When a Geek Fell in Love

Chapter 1: Broken Vision

  "Oh.. Guess who's here?"

I turned to see three mocking faces. No, not again! I'm becoming tired of this routine. Me, silently walking and them, making fun of me. I'm here at the corridor which leads to the main lib. of the university when these three witches spotted me.  

Me: Ano na namang kailangan ninyo sa akin, Lizzle?

  I softly asked while staring at my rubber shoes. Lizzle and her 2 alipores, Raika and Eidely looked at me na parang naaawa. 

Lizzle: Look girls, kawawa naman tong prinsesa natin.

Raika: Princess of the ~slum-smelling, glum-looking~? 

Eidely: How pathetic can you get? 

Lizzle: She can't even buy her own clothes at nanghihiram pa sa kuya niya ng T-shirt. Anong size nyan? Triple X and L?   She smirked and the other two laughed irritatingly.

  Me: T- t...these are my own c..clothes. 

   I defended myself despite my shaking knees, all the time facing the ground. Eto talagang nangyayari sakin pag may nang-aaway sa akin.

  Don't get me wrong. I stutter not because I'm scared but because I am trying to gain composure. Yeah, I'm trying really hard not to shout at them because I know, no matter how much they stand wrong, screaming would be utterly rude. And I know better. I know na kasalanan ko rin kung bakit nila ako inaapi. Or not, it's not entirely my fault. But still- 

WHa..? Suddenly I can't see. Hindi naman ako ganun kaslow para hindi maprocess ang nangyari. One of them snatched my glasses. Sino pa ba? Probably yung Queen Bee.

  Me: Ui wala namang ganyanan. Lizzle , that's out of the line. Alam mo namang hindi ako makakakita without those. Please lang Lizzle,ibalik mo na yan. 

A woeful plea, I know. Eh sa desperada ako. Kayo kayang hindi makakita? I squinted to make out a vague outline of what was before me then I reached out hoping to snatch back what was mine. Ang sama talaga nila. Bahagyang iniilag ni lizzle ang kamay niya para hindi ko maabot. Para ngang ang bilis niyang magalaw ang kamay niya. I inched forward and my hand brushed the, what I thought was, arm of the scoundrel. Her arms felt harder than what's supposed to be normal considering how she looks so feminine.

Bahala na sya basta all I want is makuha ko na ulit yung eye glasses ko. Bigla niyang itinaas ang kamay niya so I tiptoed to make my reach. How can she manage to charge it so high? Ugh..  

Me: Lizzle, pls lang naman.  Muffled giggles surrounded me then. Naiiyak na ako. Again, not because of them but because I badly needed my glasses.   Plak!  There and then, narinig kong may nahulog sa simento. No! Ang sasama nila... Tumulo na talaga ang mga luha ko. 

Me: Mga wala kayong konsensya. I really need my glasses. *sniff* pupunta pa ako sa library. 

Raika: Well then, Happy reading! Ciao!!! HAHAHA!!!!!!!! 

Those witches! The nerve! I squatted at hinagilap kung saang dako yun ng sahig nahulog. Kinapa-kapa ko na ang sahig pero wala parin akong mahawakang kahit ano that resembled my eyeglasses. Dalawang ulit pa akong nauntog sa pader.

  " Miss? Sayo ba to?"  Huh?   I turned to where the voice came from. Then nakita ko ang silhouette ng isang lalaki. Mayroon siyang inaabot sa akin. Probably my glasses so I reached out to his hand. Kinuha ko yun at sinoot.

  Me: T-t-thank you.. 

Inaadjust ko pa ang mga mata ko sa basag kong salamin. Nakakainis yung mga yun. Ang hirap kayang mag make ng patterns sa basag na salamin! Mabuti nalang at mabait yung lalaki kanina at ihahatid ako sa library mismo. Nagpumilit kasi at baka raw madapa ako.

  Guy: Miss, sure ka ba na mag lalibrary ka pa? SIra-sira na yang salamin mo. 

Me: I can manage naman siguro. Sige thank you. Wag kanang makipag-usap sa akin at baka pati ikaw pagtawanan pa ng mga makakakita. 

Guy: Ano ka ba? Hindi naman siguro. Kung pagtatawanan man nila ako dahil lang nakipag-usap ako sayo then pabayaan mo sila. Laugh all they want. The hell I care! 

Teka, mabait ba talaga to o tanga lang? haist.. I wonder if he could really do that. 

Guy: Miss, Geek ka nga pero tao ka parin. Mabuti ka panga at biniyayaan ng super brain kesa sa kanila na mga utak bufo marinus.  

Me: Eh? Kilala mo ako? 

Guy: Of course. Who wouldn't?

  Me: Yeah I forgot. Ang nag-iisang babaeng naglalakad dito sa campus na hindi nakatakong at hindi rebonded ang buhok. Ako lang pala yun.  

Guy: No! It- It's not what I meant. What I'm trying to say is, who wouldn't know you? The only girl candidate for Summa cum laude, err no. The only candidate for Summa cum laude while others can barely get the cum laude. Tsk tsk.. It's the one and only Rheema Yzel Dallan, right?  

I felt blood rushing through my cheeks.

  Me: Hi-hindi naman siguro.  

Guy: Eist.. wag ka na.. Eric nga pala.  He made a motion na hindi ko naintindihan. So I just continued staring at him. 

Guy: Eric Joseph L. Villatero? 

Me: Eh? 

Tapos bigla niyang hinablot yung kamay ko then shook it. Aahh. Yun pala ang meaning ng motion niya. :P 

Eric: Sige, andito na tayo. Till next time miss Summa Cum Laude. Had a great time talking to yah! 

Weehh what's happening to me.. Sa pagkakaalam ko dapat ang blood dumadaloy sa arteries at veins all throughout the body. Why oh why bigla silang nagdecide mag-general assembly sa mukha ko? Oh shut up. He was just toying with you Rheema. No one ever had a great time talking to me. Yeah right, like anyone ever did talk to me. ( meron naman, yung mga nagpapagawa ng assignments) *roll eyes*

  I guess, no one will ever enjoy talking to me....

Much less a heartthrob...

Like Eric Joseph Villatero