Her Prince

- 19 -

- ADDYSON LOPEZ -

I shouldn't be nervous.

But I was.

I'm blaming Hana and Eunice for this, they were feeding my mind with scenarios, impossible ones. Yet here I was still, feeling anxious. Malabo naman talagang magkasabay kaming pumasok ni Julien, but knowing it was possible...

It was all I could think about habang naglalakad papasok. He wasn't on his door when I opened ours, and I couldn't help but feel... well, a little sad. I wanted to see him; he was nice to look at.

I meant this all platonically. I liked the guy, as a person. It would be nice to be his friend. I reached the campus gates and looked back at the building behind me. Hapon pa siguro ang pasok niya.

Still looking behind, I took a step forward, not noticing the curb in front of me. Natalisod lang naman ako, my knees and palms taking the hit, to save my face from kissing the ground. It hurt, and I felt stupid. One of the guards saw me thankfully, at inalalayan ako papuntang infirmary.

Ang daming pagkakataon, pero ngayong araw ko pa talaga naisipang magsuot ng ripped jeans. Ang laki ng gasgas ko sa tuhod! My lower lip hurt for biting it hard to stop myself from screaming. The nurse was not being gentle at all, while cleaning and bandaging my wounds, ang aga ko yata kasi siyang na-istorbo.

Limping and not giving a damn from the looks I was getting, nakarating pa rin naman ako ng maayos sa CEA.

This was fine.

Kailangan ko lang ng tungkod. Maybe my friends have one? And immediately, our gc was flooded with questions kung saan ko gagamitin, at kung nasaan na raw ba ako. Our first class was about to begin and I could not panic right now.

I was fine...

But fuck the stairs and the plight of it I had to take. Second floor lang naman ang kailangan kong akyatin ngayong araw, pero paano ako bukas? Sa fourth floor ako bukas!

I could go back home, pero may long test kami sa Gen Chem ngayon, and if we passed, exempted na raw kami sa finals! I prepared hard for that long quiz! I could not let that go to waste. Kailangan ko lang umakyat ng hagdan. What's so hard about that?

One step at a time, you can do this, Addyson.

I took a deep breath, and was about to take the first step when I heard him.

"Addy!" Julien was running toward me, his soft brown hair was bouncing and shining brightly under the sun, like his smile. Hinihingal pa siyang huminto sa harap ko. "Hindi ka pa ba aakyat?" tanong niya, dahil para akong tuod na nakatayo at hindi makahakbang.

"Ano... mauna ka na." It would be war, walking up the stairs. I didn't want him to see me like that.

"Huh?" nagsalubong ang makakapal niyang kilay, "Why? Wala ka pang class?"

"I have but—" May mga grupo ng estudyante na dumaan sa pagitan namin, at nabunggo ako ng isa. Malaki ang bag niya, hindi niya nga napansing nabuwal ako, at nagdere-deretso lang siya sa pag-akyat.

"Addy!" agad naman akong dinaluhan ni Julien, he noticed my bandaged knees then. "What happened to you?" Seeing his worried face, I felt stupid again as I answered him. Julien shook his head and tsked, bago umupo sa harap ko. Sinukbit niya sa harap 'yong bag niya at sinabihan akong sumakay raw sa likod niya.

"I... I can't." Nakakahiya! Baka mabigatan siya sa'kin! "Kaya ko namang umakyat eh."

"Magtatagal tayo kung aalalayan lang kita."

"Mauna ka na—"

"We're both gonna be late if you don't move, Addy. Sumakay ka na sa likod ko."

What he said was true, so I didn't argue. I gulped hard bago yumakap sa leeg niya at sumakay sa likod niya. Gently, he caught my thighs as he stood slowly. My face could feel his soft hair, I could smell his shampoo. Lord, ang bango-bango niya. I wanted to bite the vanilla scent out of him. Nakakagigil.

Pinagtitinginan kami, not surprising really, but I was too focused on Julien to care. He didn't seem to care as well.

"Anong room ka?" he asked when we reached a landing.

"204."

Akala ko ibababa niya na a ko sa tapat ng room but no, hinatid niya ako hanggang sa loob.

Nganga ang block mates ko, lalo na ang mga kaibigan ko.

"Saan ka nakaupo?"

Tinuro ko ang space sa tabi ni Eunice, na agad akong kinurot oras na makaupo ako ng maayos. Siguradong hindi lang 'yon ang aabutin ko oras na lumabas si Julien. He smiled, kumaway pa bago lumabas ng room namin.

I closed my eyes and braced for the impact my friends were about to make.