KABANATA 16 — Sour Mood
Lavina was quietly teasing me ever since Lukas arrived. May alam kasi si Lavina tungkol sa estado namin ni Lukas. Of course, Minerva couldn't shut her mouth up and she just blurted out everything about us to Lavina one day when we were having lunch together in school. Kaya naman alam na rin niya na inumpisahan na ni Lukas ang panliligaw sa akin.
It was also one of the reasons why I didn't want to reveal to her about my feelings for Lev. Dahil ang alam niya ay pinapaunlakan ko na si Lukas sa panliligaw nito sa akin.
She vacated her chair to give space for Lukas. Kaya naman ngayon ay katabi ko na ito. Panay ang tingin ng mga babaeng kasama ko sa mesa. I believed they didn't know Lukas yet. Hindi naman na kasi sila nag-aaral sa eskuwelahan namin ngayon.
He politely introduced himself to them. "Lukas nga pala," aniya sa mga ito.
"Oh! Ikaw 'yong apo ni Lola Lulu!" anang isa sa mga kasama namin sa mesa. Kanina ay pinakilala siya sa akin ni Lavina bilang si Tanya.
Ngumisi si Lukas. "You, girls know my abuela?" he asked them, amused.
"Oo naman! Madalas kaming kumain ng barbeque sa restaurant ng lola mo!" ani Tanya.
Napatingin ako kay Lukas na tila naaliw sa sinambit nitong si Tanya.
"May restaurant kayo rito?" Napabulong tuloy ako sa kaniya dahil hindi naman niya iyon naikwento sa akin.
"I thought you knew about it," he answered me with his lips curved up into an amused smile. "Hindi mo pa natitikman ang barbeque ni Lola Lulu?"
Napanguso ako at nahihiyang umiling sa kaniya. Hindi ako makapaniwalang may isang lugar dito sa Riogordo na alam ng lahat na hindi ko pa napupuntahan.
Lukas pinched my right cheek. It didn't hurt but it gained laughter from the people in our table.
"I'll bring you there one day. When you're not busy, I guess?" he promised. He pinched my cheek once more and stared at me like I was the only girl in this table.
Minsan, ito ang nagugustuhan ko kay Lukas. He would always treat me like I was very special to him. Sometimes, it would always feel like I was the only girl he could see.
Nakonsensya ako sa laman ng likod ng aking isipan. This was the exact kind of feeling I was expecting from someone else.
Nakarinig ako ng isang tikhim. It was too impossible for me not to notice it because the sound came from someone I was very well aware of. It was from Lev.
Nilingon ko siya. Once again, the girls' eyes were on him. Akala ko kanina ay naagaw na ni Lukas ang atensyon nila. Even mine was caught by Lukas' sudden presence but still, it all came back to the man on my right.
"Papasok lang ako sa loob. Ibibigay ko kay France ang regalo ko sa kaniya," Lev casually spoke to, probably, no one because his eyes were empty and not looking at anyone of us.
Hindi rin siya naghintay ng sasagot sa kaniya. He stood up right after he spoke and left our table.
There was his snobbish and intimidating personality again. Well, it's always there. Nakapaskil na ito sa kaniyang magmula pa kanina.
And what he said really made me feel off. Saglit akong nanahimik. It was so opposite to what I was feeling inside. My heart was screaming of jealousy.
Kung gusto niyang umalis para ibigay ang regalo kay France, bakit kailangan pa niyang ihayag sa lahat?
I wondered if France would like Lev's vintage gift for her. He'd given a lot of thought about what he would give to her. He saved up just for it. Nalaman ko iyon kay Lavina. Lev prepared and gave too much effort just to give the right gift to France. If he wasn't courting her, then what could it be? Ganoon ba talaga kaespesyal ang kanilang pagkakaibigan?
