Love Next Door

18 - For Her

MIKA

The days passed by quickly and today marks the beginning of my sem break.

I'm a free woman!!!

...Not really.

I don't know what got into Jeron, but this past finals week, he never missed a day of preparing breakfast for the two of us since he knows that exams won't start earlier than 10 AM. Minsan, nagluluto siya. Minsan, take out. Either way, he's become my human alarm clock slash free breakfast machine.

Palagi niya rin akong sinusundo kahit late na at kahit saan pa ako abutan ng gabi dahil sa pag-aaral. Nahihirapan kasi akong mag-aral sa bahay. Ang gusto ko na lang gawin doon ay magpahinga.

I tried declining his offers, but to no avail. Hindi ko alam kung anong klaseng kakulitan ang namana nito sa mga ninuno niya, to the point of threatening me with my plants again, or even telling the FEast crew that he's my crush. Self-proclaimed crush kamo.

With his childish acts, pwede din siya sigurong ibalik sa grade school.

Tuwing tinatanong ko kung bakit niya ba yun ginagawa, he always gives me the same answer.

"I live next door to you, right? The nearest help you can get is from me."

Ganun niya ba ka-sineseryoso pagiging magkapitbahay namin?

Sa totoo lang, minsan, nakakatakot na eh. Tori told me that maybe the guy likes me, pero ayokong isipin yun. Marami din 'tong atraso sa akin. Kaya dapat lang na matindi din siyang bumawi. Baka ito lang yun.

I've already informed Ms. Kelly na pwede na akong pumasok araw-araw for three weeks. 11am to 3pm lagi ang shift ko, since part-time pa rin naman ang trabaho ko. At kailangan ko pa rin mag-review after work hours.

Today though, I am headed somewhere.

Naghahanda na ako paalis ng resto when my phone started to ring. And you don't have to guess who it is.

Sinagot ko na lang, para di na humaba usapan.

"Hello?"

"Ano, pauwi ka na ba? I'll fetch you."

"Jeron. Finals is over. Hindi mo na ako kailangang sunduin. Thank you."

"Eh wala naman akong ibang ginagawa. Sige na."

"Wag na nga. Wag ka nang makulit. Bye."

I got my bag and started making my way out.

Hay, kung di naman 'to bingi.

"Diba sabi ko wag mo na akong sunduin?", I said upon seeing him in the parking lot.

"I was already here before you said that.", he responded, which made me roll my eyes.

"Wala naman na pala akong choice, bat mo pa ako tinanong?"

"Of course, for formality. Ano, uwi na tayo?"

"Hindi pa ako uuwi. Mauna ka na.", I started to walk away.

"Why? Where are you going?"

"Sa Xavier."

There's no point in lying. If there's one thing I learned, it's to tell him the truth na lang agad, dahil hindi rin naman siya titigil hanggang di niya nalalaman.