The Gap Between Us (SSG SERIES #1)

Chapter 28: An Important Person

Coleen's

Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit nasa kamay ko ngayon ang class record at patuloy na nag hahanap ng taong nag ngangalang 'Win', pero wala! Was he lying when he told me his name was Win?

"Sino ba kasing hinahanap mo dyan?" tanong ni Stacey. Sakaniya ko hiniram ang kopya ng class record dahil bilang class representative, meron siyang kopya nito.

"May kaklase ba tayong.. Win?" hininaan ko ang boses ko nang banggitin ko ang pangalan na iyon. She seems confused.

"Win? Weird name," sabi niya at ngumisi tsaka umiling. "Wala, baka naman mali ang pag kakarinig mo?"

I rolled my eyes. "Win, Fin, Tin, kahit anong 'in' wala dito, inang'yan!"

I was about to add him on my social media accounts, pero nang i-search ko ang pangalang Win ay walang lumabas na may mutual, o kaya nag aaral sa school na 'to. I don't know, he piqued my interest, and my curiosity too. Just what kind of person is this Win guy?

Napatingin ako sa kabilang dako ng room. Andoon lang siya, it's better to ask him directly right? Pero matapos niyang sabihin ang mga sikreto niya sa akin noong araw, ay hindi ko maiwasang ma-awkwardan. We're strangers to each other.

Pinag-masdan ko siya habang nakapanga-lumbaba sa mesa at may binabasang libro. He does look a decent guy, atleast. Napansin niya atang pinagmamasdan siya kaya napa-lingon siya at nag tama ang tingin namin. He raised his brows and flashed a goofy smile. I smiled awkwardly.

"Ah naalala ko na!"

Napatingin ako bigla kay Stacey.

"Kung siya ang tinutukoy mo," sabay turo niya kay Win na may kausap na ngayon, "His name is Alvis!"

Nanlaki ang mata ko at agad sinenyasan si Stacey na hinaan ang boses niya. Some of our classmates heard it, pero hindi rin naman nila pinansin.

"What about Alvis?" tanong ni Eliezer na kakarating lang. I instantly glared at Stacey for saying it out loud. Nag-iwas lang siya ng tingin.

"Wala. Tinatanong ko lang kung anong pangalan nun," sabay turo ko kay Win, or Alvis. Whatever.

"Ah, bakit? Crush mo?" tanong niya at umupo sa arm rest ng upuan ko. Siniko ko siya para umalis, but he won't budge. Bahala siyang mapagalitan ng prof.

"'Di naman. Close kayo?" I asked casually. I hope this stupid guy doesn't get the wrong idea.

"Ni Win? Oo, papalakad ka ba?" tanong niya at tumawa. I rolled my eyes then frowned. Looks like he doesn't know about his gender at all since he keeps saying things like, 'Ilalakad kita'.

"Why is he called Win, tho? Ang layo sa Alvis, ha." tanong ni Stacey. I'm quite curious too.

"Short for Manalo, Alvis Manalo. Gets niyo?"

Damn. That's corny. Napangiwi ako at napatingin sakaniya. I got chills when I caught him glaring at me, but in an instant, he was smiling. I had goosebumps. Seryoso pala siya nang sabihin niyang gusto niya ang lalaking 'to..

"Ang ganda na nga ng Alvis, Pina-corny niya pa.."

"Ewan ko ba diyan, also, here's a secret, guys."

Yumuko si Eliezer kaya naman lumapit kami sakaniya. He made sure no one was listening. Is this about Win's gender? Did he knew, afterall?

"He's a student council member.."

I paused. It was.. something else.

Whew.

"Eh?! Student council?" gulat na tugon ni Stacey.

I'm quite surprised too. Akala ko apat lang ang SSG members sa school na ito, may isa pa pala. May outcast, perhaps?

"Not an official member, pero we considered Win as one kasi sabi ni prez,"

"Anong ganap niya?" I asked.

"All rounder. Kaya nga sinasabi ko sa'yo, Coleen, ilalakad na kita!" biro niya.

Konti nalang at maiinis na 'ko kaka-sabi niya ng ilalakad niya ko. I'm pretty sure, Win  wouldn't like his way of speaking too.

You're telling me, na crush ko ang tangang 'to?

Oh my God.

"Uy, tigilan mo na. Hindi nga kasi crush ni Coleen 'yun," pag awat ni Stacey dito. Buti nalang, baka kanina ko pa nai-untog ang isang 'to sa arm rest na inuupuan niya ngayon.

"Fine. I'll just tell you more about Win, then!"

Nag patuloy siya sa pag kukwento. Kung paano na-tuklasan ni Coen ang talent at skills ni Win na pasok sa standards ng isang student council kaya sinali nila ito, kung paano niya dinesign ang issued shirts nila, he talked like a proud parent bragging about his son. Nabanggit niya din na minsan lang tumambay sa office si Win at ayaw sumasali sa group photos nilang student council, hindi rin umaattend ng meeting palagi, dahil sa tingin niya ay hindi iyon gampanin ng isang unofficial member. He only follows orders. 'Yun at 'yun lang. It sounds like he was a lackey. Pero nalaman kong paborito siya ni Coen.

I was looking at Stacey everytime na nababanggit ang pangalan ni Coen. I'm pretty sure Eliezer was doing the same thing. All she did was nod and act like it was nothing. We weren't talking about it, if she doesn't want to, then we wait. But how much longet do we have to wait for her to speak up.

"Enough talking about me now,"

Napalingon ako sa boses na iyon. Win was standing there, here comes the chills again when he glanced at me.

"Nag chat si president. Meeting daw, kasama ako."

Eliezer's face brightened up.

"Kasama ka?! Tara!"

They dashed out of our sight without saying anything. The last thing I saw was Win's little smirk as Eliezer pulled him out of the room.

He seriously thinks of me as his rival...

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