Wretched Choices

Chapter 40

This is the last chapter of Wretched Choices! Thank you very much for being with me all throughout and holding on to Keia's wretched choices.

#WretchedChoicesWP

Chapter 40
Lying

Pursing my lips after reading his speech for our graduation, I gave Archer back his paper and faced him who looked like a hopeful child, waiting for a good response.

For the last day of our graduation practice, he needed to recite his speech and one of our professors would evaluate it. Hindi ko nga alam kung bakit ngayon lang nila ipapabasa sa kanya kung kailangan pa nilang i-evaluate. What if they still wanted to revise a sentence or paragraph? That would be a hassle.

"So, what do you think?"

Humalukipkip ako habang tiningnan siya nang diretso. I tried to look intimidating as much as I could.

Honestly, this was an unbiased opinion, it was a good speech and very uplifting, but I couldn't pinpoint what's lacking. Basta nang binasa ko ay parang mayroong kulang. Mayroon akong hinahanap na wala roon at hindi ko rin masabi kung ano 'yon.

"Hmm... It's good," sabi ko na lang at saka ngumiti, ngunit mukhang hindi siya kumbinsido sa aking sagot.

"Are you sure?"

"Though I feel like it's lacking somehow, it's good," I honestly said this time.

Now, he looked problematic because of my honest review. Back and forth, he glanced at me and his paper for consecutive times. Para bang mahahanap niya kung ano ang mali sa kanyang speech kapag ginawa niya 'yon.

Hindi ko tuloy maiwasan ang matawa sa kanyang reaksyon, pero mas lalo lamang siyang sumimangot. Tila parang papel na nilulukot ang aking puso habang tinitingnan siya.

Trying to memorize everything about him, I stared at his face. The cute creases on his forehead made its appearance as he went over his speech. His lips protruded a bit, frustrated, and it made him look hot and cute at the same time.

Guess I was completely messed up. Would I still be able to recover from this fall?

"Mr. Archer Velarde, please come up onstage."

His name was suddenly called by a familiar voice. It must be one of our professors who was incharged of our graduation practice today.

Natigil si Archer sa pagbabasa at nag-angat ng tingin sa akin. He was hesitating big time! You could tell it just by looking at his troubled expression.

"Should I tell them that I'm not done yet and revise this quickly?"

Muli akong natawa. "Ayos lang naman!" sabay bawi ko ng aking naunang opinyon. "Let them hear it first. It's just one opinion anyway. Others might say otherwise."

Kahit mukhang hindi pa rin siya mapalagay ay mukhang nakumbisi ko naman siya lalo na nang sinundo pa talaga siya ni Mrs. Almacen dito sa backstage.

"Archer, isang run tayo ng speech mo," sabi ni Mrs. Almacen. "Do you have an extra copy?"

Nag-aalangang binigay ni Archer ang copy na binasa ko kanina. He still had another copy folded inside his pocket.

"Lumabas ka na roon para makausad na tayo."

Pagkakuha ni Mrs. Almacen ng kopya kay Archer ay lumabas na rin siya agad.

Ngumiti ako kay Archer at humakbang papalapit sa kanya. I cupped his face with my hands and stared at his eyes for as long as I could, inputting every detail about his feature that I loved the most, hoping I would never forget.