Coming Back To You

5

"Good morning," I greeted silently dahil nasa
library ako ng med. I immediately saw Nathan's frowm. True to what he said, wala ngang tao dito! Weird. Saan nag-aaral iyong mga med students?

"Sinusundan mo ba ako?" tanong niya habang
seryosong naka-tingin sa akin. He was reading a book. Criminal Procedures. Ang galing niya. Ito nga na first year pa lang ako feeling ko mamamatay na ako, paano pa kaya siya?

I shook my head. "No. Puno na sa law lib," I
sheepishly answered. I didn't even know kung
may tao ba sa law lib. When he said before na dito siya nag-aaral, I made it my personal mission para pumunta sa school nang maaga. I wanted to study with him! Kahit ganito lang na nasa iisang row kami ng tables, okay na okay na ako doon.

"It's 7am."

"So? Early birds ang law students," I argued. But I knew Nathan could see through my lies. Bakit ba kasi pinapahirapan niya ang sarili niya? Bakit hindi niya na lang tanggapin na crush ko siya?

Nathan just shook his head, and returned to what he was doing. Nagpanggap ako na naglabas din ng libro, but truth was, I was watching his every move. I was watching as he highlighted some words and wrote notes on the side of the book. Ang ganda ng sulat niya. Ang unfair! Wala bang flaws ang lalaki na 'to bukod sa pagiging anemic niya?

"Stop watching me."

"Who's watching who?" nagdedeny na sabi ko
habang kunwari nagbabasa ako ng Constitution.

He clicked his tongue before bringing back his
attention to his book. Dahil ayoko naman na
makaabala sa pag-aaral niya, nag-aral na lang din ako. I was deep in reading the Constitution nang maalala ko iyong tanong sa CrimLaw subject ko. I was deeply bothered dahil hindi nagsabi iyong prof ng answer sa amin.

"Nathan," mahinang sabi ko.

"What?" he answered, already frowning.

"Can I ask a question?"

"You're already asking."

"Sungit," I whispered, but he only rolled his eyes. Grabe siya talaga. "Wag na nga."

Binalik ko iyong atensyon ko sa binabasa ko. Ang sungit talaga ni Nathan. Masama bang magtanong? Sabi ni Hann magaling daw si Nathan. Never bumagsak. Never nagkaroon ng pangit na recit. Ayaw manlang magshare ng blessing.

"What?" bigla niyang tanong.

Tumingin ako sa kanya. "Wala."

"'Ano nga?" tanong niya ulit.

"Susungitan mo lang ako."

He eyed me. His jaw clenched a little. Mukhang
napipikon na siya sa akin. Wala pa nga akong
ginagawa, napipikon na siya! Paano pa kapag
nag-effort talaga ako na ubusin ang pasensya niya?

"I just want to ask... about Crim Law.. if it's okay." I carefully said.

"'Ano nga 'yung tanong?" he repeated.

I repeated the scenario that Atty. Mercado gave me. Kahit ako na iyong nagnanarrate, nahilo pa rin ako sa dami ng letters na involved. Ganito ba talaga magtanong dito sa law school? Kasi feeling ko morethan the question, sa letters pa lang hilo na ako.

"...so, what's the proximate cause?" I asked.
Kinuha ni Nathan iyong notebook niya. I looked at the brand. "Yan din bibilin ko for next sem.

"This is X," he said, then he began to draw on
his notebook. Gumawa pa siya ng diagram para
makita ko iyong connection nung mga letters. He carefully explained the scenario plus the concept. "Do you understand?" he asked when he was done.

Inodded, smiling at him. "Yeah... Thank you."
Nat just nodded, then resumed to reading his book.

God, law school would be more awesome kung
may upperclass kang boyfriend na sasagot sa lahat ng tanong mo!