Taped-Up Heart

VI. No Thank You or Whatever?

Chapter Six

No Thank You or Whatever?

I was sitting at one of the concrete benches outside Duane's department. It was already seven in the evening, but I still waited for him. Besides, it's safe naman dito sa loob ng campus and madami pa rin students. I've been here for almost an hour, hindi ko rin alam kung anong oras ang tapos ng last class ni Duane for today. It's been a week and until now, he's still ignoring me, my calls, and my messages.

Ngayon lang naman ako nagkaroon ng free time na abangan siya dito, kasi busy rin naman ako the past weeks sa mga pinapagawa sa amin.

When I heard people chattering that's when I stood up and waited for Duane to get out of his classroom. Paubos na iyong mga tao na lumabas mula sa room kanina at hanggang ngayon wala pa rin si Duane. Hindi pa rin siya lumalabas.

I was about to go—thinking that maybe he was absent when I saw him getting out of his classroom and smiling while talking to a girl.

Hindi ko muna siya nilapitan. I didn't want to interrupt their talk, it looked like their topic was really funny—kasi nakangiti siya. Hanggang sa dumaan siya sa harapan ko. I stopped him by holding his arm. He stopped and looked shocked seeing me. "Asia," he said.

"Duane, can we talk?" I asked.

He looked at the girl he was talking to earlier. "Hey, Taff, is it oka—"

She smiled. "No, no, it's fine, Duane. I can manage," she said as she waved her hand to us. "I'll get going. Ingat din kayong dalawa," she said as she started walking away from us.

"I'm sorry," was the first thing I told him when his friend finally left.

He just looked at me, his face was void of any expression.

"Look, Duane... I'm sorry, really. I didn't mean na ma-late doon sa lakad nating dalawa. I just had to get something from someone before we meet up, but then, I encountered some problems along the way," I told him—and by problems, I meant Achaia Tiu—but of course I'm never going to tell him that. "I'm sorry kung hindi nanaman natuloy ang lakad nating dalawa."

He still didn't speak.

"I'm sorry, okay? And I understand why you're mad at me. Kaya sorry..." I said. "And here," I handed him the paper bag. "That's my gift. I'm sorry ulit," I said before turning my back on him.

I wasn't even a meter away from him when he called my name. "Asia," he said. "I'm sorry rin."

I looked back and smiled. Hindi mo talaga ako matiis. "Forgiven."

* * *

I was walking alone at the hallway when people kept on looking at me then whispering to each other! I didn't want to be assuming—mainly because I wasn't famous here and only a few people knew about me... pero, god, feeling ko talaga ako iyong pinag-uusapan ng mga tao! Ano nanaman ba ang ginawa ko?!

I was about to turn right when somebody tugged my hair. "A—aray!" I almost screamed. "Ano ba?!" I asked. Hindi ko makita kung sino iyong nanabunot na lang bigla sa akin!

"You bitch!" she said.

Hanggang sa napa-upo na lang ako sa sahig at kinakaladkad niya na ako. "What the hell is your problem?! Bitawan mo nga ang buhok ko!" I said as I attempted to remove her hold from my hair, pero sobrang higpit talaga ng hawak niya! Ang daming tao ang nanonood at patuloy siya sa paghila sa akin! What was her problem?! Ni hindi ko nga siya kilala, e! Inaano ko ba siya?! Bakit ba ganyan siya kagalit sa akin?!

"Whore!" she shouted. Mas lalong humigpit iyong hawak niya sa buhok ko.

"Bitawan mo nga ako!"

"You really think you're pretty? Well, wake up, bitch! You're not! The nerve of you na pagsabayin pa si Duane at si Tiu!" she said.