The Girl Who Came From Above

CHAPTER 41: The School Fair I: Jealousy At Action

I parked my car outside Jastine's house. Agad naman lumabas si Jastine sa bahay niya and I saw Angel coming out from the house too. I smiled at Angel and I hurriedly opened the car. Lumabas ako and I opened the door at the front seat para doon paupuin si Angel. Uupo na sana si Angel doon pero biglang hinila siya ni Jastine sa kaniyang tabi. Nagtama ang tingin naming dalawa.

After seconds of eyeing each other, we break it off and I close the front seat door. Binuksan ni Jastine ang backseat door at pinaupo si Angel doon. Hindi lamang umimik si Angel at sumunod lamang ito kay Jastine. I drove the car to the school, pagkarating namin sa school, everything was decorated with fun colors. I parked the car at nagsibabaan na kami ng sasakyan.

Today is our school fair. Expectedly, ang daming pop-up booths from different clubs occupied the school ground. "Welcome to School Day Fair" sigaw ng mga babaeng schoolmates namin while they are offering us with face stickers and bracelets that we need to wear throughout the school fair. I looked at Angel and she was very fascinated of what she sees. "First time ko pang nakaexperience ng ganito" mahina niya sambit sabay tanaw tanaw sa mga nagsasayawang mga estudyante at nagkakasiyahan.

"Hello, are you a couple? We have couple photoshoots for free in our club" napatingin si Jastine sa direksiyon namin ni Angel. Napangiti ako sa sinabi ng co-student namin kaya agad naman hinila ni Jastine si Angel papunta sa tabi niya. "We're together and were three" agad niyang sabi kaya napasimangot ang mga babae at naghanap nalang ng ibang aalukan ng free shots. "Why do they do such foolish clubs like that" mahina pa niyang sabi as if hindi ko narinig ang pinagsasalita niya sabay hila kay Angel papasok sa nagkakasiyahang mga estudyante.

"Hello, welcome to our club. I'm Anne, and we offer free Palm Reading. Do you want to try?" tumango kaagad si Angel at umupo sa upuan kaya hindi man lang kami nakapagreact ni Jastine. Inilahad ni Angel ang kaniyang kamay sa babaeng nakaupo sa mesa and she started reading Angel's palm.

"I can see a bright light from you..." she started off. Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Angel na tila hindi makapaniwala sa sinabi ng babae. "You will face a lot of struggles in the future, but your light will guide you to overcome all those struggles" she added and this time she opened her eyes and she smiled at Angel. "You're an angel" she spoke. Agad na pinatayo ni Jastine si Angel at nagsalita, "What are you talking about?" he asked. The girl pointed at the small chart standing beside the table. "The Personality Chart Test" Jastine slowly read and below are the scales whether you are an angel or an opposite of an angel.

Napatawa nalang ako sa ginagawa ni Jastine. Lumapit ako sa kaniya at tinapik siya sa balikat. "You're so tense Jastine" I said and he just shrugged his shoulders. We explored different clubs and we also tried different foods that they offered. At the middle of the clubtents, nagkasalubong kami ni Ken, Joshua, and Harold.

"Bro, nandito pala kayo" sumabay silang tatlo sa amin and we all explored what we can explore in the school ground. Habang busy kami sa pagtingin-tingin, someone carrying a drink accidentally bump Angel and the drink splashes all over Angel's clothes. "Omyghad, I'm sorry. I didn't intended to splash--" napatigil siya sa pagsasalita ng magtama ang tingin naming dalawa. "Oh my, I'm very very sorry" she hurriedly said. Siguro she recognizes me kaya agad siyang nakabahan.

"Okay lang, wag kang mag-alala" sambit naman ni Angel. "Ahmmm...." natataranta niyang galaw habang may hinahanap sa kaniyang bag. "Here's my phone number. Call me.... I will pay for the cleaning of your clothes" nakatingin lang si Angel sa kaniya and I can sense that mapapahiya siya if hindi namin tatangapin ang kaniyang phone number. I hurriedly grab the paper and napatingin siya sa akin. "We'll keep this" I said and slide the paper on my pocket. Umalis siya kasama ang kaniyang mga kaibigan and we're back at Angel na basang-basa.

I grab Angel's hand pero agad naman akong pinigilan ni Jastine. Napatingin sina Ken, Harold, and Josh sa amin. "I'm taking her to the nurse clinic to change some clothes" I said pero hindi pa rin binitawan ni Jastine ang kamay ni Angel. "I'll take her there" he said and unti-unting nagtigasan ang tingin namin sa isa't isa.

"What are you two doing?" tanong ni Ken, quite curious about how we behave. Gusto ko sanang bitawan ang pagkakahawak kay Angel pero I feel like I'm very competitive right now. I don't want to lose her hand to Jastine. "What are you guys doing? Why are you two acting this way?" pahabol naman ni Harold dahil nagtataka din siya sa ginagawa namin.

"I'll take her there" ulit na sabi ni Jastine sa akin and he's giving me a telephatic signal na bitawan ko na ang kamay ni Angel. "Kaya kong pumunta doon na mag-isa" sabi ni Angel to break the tense off.

"No, I'll accompany you" - Jastine

"No sasamahan kita" - Paulo

Magkasabay pa talaga kaming nagsalita. Tumawa si Ken sa amin. "You guys are suspicious, is there something going on between you two?" binitawan ko ang pagkahawak sa kamay ni Angel. Ngumiti naman kaagad si Jastine at hinila sa kaniyang tabi si Angel. "Let's go" sabi niya sabay hinila si Angel papunta sa direksiyon ng nurse's clinic.

"What was that bro?" Harold asked me while he put his hands on my shoulder. "I.... I decided to pursue her" napatulala si Harold sa sinabi ko. "You mean, you like Angel?" mahina akong tumango. Tumawa ng malakas si Ken at inilagay din ang kaniyang kamay sa kabila kong balikat. "Wow, it's been a decade that you've like someone. How is it going?" I shrugged my shoulders and just smile.

"Sino ba naman ang hindi magkakagusto kay Angel" Josh said and smirked at us. "Tumigil ka nga, playboy" sambit naman kaagad ni Ken sabay mahinang pagpalo sa dibdib nito. "Did Jastine know about your feelings towards Angel?" tanong ni Harold sa akin. "Obviously! Hindi mo ba nakita ang tension kanina?" agad na sabat ni Ken.

"Yeah, but it's quite complicated" sagot ko naman kaagad. "Why? Is Jastine possessive or overprotective of his cousin?" Ken asked. I shook my head, "It's a different case" I said at nagsimula nang lumakad palabas ng school ground. "Hey, wait up for us" ani ni Ken sabay takbo papunta sa akin. "Why is it complicated? Nakakabitin ka naman bro" ani ni Harold pero I choose to just smile and not talk.

Wala ako sa position to told them everything about Angel and to tell them about how Jastine and I both like the same woman. Truthfully, sometimes I felt jealous. Dahil alam kong at the end of the day, it's highly possible that Angel will choose Jastine over me. Si Jastine naman talaga ang prime priority ni Angel and even before, ayaw ni Angel na masasaktan si Jastine.

Even it's quite unsure for the time being, considering that Angel is not one of us. She's not human and it's likely impossible that an "angel-being" will develop feelings towards us, humans. Pero gusto ko lamang na protektahan ko siya. I wanted to express what I feel towards her kahit hindi niya alam kung ano ang pakiramdam ng pagmamahal.