Belle of Ares

Belle of Ares 4

"What?" Naaasar niyang tanong.

“I thought you said you don’t like sitting next to me? Whatever happened to that?” Medyo naiinis kong tanong.

Sa dinami-dami ba naman kasi ng taong umupo sa tabi ko ay ang lalakeng ito pa. Si Ares pa.

And if I can’t fight off this little turbulence inside my system, I should, at least, fight him off.

Nanliit ang mga mata niya. “Look around, princess, wala nang ibang seat. I was left with no choice but to sit next to you.” At tinaasan niya ako ng kilay.

Napabuntong-hininga ako.

Right. No one would, actually, dare to sit next to me if they had a choice.

I heard a soft chuckle ahead so I raised my head. Kita kong palihim na humahalakhak ang mga lalake habang nakatuon ang atensyon sa akin.

These scheming….Ugh!

I was jotting down notes when I felt someone hit me by the elbow.

Nanliit ang mata ko.

Did this Ares just elbow me? Ha! Inirapan ko nga nang makitang nag-aantay siya sa ganti ko.

I continued jotting down when another series of hit came.

I heaved a deep sigh and moved my chair a little farther away from his. But, then, he moved his closer.

Nanadya ba ‘tong isang ito?
“Stop it, I am trying to concentrate.” Mahina kong bulong saka umirap sa kawalan.

“I can’t concentrate too, with you around.”

He what? He can’t concentrate just because I am around? Hell hath no fury, darn it! Obviously, I was trying to keep a ‘distance’ between us but he keeps on invading my personal space.

Napabuga ako ng hangin.

He is too mean…and somehow, bully.

Siguro naman kapag hindi ko siya pinansin  ay titigilan niya ako diba? So I ignored him.

Pero parang naging baliktad ata.

Kasi lalo niya lang akong ginugulo. At sa tuwing bubusangot o aakma akong magagalit ay diretso niya akong tinititigan sa mata. Napapakagat-labi na lang ako sa tuwing tinatapunan nya ako ng masamang tingin, coz seriously, he is scary. Scary, but hell, handsome and attracting.

With those long lashes and chinky alluring eyes, and his naturally red lips and proud nose? No woman could resist him. His skin is not pale-white, but healthy white.

Lalo akong kinabahan nang inabot niya ang bag ko. Like seriously? Don’t tell me may kleptomania ang lalakeng ito? Or this could be bullying!

Aagawin ko na sana ang bag ko nang nagtagis ang bagang niya at tinapunan na naman ako ng masamang tingin, like the usual. My heart palpitated.

No words, but I feel so dominated with just those eyes of his.

I want to get the teacher's attention and report him but something tells me not to. Paano kung abangan ako nito sa gate mamaya? Sa itsura niya pa lang ay masasabi mo nang delikado siyang tao. Basagulero, at mainitin ang ulo.

Hinalungkat niya ang bag ko at isa-isang hinulog sa sahig ang mga laman noon matapos iyong kalikutin.

Nangilid ang luha ko.

I hate to feel so helpless.  And right now? I am feeling helpless….again.

When he finally dropped my Hollister pack bag on the cold tiles, I hastily picked it up without thinking twice.

Isa-isa kong ibinalik sa loob ng bag ko ang mga kinalat niya.

The last thing I was about to pick was my tickler pero hindi ko makuha-kuha dahil inaapakan niya. Dahil inapakan niya.

“Excuse me.” I told him in a very, very soft voice, coz I don’t wanna be heard by anyone. Ayokong ipaglandakan na nabu-bully ako dito sa likod, on my very first day, here on my new school.

I raised my head when he didn’t move his feet and I saw him smirking at me. Right, this is bullying.

I sighed in surrender. Maybe I should buy a new tickler. Maliban sa nayupi na rin naman ang spring nun at narumihan ng sapatos niya, ay tingin ko’y hindi niya na talaga pakakawalan iyon.

Whatever happened to my ‘chin-up-breast-out’ front, I don’t know anymore. I don’t think I could use it with him around.

“Ms. Hernandez!” Tawag ng teacher sa atensyon ko.

“Yes, Maam?” I said as I held my bag tightly on my right. Ayokong abutin na naman ito ni Ares at guluhin.

“Can you tell us what is the formula in getting the wavelength of a distance from a crest to another?” Nakangiting hamon niya sa akin.

“Uhmm… velocity over frequency?" Nag-aalangan kong tanong dahil sa sobrang kaba.

"Very good! So the wavelength is...blah blah blah." At nagpatuloy siya sa klase.

I sighed in relief.

Mabuti at nakasagot ako't hindi ako napahiya.

That's what I thought so..

Dahil pagkaupo ko ay diretso sa sahig ang bagsak ng pwet ko. Nabangga pa ang siko sa desk nung armchair.

Namumutla kong tinignan ang lalakeng katabi ko.

He had this bored look on his face habang nalahalukipkip na nakatingin sa akin.

Everyone turned to look at me and started laughing.