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10th of October. Cloudy Day.
7:30 A.M.
"Bayad po."
She rolled her eyes at the back of her mind. Hezekiah carefully accepted the coins from the guy beside her and handed it to the driver.
It's a NOT so typical day for her.
She never liked commuting all by herself in the morning. She's supposed to be at her family's van together with her cousins.
But she woke up late. It was her first time waking up late and being late in school! With her utmost unluckiness, she's beside the man who she chose to forget. The man who she regretted to have. The man whom she regretted to love. The man she hated.
"Zek, may laro kayo?"
She pretended not to hear those words. She pretended deaf all along the ride. She didn't liked the fact, of him being closed to her like that. It's not that she still can't move on from him, she's the one who decided to let him go though. It's just that, this man is a toxic for her. Why does it have to be him, beside her anyway?
"Kuya, para po." They both said in chorus. She rolled her eyes.
She immediately got out of the jeepney and walked the opposite way to their school. Instead, she went to the nearest convinient shop. She's late at her first class anyway, if she'll go there now, it will be just another minute of her life beside him. And she'll be just to early for the second period.
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HINDI na siya nagulat ng lumihis si Zekiah ng direksyon. Nasa loob palang ng jeep, alam niyang hindi niya na siya nito papansinin. Alam niya rin na hindi ito sasabay sa kanya papasok sa school.
He shrugged off the thought saka nagsimula ng maglakad.
"Courage!" Napatingin siya sa may food stall at nakita ang tropang kumakain ng kikiam. "Kasabay mo pumasok si Hezekiah ah? Kayo na ulit?" tanong nito habang ngumunguya.
Umiling lang ito saka nagsimula ng maglakad. Humabol naman si Calzen sa kanya. "Ano naman napaginipan mo about sa kanya ngayon? bakit siya late? napaginipan mo na sabay kayo papasok?" direderetsong tanong nito.
Napatingin siya sa katabi. Bakit ba ang dami ng tanong nito? "Interesado ka ba kay Zekiah?"
"Hindi, tol. Nalulupitan pa rin kasi ako na napapaginipan mo ang mga mangyayari. Ako kaya? Kailan mo kaya ako mapapaginipan?"
"Hindi ako nakakakita ng mga pangyayari sa iba. Nakikita ko lang mga nangyari, nangyayari, at mangyayari sa kanya." Sa sinabing iyon, bigla niyang naalala kung paano nagsimula ang lahat.
Septyembre noon nang magsimulang makita niya sa panaginip si Zekiah. Ito ay ang araw na nawala ang lahat ng mayroon sa kanila. He's the reason why she let him go, anyways. Alam niya sa sarili niya.
Pinaramdam niya kay Zekiah na mahalaga ito, na importante ito, at pinakita niya ang pagmamahal niya dito. Sa siyam na buwan nilang pagsasama, pinaramdam niya rito ang pagmamahal niya.
But things went wrong.
Nawala ang saya. Hindi niya alam kung bakit, pero alam niyang may mali sa sarili niya. Nawala ang kilig, excitement and he didn't knew why.
Hanggang sa napansin ni Zekiah, ang panlalamig niya kaya't wala na itong nagawa kundi bitawan siya. Hindi niya naman ito masisi, alam niyang sobra na itong nasasaktan kaya ganon.
Simula noon, lagi na niya itong napapaginipan. Kahit siya, nagdududa. It's like a fantasy. Na lahat ng napapaginipan niya ay nangyayari kay Zekiah. Gaya ng pagkainjured nito noong training nila. Pag-iyak nito sa may coffee shop, pagkapanalo nito sa isang dancing contest at marami pang ibang pangyayari na nabigyan niyang patunay na totoo.
