Eleanor Mendrez

05 Eleanor

"Why are you calling me?" bungad ko kay Tatiana nang sagutin ko ang tawag n'ya.

I was having lunch with some of my friends in the cafeteria. Wala na akong klase pero nag-ayang maghang-out ang mga kaibigan ko. Maybe we'd go shopping later at the mall okaya ay kwentuhan lang sa isang coffee shop.

"Why are still holding a grudge towards me? You even blocked me on messenger." maliit ang boses n'ya. She sounded disappointed.

"Because you won't shut the fuck up." masungit na iral ko.

"Sorry na. Next time, I will pick you up even if it's past my curfew." she pleaded. She sounded really sincere.

She called me a thousand times right after I went home from Gabriel's.

I blocked her number and now she was using a new one. Pati sa lahat ng social networking sites ay binlock ko s'ya. It has been a week since that bar incident, meaning-- it has been a week since I asked Gabriel if we had sex.

Maybe he was disgusted with me because he stopped sending me inspirational quotes since then. Hindi na rin kami nakapag-usap-- not that we actually talk but everything seemed awkward after that time in his apartment. He told me to call him if I needed someone to pick me up pero ang kapal ko naman kung uulitin ko pa.

"Ano bang kailangan mo?" inis ko muling tanong.

Lia and Karyl eyed me-- my friends whom I usually hang out with. I dropped out two of my subjects and took three others kaya minsan ay hindi ko sila nakakasama.

Tumigil sila sa pag-kain para panoorin ako. I waved my hands at them to give them a go sign to continue.

"Nandito kami sa Bonifacio Hall kasama sina Mae."

I immediately knew what she was trying to say that my mood reachest its lowest of low. "Fuck off, Tatiana." I rolled my eyes.

Tinaasan ako ng kilay nina Lia at Karyl. They must be confused of who Tatiana was. I haven't mentioned her to them. Hindi naman s'ya importante para ikwento ko pa.

"Come on, Eleanor. It has been a while since you joined us." she pleaded.

Ilang beses ko bang sasabihin sa kanya na ayoko nang sumama sa kanila? It wasn't my kind of thing.

"Kung wala kang sasabihing matino, ibababa ko na 'to." saad ko.

Hindi ko pa nakakalahati 'yung pagkain ko. It wouldn't be long until Eleazar will know about my current schedule. Kailangan ko na ring umalis dito sa school para hindi na n'ya ako masundan.

Ilang beses ko bang sasabihin sa kanya na ayoko nang sumama sa kanila? It wasn't my kind of thing.

"Gabriel is here. He asked me about you." she muttered.

"So what?" taas-kilay kong tanong. He asked her about me when he could just send me a text.

"He came all the way from Forteja to meet us today even if he's busy."

"Bitch, Forteja is ten minutes from La Brion. It's not like he crossed a damn ocean."

"That's not my point. He took his time to b--"

"Bakit ba pinipilit mo ako? Hindi ka ba makakahinga d'yan kapag wala ako? You know I can't contribute anything in your stupid cult." pabalang kong pagpuputol sa kanya.

She sighed from the other line. I expected her to snap but she sounded sad. Ano bang meron sa akin at gustung-gusto n'ya akong nakikita?

"If you get uncomfortable for the first five minutes, I won't stop you from going. I swear." she bargained.