Shades of Kagan

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Avian Burn's Point of View

He was looking intently at me. I'm not naive not to notice. Hindi ko alam kung saan ko ibabaling ang paningin ko, ngunit tuluyan na akong nalunod sa kanyang mga titig. His confidence is attractive in itself. He was just there, standing in front of me, lips parted. Samantalang ako naman ay napako na sa aking tinatayuan. His name... what is it again? Kagan, huh?

"Earth to Avian. Yuhoo!" I was back in reverie when Klaude called my name multiple times.

"Ano bang iniisip mo, Avi? You seems so distant right now." Napaiwas ako ng tingin kay Klaude at umayos ng upo sa sofa.

"Yes, I get it. You are the quiet type pero hindi ko naman akalain na hindi ka na talaga magsasalita. I haven't heard your voice today, duh." Well, yes, I'm already here at Dr. Grimaldi's house. Inabot ko na rin kay Klaude ang libro na pinapabili niya sakin pero hindi pa rin mawala sa isip ko ang nakita ko kanina.

I saw his twin brother named Kagan earlier. Hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin mawala sa isip ko ito. Mukha kasi siyang nagulat habang tinitingnan ako.

"Are you sure you're sick?" I asked. I thought he was bedridden but look at him now, playing around. He was wearing a white shirt paired with pajamas and eating chips in one hand.

"I was a while ago, but my temperature dropped from 39 degrees to 37 degrees." What a relief. Inilibot ko muli ang paningin ko sa buong lugar. Afraid that I'll meet his twin brother here. For no reason, I am scared to meet him.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Balak ko na sana sabihin sa kanya na aalis na ako at uuwi ngunit bago ko pa ito masabi ay nagyaya itong manood ng movie.

"Oh sorry, mali pala ang pagkasabi ko. Actually, I'm not gonna ask you. Let's watch a movie, Avi," I rolled my eyes at him when I saw him grinning, his eyes glimmering with excitement. He didn't even give me a choice. Klaude Grimaldi is cheerful. Unlike me, who felt unusual next to him. Klaude and I don't share the same sentiments, but that makes us closer as friends. As much as possible, I want to act normal around him.

"So you met my twin brother earlier, huh?" Sabi nito habang sinisetup ang kanyang papanoorin namin. He put a large box of pizza on the table and a bottle of Coke for our snack. Nabuhayan ako ng dugo sa sinabi niya. Maybe it was his brother that put him into trouble many weeks ago. Bigla ko tuloy naalala ang nangyari sa parking lot at muntik nang masaktan si Klaude. And he can picture his face with short hair because he got a twin brother. Things are now in place.

"Yes," Why are we talking about his twin brother all of a sudden?

"How is he?"

"He looked exactly just like you," I answered while picturing him in my head.

"Oh really?"

"He looked exactly just like you but you give different vibes." Nakita ko ang pagtango niya habang kinukuha ang remote control.

"We got that a lot, maybe because we didn't grew up together." Prente itong umupo sa isang sofa at plinay ang video sa TV. He whispered those words as if he's talking to his self but I heard it. They didn't grew up together?! The issue poked my attention but I stopped myself from asking. Gusto ko pa sana magtanong kay Klaude pero mukhang ayaw na niyang magsalita pa. When it comes to his brother, Kagan, I get curious a lot. Hindi ko na lang pinahalata kay Klaude na gusto ko pang magtanong at tinuon ang aking atensiyon sa TV.

Nagsimula kaming manood ng Lord of the Rings at parehas kaming dalawang naka focus sa TV. Maya't maya pa ay naramdaman ko ang pagbigat ng aking mga mata.