Returning the Favor

7 - Scoring the Game

"I think it would be better if we got acquainted first," Jeremy with all smiles told us three. "Okay, so start sa akin. My complete name is Jeremy Timothy Felarca Bartolome. I turned sixteen last August 23. My friends call me Jeremy or Timothy but mostly it's Jeremy. However, my family loves to make fun of me so tinatawag nila akong Mimo. I love the color blue and fried chickens. Our teachers say that I'm good at all subjects but I love English and AP the most. Kaya nga sa debate team ako nakasali." He laughed at his own inside joke.

Napakacandid niya talaga magsalita. And he speaks with humor too. How I wish I have the confidence to talk like him pero alam ko namang hindi ko forte ang public speaking.

Tumikhim siya at tiningnan kaming tatlo na naghihintay sa gagawin namin. Ngunit wala yata sa amin ang gustong mauna.

After ni Ma'am Legaspi na i-assign si Jeremy na tumulong sa amin, she told us to meet with him regularly every afternoon after class hours for at least thirty minutes. 4:30PM natatapos ang klase namin sa STE unlike sa regular classes na an hour earlier. To think na hinihintay niya pa kami ng one hour ay nakakakonsensiya. But he seems happy about it.

Today is the first day ng meeting namin na kasama siya. Dito kami ngayon sa library kasi nililinis na ang classroom namin while ang isang team kasama ang SSG Vice President in the person of Caroline Peneiro ay nasa Science Department. These two students from the higher years ay mga top students daw ni Ma'am Legaspi sa Science sa Grade 10. She said na performance grade ng dalawa ang pagtulong sa amin.

"So... Okay. Magsimula tayo sa iyo." He pointed at Andrew and smiled patiently at us. He is trying to create a healthy space pero mas hesitant yata ang mga kasama ko na magcooperate. "Don't worry guys. Tayo-tayo lang naman ang makakaalam ng information na i-shashare ninyo. It's for me to get to know you kasi we'll be working together for more than two weeks to prepare you for the SIP Fair. We can't maximize your potentials if we can't even get along."

Napatango si Carla but Andrew remained stoic.

"Bakit kailangan pa malaman ang favorites? Anong konek nun?" Andrew commented.

Sasagutin na sana ni Jeremy si Andrew but Carla answered instead. "Hayaan mo siya sa style niya, Andrew. Sabihin mo inggit ka lang!"

"Inggit kaagad? Bakit naman ako maiingit?" Andrew shot back.

"Well--" Jeremy tried to explain.

"So bakit hindi mo nalang gawin ang sinasabi niya? Bakit may pareklamo ka pa!" Carla exclaimed.

"Eh sa ayaw ko eh! Pinakilala na naman tayo ni Ma'am sa kanya, bakit may paganito-ganito pa?"

"You don't--"

"Gawin mo nalang kasi, nag iinarte pa eh!"

"Edi ikaw mauna! Parang atat ka naman yata kasi gwapo kasama natin eh!"

"Aba, aba!" Carla gasped.

I even gasped in surprise sa sinabi ni Andrew. He turned to me pero inirapan lang din ako. He stood up but I held his arm before he could move away. Ano kaya problema nito?

"Drew..." I pleaded and looked at him as if trying to solicit his cooperation. "Please?"

He sighed in exasperation but did not move from his position. But when he looked at Carla and Jeremy, he tug his hand away from my grasp then went out from the library.

"He forgot his bag," Carla broke the quiet.

"Well... I guess it's normal to have a first time experience of someone walking out on me," Jeremy dryly chuckled. He looked at me as if assuring me it's fine.