Loving Greene

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

My frustration lasted for the whole week. I wanted to talk to Greene but his schedule never permitted me to even catch a glimpse of him. So of course I waited until his competitions were done and after he brought home golden medals. After two weeks of not attending school, he finally showed up to class but the problem is he is ignoring me! I was so annoyed that even Fidel couldn't console me. Fidel tried to provide reasons why Greene can't even look at me, at first I'm buying it but after weeks of leaving me hanging and ruining my life because of that goddamn confession, I decided that this has to stop. If he was just joking when he told me that he liked me, then at least I want to hear him say it to me.

Nang mag-uwian na ay hindi ako sumabay kay Fidel. Hindi naman siya nagprotesta, he even wished me luck but I don't need it. I need answers from Greene. Ang sabi ng kaibigan niyang si Clara sa akin ay nasa faculty daw siya at kumukuha ng mga quizzes na kanyang na-miss during the days that he was outside of school.

I decided na umupo sa fountain na katapat mismo ng pinto ng faculty. Nang pumwesto ako doon ay marami pang estudyante ang nag-uunahan palabas ng eskwelahan, nang maubos sila ay pinanood ko rin ang paglabas ng mga guro. I looked at my phone to check for the time and it said five thirty. I sighed it's getting late and what if Greene isn't even here. As if on cue, the faculty door opened and it revealed him.

Napatayo ako at kaagad kong nakuha ang kanyang atensiyon. My face was void of any emotion. His face was also serious but I saw him gulp before he started to walk towards me. Our eyes are never leaving each other the whole time. Nang makalapit siya sa akin ay kaagad siyang tumigil ng ilang dangkal.

“Ihahatid na kita.” Iyon ang kanyang pambungad. His voice is baritone yet his nervousness is showing after all his efforts to hide it.

“I want to talk to you and clear things out first,” I said firmly. I couldn't let another night or day pass by without confronting him.

His lips pressed and he nodded. “But we should get going, madilim ang kalangitan baka maabutan pa tayo ng ulan.”

Nang tingnan ko ang langit ay parang uulan nga, not to mention that it's also getting really dark. I sighed and agreed to him. We both walked silently. Ang pinaghalong inis sa kanya at tapang ko ay parang naglaho na parang bula. All those questions I kept inside my head were easily forgotten when he was in front of me.

“I want to apologize for leaving you after our talk. I was so ashamed because I blurted out my feelings all of the sudden,” he said.

Tiningnan ko siya ng masama. “I really don't like how you left me hanging for weeks,” I said with exasperation.

He shut his eyes closed and cursed softly before facing me and apologizing endlessly.

“You were an ass, alright. But I understand. I just want to clear things out. Ang hindi ko lang naman nagustuhan sa ginawa mo ay ang pag-iwas mo sa akin pagkatapos.”

Tahimik ang paligid at may kalakasang ihip lamang ng hangin ang naririnig namin. Sa hindi kalayuan ay sobrang dilim na ng kalangitan. I think that it's already raining in the mountains. Pero kahit ganoon ay wala pa rin akong balak umuwi. I want answers from him. I may sound desperate but I've longed for this. Not a chance I expected such a turn of events. At dahil sa mga salita niyang binitawan sa akin noong nakaraan, I couldn't help but to crave for more.

“I’m sorry. I got busy and I really avoided you because I didn't have the courage to face you after all those words blurted from my mouth… but Adi…”

He stopped walking and so did I. May bumusina na motor ng isang kalapit-bahay namin at sumigaw ang driver na kailangan na naming magmadali dahil paparating na ang ulan ngunit parang bingi lang kaming dalawa at walang narinig. Walang salitang namutawi sa aming mga labi bagkus ang aming mga mata ay nakatutok lamang sa isa’t-isa.