The Last Rule

Chapter 21 - Good Morning

The classes has started and it's my second year as a Psychology student. The first two weeks was not hectic at all, obviously dahil kasisimula nga and laging program ang ganap sa University kapag first week, then for the second week was all about meeting each other palang.

I am also looking forward for this school year dahil same school na kami ni Cleo, ang kaibigan ko. I am a year older than her, first year na siya though magkaiba kami ng department.

"Solana, tara sa Power Rock" aya ni Sheila. She's my classmate and the closest that I have. But I con't consider her as a bestfriend dahil nagsasama lang kami sa school and minsan during lunch kapag hindi ako nakatambay sa library.

She's kind and friendly but you can't really consider her as a bestfriend because she's a social butterfly. Lahat ng tao sa campus ay kaibigan niya, kung kani-kanino sumasama.

I declined. Once na inaya ka niya. Do not expect na kayo lang dahil isasama niya lahat ng makakasalubong niya. I told her na may pupuntahan ako.

Early out kami today with an unknown reason. And surprisingly sila Dos din! For the past few weeks ay si Cleo ang nakakasabay kong umuwi dahil pare-pareho kami ng time out pero this time ay naisipan din ng classmates niya ng mag-hang out kaya si Dos ang kasama ko.

We continued chatting. Update all the time. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang meron kami ngayon, is this what they call 'situationship'? Hindi ko alam kung paano ang ginagawa kapag nanliligaw but based from the books that I've read ay pinupursue ang babae and even the family.

Dos is pursuing me obviously, except the family part. I am also aware of his advances, actually para na din kaming couple talaga. We call each other everytime , we update each other, we go out except for the label but Tita Den said that it's normal now.

"Power Rock?" he asked me nang makasakay ako sa motor niya, sideways and sa balikat niya ako kumakapit. His school is ten minutes away from mine, he's in third year.

Kapag hindi kami nakakapagsabay ni Cleo, we always take the opportunity to go out. Just like right now. Nag-suggest ako ng ibang café dahil naroon ang mga classmates ko. Kapag hindi kami nakakapagsabay ni Cleo na umuwi ay sumasabay ako kay Dos, pero hindi naman madalas dahil baka makahalata ang mga kapitbahay.

After naming mag-snack ay umuuwi na kami. Sa tapat mismo ako ng bahay bumababa at mabuti nalang na walang tao sa bahay ng ganitong mga oras.

Pinanood ko ang motor niya na lumayo hanggang sa lumiko ito papasok sa isang gate. Their house is just near from ours. Kapag nakakapasok na siya ay normal kong bubuksan ang gate, acting like nothing happened and then papasok na but this time, napahawak pa ako sa dibdib ko nang biglang nagpakita si Cleo sa tabi ko.

"Sumabay ka kay Dos?" she asked naturally. She saw us! Walang nakakaalam ng sa amin, well as far as I know. Hindi ko alam kung may pinagsabihan si Dos but I didn't told my friends. Even Cleo, my best friend. Why is she even here? Akala ko lalabas sila ng classmats niya?

"I thought, makikihang-out ka with your classmates?"

"Pinauwi ako ni Nanay" she shrugged like it's just a normal thing. I know her grandma is strict, more strict than Papa actually.

I only nodded as a response from her answer dahil wala na akong nasabi. I only realized na hindi ko pa pala nabubuksan ang gate at para kaming tanga na nakatayo dito and I'm still holding the lock! She's staring at it!

Agad ko itong binuksan at sumuod naman siya sa akin.

"So, sumabay ka nga?" muli niyang pag-tanong. Nauna akong naglakad, hindi ako makaharap sa kanya even though I've practiced the line simula palang pasukan. Because she knows, alam niya kapag nagsisinungaling ako, she knows when I'm hiding something.