Control The Game (COMPLETED)

Chapter 05

#CTG05 Chapter 05

"Is there something you want to share, Charisse Faith?" Rory asked, her brows in full arch. Agad na napa-kunot ang noo ko. Ano na naman ang problema nito? "Ano 'yung kanina?"

"Ano'ng ano?" I asked.

"Yung kay Iñigo!" she said like that should mean something. Napa-tingin ako kay Yago. Kasalanan niya 'to. Rory wasn't like this when I first met her... Ngayon, kagaya na siya ni Yago na puro chismis.

"What about him?" I asked, trying to come up with a good mnemonic. Sobrang dami na ng kinkabisado ko. Sometimes, I felt like my head would explode from everything.

Sometimes, I felt like just... disappearing.

I wonder how would that fee like—to be free from people's expectation. Because most of the time, I feel like I couldn't breathe. I am so afraid of making mistakes that sometimes, I'd wake up in the middle of the night because I dreamed that I received a failing grade. And then I wouldn't be able to sleep again and instead, just study.

Because in my life, failure's not an option.

"Bakit mag pagngiti kanina?"

"You're hallucinating," I said before I stood up and carried my codal with me. Marami pa akong kailangang basahin at hindi ako matatapos kung patuloy na tatanungin ako ni Rory.

Lumabas ako ng classroom at naghanap ng pwedeng upuan habang naghihintay ng professor. I had a feeling that it'd be a free cut tonight because our prof wasn't usually late... And he also wasn't the kind of professor who'd tell us na walang pasok. I think it's his way of pressuring us into still studying. Minsan kasi kapag nawawalan ng pasok, tinatamad din mag-aral.

I was supposed to sit on my usual spot—iyong bench sa labas ng LSG pero nandun si Katherine at Jax. Tumingin ako ng iba pang pwedeng upuan pero puro madilim na sa ibang parte ng hallway. Ayoko namang bumaba pa para lang magbasa. Ayoko rin sa loob dahil maingay si Yago at Rory.

Bakit ba lagi ko silang problema? Gusto ko lang namang mag-aral.

Sighing, I decided to circle the building. Alam ko may pwesto sa labas ng auditorium sa second floor na pwedeng upuan, e. Kita pa iyong classroom namin mula roon kaya makaka-takbo ako kung sakaling dumating man si Sir—which I highly doubted.

Pero papalapit lang ako nang mapa-tigil na naman ako.

"Hey!" naka-ngiting tawag ni Iñigo nang makita niya ako. Maingay ba akong maglakad? Bakit naramdaman niya agad na nandito ako?

I gave him an awkward smile. Were we friends? I still didn't feel comfortable around him... But he's nice. Kinda.

"Mag-aaral ka rin?" he asked. I nodded. He tapped the space beside him. "May tao dun sa usual mo, no?" Kumunot ang noo ko. "Sina Jax... Dun ka sa pwesto nila usually nag-aaral, 'di ba?"

Tumango ako. "Okay lang naman," sagot ko. 'Di naman ako may-ari nung pwesto na 'yun. Saka baka mas okay na na 'dun sina Katherine at Jax. Baka sakaling matauhan na iyong ilan sa mga classmate ko na may crush kay Jax na may girlfriend na iyong tao.

"Di mo ako tatanungin kung bakit alam ko na 'dun ka nag-aaral?" he asked.

Umiling ako. Ang ingay din ng isang 'to. Saan ba ako matatahimik sa school na 'to?

Tumawa siya. "Sungit talaga, grabe," he said, and then tapped the space beside him again. "Dito ka na. Tahimik na ako, promise."

Dahil tahimik naman talaga siya nung last time na nag-aral kami, naupo ako sa tabi niya. I began to read the provisions again, making sure that I understood them clearly. Minsan kasi kapag may nalilimutan akong isang salita, nag-iiba iyong interpretation ng buong batas.