SSS [III] (COMPLETED)

Part 11

In the one month that I've been here, it has become clear to me...

"Bakit? May inutos si Lola?"

Titig na titig ako sa kanya while he was standing in front of my car. He was carrying a big bag of something.

"Give me your car keys, sa loob ka na kumain." His voice was cold at nakalahad nanaman ang palad niya.

I stared at his palm.

"Okay," dahan-dahan ko na binigay sa kanya ang aking keyfob.

I was tired already. Kung nasa Manila lang ako ay maari na akong nagcontact ng Uber, if ever na hindi ako masusundo ni Eric at hindi ako makakahitch sa kung sino man na kaibigan ko.

Hindi ko naman na pwede iwan ang sasakyan ko dito at mag-trike pauwi. That would be too risky.

Pinatunog na ni Prez ang sasakyan at pumasok na sa loob on the driver's seat, habang ako naman ay nasa passenger's seat. I threw the duffel bag on the backseat at binuksan na yung mukhang baonan.

Just as expected, it was packed enough to make me full. My eyes were glistening as I eyed the contents of my dinner hungrily. I'm on a pescatarian diet starting tonight. Kaya ang only meat na kinakain ko ay isda, which wasn't really a problem. Lola's the best cook.

I scarfed my dinner quietly. Naka-on ang makina. The lights inside my car were also on. But, he didn't even bother turning the radio on.

The stillness pulled the thoughts that I tried so hard not to get through me.

In the one month that I've been here, it has become clear to me... that Prez really wants nothing to do with the likes of me.

I was indeed the definition of trouble, in a fun way. While he was the perfect epitome of self-restraint. I was letloose. He was uptight.

My nostalgic attachment to him may be sentimental to me, but he couldn't even care less. I was merely a passing moment, shy of being forgotten.

If it weren't for our childhood binds, he most probably would've threw me off the table. I was distasteful to him. And being in the council with him slapped such reality to me.

I considered him my friend, even if he seems indifferent to me. Iniisip ko noon pa man that it was normal for him to be that way. I knew him even before we started school. He was awkward with everyone. And I thought na ang katauhan niyang yun had no chances of changing.

Pero nung nasa Council ako, napansin ko na may nagbago pala talaga sa kanya.

Since most of the Council members were from the STEM sections ay talagang sobrang dami nila na napag-uusapan, which was an ordinary thing. But for Prez to indulge in conversations about non-council-related topics or non-Academic-related things ay nakakapagpagababag sa akin.

He wasn't like that when we were younger. And he definitely wasn't like that when we were together! At kahit ngayon!

"Dito ka na gym nagregister?" Seryoso ang tingin niya sa akin. "May gym naman ang University, and it's for free..."

I shrugged.

He stared at me.

Napakunot ako ng noo.

"What?" I sneered at him. Anong tinitingin-tingin ng isang ito?

He raised an eyebrow.

"You want to drop your façade, don't you?"

I glared at him, but clenched my jaw after a few seconds.

I knew what he meant.

"Yes," pigil-hininga kong sabi. "I want to stop pretending, pero hindi ko gagawin," umiwas ako ng tingin. "I know my limits here."