The Spaces In Between

[7] Miscalculation

You asked.. :)

-A&Z-

Chapter 7: Miscalculation

 

A week later…

 

THURSDAY. 8:30 PM. Café Feliz.

It’s official, sophomore na ako!

Hah, ako lang ata ang excited pumasok ngayong school year. Halos ng blocmates ko tinatamad o kinakabahan para sa year na ‘to. Puro majors at core courses na kasi kami pag second year, unlike last year na puro general education subjects lang. Mas naeenjoy ko pa nga ang majors kesa sa GE subjects, paimportante minsan.

Last day of enrolment na ngayon, at isa ako sa mga humabol kanina sa cashier para magbayad. Nalate kasi ng padala si Mima ng tuition ko at blockbuster ang pila sa Cebuana kanina. Buti na lang inextend nila ang registration period until 7 PM! Iba na pala ang oras ng shift ko dito sa café. From 1PM – 8PM, naging 10 AM – 2PM dahil may class ako ng 3-7 araw-araw. Nakakaasar naman ‘tong binigay sa’kin na sked!

Hindi namin shift ngayon pero nandito pa rin kami ni Kesh. Paano ba naman, nacorner ako nina Ate Anya at Kuya Lean sa cashier right after kong magbayad. I’ve been avoiding her calls and texts for a week now. Malakas ang pakiramdam ko na may sinabi ‘tong si Kuya Lean sa kanya. Imposible namang org stuff ‘to, wala namang announcements sa Facebook group namin about the activities and stuff. What’s going on?

Well.. tama pala ako sa hinala ko. Kasalanan nga talaga ni Kuya Lean kung bakit ako gustong kausapin ni Ate Anya.

Oh, make that may pinakitang video si Leandro Abarquez.

Tanggap ko naman na wala yung interview ko eh. Pero damn it, Andreau! I know this is irrational but I am mad at you.

Care to explain that, direk? Sino si Shaira Pascual? Was that.. me?

Fuck this. You’re Shaira, right?

I.. I forgot your name.

I couldn’t believe it. In front of me was a video footage of that embarrassing encounter I had with Andreau Cortez. I don’t know how Kuya Lean managed to record this! Ni hindi ko nga matingnan yung phone! Ugh, I sounded so childish that time!

Seven days kong sinubukang kalimutan yung moment na yun. Seven days na rin akong hiyang-hiya sa ginawa ko.

Ate Anya didn’t hide her disappointment on me. She kept on shaking her head profusely as she let me watch the footage. “My god, Zade! Why’d you do that?”

“Babe come on,” Kuya Lean piped in. “Self defe—“

“Andreau didn’t even attack her.”

“Oo nga but you have to admit it’s so damn funny. Right?” tuwang-tuwa pa siya habang pinapanood ang footage. “Ano Zade, bilib ka na ba sa’kin? Nakunan ko ng vide—“

I sighed, on the verge of crying again. “I said sorry na—“

Kuya Lean shook his head. “She didn’t. Don’t dare to lie, Zades. You walked out after that.”

Never akong napapunta sa Principal’s office nung elementary at high school and I’ve always wondered kung anong feeling nun. Now, meron na akong clue kung ano. Nakakaiyak pala. “Oo na, nagwalk out na ako! Fine! Eh sa nakakaasar talaga siya eh!” I grabbed Kuya Lean’s phone and deleted the video. “Alam kong may kopya ka pa sa laptop mo. Suit yourself.”