Fall Into Places (Into Trilogy #1)

Kabanata 9

The morning came and I didn't have a long sleep. Nakasandal lang ako sa headrest habang nakayuko sa dalawang kamay ko na nakapatong ka dalawang tuhod ko. This pain is just temporarily. I can always cover this with a smile.

Bumuntong hininga ako at umalis mula sa pagkakayuko. I massage my temple before I get up.

Naglakad ako papunta sa banyo ko at naligo. Pagkatapos noon ay nagbihis na ako at handa nang pumasok sa eskwelahan.

I went downstairs. Napatingin ako sa may kusina, only to see my mother cooking.

"Ma." I called her.

Napalingon naman siya sa'kin at hindi naman nakaligtas sa paningin ko ang mga namumugtung mata niya.

Nagpunas siya ng kamay sa kanyang damit at lumapit sa'kin at hinalikan ako sa  noo.

"Magandang umaga, anak." Bati ni mama bago bumitaw sa'kin.

Hindi ako sumagot sa bati niya at iniwas lang ang tingin ko. I can't look at her straight in the eyes right now.

"I'll go now, ma."

Pumungay ang nga mata niya. "Hindi ka ba kakain ng niluto ko?"

I shook my head. "Bigyan mo na lang ako ng baon, ma. Hindi ako pwedeng ma late ngayon."

Tumango-tango lang siya at tinungo na ang lalagyan ng baonan ko at nilagyan na ng pagkain na para sa akin.

"Mag iingat ka, anak..." aniya sa mahinang boses.

Hindi ko na siya pinansin at nilingon pa sapagkat takot akong makita niya ang mga luhang nagbabalak na tumulo sa'king mga mata.

The typical campus noises can be heard as I entered the gates of our school. As usual, napadako nanaman ang mga tingin ng mga estudyante sa'kin. Ang iba pa'y nagtangkang lumapit sa'kin at sinabihan ako ng 'belated happy birthday' which is hindi ko rin pinansin dahil wala ako sa mood.

Nang makarating ako sa classroom namin ay naroon na sila Ianthe at ang iba pa naming mga kaklase. I can see that Ianthe dared to talk to me pero umiiwas ako sa kaniya sa buong klase. Ayaw ko munang makipag-usap sa kanila at kung ano pa ang masabi ko.

It was lunch time and that is the time na inapproach na ako ni Ianthe na walang istorbo. I was sitting at the corner of our room all alone when she walked right in at nameywang sa'kin.

"Look, Moira. We can't just go all day na hindi mo ako pinapansin-"

"Oh, shut up, Ianthe. You don't know anything so shut up your fucking mouth." Hindi ko na napigilang mapamura. This is what I'm talking about kapag galit ako. It's better if 'wag mo muna akong kausapin hanggang sa malamig na ang ulo ko.

She gasped. "Moira! Your manners!"

I rolled my eyes at her and just continued eating my food. I know she was fuming mad because of what I did to ignore her but I did not expected what she did next.

Sa sobra niya sigurong pagkabwisit sa'kin ay padaskol niyang kinuha sa kamay ko ang kutsara at tinidor at itinapon ito sa sahig. Napakuyom naman ako ng kamao at napatiim bagang na lamang sa ginawa niya. Timpi pa, Moira.

"You can't just shut me up like that! We prepared yesterday just for your birthday and ganoon lang ang-"

"That's the effing problem, Ianthe," I looked at her coldly. I want her to see the different side of me. "I don't want your fucking surprise. It's been long overdue. All of you are too late."

She was stunned sa mga sinabi ko so I took that opportunity to fix my lunchbox and to fix the mess that she did. What a waste.

Tumayo na ako ng maayos ko na ang pinagkainan ko. I lost my appetite already.

"We're not finished yet, Moiranelle!" I can say that she's really fuming mad now. But I don't care.

I sighed. "What do you want, Ianthe. I'm tired."

"What do you mean..."

She's pertaining to what I have said that it's already long overdue. I don't have to explain myself to her. Matalino nga siya pero wala namang common sense kung minsan.

"Oh, nevermind that." I flashed my fake smile that can hide my unwanted emotions. "Let's just say na pabayaan mo muna ako sa araw na ito. I want to be alone. Please excuse me,"

I left her there all frozed. Napabuntong hininga ako at inayos ang backpack ko bago nag-isip ng lugar na pwedeng mapuntahan sa campus namin.

Naglakad-lakad pa ako sa hallway namin ng may matandaan. I smiled.

Tinungo ko na ang lugar na nasa isip ko. Nang buksan ko ang pintuan ay walang tao roon. Good because I really want a quiet place now.

Naupo ako roon sa isa sa mga bleachers na minsang tinatambayan namin noon ni Aira noong nandito pa siya. Ako lang at siya ang may gusto sa lugar na ito. Ianthe doesn't like this place so much dahil marumi raw at maraming tumatambay which is 25% true.

Sumandal ako at ipinikit ang mga mata ko para makapagpahinga sa lahat ng mga bumabagabag sa aking isipan. I was having the silence that I wanted when I heard footsteps geeting nearby.

Hindi muna ako nagmulat at pinakiramdaman lang ang nasa paligid ko.

"Moira." Isang baritonong boses na nanggaling sa likod ko.

Of course, I know who the owner of that voice...

Iminulat ko na ang mga mata ko at hindi siya nilingon. I heard him sigh and then walk around so that he can sit beside me.

"How did you know that I'm here." I ask coldly.

"I followed you when I saw you going out of your room."

Napakunot ang noo ko. "Really?"

"Uhm, well," napakamot siya sa kaniyang batok. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I heard you and Ianthe fighting. If that's because of what happened yester-"

"Don't ever try to bring up that topic if you still want me talking to you." I seriously said to him without  blinking.

"Oh, sorry for that."

"What do you want, Clyde?"

"Well..." he sighed and fixed his collar like he's suffocated. "I, uhm, this is the third time that I'm gonna ask you this fully without interruptions."

I suddenly remembered him asking me some question pero napuputol ito.

"What is it again? And please sana deretsuhin mo na para walang sagabal." Deretsa kong sabi na nagpalunok na sakaniya.

"I want to ask you out, Moira." Now he said it.

I looked at him seriously. "Like a date?"

Tumango siya at nahihiyang napakamot sa batok.

"Well, I'm so sorry, Clyde pero hindi la ako handa sa isang relasyon." Even though I already like you.

I can see the flicker of happiness slowly fading into his eyes. Kung sana tinanong na niya ako habang maaga pa, hindi sana iyon ang isasagot ko.

"Oh," Halata ang disappointment sa boses niya. "Okay lang, I'll wait for you to be ready, Moira."

Napaismid ako. "If you'll really wait." Pagkatapos ay umirap ako.

He chuckled like he wasn't rejected by me just now. "Of course I'll wait. You're worth the wait, Moira. Tanga lang ang hindi kayang maghintay para sayo."

Yeah right, hindi nga niya ako hinintay. Pagkatapos umalis pa siya. I want to laugh bitterly.

"Sa una lang 'yan, Clyde. Pero pag-nagtagal na, susuko ka na. Ganyan naman talaga kayong nga lalaki eh." Nang-uuyam kong sabi.

I saw pain crossed his eyes but it faded immidiately and was replaced.

"Not all guys are the same, Moiranelle. Ibahin mo ako sa kanila. I can wait a hundred thousand years just for you, because you know what?"

Napataas ako ng kilay. "What?"

"Because no one can ever return  what you stole to me. You stole my heart and you never really returned it since the day that I first saw you smile."

STONE MIKAELSON