Responsibilities That Ties Us

Chapter 9: Hindi Easy to Gate

"Congratulations to Mr. Garza for having the highest score of... forty-eight, out of Fifty."

Naghiyawan ng ang mga kaklase ko habang nakalingon saakin, at ako namang nagulat sa biglang inggay na pumuno ng aking tenga. Not that I didn't care about that... wala lang talaga ako sa sarili mula kaninang umaga.

Ningitian ko lang ang aming maestra na siya namang nagtinipun ang gamit nung tumunog ang bell sa hallway.

Tinipon ko na ang mga libro sa bag, bago tumayo at sumunod kina Landon na unang lumabas ng silid. Sophia met us half-way and we're, again, on our way sa canteen.

"Nga pala princess, kamusta na yung Senior Week? May date na ba?"

Sophia sighed in annoyance, "I don't even know anymore. Nagkakagulo pa yung mga guro dahil sa third quarter activities, at dahil hindi pa tapus yung mga ibang immersion... so yun, the date's still stranded somewhere..."

"Ba't kasi ang daming studyante dito," ani ni Landon.

"Not really..." ngising sagot naman ni Sophia, "Unorganized lang talaga ngayon... laki kasi ng pangalan ng school, kaya't competition after competition... Wala ng natirang funds for school events."

"Ay, Weh? Mayaman tapus–"

"Shh... even pres having a hard time, indi alam saan kuha ng funds eh."

Vince said something along the lines of "irresponsible" and whatnot. Wala na akong pakialam sa pinag uusapan nila dahil, at the end of it all, tuloy at matutuloy ang senior week. It always does, and whenever they got their funds, is none of our business. Halos mayaman ang pumapasok dito sa Prestigious na school na ito, so it's not a question when the school manages to have endless funds for endless events.

But that's not one of my concerns now.

I groaned as I adjusted my glasses that kept slipping from my face; I felt like I'd freak out and... start violence in this hallway. At hindi ako gan'yang klaseng tao, but knowing I've been rejected— refused to be forgiven for the second time. I'm not mad... just, I don't know.

Which is what's bothering me right now; hindi ko alam anong dapat na maramdaman ko.

Sumusnod lang ako sa tatlong may sariling mundo, habang ako naman ay may sariling laban sa isip na hindi ko mahanapan ng sagot— when in the first place, I'm good at finding answers to problems.

This, however, is... something else. Pinaglalaruan nito ang dinaramdam ko at kahit ang isip ko'y hindi alam anong gagawin.

"Ah, Vin!"

Napatingala ako sa boses nung nagsalita, rinig ko rin ang mabilis na sagot ni Vince.