Love Once Again

Chapter 4

Laurence

“The hell? Totoo nga ang chismis!” sigaw ng isa sa mga kaklase ko.

“Dragon nga magpa quiz ang isang prof Carlton!”

“Tae? Parang wala naman sa chapter 1 ang scope ng quiz eh?!” naiiyak na sabi ni Ria.

“Puro identification at fill in the blank pa ang questions. Sinong matutuwa dun?!”

“Quiz pala 'yon? Akala ko pang finals na natin eh!” rinig kong bulong ni Jade.

“Hindi siguro masarap breakfast ni prof kanina kaya ganyan 'yan siya.” dismayadong iling ni Harper sa tabi ko.

Imbis na sumagot ay niligpit ko na lang ang gamit ko dahil pinapasunod ako ni prof Carlton para mag check ng papers namin. I thought she will ignore me because of what happened last time, but I guess sa ibang paraan ito bumawi at damay ang lahat sa amin.

“Tae naman! Ano kaya score natin sa quiz?!” parang maiiyak na sabi ni Aika at napayuko pa sa desk niya.

Lumabas ako ng room na lahat ng sila ay parang pinag sakluban ng lupa. Kahit ako ay parang naubos ang energy dahil isang oras kaming nakatutok lang sa papel at nagsasagot.

Nag discussed naman siya in a brief of chapter one, but we didn't expect that she will give us an exam right after. Ni wala manlang review review as she expect us that we read the whole chapter for this week.

Pero heto kami, napatulala na lang sa papel at nakita ko pa si Jade na nakatingin sa labas ng bintana at tulala. Not that I'm being exaggerated, but that's how hard her exam was.

Though, I was confident that I answer the exam but I'm not expecting any thing that I will get a high score. I read the chapter one and nahirapan din ako sa exam as all of the items are fill in the blanks and identification.

Hindi ko namalayang nasa harap na pala ang office ni prof kaya kumatok na din ako agad. She let me in and instructed me to sit on the couch while she put our papers in the coffee table.

“I checked your paper and congrats, you got the highest score of all the sections I handle.” She handed me my paper while I accept it with all smiles. And my jaw literally dropped after seeing my score.

14?! What the actual hell? The exam's are 30 points and hindi manlang ako lumagpas sa kalahati?!

“S-Sure ka na miss? Naka 14 lang po ako?” hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko habang hawak ang papel.

She just raised her eyebrow at me and didn't answer. “And why would I lie to you? You got the highest among other sections, you know.” sabi nito na parang huwag akong mangamba.

May balak pa sana akong mag apila pero tinalikuran na niya ako. She seat gracefully in her swivel chair and starts minding her own business while I'm still shock about my score.

Napahinga ako ng malalim habang tinignan ang papel kong maraming bilog. Kanina lang ay kampante akong tama ang mga sagot ko, pero ngayon ay mas marami pala ang mali.

Nilabas ko na lang ang kulay green kong ballpen para makapag simulang mag check. Malapit na din kasing mag lunch at balak namin nila Jade at Harper na kumain sa restaurant ni tita Monique.

Tahimik lang akong nagchecheck at paminsan minsan ay napapatingin kay ma'am Carlton dahil sa panay ang buntong hininga niya. Ano kayang problema niya?

Namomoblema ba siya kasi hindi siya sanay na may kasamang iba sa office niya? O kaya naman, sa gutom na siya at gusto na niyang mag lunch mag isa?

“Why are you in a hurry? Nahihilo ako sa ginagawa mo, miss Oliveira.” Napatigil ako sa pagmamadaling mag check dahil sa sinabi nito.

“Checking the papers, Miss. So you can have your lunch alone as earlier as you want? Or do you want me to leave now so you can have your lunch po?”  I asked what's on my mind and her eyebrows furrowed even more.

“Who says I want to be alone while having lunch? Hindi ka ba tao para sabayan akong kumain?” Nahihimigan sa tono nito ang pagiging sarcastic at imbis na patulan pa siya ay kinuha ko na lang ang cellphone ko.

“Who are you texting?” she asked and I heard her swivel chair made a sound.

“My friends po.” sabi ko habang nakatuon ang mga mata sa screen ng cellphone.

“And why are you texting them?” I don't know if I heard her shout or if she just say it out loud.

“To cancel my plan in joining them for lunch, because you invited me po na ku—” I gasp when I saw that she's now standing in front of me and only the coffee table are the space between us.

Parang wala naman itong narinig sa sinabi ko at tinitigan lang ako. Hindi ko alam pero nakakaramdam ako ng ilang dahil sa paraan ng pagtitig nito sa akin.

“Harriette, I bought you lun—oh you're with someone pala? Miss Oliveira, fancy seeing you here.” Hindi ko alam pero kahit boses pa lang ni Sir Rafallo ay biglang ayaw ko na marinig.

I saw the popular brand of paper bag in his left hand and I can't help but to rolled my eyes when I saw him smile at prof Carlton. Hindi naman nakatingin si Sir Rafallo sa akin kaya malaya ko siyang inikutan ng mata, na hindi ko inaasahang makikita ni prof Carlton.

Instead of getting nervous, I wondered why her lips curved into smile but then disappeared when she saw me starting at her. She averted her eyes to Sir Rafallo and I saw how his eyes twinkle when prof Carlton pay attention to him.

“Don't you know how to knock, Sir Rafallo?” The smile in his face slowly disappeared and it turn into embarrassment when he saw that I was looking at him. Iniwas ko na lang ang tingin ko dahil namumula ang mukha nito sa kahihiyan.

“And please, refrain from calling me and barging in inside my office when I'm not giving you a permission to enter. We're not that close for you to address me in my first name and, I would be glad if you use honorifics instead.”

Mahabang sabi ni prof Carlton kaya napanganga ako. I saw how the other professor's shoulder went down when the latter rejected him. I would be embarrassed too if a person I like turned me down in front of other people.

Wala akong narinig na kahit ano galing kay Sir Rafallo kundi ang pagbukas at pagsara ng pinto. I made myself busy and didn't mind the stares she's giving me because she suddenly makes me nervous.

“I made him leave so there's no need to be upset.” I heard her uttered and I looked at her disbelief.

Ako ba ang tinutukoy niya? Hindi naman ako galit ah?

“Ako po? Hindi naman po ako galit, prof. O baka may nakikita lang kayong hindi ko nakikita?” I asked clueless that made her frown. Oh, tignan mo galit na naman siya.

“What the hell, miss Oliveira?!”