Two Steps Behind

First Semester

Devin's POV:

It has been a week since we moved in to our pad and settled in. It's the start of our First Semester in Columbia. It's going to get busy for us in a few months. Today is our first day in school, dahil magkaiba kami ng course, magkaiba din ang building namin, she goes to the west side of the campus at samantalang nasa east side naman ang building ko. I dropped her off in front of her building.

"Love, sunduin mo ako mamaya ha? After class. I end my classes at 5pm." she said energetically at me.

"Okay love. I end mine at 4pm. I'll wait for you here. See you later love." I said to her as I gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"See you later love. Be good ha?" she said smiling into the quick kiss.

"Opo." I said. I watched her go inside her building. Bago pa ako nagpatuloy sa paglalakad ko papunta sa building ko.

I got there with 20 minutes to spare, I picked the middle row, para hindi masyadong malayo o malapit sa professor, I sat in the first empty seat. I brought out my notebook and pen. I have been humming another tune when a woman approached me to ask if the seat next to mine was taken.

"Excuse me, is that seat taken?" she asked me.

"No, it isn't." I said nonchalantly

"Can I sit with you?" She said smiling widely at me.

"Uhm, yeah sure." I said to her.

Umayos ako ng upo as she scoots over to the seat, we will be having most of our classes on ampitheaters like these, nakaupo ako sa may bungad, near the aisle. As I waited for the class to start.

"Thank you, by the way I'm Cara Martin and you are?" The woman asked me.

"Hi, you're welcome. I'm Devin Lennon." I smiled back at her as I went back to humming a tune.

"What is that you're humming? It sounds nice." She commented.

"Uhm, it's an original composition. I don't have a title for it yet." I said.

"I see, do you have words for it?" she asked me yet again.

"I do, I have something in mind, but you won't understand because it's not in english." I answered her

"So what other language do you speak? Do you speak Martian?" She chuckled at me

"No, I speak and write in Filipino, because my mom is a Filipina." I answered her.

"Okay, so nagtatagalog ka din pala?" she asked me.

"Uhm, yeah. So, Filipina ka din pala? I mean I thought you were middle eastern or something." I chuckled at her.

"Hmmm, no. I'm not middle eastern. My mom is a Filipina too, while my dad is a French Immigrant here in the U.S." She smiled at me.

"I see." I said to her.

"Okay, so ano na yung lyrics mo?" She smiled eagerly at me.

"Okay here it goes." I said.

Dahil sa'yo may salita, Dahil sa'yo may musika.

Dahil sa'yo kumakanta, kahit pa ako'y nilulunod mo na.

San papunta itong pighati? Kailan ba makakabawi?

Oras ay walang hinihintay, wag sanang hayaang pag-ibig ay mamatay.

"Ayan palang nasusulat ko eh." I told her.

"Maganda nga, kaso ang pait naman ng lyrics mo, tas yung boses mo ang lambing. Sigurado ako nakakaloka yang kanta mo na yan." she laughed at me.

"May pinagdadaanan kase ako, kaya ganyan." I chuckled at her.