I am Me

Lady Van Doren 4

"Guess who's the lucky girl?" I grinned at the gang, It's lunch time kaya nasa cafeteria na naman kami

Laurent raised his eyebrows nod his head to the left and said "Katie?" I looked at where he is looking and saw Katie and Apollo eating together

Katie is cracking some jokes while Apollo laughed 

"Don't get smart ass with me Laurent" I frowned and slowly sat down. Kahit pa siguro ilang beses ko silang makitang ganyan ay hindi ko maiwasang masaktan

Eli pinched Laurent when she saw my expression

"On the bright side, usap usapan na mag kaklasi nanamn kayo ni Apollo" Cassi is trying to cheer me up

I immediately brightened when Cassi said that 

"Yup, guess what?, hindi lang kami mag kaklasi! he actually sat beside me kanina. Not just the first subject but for all the subjects!" I took Prescott's apple and unconsciously ate it

Astrid coughed violently "He what? sat beside you? The world is ending!" I pouted with that

Nikolai held my hands, eyes sparkling "You're doing great ate Oine, keep doing that at baka ikaw na ang katabi niya tuwing lunch" I also held Nikolai's hands, looking at him teary eyed

"Thank you Kolai, Thank you for believing"

The people at our table groaned because of us

"Manong, I'll wait here malapit sa gate"  I ended the call and sat by the shed. Uwian na at iniwan na nila ako 

I took my phone and just scrolled mindlessly nang may marinig akong ingay

Meow, meow

It sounds like a kitten

Sinundan ko ang ingay and almost cried at the scene in front of me

A cute kitten was stuck below the stacks of cements 

Throwing my inhibitions away, mabilis akong lumuhod at inabot ang kuting 

Sadly my arms are short kaya hindi ko maabot yung kuting

"What are you doing?"  I slowly turned my head and saw Apollo looking down at me. I can't formulate words kaya I ended up stupidly looking at him

I got out of trance nang dumaing na naman ang kuting

I disregarded Apollo and tried to snatch the kitten again pero di ko parin ma abot. I stopped reaching when a hand gently pulled me up

He looked at my knees and sighed. Nabigla ako nang siya ang pumallit sa pwesto ko, with just one try ay mabilis niya na alis ang kuting mula sa pagkakaipit nito 

He let go of the kitten and it ran away the second it hit the ground. I followed the kitten using my line of vision and muttered a soft goodbye 

I stilled when I felt something tapped my knees. I looked down and saw Apollo gently cleaning my knees using his handkerchief 

"Next time, ask for help nadumihan kapa tuloy" I couldn't mutter anything and just watched him walking away

I swallowed hard

"T-thank you for the kitten and uh for the uhm knees?" he just waved his hand without looking at me

"Maam ok na po kayo?" I jumped slightly when I heard Manong Felix's voice. He is smiling widely but his eyes are teasing 

"manong!! Kanina pa kayo diyan?"

"Opo maam, naabotan ko lang na kasama niyo si sir Apollo kaya dina ako nagsalita" Everyone in my family knows Apollo

"Hay nako manong, pumunta muna tayo kay Lolo I just have to deliver something from mama"

I arrived at Lolo's mansion and went directly to his room pero wla siya doon. Nilibot ko na ang buong masion pero wala siya

"maybe he left?" bumaba na ako and I was about to go home ng makita ko ang driver ni lolo

"Manong Jun? Andito ho kayo? Nasan ho si Lolo?" napakamot lang ng ulo si Mang Jun

"Eh maam, umalis po si Sir eh" umalis? paano yun aalis eh hindi naman yun marunong mag drive

"Naglakad lang siya?" 

"Hindi ho maam, may sumundo ho sa kanya dito lalaki, kaedaran niyo ata" What? may barkada si Lolo?

Napakunot ang noo ko,

K-kasali ba siya sa isang gang? frat?

"Ho? sigurado ba kayo? ka edaran ko? Mang Jun magsabi nga kayo ng totoo, k-kasali ba sa mga gang si Lolo?" 

"Nako maam, ewan ko po, halos dalawang taon na pong ganyan ang lolo niyo. May mga lakd siya na hindi niya sina sabi. Minsan pag pumupunta ng Doctor yun ay may ibang tinatawagan at nag papasundo" kinakabahan na ako sa sinasabi ni Mang Jun

"Mang Jun, can you describe kung sino yung pumupunta dito?" Mang Jun was about to speak ng may nag slita sa likod ko

"Oine? you're here!" Lolo Arkie is here

Nakita ko na pinanlakihan ni Lolo ng mata si Mang Jun kaya naman umalis ito agad 

Lolo guided me papasok ng mansion nang may nahagip ang mga mata ko

It's a black car. A familiar one to top that