top of my head as if that's enough to shield me from the burning midday sunlight. I prepare my wallet pagdating namin sa malapit na kainan. Chio has already mentioned before that his aunt owns the place, pero never naman siyang libre dito sa iilang beses na dito kami kumain back in freshman year.