I fetched my phone dahil kanina pa ito nagriring. A week ago napilitan akong tanggapin ang cellphone na nabili ni Miss Cruz. I have no choice dahil hindi niya na ako pinansin kaya naman tinanggap ko na lang ito at babawi na lang sa kaniya sa ibang bagay. Isang linggo narin na sabay kaming kumakain ng lunch o dinner. Depends on the availabilty we had. Tapos narin ang midterm kaya naman hindi na ako busy at siya naman ang busy. I offered to help her in checking but she refused since I didn't accept her help the last time she offered.
"Saan ka na? Nandito na kami sa Plaza Independencia. Dala ka pagkain." Saad ng nasa kabilang linya kaya natatawa akong umiiling kahit hindi naman niya nakikita.
"Yes Madam." Pinatay ko na ang tawag at lumabas na sa DMS office. May inutos kasi si Pres kaya nandito ako. Mabuti na lang walang mga tao rito. I've heard na may meeting lahat ng faculty ng CAS.
Naglakad na ako palabas ng CTU dahil bibili pa ako ng pagkain. Mabuti na lang ay may malapit na pizza house dito. Pumunta na ako roon at nag order ng tatlong boxes. We are gonna have picnic today at special daw ito dahil birthday ko bukas. Eighteenth birthday, debut daw. Gusto nilang e celebrate ito sa mismong birthday ko but I told them that I don't want to celebrate my birthday with anyone. Kaya ngayon na lang daw.
Matapos makuha ang order ko ay lumabas na ako. Madilim na ang daan buti malapit lang din ang pizza house sa plaza indep kaya nilakad ko na ito.
I opened my phone para tanungin kung saan sila nagtatambay pero biglang may bagong message si Angel sa akin na nandoon daw sila sa usual spot namin. Sa malapit sa play ground ng mga bata. Naglakad na ako papunta roon at kahit nasa malayo pa lang ako ay dinig ko na ang mga boses nila at tawanan. Napangiti naman ako.
"Pizza delivery." Malakas kong sigaw para maagaw ang atensiyon nila. Nang makita nila ako ay agad naman silang nagsigawan dahil pizza daw ang dala ko.
"Wow pizza." Lumapit si Jinky sa akin at agad kinuha ang pizza na hawak ko. Family size ang tatlong boxes. Dinamihan ko na dahil maraming manglilimos dito, para may maibigay din kaming pagkain.
"Nakaluwag-luwag yung sugar mommy niyo." Biro kong sabi na agad naman silang nagtutukso sa akin.
We set up the foods in the center of our circle dahil may mga pagkain at drinks din pala silang hinanda.
"Let's dig in." Yaya ko sa kanila.
"Wait may hinihintay pa tayo." Sabat ni Clyde. Kaya nagtatanong akong tumingin kela Angel at Jinky dahil sila yung katabi ko ngayon.
"May hinihintay tayo?" I asked in confusion dahil kompleto naman kaming Stat B dito.
"Yes" Malaking ngiting sabu ni Angel at palinga-linga sa paligid habang si Jinky naman ay panay check sa phone niya.
"Cover her eyes guys." I heard Remy said and in a split second I felt Angel's hands in my face covering my eyes. Ano naman ang pakulo nila?
They started singing happy birthday and slowly Angel's hand glided down and I saw three familiar faces. One was holding a cake with a big smile on her face. My eyes was fixated in her lips and not on the cake. She has a beautiful smile. The singing gradually faded and they urged me to blow the candle nang makalapit na si Miss Cruz sa akin.
"Happy Birthday." She greeted me and also the two profs.
"Thank you." I smiled at her.
"We greeted you too Kaeth, nandito rin kami hoy." Pabulong na biro ni Miss Luiz sa akin kaya nabatukan siya ni Miss Marie.
"Thank you mga Miss." Matamis akong ngumiti sa kanila.
I looked at the mango cake in front of me and genuinely smiled because of what is written on top of the cake. It was a positive negative 18. Witty eh?
I closed my eyes with no intention to wish anything. Because I don't believe in wishes. I blew the candle and everyone cheered.
"Kainan na!" Sigaw ng mga boys kaya umupo na muli kami dahil hindi ko namalayan lahat pala kami ay nakatayo na ngayon.
Miss Cruz sat down next to me while Miss Marie and Miss Luiz jammed with my blockmates. Giving us a little bit of privacy.
"Thank you E." I whispered in her ear. Ang ingay kasi ng mga kaklase ko.
"You are welcome." She sweetly smiled and gave me a slice of pizza. Kumain na kaming lahat at nagkwentuhan. Nang mabusog kami ay napagdesisyonan nilang maglaro raw kami ng truth or dare. Game naman ang lahat pati ang mga professors.
They get the almost empty bottle of 1 liter coke and spinned it. Laking pasalamat ko ng nilagpasan ako at unti-unting humina ang pag-ikot nito sa gilid ko. And it was pointed to Jinky kaya mayabang na pumalakpak si Jinky.
"Dare." Hindi pa nga kami nakatanong ay sumagot na ito. Napailing na lang ako sa kakulitan niya.
"Sabihin mo roon sa guard na gusto mong tumae." Utos ni Clyde sa kaniya kaya naman mayabang itong tumayo at lumapit sa naglalakad na guard na nasa malapit sa amin.
"Guard saan yung CR dito? Natatae po kasi ako." Tumawa kami nang marinig namin iyon. Tinuro naman ng guard ang CR at pinasalamat naman siya ni Jinky at bumalik na sa pag-upo.
"Easy." Sabi niya pa bago ipaikot muli ang bottle.
It landed to Genesis kaya naman Jinky dared him to sing. Tatawa-tawa kami ng marinig ang asinatado niyang boses. Miss Cruz's laugh was like a music ang hinhin niyang tumawa. I looked at her and I saw that she was already looking at me.
"You are beautiful when laughing." She said and pointed my lips.
"I wish I can say that to you also. But that would be an understatement to describe my view right now." Then I winked at her and immediately transferred my gaze in the front. Matutunaw ako sa titig niya. I felt her hand in my thigh and she gently caressed it. And my body felt a foreign feeling. A good feeling that I cannot describe.
"Miss Cruz, truth or dare po?" Tanong nila sa propesora na nasa gilid ko. Hindi ko namalayan sa kaniya pala ito huminto.
"Truth. I don't want to stand up." She said directly.
"Are you straight Miss?" Questioned by Irish na lahat kami ay napatahimik. Tanging music lang na nanggagaling sa kabilang grupo na nagpipicnic din dito ang maririnig.
The silence was interrupted by the laugh of the two professors.
"Answer that El, we are curious too." Tudyo ni Miss Marie.
"I am." She paused and looked at me before looking at Irish. "But I am gay for one person."
I didn't expect she will say that. Napainom na lang ako ng coke nang makita kong may mapagtanong na tumingin sa akin sila Jinky at Angel. They knew that I am always with Miss Cruz every lunch at school. But I never told them about what was really going on. I am not afraid at what they will say because I know that they will not judge me. It is just I want to keep it as a secret unless I am very certain about what I really felt for Miss Cruz.
I looked at them and mouthed that we will talk soon.
Nagpatuloy ang laro at kaniya-kaniya sila ng dare sa nahihintuan ng bottle but my world stopped when the bottle stopped at me.
"Truth." Saad ko at agad naman sila nag-isip ng tanong para sa akin.
"Ngayon boss na single ka, may nagugustuhan ka na bang iba?" Clyde asked kaya napalunok na lang ako.
"Yes." I said in almost a whisper. I can feel her hand in my thigh stopped caressing. She stood up and walked away without any words left for us.
BINABASA MO ANG
Implicit of x^2+y^2=9
RomanceA mathematician teacher and a statistician student. Will their love be as complicated like math problems? Will it be hard for them to get the correct solution of their problems? Or it will be easy since they are used to solving complicated ones? Th...
