Ricci Rivero, MD

11

Nandito kami ngayon sa information board. Dito kasi ilalagay if you passed first sem or not. Ilalagay yung student number mo and your grade. I'm so nervous di ako mapakali na para bang sasabog na yung puso ko.

"Hey, calm down." pag comfort sakin ni Rivero. As much as I want to,  I can't. Habang pinapatagal nila mas lalong bumibigat yung puso ko.

"Akilia. Look at me." Pero di ko nagawa. I was looking at the board tila ba na pag umiwas lang ako ng tingin ay ikakamatay ko.

"Look at me." He held my face at pinatingin ito sa kanya.

"You did your best. I was with you the whole sem and you didn't fuck it up. You'll pass." He snaked his arm around my waist and I just rested my head in his biceps banda.

Lumabas na yung magpopost at nagsimula ng mag sipuntahan yung mga tao. Fuck. I just really hope I passed. I closed my eyes and my breathing gets heavier and heavier. Rivero squeezed my arm to make me at least feel good and that I don't have to worry about anything.

I saw the other med students faces. The others were crying for failing and some of them were disappointed big time. There are faces with a sigh of relief and there are happy faces for the people who passed and really got good grades.

I slowly walked my way to the board. I was holding Rivero's hand so tight. I might just breakdown. Tinignan ko yung sa baba muna looking for my student number. I was mid way pero wala parin. Shit. Did I fail? I can feel my tears falling. Sa iba kasi na paper ilalagay pag na fail ka.

Napapikit nalang ako. Ayoko na sanang tignan pero I have to. Unti unti kong minulat yung mga mata ko.

"Congrats, Akilia. You're 2nd." Agad ako napatingin sa 2nd. It's my fucking student number. Gulat akong naka tingin. All I want is to really pass but this is beyond my expectation.

Agad kong niyakap si Rivero. "I'm so happy." Yun lang ang nasabi ko. I was just hugging him the whole time. Nung medyo nag sink in na sakin,  tinignan ko ulit yung board.

Ricci Rivero's on top. Fucking, Ricci Rivero.

"Tangina mo." Mura ko sa kanya at tumawa ito.

"How do you do that?" Tanong ko sakanya, pouting.

"Inspired, eh." I raised my eyebrow.

"I'm serious." ulit ko.

"Since when did I not become serious?" Instead of answering him naglakad na ako palayo.

I don't think my heart can handle another word from him.

Paano kaya kung kami pa ng ex ko? Will he do this for me, too? Hindi. Hindi naman yun med student eh. He's going to become a lawyer soon.

"Let's celebrate." He intertwined our hands.

"Wait, did Alliah pass?" Tumango ito saying she's first din sa section C. They're smart as fuck.

My man's smart as fuck.

"Akilia." tawag nya sakin nung nasa sasakyan na kami. I can feel his stares right through me. It's like asking me to look at him too. So I did.

"Ano?"

"I want to be the first one to say this." He paused.

"I'm so proud of you." And right then and there, my heart melted.