Our Dates To December

Special Chapter

Special Chapter

"Naka paskil na raw yung rankings! Punta na lang daw do'n sa mga gusto tumingin!"
 
Mabilis akong napatunghay nang marinig ko 'yon. Nakita ko pa mismo 'yong pagmamadali ng babae na tumakbo habang paulit-ulit na sinisigaw ang sinabi niya.
 
But did she really mention the word 'rankings', or am I just hearing things out?
 
"Oh Zeruah, 'di ka pupunta?"
 
Kunot-noo kong binalingan ang kaklaseng babae dahil sa tinanong niya. Bahagyang napatanga at napasabi ng, "Rankings?"
 
I'm not too sure about what I've heard, which is why I need a word that could verify what I just heard. Dahil kapag rankings nga mismo ang iyon, hindi dapat ako nakatunganga at nakaupo ngayon.
 
She nods. "Oo, nakapaskil na raw sa labas. Pupunta kami, sabay ka na?"
 
Agaran akong napatayo at hindi na sumagot. 'Di bale, alam naman nila kung bakit. I'm a slave to grades.
 
I rush out of the room without giving any thought to what they are screaming at me. For sure, they are calling me back to come back and wait for them, pero wala na 'kong rason para maghintay, tumunganga or sumabay pa sa kanila.
 
Grades is what I've been thinking as of now. Kakatapos lang ng examination last wednesday and every end of the week, and laging labas ng results ng exams namin. Nawala sa isip ko, kaya pala parang may nakalimutan ako bago pumasok kaninang umaga. 
 
It's because today is the day they will show our examination results as well as the updated rank list of the students.
 
I'm not nervous about what rank I'll fall into. I've been ranked 1 since I started high school, and I feel confident that I'll still be so until now. There's no one that can match my intelligence, and if they could, I'd make sure to take my place back.
 
But it looks like that's not the case anymore.
 
Because ever since that guy transferred to Saintess, I've been rank 2.
 
This is ridiculous.
 
"This is... the final result?" I whispered to myself.
 
I think my eyes are quivering from annoyance while looking at the new plastered list.
 
"Top 2 ka naman, ano kaba."
 
Inis akong napatingin sa katabi kong si Ophelia dahil sa sinabi niya. 
 
I don't even know if I should laugh or smile, but in the end I left out a scoff. "Do... do you really think I'll be able to accept this?" I asked her while angrily pointing at my rank.
 
2      Callista, Zeruah Lou D.     378
 
As in me? That's my rank?
 
Rank 2?
 
"Wala ka namang magagawa kung d'yan ka ulit napunta ngayong taon. Matalino naman kasi talaga 'yang si Azriel eh," sabi niya habang inaalo ako ngayon.
 
P'wes hindi nagana ang pag-alo niya sa 'kin. Naiinis ako. Naiinis ako dahil simula nang lumipat ang lalaking 'yan eh hindi na nabago ang ranking place ko. Since that day na nakita kong rank 2 lang ako eh hindi na umangat 'yon. Hindi nabago kung sino 'yong pangalan na nasa taas ko.
 
Matatanggap ko pa sana kung nagbabago 'yong nagoccupied ng rank na 'yon, kaso hindi. Paulit-ulit na lang na puro Azriel Delimitor ang nakikita ko sa itaas ng pangalan ko.
 
Para na 'kong bulkan sa pwesto ko at nagtitimpi lang para hindi sumabog. Hindi ko tanggap na wala akong magawa para magbago ang ranking place ko. 
 
I reviewed all my lessons a week before my examination, and 30 minutes before they handed out our papers, I was confident that every answer I wrote was right, to the point that I could make a mistake intentionally if I wanted to. But I always make at least one or two mistakes, ever since I fell in the top 2.
 
Parang curse ang ranking ko!
 
"Excuse me."
 
Bahagya kong nabangga si Li dahil sa mahina pero may kalakasan na pagtulak sa 'kin nang nagsalita. May iritasyon tuloy akong naramdaman nang bumaling ako sa kan'ya na hindi ko na pala sana ginawa.
 
Sino ba naman ang magaakala na makikita ko s'ya rito para tumingin sa expected naman na rank niya.
 
That damn guy. That damn rank 1!
 
He hummed as he traced his fingers down through the list, as if his name would be found below rank 10. 
 
"You're on top," I told him, which made him look at me.
 
That look too.
 
That look that never fails to irritate me, even though there's not an ounce of expression on it. He's just looking at you, but it will feel like he is mocking you.
 
"I know," he said, which made me frown. He knows? "I'm just looking to see which rank I fall into."
 
Wow, that stabbed me. Kailangan niya ba talagang sabihin 'yon na parang 'di niya alam kung anong rank niya?
 
Napairap ako at inis na bumitaw kay Ophelia bago tinuro ang pangalan sa itaas ko.
 
1     Delimitor, Azriel Xanth A.     380
 
"Here."
 
"What's that?"
 
I gritted my teeth and slowly looked at him. "Your rank is here," I whispered while trying to maintain my irritation.
 
This guy can really get on your nerves without even trying. 
 
Lumayo ako nang lumapit siya at tinignan ang tiniro ko. Umirap na lamang ako at sinukbit ang kamay kay Ophelia na hindi ko malaman kung bakit parang may hinahanap pa siya sa board.
 
"Anong hinahanap mo?" Bulong ko sa kan'ya.
 
Inayos niya muna ang ilang hibla ng buhok sa tenga bago ako sagutin. "Tinitignan ko kung nasaan si Fifth, sabi niya kasi hanapin ko raw 'yong kaniya."
 
Tumango-tango na lang ako at tahimik na tumabi sa kaniya hanggang sa dumapo na naman ang tingin ko sa isa ko pang katabi.
 
"As expected, I'm still at the top."
 
It feels like those words kept ringing in my head repeatedly, like a bell not stopping to ring on its own. Para pang kumati ang tenga ko dahil sa sinabi niya.
 
"I didn't know that you could tease someone," sabi ko na siyang nagpalingon sa gawi ko.
 
Azriel tilted his head slightly and raised his brow. "Tease?" I nod. "I'm no a teaser, I'm just saying what is true."
 
That's it. I'm done being patient with this guy. I'll strangle him to death and take my righteous place!
 
But before I could do so, Ophelia stopped me and pulled me away from the crowd, which left me unable to fulfill my intention. At hanggang sa matapos ang lunch break, ay kimkim-kimkim ko pa rin ang inis ko sa lalaking 'to.
 
"Okay, give me the papers for those who got a perfect score."
 
Labag sa loob akong tumayo bitbit-bitbit ang papel ng katabi ko dahil naka perfect siya sa surprise quiz namin. Ako? I made one mistake, which is super ridiculous.
 
"Don't feel too bad, it's just one mistake," he whispered, sitting down.
 
"You're ridiculous, I'll make sure you make a mistake next time."
 
"I feel threatened," he tells me.
 
Hindi ko mapigilan at inis na nilayo sa kaniya ang libro ko. Kumukulo ang dugo ko kapag nakakausap ko siya.
 
Kapag naaalala ko talaga na bigla siyang naging rank 1 last year, ay mas naiinis ako lalo na kapag ang lapit ng presensya niya. He's so bothersome and noticeable, and you just can't stop ignoring him because of his presence.
 
After he took my rank last school year, it was more unexpected that he became my classmate, and in the worst-case scenario, he is my seatmate. For every activity, we end up in the same group or the opposing group, and sometimes we end up partnering with each other because of our initials.
 
And ever since he became my classmate, I have never stopped having grudges against him. He is my nemesis.
 
"Hoy!"
 
Azriel, who was just about to step out of the building, halted and looked back at me.
 
Inayos ko ang pagkasuot ng bag at nagmartsa palapit sa kaniya.
 
"I'll take my place back," I announced.
 
That again, that expression of his. His one brow is lifted, but he is fowning. That mockery-like posture is what's boiling my blood.
 
"What place?"
 
I sigh heavily. "My place, Azriel. The rank 1." Madiin na sagot ko sa kaniya. "I'll make sure that you fall behind."
 
"You're so grade-conscious."
 
Napa siring ako sa sinabi niya. "Alam ko," pag-amin ko. "Kaya nga hindi ko matanggap na bigla kang lumilitaw. But don't worry, sisiguraduhin kong matatalo kita."
 
"Go then, I'll wait," sabi niya. "Take what's really yours, you say. But it won't be that easy because I'm here, Zeruah."
 
"It will! Sino ka ba para hindi maging madali 'yon?" Singhal ko sa kaniya habang maghigpit na hawak ang strap ng bag ko.
 
Nagulat ako nang bigla siyang tumawa at hinawi ang buhok niya.
 
"Okay. Just so you know, I'm not letting you take this place." He smiles and brushes the back of his head before turning his back and walking away.
 
I was left in the room where we talk and was still gritting my teeth in annoyance. I can't believe that some of my classmates even joked that one day we would be dating each other. That's ridiculous, they must be joking!
 
I'm not going to date that man. Whether the new year came or christmas passed by, I'll never date that Delmitor.
 
Even before or after December, I will not date that Azriel Xanth.