Bewitching the Tempter

Chapter 22: Dreadful

We were both silent on the way home that day, kahit no'ng bumaba ng sasakyan niya ay wala akong sinabi ni isang salita.

When I went inside my room ay doon lang tumulong muli ang mga luha ko.

I didn't know it would hurt that bad. Akala ko ay wala nang mas ikasasakit sa pagtrato ng pamilya ko sa akin, pero meron pa pala.

Alaric's my karma, too.

Ang dami kong sinaktan noon at ngayong nasaktan na ako ay saka ko lang napagtanto kung gaano ka sama ang manakit ng damdamin ng iba.

I skipped my morning class that day, dahil sumama ang pakiramdam ko. Maybe it's because of the hangover that I kept on throwing up.

Hapon na no'ng makapasok ako and when I arrived at our building ay agad kong nakita si AJ. He waved to me and smiled. Ngumiti rin ako at nilapitan siya.

"How are you?" He asked.

"Okay lang, I'm just kind of not feeling well earlier kaya I skipped my first class. How about you?"

"Fine...now." He smiled. "Do you want to go out and eat later?"         

Napatitig ako sa kanya, remembering what Alaric told me during the morning. He hates his brother kahit wala itong ginagawang masama sa kanya. Pero hindi ba't mali rin na wala kang ginagawa kahit na nakikita mo nang naaagrabiyado ang iba?

I don't want to hate AJ but I could somehow see Rachel on him, remembering what I've been through. And I know that what I am planning to do is not right but I still want to do it.

May gusto lang akong malaman.

Ngumiti ako at tumango sa kanya. "Sure, see you."

He smiled at me shyly after that at ako naman ay dumiretso na sa building. Pagkapasok sa room ay agad akong pinaulanan ng panunukso ng mga kaklase ko.

"Grabe ha, no'ng nakaraan 'yong kapatid tapos ngayon 'yong kuya na naman."

I rolled my eyes. "Bawal na makipagkaibigan?"

"E d'yan na nagsisimula 'yan e. Friends. Ayieee. Made for a Manjarrez ka nga talaga."

I just shrugged my shoulders and walked past them. Bahala sila riyan. Nakakatamad pansinin, hindi naman nila paniniwalaan ang sasabihin ko.

I sighed when I finally sat on my chair. A lot of questions were running inside my mind, marami akong gusto itanong kay AJ but I just had to choose the ones that weren't obvious.

Halos buong klase kong inisip iyon. And for the first time, I didn't become that provoked kahit na ilang beses sinubukan ni Aranjuez ang mga opinion ko.

"So this is what love does to you?" He asked after class. Hindi ko pa sure kung ako nga talaga ang kinakausap dahil nasa malayo ang tingin niya ngunit tingin ko naman ay ako 'yon.

"At least I don't support murderers," pasaring ko, remembering some of our heated arguments.

"So you're not denying that you're in love?" He asked again, not even flinching because of what I just said.

"I'm not required to affirm or deny that claim, kaya bakit?" I smirked as I picked my bag. "Mind your own business, Aranjuez. Hindi naman kita pinapakialaman, kaya huwag kang tsismoso." Diretso kong sabi bago lumabas ng room.

"Babagal-bagal, may date ka pa oh!" Agatha smirked and pointed to AJ who's now waiting in front of our building.

"Sana all talaga." Kyla added and pinched my arm.

I rolled my eyes secretly at sandaling sinakyan nalang ang pang-aasar nila bago lumabas ng building. When AJ saw me ay agad akong kumaway siya at gano'n din siya sa akin.