Loving Greene

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Akala ko dahil sa pagbisita ni Atlas sa aming bahay at ang pag-uusap namin ay magiging dahilan para mapalapit ako sa kanya ngunit nang pumasok ako kinabukasan ay hindi man lang niya ako binalingan ng tingin buong araw. I tried to tell Fidel about what happened when he left me sa daan kahapon but he just laughed and thought that I was just being ridiculous.

“Totoo nga kasi! Hindi naman kita pinipilit na maniwala pero totoo nga.”

Tumatawa pa rin si Fidel. “Sige nga kausapin mo ngayon tapos kapag sumagot siya sayo, maniniwala na ako.”

I've got nothing to prove pero ayaw ko namang magmukhang sinungaling sa harap ni Fidel kaya gagawin ko ang pinagagawa niya. I was about to stand and walk towards him when I saw Marina slowly approached his seat. He was laughing with his friends but all of them went silent when Marina came.

Nakita ko ang pagkahiya ni Marina nang biglang natahimik ang buong classroom.

“A-atlas, para sa'yo. I baked these," malambing niyang sambit.

Nakita ko kung paano umaliwalas ang mukha ni Greene. He smiled at her, it wasn't like those boyish grin which he always throws at his friends. This one was pure and genuine.

“I-I know palagi kang kumakain ng cookies dahil may bakery kayo pero sana magustuhan mo pa rin 'to.”

“Aww. How sweet,” Fidel whispered next to me. There is a hint of mockery in Fidel's voice but I ignored him. I rolled my eyes. He is such a hater.

“Thank you, Marina. I appreciate this a lot.”

Tumango si Marina at ngumiti kay Greene which he reciprocated. Marina's face flushed at mukhang nahiya nang makita niya ang naggagandahang ngipin ni Greene. When she left their group, kaagad na naghiyawan ang mga kaibigan ni Greene. They were all tapping his shoulders while the girls ruffled his hair.

“Iba ka talaga, Marina! Ikaw lang ang natipuhan ni Atlas sa school natin,” a girl said.

Iyon ang sumalubong sa akin nang pumasok ako sa CR. Nilingon nila ako pero binalewala rin pagkatapos. Pumasok ako sa isang cubicle. Akala ko ay titigilan muna nila ang kanilang pag-uusap dahil baka marinig ko ngunit narinig kong sumagot si Marina sa kausap niya.

“Madali lang namang paamuhin si Atlas, Sheen. Just show him some attention and siya na mismo ang maghahabol sa'yo. Tingnan mo he will be all over me in a few days.”

I scoffed when I heard she said. Kaagad ko rin namang natabunan ang aking bibig pero mukhang narinig na nila ang negatibong reaksiyon ko.

“Somebody's being nosy, huh?”

Natahimik ako. Biglang nanuyo ang aking lalamunan. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero kinabahan ako nang marinig ang boses ni Marina. Nang lumabas ako, nasa akin ang kanilang mga mata. The other girl had her brow raised while Marina is smirking beside her.

“I don't know who you are..”

Is that a lie? Or does she really have no idea who I am? We've been classmates since the seventh grade!

“But if any part of our conversation here will leak, patay ka sa akin.”

Her eyes were deadly. I gulped because truthfully, I was a bit threatened. Pero siya na rin nagsabi na hindi niya ako kilala hindi ba? Is she being real or what?

“Do you understand?”

Nang hindi ako makasagot kaagad ay hinampas niya ang pintuan ng isang cubicle which startled me.

“O-oo,” I nodded profusely.

“Tsk. Tara na, Marina. Hindi na magsasalita 'yan.”

They both laughed before leaving, ako naman ay natawa rin sa aking sarili. Omg I was so pathetic! But not as pathetic as them! Did Marina seriously think that THE Atlas Greene would be so inlove with her with that kind of attitude? Matalino si Greene at alam ko na kahit hindi ko isusumbong ang mga narinig ko kani-kanina lang ay malalaman din naman ni Greene na hindi naman pala seryoso si Marina. She's just a bitch with a stench of desperation reeking out of her.