dahlia

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Dahlia: I stayed with Brandon for 10 days. I went home and Daddy acted like nothing happened.

The past summer makes me want to run away as far as possible from Daddy. How can I do that? If I enter the U.P. Diliman for college, it's still near Marikina...will he allow me to move out? No. He'll think that it's a waste of money. I should have an option where he could never say no because it is the only and best option at that. I fonder on studying abroad specifically at Harvard. Can I do it? I already messed up my grades. I should do well now. I must do well no matter what.

For whatever reason, Karen and I are the only ones separated with Platinum, our section last third year, and remained on the second section. Apparently, there were two sections 1 that I didn't know about: one for handicraft and one for cosmetology. It was the specialization we learnt in T.L.E. And now, for whatever reason, they decided to dissolve it.

However, why are we in Eduardo Quisumbing? Most of them are from section Chromium last year, the section 1 in Cosmetology, and we're totally out of place.

It's a good thing that the room of our previous classmates is almost beside us with the Math department in between us.

"Why did they put you in Quisumbing?" Our circle of friends collectively hugs us. I return the hug. They are Karen's friends, really. I am not that close with them because I am Karen's bestfriend so I treat them as my friends too.

"Exactly," Karen shouts and fakes her cry, "I can't live without you guys. I missed you already. I feel like crying."

I say they are overreacting on the situation. It is not as if we won't see each other ever, so I quietly remove myself from their flock and lean on the railings while I check out the front of our room, Eduardo Quisumbing. I try to find someone I know from that section. I know Ian. Of course, Camille and Brandon are currently with their different group of friends. I know no one aside from the ones I mentioned..

Seeing them constantly reminds me of the mistake that I am so close to making: catching feelings.

The class list was posted on the bulletin board in front of the school gate so they already know that we're classmates. Some of them are stealing glances at me and when I catch them looking, they immediately tear off their stares as if I catch them doing something strange...and then they whisper around their circle of friends. I am used to gossip. Ever since I joined school pageants I often see people do that whenever I am nearby. I am not pissed by it or anxious by it. I even watch them. I can still maintain eye-contact even when people say nasty things about me...because those are only words. It won't hurt me. I have full confidence that I know myself more than them. I know my truths.

Karen taps my shoulder fast and as if in need of something and then she points her finger to the other end of the Bayani Fernando (BF) Building. "Tumangkad si Timothy," She giggles, "He looks so good too. Handsome!"

"Who?" Our friends ask curiously, following Karen's point finger with their eyes.

"There! It's Timothy," She points it with her lips, too, to prove a point, "See?"

"That's Timothy?"

"Impossible! Really?"

They say in unison.

"What happened to him? How did he become so good-looking over summer vacation? In that short amount of time?"

I focus my eyes on Timothy, and say, "It's his eyeglasses, he changed it, hm, the height too...and he matures."

I lean even more, rest my elbow to it, and put a hand on my cheeks. I watch as Kirsten approaches Timothy. She's bubbly and then she laughs. Mysteriously, Timothy slightly smiled. There's a swirl on my stomach that makes me uncomfortable. Is he ever like that to me? Well, maybe he never really liked me...as a lover or more so even as friends.