The Way I Hate You

Chapter 50

Kade

I was in junior high school when I first met her. 

I still didn't have the courage to tell her before, but it was almost like love at first sight. 

No.

It was something more than that. 

Hindi naman agad ako nahulog sa kanya nung una ko siyang nakita. 

I recall it was a sunny afternoon in October when we were called to gather at the auditorium by the head teacher in the Science department. Alam ko na agad kung para saan iyon dahil ganitong buwan ay nagsisimula na ang Science fair. I knew I was right when I saw familiar faces that I'd seen last year. Halos karamihan ay mga nakasama ko rin nung isang taon sa Science fair. 

"Good afternoon, students. I assume na may idea na kayo kung bakit nagpatawag kami ng meeting ngayong araw na 'to," saad ng head ng Science department. 

Hindi ko na napakinggan pa ang mga sumunod na sinabi ng gurong nasa podium nang marinig ko ang pagbukas ng pinto. 

Nasa bandang dulo ako nakaupo dahil puno na sa unahan at mas gusto ko lang din mapag-isa rito sa dulo. Dahil malapit ako sa may pintuan ay maririnig ko kaagad kapag may papasok ng auditorium. 

I heard the soft creaking of the door, and when I turned my head to check, my attention was drawn like a magnet by the girl who slipped quietly, perhaps a latecomer. Maingat itong naglakad upang hindi marinig at 'di na makakuha pa ng atensyon. My eyes were fixated on her and I blinked when she stopped at the aisle on my side. 

"May nakaupo na po?" she mouthed as she pointed at the seat beside me. 

I swallowed, words failing to escape my mouth as I slowly shook my head. 

She smiled with her eyes which immediately sent an unfamiliar feeling in my body. 

Her smile was pretty. 

Nang umupo siya sa tabi ko ay umabot sa ilong ko ang mabango niyang amoy. It was her perfume. 

"Ano nang pinag-uusapan?" she whispered.

Agad na nag-tama ang mga mata namin nang tignan ko siya. Hindi agad ako nakasagot dahil ang totoo ay hindi ko na nasundan ang pinag-uusapan simula nung dumating siya. 

I got distracted. I never got distracted before, not at least by someone. 

I cleared my throat, "Hindi ko rin nasundan, eh. Kararating ko lang din," I lied. 

Of course, I wasn't late. I arrived her 10 minutes earlier. Pero mas nakakahiya naman kung sabihin kong hindi ko naintindihan ang sinabi ng speaker. 

The rest of the meeting felt like a year. 30 minutes lang iyon ngunit pakiramdam ko ay ang tagal kong nakaupo. 

Natapos 'yung meeting namin ngunit hindi na kami ulit nakapag-usap matapos no'n. Ngunit buti na lang ay nakuha ko ang pangalan niya nung isa-isang tinawag at pinagtaas ng kamay ang mga magiging participant sa bawat category ng mga contest na sasalihan ng school.