Thorns of a Cruel Summer

Kabanata 4

Kabanata 4

Jealous

Masama ang aking tingin at hindi makapaniwala habang sila'y pinanood na maglakad papalayo. I can't believe he left me! And who is that girl? Iyon ba ang nagugustuhan niya? Or... was he waiting for her to come out, at talagang gusto lang niya akong asarin? Dahil ba hindi niya nagustuhan 'yong pabango ko?!

Mabuti na lang, mayroong dumaan na sport bike sa harapan ko. He maneuvered his motorcycle and smiled flirtatiously. Nagtaas siya ng kilay bago sulyapan ang bakanteng puwesto sa kaniyang likod.

"Kung sumabay ka na lang kasi sa papa mo. He called me, isabay raw kita."

My eyes widened at that. Bumilis ang tibok ng aking puso at kung anu-ano ang naisip matapos niya sabihin iyon. When he knew that he was satisfied, he laughed and shook his head.

"Biro lang. I overheard your phone call," agap niya.

Napahinga ako nang malalim. Papa will never allow me to ride a motorcycle. He always thinks that the kids who are riding them are taken for granted by their parents, which I couldn't understand.

"Stop telling lousy jokes! I-Isabay mo na lang ako!" sambit ko at agad nang sumampa sa kaniyang motor.

Mabuti na lang, walang bantay sa mga daan, kung hindi, mahuhuli kami na makakarating pa kay Papa. Kalim is just a kid like me, but he doesn't look like a kid compared to Ylaro. He looked mature, somewhat like one of those hot college students.

Ibinigay niya na sa akin ang helmet at pinaharurot na ang motor. When I slapped his shoulders, he rode slowly.

"Hindi kasi diyan ang hawak, Serendra, dito." Inilipat niya ang dalawa kong kamay sa kaniyang tiyan.

"B-But I am not your girlfriend!" I said as I refused to hold his stomach.

He laughed. "I thought you were the most notorious girl here in Palawan. Rumurupok, Serendra. Dahil ba gusto mo si Ylaro?"

The way he said his name melted me. Bakit hindi Aki ang tawag niya kay Ylaro? Does he know that I like that name?

Mas natawa siya nang hindi ako makasagot. "You don't have to tell me, but if he doesn't like you, feel free to hit me up."

Nakarating din ako sa bahay nang mabilis. Compared with when my driver accompanies me or when Ylaro offered to send me home. Inayos ko muna ang aking buhok bago pumasok sa mansion. I know papa will not wait for me in front of our front door, but we have CCTVs in the whole mansion. Kapag tapos na ang trabaho, doon niya nire-review ang mga footage.

Matapos maligo at kumain, inisip ko ang mga sinabi ni Kalim. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit pareho sila ng pinsan ko ng iniisip, pero hindi naman gano'n ang naiisip ko. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit iyon ang naiisip nila. Well, unless he watched us talk. At ang sa pinsan ko, hindi ko alam.

Morrow came, and I couldn't forget what Ylaro did to me. Kung pinilit niya pa ako, hindi sana ganoon ang iisipin ni Kalim, or if he treats me like how he treats our classmates and schoolmates, my cousin would never think of that idea.

Maybe my cousin was right. Totoong naiinggit at galit ako sa kaniya. I don't know, maybe because he has all that attention? Or because he is way better than me? But I never liked that attention! If he is way better than me, who cares? I am better on my own, and I know myself best, so I feel that I really don't dislike him. Siguro noong una, ngunit dahil lumipas ang ilang taon, nawala rin ang galit.

My anger right now is different. He is unfair to me. Siguro, mapupunan na naman ng bagong galit ang nararamdaman ko dahil pinatutunayan niya ang mga imahenasyon ko.

He hates me.

I never wore that cologne again. Sinadya ko ring magpa-late ng pasok. It's not that I want their eyes on me once I step into the classroom; I just don't want to go in with Ylaro at the same time.

I am fifteen minutes late, at ang guro na nagtuturo ngayong araw ay hindi gusto ang laging late. She was our second subject, pero dahil wala ang unang guro, ang subject niya na ang inuna ngayon. I was too preoccupied to think about it earlier. Pero kung pagagalitan ako, wala namang bago roon dahil sanay na.

Ever since Papa joined politics, people's eyes are on me. I have been in the spotlight my whole life. I couldn't whine about it. I'll just love it my whole life. Nasanay na rin ako na masama ang tingin sa akin ng mga tao sa tuwing makikita ako kung saan. Ni ang bulungan, hindi magawang itago. Pati na ang titig at habol tingin na halos ikabali ng kanilang leeg. Sa lahat nang iyon, sanay na ako.

Maliban sa isa.

Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit kapag nagalit siya, nagugulat ako. Hindi ko gustong mayroon siyang iba't ibang ekspresyon sa akin. At kung pangungutya ang ginawa niya kahapon, maski iyon, hindi ko gusto.

"Miss Salvatori, don't you know how to greet your teacher in front of your classmates?" anang guro na nasa harapan matapos kong pumasok gamit ang back door.

Nag-iwas ako ng tingin sa guro at hindi sinasadyang mapadpad ang mga mata sa unahang bahagi ng silid. Ylaro glanced at me quickly, but the girl beside him stared at me before shrugging her shoulders and talking to Ylaro like they were hiding a secret.

Lumunok ako at may kung anong naramdaman sa tiyan. Something dropped from my stomach, and my heart pumped faster than usual. Ipinikit ko ang aking mga mata at nagsimula nang maglakad papunta sa harapan.

I never looked at our teacher again, but I know she's been staring at me in a deadly way. I didn't bow my head to show my shyness, but I didn't look at them either.

"Good morning Ma'am, and classmates. Sorry for being late," sambit ko, saglit na sinulyapan si Ylaro na nakatingin naman sa babaeng hinatid niya kahapon na ngayo'y katabi na niya.

Did they get close that fast? Or maybe I was right? Tama ang hinuha ko na siya ang gusto ni Ylaro?

So what?

"Sit at the back. I don't want any kind of inconvenience again, Miss Salvatori. Nawawala ang dini-discuss ko."

Hindi ko napansin kung sino ang katabi ko, ngunit napalingon ako nang magsalita siya.

"Nagseselos ka?" mahina, ngunit natatawang aniya.

It was Kalim.

"Shut off, Kalim." Kunot ang noo ko. Agad kong iniwas ang tingin sa kaniya at sinubukang makinig sa guro.

"Well then, I heard they're going out."

"I didn't ask."

"I want you to know, Serendra."

Hindi ko na siya pinansin dahil alam kong wala nang katuturan ang mga susunod niyang sasabihin. But then he said something that made me look at him again.

"Just don't make it obvious, because he'll take it as a benefit and use it to tease you."