Isabela
Tedesco
"Darling, sasama ka ba sa medical mission next week? Sasama ang Ate Thalia mo. Sumama ka, masaya naman." Mom said while we were on the way to school. She was the one driving to send me there.
"Sure, mom. Sasama po ako!"
"Okay. How's your prelim grades naman?"
"It's fine, mom. Uno lahat ng grades ko buti nalang."
"See? I know you can do it. I don't doubt you!"
After I got dropped off, I immediately got inside the campus. I just brought the flash drive because our prof told us that she'll be the only one to bring the laptop for the presentation para hindi na kami papalit-palit pa which could be time consuming.
Right now as I was walking, I spotted that circle of friends that used to say hateful remarks on it. They looked at me with their serious faces while feeling tense as I presumed. I smiled at them that's why they smiled nervously, and did not look at me after.
"Hi, Isabela!" To my surprise, I almost screamed loudly when a tall guy just appeared in front of me wearing a green t-shirt paired with jeans, his duffle bag's sling was also crossed on his body.
Chinito, matangkad, at... attractive. For me, he wasn't that handsome, but he was attractive.
"Ah, hello?" I responded in a question form and I smiled.
He scratched his head. "Kilala mo na siguro ako? Panay text ako sayo kagabi pero hindi ka nagrereply, e. Baka maling number nabigay ng Kuya mo,"
I thought of it for a second. "Uh, sorry. Hindi ko kasi nabasa, I don't use my phone that much at night."
Did I know him? Definitely not. I glanced at his I.D and read it before I finally got who he was.
Dwayne Dustin C. Tan
BS Mechanical Engineering- III
Should I pretend to know him or not?
"Oh? My bad. Saan ka pala pupunta?"
"Ah, naghahanap lang ng spot while waiting for my class later at 10:30!"
"Samahan na kita. Pwede?!" He smilingly said which made his eye smile too little. "Mamaya pa kasi class ko ng 1 PM, nandito lang ako dahil magti-training kami ng basketball ngayon."
"You mean magti-training din si Art?" I surprisingly asked. How about our presentation? I saw Art Hervin playing basketball last intramurals kasi, would it make sense?
His smile vanished. "Art Tedesco?"
I nodded. "Ah, yes."
"Hindi 'yon basketball varsity, sa football sya."
"Ah, okay!"
"So let's go?"
I just nodded and we started walking to find a spot where I could wait for my next subject. Maaga pa kasi, it was still 9:30, I still had an hour of free time. I didn't have any feelings to get nervous about not getting a chair because I was fixed to sit beside Art and Kuya Inres. Just like the usual stare of the people na nakakasalubong namin, they seemed really curious.
"Dito na tayo umupo!" Dustin said when there was a concrete bench in front of the monument of Dr. Leonardo Escolar, the founder of the Escolar University.
We took our seats then I started being curious what his intention was to text me and to accompany me here?
"Mas maganda ka pala pag sa malapitan," He started talking while trying to get my attention. I smiled, looking at him. Pala ngiti syang lalake.
