Losing You's a Thing That I Dread

Chapter 2: Roxy

Wednesday, 07:14 AM

Classes haven’t started yet, but she already felt tired. She’s running on three hours of sleep, and she already had two cups of coffee. Roxy groaned internally.

Bakit di pa rin tumatalab yung kape? 

She encircled the answer to question number six, checked the time, and yawned. 

46 minutes left. Kaya pa yan, Roxy!

She patted her cheeks hoping it would help wake her up a little bit more. She took a deep breath and was getting ready to tackle the seventh problem when someone dropped a bag on the desk next to hers. 

“Long night?”

She flinched, barely hiding her surprise. She didn't even hear him come in.

Ayan, kape pa more. She mentally chastised herself.

She shifted a little and tried to look around her, checking who else she missed. Only to realize there’s no one else inside the room aside from her and Archie. 

She heard the chair next to hers scrape the floor, and before she could react, Archie grabbed her notebook.

“Let me see that.”

“Oy teka, Archie! Hindi pa ko tapos.”

He paused, stared at her and raised his left eyebrow as if to say -

“I can see that.” 

Jinx! Wait, self. Medyo weird itong moment na ‘to.

He grabbed her purple gel pen and started solving the seventh problem.

She cleared her throat. 

Twice.

"Pwede ba? If you’re gonna say something, Roxy, just spit it out,” he said without breaking concentration.

Bakit mo ako tinutulungan?

We’re not friends.

You still make me nervous.

“Wala pa rin si Z today?”

That made him pause. But then he continued writing in her notebook, completely ignoring her.

She nodded her head, acknowledging that she’s being given the silent treatment. 

So she returned the favor. She placed her right arm on the desk, rested her chin on the palm of her hand, and quietly observed as he worked his way through the remaining questions. 

Wednesday, 7:52 AM

“She’s not well,” he softly replied after what seemed like an hour.

That’s when she noticed the exhaustion marring his handsome face. She immediately sat up straight.

Handsome? Teka, erase erase erase!

“Mukhang uso nga ngayon,” she said. “Yung Ate ko rin kasi trinangkaso,” she added, when he squinted his eyes at her as if what she’s saying wasn’t making sense.

He shook his head and mumbled, “Buti sana kung trangkaso lang.”

Then she remembered what happened weeks ago. Z losing consciousness after screaming her lungs out. In the middle of the hallway. In front of the student body. 

Did she have another episode?

“How bad was it,” she gently inquired.

For a second she thought he was going to answer her question regarding Z’s whereabouts.