Three O'clock | Hexagon Series # 1

Four

It was two o'clock when I returned to school, just in time for Third's dismissal and our session.

As I walked through the campus, hindi ko maiwasang mapabuntong-hininga. Everyone else was in groups or paired off, habang ako ay nag-iisa, parang malungkot na pusang naglalakad sa hallway.

Sanay na ako dito. Back in my old school, walang lumalapit sa akin kasi akala nila sobrang bobo ko para kaibiganin. Tanging si Love lang ang kaibigan ko, pero nag-aaral siya sa ibang bansa at umuuwi lang tuwing may bakasyon o okasyon.

Para hindi magmukhang kawawa, inilabas ko ang sketchpad ko at kunwari'y tinitignan ang mga drawing ko habang naglalakad.

Suddenly, a guy blocked my path. Nagulat ako nang bahagya pero agad kong naayos ang sarili ko at tiningala ang kanyang mukha.

Bakit ba kasi ang tatangkad ng mga lalaki dito?

I frowned when I recognized him as the guy I spoke to in front of the Glassroom. Earlier, he had a grin that looked like he wanted to sell me a kidney, but now his smile was wide yet walang saya, as if he had plans to kidnap me.

"Huwag po, hindi healthy ang mga organs ko. Iba na lang ang kidnapin mo." biro ko, kunwari'y natatakot.

Ano ba kasing kailangan nito?

Nangunot ang noo niya pero nang ma-gets ako, mas lalo siyang ngumisi. "Paano'ng hindi healthy?"

I looked up at the sky, thinking, before I replied, "Una, hindi ako kumakain ng almusal. Pinagsasabay ko ang lunch at dinner, kaya siguradong may ulcer na ako."

"What about your kidney?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Ginagawa kong tubig ang Coke, 8 bottles a day, kaya siguradong sira na rin 'to!" I said, and he burst out laughing.

"You still have a heart, though-"

"Wala, wala! Di na gumagana 'to. Nawasak simula nang iniwan niya ako..." sagot ko, pinalungkot ang boses ko.

His smile faded, and he suddenly got serious. "That's... sad."

"Hoi, joke lang!" I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "NBSB ako, baliw!"

Masyado akong abala sa pagdodrawing para makipagrelasyon. Kahit noong bata pa ako, at ngayon sa college, hindi ko kailanman naisip na pumasok sa isang relasyon. Masyado nang mahirap ipasa ang college; ayokong madagdagan ang pasan ko.

"Really?" he asked, surprised.

"Oo, bakit? Mukha na ba akong nanay na may sampung ex?"

"Definitely not!"

I grinned at him. "So, what do you need? Bakit ka humaharang-harang sa daan ko?! Chariz!"

Tumawa siya at napailing. "Nakalimutan kong itanong yung pangalan mo kanina. What's your name?"

Yun lang?

"Is that it? Gusto mo lang malaman ang pangalan ko?"

He nodded, smiling. "So, what's your name?"

"Celinee. Celinee Gonzaga."

"Nice to meet you, Cel. I'm Dian," he said, extending his hand. "Dian Pablo."

I shook his hand enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you too, pero Eline na lang. 'Cel' sounds like a prison name."

"Okay, Eline."

I beamed at him, feeling pleased to have met someone new on campus besides Third. Unlike my old school, where no one cared to know my name.

"Na-tour ka na ba dito sa campus?" he asked, and I immediately shook my head.