Unfinished Tale (✔️)

Kabanata 11

Cleotha

Everything seems to shut. My heartbeats are reverberating against my chest to the point that I don't know if I'm still breathing anymore. Ang paghampas din ng marahang hangin sa aking mukha ay nagpaparamdam sa 'kin ng senyales na hindi ko maintindihan kung ano. I keep on swallowing my throat because of the strange feeling that's residing in me right now. I closed my eyes, hoping to vanish from here because I can't stay longer in this paradox anymore. Everything is confusing me.

He was still... holding my shoulders from the back while my back was weakly leaning on him. My bones were still at the verge of giving up upon feeling the aftermath of almost being hit by a truck.

This scene is familiar. Him, holding my shoulders from the back this tight yet gentle at the same time. And my back leaning on him.

Nang hindi ko na mapigilan ay lumingon ako at tiningala siya. Nabitawan na niya ako dahil sa paglingon ko sa kaniya. Because of the lights coming from the street lamps at night, I was able to visualize his entire face again. His eyes were also looking in mine. Hindi ko maintindihan ang nag-u-udyok sa aking patuloy na titigan lamang ang mga mata niya.

I never thought that I would find myself in this kind of situation where I am mesmerized by the eyes of someone that has an opposite gender of mine. His eyes just really scream peculiarity and... familiarity.

Was it love at first sight? Probably not. I don't really understand. I'm certainly losing my cool my right now! Nakakahiya.

Nagulat ako sa pag-angat ng gilid ng kaniyang labi habang nakatingin sa akin. Even that hobby of raising the side of his lips... Oh God. What's this?

"Are you okay, Miss? Hindi ka ba nasaktan?"

Natuod ako dahil maging ang kaniyang boses ay parang narinig ko na sa loob ng isang libong beses. Patuloy pa rin sa pagkabog nang mabilis ang puso ko dahil doon. I wasn't able to respond right away because I was just probing every detail of his face, trying to remember them because maybe... I'd wake up tomorrow and realize that he's just an illusion.

"Miss?"

I blinked my eyes. Tumikhim ako at nag-iwas na ngayon ng tingin dahil sa hiyang gumapang sa buong pagkatao ko. God, Cleotha, you've lost your cool! How to escape? Tuloy ay gusto kong hagilapin agad-agad ang nakita kong video sa YouTube na may content na nagpapaliwanag kung paano maglaho without anyone possibly tracing your existence because of so much embarrassment right now.

Cleotha, this ain't you. Please act fool.

Nagsalubong ang aking mga kilay nang marinig ang tawa niya habang nakatingin pa rin sa 'kin. He was trying to cover his mouth to control himself from laughing but to no avail. He was looking at me with smiling eyes, amused.

Dahil sa pagtawa niya ay nabalik ako sa natural na pakikitungo ko sa mga tao. Because of seeing him with strange feeling, I forgot that I am Cleotha Dorothea. That's right, I almost forgot my name upon seeing him again this close.

"Nothing's funny," malamig kong sabi dahil patuloy pa rin siya sa pagtawa na parang isang tanga. God, I regretted feeling that fucking strange feeling that should have not resided in me in the first place because I realized that this guy in front of me is annoying. I realized that he's just an ordinary guy just like the others who are annoying and nothing's special in him.

What's with the sudden change of thought though, Cleotha?

He halted from laughing as if he just remembered something while looking at my annoyed face. Unfortunately, the side of his lips rose again as if he's really making fun of me. What the fuck is wrong with him? And why am I still here when I could just move my feet away from him because I am annoyed just like what I always do when I'm annoyed at someone?